Food was very tasty & favorable I had Cajun Shrimp tacos & my wife had the crab cake sandwich Location was good The highlight to us was the service, Layla the server was very efficient & personable She stopped by often to check on us & the food arrived quickly She provided to go cups as we left We will definitely come back & refer this restaurant to others read more

Went again (as we always do when at Holden over the summer) and they continue to do a very good job. Good service and the food is pretty good for a beach/island fair. Great views and nice live music. Hard to go wrong here. read more

food was so good, came out very fast too. got sat quickly even on a busy saturday dinner rush. service was good, and we could see straight though one of the beach entrances and could watch the ocean waves!! read more

Castaways Raw Bar & Grill - seafood mac and cheese, shrimp tacos - Seafood Near Me - Holden Beach, North Carolina

Great food food and people! Ambience and music all wonderful! *****************************************(****************!

I didn't think the restaurant was particularly handicapped accessible, but maybe there was some way to get around that it does have places for cars and bikes, which is good. The main problem with the restaurant is there was only one bartender and she was completely overwhelmed because so many people were making request and so were the waiters. It was really tough for her to keep up, and I felt bad. Probably not the best management. The servers were great, but the host stand had some teenage bitter girl who was very rude to the customers and I am like you're the front face of the Restaurant. You should be doing a much better job than this. She act ticked off that anybody even came to the restaurant if I were the manager I would remove her from that position because they're going to lose money. The food was good and the drinks were good. It's just kind of like you need the whole package in order for the public to be satisfied. Possibly under new management it would do even better. It's in a great location and close to the center of town. I hope they make the changes they need. read more

Castaways Raw Bar & Grill - This is a regular landmark in Holden Beach where the water tower is in the Causeway. It's not very far away from the restaurant. - Seafood Near Me - Holden Beach, North Carolina

We enjoyed this place twice on our beach trip this week! Last night we went to hear the live music and have a drink at the bar, of which was quite nice. Even in warmer weather, the fans were keeping everything breezy and nice. The service was on point. We had an amazing bartender who served us up some really good and tasty Moscow Mules, and served us some very amazing crab dip. We decided to stay and have dinner and enjoyed crab stuffed flounder, some very crispy and tasty French fries, as well, we took home another crab dip appetizer and a sweet potato for my mom. She enjoyed both, and as she stated, "that was one exceptional sweet potatoe! The crab dip is so good!" It was an enjoyable evening. We met some of the nicest locals and enjoyed a nice conversation. They happened to know the owners and they came over and spoke as well. Such nice people! All of them. When visiting or vacationing at Holden Beach NC, be sure to stop in, say hello, and enjoy some great eats. read more

This was great, we had the spinach artichoke dip, chicken Alfredo pasta, and rajun Cajun chicken sandwich . Beer and Long Island drinks - this was 100% better than the nearby mermaid island grill next door which we tried the night before. Forgot to take pics because the food was so good! We spent about $75 at both places and the castaways is wonderful. read more

Love this place. Have been going every year, (we have a place at the beach that we visit a few times a year) several times, since it opened. Love their food, bartenders are SO friendly and make great drinks, view from the top is great. Almost ALWAYS busy, especially on weekends and 5pm and after weekdays, so you are going to probably wait. I've tried just about everything on the menu and I've never been disappointed! P.S. Try the Key Lime Pie Shot read more

We had a party of nine. 5 of us arrived at 5 and asked for a table - the hostess responded they only seat parties when everyone has arrived. We then watched two girls under 21 arrive for their party of 12 and were seated immediately- the rest of the party arrived 15 minutes later. We were finally seated after they were able to "push some tables together " - but apparently not observant as we had to use napkins to dry water off two of the chairs. Professionally speaking their actions were passively rude and inconsiderate. Waitress was nice, but hardly observant. Forgot multiple condiments and presented one of our party with a fruit plate when we all heard him say fries. Food was meh. Nothing ragin' about the Cajun Chicken sandwich, buffalo chicken tacos definitely had chicken but not much else, and my jerk Mahi Mahi sandwich was cooked but saying it was lightly seasoned is being generous. The chips in the appetizers were the best part of the meal. I'll let that sink in. The. Chips. Love Holden but service and lack of seriously seasoned food makes this a spot to avoid unless they take a better look at how they are servicing all customers. read more

Food was alright, not great but not bad. Atmosphere was nice, very beachy and laid back. Service was good.

The food is ok, service can be troublesome, and the atmosphere is primarily a second level open air restaurant during the summer, so it can be uncomfortable on a hot humid day with no breeze coming in off the ocean. We have eaten dinner here several times with friends and had mixed experiences. Our most recent trip was somewhat a positive experience with the exception being a BLT salad entree consisting of mainly lettuce. On a prior visit, we were served a plate of nachos that was served with cold beer cheese. We sent it back twice, and neither attempt bore any fruit to correct the problem. In the future, if friends suggest that we eat at this restaurant, I will return any problem entrees and asked to have it removed from the bill. No group of people should have to endure waiting on someone to finish their meal when the event that causes the issue is generated by the kitchen, and then no management ever follows up to ensure the problem was handled appropriately! This is a hit or miss restaurant, and standard operating procedures are lacking. Someone should be using a temperature probe to ensure the beer cheese pot was actually plugged in, before serving cold goo! Then, temperature checking the replacement plate to ensure it meets some "standard operating procedure"! Visually, when your waitress delivers a plate to your table does it look like it was constructed correctly? Does it have all the ingredients? Can you see bacon, and tomatoes , or is it just a bowl of lettuce? Giving you a 3 star rating is being overly generous based on these 2 events, and how they weren't handled appropriately! No compensation or concern was genuinely demonstrated by management on either occasion! read more

Castaway's is the best dining option on Holden Beach. From the stellar service to the tasty food and beverages to the chill beach vibe, it's the place to be on the island. Locals and visitors alike flock to this sprawling restaurant near the bridge, and in season the wait times for a table can be epic. So grab a drink from the bar, and head outside for a game of corn hole or just watch the waves go by. Speaking of that bar, the libations are excellent. I love to indulge with one of Castaway's frozen piña coladas, so delicious and refreshing on a hot day. The raw bar offerings are a great way to start your culinary adventure, but if you're more of a landlubber, try the spinach artichoke dip. It's a little spicy, and it can be made gluten free on request. In fact, there are plenty of GF options for diners -- another little thing that sets Castaway's apart from the competition. On a recent visit, I enjoyed the shrimp and grits (portions are huge - enough to share) and my dining companions raved about their almond-crusted tilapia and Maryland crab cakes. The music started at 5:30 pm, with Mo getting the crowd going with "Wagon Wheel." read more

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Bottom line: Enjoyed the meal here at Castaways, the starter of Crab Dip as well as my Almond Crusted Tilapia hit the spot. Good service as well. The Deets: Upon coming onto the island when vacationing at Holden Beach recently, one of the restaurants/bars you immediately see coming off the bridge is Castaways. However, I did not get to visit them until the night before we left for back home. From first glance, it appears like an usual type of local hangout including covered outside tables for dining and a bar, as well as live music at times (as was when we visited). But looking at their menu and you will get quite a selection offering for both seafood and grill type options. We were seated promptly and chose a couple of starters in the Crab Dip and Spicy Pimento Cheese Dip, both served with pita points to enjoy them. I had the Crab Dip (did not sample the spicy dip as I am not a fan of spicy foods) and their crab dip recipe here was delicious, was tasting what appeared to be Old Bay seasoning in it. My dining companions said they really enjoyed the Spicy Pimento Dip a lot. I am not a big seafood eater usually but I had repeatedly ordered crab cakes many times in the places I went to throughout the week...so I opted for their Almond Crusted Tilapia instead here. The menu described it "two tilapia filets rolled in almonds, parmesan & panko, baked & topped w/buerre blanc sauce, served w/1 side order." I really did like this choice, it was light but satisfying. Tilapia can be bland many times but the coating of almonds, Parmesan cheese, and panko really did make a pleasing tasty change here and I enjoyed it. One note was that the French fries that I ordered for my side were extremely salty. Our server was attentive and helpful throughout our visit. In all, a very good and surprising visit to Castaways Raw Bar & Grill, I would definitely visit if back at Holden Beach in the future. read more

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Ok! Ok! Happy to have the hours be incorrect on Google, said 9 pm but as we drove by at 8:30 we said no way, the place was packed. The restaurant has a few different levels. We were on one of the smaller decks. Our waitress was stellar, she recommended her favorite drink and I ordered it pomegranate punch and the hubs had an orange crush. We had half pound crab legs to start, although the dips sounded delicious. I got the shrimp and grits. I love that dish. This was good, but a few too many onions for me, even though I like them. Hubs had the lobster and shrimp tacos, he was expecting chunks of the meats, but it was more like salad mix like chicken or tuna salad. He also got the chips with it. I splurged and had the peanut butter pie while he had another orange crush. They had live music as well. The wait staff all of them were hustling. So good! And the drinks were cheap! read more

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Covered outdoor dining atmosphere. Not great for groups but our table of 12 got in after 60 min wait. (Even though we were told we were first on the list) Crab legs -typical Pretzel app-pretty good Artichoke spinach dip. Added jalapeños make a zip! This seems like a good choice on the island. Lunch or dinner read more

Great beach bar for a drink & to catch a game on TV. The food is less than impressive. The service is hit or miss depending on the time of day and if you sit at the bar vs a table. I've had a better experience sitting at the bar. read more

So happy to come back to this restaurant after Covid and see improvements. The roof top looked secure-it had a few issues years ago but the owners made updates. It was the perfect place to catch the sky as the sun set! So we came down on a busy day and put our name on the wait list, 5 parties ahead of us. But things looked promising. For one they were packed but asked my phone number and they had a great tool for alerting me when my table for 7 was ready. The tool not only alerted me to updates of where we were in line but it also showed me the groups numbers in front of me. For example I wanted a table for 7, but could see I was 5th in line behind parties of 3,8,4 and 5. With this knowledge I was happy waiting. So we sat on the front bench. Watched the numbers dwindle and counted the tables as people left. A truly wonderful tool. Then we got to our table and our waitress came right behind. We should have been ready to order but the music and corn hole kept our attention while waiting, so we needed time. After ordering the food came fast, hot and all at once. Nothing was out of place. We had a wonderful time. Just goes to show the owners keep an eye on the helpers reviews. Next year our return will include stopping back! read more

Castaways Raw Bar & Grill - Shrimp burger - Seafood Near Me - Holden Beach, North Carolina

We started off with the Bavarian Style Soft Pretzel and if you like soft pretzels you will love it! It was a good size starter for 5 people and so soft. When the weather is nice there is corn hole to play out front. We got to go when there was live music and sometimes it can be hard to have a conversation when that's the case but it was a good volume. The peel-n-eat shrimp was good but had most of its old bay flavor on the shells we peeled off. I thought the seafood Mac-n-cheese was really good and flavorful. It was a packed house but our waitress was good and no complaints here. read more

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This place was ok. The service was good. The food was mediocre. The crab dip had hardly any crab and was way too spicy. The crab tacos were better. The Ceasar salad was ok. Not bad on pricing. The view was amazing. If we went back we would be going strictly for the view. read more

We are back from last year! Great service! Our server was adorable. She's from Charlotte & is working here for the summer. I failed to get her name! We ordered Seafood Mac and cheese, Thai Lobster and crab salad lettuce wraps, & RAW oysters! I really came here for the raw oysters! Everything was as wonderful as last year! read more

Castaways Raw Bar & Grill - Seafood Near Me - Holden Beach, North Carolina

I enjoy the ambience and the food was great. Excellent chili cheese, fries, and coconut margarita.

If it was not for their good french fries I would give them 2 stars. I had Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes fries and a caesar salad. "Maryland style Crab Cakes" This is what the menu says. As a person who spends many a weekend on the Mason Dixon line, these 2 maybe 3 1/4 " diameter 1" thick were like mush. The consistency of firm cat food. Not Maryland Style Cakes. The caesar was in a wooden plate/ bowl maybe 5 1/4 " diameter maybe 1 1/2 " tall. Maybe the other food is worth the money but mine was not. read more

Service was terrible. Went in at 9:30 on Friday night and was greeted by a customer telling us the bar was closed. Bartenders were no use.

One of the best restaurants in holden beach! We ordered a bunch of different things and everything was too delicious. The waitress we had was also super friendly. read more

Castaways Raw Bar & Grill - Nachos, spinach dip and shrimp cocktail - Seafood Near Me - Holden Beach, North Carolina

Just ok. Not great, not terrible, but ok... Waiter was great. Food was ok. Lots of Cajun dishes.

So, I've waited a year to try Castaway's again and I didn't think it could get any worse, BUT IT DID!! Appetizer was a hot sausage and cheese dip with tortillas-looked like potted meat in a ramekin (a hot mess) and tasted worse than it looked-we sent it back after one taste! The flatbread pizza-undercooked and the cheese wasn't even melted and it tasted awful (frozen pizza would have been better...)! Crab stuffed flounder was supposed to come with (2) flounder fillets, it came with one. Literally it was canned crab meat (not lump crab as on the menu) slapped on a plate, a flounder fillet so small and thin it looked like a child's portion and thankfully I got the Berre Blank sauce on the side because it was literally out of a jar. Bill arrives, I point out the fish was missing a second portion (which I wouldn't have eaten anyway) but was charged market price for and the sausage dip was supposed to be deleted but was included!! The waitress wouldn't take the bill back even after I disputed the charges!! Don't waste your time or hard earned money here ! Awful food and worse management!! read more

Nice beach bar to grab a beer and some food. Staff were great. Unfortunately they are now closed for the season.

Their Facebook page said they're open. I went to walk in and was stopped because they don't open until 4:00. It's 3:44. He told me to come back in 20 minutes. I asked if I could just come in and use the restroom then grab a drink and he shut the door. No thank you. read more

Castaways Raw Bar & Grill - Seafood Near Me - Holden Beach, North Carolina

Food was good, restaurant was loud, but it was just what we needed after a long drive and torrential rain. We started with the crab dip, which was mostly good in flavor but it did have a few hard pieces of something in it. Which, when you're chewing something mostly soft, is a bit of a surprise on your teeth. The shrimp was all good and well seasoned. The flatbread looked delightful. The grilled cheese could definitely have used more cheese (and I'm not particularly a cheesy person.) French fries clumped quite a bit, and while they tasted fine, they weren't anything special. I got the crab stuffed flounder which was by far the best dish on our table. Good flavor, cooked to perfection and full of buttery goodness. They were out of a lot of beers (after we requested 2 and were told they were out, they rattled off a list of 7ish beers they were out of.) I got the iced Cherry limeade which tasted like a boozey Shirley temple. (Imo, that's a good thing.) The service left a bit to be desired. Anytime i'd ask for anything (ketchup, an additional drink, etc) it was met with a bit of attitude. We had to find our waitress to get the check, too, as she didn't drop off our plates or check in with us while we were eating. Overall, we'd be back. The food is good enough and it's super conveniently located. read more

Not worth the cost. It was $10.95 for 6 shrimps, $12.95 for a hamburger with lays chips, two beers @ $14.54 total $ 38.34. The hamburger was dry, which was odd. The night before we at a different location and were able to get seafood chowder, crab cakes with onion rings, grilled chicken sandwich with onion rings, and 4 beers for $46. read more

The first face we saw seemed to be a manager/head hostess. She wore no mask. We almost left. However, all other staff had masks and were wearing them properly so we gave it a whirl. Glad we did! The draft beer was served very cold. Today's weather was chilly, but I can see really appreciating that in the summer months. The crab dip was great! Cracked pepper and cayenne gave it a nice kick which went well with the warm, pita points. Steamed oysters were good. Hubby only shared one of his dozen so I can't judge fairly. I'd say he gave on those. Most importantly, the hostess who seated us, our server, and the server at the table next to us, were all very polite, friendly, attentive, and checked on us often. Large variety on menu to cover the whole family. Really enjoyed! read more

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3 of us at 5:30. We were told they didn't know the wait time and couldn't give one but wouldn't be long because it was only 3. An hour later we were eating elsewhere and received the message that a table was ready. Saw a couple groups of 5 get seated ahead of us. Decent atmosphere but my kids aren't picky so nope, not for us with that wait. read more

Great location. We visited on live music night. It was so loud inside we asked to sit outside where it was a little cold and dark. Great selection. Food was good. I got oysters with a side of amazing slaw. Wife got fettuccine, which was just ok. Service was really good. Prices were what you'd expect. Would visit again on a different night. read more

Great location and decent draft selection, food is hit or miss, but more misses as the years pass. Lively and fun in the summer, just eat at home and then go for a cold drink and music in the summer. read more

Food is amazing great service shrimp and grits are the best everything there is amazing

Consistently impressed by the quality and flavor in their food. We have been coming here for several years and have never left disappointed! HIGHLY recommend the seafood flatbread or lobster Mac n cheese. The drinks are a little pricey but really good, and the bartenders don't skimp on the liquor in your cocktails either. First time looking over the menu I thought the prices seemed a bit high, but after tasting our food we all agreed it was justifiably priced! Quick service, delicious food, and pretty views of the water, what more could you want? read more

Good beach bar vibes with live music. Clams and muscle app was good, lobster bisque was good. Almond crusted tilapia was the best thing we ordered! Cajun shrimp Alfredo was a huge portion and what you'd expect. read more

Excellent service with Mia midweek. Place got filled and wasn't even summer season yet. One star deducted since hubby couldn't get burger done any way except "well done". He said he would have accepted "medium well done", but Mia said they couldn't do that. So he didn't order the burger he craved since he didn't want to end up with a dried out burger. He didn't want rare, just some juiciness. Grouper Wrap was tasty but didn't have much visible fish, only small pieces. Philly cheesesteak was good as per our son. Coleslaw was good and ample serving. Mango beer was cold and delicious ! Will return and eat outside when it warms up and try some other items off the menu. read more

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Fun and casual environment, good food, nice portions. The servers are super friendly and attentive. This is my go-to ocean front local dining spot. I like the surrounding restaurants but this is my "all-around" favorite. I usually order the tilapia - it never disappoints. read more

Open air seating with nice view of the ocean. The spinach artichoke dip was delicious! Shrimp and grits were pretty good. Shrimp were tiny and not too many of them. My daughter loved the tomato mozzarella flatbread. Hubby was not impressed with the seafood Mac n cheese - said it tasted like Kraft. For a beach restaurant it was good. Would be beastly hot in the summer and not really dog friendly unless you are ok sitting at uncovered picnic table. read more