Seaboy — Restaurant in Cornelius

Summer 2025. Based on these reviews, we made a weekend trip of going to check out Seaboy. As someone who has lived by the ocean most of my life, on four continents, I’m no stranger to good seafood. We went there to celebrate a special birthday. A two top, reserved. The place was loud & overcrowded. The dining room was tiny, pond scum green, cramped, no windows and loud chatter reverberated off the walls. It looked like the place where Covid was born. My partner had the server’s backside in his face, that’s how cramped it was. We were inches away and couldn’t hear each other. We could’ve lived with that, had the food ‘delivered’. It didn’t. It started with crispy skate wings. They arrived almost cold, on a bed of roulade, instantly making the batter very soggy. How such an acclaimed chef could’ve failed this, we’ve no clue. We couldn’t find the fish. I maintained hope for the lamb Ragu. Neither the French or Italian version have ever been laced with cumin & curry powder. Was it dropped in there by accident? Competing with the eye watering amount of salt, this was a hard pass. His tuna entrée arrived in the midst of this. I tried a tiny piece which tasted as it smelled; expired. We were stunned & in disbelief. The server was nowhere to be seen to cancel my entree, so the scallop risotto arrived - 30 minutes after the tuna. We trudged on, defeated & hungry. The 3 scallops were cooked well. The only passable item. The risotto was bland, watery porridge. So for 200 bucks we got three edible scallops served in a noisy bunker. The service and the food were so disappointing, the prices, ridiculously inappropriate. When you have the brass bits to offer just five entrees, they’d better be spectacular. When you call yourself Sea Boy and offer old fish, you better hope your customers are at least drunk. We weren’t. When we finally found our server to pay the bill, he said ‘oh I was gonna bring you over a piece of Sam’s club cheesecake for free’. That was their dessert offering…… he added the Sams club reference as if it was exotic. 100% no joke. Sam’s club cheesecake. I wondered if he was going pour brandy over it and set light to it - for flair. I think he was keeping a low profile after clearing so many full plates from our table at once. We declined & literally felt like we were paying ransom money to leave & not endure any more Sea Boy. We felt like absolute mugs for paying so much for miserable meal & not complaining, that’s on us. but truly, there were no staff around, the front of house was even more packed & noisy- basically a cocktail/oyster bar, someone else dropped off the scallops and ran & I doubt they could have heard us anyway. Our mission at that point was just to get the heck out of there asap & salvage what was left of the evening. We took a chance & this place tanked for us. After all the hype & only 5 star reviews - it was so hard to process how truly bad it was for us. I spent some time cooling off, to ensure a fair review. I waited to see if anyone else had a similar experience, but the five star reviews just keep on coming. I cannot be disingenuous in reviews. If people go there and genuinely enjoy it, fantastic. I don’t like slamming places. This was hard to write and I’m sure very hard to read. I wanted to cheer for them, but it’s so undeserved, one star is generous.

The only highlight was a really lovely host. She was the only welcoming staff member we encountered - but I wish we’d U-turned and gone anywhere else & saved...

My husband and I have visited Seaboy three times now, and we’ve vowed to return at least monthly. We are fans of tapas with big flavors, and Seaboy is so good that it deserves to join our regular rotation.

The restaurant itself is small, with only ten tables in the back room (reservation only) and eight tables outside, along with several tables/seats in the bar area (no reservation required). Because they are so small, we are glad they offer earlier reservations (starting @ 4pm) for us early birds who enjoy eating when restaurants are less crowded. We’ve been able to get seating in the bar without a reservation, too!

We have tried seven of their dishes, and here’s how I’d rank them -

Repeat Dishes (in order of favorites) Lamb ragu - This dish is a favorite, and it’s gotten better each time we’ve had it. If I came with friends and only got one dish, this is what I’d get without a doubt. Tuna crudo - Definite repeat, and probably the best tuna crudo we’ve had anywhere, especially because of big flavors imparted by the Asian chili oil. Sea bass cheeks/crispy skate wing - Definite repeat with whatever fish they have on rotation. We love their homemade tartar sauce, the light and crispy coating, and the quality of their fish. Shrimp Skewers - This dish is full of flavor! Scallops with Rock Shrimp Risotto - Our only large plate, this dish was served with three large scallops and perfectly cooked—and seasoned—risotto.

On the Fence Candied beets - This was a large portion for sharing and tasty, but it could have used more candied walnuts.

Skip Next Time Crab and chorizo croquettes - These were large and well-filled. However, we preferred the other dishes we discovered over this one.

Seavoy’s drinks are well-prepared with great care, and if you request something off the menu, you’ll likely get a special creation by the mixologist. The Bulletproof Boulevardier & jazzed up French 75 were some of the best we’ve ever had!

Service has always been impeccable, and the dishes were timed well enough that we never had more than one at one time. The plates also looked like a lot of care was factored into the presentation. They gave us fresh plates after our courses, which I really appreciated.

I do wish they offered tableside payments via Apple Pay—or at least via a QR code. However, that won’t deter us from being regulars!

They have recognized us each time we’ve had a repeat visit. I love their attention to food, service, and hospitality, and am so glad we have such a great restaurant...

This was my second dining experience at Seaboy. I must admit that I'm still totally charmed. It's a new spot tucked into an old house, which gives it that "cool dinner party at a friend's place" vibe. It's not overly polished, and that's what makes it kind of magic. It has a cozy, lived-in charm and someone in the kitchen who has a deep, committed relationship with homemade tartar sauce. Yum. The food? Excellent across the board. The Crispy Skate Wing is hands-down the star. It is light, crispy, and wildly craveable. The Grilled Yellowfin Tuna with crispy potato salad and pickled celery root? Flawless. The Yellowfin Crudo with peanut chili crisp and benne seeds brings bold, bright energy, and it's incredibly tasty. The Chargrilled Whole Branzino is a little dramatic (in a good way), and the Heirloom Tomato Toast, oysters (grilled or raw), croquettes, and swordfish all hold their own. It's hard to go wrong. We also had a Brut sparkling rosé called The Diver, and honestly, it was the perfect summer sip. It was dry, crisp, and begging to be enjoyed on a porch. Add that to the favorites list. It has a relaxed vibe and is slightly chaotic, with a casual approach to formality. There's no real waiting area, so if you show up early, you'll likely find yourself awkwardly hovering in the doorway, trying not to get hit by the door or a server. The staff is warm, eager, and full of personality, but occasionally so enthusiastic that the details slip. Our plates were replaced between courses, but a fork went missing. Minor thing, but notable. It's also hard to tell who's the maître d' and who's just confidently clearing a table. A few dishes came out slightly different on our second visit, but they were still good, just not quite what we remembered. Early-days quirks, possibly. Now, the logistics: parking isn't amazing overall, and walking from Davidson feels mildly hazardous, thanks to the lack of sidewalks. We did it anyway (we're walkers), but it felt a bit like an unintentional adventure. This place would definitely benefit from better pedestrian access for charm and safety alike. Still, I really love this spot. The food is thoughtful, the space is inviting, and the overall experience has that "perfectly imperfect" energy that makes a restaurant worth rooting for. It's not fancy, but it feels special. I'll be back often (probably for the skate wing, The Diver, and that wild little magic that makes it feel like a dinner party someone forgot...