Rick's Restaurant & Sports Bar — Restaurant in North Topsail Beach

I want to preface this review by saying I have never left a review in this way, but it needs to be shared because not only was it unhinged, but it was also just bizarre. I had a VERY negative experience with a bartender from Ricks, but the odd thing about this is, it didn’t happen at Ricks. This happened at Backyard Tavern, a bar that my friends and I frequent right down the road from Ricks. I am writing this not because of Ricks, (which I have eaten before and had a great experience), but because of the unprofessional and disgusting behavior I witnessed from one of their employees. During my visit at Backyard, I was sitting outside at the bar top when I overheard a conversation that truly shocked me. Made me put down my drink and listen. One of Rick’s bartenders, (he made it a point to say that several times) who was off the clock at the time enjoying drinks at Backyard, was standing there speaking directly to the owner of the food truck that parks at Backyard Tavern seven days a week. Instead of engaging respectfully, this employee chose to ridicule and talk down about the food he had eaten, not that night or even the day prior but weeks ago. He made it clear and VERY loud, in front of several patrons, that he was “unimpressed” by the burger he had ordered and that I'll never be buying food from “you” again". He mentioned the price the size and the fact that he did not receive a side (he did not ask for one anyway) to which he admitted the cook had told him they were out of many things but would try his best to deliver a great meal, in an extremely disgusting attempt at what I am only assuming was to drum up more business for Ricks and try to put this food truck out of business. To further his strange behavior, he said several times “I don’t leave negative reviews because that hurts your business”, and yet he is standing YELLING his review in a bar full of patrons as if that wouldn’t also hurt their business...? It wasn’t just that he voiced an opinion – it was how he did it. His tone was aggressive and condescending, loud and boisterous as if he was intentionally trying to get all eyes on him while he belittled the food truck owner right to her face. I did some digging and this employee never actually went back to the truck the same day to voice any concerns or request a fix, and the cook had even come back to ask him how his meal was and the employee said it was fine!! So, the issue would have in fact been handled if given the chance. This left the owner trying to mitigate his concerns on a much too late matter and was left to deal with this strange guy’s behavior in front of what could have been wonderful customers for the food truck. Instead, he chose to publicly demean the food truck, in the very space where they work hard to serve both the tavern and its patrons. As a customer who enjoys Backyard Tavern and the truck's rotating food options, I found this behavior deeply unprofessional and downright rude. It left a bad taste in my mouth to see an employee of Rick’s act this way outside of his shift and a completely different establishment all together. It makes me wonder: if this is how he speaks about a business right to their face while intoxicated and in front of bar patrons and their product openly, how does he speak about his own customers that he bartends to for Ricks behind their backs? I personally believe that every single employee represents their workplace even when they are off the clock, and this display made me reconsider where I choose to spend my money. If this is how Rick’s employees behave publicly, I will not be dining at Rick’s in the future. Respect and professionalism should extend beyond the bar counter, and this interaction was a clear reminder that some staff may not uphold those values. The only positive take away was that he mentioned his work place several times, so I knew where to post this review. I hope this review serves as constructive feedback. Customers notice when staff speak or act inappropriately, and it directly reflects on the...

After a long workday in Sneads Ferry, I was looking for a good meal and had already spotted Rick’s on my list of places to try. When I checked into the Hampton Inn just down the street, the front desk lady highly recommended their steaks. She wasn’t biased—she mentioned there were other options closer if I didn’t feel like driving—but I was clearly in the mood for steak, and she pointed me in the right direction.

Rick’s has been in business for over 22 years, and it shows. The standalone building has a large parking lot with plenty of space. I walked into a bright, light wood-toned sports bar with a large central bar and two separate seating areas—one with booths and tables away from the bar, and the other on the bar side where I sat. Noise level was average for a sports bar.

I was greeted promptly upon walking in and seated right away. My server was perfect—attentive without being overbearing. The menu was impressive, with a wide variety of choices that made me want to come back just to try more.

I ordered the ribeye steak with grilled shrimp on top (surf and turf), a side salad, and the house vegetable—squash and zucchini. The salad arrived fresh and crisp, clearly prepped that day. The cucumbers were exceptionally fresh, the lettuce was perfect, and while it had a few more croutons than I prefer, some folks like that—so no real complaint.

The entrée was phenomenal. The ribeye was perfection—lovely marbling, cooked to an absolutely perfect medium. The presentation was beautiful, with a skewer of grilled shrimp laid on top. The shrimp were seasoned well and cooked just right. The vegetable medley was clearly never frozen—fresh, lightly seasoned, and sautéed just enough to preserve its texture and nutrients.

I eat a ribeye about every other week somewhere across America, and this steak easily ranks in my top two for 2025 so far. It tasted like it came from a higher-end steakhouse—possibly Halperns or something comparable.

The service was excellent. My server had great instincts—she didn’t hover or interrupt, but she kept an eye on me and made sure my tea glass never went dry. She cleared plates without unnecessary chatter, which was exactly right for the moment.

Rick’s also owns the domain “eatatRicks” and uses that across social media—brilliant branding. After 22+ years, they’re clearly doing a lot right. The place is clean, the food is fantastic, and the service was spot-on. I wish them continued success and many more years to come. I’ll definitely be back. NOTE: I had posted the same review under my work account by accident I have removed it and replaced it with this exact replic...

Horrible experience. Will never visit this place again. We were in town for a family member called ahead to see if they could seat our group of 19. He was told yes & given a reservation time of 7 pm. A few of our group went early, hoping to get seated so the rest of us wouldn't need to wait. They were refused because the whole party wasn't there. We learned this is common for the area. My family was the last to arrive at 6:50 & the staff was informed that our party was complete, since another family of 5 decided to cancel. We were told multiple times that our table was being cleared, you'll be seated shortly, etc... 7:50 pm we were told they had a spot ready for 10 of us & a table for the remaining 4 would be ready soon, near the group of 10. There were 4 empty seats at the bar, right next to the group of 10. I asked if those seats were being held, "For bar customers only." I tried explaining the situation & was told, "I'm sorry, they're for bar customers only." Shortly after that, there were 2 men sitting there with food menus. I made a snide remark to the bartender, which was heard but also ignored. Our remaining 4 of the group were finally seated 30 minutes later, at a table too far away to join in our conversations & at a table that was not a hightop, as the rest were at. Skip ahead to the service & dinner... I do believe our waitress was overwhelmed & doing what she could for us & her other customers. She took our orders, brought our drinks & did her job. Eventually, she had to start apologizing for how long it was taking & that our meals would be out shortly... Our food finally arrived, we began eating & it was evident that none of us were enjoying it. Mine tasted terrible. Our other group orders were wrong, cooked incorrectly, items given that weren't ordered, items missing that were ordered. The group of 10 received our checks, no discounts. Our group of 4 was given discounts. We all paid our bills & couldn't have been happier for the experience to end. I think it's safe to say that nobody from our large family will ever...