Only an alignment of the proper elements can create the perfect gem. Such has happened @ Loco Jo's and these words are most appropriately chosen. People, passions, skills and caring are artfully combined at this outstanding intimate, charming and embracing gem of a Craft Bar and neighborhood fine dining experience! From reading/sampling the (creative does not do it justice) beverage menu, a diverse, succinct and dazzling offering of culinary knockouts (we sampled three) and the gracious hosts, we were... overwhelmed. We live in Tucson AZ and have frankly traveled in most states in this great country and journeyed to scores of nations across the globe. RARELY have we found a place that genuinely earns A BEST of THE BEST of Local Kudos. Loco Jo's does that and even more! But be advised, if you are looking for "same ole same ole" or "just like we had at ________" please do not seek it out. One final note, we really scoped out the room, tables and barstools. We were amongst folks who really were equally as discerning! Thank you Nikki & Chuck! read more

Wife and I had a quick trip to Southport. Chose Loco Jo's for our dining experience. It's a nice place on the Main Street with its own parking area in a strip mall. Outdoor seating is available. Small tables inside and bar seating that was full. It seems the bar is a big hit. After reviewing the liquor menu, I see why. Some really good ones available. We were seated near the entrance at a small table. The server brought us water and took our orders after a few minutes. We ordered beef dumplings as an appetizer and we both ordered blackened ahi tuna tacos medium rare. The tacos come with chips and salsa. Our appetizer arrived fairly quickly and was great. As we were finishing our appetizer, our tacos arrived. From first glance they looked really good. Then everything kind fell after that. The flour taco shells were cold and looked store bought. The cheese was also similar to the store bought shredded Mexican blend. The sauce tasted like mayonnaise and ketchup mixed together. They use way too much purple cabbage with a nice portion of ahi tuna. The taste was ok. The cold shell and cheese kind of stole the flavor from the tuna. The salsa provided had a strange smoky almost chipotle flavor. I think. It left a strange aftertaste. We wanted to give this place a try. Not sure we'll be back. Our server was good. She was attentive and smiled. We still have her a cash tip that was pretty good. The restaurant has a great vibe and has a lot of regular customers, as evidenced by everyone greeting each other as they entered. Overall, I think three stars is fair. I recommend giving it a try, but not for tacos. read more

Loco Jo's Grill - Blackened ahi tuna tacos medium rare with too much cabbage. - Seafood Near Me - Southport, North Carolina

I finally got to eat at Loco Jo's. Three of us had lunch here five days ago. It's a small place with several tables and a bar. It's pretty small, so I don't suggest going with a large group of friends. Our waitress, Allison, was friendly and attentive. There's lots to choose from on the menu, including lunch specials. But I ended up ordering the buddha bowl, which had grilled pork. I asked for the Thai peanut dressing on the side. I never know how drenched a dish could be with the dressing. The bowl included rice noodles, cucumbers, other veggies. It also had sliced jalapeno peppers, which added a little kick, but still mild. One friend ordered the dumplings and a Caesar salad, while my other friend ordered the lemongrass curry with chickpeas. She wished she had it with chicken. Everything was delicious and flavorful, although the sliced cucumbers could have been seasoned or pickled. I brought home my leftovers, which I had for dinner. There was plenty of grilled pork, but unfortunately, four pieces were just fat and gristle . The chef needs to trim the pork properly and keep the chunks of fat/gristle out of the dish. That was disappointing. There are other items on the menu I would like to try. Overall, a very good lunch. read more

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I cannot say enough about how FANTASTIC and DELICIOUS this place is!! This is the best egg roll around, anywhere! (did I say egg roll?!! I sure DID!) I love that they have rotating special creations and the absolute BEST owners I've ever met. They care so much about their place and it shows. For a smallish spot, it's so welcoming and adorable. I wish I lived closer because I'd eat here at least once a week. If you like drinks, they've got em! They have a very impressive selection of spirits and they love to talk about them and educate their guests. What a fun spot! It's great for dates, too. read more

Has the best fish and chips I have ever had. They also have a spectacular tuna wrap. Their servers are also the best.

Local spot that delivers! Great service, atmosphere and food. A must stop when visiting Southport

Great menu selections, daily specials, awesome owners and staff, close to the Hampton Hotel Inn, will definitely be back.

Food's still good, draft beer selection is always fun to see when they rotate taps. Having said that, we've been turned off by the semi-militant approach they have to bar seating-and on a consistent basis. NO ONE does what they do. Not even in Manhattan or any big city where seating may be limited vs. demand. You can't just "sit at the bar". No, you have to be assigned a seat. I understand the theory behind it (it's a small place), spacing people out so that the next group of 2 or more arrive and may want to also "belly up". But they don't seem to understand a customer's perception. Again, NO ONE does this. It's controlling to the Nth degree. So is asking someone at the bar to put their 12-ounce plastic water that they brought in (and on a hot day) down and off the bar. I saw and heard it with my own eyes. Sorry, but these just rub me (and I have heard other say the same) the wrong way. There are other options (and more coming) to downtown S'port. read more

Great food & great service! Highly recommend Lemongrass Curry...so flavorful (and spicy)! Anytime you can get unicorn fish, definitely get it. Their specials are always very good. Loco Jo's has been added as a must when in Southport! read more

Loco Jo's Grill - Lemongrass Curry - Seafood Near Me - Southport, North Carolina

The best Thit Nuong and special of the grilled shrimp salad with peanut dressing. Fresh and so very tasty. Love the ambience and the best service in town. You want be disappointed. read more

Loco Jo's Grill - Saigon bowl, pork, salad, cucumbers, carrots Asian noodles and a wonderful sauce. - Seafood Near Me - Southport, North Carolina

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I ate here with the family while in Southport. The seafood served here was very fresh. The shrimp tacos were delicious with absolutely no fishy taste. I was hoping for corn tortillas and the flour did not disappoint. Accommodations and services were fine on a Saturday, the crew did a good job. read more

Loco Jo's Grill - Baja shrimp taco - Seafood Near Me - Southport, North Carolina

Love going to Loco Jo's Grill when we're in town. Food is fresh. Drinks are tasty. Only drawback is the seating is EXTREMELY limited!! If you have a large party I would suggest doing a takeout order because you just won't fit. We have done both. Ate at the bar and also gotten food to go and sat on a swing watching the ocean! So I guess what I'm saying is don't let the tiny space keep you for going here. Be inventive and get it to go. read more

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The family and I go once a week and sometimes twice. The food and drinks and atmosphere keep us coming back! The eggrolls are a must. Gotta check them out! The service is always amazing. The owners always go out of their way to make sure everything is perfect. read more

Our first time eating here and it was so good! We had the Unicorn fish tacos and the ribeye beef burrito and both were delicious. We sat outside and the owner came to talk to us upon hearing we'd just moved here. We will definitely be back. My mouths watering just thinking about it! read more

Our church youth group came over here from Fort Caswell. We called about 11 to see if they could accommodate our group and they said come when then open at 11:30. On the way there they called me back to confirm our group size and set us up at their outside tables. Who does that? Best service post covid of any place in NC! Food was excellent- great choice options for adults and youth- very allergy conscious and just excellent service. I forgot to take a picture of my awesome Thai Shrimp salad- it was so beautifully made and delicious. Highly recommend this place and am ready to book a family trip to Southport and we will come back here for sure. read more

Just another great experience at Loco Joes this evening. Lots of laughter and smiles mixed with great food and service!! Get the asian cucumber salad on the side. Wonderful. Keep up the good work from one of the locals. read more

So DELICIOUS!! The food menu is small but surprisingly eclectic, well thought out and plated. Tonight I shared with my son the fried haddock with macaroni salad and a side salad and a basket of curly fries (which were a special premium side today) my husband had the special catch, blackened red drum tacos with shrimp guacamole. The food did not disappoint, the haddock was massive, super fresh and crispy the sides were fresh and portions were quite big. My husbands tacos were super fresh, the shrimp guacamole was amazing! If you've never had red drum, try it! This place has a large selection of interesting cocktails and beers that I would've loved to try had I not had to drive. This is a small place but a great place, the food is delicious and the staff is warm and inviting. If you're looking for fine dining, or more of a run of the mill place this isn't for you. If you're looking for delicious food and drinks in a bar setting that isn't sleazy give this restaurant a try. You won't regret it!! read more

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So excited to find them not too busy at lunch so we were able to get a table. They have a varied menu and more specials on the board. I had a drink off the board. It was ok - nothing special. We started with the dumplings. Honestly better than any Chinese restaurant. Great filling to wrap ratio. The wrap was delicious. The chicken was moist the wrap didn't fall apart. The wrap held up to the ingredients. Our server was friendly, helpful and efficient. read more

Loco Jo's Grill - Dumplings - Seafood Near Me - Southport, North Carolina

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This is usually one of my favorite places to eat and has been from the previous owners to the new owners, but tonight the owner came out screaming at me because I had some dry rice that I didn't think was very good and he came out screaming at me instead of trying to fix the situation, he belittled me when he said he knew how to cook rice he was very upset that I questioned very nicely. Maybe it can be made a different way ,which is what I was trying to do He came out screaming at me and throwing his hands at me I have never in my life encountered something like this made me very upset, and I cried when I left.. he told me I was gonna pay for that food no matter and that he wasn't making another dish for me when the waitress offered it earlier , I had my daughter with me and she told him to leave me alone and back off me and it's just got very ugly and I've never encountered something like this before nor do I ever want to , and had my husband been there? I think that would've been even worse , I don't think it would've happened at all ,so we will not be visiting this establishment again to a place I really liked... I don't know if he was having a very bad night but he took it out on a woman.. very scary! read more

Awesome find! My friend and I wanted to try something new and were thrilled when we found Loco Jo's. All the tables were taken when we arrived so we had to sit at the bar. We ordered the Gouda Mac n cheese bites to start. Wow!! Melt in your mouth deliciousness. Then we both ordered the catch of the day- blackened mahi tacos. They were heavenly! We were a little bummed that we only got two tacos per order and barely a handful of tortilla chips to accompany them. The first server that sat us, was not very welcoming and told us where we needed to sit at the bar - even though she didn't do that for others. She warmed up to us in the end though. We definitely loved the food and the vibe of the place and will be back! read more

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We took a baby ... to a bar. To be fair, the name says Grill so how was I to know? The food was absolutely delicious. We had the duck wings (you have to try), several seafood tacos and the fish and chips. My piece of fish was gi-nor-mous and so so perfectly cooked. The breading was crunchy, the fish was thick and glistening. We will definitely go back and recommend that everyone else look for Loco Jo's and get there as fast as they can! read more

Dropped in for late lunch this week, based on great Yelp reviews. Quaint, small (and packed) local spot. The Egg Roll (with mustard) was the perfect start, followed by the fish tacos. It is clear this place is a local favorite. People waiting for a seat at 2pm. read more

The service was absolutely wonderful! Pricing was wonderful for the location, and the ambiance was very nice! 4 stars because the "Saigon Special" was a little bland. Our other dishes were absolutely amazing, and we will be back! read more

Loco Jo's Grill - Thit Nuong - Seafood Near Me - Southport, North Carolina

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Service and food are always excellent. Have never had a bad experience at Loco's. Everything is fresh and creatively made. Cocktails are darn good too! read more

We have been going to Loco Joe's for 9 years. There is always a wait but worth it, I have always ordered the shrimp taco's, my favorite. There has always been 3 shrimp in each taco, but last night only 2. Sad. I guess we are cutting back. Maybe I won't be going back. read more

If you're from St. James, the owner bartender has a chip on her shoulder about the women of St James. She gave a remark about seating a table of 5 to wait for the 5th before seating,which I understand completely. However, she added that the 5th person was probably still in St. James combing her hair and putting on lipstick. Also, no eye contact with us when asked to lower the fans above our heads which were ripping at high speed. Remarks were, they are connected to the kitchen. We can't lower them.She never turned around or apologized. But some banter with someone at the bar to lower the shades because it was in their eyes, she lowered them. Maybe someone local. Well, if she can survive on her local clientele, good luck. Not ever going back!!!! read more

I have eaten here for years, but ownership has changed since my last visit. I highly recommend this restaurant and while there, sample their high end bourbons and expansive beer selection. The owners are extremely friendly and accommodating. Food is great and they even reintroduced egg rolls! Something the original owners had phased out... read more

Food is fresh and portions are a nice size. I had the special Thai chopped salad which was so good and fresh! Husband had the chicken Ceasar and declared it was the best ceasar he ever had. We will be back! read more

Our FAV food spot at the beach! The ambience is funky and laidback - plenty to look at with decor and walls of photos; the food is creative, fresh, and flavorful. Service can be inconsistent, but I can appreciate being given some space just to relax since it's a small place! We walk out the door good humored, with fully bellies, and always look forward to our next visit... read more

Enjoyed a wonderful lunch here today. Food was excellent. It was fresh, big portions, tasty, and reasonably priced. My husband had a cocktail that he said was delicious. Service by Allison was also excellent. Place is small, but visiting on the tropical storm day, we were sated immediately. Would highly recommend a stop by Loco Jo's for lunch or dinner. read more

As a frequent Oak Island visitor I'm always looking for different restaurants. I'm visiting with my in-laws and husband so we were in the mood for something somewhat healthy and fast. Loco Jos popped up on my yelp search and I thought it was a perfect fit. The menu has a huge variety of deliciousness making it sooo hard to decide what to order. In the end we all reverted to tacos haha! I ordered the tuna tacos with no chips on the side, my husband and father in law got the grouper tacos and my mother in law got the shrimp tacos. Everything was wonderful and our service was excellent. We will be back. read more

Such a delicious lunch! Grilled salmon on a house salad with Asian dressing. Plenty to fill me up. Competitive price. Really nice staff. Quick service. I loved being able to sit outside. read more

Loco Jo's Grill - Grilled salmon house salad - Seafood Near Me - Southport, North Carolina

Oh how we wanted to like this place. Eclectic vibe when you walk in, nothing makes sense, which is great. Lots of area at the bar and just a few tables in and out. We were greeted immediately and our initial contact was friendly. There were many locals there, which is nice in the town that I frequent. Beer selection is good, however pricey, which is the norm for a beach town. The food is sub par at most... was so looking forward to the specials, however, seeing the initial menu vs the specials, frozen vs. non? We started with the dumplings, which were good. You can tell they are not made in house. I ordered the chipotle wrap, however there were about 5 tiny pieces of chicken in it. The kitchen subbed out chips and salsa instead of the twice baked potato salad that was supposed to come with it. When I asked about it, they said uh yeah, they ran out, when it was stated that at 6pm on a Saturday was the busiest they had been in a long time... RED FLAG! Not even a warning. Boo. I took everything out of my wrap to eat as a salad because it just didn't work, even then, still didn't work. The flavors just did not exist... 2 beers, an app, 2 sandwiches = $50 without tip. Seems steep for meh. Good to stop in for a quick beer, but won't be back for the food at all. The bartenders/waitresses were fully disgusted by the kitchen manager, and those that were there, were privy to hear exactly what the situation was. I don't disagree with what they were saying, however, you should not make those comments in that forum in front of guests at the establishment. friends or not, there are others listening. Have some balls and have that discussion behind closed doors. Bartenders and waitresses are a dime a dozen... perhaps a meeting of the minds or a come to Jesus meeting with the staff is needed ASAP! read more

Man... the shrimp tacos were good. But it only comes with two and they each had 2 normal sized shrimp haha. Paying as much as I did for 4 yummy bites was not it... I was still hungry so I ordered the pork belly. It was ok but a little too dry. Please put three shrimp in each taco. PLEASE. read more

Got there for an early lunch on a Saturday. Great burger and fries. I'll be back for sure. Friendly, fast staff and a great price.

The absolute best food and service in the area. They have great food and drink specials that change on a regular basis and are fresh! The staff are wonderful, attentive and very welcoming. Such a great local spot and reasonably priced! I definitely recommend stopping by. read more

I deem this the smallest restaurant in Southport, but it's a great staple to our town. I was sad when it closed, but am happy it has reopened. read more

Loco Jo's Grill - Loco Jo's World Famous Burger - Seafood Near Me - Southport, North Carolina

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Loco Jo's has become a must-go place for me anytime I'm in the area (anywhere within 45 minutes by car, or 30 minutes by ferry). I've made excuses to come to Southport from Wilmington and Kure Beach to stop by because I love this local spot! I don't come here for the service, and I don't come here for the ambiance (although there is nothing wrong with either). I come here for the fresh seafood, and the superb food well worth the prices! The first time we came, we had a group of 6-7. Loco Jo's has rather limited seating so we expected to wait. However, they were able to seat us immediately outside and we got our beer and appetizer orders soon after. We tried the boom boom cauliflower and a tuna poke type appetizer. I enjoyed both appetizers and felt that the cauliflower is hit-or-miss for some folks. I felt that it was delicious, but for some folks, they may simply prefer a fried seafood instead of cauliflower. I liked this so much however, I ordered it for the next two visits to Loco Jo's. A quick note: Loco Jo's draft beer selection is very limited (around 4) but all solid beers with a great range in taste. I've tried the fish (Mahi Mahi) tacos, the fried flounder(!!!!) and the soft shell crab sandwich. Every experience has been amazing. I am super picky about my cilantro so they accommodated me for the tacos and made sure there was not a single speck of cilantro on my taco garnish. The fish was super flaky and cooked perfectly. The FRIED FLOUNDER is simply amazing. For the price (around $20), a whole fried flounder with either an asian sauce, or a southern style, is amazing. The fish once again is cooked perfectly, with the flaky white meat perfectly moist and flavorful. The last time, I enjoyed the soft shell crab sandwich which was super well seasoned and a larger size than I expected! I have never had a disappointing experience at Loco Jo's--definitely stop by if you are ever in the area! read more

My husband and I had the Bahn Mi sandwich and the Thick Nuong (seasoned pork and rice) and it was so delicious. Both dishes were full of flavor and fresh ingredients. Service was fast and attentive. This restaurant recently changed ownership and the transition is seamless. They kept many of the house favorites and expanded in similar flavors. Would definitely recommend. read more

Loco Jo's Grill - Bahn Mi Sandwich and cucumber salad - Seafood Near Me - Southport, North Carolina

After hitting the beach with our puppy at oak island, we found this place on yelp and decided to try it out. It's a pretty small place with about 5 tables inside, bar seating, and tables outside. We came in around 7pm and the place was busy with a large group waiting to be split up into the smaller tables. We orders the boom boom cauliflower and the calamari. The calamari tasted great. It was fresh, crisp, and perfectly seasoned. They also mixed in fried banana peppers which gave a nice tangy sweet taste. (it was great without the sauce). On the other hand, the boom boom cauliflower was slightly unsatisfying. It was fried cauliflower with "boom boom sauce" and a side of chopped up lettuce. There was too much sauce in the dish, I didn't understand the purpose of the chopped up lettuce and for $7.99 the whole "appetizer" was underwhelming. It would have been more appropriate as a side than an appetizer. Entrées we ordered soft shell crab sandwich, baja fish tacos, and a fish-n-chips basket. All the seafood was very meaty and cooked very well. It was my first time trying fired soft shelled crab and it was quite delicious. It was a good place to try but did not leave with the urge of wanting to come back tl:dr. Nice cozy place with nice people but the food left me a little underwhelmed read more

Loco Jo's Grill - Uncle bk's boom boom cauliflower and calamari with banana peppers - Seafood Near Me - Southport, North Carolina

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