Island Way

I made a stop here on my way home after a long weekend at the beach. It was the only place open on a Sunday within the area. It was a really nice and semi-​fancy dining experience. It was beautiful outside so we decided to have lunch on the patio. The lunch menu didn’t have much on there but enough to make a choice.
I had the king crab sandwich with a side of fries. It was A-​OK only, nothing special that wow’ed me. The bread was on the tough side. The fries were you know… typical fries. What do you expect? Prices were average but on the pricier end.
Overall, it was a beautiful location.

Wonderfully prepared food and great service. Was not disappointed. Try the 18 oz ribeye. Best I ever had! Fantastic homemade desserts.

My wife and I had the rare opportunity to dine alone and this is always our first choice. Everything was top notch as usual, from the crab dip appetizer to the special. Bay scallops over penne in a sun dried tomato cream sauce… awesome! Portions were great! Service was A rate by our server Cassie
Thank you for a great meal!

From last night’s torturous meal to… tonight’s bliss. This was totally unexpected. Since when is a restaurant next to a pier and motel at the beach excellent? Now, as it happens.
Every aspect of this experience was perfect. From the upscale décor to the impeccable service to the amazing food, this meal was memorable.
The thing that got me the most was the outstanding use of herbs. I swear there was chervil in the signature potatoes. The green beans almandine included tarragon. Ribeye had rosemary.
It goes on and on. Superb desserts. Good wine. A great view. It’s everything I like in a special occasion meal.

This place holds a special place in my heart because we eat here every time we’re visiting Ed’s parents in Oak Island, and more importantly, we had our post-​engagement dinner here. Everything is always amazing — I don’t think I’ve ever had a bad meal.
This experience was no different. We started with a platter of oysters that reminded me a bit of mini pizzas. They came served with cheese melted all over them, with the blue cheese being most prominent. They were pretty good — not the best oysters I’ve ever had, but definitely pretty good. Though I much preferred the other appetizer we ordered — the tenderloin canapes, which came with flat bread crisps a layer of creamy goat cheese under the extremely tender terderloin, and packed high with a homemade salsa combination. The flavors are a great combination and this was definitely something I’d order again.
For my meal, I went with the special which was Mahi-​Mahi with a honey barbeque glaze. The fish was good — even with the glaze, it still seemed plain and was missing something on top. For my side, I got the Brussel sprouts which are totally delicious. I had them around this time last year and when they were an option again, I knew I had to have them. They were flavored and fried with caramelized brown sugar and spices. You likely lose all the nutrition (so don’t order these to be healthy!) because they are doused in oil as well. I even had to pat down some of the oil before eating. They sure are delicious though!
Good tips — they have 2 bottles of wine nightly for $ 15.00 (great deal!) and they cork bottles you don’t finish so you can bring them home. The servers are all very friendly and knowledgeable about the menu and specials. They can provide great recommendations if you need them also.
I can’t wait to be back!

Great atmosphere overlooking the water! Food good but not great. I found their house potato to be a little greasy for my taste. I had the lobster tail, and that too was wiped down with some sort of oil to make it shiny. Service was good, but I found it unusual that my oysters on the half shell came with my entrée. Perhaps it’s a southern thing. I would return but also open to trying others in the area. I have friends who live there year round and they love it so maybe we just had an off night. I’ll try it again.

Typical tourists on Oak Island (5 of us). None of us complained or talked because of food was amazing! It something you don’t expect considering its tourist city. Would love to go back just for Island way.

Island Way is probably the best restaurant on Oak Island proper, but I’ll get to that in a little bit. The first time we went, we actually didn’t eat — we heard people going in and coming back out mumbling about a two hour wait. So I made this important mental note: If you want to eat there, make a reservation.
The following day we made reservations early and were promptly seated when we got there for dinner. From the outside, IW looks like any other restaurant at the shore that is likely going to serve you deep fried things in a basket. This is absolutely not the case. Once inside, the casual dining impression disappears. Crisp white tablecloths, upscale décor and a wall full of picture windows with views of the ocean and pier create a very nice ambiance.
A dozen plump local oysters to start. Fried Green tomatoes covered in lump crab meat with a light vinaigrette. For main courses … we had Lobster Ravioli, a large portion packed with lobster meat covered in a creamy, buttery red sauce. The Broiled Flounder was flaky, moist and delicious. The best entrée was the special, Grilled Swordfish. If you’ve never had really good swordfish before, you need to try it! It has a unique, mild, meaty flavor and intensity to it. The house mashed potatoes were very salty, but our waitress quickly replaced them with a second choice of sides, their corn pudding. The corn pudding was amazing — I could eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner (and midnight snack)!
Great, professional staff that focuses on taking good care of you!

My wife had been has been wanting try IW for the past few years and I have resisted because I thought the prices were too high to justify for a place that from the outside looked kinda seedy and I had the opinion that they relied on the ocean view rather than their cuisine to attract customers.
I am happy to say I was wrong. The interior is upscale and the food delicious.
We took advantage of the Early Evening discounted menu which offers generous portions at a very reasonable price and Wine for $ 15 a bottle.
We started with a bottle of White wine and Oysters roasted with a Blue Cheese topping, excellent. For our entrees Deb had the Shrimp Scampi in a Champagne Asiago Sauce. This was a Huge Portion with plenty of large shrimp. She ended up taking have of this home. I had the Flounder stuffed with Crab meat. The flounder was slightly over cooked but was seasoned nicely. The Crab meat stuffing was moist and delicious. We were given by accident a side of the Corn bread soufflé which was incredible.
The staff were all very pleasant and accommodating. Out server was attentive but not overly so or annoying. We had the Honeymoon table, which is a high seated table for two against the back wall with clear view of the beach and ocean.
One last note… Mr Creosote was not there. lol

I love this place! I’ve been coming to OKI for 5 years and the first year I stayed on the island I was hesitant about eating here because it honestly doesn’t look that great on the outside but the inside is a whole other story. I rent a house on the island every summer and eat here a bunch of times during my stay. The she crab soup is perfection! Their pastas and fish dishes are always amazing. I’ve never had a single complain about the place! Beautiful seating at dusk :-)

My seventh vacation at OKI, my first time dining here. It won’t be my last. We made an early reservation to beat the rush. We had an oceanfront table. We ordered the fried green tomato appetizer and it did not disappoint. My daughter ordered the surf and turf and her filet was cooked perfectly. My other daughter is a picky eater and requested something not on the menu and they were happy to oblige. The service was fantastic. Everyone was friendly and treated us like family. This is a hidden gem on OKI. If you visit the island, this place is a must. I stalked the menu for two days prior. I was not disappointed.

I’ve chosen Island Way for at least one dinner every time I’m on vacation at Oak Island. There are two things that keep bringing me back… the service and the view. Make sure you call ahead and make a reservation for dinner as it’s very difficult to just walk right in and be seated. It is a fairly small restaurant. When making a reservation, definitely request a table with a window so that you can enjoy the beautiful ocean view.
Food has been hit or miss for my party and I. I would steer away from getting a steak. On multiple occasions, someone in my family has ordered steak and has had to send it back because it was tough/​chewy or wasn’t cooked to the requested temperature. Seafood dishes are usually good as well as the pasta dishes. The food just isn’t good enough to justify the pricing.
Most recently I ordered the simply pasta with a combination of marinara and alfredo sauce and it was surprisingly good. If you have people in your party who do not eat seafood, be warned that they will have very few options on the menu other than steak. My husband does not eat seafood and after our bad luck with steaks, he decided to just stick with a salad.
Service has been spot on every time we’ve eaten at Island Way.
In the future, I may just try out the lunch menu or «early» dinner menu… less expensive and more options that sound appealing.
Food — 3
Service — 5
Atmosphere — 5