We were in Wilmington for an extended weekend trip and stopped by the Rooster & the Crow after…read moreseeing that it had good reviews and a nice, varied menu. This is located very centrally in downtown Wilmington and offers parking validation so don't be discouraged about the parking situation. There's a lot on the side you're free to use. We were seated right away on a weeknight and it was actually pretty full for being a weeknight. They have a good amount of space though. Millie was our server and she was a sweetheart. She was on it from start to finish. Checked in on us very regularly and provided above and beyond service. She contributed to our excellent experience. Fried chicken had to be ordered as it sounded so good and it definitely didn't disappoint. It comes with two sides and all of the sides were fresh. Portions were super hearty and generous. Chicken was fried to a crisp, in a good way!! The chicken sandwich was also great, but the fries are also very memorable, incredibly fresh. We were so surprised by how hot the food was in temperature, again in a good way. Everything was made to order. I loved that we were able to try this place out. I definitely recommend it and we will be thinking of the fried chicken for a long time!

Tl;dr - If you come here for their main event - chicken and fries - it's very good. Anything else,…read moredon't waste your time. Vegetarians need not bother. 3.5? I was not in love but I think there are some caveats there because I am not the typical customer. First, we appear to have come right at the height of their dinner rush. It took a while to get seated. The hosts told us to sit at the bar and then the bartender kicked us out of our stools because we were waiting for a table and apparently the bar stools were only for people who were eating, so we had to go find a bench. When we did get seated they put us at a really weird high top in a separate room when there was a much nicer low top available in the main room that we switched to. I got the sense both that this place was kind of hectic and that they didn't think they needed our service. But then as we were eating it cleared out all of a sudden and we were the only people left at like...8 pm. Our server was...accetptable. Not rude, but kind of short. Compared to the lovely personable service we got at other places in Wilmington it felt...I dunno, New Yorky? Then there was the food. And here comes my biggest caveat. I am pescstarian and do not eat chicken. So I ordered a shrimp po boy. It was not good. Not bad. But not good. Especially for the price which, honestly, competed with the prices where I live in DC. Every other person around me ordered chicken. My husband ordered chicken. He really liked his chicken. So obviously, this is a place where you get chicken (if the name didn't make it obvious). Had I ordered chicken I likely would have enjoyed my meal a lot more. But if you have shrimp po boys on the menu, endeavor to make them decent or take them off. Also I subbed a side cesar instead of fries and it was an afterthought. The fries themselves were excellent. If I ate chicken and came back to Wilmington I would maybe give this place another shot but as it stands, nah.

My SO and I dined at Surf City BBQ one weekday evening during our family vacation. We enjoyed an…read moreexcellent experience, from delicious food to outstanding customer service. Surf City is a Carolina BBQ joint but serves up other southern staples like fried fish and chicken. Unfortunately, I must share that due to hardships, the restaurant is closing on September 30, 2026. AMBIANCE Country vintage is the theme and it's quite homey. Dining at grandma's house. SERVICE Kristine or Kris was our servers name (hopefully I got the spelling right). She was incredible. When I say she was attentive and so down to earth, it truly made our experience wonderful. We felt so welcomed to come in and enjoy some good southern food.. FOOD I really wanted to order a seafood platter but unfortunately they were out of fried catfish and flounder so I pivoted to a different entree. - Complimentary hush puppy sticks with cool ranch: they were good. Subtly sweet, but the cool ranch balanced everything out. - Half rack of ribs: this was the entree I switched to. The pork ribs were huge, tender, and tasty. They fell right off the bone, and I really appreciated the firmness of the tendon while I cleaned my bones. I had two sides, yams and cole slaw. I enjoyed the yams more because they weren't overly sweet, and the chef really allowed the yams' natural flavors to shine. The cole slaw was tasty but nothing special. I prefer my slaw more chopped rather than big pieces. The vinegary Carolina BBQ sauce at the table was excellent. - Eggroll BBQ Pork: my SO ordered this special entree, and it was really good. Imagine a big, crispy eggroll filled with moist, tender shredded BBQ pork. It came with a really good dipping sauce, which was a mix of honey mustard and BBQ sauce. The two sides I chose were fried okra and Brunswick stew. Both were fresh and delicious. Since they're closing, the owners are selling decor and other items from the restaurant. I purchased a lovely replica of a pay phone from the late 1920s or early 1930s to take home. Additionally, the cashier was very friendly and helpful. If you've enjoyed the food here, please go support them a few more times before they close their doors. Or simply, browse and shop for some cute decor for your home.

This local spot makes great Carolina BBQ Service is always…read moregreat wait staff is attentive Still one of the best deals for homemade food in Surf City

This place is wonderfully basic! You'll find southern choices along with diner favorites. I had the…read morepatty melt and it was made to perfection. We also had the turkey bacon melt which was a very good choice! The service here is beyond good, with friendly staff who were often seen cleaning the dining area. It definitely appears to be a favorite local spot which also has early bird specials.

Our wait was reasonable for a Sunday morning. Our service was excellent! I ordered the breakfast…read moreburger and was very pleased with the taste combo. I also ordered a side of grits. You certainly can't find those up North. I sweeten them with honey and enjoy. My husband ordered a Redneck Chimichanga. He loved his breakfast and he even added hot sauce. Both of us enjoy this restaurant with friendly staff and southern hospitality. When we visit the area we always make an effort to stop here.

Love love love!! The staff, the food. Beach ambiance, not fancy but the chicken salad is the best…read moreon the island!

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.

Food is really good!! Everything here is great! Staff always super friendly! One of our favorite…read moreplaces

Food is ok but not great. Much better places in the area to go for same price range. Atmosphere…read morevery crowded and loud.

We came in this past Sunday and were so happy we did! It was crowded and we were told we'd have to…read morewait about 30 minutes. That was totally fine - but we ended up waiting about 10 minutes - even better!! They'll put your name on a wait list then send you a text so you can easily track when your table is almost due. We went for good food and left super satisfied. My mom ordered the Southern Breakfast which offered a good amount of food and she loved it, she said the ham was very tasty and that it tasted like bacon! It was nice for that option you could choose a biscuit or toast as a side. We also got a single biscuit and gravy to share. The gravy was delicious and the chorizo added a nice little spicy kick to it. I can see why these are so popular here! My brother ordered the dirty south biscuit and he was also very satisfied. It had a little bit of everything and was steps above a traditional breakfast sandwich. I personally ordered a pancake topped with strawberries and I love that they offer to bake the strawberries in too. Bacon was crispy, thick. Everything was super fresh. Our server was wonderful and I regret not catching her name. She came about 5 times to ask if we needed anything, any extra coffee, coffee to go. She was exceptional and I appreciate that they are so detail oriented here. We had a great meal and ate very comfortably here. Only issue is that we were slightly ready for a nap after. So happy to have stopped by!

Was really looking forward to trying the food, I've heard great things. Put our name on the list…read moreand hostess put down wrong number, so we never got a text. Watched multiple people get sat when we're were next in line so we went and asked, then they realized the mistake. Said they sent us a text letting us know our table was ready, and that it must've not gone through because the wrong number and that they would text us when next table opened. Waited again in car for another 30 minutes and finally went back in to see what the problem was, they had put us back at the END of the line so they were seating more people in front of us. Overall waited almost an hour before leaving because restaurant was closing soon. Frustrating waste of time.

Yes it's pricey. Yes it's good. Yes it's the only 'fancy' restaurant on the island. We loved their…read moreshrimp and grits. Ordered it multiple days in a row. They take reservations and do book up some nights. You can always order take out from the bar. It's next to a park so could bring the kids there right after dinner. I will def go back here.

Yay they take reservations for our family of 17, not easy for small beach town…read more Place was packed thou on cozier side (not huge space). We're from the land of plenty aka Northern VA, the food is comparable to All American Restaurant chain. The steak was the star, the other entrees were fine but not spectacular. The short ribs tasted like pot roast and was oddly shredded- not a fan. Dessert was let down, crème brûlée was way too fudgy (no signature jiggle), carrot cake meh and truffle had no cake (just pudding). Seriously, Hire a new pastry chef. Service was efficient, friendly but more towards quick turnaround as they were busy.

Found this place near our rental house on Yelp. Five stars all the way round from the delicious…read moreribs, fried catfish and blueberry cobbler to the lovely, happy service on order and pick up. Between the good Yelp reviews, pictures of the food, the fact that we called my mother-in-law who passed away a couple years ago, Mema, I had to check it out and I was really glad I did. This is one of those places found while traveling that I wish was near our house.

Owners are so kind, food is delicious and it's a very cute farmhouse feel in the restaurant…read more Thank you for the great food! And thank you Davie for reminding us to go back!

I have been a frequent customer since they opened, but the last year it continues to go down the…read moredrain. Literally half the time they have no chicken thighs ready. Poor management or none at all. There are only four major parts to a chicken. You are a fast food chicken restaurant. How is it that out of the last ten visits that half the time I need to pull my car up and wait for the chicken thighs to be cooked. It is FAST food, not fine dining. Did anyone in the building not notice that the thigh basket is low or empty. Yesterday none at all. The pervious visit gave me drum sticks and whatever to make up for no thighs. If your main item is chicken, and you do not have chicken, then you are out of business, and from what I see, they could care less.

Breakfast waffle sandwich with white meat chicken was good. Fish sandwich was dry. Service was kind…read moreand pleasant.

We've lived in the area for about 6 years. Eat out fairly often. This restaurant by far has been…read morethe most consistent in the quality of the food, which is the best of all the restaurants in the topsail area. It is not fine dining and has the sports bar vibe. It is a relatively small place and I recommend going on non peak hours in season. If you are into oysters, they have a great selection of both local and regional on the half shell. If you prefer cooked, chargrilled or steamed is a good choice. While the menu has a great selection of seafood, the chalkboard specials features extremely fresh local catches which change daily. While there are several restaurants in and around the topsail area this is the only one where I have never been disappointed. If you go at peak hours during the vacation season expect to wait but it is worth it. You can't miss with any of the steamed shellfish offerings and if you prefer fried there batter is light and not overpowering. As a sports bar, they have a large selection of tap and bottled beers and a good mixology of liquor options which is only outdone in my opinion by Rick's in Sneads Ferry

Whenever a restaurant puts "market price" next to an item, I'm worried. But Dear Wife and I were in…read morethe low country and we wanted a low country boil. So that's what we got. I could've asked the price upfront (and usually do) but what the heck... we're on vacation. The server suggested we get a "double" and share it. OK. Sounds good. It came out quick. There was a TON of food for two of us. Shrimp, sausage, potatoes, corn. It didn't have a lot of seasoning also on it, but - no problem - there was a rack with every hot sauce you'd ever need, plus salt, pepper and old bay. We both ate our fill and even left a few potatoes. The bill comes and it's less than $40. It might be the cheapest great meal I've had in a long time. Or maybe it's the "greatest cheap meal" I've had in a long time... I don't know. Bar ambiance, but pleasant enough for families. Mostly high tables. It all seemed very nice.