Island Way: A Culinary Gem in Oak Island

Everything from first walking in the door to walking back out was just amazing, our server Kirby was absolutely on point and took care of our every need. Started with a reasonably priced pour of Buffalo trace and then transitioned into an amazing bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon by Smith Hook winery. The oysters Rockefeller were probably some of the best we've ever had, I ordered the Filet Neptune, med rare and my wife had the house special Scallops Neptune. Both were absolutely amazing and cooked to perfection. The seating area was spaced far enough apart that you had your own private area even though it was absolutely packed with diners, the noise level was surprisingly low, and the lighting was bright enough to see, but not so bright you didn't enjoy yourself.

We have visited Island Way many times over the last 10 years since it's a staple in our vacation experience at OKI. Incredibly I've never thought to do a review because I've been on vacation, but we were down here on business recently so thankfully I planned ahead and took pictures of our outing. Our visits are always usually four or five stars but this one definitely was a five star visit. we were a party of six seated near the window with a view of the beach and our server, Sierra, was friendly and helpful; always at the ready to make sure we had everything we needed. Service the whole night was incredibly smooth and well paced. Really appreciated that drinks came out well before the appetizers. I think the only weakness IW has is its drink menu because it lacks seasonal bourbon drinks and could use a few more innovative options, but we enjoyed a couple of Manhattans and the French 77 which was light and refreshing. For appetizers, we loved the tenderloin canapés, an appetizer staple for us. We also enjoyed the shrimp and grits, crab dip, oysters Rockefeller, and the special of boom boom shrimp which had a nice flavorful sauce. For entrées, we got the grouper Neptune, special salmon dish of the night with a teriyaki glaze, fish and chips and a scallop and pasta special for the night. The salmon dish was the best one I've had at Oak Island. I would easily order that every time. The teriyaki glaze was not overpowering, and the salmon was perfectly cooked. The grouper Neptune was also done very well. We did have the Oscar blackened which is not how it's typically done but I think added a nice punch of flavor to it. The scallops were well prepped and cooked ; nothing like a piece of grit to ruin your meal! I didn't get to try the sauce or the pasta or the fish and chips, but my friends enjoyed theirs very much. We were essentially borderline too full for desserts, but we couldn't resist trying the Keylime pie , and the double chocolate brownies à la mode. Everyone enjoyed the Keylime pie, not amazing but good. The brownies Ala mode was disappointing because it was too dry and not that chocolatey. Given that we were full, it did not put a damper on the evening. Looking to our next visit when we come back down this summer.

Our waiter Deilon was an amazing server. The atmosphere was wonderful. I had the fried flounder and the roasted red potatoes, the flounder was ok, the potatoes were delicious.

Why dine at Island Way? We had an 89th Birthday to celebrate which has been rare in my life's experience. Island Way restaurant helped to make it an event and good memory for all of us sharing in "Pop Pop's" Birthday. We all laughed, talked about our favorite times with our guest of honor, and when we asked, he even shared his greatest accomplishment's, his seventy-three relationship with his wife (67 years married), and his two daughters who both, he felt, worked out very well. He was happy, content, and a bit ficlemented (you take your shot at the spelling, Yiddish is not my strong suit). They seated our party in front of their large, building length glass window with its view of a large sand dune featuring Sea Grass, and a crack of an ocean view at the very top of your eye line which was lovely. Ask for Matt, who did a terrific job of getting everything we ordered right the first time while being personable, professional, and very courteous. Their food was very good, starting with their appetisers of which the Oysters Rockefeller was featured, although the Asiago cheese (chef's twist) could have been less prominent to allow for fully tasting the other ingredients in this classic. They offer an Early Bird menu which has a nice surprise with a great variety from Crab stuffed Flounder to Filet Mignon & Shrimp to Chicken in a cream sherry wine which all titillated our taste buds and were simply delicious. Their wine selection was good but could use an upgrade in their glass wine quality selections on the higher end, although their present selection was very moderately priced. Desert selection thrilled everyone because the quality and variety they offered. Here Island Way made this 89 year-olds Birthday a little more special adding a candle to his slice of New York cheese cake (we asked for 89 candles but they mentioned some nonsense about violating a fire code) which he really enjoyed as we all sang Happy Birthday to him. Our mellifluous tones caught the ears and eyes of a height-chaired (2-3 year-old) girl who stared in amazement. I guess we all have to give back the money for the singing lessons. So with a tear in our eye and a song in our hearts we all recommend you visit the Island Way restaurant for your next evening out. Enjoy

Would return when visiting Oak Island. Nice and plentiful Ceasar salad with ahi tuna. Very flavorful. Good ambience with good company eating on the water. Highly recommend.

We came here for a birthday dinner with a couple of friends. The location and the ambiance was very pretty! We sat outside on their patio which had a view of the ocean and was partially covered. Our waitress Tori was so nice, attentive, and knowledgeable of the menu. We got there in time to get the early dinner menu which has some special menu items and cheaper prices. We got the crab dip as an appetizer and it was delicious! That was our favorite thing at this restaurant. The complimentary bread and butter was also so good! I got the crab cake with island way potatoes. The crab cake was just okay, it tasted more like bread than crab but the potatoes were delicious! My husband got the stuffed flounder and it was also just okay. We would definitely go back to try different menu items but these entrees were a little underwhelming.

Island Way offers an upscale but approachable dining experience on Oak Island. We had a reservation for the outdoor patio at 8:00 which was the perfect time to catch the sunset. Also the temperature outside was perfect by that time. The interior tables offer a panoramic view of the sand dunes, it is really a beautiful spot. As for the food-the crab dip was forgettable and the portion was small. There were 5 of us and we each got one tiny scoop of the dip. The scallops were tender and tasty but apparently the kitchen doesn't like when you order them blackened? The crab cakes were very bready and had a ton of filler. The grilled "sushi grade" tuna cooked rare was actually very dry and not at all similar to other tuna I have ordered on the island. The best thing I ate was the side caesar salad. I looked around and saw some tasty looking pasta dishes that I may try next time. Or maybe I'll try a steak or something else. I really enjoyed the ambiance/atmosphere. Our waiter was amazing. But unfortunately, the food fell a little flat for the price tag. 4 stars and I would return to try something else off the menu!

We had a fantastic dinner at Island Way! It doesn't look like too much from the outside, but the inside is cute and modern. We had reservations for an early dinner on a Sunday night and were seated immediately at a table overlooking the beach. We took advantage of the early dinner menu which had a more limited menu with discounted prices. The seafood was so fresh and served piping hot, and we were impressed with the portion sizes, even for the discounted menu. Definitely suggest making reservations, as all of the tables were filled when we were there. That speaks for itself, that this is a great dining experience! We will definitely be back next time we visit Oak Island!

Was there in middle of week during Septemberr and it was busy. Was seated outside on patio which was a great choice with the weather temperature and view of beach/pier. We sat at the window facing beach that had a very short bar top with high bar chairs which made it difficult for wife to get situated. Was greeted promptly to take our drink order. We did not have an appetizer and placed our order pretty quickly. My wife ordered a single crab cake which came with a side and she enjoyed it. I ordered Grouper Neptune that came with asparagus. I enjoyed my meal. Service was ok, could have been more attentive. Value for buck was ok.