http://www.buddyscrabhouse.com/
Note: There is another location in Surf City, NC that is really nice, with boat docks and wealthy people and food. This article is about the WB location.
This one is tough. Everyone loves Buddy's. They loved it when it was in the Lagerheads location and they loved it when it moved near Johnny Mercer Pier. They continue to love it even when it stopped serving seafood, but kept the sign that said "Crabhouse and Oyster
Bar." Why? Part of it is legacy and nostalgia for good times lost. Part of it is to see if the old dollar bill or photo they posted in there ten years ago is still there. It sure isn't for the drink specials. The drinks are pricey by island standards, and they are served in small cups filled with big ice chunks.
The retention of the sign that says they still serve food is one of the greatest practical jokes that anyone on the island continues to play on tourists. The sign joke, and the shit-dollar joke, wherby you wipe your ass with a five dollar bill and laugh at the unsuspecting people who pick it up (a locals pastime), are classic jokes that never stop being funny. They are also both Major Dick Moves.
People walk into Buddy's with their families everyday asking for seafood and are denied with a smile and a chuckle. The sign stays up, ostensibly to promote the bar, but mostly all it does is make little kids cry because they are hungry and thought they finally found somewhere to eat on this seafoodless island. That's right, Buddy's makes little kids cry with a selfish marketing ploy.
The ambiance is dive-bar chic. That means you pay a premium price to feel like you are slumming at the beach. There are signed dollar bills everywhere you look, which is actually pretty cool when you are drunk. It is estimated that there is about $9,000 in bills in the entire building, stapled to the walls. Unfortunately the upstairs is never open and that is a shame because it is pretty neat up there, with tables and large windows with a view of the ocean. You'll have to ask the management why upstairs is shut because we've never gotten a straight answer on that.
A few bars on Fantasy Island seem to have a major aversion to maintaining clean bathrooms, and yep, this is another one of them. More than a few people have chosen to drink at Buddy's and take a whizz at Palm Room, which is next door.
The bartenders and bouncers at Buddy's can't be blamed for any of these problems. They try their best to provide
drinks and smiles, but there are locals who started a boycott a few years ago because of the drink prices. Those people were quickly replaced by new locals who have found their own little corner of WB where they don't have to deal with the other locals. So everyone won and continues to be happy, except for the hungry and disappointed parents and their starving, crying kids.
This is not to say we're not recommending that you go to Buddy's. This is an island of many types of flair and perhaps this one fits you peculiar lifestyle. Go and make up your own mind. Who knows, you might fall in love with it like so many before you. Remember to ask for a menu of their seafood specials and a strong Coca-Cola.
Next: I'm Waving Money Because I'm Thirsty, Not Because I Think You're A Stripper!
Note: There is another location in Surf City, NC that is really nice, with boat docks and wealthy people and food. This article is about the WB location.
This one is tough. Everyone loves Buddy's. They loved it when it was in the Lagerheads location and they loved it when it moved near Johnny Mercer Pier. They continue to love it even when it stopped serving seafood, but kept the sign that said "Crabhouse and Oyster
Bar." Why? Part of it is legacy and nostalgia for good times lost. Part of it is to see if the old dollar bill or photo they posted in there ten years ago is still there. It sure isn't for the drink specials. The drinks are pricey by island standards, and they are served in small cups filled with big ice chunks.The retention of the sign that says they still serve food is one of the greatest practical jokes that anyone on the island continues to play on tourists. The sign joke, and the shit-dollar joke, wherby you wipe your ass with a five dollar bill and laugh at the unsuspecting people who pick it up (a locals pastime), are classic jokes that never stop being funny. They are also both Major Dick Moves.
People walk into Buddy's with their families everyday asking for seafood and are denied with a smile and a chuckle. The sign stays up, ostensibly to promote the bar, but mostly all it does is make little kids cry because they are hungry and thought they finally found somewhere to eat on this seafoodless island. That's right, Buddy's makes little kids cry with a selfish marketing ploy.
The ambiance is dive-bar chic. That means you pay a premium price to feel like you are slumming at the beach. There are signed dollar bills everywhere you look, which is actually pretty cool when you are drunk. It is estimated that there is about $9,000 in bills in the entire building, stapled to the walls. Unfortunately the upstairs is never open and that is a shame because it is pretty neat up there, with tables and large windows with a view of the ocean. You'll have to ask the management why upstairs is shut because we've never gotten a straight answer on that.
A few bars on Fantasy Island seem to have a major aversion to maintaining clean bathrooms, and yep, this is another one of them. More than a few people have chosen to drink at Buddy's and take a whizz at Palm Room, which is next door.
The bartenders and bouncers at Buddy's can't be blamed for any of these problems. They try their best to provide
drinks and smiles, but there are locals who started a boycott a few years ago because of the drink prices. Those people were quickly replaced by new locals who have found their own little corner of WB where they don't have to deal with the other locals. So everyone won and continues to be happy, except for the hungry and disappointed parents and their starving, crying kids.This is not to say we're not recommending that you go to Buddy's. This is an island of many types of flair and perhaps this one fits you peculiar lifestyle. Go and make up your own mind. Who knows, you might fall in love with it like so many before you. Remember to ask for a menu of their seafood specials and a strong Coca-Cola.
Next: I'm Waving Money Because I'm Thirsty, Not Because I Think You're A Stripper!
