Had lunch here a few days ago it was excellent! Started with steamed shrimp and a Caesar salad then shared a fish and chips. Shrimp were delicious seasoned well and larger then you usually get at other places salad was great dressing tasted scratch made the fish and chips were excellent a lot of times it can be greasy this was not at all. Bartender Brian was excellent keeping us informed on our order and attentive without being intrusive he's a good guy! read more

Crab cakes amazing!! Wahoo incredible steak delicious!! Service from everyone was fantastic!

Went to the Rusty Hook last week. We interacted with several staff members. Host, waitress, bartender and another waiter. These people were outstanding! Friendly, professional, emphatic, all service was above and beyond. I've never had such an experience where everyone in the restaurant was so gracious. Oh, and the food was good too? read more

The greeters were very friendly. After that though, the service was slow, the service was slow,and the seating was poorly arranged and uncomfortable. The food wasn't very good and it was expensive for the small amount. Music was playing so loud we couldn't hear each other across the table. We didn't enjoy it. read more

One of the best beach meals I've eaten. Great service, beautiful waterside location, and terrific food. Try the seafood fritters!

Great once again. The food and service is the best. Never a disappointment. Will always go when we are in town at Oak Island.

Now this is a 5 star local joint! Great place on the waterfront. Great food, great service, great people, great atmosphere! Love coming here to watch the boats go by. The sunsets are to die for! The only downside is sometimes the music is a tad too loud for my ears... otherwise just wear ear plugs lol! read more

Had lunch there yesterday. The service was top notch and 5he food was well prepared. Certainly coming back again.

When to lunch on Thursday, party of 4. Staff is friendly and reasonably attentive with drinks and taking orders. Took over 45 mins to get our food, but the food was very good. I got salad with grilled chicken for 16$. Saw fish and chips on the menu for 22$. Prices maybe a very high for the experience and long wait for food. Nice views of the ICW. Staff was properly wearing masks. read more

Try the conch fritters they are amazing! This is one of my favorite places. The owners are amazing and so kind, Brian is one of the best bar tenders I've ever had & makes the most perfect pain killer. read more

Amazing fresh seafood. Loved the upper deck views. Wonderful service!! Will go back again!! read more

Rusty Hooks Dockside Grill - My view from the upper deck of Rusty Hooks. Very fresh seafood and excellent service! Will go back again!! - Seafood Near Me - Southport, North Carolina

Absolutely excellent meal. Right across the street from sky diving. Best fish taco I've had on the east coast. The fries, both sweet potato and regular were incredible. Will 100% come back read more

Excellent service and the food was amazing!! Restaurant was very clean and staff was thorough and knew the menu and was very helpful.

Food was delicious, waitress Brenna was sweet as can be! Drinks were delicious, bartenders were so permeable and kind. Ate the mussels, old bay wings, crab cakes, and blackened salmon. Everything was delicious. Between service and food, this place is phenomenal! read more

Awesome service, great food, fantastic view!! Shrimp were huge and wrap was stuffed, highly recommend read more

See all

I never got to try it, it may have been fantastic! I Was hungry and it looked like a nice place. Walked in with my service animal (like a REAL service animal). A gentleman approached and said they had seating for dogs but not in the bar. I stated that she was a service animal also stating her training and the services she performs. She was sitting quiet and politely (like she does on the 30+ flights and 100+ eating establishments a year) watching and listening to both of us. He again said I could sit in the pet area. NOT what I was expecting. NOT handled well. I was by myself and just wanted to Sit and eat at the bar... in the 18 months I've had her, this was a "first", so I just Said no thanks and left. I'll send a note to the ADA So that they can educate the establishment. No more, just education. I'm off in search of a restaurant that doesn't judge or discriminate. read more

Had lunch here recently. Great food, excellent staff. A bit pricey but a great location.

The drinks are good, the food is hot, and the views are relaxing. It's just what I needed right now. All the tables are spaced out because of COVID and it just gives you your own section of the view and water. read more

See all

Great selection of local beers. The seafood was fresh, the soup delicious! Staff was very friendly and knowledgeable about the food preparation and made great recommendations. Definitely returning when back in the area. read more

still great service and my food was amazing! however, my boyfriend ordered rice with his salmon and the rice was so undercooked it clumped together and there were many hard pieces of rice. he raved about the salmon and how amazing it was though! still will be back. read more

See all

Our experience here was great! Our bartender Scott was very attentive and knowledgeable about drinks and the menu, including their 3 different types of oysters. We ordered a dozen raw oysters and followed with their Cajun shrimp pasta. Delicious!! 10/10 recommend !! read more

Rusty Hooks Dockside Grill - Seafood Near Me - Southport, North Carolina

See all

Good atmosphere and great view of the intercostal but bring some extra cash!! Food is average to good with prices you'd pay at Ruth's Chris or Bonefish or other establishments that would provide five star food for this type of pricing. Honestly, I'll drive to Calabash for Boundary House or Oyster Rock or head into Myrtle if I'm planning on spending this much on a good dinner. read more

Delicious food and amazing service! Highly recommend the mussels and crab soup. The service and atmosphere were great!

Staff are very nice and patient, I only had chicken the chicken strips but their texture was very nice and the taste was good too.

Crab dip was very good - view is amazing. Had the burger and fries which was also very tasty. Didn't wait long at all.

Only reason I am giving 4 stars is because of the boy at the host counter. He was the absolute worst. The food was really delish and our waitress was a sweet little thing. We got the drunken mussels, fish tacos and grilled salmon. All soooo good. Now the boy. I'm assuming he must be like the owners son or something. He gave off a spoiled brat vibe. When we got there, he literally rolled his eyes and huffed at us coming in and requesting a table for two. Walked us over to our table, slammed our utensils down and walked off to go to eat his salad. Like really, who acts like that. If you are that miserable in a customer service job then BYE. It takes two seconds to act like a decent human. We don't expect people to lick our buttholes when we go somewhere, but a nice smile, and a greeting go a long way. read more

We had another great experience here tonight. Zack was our waiter-enthusiastic and knowledgeable! And Brian the bartender only has one speed- super freaky fast! Good food and service! And beautiful view! read more

Rusty Hooks Dockside Grill - Seafood Near Me - Southport, North Carolina

Beautiful outdoor dining at this restaurant right on the water. I also have a severe shellfish allergy and the staff has always been great about accommodating my allergy. read more

Excruciatingly, painfully, slow service. It's like I'm bothering them. Sat at the bar for 10 minutes before someone acknowledged us. Another 5 before they took our drink order and then another 6 before the drinks showed up. Been sitting her for 26 minutes, watched three tables get sat, ordered food, ate. Had to ask for water. No server came by. Maybe the food is good but the service is terrible. DO NOT SIT IN THE BAR AREA. read more

This place is horrible! They can't function! They can't get the orders correct! The staff loves to tell you where they all worked before coming here and have no clue how to deal with customer complaints when food is prepared incorrectly! OMG, RUN--do NOT EAT HERE--- AND then when you go to check out; they give too much money back and it ends up being MY FAULT! BLESS THEIR HEATS! RUN, do not stop here!!! All the server can tell us is "I worked at Ruth Crisp's for 16 years"---WHO CARES where you worked before here!!!!! read more

I have written reviews for this restaurant before but must revise my view of them. The last two times I was there a few hours later I was so sick I prayed to die. The first time I brushed it off but the second time means I will never go back. The food is expensive for what you get and there are better options in the area. As I read other reviews it seems to be hit or miss here and too many misses. I understand and to.erase the wait for table as everyone is suffering from lack of staff but management appears to not care. Also after reading how many people found sand in their broccoli that's one thing I would stay away from. All in all I have taken this place off of my list of p,aces to go. read more

Their Sunday morning bloody Mary's are epic. Good food great place to catch the game.

Rusty Hooks is a beautiful and relaxing restaurant on the marina. The seafood is amazing and we have never been disappointed with a meal. Some of our favorite things are the fried shrimp, the crab dip with bread, and the salmon. You really must try the sweet potato fries with the sweet butter if you go. These are the absolute best! As with many other restaurants, they have struggled with staff during the last few months but the servers try their best to keep up and it seems like an easy thing to just be kind. We continue to visit each time we are in OKI. read more

We walked in on a Saturday afternoon and was able to grab a seat at the bar which was great. The bartender was running around like crazy. It wasn't that busy. He was sweating profusely and talking so loud that the whole bar area could hear him. It was so chaotic. We ordered a margarita and a Jack and Coke. Decent drinks for $34 for one round. The vibe was so bizarre in there. Not somewhere I would go again. I'll stick to Oliver's. read more

They have done an excellent job redoing one of my favorite restaurants. No only face lift but excellent service and really good food. We were seated promptly and drink orders within a moment or 2 with the specials. Mahi tacos were full of fresh mahi with great fixings. Hamburger wad e en bigger and every bit as good as predecessor. Will be anxious to return. read more

We went to the Rusty Hook last night for dinner with another couple. This location used to be the Dead End Saloon, but I assume it is under new management. I did not ask. We thought the place looked great and our service was very good. The menu is a little limited, but our server told us that this was just a starting point. My wife had the crab cake, some fries, roasted vegetables and Cole slaw. She was extremely happy with the crab cake and trust me, it is tough to make her happy about any crab cake that is not made in Maryland. She said there was no filing. I had the buffalo chicken salad and I was very pleased with it. We thought the bill was a little expensive, but we liked the food. I forgot what the other couple had, but they were happy with their meal too. read more

Food and service were great , We enjoyed the clean and comfortable seating while only waiting a short time for meal.

The only con was the wait time - but it's the beach during the busiest season of the year, so I don't hold that in too high regard. Our food was amazing - I had the jerked chicken tacos, and the portion was huge and the flavors were so good together. The Island Hopper drink is delicious. My husband had a burger, and fries - cooked perfectly, and the fries are delicious. I have a severe shellfish allergy, and called 6-8 places on the island before we discovered Rusty Hooks - they took such care with my allergy and allowed me to still enjoy a restaurant on vacation. However, the real star of the show was our server; Bryan. He was running around - so busy - but he was still kind, personable, helpful, and made sure to check on us regularly. We definitely will be back! read more

While I understand that Covid has made it hard on many businesses, the way we were treated tonight was unexcusable. We were told to expect a 40 minute wait and it took 2 hours to be seated. After we were seated our meal was not served for 1 hour and 15 minutes. The staff kept telling us that the kitchen was under-staffed. However, the owner walk past us several times without apologizing or offering an appetizer or just being polite. I will NEVER return. The food was great but just not worth the grief. read more

We have ate here several times and every time the food and service was wonderful! The restaurant is always clean and very nice.