Review of Crabby Mike's, Surf City

        One of our other favorite beaches is Topsail Island, mainly because it is quieter than Carolina or Kure (except on the week of July 4th).  After spending the day on the beach, we get quite hungry and, on Topsail, there are only a few good choices.  One of the better places to get fresh seafood is Crabby Mike's.  Upon entering, it is a fun atmosphere with beach-art on the walls and a large bar on the far side of the restaurant.  The ambiance definitely fits Topsail beach to a tee, fun and casual.  With food that is far superior the other seafood places in Topsail, take a break from the sun and have dinner at Crabby Mike's.
        We didn't order any appetizers, which is strange for us, so I'll have to jump right to dinner.  I ordered Mike's Crab Cakes.  For my two sides, I decided to carb it up, with macaroni & cheese and mashed potatoes.  The macaroni was fairly good, nothing spectacular, but it was cheesy and creamy, everything you would expect from mac & cheese.  The mashed potatoes were also just average.  I have no complaints about them, but also nothing special to say.  The crab cakes, now they were something else.  I've had many crab cakes in my life, and I honestly believe that I make some of the best ever.  However, for being at a restaurant, these were remarkably good.  On the plate, they served three large and thick crab cakes.  And, unlike other places with fillers, peppers, etc.,  this was almost all fresh crab.  They were sauteed until golden brown and served with a spicy creole remoulade sauce.  These crab cakes were very good; if we are ever back to Crabby Mike's, I'll definitely be ordering them again.
        Megan ordered a fried seafood basket.  She chose the shrimp and scallops, with a side of mac and cheese.  The seafood was all hand-breaded in a light batter, then fried golden.  The shrimp were rather small, but then sheer amount of shrimp seemed endless and easily made up for the size.  The scallops were the smaller bay scallops instead of the large sea scallops.  The menu did warn us of this ahead of time, but for a restaurant at the sea to use something other than sea scallops seems weird.  However, there was an abundance of bay scallops to fill the plate.  The breading and seasoning on the breading was very good and expertly prepared.  Everything was crunchy on the outside but soft on the inside, just like fried seafood should be.  Honestly, it was very good and I would consider ordering it on a return occasion.
        Crabby Mike's is a fun restaurant that will make sure you never leave hungry.  While I thought the prices might be a little steep, compared to other places at the beach, it is reasonable.  The service was good and attentive.  In fact, she pointed me towards the crab cakes as a specialty instead of trying the blackened shark that was the special of the day.  Crabby Mike's will not go down in history as one of the best restaurants that I have ever been to, but at Topsail, this is you best option for a great dinner.  I'll gladly be back.

Category	Scale 1-5 stars
Food Quality
Food Creativity
Service
Atmosphere
Value for the Price

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