Sneads Ferry Guide: Seafood, Restaurants and Shrimp Boats

Sneads Ferry is the shrimping village just across the high-rise bridge from North Topsail Beach, and it's where a big group goes for seafood dinners, fresh shrimp, groceries and a boat ramp. It has no ocean beach of its own, so most visitors stay on the island and drive over, about 7 miles from our house to the restaurants on Highway 210.

I'm Dipen, and I host Topsail Paradise, a house for up to 22 overnight guests in North Topsail Beach. Sneads Ferry is the town I send guests to for groceries and shrimp. Here's what I'd tell a big group, with drive times from our house. Hours change with the seasons, so call before you go.

Which Sneads Ferry restaurants work for a big group?

Most big groups eat out once or twice and cook the rest at the house. Here's where I'd point them.

Restaurant	Best for	Big-group detail	From our house
Rick's Restaurant and Sports Bar	Steaks, seafood, game nights	No reservations; call-ahead seating	about 7 mi, 12 min
Topsail Island Brewing	Beer, putt-putt, an easy afternoon	Order food from Rick's out front	about 7 mi, 12 min
Spiaggia Ristobar	Italian	Takes group reservations	about 8 mi, 14 min
Baked Pizza Company	Pizza for the house	Delivery and catering	about 9 mi, 15 min
Riverview Cafe	Seafood on the water	Call ahead with your headcount	about 12 mi, 22 min

Rick's Restaurant and Sports Bar, 510 Petes Way on Highway 210, opens at 11 AM daily and says fresh local shrimp is always available. It doesn't take reservations, but you can call (910) 327-2300 about 30 to 45 minutes ahead to get on the wait list, except on Tuesday evenings.

Topsail Island Brewing, right behind Rick's at 514 Pete's Way, opened in April 2024 and is open every day, including holidays: 11 AM to 10 PM Sunday through Thursday and until 11 PM on Fridays and Saturdays. It calls itself family friendly, and Visit NC notes its 9-hole putt-putt course.

Spiaggia Ristobar, 1068 NC-210, is open noon to 8 PM Sunday through Thursday and until 9 PM on Fridays and Saturdays. Its site has a group reservations page, which makes it my pick when 20 people want a sit-down Italian dinner.

Baked Pizza Company, 100 Dunn Rd., has been in Sneads Ferry since 2013. Its ordering page lists it as closed Mondays, with delivery and catering and no reservations. Ask whether they deliver to the island.

Riverview Cafe, 119 Hall Point Rd. at Fulcher Landing, is the old-school seafood stop. Only in Onslow, the county's tourism site, says it was established in 1946. Call (910) 327-2011 with your headcount.

Where can you buy fresh shrimp in Sneads Ferry?

This is the real reason to cross the bridge. Sneads Ferry's seafood markets are run by families who have fished for generations, and fresh shrimp for a crowd is easy to find. We send our guests to Mitchell Seafood, 235 Wheeler Creek Rd., about 12 miles from the house (roughly 20 minutes). Call (910) 327-7741 first, since hours change with the season, and tell them your headcount so they can size the order.

Back at the house you'll find 2 charcoal grills, a full kitchen and a ground-floor freezer for extra shrimp. A shrimp boil for 22 is one of the best nights of any stay.

When is the Sneads Ferry Shrimp Festival?

The Sneads Ferry Shrimp Festival began in 1971, and in 2011 the state made it North Carolina's official State Shrimp Festival. It's run by volunteers from the Sneads Ferry Community Council at the Community Center, 126 Park Lane, about 11 miles from our house.

• 2026: the 55th festival ran September 25 and 26.
• 2027: the dates hadn't been posted when we wrote this, so treat any date you see elsewhere as unconfirmed until the festival's own site lists it.
• Know before you go: the festival doesn't allow pets (service dogs are welcome), personal golf carts or personal coolers on the grounds.

What else is there to do in Sneads Ferry?

• Stump Sound Park, 1771 NC-172, about 9.5 miles from the house. This 52-acre county park has a playground, lighted ball fields and a 1,600-foot nature trail with 17 interpretive stations. The county lists it as open 8 AM to 7 PM daily.
• The Onslow County Environmental Education Center, 1330 NC-210, in the same building as the Sneads Ferry library, about 7 miles away. Only in Onslow says its free exhibit includes a black bear, a bobcat and a 12-foot alligator. Call (910) 324-5008 for hours.

Is there a public boat ramp in Sneads Ferry?

Yes. The Sneads Ferry Boating Access Area, 310 Fulcher Landing Loop Rd. on the New River, is about 12.5 miles from the house (roughly 23 minutes). The N.C. Wildlife Resources Commission's boating access areas are free, and BoatRampMap lists two paved lanes, a dock and a kayak hand launch.

Anyone 16 or older needs a Coastal Recreational Fishing License to fish coastal waters. For the pier, the surf and the 4x4 beach near our house, see my North Topsail Beach fishing guide.

How close is Sneads Ferry to Camp Lejeune?

Very close. The base lists its Sneads Ferry Gate as open 24 hours a day, but visitor passes come from the Visitor Center at the Wilson Gate in Jacksonville. Our Camp Lejeune visitor guide walks through the steps.

Where should a big group stay near Sneads Ferry?

If the beach is the point of the trip, stay on the island and drive over for dinner. Topsail Paradise sleeps 22 in 8 bedrooms and 6.5 baths, and the beach is about a two-block walk. The bedroom layout shows who sleeps where.

• A private saltwater pool and 2 hot tubs. Pool heat is free and self-serve from October 1 to May 15, warm but not spa-hot.
• A driveway for 6 to 8 cars, with more parking along the side.
• An optional 6-seat golf cart add-on for short trips on the island (see the golf cart page for pricing). Military families who book direct get the cart free.
• Stays are 7 nights from May through September, with Saturday to Saturday preferred, and 3 nights from October through April.
• Overnight guests only, and no pets.

Book direct on our booking page and save 15%. For more ideas on the island side of the bridge, see things to do in North Topsail Beach.

See you across the bridge.