Seaworthy Kitchen and Bar — Restaurant in Carolina Beach

Review of Seaworthy Kitchen and Bar: A little place that’s getting some big attention.

We were heading out with friends and booked a table for 4 at 5:30. You can risk being in the right place at the right time as a walk-in but really you should plan on making reservations in advance as they fill up quickly - and with good reason.

The interior has undergone a complete and classy nautically inspired transformation. From the front entrance, to the wood-look tile flooring and handsome long main bar, you know right away someone has a great eye for detail.

There are low tables and pub height tables, with enough space between them that you don’t feel crowded. The tables all appeared to be reserved but we noticed there were many people happily enjoying their dishes at the very comfortable bar.

Our server was Jenna, and she was an absolute delight. Good servers can make or break a dining experience and we knew immediately that we were in good hands. Jenna was extremely menu knowledgeable, made great recommendations and answered any questions we had.

The menu is not huge, but they have all the surf and turf bases covered and it supports a seasonal menu. There’s a nice selection of appetizers and salads, some with fresh crab, and boasts a two page craft cocktail menu. No surprise they are delicious as the owner pours a skillful, well-designed drink.

I began with a El Marinero, a tequila cocktail made with Espolan Reposado, Sailor Jerry’s, a house made sour mix and blood orange juice cocktail where the tequila was the shining star and the juices were a lovely balance. Two others in our party enjoyed Seaworthy’s local beers and another of our group was able to choose among several non-alcoholic selections.

We took Jenna’s advice and ordered the special cold shrimp cocktail appetizer. Sixteen large to jumbo, perfectly cooked shrimp sprinkled with house seasoning are delivered and served on a fun, crowd-pleasing 2’ long surf-board, surrounded by a spicy take-no-prisoners cocktail sauce and a generous amount of lemon wedges. To say we dug in gracefully would be a lie. It was so good I would order it again just for me, with another El Marinero.

Three of us ordered the “Off the Hook” fish tacos, which with the seasonal spring menu comes with a bowl of vinegar based cabbage slaw to eat straight or with which to dress your tacos. The fish of the day was mahi and we all chose it blackened. You get three tacos in this order on 6” flour tortillas, each bursting with flavor and coated with a spicy house remoulade sauce. The mahi is diced into small pieces, similar in size to what you might find in a tapas style serving. One of our group loved that the small, but plentiful bites were nicely coated with remoulade sauce and fit neatly inside the tortilla, while another of our group would have preferred larger pieces of fish with a heavier blackened seasoning. Neither preference however, stopped any of us from cleaning our plates and most of us were too full to even finish the sweet potato fries we ordered as an extra side.

Another in our party ordered the shrimp and grits special, which came with an amazingly flavorful creole style sauce, plump shrimp and a tasty, perfectly cooked grit base. (This food writer may have dipped her fork into that bowl just to be able to say it was absolutely heaven and may even be a new fan favorite).

Throughout the meal Jenna was sure to check on us to refill our water glasses and to make sure we were all happy with our meals. I watched other diners while we were there and saw many happy and satisfied faces.

We were all too full for dessert this visit but next time I’d be sure to at least split one.

Seaworthy Kitchen and Bar is definitely worthy of multiple visits for dinner or even a casual evening spent sampling appetizers while enjoying a few of some of the best cocktails you’ll find on the island. Bonus - after 8 PM every night those delicious appetizers are half off!

Seaworthy gets 5 out of 5 nautical stars from me. I hope you...

We didn't have to wait too long for the food after we ordered. Started off with a cup of clam chowder and the cobb salad. The clam chowder was flavorful, but a bit spicy. It has bacon in it, which is not specified on the menu. It also had a lot of potato and some celery, fresh herbs. The buttered grilled baguette slice that came with it was good.

The Cobb salad was fresh. Asked for the Cotija cheese on the side, which was already mixed with the corn. The only thing I didn't like about the salad was the ranch dressing was lacking in flavor. The ranch dressing looked homemade.

For entrées ordered the mac & cheese and bacon cheeseburger. The mac & cheese only comes with one option to add pork bacon, but they were able to add the red drum fish instead for an additional $8. The mac & cheese was very good, super creamy and cheesy. It was filling so could only finish about half of it. The red drum fish came chopped, was tender and seasoned well. I was disappointed the portion wasn't very big.

Asked for the cheeseburger to be cooked medium and it was undercooked. They cooked it a little more and it was better the second time. The cheeseburger was very good, flavorful. The cheeseburger either comes with fries or salad or mac & cheese for an up charge. They ran out of fries, which is absurd. It was way too early to run out of fries. So just did the mac & cheese side instead.

No dessert at this time but it is planned in the near future.

It got loud pretty easily inside the restaurant, but we were still able to hear each other. No music was playing during our visit that I could tell, which probably helped.

No high chairs at this time, but maybe in the future. No changing table in their one bathroom I saw.

Our waitress was kind and friendly.

Definitely would come back again for the mac & cheese and...

A Perfect Evening of Fantastic Food and Service! ​My wife and I had an absolutely wonderful dinner at Seaworthy Kitchen and Bar. We had a 7:00 PM reservation but arrived a bit early, and the staff's response set the tone for a fantastic evening. They were incredibly friendly and accommodating, and instead of making us wait, they graciously rearranged a few things and had us seated within minutes. It was a remarkable first impression. ​The great experience continued with the food and drinks. I started with a Mai Tai, which was expertly mixed, refreshing, and genuinely tasty. For my appetizer, I ordered the clam chowder. It was rich, creamy, and exactly what you hope for in a good chowder. ​For my main course, the shrimp and grits were a standout. The dish was perfectly executed and absolutely delicious from the first bite to the last. The side of hush puppies I ordered was the perfect complement—crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. My wife ordered the tuna steak, and after trying a piece, I can say it was also excellent; fresh and cooked beautifully. ​Throughout the meal, our waitress was the epitome of professional and pleasant. She was kind, courteous, and attentive, ensuring we had everything we needed. ​Overall, Seaworthy Kitchen and Bar exceeded our expectations. From the welcoming staff to the delicious, high-quality food, it was a five-star experience all around. We will...