"One of the downsides to many beach towns is that the restaurant scene tends to be a lot of the same thing—after all, if a family is only visiting once a year, they tend to want to stick to the tried and true. Carolina Beach’s Seaworthy Kitchen + Bar manages to please traditionalists while also sneaking in some upgrades to a classic beach town menu. Sure, there’s Calabash plates and fried mahi tacos, but there’s also a “Surfboard” (think seafood-heavy charcuterie board), hot honey fried chicken served with smoked onion lardon potato salad, and ginormous lobster ravioli served atop a red pepper coulis sauce. It’s beach food with a fresh facelift." - Matt Lardie