North Carolina is known for many things—rich barbecue traditions, bitter basketball rivalries, and moonshine as smooth as a mountain stream—but one of my favorite treasures often flies under the radar: fish camps.
If you’re from around here, you know exactly what I mean. If not, you might be scratching your head—though you’ve probably been to one without realizing it.
Fish camps are casual, family-owned seafood restaurants – and they were born right here in the Old North State.
The name sounds strange, right? Why fish camps?
It all goes back to the days before World War II when local fishermen set up makeshift kitchens near their fishing spots to fry up their daily catches. These “camps” quickly became gathering places, serving fresh, hot fish to hungry locals.
The idea caught on like wildfire, and soon, the rudimentary restaurants began popping up all across the state—from the coastal sounds to mountain riversides.
Some folks claim the first fish camps in North Carolina were set up along the Catawba River in the 1930s. Were they the very first? Hard to say. But around that same time, legendary seafood spots like Beck’s, Coleman’s, and Ella’s of Calabash were laying the groundwork for what would become a beloved Tar Heel tradition.






I’ve visited more fish camps than I can count over the years, but a few have earned a special place in my heart: Something Fishy, Pirate’s Table, all the original Calabash restaurants, and Hudson Bay.
Each has its own charm, but they all serve up mouthwatering fried seafood at affordable prices. It’s what keeps the locals coming back year after year.
If you’ve never been to one, trust me, you’re missing out on something truly special.
The Friendly Road Inn in Greensboro was a staple for 50 years run by Bob and Linda Shaw. Many an evening spent feeding hush puppies to the ducks after filling my belly with perch
Some of the best fried seafood in NC in the ’70s was 220 Seafood outside of Greensboro at the intersection of hwy 220 and 62. They branched out into many, from Raleigh, 2 in Charlotte, 2 in WInston-
Salem, Reidsville, Kernersville, Henderson, and Martinsville, Salem, Danville and South Boston in Va. I worked at 7 of those. Calabash style seafood piled high.
If you want to eat at a true authentic fish camp, you should eat at mine. Riverside Fish House! One of the only one left in Gaston County NC.
Yes, my favorite is big daves seafood in rutherford county nc,
Love anything seafood and I’ve eaten at so many fish camps!