New York Corner Deli was our breakfast place when we stayed at Topsail Beach in the summer of 2022,…read moreand at Surf City in the summer of 2025. Conveniently located in the center of Topsail Island, it was a 15-minute drive from our 2022 Airbnb stay. With our stay at Saltwater Suites in 2025, the drive was less than 5 minutes. With four mornings between the two stays, we dined in at NY Corner Deli four times. It had everything we wanted. My son and I are sticklers for routine. In every visit to NY Corner Deli, we ordered the same thing: 2 scrambled eggs with toast & potatoes for me, and pancakes for him. Orders were placed at the counter. Then we went upstairs to the dining area and waited for the orders to be served. There were no issues with the order, food or service in the four visits. In both 2022 visits, I had coffee; in both 2025 visits, I had Mountain Dew. Refills are free for both coffee and soda. My order tasted better than a similar one at Tick Tock Diner in NYC. It was great value for money. I always felt that I ate enough to last me through lunch. There was no reason to try anything different. Unlike Tick Tock Diner, NY Corner Deli did not have any TVs in the dining area. We go to the beach to get away from the world. TVs keeps us connected to the world and the negativity that comes with it. Furthermore, there weren't many people in the dining area whenever we were here. I had only seen up to two other tables that were occupied. If you like a decent breakfast and a quiet atmosphere, NY Corner Deli is the place to be. I'll be back the next time I'm in the Topsail / Surf City area.

Welcome to the NY Corner Deli, a bizarre, whiplash-inducing cafe located just a seashell's throw…read morefrom the ocean that is trying hard to mimic a gritty Manhattan bodega, despite the fact that you can literally smell coconut sunscreen from the front door. The walls are covered in black-and-white prints of the Brooklyn Bridge, sepia-toned yellow cabs, and metal street signs screaming Broadway and 5th Ave. The seating is divided into two thrillingly average, non-beachy options: Upstairs or Downstairs. Both levels feature the exact same standard-issue, wobbly metal diner chairs, with vinyl tables upstairs. The menu is an everything menu, nothing specific, no specialties, consider this a one stop shop for anytime of the day. It serves up a breakfast that is heavy, completely unpretentious, and designed to fill you to the brim. Like the rest of the menu, it doesn't aim for culinary innovation; it aims for maximum density and they are open when everyone else is closed. By the time you scrape the plate clean, you are utterly, heavily full and ready to take on the day. Cheers!

we had lunch there yesterday and George, the owner, came over to our table and told us the Surf…read moreCity Smash story. The food is awesome - burgers, tots, fries, tortilla chips and surfer sauce. The service was spectacular and the restaurant was spotless. We liked it so much, we came back today and tried more menu items. We were really impressed with the crispy tater tots. These are the friendliest employees we have ever seen at any restaurant ever!! one of them was a Miami Dolphins guy and another one was a Dallas Cowboys guy.

A++++ Surf City…read moreSmash absolutely lives up to the hype--and then some. I've been hearing about this place for the past year and knew I had to try it the next time we came down to Surf City, where we have a vacation home on the island. After reading all the glowing reviews and drooling over the photos, my expectations were high... and they were completely met. From the moment we walked in, we were greeted by a lovely young lady with a big, welcoming smile--such a great first impression. We ordered the double smash burger with fries and the Surf Philly with tater tots, and wow. Omgeee. The food here is fresh, cooked perfectly, and ridiculously yummy. The smash burger was juicy with that perfect crispy edge, the fries were hot and seasoned just right, and the Surf Philly was packed with flavor. The tater tots? Golden, crispy perfection. You can tell real care goes into the food here--from quality ingredients to thoughtful preparation. Surf City Smash is the kind of place that turns a casual meal into a must-visit spot every time you're on the island. We'll 100% be back, and I'll be recommending it to everyone we know. If you're in Surf City and haven't tried it yet, you're missing out.

Get.the.Reuben. Tender meat and perfect ratio to cheese, meat and kraut. The dressing is delicious…read moreand the staff take pride in what they serve. So sweet and kind. Fresh and delicious

Waited almost an hour to be served ordered a overpriced Bloody Mary and a b.e.l.t sandwich. The…read moresandwich was served on stale bread and it only had 1 and a half pieces of bacon. Would not recommend if you're looking for a really good breakfast spot at a reasonable price go to New York corner deli!

After getting burgers here 8 or 9 times last summer I was counting the days until they opened this…read moreseason. My wife and I went last week and the disappointment could not be overstated. I REALLY hope this was a one off but I am worried it was not. What changed? The ground beef. Not sure if they got a different supplier or they are trying to cut costs but neither scenario is good because the meat is horrible. I will try it one more time to be sure but IF this is the new norm- I will not be back, like ever. If it's a cost savings plan- this never works. You end up alienating your core customer base to save a few pennies. It's not like this place is cheap. I'm paying a decent price but I expect a decent burger. Please Island Delights- don't do us like that.

Closed for the season? That's what the sign says. Shop owners need to update their website and Yelp…read morelistings. Very disappointed! 10/10/24

PHO-NOMINAL!! (Sorry, couldn't resist). Very first customer and ex-NYer here ... This pho is the…read morebest I've had outside of NYC. It is SO bursting with flavor that it rivals anything in NYC. I highly recommend you try ASAP, over and over, and take all your friends and family too. I am pescetarian. I usually get vegetarian broth which is frequently bland and tasteless. It is hard to find vegetarian pho even in NYC, and even harder to find one with good flavor. This is not just good pho, not just great pho, not even amazing pho - this pho is something special! We were unable to try the appetizer during the soft opening, but we look forward to trying them very soon. The drinks were quite delicious as well. I tried the Thai Tea Honey Limeade. You may think it sounds weird. You may think those flavors don't work well together. You are forgiven for thinking so, but badly mistaken. I decided to be adventurous and try a crazy combination, and it was delicious!! However, do stir thoroughly before enjoying. **** UPDATE #1 **** We've been back multiple times and plan to keep returning. This time I tried the super delicious salty garlic fries & shrimp which had a hint of honey sesame, so they had the saltiness, sweetness, and savory combined! They don't skimp on the shrimp either! Highly recommend! I wanted more and could have eaten double! **** UPDATE #2 **** New off-menu access unlocked! Leveled up. Asked for a custom order of a Vietnamese sandwich but with shrimp. It is a delicious option for pescatarians and shrimp lovers. The owner/chef said he was able and willing to customize anything on the menu. Great to know! **** UPDATE #3 **** The PHO KING is BACK!!! Best Pho on the East Coast bar none. Accept no substitutions people. Demand only the best, only VK Pho. We feared they wouldn't return or recover after the damage to the storefront. So glad they're back!

As a vegetarian, I go here often…read more I love their veggie pho. I prefer this place over others because of the thickness of the noodle. They also have pretty good fresh veggies, compared to some places who do frozen veggies. Great prices, nice people and clean environment. They're also very accommodating. 1/2 the time I do 1/2 noodles extra veggie.

Quick and friendly service. Was in a hurry, got breakfast to go. Ordered a BEC on a bagel, it was…read morevery good!

If your looking for for a good breakfast or lunch with excellent value then the Deli Works is your…read moreplace . The food is first rate and freshly made .I particularly love the breakfast sausage patties they serve .There are lots of good choices to try. Service is efficient and simple ,upon walking in place your order and your food is brought to your table . The ambiance of the place is a little low-key .The star of this place is the food not the atmosphere .The food's quality overshadows the atmosphere. That's the real reason I enjoy this little place so much.

Ok yelp, another review I have already left, that you have deleted and pretend like I did not do a…read morereview. I can't tell if they delete them on purpose or if they have major issues with their entire system. Sadly, because of this I will write less and not waste my time redoing it. Yes the lobster is good, and the guy who took our order was funny and friendly. Our food came out fast and was exactly what we expected from a Maine lobster shack. You eat outside under a shade on picnic tables. There is no inside so keep that in mind and if you need the restroom they don't have one, you'll need to run across the parking lot to the tackle and bait fishing shop (which is a really cool store and lots of boating, touristy, beach stuff too). To us where they really shined was the soups. I had the clam chowder and my wife had lobster bisque. Both were excellent! Almost everyone sells clam chowder up and down the barrier islands but many do the water based version with canned clams which are hard and too chewy. This was a proper clam chowder made with fresh clams and real cream. It was spot on. The same for the bisque. If you're unsure, they offer sample tastes of the soups. Will we go back? Yes. Was it expensive? Yes. We spent $90 bucks for lunch and that's a lot for us so it won't be a regular stop for us, if we were more affluent we would eat here more often.

YUMMMYYYY lobster rolls. Owners and employees were very friendly and attentive. They handed out…read morefree samples of their food in line and during meal. Everything I tried was 5/5 stars. We tried the clam chowder sample, whoopie pie sample (ended up getting one to go), the Holy Lobster MacRoll, and the wicked mainah roll with butter. They offer outdoor seating in shade or sun. They also played a mixture of Christian music and other misc music which I enjoyed. Will definitely return!

Love to eat at this place when visiting my mom. It is a bit small, with some outside seating. Can…read moreget very busy during the summer months, especially lunch time. Can walk over from beach. I enjoy their chicken salad sandwich on toasted sourdough. Today I tried the chicken salad BLT sandwich. Very good. They have several side options. My mom had the Stump Sound Bowl. It is made up of cilantro-lime rice, black beans, corn, peppers, onions, cheddar, lettuce, tomatoes and chipotle sauce. You can add a meat. My mom gets it without cheese or the chipotle sauce. She always ends up taking half of it home. Staff is always friendly and food is good.

The food was excellent the service was friendly and welcoming. Has a diner vibe and was clean. We…read moreate outside and will be back again.

Spectacular service and beautiful spot. Food was quick and charming. Staff helpful. Good spot for…read morebreakfast

Do not get the matcha here. Stick to açaí bowls & food. They don't have a whisk for the matcha &…read morejust pour it into milk.

This restaurant has came along ways from its Origin and multiple owners to the fine dining…read moreexperience it is now. The server Katey was so nice and helpful. She knew the menu well and was attentive to my parties needs. The crab cakes and fried rice was delicious. I recommend getting this along with the milk bread. Sitting outside added to the experience because it was so chill and the perfect temperature.

The food and the service were amazing. The portions were huge. My wife and mom split the shrimp and…read moregrits. I had the pork chop entree. Both dishes were prepared to perfection.