Rusty Hooks Dockside Grill

My husband and I have been to Rusty Hooks twice. I got the crab cake this time because all the reviews were so good about them. I personally like more crab than cake. When it comes to crab cakes and these did not disappoint at all!! It's delicious, with chunks of crab. The salmon is also really good. I had it at our first visit. It's all good. Just give it a go!
The staff is friendly and very attentive.

Husband and I went on a mini vacation after Christmas to Southport.. Most of the local businesses were closed until after the New Year so we called around until we found Rusty Hooks.. they had great reviews so made the short drive.. It DID NOT disappoint!! We were confused about the entrance but learned there were 2 ways to enter. Through the bar or the main entrance. We were greeted upon entry and quickly seated. The cool breeze from the water was so refreshing. It was uncommonly warm that day and the sky's were clear and they sat us by an open window and we were able to watch the yachts and boats go by. The service was amazing. The drinks were strong and satisfying.. and the food was absolutely delicious.. they are reasonably priced for this type of restaurant and totally worth the splurge.. we took a stroll on the pier and enjoyed the views.. Definitely will return to this restaurant because they made our trip worth it..

Worth to travel from far!!! Great service! My appetizer was the crab stew, fabulous!!! The main dish was drunken mussel and desert was spicy blue crab claws. Perfectly paired with Sauvignon Blanc. Excellent!!

Wow!!! Wish I could give more stars!! So good. Views are amazing. We went on a Friday night and waited about 30 minutes. We sat at the Tiki bar and had beverages. Get the "adult" lemonade!!! You're welcome. We started with the crab dip and Castaway-blue crab claws. Excellent!! Daughter had fish and chips, husband had the Cajun Shrimp pasta and I had fried shrimp. So much food!! Service was excellent!! The breeze through the windows is amazing!! Best meal of our 10 day vacation!!

We visited on a Sunday afternoon and our food was incredible. We tryed the conch flitters for our app among other main entrees for our party of 5. Ryan was our server and did super duper job!!! Thanks Ryan

Wonderful waterfront restaurant/bar..service is fast and friendly. Food was excellent. 3x here always consistently great. Will be back alot more times!

We met the Rusty Hooks crew during the Pledge The Pink breast cancer walk on Oak Island. They were unbelievable!! (For those who are reading who supplied our drinks-we were the crew with the photo op for the daughter😂😂)
We wanted to support this amazing restaurant and we cannot say enough good things about the food, the atmosphere and the server (can’t recall her name, tall, blonde and blue eyes)

The food was excellent! Shrimp, flounder tacos, flounder plate and shrimp tacos were the best we’ve had.
Please support this great restaurant!

Our server was beyond amazing. She was fun, witty, and exceptional at her job. Loved that the manager came around to see how it all was.

Highly recommend!!!! (Photo is from the Pledge The Pink)

Excellent food in a beautiful setting! We did have to wait almost an hour to be seated but you know if you have to wait the food must be good. It gave the four of us time to hang out by the Marina to relax and talk. Once we got seated the staff was very friendly and our waitress Athena was very knowledgeable and helpful as it was our first time there. The view was incredibly nice as the sun was setting and the food was simply delicious! We are from the Heath Springs/ Kershaw SC area and loved this trip up. We will be back to dine at the Rusty Hook. Thank you Rusty Hook for a great dining experience!

We had a party of 10, wait was about 5-10 mins. on a Tuesday night. Fish and chips were great. Being on vacation we splurged a bit and bought our 11 year old granddaughter crab legs. Market price 10-10-23 was $100. Our server did a great job, very friendly.

Great atmosphere and views on the marina. Enjoyed a quick lunch with family. Waiter Dave was not with it... but the crab soup was delish 😋

This place is so good. We got the hangover roll and the mango roll and both were delicious. We also ordered the shrimp pasta and the catch of the day which was Mahi. Everything was hot, delicious and flavorful. The service was excellent too.

Definitely doesn't disappoint!!! We had the castaway and crab dip to start with, and both were incredible. I had the cajun shrimp pasta, from the first bite to the last it was incredible. Unfortunately, after dinner, we were so full that I had to get a slice of key lime pie to go. If you are in the area and want a great place to eat, then look no further.

My wife and I discovered Rusty Hooks after having moved here 2 months prior. It immediately became our favorite spot. It reminds us of a Marina Bar we frequented back home in Pa. Great EVERYTHING. Location, staff, food, drinks and prices. The Fish & Chips sprang into an early lead as my favorite dish. That was until we returned the next day for lunch and I had the "Steak & Cheese." Otherwise known in our Hometown of Philadelphia as a Cheesesteak'wit. OMG. It blows Pat's and Geno's out of the water. But Tony Luke's is still the best. An outside waterfront Tiki Bar is currently under construction. And we'd like to reserve 2 permanent seats at the end of the bar please lol. If you haven't found this place yet, you are missing out.
See ya's there.
We are Joe & Flo 🇺🇸

We knew we were going to have a wait. So, we braced ourselves and didn't balk at the hour long wait we were told. We bought a couple of beers from the bar and admired the view while sipping on the cold brews. To our surprise, we were seated after 20 minutes! I find that couples are easier to sit than a table of 6 or more. The wait staff is so friendly and efficient. The young man checked on us every 10 minutes. They were very busy, and it took a while for the food to come out of the kitchen, but what cam out was outstanding. The best grilled shrimp I have had in the U.S. My boyfriend's sirloin was awesome, too. The sweet potato fries were great, and so the bread with the apple butter. Definitely the best meal I have had at the beach!

Food was absolutely amazing, highly recommend the mahi tacos. The manager went above and beyond to get our party of 6 seated together as a family. Nice location down by the dock. Only suggestion would be to add some outdoor benches for guests who are waiting to be seated.

Friendly service, nice views and good food. The deck area is nice and I'm sure it's a great place for dinner when the weather is a little warmer. The servers were very attentive and friendly. The food was good basic fried NC seafood. I'll be back 👌

Great place with a nice view, and a friendly, hard working staff. My wife and I have been there many times since they opened. Try the Cream of Crab Soup, Crab Dip, or the Drunken Mussels.

Gabi made the most delicious blueberry mojito! The food was also great and the service was excellent.

Great food and service. I started with an Off The Hook Bloody Mary! North Carolina Oyster steamed. For our meal, we had Tuna Salmon poke bowl and flounder special with broccoli and sweet potato fries.

The only bad thing about this meal was getting full! It was all so delicious. The mahi mahi tacos were outstanding. They were full of fish and toppings that complemented the fish. Everything was beautifully fresh.
Ryan was a great server.
I would eat it again tomorrow!