Calabash

Colorful billboards line U.S. Highway 17 boasting of all-you-can-eat Calabash style seafood at restaurants all around Myrtle Beach. But the true seafood lover knows where to find the real thing. In Calabash, North Carolina, the once sleepy little fishing village is busy serving up the best seafood for miles around. With more than thirty restaurants in a 1.5 square mile area, that's a lot of food.

Calabash is located in Brunswick County, just 2 miles north of the border with South Carolina. In 1691, the Lord Proprietors granted 48,000 acres along this mid-Carolina coast to a nobleman named Landgrave Thomas Smith. Until 1735 the area was considered part of South Carolina. Then formal boundaries were drawn. One hundred years later, the area was known as Pea Landing, and here indigo, tobacco, and cotton were grown on a few plantations. During the civil war, there was a little-known skirmish with the "Lincoln Commandos" at the mouth of the Calabash river, but it wasn't until 1883 that Pea Landing got its first post office and became known as the village of Calabash. Presumably, it was named after the Calabash river, which in turn was named after the local calabash gourds which were once used by the Native Americans to hold food and water. This is a fitting name for a village that for decades has called itself the "seafood capital of the world."

For over a century, fishermen have been hauling their catch to the docks of Calabash. When the boats returned, dinner was on. Impromptu oyster roasts under the live oaks became a popular feast for the locals who gladly paid for a dinner plate. Then, the food moved indoors to the old-fashioned "fish-camps" typical of the Carolina coast. Since the 1930s, it has been a friendly fight between the Becks and the Colemans as to who started the first indoor restaurant. Today, their restaurants are in the capable hands of the third generation. Locals are proud of the food here, but are also quick to offer that Calabash is more than just restaurants. In Calabash, visitors can also come to buy fresh-caught Carolina shrimp, to catch a gulf-stream fishing trip, try a two-hour adventure cruise, or to browse the many shops in town.

Down by the river along the waterfront docks, independent shrimp boats offer their catch at the lowest prices around – fresh from the nets and first-come first-served. Ice is included but bring your own cooler. For the more adventurous traveler, the docks also offer fishing trips out to the gulf stream in the Atlantic. These half-day trips are a great way for anglers to experience the deep sea at a reasonable price. Black bass, snapper, and grouper are the usual catch.

Children of all ages love the dolphin adventure cruises. Here you can have a once-in-a-lifetime oceanography experience. The boats set sail for the working shrimp vessels and pull alongside. There, adventurers learn how the shrimp boats work and see the live by-catch from the shrimp nets as it is hauled in. Where else can you touch live crabs, sand dollars, starfish, and sea urchins? In addition, the local porpoises and sharks feed off the fish cast from the nets, allowing an up-close and personal glimpse of marine life most people only experience from behind the glass of an aquarium.

Shoppers love Calabash, too. After a satisfying seafood dinner, most patrons stroll the art galleries, antique shops, and specialty boutiques that line Beach Drive. But it is Callahan's that catches the shoppers eye. With five shops housed in a 35,000 square foot building, there is a lot to choose from. The year-round Christmas shop is always a favorite.

Over the years, Calabash-style seafood has become known as a platter of seafood that is coated in a delicate batter, deep fried, and served piping hot with slaw and hush puppies. From California to Chicago, Calabash platters are found on the menu, but for the real thing, there is only one Calabash – and it is in North Carolina.

From Myrtle Beach, take U.S. 17 north past North Myrtle Beach and Little River. Just past the South Carolina visitor's center, take a right. Once across the state line, the road becomes NC 179, also known as Beach Drive.

From Wilmington, take U.S. 17 south, just past Shallotte. Turn left at the traffic light onto Thomasboro Road.

From the south Brunswick Islands of Holden, Ocean Isle, or Sunset, take NC 179 south into Calabash.