Our Favorite Seafood Dives

Our Favorite Seafood Dives These spots offer the freshest catch in the South.

All right, we admit it: We had fun researching this story. When charged to find the best seafood dives along the South's saltwater shores, we jumped in, belly first. With such restaurants, sometimes there's a fine line between yummy and shimmy. First and foremost, we made sure our choices were places we'd take our mamas. Each also had to have great food, an unforgettable atmosphere, and had to be either on the water or a casting net's toss away from it. Here are a few of our favorite spots we know you'll enjoy.

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 entree, try the fire-grilled salmon served with saffron smashed red potatoes and grilled vegetables ($19). Pastry chef Antoinette M. Darienzo's blackberry cobbler a la mode ($6) tastes like a sweet slice of summer. MARK G. STITH

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

Crabs, Kitsch, and Local Color

The sign outside J. B.'s Fish Camp & Seafood Restaurant in New Smyrna Beach, Florida, proclaims "Southern Seafood With an Attitude." That's exactly what you'll find at this out-of-the-way spot on the Indian River. Let's start with the attitude-a mix of irreverent kitsch and local pride. From the stuffed deer wearing Santa hats to snapshots of locals' fishing trips, J. B.'s boasts a laid-back atmosphere. The oyster-shell driveway, boat launch, and weigh-in platform for fishing tournaments add just enough old-Florida authenticity.

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. WARNER MCGOWIN

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

Fall for April Fool Point

Robert Jakubas grew up working in his father's bait shop at the edge of Galveston Bay in San Leon, Texas. But now he hooks customers who come to dine on shrimp and other succulent seafood specialties fresh off the boat at the Top Water Grill.

"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 Redfish 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 Top Water Grill is a secret too good to keep. LES THOMAS

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.

Shrimp and Salt Marshes

Exit east off I-95 at the coastal Georgia town of Eulonia, and soon you're winding along back roads barely wide enough for two cars. Keep your nose toward the Sapelo River, and after a few turns you'll find yourself dead-ending at a gravel parking lot. Welcome to Pelican Point Restaurant.

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.