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Oceanic Restaurant
Category: Restaurants Seafood Seafood [Edit]
703 S Lumina AveWrightsville Beach, NC 28480
(910) 256-5551
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
44 reviews for Oceanic Restaurant
Review Highlights
"I love eating on the pier, listening to the waves."
(in 18 reviews)
"I had the crab cake sandwich and it was excellent."
(in 4 reviews)
"...the pier and the upstairs dining room has a great view also."
(in 4 reviews)
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44 reviews in English
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Review from Ashley D.
Miami, FL
9/9/2011 1 Check-in Here
5 stars for the view
-1 star for the food
The food wasn't bad, it was average I would say. I had breakfast there and personally they look more like a dinner, sunset on the beach, type of place so maybe they make better dinner? I had their egg wrap with snap peas in it and a creole sauce. It was a good size for the price, but didn't wow me. My husband had the crab omelet. It was tastier than mine (i tried it) but I still wasn't wowed. Their service was great and everyone was friendly which is always the biggest thing in my book.
If I lived in the area I would totally return to try them again just based on the gorgeous view alone. -
Review from Jeffrey M.
Austin, TX
9/13/2011
OK, so I caught this little slut on an off night --- late, no make up, windblown and a bit overworked, tired --- the restaurant, not me!
Service was spotty and the waitress did not know what an "oyster shucker" was.
Oysters stuck to their shell. NO freakin' saltine crackers until I almost caused a riot, mediocre food overall.
View was spectacular as usual but the dining experience was a disaster. Just the wrong time of the night.
I know they can do better because I have had some spectacular meals here this was not one of them. Wish I could go purge. -
Review from Arry Y.
9/8/2011 1 Check-in Here
Pros:
- Beautiful location
- Beautiful view
- Really nice service
Cons:
- Watery drinks (mojitos no good)
- Food not so good - order a salad and call it good. Grouper - gross.
- Clam Chowder - not good
- Pricey for what you get -
Review from Bill E.
Saratoga Springs, NY
8/8/2011
Delightful well made shore lunch with two hundred plus others in a loud room. Great view of the pier and beach, friendly efficient service and good, really good value and delightful food. Modestly priced.
It's better than expected and a place worth returning to over and over.
I like it for the shore. -
Review from Monica M.
6/21/2011
We walked up to this restaurant thinking it would give us a pretty good time - if not for the food itself, but the view! Its apparently the only place to get ocean dining on the beach. We took a chance and went in, and got the message there would be a 20 minute wait. No prob, we'll sit at the bar and have a drink! The bar is at the back of the restaurant, so we got to walk through the place and check out the atmosphere -it reminded me of a very large Long John Silver's with both how it looked and smelled.
We sat down at the bar and ordered us a drink - the specialty of the house, a very rummy drink, and a martini for the hubs. We sat around and sipped our drink, and went to go sit at a table right next to the bar to wait and watch the ocean.
About two minutes later, my husband realized he left the buzzer at the bar, and asked the bar staff if they had taken it .. and well, yeah, they took it back. Oops! A waiter ran up to get it back for us, and said it would be any minute and we didn't lose our place in line. Whew! Gotta commend that bar staff, they were great and really friendly.
Another twenty minutes went by, and we figured we'd have to wait a little extra.. but not double. So, we finished our drinks and went to go ask up front what the deal was. We handed our buzzer to the hostess, who very rudely said to us, "No, its not your turn." and refused to take it to even check our number or name on the list. So, we just said, "Ok, thanks, we're all done here" and took off. Not the best experience. Like I said, the bar staff was really cool, but everyone else we encountered seemed pretty grumpy. -
Review from Scott M.
7/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
The atmosphere outside is nice on the pier. There was a live band and a lot of activity. Unfortunately smoking is permitted on the pier as well, so it is a major trade off. Parking is a pain in the butt. So I ended up parking about a quarter mile away and walked.
I had the blackened snapper. I felt the flavor was okay, but the snapper did not taste like catch of that day. In addition I had the rice pilaf and mixed veggies. These too were good. I'd give the meal three and a half stars. The service was just okay and it gets three stars. There seemed to be an artificially long wait to sit down. I am convinced places create lines on purpose. We however went all the way out to the band and sat outside to wait next to the cash bar. We also had the crab dip which everyone raved about. It was good and gets four stars. Their hussy puppies are fairly tasty and get four stars.
The location is awesome and it gets four stars. If I could I'd give the overall experience three and a half stars. -
Review from Christina P.
Hackensack, NJ
I will return to Oceanic Restaurant if I'm ever in the area again.
The food was great! Even my friend who hates seafood enjoyed the crab dip and the fried fish.
The drinks were delicious too! My Kahlua drink was like a fun, adult milkshake. I could really use one right now, actually..
It was packed the day we were here, but the staff got everyone seated in a timely manner. The waitress was very helpful in describing the menu items and making suggestions.
There's a beautiful view outside too! -
Review from Shark J.
Cary, NC
6/3/2011 4 Check-ins Here
I gave four stars just for the view of the ocean from the bar.
Food quality is not great, but generally "borderline" acceptable.
Great place to have a drink. If ordering food, order something idiot-proof that can be messed up, like shrimp cocktail or a big salad. -
Review from Bill P.
Charlotte, NC
Hot crab dip app long-time favorite. Pier unique to NC. Chance to watch surfers and para-sails.
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Review from Marc C.
I attended a business meeting/presentation today at Oceanic restaurant. There were approximately 60 of us and we were in a mid sized room on the very top floor of the restaurant. The room was very well suited to our needs and offered spectacular views of the beach and ocean.
Lunch was a choice of a crab cake sandwich, cheeseburger, chicken salad or a pasta dish. All the meals looked very nice. The meals were accompanied by a basket of pretty tasty hush puppies. They didn't come with any butter which I thought was kind of odd.
I had the crab cake sandwich and it was excellent. It was a nice sized portion of crab cake with large pieces of crab and just enough filler to hold the crab together. It was served on a fresh "hamburger like" bun. There was no sauce on the sandwich but, to tell the truth, the crab cake was so tasty that I didn't miss it.
The staff was very young but pretty efficient and very friendly. They handled our large group easily with virtually no missteps. They managed to serve all the meals at about the same time which was no small task.
They have indoor and outdoor seating and nearly every table has a great view I will definitely go back for lunch or dinner when I'm in the area. -
Review from E. D.
Brooklyn, NY
8/3/2011
Yes, the main reason to visit Oceanic is the view. But the food and service are totally on the money - just don't order like a chump!
What works: Blackened grouper, fried flounder, broiled shrimp, cold beer.
What doesn't: Fish from out of state (why, oh why, did you order the salmon?)
Score a local seafood selection, get it fried or blackened as the situation dictates, sip an icy IPA and let the waves do the rest. Can't hurt to show up at an off hour (we went late on a Monday night and had the place to ourselves.) -
Review from John A.
Zebulon, NC
3/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
Things have changed.
I thought the reviews here were way too critical. We had gone many times in the past and was always great. But this last visit confirmed everyone's review. The quality was down and portions were smaller. Dried out chicken sandwich on dry white bun, not good eats. I had broiled seafood but it had no seasoning on it. Couldn't they spare some Old Bay on it at least? Geeze, I hope they can bring it back to what it once was. I'll wait for the reviews to reflect a change before we go back. -
Review from Charles Z.
Raleigh, NC
9/30/2010
Came out to Wrightsville for the weekend, and decided on this place for a Sat lunch. Location wise, it is excellent. The restaurant overlooks the beach, and there is ample free parking in their private lot out front. If you eat here, be sure to be seated on the 2nd floor, as there are panoramic windows offering fantastic views of the beach scene.
Food was just so so, your typical restaurant by the ocean. We ordered quite a few items for the appetizer course including the calamari, buffalo hot shrimp, and shrimp wrapped in bacon. They were all very tasty, with the buffalo shrimp having quite a spicy kick.
For the lunch entree, I ended up ordering the broiled seafood platter ($15) which came with grilled flounder, shrimp, large scallops, and rice pilaf on a hot plate. The flounder tasted quite fresh, and the scallops were pretty scrumptious. However, I had to add quite a bit of the cocktail sauce to the dish to bump up the flavor profile.
All in all, come here for the location, and just settle for the food, hehe. -
Review from Tara A.
Wilmington, NC
3/19/2011
Yummm. The crab dip for two appetizer was outstanding. I had the coconut curry shrimp with sticky rice and veggies which was a taste sensation! I'd go back for it tomorrow and I just ate it last night. Hubby has the crab stuff shrimp which he swooned over. The fries were standard. Hushpuppies were pretty average.
We sat out on the pier which was breathtaking. If you're going here and it's a warm enough day/evening, sit outside. Even if you don't, I don't think there is a seat in the house without at least a partial view of a window to the beach.
Service was a bit slow to start. It took quite a while to get our drinks and appetizer, but our waitress was friendly and informative. We'll be back. -
Review from Helen T.
Wilmington, NC
11/24/2011
Not a good choice for Thanksgiving dinner! The view was great, as always and the staff were very friendly and attentive. The food was awful. Dry turkey, way too salty stuffing, and liquid pureed sweet potatoes and creamed corn. Yuck.
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Review from Cathy W.
6/10/2010 1 Check-in Here
My husband and I wanted to take my parents to a nice restaurant at the beach when then came down to NC to visit from Michigan. We had asked some friends of ours where the best place to eat would be and they all suggested Oceanic. After our trip to Wrightsville Beach, we knew why they said Oceanic!
We were able to eat on the pier and it was spectacular. There were a lot of people in the restaurant for dinner, but it didn't really matter. We were in heaven sitting outside listening to the waves crash and soaking up the sun.
The service was great, and our server was very personable. We all had seafood (why else go there for dinner?) and walked away absolutely satisfied. We decided not to do dessert there, and instead hit up a local ice cream place on the way back to the Triangle.
We definitely will be back and will make dinner at the Oceanic part of our ritual!! -
Review from Katie W.
Lancaster, PA
10/9/2009
The Oceanic is only popular because it is the only restaruant in Wrightsville Beach that has ocean front dining, and that is really the only thing it has....
Yes, the view is pretty and in nice weather you can sit on the pier above Wrightsville Beach and in nasty or chillier weather even dining inside provides beautiful views. But I would honestly rather pack myself a picnic and eat on the beach than pay the outrageous prices here for medicore food.
The one thing other than the view that always pleases are the Hush Puppies. Yum.
The other food is bland. The crab dip is the cheesiest blandest I've had in a long time, and I've tried it on several occassions (you'd think while dining at a place overlooking the ocean the crab dip would be good right?). The crab cake has way too much bread and the fish is dry.
I also really don't like when the smells of fatty fried food start drifting their way down the beach around lunch time. yick!
If you want to go for the experinece of dining ocean front, maybe just get drinks, enjoy the view, and head elsewhere for dinner. -
Review from Theresa C.
Cary, NC
6/26/2011
My favorite seafood restaurant. I love eating on the pier, listening to the waves. I always start with the crab dip.
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Review from Matt R.
Wrightsville Beach, NC
4/12/2009
Oceanic is OK. I'd say the food is slightly better than Red Lobster, you just pay a heck of a lot for the view. The menu is boring, very standard.
The She-crab soup was downright nasty.. way too thick. I've eaten the grouper, which was decent, and the catfish, which was good and meaty. Fish and chips is awful, completely bush league. Hush puppies are a highlight, I guess - they don't screw that up. Salad was good. They never seem to have Wahoo, but it is on the menu.
I'm puzzled at how this place is regarded so highly in Wilmington. If you go, go for the view, not the food. -
Review from Jennifer R.
Greensboro, NC
4/12/2009
The only thing this place has going for it is the view.
The food here is mediocre. You would think their seafod would be fresh, but it's not. Their salmon is farm-raised!
Everything about this place is "common." I wasn't impressed.
I had a good time though, and that was due to the company I was with, not the restaurant itself. -
Review from Adri T.
5/29/2010 8 photos
Sitting on the pier, listening to the waves crash, hearing the seagulls fly over, drinking beer, and eating seafood - what more do you want in life?
Took the hubs here to get some crab legs (his most favorite food on earth) the day before his birthday. We dined out on the pier, as we always do when we come to The Oceanic. Its really the only way to go, unless you are so sunburned you just cannot take one more ray of sunshine.
Our server was prompt, friendly, and accommodating. We shared the chilled shellfish sampler and both enjoyed every bite. We also opted for the hot crab dip. This was absolutely - hands down - without a doubt - the best thing we had that night!
After the apps he obviously had the crab legs and I opted for the calamari. The food was served at a good pace and everything was perfectly cooked. The calamari was light and crisp and the dipping sauces were delish!
Hubs loved the crab legs and the view of the ocean. Great place to spend a relaxing evening on the water.
(NOTE: Only place I could find that had on ocean dining in the area.) -
Review from Brent G.
Gardner, KS
5/29/2011
Great food, beautiful view. Worth the extra cost :)
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Review from Greg T.
7/23/2008
This restaurant was highly recommended by the locals as Wrightsville Beach's finest. I feel sorry for the locals - this restaurant is so disappointing on so many levels.
Service was absolutely awful. While the rest of the diners in other sections were greeted with baskets of warm hushpuppies, we had to ask for a basket 3 times. It took 1/2 hr for silverware and napkins. We had to lend a fork to the table next to us because they were experiencing the same problems. Salad was served w/o dressing..15 mins for the server to come back w/dressing. Our baked potato was missing its garnish...again, another 15 mins goes by.
Food is average at best. Definitely not worth the price they charge.
Sitting on the pier, however, is nice. But you are much better off packing a picnic or bringing some take out to the beach vs. dealing with the headaches of eating at this restaurant. -
Review from Erica T.
Chicago, IL
4/4/2010
Someone recommended this place to us for the great view, the good seafood and the reasonable prices, so we decided to come here for dinner. They were pretty much on the ball. The ocean front view was gorgeous - had to wait an extra few minutes for the prime seating, but it was worth it. I would have to disagree with other reviews when they say that the people at this place act like they are too upscale - I didn't get that vibe while I was here. The hostesses were fine and our waitress was really nice and attentive.
We got the hush puppies to start with - I really don't know what hush puppies are but they taste awesome, especially here. We started with a crabcake, which was pretty good, and then we had a deluxe platter (shrimp, scallops, mahi mahi, and more crabcake) and the flounder stuffed with crab, which was excellent. We were going to stay for dessert but they didn't really sound appealing.
All in all it was a good meal with a good view - nice way to end the day. -
Review from Angel D.
Wrightsville Beach, NC
4/21/2011
I'd like to give 3.5 stars ... the renovations look really good and weekday lunch service was prompt. The views are some of the best for dining ocean side. First visit I had the Cajun Chicken wrap, second visit the Crab Melt Sandwich. Both were large tasty portions which I would order again but not necessarily boast about.
On the first visit hush puppies were brought to the table but not the second. However, the second visit did involve stalking a table at the bar to avoid a 40 minute wait so perhaps the bar service area is different. I was completely disappointed when my $8 martini arrived half full.
I'd think twice about holding out for a long wait to dine here but would definitely recommend it for the views and easy going menu. -
Review from Mike C.
Greensboro, NC
3/22/2011 9 Check-ins Here
Hush Puppies, Hush Puppies. They are great. You have to try Oceanic since the new makeover. When you do...start with a cup of the Gumbo soup. Awesome. We like this place for 3 reasons, location which is on the beach, food which is always good and reasonable and the gumbo, which you won't find anywhere else. Service is friendly and the view from upstairs is hard to beat.
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Review from Kristen F.
Austin, TX
5/2/2007
I lived here for a few years as a kid, and Wrightsville Beach really stuck with my family. Every summer for years afterwards, we'd go back with our grandparents to visit. We'd always stay at the Summer Sands hotel and eat at the Oceanic.
My grandfather loves the gumbo at this place like, more than life itself. The view is beautiful, outside seating is great. Prices are fair considering the quality of seafood you eat. Aw, Oceanic! -
Review from Kelly L.
Durham, NC
9/5/2008
I love seafood and this place was pretty good.
I had the grouper, broiled with a little lemon butter and orzo. The fish is kept simple which is good, you should be able to taste the fish. It was well cooked and I would go back, but it was not life altering. You definitely pay for the view but it is worth it. The service was very good for how busy it was and considering that our server had the worst party of 11 right behind us.
They serve hush puppies to start the meal. Those were great, we had to move them out of my reach so I didn't eat the whole basket. They also serve draft beers at 16 oz. or 22 oz. -
Review from Ryan M.
Wake Forest, NC
4/7/2010
Granted.... the view is the best thing about this restaurant, that said I though the food (and drinks) were also quite good. Maybe it was what I order, but our party of 6 all enjoyed there meals.
We got the hot crab dip as an app and it was very good. I got the Oceanic Platter for my meal. It is fresh fish, scallops, shrimp, crab cake and a side for $27, reasonable in my opinion. The shrimp and scallops were nothing special, my blacken mahi was excellent as was the mash potatoes. The star of the show was most definitely the crab cake, lots of grab, great flavor and texture .. definitely a winner. Next time back I will almost certainly be making a full meal out of crab cakes. -
Review from sami j.
Wilmington, NC
7/11/2009
We only really go here for brunch and lunch, so I can't speak so much about dinner.
The lunch menu is so-so, i have to agree with people that are saying there really isn't a heck of a lot of taste to the fish. Everything seems to be fried, which I try to stay away from; there's very few fish choices outside of fried fish. However, their crab cake IMO is excellent -- and this is coming from someone who hates crab cakes... they mix the crab meat with bread crumbs though, so the texture is nicer.
The brunch is great, french toast is MASSIVE and very tasty, the omelets are always wonderful, and my favorite is Sue's Sandwich.
And it is nice to sit on the pier when the weather isn't too hot. That's probably one of the better draws for this place is the great building and wonderful location.
The servers are hit or miss; some of them are great, but the one girl we had when we went for brunch this past weekend seemed way more interested in catering to the noisy blowhard bigwigs from out of town at the table behind us. Hope they left her a good tip! -
Review from dave a.
Richland, WA
8/1/2007
Seafood paradise. The best I've ever had. Come hungry and leave in ecstasy. I was so impressed that I bought and wear the ball cap souvenir they sell.
Cross fabulously prepared large helpings of choice seafood with good down-home southern hospitality and hush puppies, and you cannot go wrong. I ordered crab cakes and received two heaping piles of wonderful crab meat with some minor amount of additional ingredients to enable calling them "cakes". The other choices are just as tempting.
The setting is every bit as good as the food. They are right on the ocean, at the head of the Wrightsville Beach pier. Spectacular views from their interior dining room, as well as their outdoor seating in season.
Any time I can get back there, I will have dinner here. Truly wonderful. -
Review from Micah M.
Graham, NC
3/22/2010
On the bottom end of mediocre. Very pricey. You would assume a seafood restaurant on the beach would know how to cook seafood but these people are clueless. The only thing this place has is a great location. It is the only place on Wrightsville Beach with an oceanfront seat.
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Review from Meg T.
Saint Louis, MO
8/21/2010
Go for the view and convienience to the beach, the food is OK but pretty un-original. Our waiter was also VERY nice. We went for lunch and had bacon-wrapped shrimp appetizer (tasty), and the house salads topped with grilled catch of the day (good). The blue cheese dressing was actually really good, seemed homemade. Again, our waiter was really nice. And we sat on the pier and had a wonderful view.
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Review from Michael W.
Raleigh, NC
3/24/2011
According to the hostess, they just underwent a one million dollar renovation and it shows! The views are wonderful! For dinner the sun is at your back and you can see the moon light up the ocean! Oh yeah they have food there too. Look out for the stumbling islander ( an alcoholic beverage) at the bar! Very fresh seafood with little selection otherwise.
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Review from Joe S.
Orange, NY
8/15/2009 1 photo
Ahhh The Oceanic! It gets points for a stellar view, (it's on a long pier at Wilmington Beach) but teh food is just OK. Nothing terrible and nothing freaking awesome either. I will say the the Hush Puppies are Awesome! Have been there for lunch and dinner. Pretty casual for lunch and beachy casual for dinner although some dress very nicely.
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Review from Gwendolyn M.
Wake, NC
5/18/2010
Overpriced but the food was still tasty. Nice view over the water, even though we sat inside. It is important to note that if you want a special entree, such as the "Super Duper Grouper" you have to ask for it by name. Just asking for "grouper" gives you the less snazzy version, and only saves you about $3.
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Review from Kate L.
Chelsea, MA
6/3/2011
Awesome view. Great food. Perfect Service. The pier is surrounded by water and very magical to sit at. Inside is just blah - sit outside! Reasonable prices considering location. Fish and Chips is small but really fresh and good. Cesear salad is really tastey too. They bring you hush puppies instead of bread which are pretty good but can not be good for you! Great waitress. Good long island iced tea. I will be back!
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Review from Matt S.
Wilmington, NC
8/17/2010
Have been here twice now and have been very happy with the setting, service, and food on both occasions. You get what you expect here - an upper class oceanfront restaurant. No complaints.
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Review from Joshua M.
12/14/2008
On food alone the Oceanic gets 4 stars. I've eaten their twice, the first time it was the filet mignon, which was perfectly grilled and had an excellent seasoned flavor to it. The second time I ate there I had a shrimp lunch plate, which was basically sauteed shrimp, wild rice, and vegetables. The second meal was so-so, not bad but not fantastic. The Oceanic is a huge place, which also has an outdoor pier element to it as well, which I could see in the summer months might be nice. Interior wise I think the place is in a major need of an overhaul. It has about as much character as a stripped down 1980s Red Lobster. It's an awesome location, but the ambiance is so blah that it's distracting. The service isn't bad, mostly local kids but they seem to do a pretty good job of things.
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Review from Nick G.
Barberton, OH
7/14/2010
I thought the food was very good but was still a little too expensive. I loved the view from the pier and the upstairs dining room has a great view also. I have been there many times and have always received good service. regular wait for food.
