Sunny Daze Smokehouse — Restaurant in Carolina Beach

There I was.. A lonely man, forgotten by this cold world. For it felt as if there was nothing left for me. Just as I was about to throw in the towel... Everything changed.

A voice that sounded like the most beautiful song spoke the words, "Welcome to Sunny Daze, can I start you off with a water?" I stared into this angel's eyes and listened as her words echo'd throughout my mind. Stunned by such beauty and hospitality, I reply "yes queen".

After returning, she asked "You need another minute to look over the menu?"

Still in a state of complete "aw" I stutter the words "Brisket Sandwhich".

To which she replied, "great choice".

It was then, I realized... I made a great choice.

Moments later she returns with my food and a smile that could light up the dark side of the moon.

She asks, "is there anything else I can get ya?"

Too nervous to form full sentences, I reply "nuarrr".

At this point it's just me and the brisket sandwhich.

I take my initial bite.

In a blink of an eye, I transport to a time in my childhood alongside my mother in the kitchen.

I am in disbelief. This brisket must've been prepared by God himself.

Just at that moment, the angel returns and asks "how's the food?"

I lock eyes with her.

Take a deep breath.

And with the energy of the almighty brisket flowing through my body,

I reply, "Zoo-wee-mama"

She laughs and says "I take that as good!"

With this newfound sense of passion to live life again, I quickly stand up. Put down a crisp $100 Benjamin on the table.

Right about as I was exiting this fine establishment.

I paused.

Slowly turned my head and asked, "what's your name?"

She replied, "My name's Dani."

I smiled, knowing I'd never forget that name.

So with the help of the glorious brisket sandwhich and the most amazing Dani

I walked out those doors as a new man

100/10...

My wife and I drove to Wilmington to pick up some ceramic tile. As we were leaving, some relatives called to chat and that they were on their way to Carolina Beach for the weekend.

We decided to meet them before heading home.

Having never been to Carolina Beach, I started searching for highly rated places to eat.

Sunny Daze had good reviews and I can't pass up a chance to try good BBQ place.

I made a good choice.

From the friendly staff to the delicious food, it was everything I could hope for and more. Jennifer, our server, was excellent. Very personable and friendly. Brian, who I thought might have been the owner, was also very friendly and attentive. He told us later that it was his second day on the job. The food was very tasty. My wife had the Game Changer, which was very heavy from the pork and brisket. Both of the meats were well prepared and flavorful.

I had the Fried Shrimp Po'Boy, which I enjoyed thoroughly. For sides we had the Side Winder Fries and Sweet Potato Fries. I had not seen fries like these before,as the were like a small potato wedge in the shape of a twist. The sweet potato fries had sugar and cinnamon on them. Jennifer brought out some honey butter to try with them. We tried one of their Cherry Limeade cocktails. It was refreshing and flavorful.

Our meal at Sunny Daze was one of those experiences where everything came together for a truly wonderful meal and...

I had high hopes for this new BBQ restaurant in town, but unfortunately, our visit was quite disappointing. While I understand that new businesses can face challenges and delays, our experience fell short of expectations.

We waited an hour for our food to arrive. Although we were informed after ordering that the kitchen was backed up all day, it was disheartening to see that the front of house staff, including the manager, appeared to be doing little to alleviate the situation. The manager was often seen chatting/laughing with staff or leaving the building, rather than helping to manage the rush.

When our food finally arrived, it was served hot, which was appreciated, but it lacked flavor overall. The hush puppies were decent but nothing exceptional. Sadly, both my boyfriend and I felt ill later that evening, adding to our disappointment.

On a positive note, our server, Kaleb, was very nice and did his best under the circumstances. However, this restaurant needs significant improvements, particularly in management, if it hopes to thrive.

Given the differences between our experience and the other reviews, I suspect many favorable comments come from patrons who only enjoyed drinks on the upstairs deck and did not try the food. I hope the restaurant takes these critiques seriously and makes the necessary...