Add this to your itinerary! Well kept, lots of displays and information about the area and history. A room is designated to all the movies that have been filmed with some of the props used. Perfect for people of all ages. If you have littles, fear not. There is a scavenger hunt to keep them entertained. Super friendly ladies working there, even remembered my sons name when we returned the following week ❤️

Friendly staff with great information. Nicely done and interesting little museum in a historic building and area. HUGE freighters go right up and down the Cape Fear River.

We visited the Visitors Center early in the morning and found that they don’t open until 10:00. We went about exploring the downtown area and came back for a quick walkthrough before they closed at 4:00. Unfortunately, we got there at 3:53 and they were closed and the lights were off. Not to be deterred, we came back the next day when we were sure that they would be open. What we saw was a nice history of the town, with a lot of information about movies that had been filmed in and around town. There were volunteers there who answered questions and provided other information.

Our kids enjoyed finding artifacts listed on the scavenger hunt. My husband and I enjoyed the scenery overlooking the water. There's a wealth of history throughout these few small rooms. With free admission, it's definitely worth the stop.

Here's the history of Southport, displayed on the wall is a timeline from inception. Special exhibits dedicated to the film industry, Robert Ruark, veterans, businesses, the fort itself and it's diverse history. The ladies there were very helpful with answers to questions about Southport and their own journeys that brought them here.

Really interesting place. The gentleman at the desk was very kind. My 6 y/o enjoyed the scavenger hunt, it made the visit engaging for her. The prize is really special to her. The history displays are interesting and informative. Recommend checking it out, even just to use the nice clean restrooms and grab a self-guided history tour map.

Cute little free museum!! Was a nice stop to get in some AC and look at the history of the town. Loves the room on films and tv shows that were filmed there.

Nice history on display. I plan to take others to visit this!

This is such a unique place. While the exhibits are small, they are thorough and packed with artifacts. The two guides were incredibly knowledgeable and friendly. They made it highly engaging for our young children and even gave them sheriff badges. It is a free, quick stop that should be added to every trip to Southport!

The tour guides are extremely knowledgeable and helpful.

We visited the Old Brunswick County Jail in the midafternoon on a weekday. It was a great time since we were the only ones there. Another group came in shortly afterwards. We were met by two volunteers who started telling us about the jail and its history. As we walked through the door of the next room the others came in so one volunteer continued with us and the other started with the new group. The volunteers were very knowledgeable, and gave us a detailed description of the various rooms and their uses. While it is a small building, there were diverse uses for the rooms. We particularly enjoyed seeing the small jail cells upstairs, and the stories about the inmates. One story described how they managed to dig through a brick wall and jump down about ten feet to the ground. We also each got to take a mugshot, as you can tell from my wife’s picture! While the admission was free, don’t miss the opportunity to make a donation to help out with the maintenance of the building!

Cute little free museum, the staff was really friendly and informative!

Great for us history nerds! A lot of information both inside and outside. Mark and Dave were very informative.

Had a wonderful time! Thank you to our fantastic tour guide, Bruce. He made the tour informative and entertaining

Nice little waterfront park with lots of benches and swings to sit and look out at the water, plus a small fishing pier. The historical placards are worth a read (ironclads, blockade runners, and more), even if the beach isn't much compared to others nearby.

Great waterfront park in downtown Southport. Free, but limited, parking. Easy to walk to the fishing pier from the main lot. Two tips - 1. it's usually REALLY windy so be ready for that and 2. aside from the pier, there is NO railings, fences, etc. at the waterfront so keep that in mind with little kids.

Absolutely a nice place to come and sit or swing while enjoying the breeze from the ocean watching the boats come in and go out

Beautiful area to visit and the town is so charming with LOTS of shops and restaurants. A must see.

Awesome areas to walk around, early morning as best if you want to get parking and access.

The tranquility of this hidden gem really soothes the soul. Numerous public bench swings and open spaces with amazing perspectives of the waterfront. Make sure to walk around and explore, you will not be disappointed, there's treasures hidden everywhere!

Great place to take the pup for a walk and catch a nice breeze!

Great selection of all kind of beer and wine. They have mix and match with weekly specials. They have your everyday wine and of course the special night wine that can go about $150. They have tastings and a place to sit inside and outside. You have to try the wine slushy. It was amazing and a way to cool your self down as you have been walking and shopping. They have a great selection of gifts. Stop by for a great drink and relax. You will thank me later for the slushy. Tell them bald Steve sent you to get a slushy.

Drove 35 minutes to do a tasting, arrived at 3pm and told they aren’t doing them anymore they stop at a specific time. Why isn’t that information online anywhere? The man that “helped” also wasn’t very friendly. At least offering a sample so I knew what to buy would’ve gained our business still.

Always enjoy stopping here for a nice beverage. They are generous on their serving sizes compared to most. They are always very helpful too! A very big selection of beer and wine.

My husband and I split a wine tasting. We really enjoy the white wines on a hot day! Would highly recommend a stop in here!

Cute little wine tasting room in the heart of Southport. They have wine, beer, and THC drinks. You can bring your own food in from nearby restaurants or snacks from home. Service is very friendly and attentive. Wines from Italy, France, CA, and NC.

Joe was an excellent bartender. The wine and beer were delicious. I even enjoyed the local artwork on the wall. Seriously the best place for wine in Southport. And one of the most friendliest establishments I have visited. My husband and I will come back for our next visit.

Very courteous. Great tasting experience.

Wonderful exhibits for all ages. A scavenger hunt kept the young folks engaged, and we all found treasures in the gift shop. We are returning for the historical commemoration of the burning of Fort Johnston on July 19th for a full day of fun! 🇺🇸🥁🇺🇸

We enjoyed the uniforms and interaction near the entrance of the museum today. The scavenger hunt was decent however, having children search for stickers on the wall isn't a scavenger hunt. Get a bosun's pipe or boatswains whistle that the children can actually look for and possibly touch. That part was very disappointing.....

I thoroughly enjoyed my time at southport’s Maritime Museum where I got to learn about the rich history behind Southport and its surrounding waters. I also got to participate in the awesome date-night scavenger hunt experience where couples spent time exploring historic pieces of Southport.

We had such a great time at the NC Maritime Museum! It’s completely free, which was an amazing bonus. Our daughters (ages 10 and 12) had so much fun doing the scavenger hunt, and they especially loved using the periscope to see all around the outside of the museum—such a unique experience! My husband and I also really enjoyed learning about the rich maritime history of the area. It was fun, educational, and a perfect family outing. Highly recommend for families looking for something meaningful and enjoyable to do together!

This place was really nice. Tells the story of the SE part of North Carolina and how the maritime industry developed there. Make sure you read the story of Nehi, a 7'8"tall longshoreman from the area that worked the ports in the 30s.

Great FREE museum. I encourage donating on you visit though! Free tote with a 5 buck donation. Museum was great. Working periscope was a highlight. I learned a lot and had fun doing it. The volunteers were so welcoming and kind.

Love this little museum! Great for kids - scavenger hunts for little kids and older kids/ teens. Interesting displays and staff is super friendly. They do have bathrooms and the museum has air conditioning. No tickets required, but donations accepted.

Visiting here and the reviews were welcoming enough to give this place a try. Friendly staff for the conditions that were going on, busy lots of customers and yet it was as warm inside as it was outside. Really felt bad for everyone working, with this kind of business you would think someone who run some climate control. At least if the unit is broken put out a sign or tell the staff to let customers know. If this is normal I wouldn’t return, an exhaust fan pulling air through or something is needed. As the food goes my blackened fish and shrimp were delicious, maybe put a note on the menu that the green beans have pork in them if I would’ve known that I wouldn’t have ordered them. My friend enjoyed her fried bay scallops, though her french fries were either overcooked or were the cheaper kind that when you broke them open, there wasn’t really any potato inside. This place has a lot of potential all these issues are management problems. Before the drinks were served in washable cups as well as the condiments. Cutting corners for extra money isn’t sustainable for us or our environment.

Beautiful setting overlooking the water. Great interior structure too with huge wood beams, light and airy vibes. Crab cakes were great as well as the bacon wrapped scallops. The hung puppies they give young hen you get seated were tasty. But the real show stopper was the green beans, the best I've ever had!

Would highly recommend this place for some delicious food! My wife and I visited and will def be back! We both got the blackened fish and shrimp and I would suggest it for sure. We also started with a shrimp cocktail, and loved that they give you an even number. Cocktail sauce had great flavor. Be sure and pay this place a visit. Friendly service and great views!

Waited an hour but it was well worth it. I got the flounder and my husband got the shrimp and fish. I am a picky seafood eater and the flounder was so good I didn't need any sauce with it. The red potatoes had this seasoning that was so good I wanted the recipe. The green beans were great too. Will be back.

Looking for a good, fresh, and authentic tasting seafood restaurant? We'll you've found it, not to mention the beautiful view of the waterway you have. Highly recommend the crab cake. Food is excellent, and the service here is great.

Pretty cool place. Great view. Apparently a staple of the Southport. 8 outta 10. Portion size is good. Flavors are balanced. Tried unicorn fish for the first time.

The crab cakes were very good. Seafood and scallops were excellent as well. The hush puppy balls were a neat touch instead of rolls. Everything was very tasty. Green beans were real good and had a southern greens taste to them. Atmosphere was cool and the views are awesome.

Our family of 7 arrived when they opened on Friday at 5. Easy to find parking. We were seated right away. Nice ambiance. Waitress was nice but talked very loudly at us. Bread appetizer was wrapped in parchment paper which was stuck to the bread. Couldn't pull it apart. Tasted bland. Drinks were watered down. We ordered two mocktails, and a cocktail. Food arrived after 6 pm. 2 of our orders were the same but one was lighter fare. They got it backwards on the sides so we had to cut part of the meat to make it right. The salmon portion was literally two bites. Our filet was ordered medium well and it was definitely medium rare. Artichoke heart appetizer was bland. Had to ask for more silverware after appetizers since they took our forks and knives with the dirty plates. Octopus was good except we thought it was grilled like on the menu, not sauteed. One person was 60% done with their plate when we got the check. Felt rushed. Fried green tomatoes were delicious. Overall an ok experience but expected it to be better.

Really enjoyed lunch at this pleasant location just a block from the waterfront. Friendly staff and a variety of special items for the day were all very tempting. I had the lamb pops with figs abd they were seasoned very well. My brother had a bowl of Cioppino which was very hearty. We shared the fried green tomatoes with shrimp and they were very good but a little oversalted which is unfortunate. My wife had a soup several which was a thick curry served with bacon crumbles. The bacon paired well with the sweetish soup. Service was very good and I can't wait to come back and try some dinner entrees.

51yrs old and this is my first restaurant review (it was that bad). We had eaten at this restaurant a couple of times before in previous trips to Southport. Those visits were overall pleasant with good food and service. Unfortunately our last experience was the complete opposite. Constantly waited on a drink refills. Extended wait times on food. I got the mushroom crusted salmon and it smelled rotten. My wife got the lighter fare salmon dish and hers smelled fine. Our server smelled my fish, had a strong reaction, and took it back to the kitchen. She returned 10-15min later without my plate, and said the smell was the mushroom crust (there's no way). No offer for anything different, but charged full price for a bad plate partially eaten and not returned. We will not be returning here.

Our family of 6 adults and 1 baby walked into Ports of Call Bistro for lunch and Lori asked how many. We said 6 and a high chair. Her response was “well we only have one server”. She didn’t clarify if she was asking if we were okay with a longer wait/slower service or if she was asking us to leave. We would have been fine to deal with slower service but I asked Lori if she was telling us to go elsewhere and she said she would be right back and walked to the back. I needed to feed my 9 month old, so I asked Scott at the bar if he would mind to give me a half a mug of hot water to warm his bottle. He was pouring wine, so I anticipated that I may need to wait a moment. Instead, Scott said “you’re going to have to wait, I’m busy here.” It was beyond rude. I’ve literally never been somewhere and experienced that kind of rudeness. We didn’t even wait for Lori to come back, we left and went down to the Blue Cow Grille. The employees there were AMAZING and so accommodating. 10/10 do not recommend Port of Call. Spend your money elsewhere.

We were seated right away, but after waiting about 3 minutes with no acknowledgment—despite only three other tables being occupied and two waitresses standing around chatting—we ended up leaving. The host was sitting on her phone the entire time. To top it off, their sanitary grade was only a 94, which didn’t inspire much confidence. Edit in response to owners comments. 7/9/25 3:14pm Thanks for your response, it’s exactly what I expected. I understand your point, but I don’t think waiting several minutes without even a greeting, especially in a mostly empty restaurant, should be dismissed as “impatient.” We’ve been treated better and expect more from a place making the claims that you do. The issue wasn’t just the wait, but the lack of acknowledgment from multiple staff members who were visibly unoccupied. As for the hostess being on her phone for reservations, there was no indication of that, it simply looked like she was disengaged. Head down, looking at the phone (obviously a cell phone). I chose not to rate the food, Google must default to one star of I don’t choose one. A sanitary grade just below the award threshold doesn’t necessarily inspire comfort either. I appreciate the explanation, but I hope future guests are met with more attentiveness, regardless of how long they’ve been seated.

Super cute spot! We got in and seated quickly, staff was very nice. Our server Olivia was incredible. Great food (amazing veggie options). We got black bean and corn empanadas plus fried green tomato (and shrimp) as appetizers. They were super accommodating for me being vegetarian and separated everything. I got the vegan masala dish with chickpeas, lots of veggies, and jasmine rice. I was so impressed. Really loved it here! Thank you!

Great food, service and location. Movie scene from Safe Haven filmed at this table!

Early dinner with a great view of the river. Lobster bisque soup was creamy with lots of bits of lobster. Crab dip was very good and the toasted bread made it even better. Salad was fresh with lots of veggies. Crab cakes were well seasoned and the seafood platter was delicious.

Me and my 4 friends came for dinner tonight to celebrate my birthday and it was absolutely amazing. The place we were going to go to was packed so we came here and were quickly sat at a beautiful table outside. The atmosphere, service, and food was incredible. Special thank you to Gina for making sure everything was perfect for us the service was 10/10. We will definitely be back! :)

Everything about this place is exactly what you would want in a beachside restaurant. Incredible food, great service, nice outdoor seating right on the water and great ambience inside. I ate lunch here before heading on the ferry to Baldhead Island and their seasonal salad with shrimp and homemade dressing was the best I’ve ever had. Gina was awesome and very attentive. I even brought a friend with me back for lunch when we got back from the island and ordered it again along with a pint size of their homemade dressing to take home. I also have the lobster bisque soup and it was out of this world! The wine is reasonably priced as well! Icing on top!

Very peaceful dinning experience. We had the best service by Cathy. She kept our drinks full and bagged up our left overs. Wonderful atmosphere outside by the water. The food is amazing! We ordered the crab dip as a appetizer. I can't even explain how delicious it was. Our entrées did not disappoint. We ordered seafood platter and shrimp Alfredo with penne pasta. Both were absolutely wonderful. We will definitely be coming back each year on our vacations.

We have consistently had excellent experiences with Delicious Dishes. Their customer service is exceptional, always going above and beyond to make each visit special. It's truly heartwarming to witness such dedication and care.

If you want overpriced, mediocre food, with mediocre service--I'd recommend this restaurant. You are basically paying for the view, which I will say is quite serene. We both ordered steaks medium rare and my boyfriends steak came out very much rare. The sauce they put on my filet mignon and potatoes did not go with the dish. Neither of us left full. The benches outside were very uncomfortable. Our waiter disappeared and parties of 5-6 that arrived after us ended up cashing out before us. So if you want to pay for the view, this is your place.

On vacation and had to stop in for some delicious seafood, first time having soft blue crab. Lobster bisque was delicious and they make a pretty good dirty martini 🍸

Absolutely perfect. Really cute place on the water with the best grilled tuna I ever had. Coconut shrimp was bangin. Drinks were fantastic. Key lime pie was good. I really liked it a lot, Southport is the coolest little beach town.

Several scenes from the Netflix series The Waterfront, were filmed here at Fishy Fishy Cafe. Our server Armani was excellent. We had Coconut shrimp, Hush Puppies and Fish & Chips. One the water the views are nice. If you decide to try Fishy Fishy Cafe you won't be disappointed.

This place is known for its shrimp. Wish I had known that before I ordered yhe crabcake sandwich. It's wasn't bad but I like my crabcake crispy on the outside. This one looked liked it had been riddled. My dategot the salad with shrimp. It was a much better choice although he did steal some of my very crispy fries. You just could beat the view.

I was visiting North Carolina for work and decided to stay overnight in Southport mostly because of the variety of restaurants in the area. A coworker said that I should try fishy fishy and I was not disappointed. I was by my self and it would’ve been a 30 minute wait to get a table so I took a seat at the bar Instead, immediately. I ordered and had food within 10 or 15 minutes. It was pretty quick. I got the Glen shoulder soup and fish and chips. The soup came out with the meal, I don’t know if that’s the way they always do it or if the meal just came out so fast that it happened that way this time. The soup had plenty of Seafood in it and was seasoned well. I ended up breaking up a bunch of french fries and putting them in towards the end, which was also a treat. The fish fry was haddock, which was delicious. It was fried to perfection in a beer batter. The coding was thicker and heavier than I’m used to yet was fried to perfection and held on tight to the fish to my surprise. The flavor of the fish itself was excellent. The coleslaw and fries were also good. Service was quick and the view is incredible. Looking out on the water is a terrific way to spend a little time in the evening. Go check it out. You won’t be disappointed!

We arrived around 1:45 on a weekday and were seated immediately with no wait. Our server Carrie greeted us and quickly had us beverages. Our party of 7 (6 adults and one 5 year old) all found something to our liking. Pros: 1.) Excellent service. Carrie provided great recommendations that our party enjoyed, including for vegetarian guests. Additionally, when one of our dishes was dropped while being delivered to the table, it was quickly remade and that person was given a side to enjoy while waiting for their plate to be remade. 2.) The food. From top to bottom, we enjoyed everything we ordered. The fish was well seasoned and well cooked. The crab cakes contained plentiful crab. The fries were crispy. 3.) The location. We sat outside right on the water with a view of the Oak Island Lighthouse. Cons: 1.) Each of the adults had an alcoholic beverage and the consensus was that they were okay, but not nearly as good as everything else on the menu. This is a very minor criticism, though, as everything else was exceptional! An excellent restaurant we visit every time we’re in Southport!

Quick wait time, prompt and attentive service. The jalapeño hush puppies were amazing. We enjoyed our sandwiches - the tuna and crab cakes. Highly recommend for location and delicious food!

The surrounds was gorgeous, and the staff were so sweet. There was a wait time for 25 minutes but this was around 2pm so I don’t blame them. Food took a long time to come out, food was amazing though. Jamie was such a sweet server and she was really nice. Overall such an amazing place

I very much enjoyed myself. The food was delicious. The Waiter was Awesome! Didn't catch his name but he's great!!! Enjoyed the Atmosphere but glad i got there when I did~ Enjoyed the flowers outside etc~ Lil on the spendy side but otherwise was Awesome! Perfect table spot for me to look out etc~ Glad I went~💖

We came here for a Saturday evening for dinner. Luckily we were seated right away, but this place can get busy, even during off season. We got the appetizer and entrée. The scallops were huge and delicious. Their drink menu was very good as well. I would definitely recommend this place.

Food was excellent would recommend reservations we enjoyed everything we had! Rebecca our server was excellent as well.

We have been here three times and each time is better than the last. The food is absolutely amazing and service is excellent. My husband had the soft-shelled crab and I had blackened stuffed grouper, which was melt-in-your-mouth good. We had Kahlua pecan pie a la mode for dessert - pie made in house. Cocktails are great too. How good the food is in this restaurant cannot be overstated. If you have not been here, you are missing out.

The duck entree and smoked salmon appetizer were amazing. Cocktails were delightful. Our server, Sam, was wonderful. 10/10 recommend and can't wait to go back!

My wife and I went to Mr. P's last night for dinner. We had she crab soup and oysters on the half shell for appetizers. Because the oysters were on the small side, they have us some extras ... that was very nice. The soup and oysters were excellent. For our main course, we got surf and turf combos ... amazingly good! I had blackened prime rib and my wife had medallions ... all cooked exactly as ordered. My crab stuffed lobster was perfect and my wife's crab covered scallops was also perfect. Bella did a phenomenal job providing this service and explaining the menu and specials options. There were people helping her of course, clearing the table and delivering food as they made sure we got our order hot. It was a great night.

My husband and I decided to go here for dinner after reading reviews. We arrived at 5:30 to find they had a full house and pending reservations to take up most of the evening. The owner and the hostess found a way to get us in at 7. We returned, and they seated us quickly. Our waitress was prompt, professional and polite. She gave us suggestions for dinner, drinks and desert. We had Oysters Rockefeller for an appetizer. It was DELICIOUS! My husband had the Grouper Special with asparagus and fried green tomatoes. I had the Blackened Prime Rib with the waitresses suggestion of roasted red potatoes and cabbage. This meal was AMAZING! The owner came over and checked on us and the wait staff went over and above. We are so grateful they were able to get us in. We will definitely be back again!!