The Lucky Fisherman in Southport, North Carolina - Restaurant Review

In the eclectic town of Southport, North Carolina, tourists as well as locals will enjoy the inexpensive delicacies during their stay in southern NC. The Lucky Fisherman offers fair prices, a unique dining selection, and a down home feel for a restaurant specializing in an over 90 item buffet.

First Impressions of The Lucky Fisherman Southport, NC

Entering The Lucky Fisherman, guests are greeted by a friendly hostess. As you are heading to your table you notice the charm of the décor. The scenery resembles an older restaurant with its dated paint and classic stuffed fish scattered along the walls. When seated you notice a great room area with seating for visitors of parties of 10+. The restaurant looks to be able to accommodate at lead 200 patrons, but there was no visible signage stating capacity levels. Having a larger family of six, I was prepared to wait for a table, but I was surprised on the zero wait time. As we were seated I noticed parties of 14 and 16, respectively enter without wait.

Wait Staff and Menu at The Lucky Fisherman Southport, NC

Once seated, we were greeted by our waitress who asked if we had dined there before this particular night.We had not, so she began to explainordering process. We had an option of the buffet alone or entrees starting at $7.99. We chose the buffet for approximately $20 per person. I have two children under six, so I was thinking more of a value for their age. At this point the waitress attempted to "up-sell" us with the $35 crab legs. At $20 per person, we were not going to add an additional $35 per person for crab legs.

When we went to the buffet, we were greeted by our original waitress informing us she had the table mixed up, we would be getting a different waitress. She was cordial during the exchange, so there was no problem. The problem came when the other waitress began serving us. She was not as friendly, bordering rude. She didn't introduce herself except a nonchalant "what are you drinking". She definitely did not give us a good first impression.

The menu was very simple to follow and easy to read. There was a clear separation between sandwiches and dinner items. There was no crossing of the two. The menu matched The Luck Fisherman's prices, no frills and unexciting.

Dinner at The Luck Fisherman Southport, NC

When we were selecting our items from the buffet, one thing was common. Over half of the items were deep fried. Eating healthy was not an option for my family. We found Mahi-Mahi and crawfish as the only main dish items not fried. There was not once piece of steamed fish available and only one steamed vegetable. Due to the high level of visitors, the remaining dishes left a lot to be desired. The pans were either half empty or not a choice someone wanted and thus looked stale.

On a positive note, the salad bar did offer a refreshing alternative to the ample fried foods. The salad bar consisted of over half of the 90 items on the buffet. Freshness was not an option either. I saw the wait staff pay more attention to the salad bar than the hot items. The dessert area did leave a lot on the table. There was an ice cream machine with limited toppings and fresh fruit. There was no alternative dessert to quench your sweet tooth.

Check Please at The Lucky Fisherman Southport, NC

When we were ready to checkout, the bill came to approximately $100. Nothing new for a larger family, but for the quality, not expected. The bill was hand written and sloppy. If there were discrepancies, I would not have known. We left a tip for the service of our original waitress and went to checkout. The person at the register asked if we enjoyed our dinner and we answered honestly. There were no survey cards or "tell the manager" forms to speak of the quality and service. This would have been good considering the nature of the business and the primary guests are tourists.

The Lucky Fisherman's last ditch effort to generate more sales came at checkout. Strategically placed next to the register were various gift items intended to be souvenirs.

Pros

Ample seating to accommodate large parties

Family friendly atmosphere

Friendly wait staff

Music playing on a PA created a relaxing atmosphere

Items were not cooked in peanut oil - allergy friendly

Cons

Limited Selection on the buffet

Several items on the buffet were deep fried

Bland taste for the fresh fish

No labels of the buffet items

Limited dessert selection

Additional $35 for crab legs

My Take and Thoughts

If you are looking for a restaurant which will not break your wallet, you have found it in The Lucky Fisherman. If you are looking for a restaurant which will assist in a healthy lifestyle, you may want to eat somewhere else. The allure of The Lucky Fisherman Southport, NC is family friendly dining at a reasonable price. The added value is the seating for parties of 10+ as well as the atmosphere. The wait staff was friendly and knowledgeable, but lacked charm and personality. With tourists generally consisting of large groups, the wait staff must be top notch to ensure great tips. The overall experience at The Lucky Fisherman Southport, NC was not the best restaurant experience I have encountered, but not the worst.