Last Updated: August 7, 2023
Published: August 7, 2023

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When my boyfriend and I visited Ocean Isle Beach in July 2023, one of the first restaurants we knew we wanted to try was Ocean Isle Fish Company. Situated near the Ocean Isle Bridge, the Tiki Bar immediately captured our attention. With its fun atmosphere and decor, it is hard to miss!
We had a wonderful time dining at the Gmack Tiki Bar, and I am excited to share why you should visit it on your Ocean Isle Beach vacation!
What is the Ocean Isle Fish Company?
Ocean Isle Fish Company is known for its one-of-a-kind fishing experience on the beautiful shores of Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina. They take pride in providing their customers with top-notch fishing trips and memorable adventures.
In addition to their fishing services, Ocean Isle Fish Company also has a charming Tiki Bar and restaurant. The Tiki Bar offers a great selection of beverages, including refreshing frozen cocktails and ice-cold beers, making it the perfect spot to unwind after a day at the beach. Their food menu contains sushi, appetizers, soups, salads, a shrimp station, seafood entrees, burgers, and sandwiches. With its inviting atmosphere and stunning water views, the Gmack Tiki Bar at Ocean Isle Fish Company is a must-visit destination for those seeking a relaxing and beautiful waterfront dining experience in Ocean Isle Beach!
My Experience at the Ocean Isle Fish Company Gmack Tiki Bar
My boyfriend and I were lucky enough to arrive when the barstools overlooking the coastal marsh were still up for grabs. We got to see this amazing view all evening and watch various boats come up and down. We arrived at the Tiki Bar right around 5pm on a Wednesday and were able to sit down right away! It did not start filling up until we started eating our entrees around 6pm. So, if you are going on a weekday, I highly recommend going around 5pm to get prime seats!
For the Gmack Tiki Bar, you order all your drinks and food at the counter, give them your name, and someone will bring you your food. You do not have a designated server, so if you need anything, or are ready to check out, you will have to go back up to the main counter. Again, we were really lucky and did not experience too long of lines on the day we went.
Side note: We were having a really hard time finding restaurants with less than a 2 hour wait our entire Ocean Isle Beach vacation. In our full party, we had 8 people, so the only time we really got seated faster was when we split off into couples. So, it was nice to finally be able to enjoy a restaurant and have such good views without a wait!
Drinks

I ended up having a Pina Colada, which definitely hit the spot on such a hot day!
Appetizer
For our appetizer, we got the Hurricane Shrimp, which they claim to be one of their “hottest” sellers. The shrimp were delicious and fresh! It was more of a creamy, mayo-based sauce. I also loved how they served it on newspaper-looking paper, it was a really cute touch!
Straight from the Ocean Isle Fish Company menu: “Half pound of shrimp, breaded, deep fried and coated in our original firecracker sauce; one of our “hottest” sellers.”

Entrees
Crab Cake Stack
I am a sucker for ordering crab cakes whenever I am on a beach vacation, so naturally I ordered the Crab Cake Stack as my entree.
Straight from the Ocean Isle Fish Company menu: “Scratch made Fish Co crab cakes dusted in Panko crumbs, then lightly fried or grilled and finished off with our **signature lobster sauce served over the top of seasoned island rice with sautéed asparagus.”
**I am not a big extra sauce fan, so I ordered the sauce on the side (which you can see in the photo in the container).
I would have loved to try the grilled version of this dish as well, but we went for the fried crab cake version.
I am usually not one to order rice as my side dish, but I have to say the rice was surprisingly my favorite thing I ate on the trip. It was super refreshing and a nice balance with the asparagus to offset the fried crab cakes. The crab cakes tasted fresh, flavorful, and super crispy. They also give you two shrimp on the side as an added bonus! The only thing I would dock them on (which would most likely not be a negative to most people) is that the seasoning on the crab cakes could be overpowering after a while, which is another reason I think the asparagus and rice were the perfect additions to this crab cake dish.
Low Country Boil
My boyfriend got the Low Country Boil as his entree.
Straight from the Ocean Isle Fish Company menu: “A local tradition! Beer boiled shrimp, clams, kielbasa sausage, sweet corn on the cob, and red potatoes, seasoned with Old Bay, served with cocktail sauce and garlic bread.”
He said it was the best meal he had on our entire Ocean Isle Beach vacation, and we went to a lot of restaurants, so that is saying a lot!
Overall Ocean Isle Fish Company Review
Overall, I would rate our experience at Ocean Isle Fish Company 4.5 out of 5 stars. I would definitely come back if I ever vacationed at Ocean Isle Beach again, and I highly recommend anyone looking for Ocean Isle Beach restaurants to check it out as well!