Hi all, I am going to Emeral Isle for my birthday and have not been to that particular beach since I was a child (teen, at least). Anyone have any information that would be beneficial, like places to eat, things to do, etc. I remember it being a family beach but there was not a lot to do. Thanks!!
We love Emerald Isle but there is still not much to do there. We like the little shops by the Food Lion plaza right after you cross the bridge from Cape Carteret. We eat at Rucker Johns on occasion but prefer going up to Morehead City where there are more choices. We also like to go to Beaufort and walk around the historic homes, shops, and see the huge yahts that dock along the waterway. They offer some cruises and years ago we took the kids on a Pirate Cruise which was alot of fun. There is also the Maritime Museum there to see. The NC Aquarium is nearby; we haven't been since it was renovated but enjoyed it before. Have fun!
The best place to eat is the Crab Shack. It's near a church on the sound side. It's beside a seafood house.
Is there any fast food or sandwich shops or should we just plan on bringing or buying lunch type stuff?? Probably cheaper that way and OK with me, just trying to figure it out~ Thanks for the info!!
On the sound side (Cape Carteret) I know there is a Hardees, McD's, Subway. There's a Michaelangelos Pizza in the Food Lion Plaza I spoke about on Emerald Isle. There are more fast food places but down the island quite a bit I think, closer to Atlantic Beach. We also tend to get our own lunch stuff because it does save money!
Big Oak Diner. AWESOME shrimp burgers. And if you are planning on having a few frosty beverages head to the Emerald Club. LOVE that place.
Behind the Hardee's off 24 is an entertainment complex, bowling alley, arcade for the kids, etc. Really nice. Check it out. For food choices, if you head toward Swansboro on the right there is a BP station that has Cedar Point Grill in it. Best breakfast, handmade huge burgers, you will put in your mouth. Good, reasonably priced. In Swansboro there is the Ice House which is consistently good, fresh seafood, and on the waterfront so the view is beautiful. Also, of course, Yanna's has been there for years. Swansboro is a great little town to shop in with unique little shops and Church Street Grill has wonderful deli-style food (they use Boar's head products).
We used to go alot but haven't been in probably 7 years. What I do remember is there's not much to do, but the beaches are great, and you can always see dolphins jumping in and out of the water. We didn't really find many great places to eat, but Michaelangelos Pizza is awesome!
Big Oak Diner. AWESOME shrimp burgers. these are fantastic, go slow because it's hard to see as is just a little walk up and order station, also Jordan's is a great place to eat ~ also if you have time visit "Bear Island" this is a stretch of untouched beach that is beautiful, a little boat will take you over there and pick you up later, the only facilities there are restrooms so go prepared - it really is pretty my husband and I went there last summer and there was one other couple there - lot of shells and sand dollars
I second the crab shack in Salter Path. Owned and operated by friends of ours. Ask for Tammy, and tell her the monkey dish hush puppie guy sent you. In Morehead, El's is the place to eat for burgers and stuff. Old fashioned Drive In with carhops that take your order. Try the Superbeurger all the way or the Big Shrimpburger. You'll not regret it. If you're eating in Morehead at the waterfront, try the Ice House. Owned by one of my classmates, John van Horn, excellent food, great service, huge portions. Beaufort, try the Royal James Cafe, on Turner Street, near Front Street. Best chili dogs on the coast. And, on behalf of my family and friends who depend on tourism dollars, thanks for keeping your money in NC.
Hat- WHAT?????? "tell her the monkey dish hush puppie guy sent you"?? You gotta explain that one, you just gotta..... I love NC beaches but usually go to Morehead City or Topsail. I'm excited to try someplace new!!
The island is pretty neat in that it actually runs east to west with the ocean. So if you get the time, try to drive down to the very very end of the island (Emerald Isle end) and walk out on the beach if you can find a spot that is not private land. Seems to me there was some new construction when we did this a couple of years ago and we had no problem. It's really wild to see the ocean as it rounds the tip of the island. Here's a link to a neat picture. http://www.shorewoodrealestate.net/photos/emerald_isle_1.jpg
OK, shy, here goes....but I have to set up the conversation.... C6, my LOML, had entered a photo in the NC Seafood Festival contest last year. She actually won a merit award this year, but that's a different story. So, for the unveiling of the official NC Seafood Festival Photograph Award, C6, three of her galpals and I went to the Aquarium at Pine Knoll Shores. After the ceremony and reception which featured finger food, not enough for Big Daddy for dinner. So we go to the Crab Shack in Salter Path. Unbeknownst to me, an old school chum from Morehead owns it. His wife, Tammy, waited on us. They weren't real busy, and as the rooster among the hens, I wasn't included in much of the clucking of the setting hens. Once Tammy came to wait on us, and greeted us, we knew she was a local from way back, as we have aparticular dialect among the Down Easters and Outer bankers, and O'Cockers. We chatted for a moment, and orderd. She brought a basket of hush puppies, and we devoured them. As she was walking by, I asked her, in my most pathetic, whining, irritatingly smart aleck manner, if she would bring us more hush puppies, "if it wasn't TOO much trouble".... Carteret County Native Smart Aleck that she is, Tammy brought me one hush puppie on a small serving dish (those of us in the restaurant business called it a monkey dish..(side note..Cracker Barrel used to call it that until they got into some racially charged episodes with their restaurants and now require their help to call it a 'small serving dish'...) We laughed loudly about it then, and have almost every time since we have hushpuppies, as in..."Do y'all remember that waitress in Salter Path who brought me one hush puppie on a monkey dish...LOLOLOLOL" Three days ago, on FB, I get a notice from her asking that I add her....and hadn;t thought much about it, until I saw her picture, remembered that her husband Joey and I went to school together, and sent her a note, asking if she remembered the incident, and told her that we laugh about it occasionally. Not only did she recall it, but she added a note that said she wondered why her nose twitched sometimes, in reference to our retelling the story. As I've said, Joey and Tammy are great hosts, offer great service, huge portions of great food, and are appreciative that you seek them out, as opposed to going to a fairly well known restaurant, at which I worked (it's where I learned to make hush puppies with their world famous recipe), but frankly whose prices are overpriced, the portions are small, and your business seems to be taken for granted. I laugh when I see the Triangle elite youth wearing those tee shirts that advertise the place, as most of us who worked there, were treated slightly better than whale poop on the bottom of the ocean floor, but that what you put up with when that's one of the only few jobs available. In my mind, the unnamed restaurant is trading on their old laurels and, back in the day, it was the place to go. Another place I highly recommend, if you're at Emerald Isle is to go into Swansboro and eat at Captain Charlies, another locally owned operated joint where the sauteed blue crab is out of this world. Also, T&W Oyster Bar, off 58 in Stella is a good old oyster bar. As for Rucker John's, you couldn't give me a free meal there. We've tired it once too often..crappy service with a serious case of haughty server - little peon customer attitude. Never again.
I second Captain Charlies in Swansboro. I can't believe I forgot about that place. I don't like any seafood besides shrimp but I'll eat their homemade clam chowder there. I always get Prime Rib (sorry but I'm a landlubber) and it's excellent. As for Rucker Johns, not worth waiting if there is a line. Pricey for the food and yes, some attitude since I think they believe they are the elite restaurant on the island, but we enjoyed having lunch there. The best part was their honey butter glazed croissants.
I LOL'd..the terms "elite"and "Bogue Banks" have never collided in my lifetime. They might be pretentious, but no where near anything elite. And, if it's pastry, I'd rather go to Krispy Kreme when the Hot Light is on.
After seeing that, I KNOW where I need to move 2. Don't follow me! :lol: I hope to be in Marshallberg, NC soon.
Thanks Hat.....I kind of understand now!! I will definitely tell them you said hello if we get by there~
