Along the North Carolina coast where would you say are the best restaurants to get fresh seafood, and is there a particular season for getting the best? Years ago (1980ish) I was told that the Moorehead City area was the best place to get good seafood. Is that still the case?

I fished the Hatteras area in late October one year and restaurants seem to be making a big deal about fresh King Mackerel if it was in season and available. I was wondering if there is a better time of year to vacate to get good, fresh seafood?

My wife and I love fresh Tuna. How will some of the other fish like Mackerel and Cobia compare? We plan to vacate somewhere on the coast this fall. We're real foodies and good food to us is the most important thing during vacation. Thanks, everyone.

No easy answer to your question....all depends on the type of seafood you are interested in.  Here is a pretty good chart on the availability of the most popular seafood in NC:  http://www.nccatch.org/files/nc_seafood_availability_10-09.pdf  (sorry....internet imparied...don't know how to make it a hot link)

Morehead City has a lot of good restaurants but there are also many all up and down the coast.  The Outer Banks certainly has their share (I particularly like Kelly's in Nags Head).  The Wilmington area also has some great restaurants.  Calabash (near the SC border) is known for their seafood restaurants and probably has the most restaurants per capita of any place in NC.  These are mostly "Calabash style" restaurants which is a form of fried seafood....great stuff if you like fried seafood.  Everyone has their favorite so I won't name any.

Haven't been in many years, but Riverview Cafe in Sneads Ferry was always a good to go place .

Just a note...make sure you become familiar with the types of seafood caught off the NC coast...don't depend on the staff.  Had one young man tried to convince me that the salmon on the menu was local....ain't no salmon in NC!!!!  Also mahi mahi (dolphin...the fish not flipper) is readily available and is really good.  Try some of the less known foods like Trigger Fish....excellent grilled!!!!!  In Morehead you can usually find some good conch chowder.  Oh, and if you get a chance to try Hatteras style clam chowder....go for it!!!!  It is a clear broth clam chowder and is, in my opinion, the best of the clam chowders!

Well any month with a R for oysters.

Bigger better tasting shrimp are caught in the fall.

Yellowfin tuna are mostly caught mid April to first of June and then again Oct. to Dec.

Wahoo pretty much year round from the Gulf Stream.

King Mackerel from June to Nov.(not one of my preferred fish though)

Mahi is plentiful from about June till October and at other times out in the Stream.

Red Snapper season only lasted 22 days in Jan.

Spots usually start running down the coast from north to south in mid September in the north to  October in the south.

Speckeled trout seems to be best around Southport down to SC in October and November so I would imagine maybe a little earlier around Morehead.

Black Sea bass season started in June and will probably expire in Oct. or before.

Morehead City is the best area for seafood markets since there are still a lot of commercial guys fishing there.

Around Southport there are not as many commercial fishermen as there once was.

Tuna and wahoo both kick the $h1t out of king, IMHO.  Wahoo is nice and mild, I call it saltwater catfish.

If you get down to Morehead City, shoot me an IM.  My brother has been in the "on the water" business there in one way or another for about 25 years.  I'll hook you up with him.

Calabash has some pretty good places to eat. Captain Nances, Boundary House.

Also in Shallote there is the Inlet View.