JM’s On The Water — Restaurant in Surf City

OK... they are going thru a soft opening, due to CoVid, etc... currently, JTs on the Water is open Fri thru Sun eve...

We [two couples] went there this evening [Sunday, 06SEP20] at 1800, hoping to avoid the crowds that were there earlier, enjoying a live band

JTs on the Water is true to its name - they have a long dock for boaters to come, tie off, and enjoy a great meal [I am ahead of myself]. There were so many folks before we arrived, that some boats dropped anchor, and the boaters swam to the dock!

As a retired engineer, I am impressed on the construction of the dock, and outdoor seating. The docks are designed to withstand the storm and surge we encounter on Topsail Island; kudos to the engineers!

Enough about the exterior, which includes a covered area, and upper dock along the waterfront, with umbrella covered tables.

The interior has a mahogany bar, tables made of slabs of wood and sealed in polyurethane, as well as regular tables and chairs... still with beautiful views of the Intracoastal and local waterways, via window walls.

The staff: we had the pleasure of being waited on by Taylor... she is the Owner's daughter... we also met her brother, who assisted in service and cleaning. Additionally, we met a Desert Storm veteran, clearing tables.

We also served, and are WP'78 classmates... we are happy to see local businesses who hire veterans!!!

It was apparent that the soft opening had some hiccups; however, overall, things went smoothly!!!

The food... ah, the food!!!

Yes, we are in soft opening phase... but... the menu was comprehensive (although, as we arrived Sunday evening, several appetizers were sold out)... there are a few landlubber items, but, true to its name, there is a thorough seafood menu. Dishes come with one or two sides...

We ordered the following: Crab-stuffed Grouper with green beans and baked potato Fried sea scallops with salad and baked potato Grilled seas scallops with salad and green beans [fried cauliflower was sold out] Skewer of grilled shrimp and blackened grouper, with salad and cole slaw

Bottom line: There was no room for desserts; will have to evaluate on our next visit! The drinks were enjoyable, and properly prepared! There wasn't much discussion during supper, other than to talk about how much we we re e enjoying our meals!!! There was no food left on anyone's plate!!!

The meals were plentiful, and excellent!

Comments, in random order:

"The green beans are really good!!!" "We need more green beans!"

"The scallops [both fried and grilled] are fantastic!"

"This crab filled grouper is excellent!"

"Grilled shrimp and blackened grouper.. One of my favorite meals!!! This is great!!!"

My final summation... i have lived on TopsIl Island since 2010; have been coming here since 2000...

This is one of the top three eateries I have had supper. One is no longer open. You will not find a better seafood restaurant, reasonably priced, on Topsail Island!!!

Best wishes to JMs on the Water, as they go from soft opening, to a regular staple for great meals, ambiance, and views of the Intracoastal Waterway!!!

We look forward to regularly frequenting this establishment, located across from Soundside Park, in Surf City, along the Intracoastal Waterway!!! Pleasebe sure to check...

Happy Accident! My wife and I were out enjoying our Yamaha AR195 and for some reason our peanut butter and jelly sandwiches just didn’t seem very exciting for us, so my wife googled places to eat near by. The only place that came up on the water was Sears Landing Grill. We tried to go up the place and quickly began getting shallow water alarms way before we even got close to the docks, so I quickly backed out of there. We notices a wide channel on the other side of the ICW and decided to go down there. As we drove by we saw JM’s On The Water, but it looked closed, (because it was it was about 10:45 am) so we kept driving all the way down and didn’t see anything else offering a free place to dock our boat. As we passed by going out we saw some folks being seated, so we got so excited and stopped! So glad we did! We were treated to a wonderful sweet waitress who was just the best! She knew her menu and the different sides. I tried a new beer that was awesome, it was from a local brewery in Wilmington, NC. Usually I have found local beers lacking, but this one was great and she was willing to get me free sample before trying a full mug! Atmosphere 10 Food 9.5 Staff 10+ Restrooms 10 Music playing 10+ While mention the music? Usually outdoor places like this will have the latest hip hop or classic rock playing, but not here, they were playing like songs from the 40’s and 50’s. Frank Sinatra, Nate King Cole kind of stuff. It was so nice and calming to go with the calming water that you get to enjoy while seating outside. They offered both shaded and sun seating. All and all we were both pleasantly surprised by this little find! One of the very best things about our meal was my French fries! OMG!!!! Talk about perfection! Just order a side of fries and you would be in heaven. They were cooked to perfection! You know the kind that are limp, but cooked? That is how you make great fries! Here are some pictures. And for JM’s On The Water I’m singing my whole album, “Better Than.” Why you might ask? This album is a throwback to romantic songs of the past, with lush arrangements and vocals that flow like warm honey. Especially the track, “More and More.” That song would have sounded perfect in the mix of songs we heard that day. We were so impressed with this place, we are going to take our friends on the boat here for a Sunday boat ride with lunch! Thanks for a adding to our great...

I really want to have all good things to say about JM’s but every time we go there is always something that happens.

Many times we have gotten there an hour or more before they closed and been told that they are no longer seating anyone or taking any to go orders

Tonight my wife and I had the clam chowder, which was very good, and split one peck of oysters. I also wanted the tenderloin hoagie, which is my favorite item on the menu, but as usual it wasn’t available. I’ve only been able to get it once out of the past five times we’ve been.

I 100% know and understand where oysters come from and how they grow, but it seemed like there was absolutely no attempt to wash any of the dirt or mud off of these. This was far from my first time having oysters, I have prepared oysters in restaurants, attended oyster roasts, and hosted oyster roasts. And I have never seen, nor would I allow, oysters this dirty to make it to a table.

After trying to pick through and find some of the “cleaner” ones we decided it wasn’t worth it. I told the waitress that taste wise everything was good but that we just couldn’t do it anymore and that we were ready for the check.

I did not ask for any compensation or discounts and after I paid I politely said “you may want to mention it to the kitchen so that they were aware and can make sure they are getting washed/cleaned.” I work as a kitchen manager and that is something I would definitely want to know

And then as I was walking out I heard another server say “oysters do come out of the mud they are gonna be dirty”, as if I was an idiot. Just not a good look and didn’t sit right with me.

This won’t keep from going here but tonight was not a...