Grapevine: Locals know best…

You know those hidden gems that you find on vacation that are practically impossible to find on tripadvisor and yet somehow everyone that lives there frequents it regularly?! It’s like the locals have a secret society that they don’t want the rest of the world to know, and they are perfectly content to keep their delicious food all to themselves. That’s the Grapevine in Calabash, NC. We’ve been coming to this area for 6 years now, and we would always drive down the main strip of Calabash, completely ignoring the unassuming Mediterranean building on the corner because no one comes to the beach to eat pasta, right?! If you drive past this to go to the other nearly identical fried seafood establishments on the waterfront strip, you have no idea what you’re missing!

It’s like our version of cheers (for those of you old enough like to me to actually remember that show). We walk in and usually know about 1/2 of the people sitting at the bar and literally are greeted by name!! The owner Mac is hilarious, Jenna is a sweetheart, and all of the bartenders/waitstaff are incredible. I don’t think I’ve ever had a bad meal here… They do serve the typical fried seafood that calabash is known for along with Mediterranean pasta dishes. However, my personal favorites on the menu are the Tuna, Salmon (pictured below), and the Presidential Salad. I am starting a campaign to try to get my other favorite added to the menu because my husband, Jake, absolutely hates when I act like Meg Ryan’s character from “When Harry Met Sally” and order a combination that is off menu. I like to get an order of fried calamari on top of their Caesar salad (an inspiration from a salad I once had in Atlanta, GA at a restaurant the Real Housewives once filmed in). I know there’s some rule that says that you shouldn’t order the specials when you go somewhere new, but they really are some of our favorites as well (Friday = Jambalaya, Sunday = Spaghetti along with Duck a l’Orange, Pork kebobs, and Pork Ribs).

Although this restaurant is closed for most of the month of December every year, the other months of the year you’ll find it bustling with locals – you can practically hear them laughing from the street outside. I’m not kidding… there’s been nights where I’ve left there, and my cheeks are actually sore from laughing so much. You must have a tolerance for obnoxious locals, a sense of humor and a love for garlic – but I promise, you won’t be disappointed. Plus for parents, this is one of the few places that actually has decent food that is kid friendly; the rowdy locals having a good time up at the bar usually add just enough noise that no one minds when your child throws a fit because they ran out of ketchup 🙂 If you go, tell Mac we say hi; and feel free to buy us a drink if you see us!

grapevinecalabash.com