First time in town, we stopped into JM's on the Water for dinner. Compared to other beach town spots, it was fairly average overall. The staff was semi-welcoming, though it seemed like they were a bit overwhelmed during our visit. I ordered the crab cakes, and they did have good flavor, but they were very shell-heavy and a bit bready, which took away from the overall texture. The food was okay for the price point, but nothing particularly stood out or felt memorable. The highlight of the experience was definitely the drinks, which were great and fairly priced. It's worth checking out if you're in the area, but not necessarily a place I'd go out of my way for. Solid 3/5. read more

JM's On The Water - Crab cakes with fries. - Seafood Near Me - Surf City, North Carolina

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Only one server seemed to like her job and of course we didn't get her. The food was average.

Terribly rude staff from the second I walked in the door. 10 minutes after my entrée was served the waitress was asking me if I wanted to go box when I was not even half finished. Slammed the check down on the table without even asking me if I would like dessert. Had to say good night to the hostess three times before she even halfheartedly acknowledged me. Keep hiring children to do adult work and your business will suffer. Remember, the locals keep your business alive when the tourists go home! read more

Savanna our watress was outstanding and very kind and courteous and very attentive to our needs.

Not much of a complainer, but this was bad. First, the steak was raw and mostly fat -- for $40. The meal came with two sides; I ordered a baked potato and fried green beans, but the potato was ice cold and the green beans never showed up. I ended up sending the steak back and having it taken off the tab (at least they actually tried to do something about it). If you're going to offer steak on the menu, at least cook it properly. read more

JM's On The Water - Raw steak and cold baked potato - Seafood Near Me - Surf City, North Carolina

DONT listen to anyone's opinion on here! Instead come here and try it out for yourself. I really enjoyed the food. It was very inexpensive for its quality. The service is incredible and felt like everyone was working hard. Lake side view with outside seating and inside seating with AC is great for anyone. Docking for boats makes it accessible from the water. I really enjoyed it here would come back. read more

Great view over the marsh & waterview of boats coming up to dock. They offer inside (high top & low) & outside seating. Seafood is mostly all fried except the seafood platters. Really good selection of sides (fried zucchini sticks, green beans with bacon, & fried okra). We order the mushroom stuffed crab, that the hubby loved! We split the seafood broil & had plenty to share (good portion). Kinda pricey for mostly fired seafood. Good selection on tap as well read more

JM's On The Water - Good humor & 100% agree! - Seafood Near Me - Surf City, North Carolina

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** Worst service we've had in a long time** ** We won't be back ** - told 30 minute wait; actual wait 50 minutes. - 10 minutes before server came to the table - 15 minutes to get our cocktails. They sat at the bar for 10 minutes. Our server, Jennifer then tried to deliver them to the wrong table. - waited 30 minutes for our food. My wife's sides came out without the stuffed crab. She finished them before the crabs finally came out. - Jennifer never checked on us. Needed refills and malt vinegar. - watched other tables' guests wait and wait and wait for their food too. - Not one person took any of our finished plates - Had to get up and go inside to get our check. Couldn't find Jennifer. ***2 stars for the view and food quality*** It was our first and last time eating here. We are local and won't be back. read more

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Had a wait of about 20 minutes and sat at the bar to have a cocktail. Seated outside and the servers were very attentive. When we ordered our second cocktail it was half the size of the drink we got at the bar. Ordered the stuffed mushrooms of which half were tiny little mushrooms. For the main meal ordered the crab stuffed flounder at 34$ which was the smallest flounder I've ever seen. For two people the bill came to over $100. I've spent the same on better food. Would I recommend this place for dinner...no because there are better more affordable places to eat and the view isn't that great. I would however go back to the bar and have a cocktail. read more

Food was amazing, service was very slow, the girls hosting were beyond disrespectful. Told us it would be over an hour wait and never called us to come back in for our spot, it was super loud which was to be expected. I personally won't be back,, especially on a weekend. They also had a live band which was amazing and kept us laughing. read more

The Crab Dip is an absolute must-have! We also got several variations of the seafood platter, and we enjoyed everything we had for dinner. I would definitely recommend it to families. We will be sure to come again on our next trip. read more

Food was fresh and hot. Service by Jeanie was friendly and we love the views. If offered chose inside sitting as wind is strong on back deck. We will return on our next trip. Calamari was pretty small for price but plates and bucket were large enough for leftovers. read more

Food was delish! Ambiance spectacular! Service?!? SAVANNAH IS THE BEST!!! She offered accommodations on things to do with the kids while having a rainy day and just great person to start our vaca! We will be back this week on our trip not just then food but for the amazing service we received. read more

First time here and was impressed. Beautiful views of the marsh. Server was attentive and helpful. The drinks were top notch- old fashion and spicy margarita. The seafood dinner was delicious. Topped off with a scrumptious blueberry and lemon cheesecake. Will definitely be back. read more

Nice ambience. The rustic indoor dining area is spacious and clean. They also have outdoor seating on the dock overlooking the intracoastal waters. The staff is friendly and we adored our server who was attentive and quick! We started with delicious crispy fried pickles. I ordered the Platter of Two: fried shrimp, fried clams, and a side of fried green beans. Perfect, crunchy crust with tender, juicy seafood. It's very filling and satisfying. Also ordered a side salad that was fresh and crisp. My husband really enjoyed his Fried Shrimp Sandwich. Same crispy crust with tender, succulent shrimp. Don't pass on this jewel of a restaurant! read more

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The service was good here, however, we just did not love the food or the atmosphere. The dining area felt like a brightly lit pool hall. We started with stuffed mushrooms. They were good, small but tasty. Our dinners - fried clams with onion rings, over fried, the clams were chewy, did not taste fresh at all. The Caesar salad was ok, the blackened shrimp were plentiful. We ended with a key lime pie which was actually good, not too sweet. read more

JM's On The Water - Cesar salad with blackened shrimp - Seafood Near Me - Surf City, North Carolina

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Local - this is a favorite spot for lunch on the boat. Paige makes amazing drinks, food is always so fresh and good, and the ranch is legendary. read more

I hate this place. There is zero communication with hostess and servers. Our host sat us on a high top. We waited for over 15 mins. No menus given to us. We had to grab a menu from the bar and the bartender didn't ask if we needed service. Another 5 mins we ask a very rude server and said we would need to get a server for food and drinks. And she walked away. We sat for a few mins thinking she's getting someone. She wasn't. So we left. This was actually my second encounter with this server. Another time our party of 8 wanted to sit together and she advised that it is restaurant policy to not be able to push two tables together. The restaurant was completely empty. Needless to say both times was terrible. read more

The food is delicious and the wait staff are great at what they do. They have indoor or outdoor seating and the view is spectacular. You won't be disappointed read more

JM's On The Water - So peaceful and relaxing - Seafood Near Me - Surf City, North Carolina

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If I had to choose one thing restaurant to eat at for the rest of my life, it'd be JMs on the Water. Their blackened scallops are unmatched. Every time I order scallops at a restaurant, these from JMs are the standard to which I compare. They are so dog gone delicious. We ate here as a party of 6 and we all had nothing but great things to say about the food, service, and the view of the sound. Also two lemon drop martinis will absolutely get you where you need to be. Counting down the days until we can come back! read more

JM's On The Water - Blackened scallops, broccoli and zucchini fries. - Seafood Near Me - Surf City, North Carolina

Food was outstanding. I enjoyed the clam chowder and blackened grouper. Both excellent. Our server was outstanding and was both attentive and absent. In other words, she was there when she needed to be. Hard to find these days. It was a slow evening so not sure how it is on a busy shift. But overall I would go again. read more

Great fish tacos, onion rings are fantastic! Jenn was great on recommendations and provided excellent suggestions. We visited during the off season Feb (weekends only) with no crowds. Great water front dinning. Clean and well maintained. read more

Sooo I have mixed feelings about this place. The food was good and it's a nice outdoor seating on the water. Pull your boat right up dock, eat and drink... we had the crab claws, fried pickles, wings, tacos, a burger and one other thing. Like I said the food is good. The siracha slaw is so good. Potato salad is meh.. they say it's homemade but it tasted like it was from a bucket of Costco potato salad. We also had a mermaid water and the breakfast shot. Both tasty. Nooooow the service. Super slow. Our server spent a lot of time talking to her co workers and random tables. Ok fine I can deal with that however I had 4 kids and 2 adults I've never in the history of life (I'm a chef and have managed several restaurants across the country. I've also been to many many restaurants in the world and never in my life taken my kids and been charged for a party of 6) anyway I was charged gratuity.... I always tip higher than 20% but the service was NO WHERE deserving or worth the gratuity they charged. I will never go back for that simple reason. The service was NOT up to par for a 20% gratuity. We waited for our drinks to be refilled. They were filled once!!!! ONE TIME. We were never asked how our food was. We waited 30 minutes for boxes I got up and went inside to ask for boxes and our check. If I was just reviewing the food I'd give 4 stars.... read more

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Great view and atmosphere. Great team. We only had drinks and appetizers, but calamari was over-breaded and "hot crab dip" was really cold block of cream cheese, so based on that, would recommend only for beer and basic cocktails. However, it deserves a broader sampling of the food. read more

Finally pet-friendly seafood restaurant with pretty view!! Service was great! From the host to the waitstaff, everyone was amazing and helpful. It's my first time trying deviled crab and I like it. Blackened flounder and blackened shrimps were good. It's not too salty (blackened seafood tends to be overly salty and theirs is not. So I really like it). I will definitely come back if we make another trip to Top Sail Beach/Surf City area. I will also add this restaurant for pet-friendly restaurants. read more

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Amazing food, outstanding service, immaculate vibes. Me and the fellas went here after a long day at the beach and we were not disappointed at all. Exceeding my expectations by a mile. I don't give many 5 star reviews, but this place was special. read more

JM's On The Water - Steamer Bucket for 2 - Seafood Near Me - Surf City, North Carolina

It's more like a bar with food. Nothing was great, all Fried, service was sub par and the ambiance is again, like a bar and dirty.

My seafood salad was the perfect cool meal at the end of a hot day. We were served by a professional, and we ate until we were overstuffed. read more

JM's On The Water - Amazing fried green tomatoes and clams for appetizers. - Seafood Near Me - Surf City, North Carolina

Strong stench of fish and dirty water outside that is like eating in a public restroom. Tables infested with ants. Was told to wait for 45 min and ended up waiting for 90+ min. Staff moved at a glacial pace. read more

The service is always good and the view can be really cool depending on where you are sat. The food is fine. Not great, not awful but just fine. Not a go to place for me but friends love it there read more

Said we had two high top tables on the phone and we went in and they said we didn't have anywhere to sit

The seafood platter was great. The fries are really good. The service was friendly and helpful. We sat outside overlooking the sound. Beautiful view. Definitely recommend. read more

JM's On The Water - View from the patio - Seafood Near Me - Surf City, North Carolina

JMs is amazing! great food, view and friendly atmosphere. Our server was great and attentive

Wouldn't know what the food was like because we could t even get a table. We were told it was a 45 minute wait and waited one hour and still no table. Asked the manager what was going on as we had waited an hour. The manager turned to the hostess and asked what was open outside!! The hostess returned and said a four top and a table with one chair.. she sat us at the four top and pulled a chair over (table for 5!). My husband asked for a larger table as the 4 top was too small and the hostess said that was all they had. He pointed out a larger table that was empty and she said that it was for large parties.. HELLO, PARTY OF 5!! Apparently, they were saving it for the party of 8 that came in an hour after us!!! We won't be back!! read more

So far the best seafood we have had on our vacation. Had the steam pots were so good. The service was great and the restaurant was very clean. Would highly recommend. read more

We got here about 7pm on a Friday night...the season is over but it's still packed. That's fine but absolutely no one is wearing a mask or social distancing. They tell us it a 30 minute wait. Also fine. We get a drink from the bar and go outside to enjoy the view (which is absolutely lovely!) An HOUR later we go ask if there is an update on when we'll be seated...they said that we were third in line so we continued to wait. They finally called us about 20 minutes later and seated us outside. Our waitress was Taylor and she seemed nice and knowledgeable. My husband ordered fried oysters and shrimp with fries and slaw. I ordered fried shrimp and soft shell crab with green beans and fries (they were out of fried green beans which I really wanted to try!) Our friends ordered the crab stuffed flounder and some fried shrimp. And then we waited. and waited. And then they seated a group of at least 8-10 women celebrating a birthday right next to us. They were drinking and having fun but were very loud. Trying not to complain about that as I'm sure my friends and I have been THAT group before. But we're still waiting for food. When the birthday party (that was seated after us) starts to get their food, we finally ask Taylor where OUR food is. She goes to check and apparently something went wrong with the wifi and she would now be pushing our order through on a rush. She brought us free drinks and said at least twice that we would be getting a 30% discount. Besides, at this point, it's 9:30 so where else are we going for dinner? So we kept waiting. And the birthday party got louder. We eventually did get our food and it was pretty good...at least the parts that were warm. Everything fried was nice and hot but all of the sides were lukewarm and slightly soggy. FINALLY get our bill from Taylor...and you know what??? No discount. I was getting a massive headache from the noise and was chilly from sitting outside (I know I should have brought a coat but I wasn't expecting to be out there for THREE HOURS) so I told my husband I just wanted to go home. We got home about 10:30 (15 min drive). And the more I thought about it, the more upset I became. The wait...irritating. The loud table beside us...irritating. The lukewarm food...ehhh. But Taylor saying 2-3 times that she was going to discount our food and didn't...pretty much ensures that we will not be visiting this place again. And reminds me that I really should speak up more. read more

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Prime location and delicious food! We enjoyed sitting outside and watching the boats. Crab dip is fantastic. Crab cake sandwich and fish tacos were also delicious. Friendly wait staff. We'll be back! read more

We checked this place out on Yelp and Google and the menu and reviews looked great. Since we were here in early May we know that most restaurants have restricted hours because it's not their busy season. We checked their website, google and yelp for their hours of operation and they said they were open but when we got there they were closed. We called before we left our condo and no one answered but we thought it was because they were busy. read more

If I could give 0 stars I would. I came with a party of 8, which we had to wait over an hour and a half for a table, but figured it would be worth it. The inside was so loud it was hard to hear myself think. After the waitress took our drink order, she disappeared and it took over 20 minutes for the beers to arrive. The appetizers didn't print in the kitchen, therefore we waited over 45 minutes after we ordered it before it showed up. Finally, another 30 minutes later, the food arrives and the crab was completely cold on the inside and the fried green beans tasted like burnt grease! Absolutely Disgusting! Do not recommend it here at all. The wait isn't because the food is good, just the service is terrible. read more

JM's On The Water - Disgustingly cold deviled crab - Seafood Near Me - Surf City, North Carolina

No complaints here! The food was great, though the crab clusters contained very little meat (obviously no real way to check that prior...) Friendly staff, clean facilities and prompt service. I would surely come back here to eat with the family again. read more

JM's On The Water - Lunch on the water! - Seafood Near Me - Surf City, North Carolina