Dale's Seafood is locally owned in Lake Waccamaw, NC. The lakeside restaurant opened back in 1995. Parking is available in front, on the side and in the back. It is a casual restaurant and seems to bring in a lot of regulars. If you are dining in, you seat yourself, and a waitress will bring a menu. You order at the counter if it is to go. Service was friendly and attentive. All of the staff were welcoming and made me feel like I belonged. Dale's serves old-style Calabash seafood; steaks, soups and salads make up the menu. I went with boiled shrimp, not knowing how large the portion would be. It came with sides and a trip to the salad bar. It was a lot of food. The baked potato was amazing and large with extra butter. I'm not normally a fan of coleslaw, but this I would have loved more. Seasoning for the shrimp was on the table so you could season it how you like. Then they were generous with the hush puppies, too. I took most of the shrimp with me and was even given a cup of tea to go. Even though it was raining, I did walk out to the water. The soft, hazy view was kind of peaceful. I am sure it is beautiful in drier conditions too. The state is currently in a drought, so I appreciated the rain. read more

See all

My first time here. Food and Service were great! Ambiance was sorely lacking. I enjoyed the seafood platter that was delightfully delivered by a charming server. I have some advice for the owner(s) of Dales: raise prices by 25%, using the increased cash flow to completely renovate this restaurant. Most customers will be willing to spend a little more for better ambience. Regardless. I shall return. read more

Lake Waccamaw and surrounding views set up an anticipated event that fell short very sad to say. The restaurant exterior was weathered and again I mean weathered. Inside confirmed and coincided with the outside, dated, and in much need of a cleaning to at least an attempted update. Don't get me wrong these structures need some touch of nostalgia but not to the point of OLD and a bit smelly. Dales seafood in tabor city and whiteville other locations = the food, and quality of service are not to be compared to dales at the lake ... "waccamaw" is taxing to type over again but I did it anyway. Maybe this location is in a corrective action status to change/improve some things but until then I'll have to pass on this location of the dales seafood empire in the immediate future. The Fried Shrimp breading was falling off the shrimp on all our plates -Not good. Definitely not what I would serve to my fried shrimp loving customer. Pork chop had no flavor... just some salt would have been enough to improve. We ordered the crab legs but couldn't break a large majority of the legs in half to pull the meat out... you know when you get that snap and just pull the shell and the meat is there to pull. I guess they may have been frozen and sat a while I don't know. Wasn't fun for us. I used my pocket knife on most. 3 of us ordered the fried shrimp one added oyster one ordered pork chop. Oysters were spot on! The slaw and fries were good, salad bar was pretty much the same as the other locations. (Great) The fried oysters were the best of my meal. They were fried perfect and sweet! Maybe a hit and miss at the lake, but give it a try. Take a drive around the lake and hang out on the deck behind the restaurant. read more

Love this place! From the lunch specials to the night time.. I go more often during the day, though. My favorite meal is their spare ribs and rice, squash, and okra. I've eaten pretty much everything on the menu. Lately, my go-to,, when they don't have ribs is their gator po-boy. Oh my! Some kind of good! The service is always top notch! read more

Dale's Seafood - Gator po boy - Seafood Near Me - Lake Waccamaw, North Carolina

This place isn't designed for fine dining. The house is historical, and has only updated on a minimal basis. Everything is dated, except for the food, and their porch. It looks as though everything needs a deep cleaning, and overhaul. I've had only seafood here, with accompanying sides. The oysters pop in your mouth, some of the best anywhere. Shrimp just burst in your mouth. Along with the shrimp and oysters, the scallops and fish also deserve a mention. The clam strips, and the deviled crab are good, but, not as incredible. And, don't try the hush puppies- you'll be addicted after one bite. If you are going off diet for a day, then the fried seafood and hush puppies are definitely recommended as a must try! One of the downsides, is that they serve dressing right out of the bottle at the salad bar. I expected something better, given how well everything is. But, the offerings are generic, and expected. Nothing exciting to write a Yelp review about! The waitresses, and cashiers fall short of what we normally are used to, but the gigantic portions, the view, and tastes are what makes me a return customer. What keeps us coming back, is the view. We like to sit on the enclosed porch, and just get soothed by the waters of the Lake Waccamaw. You hear the waves crashing ashore, and it is just perfect. It has been during all seasons, but, my favorite is late Spring, as the vegetation is so lush. We plan our beach trips around their operating hours. It's a mandatory stop on the way, AND, on the way home, too. We wanted fresh seafood at the beach, and looked at different proprietors within a thirty minute radius of our beach cottage. Dale's was thirty two minutes each way, and as such, the local places didn't have as good seafood, and proportions, and such; so yes, we dined a few times there. We honestly gave all the local spots a try, and we tried just about every place we could find. Yes, most were more modern, and not as dingy, or dated; and some competed with the view. If the food was good, the view wasn't. If the view was great, the food, not so much. Or, it was horribly expensive, or the bang for your buck wasn't there. So, stake claims to the porch seating, at Dale's and, you'll forget how dated things are. There is another location more inland, but, we've yet to try it. read more

Dale's Seafood - View from the porch. - Seafood Near Me - Lake Waccamaw, North Carolina

See all

Beautiful day for a motorcycle ride, so the club picked Dale's as recommended by a member. It was a scenic ride along the back roads to this huge 9000 acre lake in Southeastern North Carolina. The restaurant sits along its shore with great views of the lake. There is a outdoor patio area and dock so you can get a closer look of the area. The restaurant is comfortable and rustic. The food is very good with nice portions. I had the fried catfish bites with Cole slaw and potato salad. We also tried their hamburger steak, beef stew over rice and beef tips. Everyone enjoyed their lunch. The price, excellent value. I am used to the prices if Myrtle Beach restaurants. My meal was under $10.00! Overall a good choice to eat and we will come back again on another ride. read more

See all

Was in the area and stopped by for dinner. Visited the Dale's Seafood in Whiteville and thought this place was just as good. Very disappointed. Waitress missed our drink order, only one glass of tea, and gave us our bill without a 'thank you' or 'would you like some dessert'. Salad bar was very good but as for the place itself, needs an upgrade. Parking was a bit challenging with customers parking between the trees making it difficult to get around the parking lot. I'll visit the Dale's in Whiteville for seafood. read more

We've eaten here for years, no problem. After the new owners purchased this restaurant, it's not the same. The prices are more expensive for less quantities of food, the grease is old, the food is cold, the restaurant is not sanitized, the bathrooms are disgusting, the food and service is not any good (except for a waiter named Matthew, that did his best to help us with our order and missing food.) if I were an inspector, I wouldn't pass this place, that directly has a sanitation grade of 90.1. I heard the quality of the food has decreased, and saw for myself today the fake fried scallops are circular cuts of fish and taste horrible! Yuck! I'm Not coming back! read more

Always good food and beautiful view of the lake! Friendly service and we always try to plan a stop here on our travels.

Located on picturesque Lake Waccamaw, Dale's Seafood is a fine place to enjoy a well-cooked meal delivered with warm and friendly southern hospitality. It feels like an old-fashioned "meat and two" restaurant, with a bonus salad bar and the addition of freshly fried seafood. Fancy it ain't, but the view, food, and service are top-notch. Since I have a gluten allergy, most of the menu at Dale's is off-limits, but I was able to enjoy a trip to the salad bar as well as the day's special of pork BBQ. The pork was tender and flavorful, made more so with the addition of the house-made sauce, also GF. (Our server made sure to double check the BBQ sauce ingredients before offering it on the side.) Washed down with an Arnold Palmer, my lunch was satisfying, delicious, and relatively healthy to boot. If you're among the lucky folks that can eat anything, though, you're in for a treat. Order up the large fried chicken lunch and prepare to be wowed. The dark meat option includes two drumsticks and two thighs and takes twenty minutes, as the chicken is cooked to order. My husband wholeheartedly agreed with our server's prediction: "it's worth the wait." He also enjoyed his two sides - fries and slaw - though he deemed the slaw to be on the sweet side. And he's planning to order the fried okra on our next visit, after seeing it on two of our dining companions' plates. read more

See all

We went at opening. Service was prompt and very attentive. I had the small flounder, baked potato and green beans. Flounder was great, rest was an everyday potato and probably canned green beans. My husband had the large plate with flounder, shrimp, clam strips and scallops, coleslaw and fries. The only complaint was scallops seemed rubbery. Coleslaw was good, and I'm a coleslaw snob. Hush puppies were wonderful! read more

Great salad bar to accompany a wide variety of items on the menu. I've had every item the do!!! A must when you're in the area!!!

I just had my first Dale's experience with my girlfriend and her sister and it was wonderful. We went for dinner on a busy Saturday afternoon and Dale's was busy with church goers, big families, and some senior folk, but the atmosphere was friendly. Dale's is all about fried seafood, so that is what you will be getting. My girlfriend and her sister ordered the small seafood platters, while I was a bit hungrier and opted for a regular seafood platter. The portions are heaping so you can easily have enough food to take home and reheat the next day. The service was pretty swift considering the amount of customers. The salad bar is slightly underwhelming, but honestly you don't need to put too much in the bowl you get, because the meal portion is huge. The hush puppies are AMAZING! They give you a honey butter spread to put on them and it is a slice of southern heaven. In addition there is a beautiful dock outside that you can walk out into the lake on. It is a nice romantic spot. I will gladly come back here again. read more

I am from the midwest and the scallops here are so good! I received twice the quantity at almost half the price as back home! The service was friendly and so polite! I received my meal quickly and the food temperature was perfect. I had the sweet potato, coleslaw, and hush puppies for sides. All were great. Just an overall wonderful experience. I highly recommend this place to those who have never been here. The regulars already know how great the food and service is. read more

I love visiting here and having a lakeside view for lunch. The daily specials are great as are the menu items.

Just good food! Homey and friendly atmosphere and a beautiful view of the lake. Lots of fried food, but it's done soooo right! Burgers are good and hand patted, hush puppies are perfection. If you're looking for fancy, this ain't the place. But if your looking for great food, great people and a slice of Americana--this is the place! read more

Good Fried clams, fried Squash. Always busy at lunch time, like every where else a little scaled back with less choice. overall a good change for lunch. All online menus way out of date-these pics are of full menu from a visit on 10-12-2022. read more

See all

I love this restaurant. Great food and reasonable prices!! The best tea! Hometown service.

If you like tasteless fried bottom feeder fish this place is for you! Disappointed as the locals hyped Dales up but the food was less than savory and the service was ran by what seemed to be 15 year olds who didn't understand the menu nor the fish offerings, good summer job I suppose? Sent back some fish that was over cooked with no flavor and got the grilled chicken instead and it was also a dud. The sweet potato also tasted "fishy" even tho it was wrapped in tinfoil and the cole slaw came from a tub from the grocery store. The locals may love it, but if you are visiting and you fancy decent food, skip this dining experience all together. The only reason I gave it two stars is because other guest I was with loved the crab legs. So there's that, but no hot butter was brought to go with it. I dunno, it's a no for me. read more

Simple, family owned calabash-style seafood. Large menu includes seafood, fried chicken, pork chops, salad bar and more. Party of 3 ordered catfish, fried clams and chicken tenders which all tasted good. Steak fries and hushpuppies also good. Green beans from a can but I wasn't surprised. I did not care for the baked potato but it could have been due to the off-brand sour cream. Very nice view of the lake, staff friendly. 4 stars because it was as expected; nothing special but not terrible. read more

See all

Service was subpar. Wait staff were not tentative at all. Food was good as always with a great view.

Some of the best seafood anywhere. The oyster roast and the deluxe seafood platter along with the salad were just right. Service was excellent also. Portions are very generous read more

Very good fried seafood. Catfish nuggets were the highlight! All of the sides were tasty. Portions very generous. Side salad lackluster- don't go for the healthy option if you eat here! Instead enjoy fried okra and mashed potatoes with gravy! read more

A very pleasant surprise! Beautiful location and very good food at a reasonable price. Everything seafood seems to be lightly fried but delicious. Oysters were delicious as was the catfish bites. Looking forward to returning. read more

Love the Monroe family and their establishment. You can't go wrong with anything on the menu. You go and leave as family, everyone is always so kind and the best ranch ever! read more

I enjoyed the home town friendly service. Great water view and delicious southern style vittles. Small salad bar and you order from the menu. It isn't fancy but quaint. You could tell by the staff's greetings that it has a lot of local frequenters. read more

Delicious seafood in a variety of preparations right on the lake. Friendly customer service and not too crowded! read more

Dale's Seafood - Seafood Near Me - Lake Waccamaw, North Carolina

I had lunch here with my parents while returning from a trip to Wilmington on a Wednesday afternoon. The location is beautiful. The restaurant is very clean and well maintained. We sat at the window and had a gorgeous view of the lake while dining. The food was delicious and freshly prepared. Having visited other Dale's locations, the one disappointment here was service. When I placed my order I requested hot sauce with my food. I again requested hot sauce when my food was delivered to the table. It never arrived. Drink refills were nonexistent, and before we were halfway through the meal, the server dropped our ticket on the table and thanked us for our visit. It was very obvious that he had finished with us. read more

Awesome food..awesome service....laid back atmosphere. I suggest the fried squash... read more

Dale's Seafood Restaurant is lakefront dining. Place has been around along time and it shows. Could use major cleaning. Cobwebs with bugs galore in ceiling corners, bathrooms dirty. Furniture old / tired. Food was good. Mostly calabash served. Had a salad bar - nothing special. However, I question the cleanliness of food prep area based on rest of place. I would not return. read more

This kind of old school family restaurant is getting increasingly harder to find. They have been replaced by chain restaurants with no soul. Luckily, Lake Waccamaw is off the beaten path and Dale's thrives. I visit this area fairly often, so I have eaten here quite a bit. Everything is good in a meat and two sides kind of way. The service is great as is the view. Be sure to take a walk on the pier after you eat! read more

Dale's Seafood at LW is one of my favorite places to eat. In addition to the awesome seafood at great prices, they have the friendliest servers around. Just wish they were open on Sunday too. read more

Great selections of seafood and American fare. Fried Chicken--Yum. Seniors plate too. A can't miss no matter what you want.

This was, at best, a mediocre seafood restaurant. I had a combination platter of fried shrimp, deviled crab and catfish. The fried shrimp were miniscule, definitely not local. The deviled crab was dry and lacked any detectable crab. The catfish tasted fresh and was the only good part of the platter. I had the clam chowder and it, too, lacked any chunks of clam, but had lots of potatoes! The light breading on the seafood was just right, but had the taste of old frying oil. Was a huge disappointment ending a long day on the road. Would not recommend. read more

long john silvers on my last visit about 20 years ago was better. baked potato is way over done. sweet potato is better but not much better. if you like deep fried everything then the fish will be welcomed. shrimp is small but nothing to write about (oops!) it is a local joint, and there are no other restaurants around, so they are busy. but, the salad bar is just blahhhh. my son complained about his fries, said they tasted like fish. no doubt, they cook them in the same grease as the fish. another strike. bony fish fish filet. hamburgers are not that good either. it is the only game in town if you want to eat out. better to stay at the lakehouse and cook your own food. it was edible, but mediocre at best. read more

Poor Service, Poor Food. AVOID this so-called restaurant. The other reviews are correct in saying that this restaurant does NOT like outsiders (i.e. anyone who is not a familiar face). My business partner and I waited 20 MINUTES before we were even acknowledged by a waitress. And I am pretty sure the only reason we were served is because a table who looked like regulars, or someone the waitress wanted to suck up to, sat near us. They were approached first after we were sitting there for 20 MINUTES. Wow. This is unacceptable. Spend your money somewhere else. Go to San Jose in Whiteville. Oh, and the other reviews are also on point when they say the FOOD SUCKS. Poor Service, Poor Food. Voicing my concerns to a manager would be useless since this is a small town, family-owned restaurant. Get it. read more

From the outside the restaurant looks like it will be very high class. When you walk in it looks like a restaurant from kitchen nightmares. Old broken looking furniture. No smoking stickers on the walls. There was no hostess and the lady working at the cash register looked mad that someone came in. The menu is not much better. Seeing as this is a seafood restaurant I assumed that there would be a variety of seafood. Not too much on the menu. I was at least expecting salmon. Nope. The prices seemed very high for what they have. Will not be coming back read more

Although the view of the lake is beautiful, the food and service is horrible. If you like a plate of fried food with no flavor or seasoning which is still about 12 to 15 dollars a plate, then this is the place for you. If you like food that requires a cook, then I would suggest not going. Also - the service is horrible. When you walk in they ignore you and get annoyed when you are sitting at a table for 20 minutes and inquire about the service. The locals at the restaurant also make it clear they do not like outsiders. I would never ever come back to this place. read more

I don't know what the other reviewers were thinking. This is one of the better restaurants in the Columbus County area. Even the other Dale's locations are worse than this one. This location not only has a better view, the catfish is on point! The fried fish could use a little more flavoring, but still is good. I wish sales offer more sides variety, but this won't stop me from going. I give it the stars, but this is Hubby's favorite restaurant and wants to give it 5 stars so we compromised. read more

I always write my reviews based on two things. The quality of the food and the quality of the service. Sometimes I look forward to giving place a bad review if I feel like the food and service deserves it. Especially if I overpay. Sometimes I feel kind of bad. Tonight I feel sort of bad because Dales is a local place and I'm sure they tried hard. However, the food and the service were both terrible! Scallops we're cold and WAY over cooked. Shrimp would've been good if they weren't cold. Clam strips...cold and over cooked. Clam chowder...straight from a can with a few shakes of parsley added. It was just bad. The hush puppies were the size of dimes. So sad. Enough with the bad news. Time for some good things. The crackers from the salad bar and baked potato (plain) were the best things we ate and I took a really nice picture of Lake Waccama. Bottom line, if you're looking for way below average food and service this may be the place for you. Better luck next time Dale's. read more

See all