Tex’s Fish Camp

A great NC experience! Substantial portions for the price. Go for the fried fish but if you are not a seafood fab, there are other good options Cole slaw and hush puppies are also great! Be prepared however– no beer served!

What a gem! Great jumbo shrimp and founder. Old style country service. Very clean.

Although this place may look old and outdated, it is impeccably clean and the people who operate this restaurant take pride in preparing a from-​scratch, quality, meal.
I was extremely impressed at their attention to details, as well. We were having our meal, after 7:00, and drinking fresh-​brewed ice tea. When it was time for a refill, we were asked if we were drinking the «decaf» iced tea!?! Wow! We didn’t know that was an option, but we switched, as soon as we were told about it. Too cool! They care ;-)
The battered flounder was very fresh, very mild flavored, and the batter and fry was the best I have EVER had. I’ve eaten a range of battered fish, from fast food, to fine dining. The other component of this, that must be noted: they use very clean oil. My fries and my fish, tasted just like their components should. My fries did not taste like fish, and my fish did not taste like dirty oil. Bravo!
Okay, so one more comment about the care and freshness. I was too full to try a dessert, this time, but these are also all home-​made, and I really appreciate that they offer some «sugar-​free,» items, daily! They care about healthier options!

Best fish camp in the area! Lightly breaded and fried flounder and shrimp done to perfection. great slaw and southern green beans. Highly recommend to someone looking for good food served with southern courtesy in a clean and down to earth family restaurant.

A FAMILY AFFAIR.
Saturday afternoon — craving seafood. Drive to Belmont, or try something local? I chose to try a «new» place nearby. Tex’s Fish Camp had been on my bookmark list for a while, so I thought that I’d give them a try.
Tex’s is located 9.5 miles west of Hickory. My GPS said to take I-​40W to exit 118. Head north towards Hwy 70. Turn left at hwy 70. Go about one mile to Tex’s Fish Camp road, and they’re about 200 yards up the road on the left. They’re easy to find, and no more than five minutes from the interstate.
There was a couple minute wait to be seated because the lady who works the register, also writes up the takeout orders, and seats diners. I got there at 5 PM, and I just beat the crowd, which continued to arrive in a steady stream.
Tex’s has been around 42 years in 2014. My waitress, Jackie, is the twin sister of the lady who runs the register. They are Tex’s sisters. Tex was sitting out front, smoking a cig, welcoming new arrivals. This is very much a locals type of restaurant. Julie S. was right when she made the «Cheers» reference. I would be willing to guarantee that the owners know everyone who comes in on a first name basis. A large portion of the diners were fifty plus years old; however, there were kids in high chairs to people walking with Zimmer frames and oxygen tanks, so every generation was represented.
Jackie, my waitress, was a sweetheart. I fully intend to ask to be seated in her area when I return. She recognized me right away as a new diner. She recommended a combination plate, and that’s just what I wanted: fried flounder fillet, fried oysters, French fries, and white slaw. I can’t imagine ordering this type of meal without sweet tea with lemon.
A bowl of hush puppies and a large sweet tea arrived almost immediately. The hush puppies were golf ball sized, light, super crunchy, and absolutely delicious. I couldn’t stop eating the darned things. I felt that this was a good omen for the coming fish dinner.
The tastiness of the hush puppies WAS indeed a good indication.
The fried flounder was extremely light, with a wonderfully crisp flaky batter, zero oiliness, and a fresh taste. (Tex said that was due to the fact that they discard their oil about five times as often as other fish houses.) The flavor of the fish and oysters shone though due to the CLEAN taste. The French fries were the standard crinkle cut offering, which I happen to love the best.
The oysters? OMG.
These things were large, sweet, and crunchy. I had to cut a few of them in half to eat them.
There were about four flounder fillets. There must have been a dozen oysters. The white slaw was fantastic. The hush puppies were superb. The sweet tea was middle of the road, not too sweet, and not too light. I think that most people would be satisfied with their tea, I know that I was. Absolutely nothing was the least bit greasy.
The only thing that kind of threw me for a loop was the lack of cocktail sauce on the table, but it is available upon request.
The service?
Absolutely top notch. When one has a server who has been there forty-​two years, and is part of the family, one gets amazing service. Jackie was a peach — smiling, friendly, attentive, and quick to refill my glass. I could NOT ask for better service. I left her a $ 5 tip, against a $ 14 cheque.
If you’re not a local, which would be unusual, be prepared to be treated like family. By this I mean, that everyone will say hello to you, ask you how you’re doing, smile at you, nod their head in acknowledgment, etc. In other words, this place is the picture of southern hospitality.
The sanitation grade was: 99.5%. The restaurant appeared to be very clean, as was the kitchen.
Their cakes and pies are also homemade and delicious.
In summary: I was extremely impressed with the food and the service. Tex’s Fish Camp FAR exceeded my expectations. The restaurant is not fancy by any means, but then again, that’s not their intention. It is clean and there is plentiful seating.
This place reminds me of going to visit family, who just happens to own a great seafood restaurant, because, in fact, this is really what this place is all about. I will definitely be returning here when I have a seafood craving.
PS: Wednesday = meatloaf day, and Thursday = chicken ‘n dumplings.

Driving down the highway and found this place using our GPS… and I am sure glad that we did!!! What a neat local restaurant that gave us a great experience. This is casual at its most casual — nothing fancy décor-​wise. It is definitely the local version of «Cheers» — the wait staff knew everyone who came through the door. But the best thing about it was the food! If you are a healthy eater, then I wouldn’t recommend it (They had stuff that the vegetarian in your party could survive on, but that is definitely NOT their intended patron!), but if you enjoy yourself something deep fried every once in a while, then it’s heaven! The fish was fantastic — I had breaded perch, my hubby had grilled Mahi-​Mahi, and my son had «calabash» (=popcorn) shrimp. The coleslaw was fantastic! But the all-​time best were the hushpuppies!!! I would encourage you to enjoy the adventure of fun and yummy local food at its best.