This Small Town’s Seafood Has North Carolinians Taking Road Trips For A Taste

Down on the southern tip of North Carolina sits a tiny fishing village that’s become a culinary legend. Calabash might be small in size, but its seafood reputation is enormous throughout the Carolinas. I’ve watched license plates from Asheville to Raleigh line the parking lots as hungry travelers make the pilgrimage for one thing only, that perfectly golden, lightly battered seafood that’s become this town’s claim to fame.

1. Where Calabash-Style Began: The Legacy of Beck’s Restaurant

Back in 1940, Beck’s Restaurant planted the seeds for what would become seafood history. The humble fishing spot transformed into a sensation when the Beck family discovered that lightly battering and flash-frying fresh-caught seafood created something magical.

Generations later, the original recipes remain virtually unchanged. When you bite into that first shrimp, you’re tasting the same flavors that delighted visitors 80 years ago.

Though other restaurants have popped up along the waterfront, Beck’s maintains its status as the original.

Their seafood isn’t just food, it’s a cultural institution that defines an entire region’s cuisine and keeps North Carolinians making that coastal pilgrimage year after year.

2. Flash-Fried Perfection: The Calabash-Style Secret

What makes Calabash-style seafood worth a three-hour drive? The magic happens in those brief moments when fresh-caught seafood meets hot oil. Unlike heavy batters that mask flavor, Beck’s cornmeal-based coating is whisper-thin, seasoned simply with salt and pepper.

The cooking technique requires precision timing, just 90 seconds in the fryer creates that signature golden crust while preserving the sweet tenderness inside. Too long, and you’ve ruined it.

If you watch the kitchen staff work, you’ll notice they never stop moving. They’re orchestrating a delicate ballet where temperature, timing, and technique create seafood that’s simultaneously crispy and juicy. This isn’t fast food, it’s an art form perfected through decades of practice.

3. Inside the Menu: What to Order at Beck’s

First-timers should head straight for the Admiral’s Platter, a mountain of shrimp, flounder, oysters, scallops, and deviled crab that showcases everything Beck’s does best. The seafood arrives piping hot, accompanied by hush puppies that somehow manage to be both airy and substantial.

However, locals often bypass the platters for individual selections. The jumbo shrimp deserve their legendary status, while the flounder filets practically melt on your tongue.

Whatever you choose, save room for the banana pudding. Made fresh daily using a recipe that’s older than most of the buildings in town, it’s served in a simple foam cup that belies its extraordinary flavor. The contrast between warm, crispy seafood and cool, creamy pudding creates the perfect finale to your Calabash experience.

4. Family-Owned and Flavor-Focused: The Heart Behind the Business

While waiting for my order, I struck up a conversation with Marlene, whose grandmother helped establish Beck’s decades ago. She revealed that family arguments have erupted over even minor changes to recipes, that’s how seriously they take tradition here.

The current generation rises at 4:30 each morning to inspect seafood deliveries, rejecting anything that doesn’t meet their exacting standards. Relationships with local fishermen stretch back decades, ensuring Beck’s gets first pick of the day’s catch.

Unlike chain restaurants with corporate recipes, Beck’s thrives on personality. The walls display faded photos chronicling both family and town history, while servers remember regular customers’ orders years later. This isn’t manufactured authenticity, it’s the real thing, preserved through unwavering family commitment to doing one thing extraordinarily well.

5. Locals Know Best: What Regulars Recommend

Tom, a retired fisherman who’s eaten at Beck’s weekly for 40 years, tipped me off to the unwritten menu rules. “Never come on Sundays when the church crowds hit,” he advised, “and always ask what came in fresh this morning.”

Another insider secret: request your seafood “extra crispy” for maximum texture contrast. The kitchen happily accommodates without judgment, unlike some upscale establishments.

Though the seafood steals the spotlight, regulars insist you shouldn’t overlook the sides. The coleslaw recipe hasn’t changed since 1950, featuring a tangy-sweet dressing that complements the seafood perfectly. And if you spot deviled crabs on the specials board, order them immediately, they sell out by mid-afternoon and represent Calabash cooking at its finest.