During the middle of June, David surprised me with a day trip to Topsail Beach. Despite living in North Carolina my whole life, I had never been to this particular beach, so I was really thrilled for the opportunity to get away and explore somewhere new. I had been experiencing some turmoil and this sweet surprise was exactly what I needed. We had the best weather while we were there and really enjoyed the opportunity to relax on the beach uninterrupted.
Angela, Glory, and I were looking for a day trip to take before the end of summer, so we decided to head to Topsail. It’s a quick 2-hour drive from our house, and is relatively easy to find parking for public beach access.
We left around 10:00AM and aimed to get down to Topsail around lunch time. We headed to the Beach Shop & Grill for lunch. My love for a shrimp burger at the North Carolina coast runs deep, so this was an absolute delight. I also love that The Beach Shop & Grill promotes pet adoption, and has a resident bulldog named Choppers. This is the cutest place to pick up a gift, have a great meal, and to relax while at Topsail. We lucked out on a parking spot at the public beach access, which made it easy for us to walk over to the restaurant for lunch, and then walk over to the beach after.
For lunch at the Beach Shop and Grill, I wore this sweater (similar here) and these shorts (you’ve seen them here). I wore this swim suit, which I have worn on repeat this summer.
After our lunch and shopping trip, we headed out to the beach. We relaxed, had some girl talk, and just took in the ocean before getting ready for dinner. We brought clothes to change into, and freshened up before heading to dinner at The Bistro.
Y’all, their menu is seriously amazing and is sourced from local small farmers and fishermen. We sampled their baked pimiento cheese dip (because duh) and their summer butterbean hummus. We also tried these delicious roasted peppers, roasted carrots, and my favorite, this heirloom tomato salad with goat cheese.
For an entree, I had Chef Bud Taylor’s famous shrimp & grits, while Glory ordered the fried catfish and Angela had the Mahi-mahi. We finished our meal with one of my favorite desserts, beignets!
The Bistro is a delicious option for a date night or girls’ night! Chef Taylor is a local guy, born and raised at Topsail, and went to my alma mater, East Carolina University. After majoring in graphic design, he worked for a year in an office and decided to come back to start a restaurant.
Itinerary for A Day Trip to Topsail
10:00AM – left South Raleigh for Topsail
12:15PM – lunch at The Beach Shop & Grill
2:00PM – beach time
5:30PM – dinner at The Bistro at Topsail
For dinner, I wore this Escapada caftan (c/o) with my Jack Rogers sandals.
Shop the Day Trip to Topsail Island Post
Special thanks The Bistro at Topsail Island and Tabletop Media for hosting us for supper! As always, all opinions are my own.
Photos by Glory Roze Photography
