Flying Machine Oyster Bar — Restaurant in Wrightsville Beach

So we came in today around 4 o’clock on a Monday when they opened. Atmosphere is very open clean and inviting. Caitlin was our server today and she was phenomenal. She gave some great recommendations starting with the crab raccoon and let me tell you guys this isn’t like any crab you’re gonna get anywhere else it is so fresh you can taste the crab and it’s freshness in the dip is cooked in a cast-iron skillet served with fresh wonton chips. You can’t go wrong with any drinks and I absolutely love how the bartender will give their personal recommendations. If you want to add something to your drink my date, she ordered the peach margarita and he offered a seasonal syrup that’s made in house with fresh strawberries, and made a drink on the fly for us, making it a strawberry peach margarita, which was amazing. I chose the eye of the storm, which was another good choice. We got some oysters we didn’t know that there was a happy hour for their oysters and got some fat belly oysters for a dollar each and the pictures you see we got 12 we never took a picture of the second order. We got another six cocktail sauce is made in house, fresh horseradish. We tried the special baked oysters. The flavor was fun, creative, and flavorful flavorful at first, it hit you with a subtle sweetness and savory and thanks to the fresh peppers on top. It gives you a kick of spicy they were perfectly paired. I highly recommend trying them while they’re available. I used to work on a authentic Dumpling truck that made authentic Szechuan cuisine and typically whenever you see boa buns they are always associated with pork. I was so excited thanks to their creativity on this menu that they offered them with sear tuna, and these buns were so fresh so flavorful absolutely loved that black garlic sauce that came with it. It came in handy as well when we had the fresh tuna sashimi that was also on special, that dish was on the lighter side compared to everything we had today when it came to flavor. It had a little spice thanks to the chili sauce and it had a nice freshness and fruit forward flavor thanks to the dragon fruit. The tuna was very fresh. I stole my dates, black garlic sauce and was using that to pair with that tuna sashimi. It was amazing and last, but not least the crab pasta, they did not skimp on the crab meat. It was very fresh simple flavorful definitely something I would get again. However, when I come back for my next visit, I will continue to explore this menu. Thank y’all for this great experience it’s rare to find restaurants that take their time and really create a creative menu from the cocktails to the appetizers to the small to Treys highly recommend this is a restaurant. Look forward to seeing you again.

Thank you for an Amazing...

I feel bad that I did not expect the food to be so damn good. I mean, wow! It was wrong for me to go into the meal without believing, but the Flying Machine Oyster Bar showed me what's up. The food is off the charts great. Five stars all the way. We sat outside because we had our dog with us. It was delightful and quiet. We ordered a half dozen Baked Oysters with the TOMATO HERB BUTTER preparation. They were delicious. So tender and full of flavor. They are the best Oysters I have ever tried. For our entrees, we ordered: THE LOOP CHICKEN SANDWICH- Fried with lettuce, Tomato, Shaved Onion, Pickle, Roasted Garlic Aioli on a Brioche Bun.

CALABASHKET- Fried Grouper and Shrimp with French fries, Apple Cole Slaw, Electronic Frog Tartar, and Cocktail sauce.

The chicken sandwich is the best chicken sandwich I have ever tried. No joke. It was breaded and fried perfectly. The chicken was very juicy and had a great flavor. It came on a high-quality Brioche bun with a delicious Aioli. The fries were cooked and seasoned perfectly. We got ranch for the fries, and it was most likely homemade and also delicious. The fried Grouper and Shrimp were breaded and fried perfectly. Both tasted very fresh. The Apple Slaw is delicious. It's a mind twister. I have never heard of Apple Slaw, but trust me, you will love it. Both entrees came with a LOT of fries—very generous portions.

Our waitress’s name was Edith. She was very friendly, knowledgeable about the menu, and provided excellent service. We were the only table outside, but consistently, she kept a check on us. I used to love the Flying Machine Beer. I stopped drinking a few years back, but if you like really great local beer, they have it. This restaurant is a must-try if you visit or live...

We looked forward to trying Flying Machine Oyster Bar and were disappointed.

I'll start with the positives: The lady shucking the raw oysters, was a sweet heart. There are multiple local oysters on the menu and they are delicious.

The neutral: Our hostess was unable to seat us in a timely manner. The person in front of us was getting takeout. Somehow, tending to the lady waiting on takeout took over 5 minutes and there was a line building behind us. The hostess was a young lady, lots to learn, not a big deal, but I wanted to mention it.

Next, the negatives: It took an "above average" amount of minutes for our server to greet us, even more to get some waters, and even more to take our drink order. Additionally, when we were seated, we were not provided the oyster menu. Our server is supposed to make sure we have all menus. Our drinks, when we got them, weren't the best. The drinks felt as if they hung out at the bar too long and the ice melt influenced the drink quality. Crazily, as I finished my drink, I noticed my it was cracked at the rim. Fortunately I didn't get cut by this glass. Our server assured us she'd take care of the cup. (I hope she did dispose of the cup properly as I didn't feel she was genuinely concerned based on the service received up to this point) Also, when our water was refilled, the water was murky... and against my better judgement, I took a sip: it was gross, like bad tap water mixed with old seafood.

Final bits: Our server appeared "checked out", thus doing the bare minimum with us. I don't write many reviews but this was an exceptionally...