By Mark G. Stith, Tanner Latham, and Warner McGowin

Beauty and the beach: Seafood comes served with a smile on the deck at The Crab's Claw.

Crab With a Kick
Location, location. The Crab's Claw on Atlantic Beach, North Carolina, has it, claws down, over most seafood restaurants scattered along the state's coast. Here's why: Their two-story wooden deck rewards you with a commanding overview of the beach. The background music of gentle waves and an occasional squeak from a seagull make this a spot to savor. For the best effect, be there at sunset, when the golden rays ignite sand, sea, and sky with the colors of fire.

Something else will set you on fire too: executive chef Tim Laslo's Original Spicy Crab Dip (you can also get a milder version). Blue crabmeat, cream cheese, and spices (served with grilled pita points) make this the ultimate appetizer ($8). For an entrée, try the fire-grilled salmon served with saffron smashed red potatoes and grilled vegetables ($19). Pastry chef Antoinette M. Darienzo's blackberry cobbler à la mode ($6) tastes like a sweet slice of summer.

The Crab's Claw: 201 West Atlantic Blvd., Atlantic Beach, NC 28512; (252) 726-8222 or www.crabsclaw.com.

By Warner McGowin

J. B.'s makes its crab cakes from crabs caught by one of the restaurant's employees.

It's the food that matters most, though, and J. B.'s delivers. The restaurant, sandwiched between the river on one side and the Atlantic Ocean across the street, catches its own blue crabs and serves them steaming hot in buckets. Crispy fried shrimp comes with basic fries, coleslaw, and cocktail sauce that's heavy on the horseradish--just the right amount of kick so you don't have to add your own ($7.35). Oyster stew ($6) strikes a perfect balance between sweet and spicy, with kernels of corn, cream, parsley, paprika, and small, flavorful oysters. It's rich, so save room for the Key lime pie, the real star here. The graham cracker crust is topped with a 2-inch layer of white Key lime cream that, without the distraction of meringue, pops with tart sweetness. A funky, local inspiration colors everything at J. B.'s, and makes it an end-of-the-road destination that's worth the trip.

above, left: What's the first clue that J. B.'s serves serious food in New Smyrna Beach, Florida? The butcher paper spread across every tabletop. ; above, right: Dinner on the patio at J. B.'s Fish Camp & Seafood Restaurant offers a slice of Florida heaven--the perfect sunset, fresh crabs, oysters, and blackened grouper.

J. B.'s Fish Camp & Seafood Restaurant: 859 Pompano Avenue, New Smyrna Beach, FL 32169; (386) 427-5747.

By Les Thomas

You can eat outdoors at the TopWater Grill in San Leon, Texas, and watch as shrimpboats unload on their docks.

"I wanted to cater to the fishermen and locals first," Robert explains. Now anglers have to backstroke for table space among the bankers, lawyers, secretaries, and other landlubbers who anchor for lunch and dinner at the hidden-away eatery between Houston and Galveston.

"People have told me they've been looking for this place for a week," says manager Brandon Hart. April Fool Point harkens back to pirate days when swashbuckler Jean Laffite picked it as a place to hide his loot.

About the best treasure you'll find here now is flavorful pecan-crusted snapper topped with lemon butter ($16.99) and fresh Drunken Red-fish cooked in a white wine sauce ($16.99). Start with an order of shrimp, grilled or fried. Sit outside on the deck, and watch as the catch is unloaded from the fleet of shrimpboats operated by Robert's father, Capt. Wally Jakubas. Then you'll see why the TopWater Grill is a secret too good to keep.

TopWater Grill: 815 Avenue O, San Leon, TX 77539; (281) 339-1232. Directions: From I-45, take State 517 east to the blinking red light in San Leon, and go right on Ninth Street to the water.

By Tanner C. Latham

You'll only find friendly sharks flanking the seafood buffet at Pelican Point.

Owner Mike Phillips was a fisherman and shrimper in these parts for almost 20 years before he built Pelican Point near his seafood docks. Today, he handpicks for his restaurant the shrimp, red snapper, mahi-mahi, and other varieties of seafood from those same docks managed by his son, Charlie.

You'll notice the freshness right away as you wade through the all-you-can-eat buffet and its more than 25 seafood items ($22.95). If you're not quite that hungry, try the Fresh Fried Shrimp ($16.95), a small mound of sweet Georgia whites landed right off the coast. No matter what you decide, you must try a cup of their spicy crab stew (accompanying all the entrées and the buffet); it's a must-slurp.

Pelican Point Restaurant: On the Sapelo River in Crescent, Georgia; (912) 832-4295. Directions: From I-95, take Exit 58, and go east 4 miles. Turn left onto Johnson Road, drive 3 miles, and turn left onto Sapelo Drive. The road dead-ends into the restaurant's parking lot.

The Blow Fly Inn sits near Bayou Bernard.

Note: This article has been updated on October 31, 2005. At this time, we are unable to reach this business (or homeowner) after Hurricane Katrina. Please contact us if you have any information regarding its status.

The flashing lights and clanking coins of the nearby casinos seem a lifetime away here on the banks of the serene Bayou Bernard. Snag a table out on the deck close to sunset when about the only shows around are the easy ripples from an occasional outboard puttering by.

Settle in with a cup of the She-Crab Bisque ($2.95), and sail on to the Combination Po'boy ($6.50) heaped with fried shrimp and oysters.

Blow Fly Inn: 1201 Washington Avenue, Gulfport, MS 39507; (228) 896-9812.

This article is from the March 2004 issue of Southern Living. Because prices, dates, and other specifics are subject to change, please check all information to make sure it's still current before making your travel plans.