Harbor Inn

This is the place to go for seafood that tastes great and won’t break the bank. All of their wait staff is super friendly and go above and beyond. The portions are enough for 2 and the cakes… OMG!!! The red velvet is heaven. I also love the corn, crab chowder which I believe is seasonal. The clam chowder is OK but not as good and the ranch dressing is made in house. It beats Hidden Valley hands down.

I only got carry out. The prices, especially for lunch were pretty good. The food was very greasy and ultimately gave me a stomachache. I would probably not go back. A lot of fried food, so if you enjoy that, it’s good for you. Service was good.

Usually good, not great, chain seafood. I tried the shrimp tacos today. Seemed like what someone who had heard of but never seen a taco might throw together to try. It was a pile of shrimp on a soft taco round with a small amount of something someone who had heard of pico de gallo but had never seen or tasted it would throw… You get the gist. Terrible. No way will I try the fish tacos.

Terrible service and mediocre food. Fried pickles were way too salty, and the stuffed crab and stuffed clam weren’t good. First and last time going there.

I have eaten at this location many times over the years and may have only had one mildly bad experience, which was immediately resolved by management, and they will bend over backwards to ensure their patrons are happy. No fish substitutions here; you get the fish you order: red snapper is red snapper and cod is cod. This is a no-​frills family restaurant. No alcohol served here, so no pre-​meal beer to enjoy. Side-​salads are simple. Complimentary hush puppies are provided before your meal, and with most meals, so if you love hush puppies, you won’t be disappointed. Harbor Inn is my first choice for good seafood in the Charlotte area!

Food was sub par. Absolutely terrible customer service. Hostess didn’t even greet us with a «hey how are you» just smirked and sat us down. It was our first time there so we had no idea you had to pay up front so we sat their waiting for a check for a good 10 minutes because our server didn’t even hand us a bill or tell us to have a good night. So we asked her if we paid at the table and she said «no up front». Again, didn’t even tell us to have a good day or anything and clearly if we are asking where we pay we aren’t sure what to do so she could have at least told us we needed a bill to give the front counter because when we walked up there the cashier was asking for our check. Just not friendly at all.

Atmosphere is pretty casual but it’s always quiet and there’s good food, big portions and not expensive, staff is so nice every time.

Wow! Fresh seafood has been found in Charlotte NC! I am a Miami boy, so I know fresh, and this was fresh. The Inn was busy, it was right after Sunday church wen we arrived, but we were seated immediately. The server was very nice, and attentive to our needs, and was quick to refill our drinks without being asked. Always a plus.
The Sunday special is fried baby shrimp for $ 7, and my Daughter Alex ordered hers with a baked potato and cole slaw. She doesn’t eat any seafood except shrimp, and they have to be tail free, so this fit her requirements. Alina ordered the everyday special, which was $ 10. The special includes flounder fillet, deviled crab and baby shrimp, a side and cole slaw. I ordered the salt & pepper catfish fillet, with fries and cole slaw. My girls don’t eat cole slaw, so Daddy gets all 3. The dishes were served quickly, and we were blown away at how much food there was. Being Sunday, these were not lunch sized portions, you can only order those Tue-​Sat. But even for a dinner portion, they were very generous.
Everything was very tasty, at least half of everything came home with us (except the cole slaw, which I finished). The people kept pouring in while we were there, and the staff managed to handle things without an issue. We didn’t order dessert, but the cakes in the display case in front of the restaurant looked decadent. Maybe next time. Less than $ 40 for lunch for 3, with a ton of leftovers. Oh, and a Diet Coke in a to go cup. Well worth a return visit.

We love this place, so it’s difficult to be unbiased about my review. First, there’s no illusion here, this is, as the red necks say, a fish camp, so don’t be surprised when your flatware arrives in a plastic bag. The menu has its share of deeply fried fish fare and your side choices include the also fried, french fries and hush puppies. However, once you make your way past the fried with fried dishes, there is a great broiled section, that offers a variety of fish and shellfish broiled to perfection with some nice seasoning. Although your choice of non-​fried sides is limited, you can find a moderately healthy meal here. I always get the broiled scallops and although one of the more expensive items on the menu, it is delicious, filling, and not «break the bank» expensive. But before you get too full, remember to leave room for the Crazy Cake! you cannot leave without picking up a slice, even if it is to take home. We are talking about a rainbow sprinkle topped cake made up of individual layers of chocolate, red velvet, carrot, and strawberry jam topped vanilla cake — that’s right 4 layers, each with their complementary frostings holiding it together.
The kitsch of this place is everywhere, from the porthole shaped windows, to the nets and seashells hanging up on the dining floor. The waitstaff is always friendly, your glass is always full and the restaurant just has a sort of feel good quality about it that is difficult to explain.

Wasn’t good wasn’t bad flounder was kinda mushy. Stuffing was bland. Service is great hush puppies are nice and salad was great

Harbor Inn is a solid seafood restaurant. It’s one of the places that I occasionally visit since moving to the area.
Never had any issues with the staff as they are always very friendly and courteous.
The main reason to come here though is for the fried food. The portions are very large, rarely am I able to actually finish the entire meal. The price is very reasonable for what you get as well. When going all out fried I usually go for the Fried Seafood Platter which gets you flounder fillet, jumbo shrimp, deviled crap, baby shrimp, a stuffed clam, and fried oysters for only around $ 13. It also comes with hush puppies and a side. So it’s quite a bit of food. Great tasting food at that.
Lately however, I’ve been trying out the broiled menu and while it’s much better for you, it’s just not as tasty as the fried stuff. So if you’re worried about your calories then you should probably stay away for now. I limit my trips to Harbor Inn for those occasions where I can afford to eat all the fried stuff because no way will I sit back and inhale the pleasant fumes of fried seafood and not take part in the fun.
Good food, great price, great service. Recommended.

I have been here several times and find that the food is always good.
Love the fried catfish and fried jumbo shrimp. Hushpuppies are delicious. Not overly expensive. Good customer service.

I was in Charlotte for business and tried out the Harbor Inn based on good reviews on Unilocal and my craving for seafood. I tried the fried (as in deep) seafood platter and was quickly won over by the flavor. The platter included fish, crab, shrimp, clam, scallops and fries.
Calorie counters should probably stay away from this place. You could have gained a pound or two just by being exposed to the aroma of my meal. My only let down was that there was no bar where solo diners can have a beer and watch tv while eating, so I took my meal back to the hotel. I will definitely go back and would recommend it to others.

Scallop dinner was delicious (a tad bit salty) :) We also tried they everyday special which is fried flounder, baby shrimp and deviled crab. Traditional fish camp food, prepare for fried glory.
I am definitely thinking I will go with broiled as I felt a bit overwhelmed with all the fried foods. I must say their tartar was perfect as well as delicious hush puppies.
P.S: I did not try and cake (I was stuffed!) but man oh man the pieces had to be at least 8 inches tall…

I had went there on the advice of my niece. So glad that I did! They have great fried foods seafood and is on the same line as a «fish camp» type of food! I have been looking for a alternative to having to go to Captain D’s. It is right in the area and have a great take out menu also. More than just fried seafood, I get the take out fish platter and they give generous portions, great food at a great price. Also have a broiled menu for ppl with diet plans and have a full menu of different types of foods. I am a fan. My son is Autistic and a picky eater he loved it and he was FULL! Anyone out their with a teenage boy knows what I mean! Great place!

Delicious fried scallops & oysters and a great value for the money. They cook seafood the way it is supposed to be cooked!

Not being an avid seafood fan… it’s gonna be hard to get me excited enough for four or more stars, but this place is okay for fish I suppose. HUGE portions, decently priced and very busy!
I had fried shrimp, crab cake and flounder (I think). I ate th shrimp and crab cake and passed off the fish, just not being a fan, and not having room after eating lots of yummy hushpuppies… not the best I’ve ever had, but very good!
Great for a group, plenty of room and our waitress was super friendly and made suggestions from the specials and for the seniors in our group to save a few $.
If you are looking for seafood locally, give it a try…

Normally I avoid ‘fish camps’ but I desperately wanted some seafood and I didn’t want to drive far to get it. I didn’t expect much but it was actually very tasty! I had the catfish fillet, crab cakes, hush puppies and a baked sweet potato… yummy:-). The fish was nicely battered and seasoned, I was told the crab cakes are made in house, and were seasoned with scallions, red and green peppers and deep fried… not bad, not bad at all… very good hush puppies and baked sweet potato. They have a walk up window to order takeout and the food was served up fast and hot.

Three and a half stars. If you like Southern fried seafood, broiled seafood, or steaks, this place will do in a pinch. We live about two miles away, so we get here a few times a year for fish and seafood.
We kicked off our meal with an order of fried pickles. Pinky’s Westside Grill makes them a little better, but these were lightly breaded, fried to a golden, crispy brown, and served hot, with a creamy dill dressing: They’re addictive fare for sure!
I’m partial to broiled fare, but my wife and kids like fried shrimp. Tonight, my wife and I had their broiled special, which is salmon strips, jumbo shrimp, hush puppies, sweet potato (you can choose fries or baked), and salad or slaw. The salad was nothing special, just iceberg, shredded carrots, cucumber chips, and a couple of grape tomatoes. The sweet potato was a little over-​baked, but tasted fine. The hush pupples were tasty. The salmon was seasoned lightly and broiled in a little butter, I believe. The same can be said for the shrimp. They were very tasty.
One of my sons had lobster bisque, and the other one had fried shrimp. They were both stuffed when they left.
This is a little more upscale than the traditional Carolina fish camp. It isn’t quite as compelling as the Mayflower near Concord Mills, and it’s not quite the same as going to the coast, but if you’re in the area and hungry for fish and seafood, it’s definitely worth the visit. Prices are reasonable, service is adequate, and they’re friendly and flexible.

This place has really improved over the last few years, and it’s a staple with the folks at the neighboring offices. I believe they brought in new management a few years ago and it’s made a WORLD of difference in both service and quality of food.
Unfortunately I’m a fan of fried (yah, I know) popcorn shrimp and Alaskan whitefish, and they prepare both beautifully here, in traditional «fish camp» style. They really shine at lunch time, where daily specials are around FIVE BUCKS and you get dinner-​size portions! They do have broiled options, but those aren’t available as lunch specials (however they’re still priced reasonably). One thing I like about them is that they’re flexible. This means that you don’t HAVE to get fries with your meal; you can opt for a baked potato if you prefer and they don’t say anything or get confused as some places do. Or you can get double fries/​no hush puppies… whatever works for YOU, not them.
I think one of their star options is the «family pack» they offer. This has got to be one of THE best deals in town, especially when trying to feed a family at dinner. You get a TON of food for $ 27 & change (including tax!). For under thirty dollars you get your choice of TWO seafood options (ie two lbs of baby shrimp and eight pieces of flounder), a very large box of hush puppies, and a very large box of fries or four baked potatoes. You also get a TUB each of cocktail sauce, tarter sauce and cole slaw. Plenty of food for a family of 2 – 4. OH — you also get a half gallon of tea.
Service here is always speedy and friendly as well, and that has a lot to do w/​the change in management I believe. I worked in the neighboring office for many years & for a while a few years ago we actually boycotted them for quite some time BECAUSE of their service. But now they’re wonderful! Orders are always correct and on time (especially important when time is of the essence), and the employees are always super friendly and accommodating, and seem genuinely interested in making sure your experience is the best it can be.
Harbor Inn — a great option for traditional seafood in the University City area.