Fish Factory Restaurant & Bar — Restaurant in Oak Island

For a restaurant that has been open for 3 months - grace period is over. Kinks should be worked out. We arrived and the hostess seemed flustered and immediately said “we had someone call out tonight”. She said I can’t bring your drinks but I can bring you water or ice tea. And here come the waters - in plastic cups! You’re asking me to purchase a $35 salmon dish and $35 fish special….yet I get served water in plastic? The hostess said something about glasses arrived but they didn’t like the logo so sent them back…ya know, for 11 tables, go to Walmart and purchase $1 glasses for water and then donate them to Habitat for Humanity (write off).

We sat for 20+ minutes until the hostess came back again and said she can take our cocktail drink orders now….there were a total of 2 servers who were waiting tables AND bar tending. Our food was delivered by the chef and another guy who looked like he was the food runner.

We finally ordered food - 30-40+ minutes in at this point. We weren’t in a rush and just observed. The decor is soft, warm and quaint. The cooling vents need cleaning. Again, we had a lot of time on our hands so you start looking around. Prior reviews talked about how ‘hot’ the space was….maybe that’s the reason. New filters, maybe? And clean the grids.

My husband and I ordered salads….we asked for balsamic, out comes two containers with lids on them that were red. She took them back - but AGAIN - really - you want me to pay $$ and get salad dressing in a little cup with a lid before we even get the salad? AND…..paper napkins. My silverware only had a knife. The other 3 had folks at our table.

FOOD - my husband and our friend who had the fish specials said it was very good. Fresh, cooked well….that alone my husband said he would go back…but the rest of the experience he said “jury is out”.... Our other friend and I had fish tacos. The fries were good, the fish tacos - ordinary, not a lot of flavor. I am not a fan of dark stuff on the fish which makes it taste gamier…so that wasn’t a favorite.

The menu was anything from burgers, wings to high end meals. I’m not sure who their target audience is….and maybe that’s the problem. If we’re paying 30+ for a main meal - cloth napkins and glass for water at a minimum.

I wish them well, but we have other favs in the area with the...

Tried this place out on Saturday evening for dinner for the first time. The atmosphere was of a quaint small place with modern decor and a full bar. We didn't wait long for a table as it was not crowded at all. We had a party of 4 and were excited to try for the first time. The menu was fairly basic with a limited number of entry options. We started with the Brussel sprouts. We had requested the balsamic sauce on the side. The server supposedly made a note of it. We also ordered a bottle of wine. Interestingly enough, the server brought the bottle to the table and just set it down without opening it or pouring the 2 glasses. The Brussel sprouts arrived at the table with the sauce all over the order. We waited to tell our server, but it took several minutes before she returned. They did make it right by bringing a healthy portion without the balsamic sauce fairly quickly. We then had to wait to get our server's attention to get small plates. We flagged another server over to get them since our server was nowhere to be found once again. The Brussel sprouts were fair at best. Too much balsamic sauce made then soggy. I ordered the Jambalaya for the main course. I was disappointed as soon as the dish was served. Although it had a good mix of sausage, shrimp, and rice, the sauce looked and tasted very watered down. It was a shame to waste the mix on what appeared to taste like simple tomato sauce, which had been watered down. Others within my party were equally unimpressed with their meals. The worst part of this evening was that the AC was apparently not working properly, and the temperature in the dining room had to be every bit of 80 degrees. When I complained, I was offered a small personal type fan, which helped somewhat. Overall, I was not impressed with the taste of the food, the service being lacking, and the heat in the restaurant. I had wondered why the place was not as crowded as when it first opened, and maybe my experience showed us exactly why. Maybe over the AC is fixed, and they establish their menu a bit more. we'd be willing to give them...

I finally had lunch at Fish Factory Restaurant & Bar today after months of admiring the gorgeous exterior update — and it was absolutely worth the wait. The inside completely blew me away: a Southern coastal take on a Parisian bistro. It’s beautifully curated, the kind of space where you just know the food will be special. The service was excellent — warm, attentive, and perfectly timed. I ordered the Bacon Bleu Burger with fries and homemade ranch, and let’s just say there wasn’t a crumb left on my plate. The burger was cooked exactly to my liking and packed with flavor. For dessert, pastry chef Ben made the experience unforgettable by coming out to brulée the crème brûlée table-side. Served with fresh berries and whipped cream, it was heavenly. The chocolate cheesecake, topped with toasted marshmallow and a hint of cinnamon, struck that perfect balance — rich but not overly sweet. Truly outstanding. Between the atmosphere, service, and food, Fish Factory is a gem. I’ll be back...