Welcome to Small Town Treasures, an occasional series about the surprising places to find great food in the rural areas surrounding Cumberland County. Know of a place that should be featured? Email food reporter Taylor Shook at tshook@gannett.com.
LUMBERTON — Pier 41 Seafood has deep roots in Lumberton, and it remains a hotspot in the Robeson County city about 30 miles south of Fayetteville.
A typical weekend brings thousands of customers to the restaurant, situated at the crossroads of North Carolina highways 41 and 211, where it has served fried seafood for decades, owner Rob Tew said Thursday.
Tew, 49, said it started as an outpost of regional chain Sandpiper Seafood in the mid-’80s. His father, Steve Runkle, took over in 2007, gave the restaurant its current name, and passed the torch to Tew last year.
Though the fried seafood spot has changed hands a few times, it has mostly remained the same since the doors opened about 40 years ago.
Last year, Tew replaced the old red carpet and painted the walls blue to give the dining room a beachy vibe, but he said the food and faces remain the same.
Calabash-style fried shrimp is the eatery’s calling card — Tew said that 1,400 pounds of it move through the restaurant weekly — and when spot are in season, the small fish take second place.
Served battered and fried whole, spot is typically caught along the Virginia and North Carolina coast from August to October. Tew said he sells up to 850 pounds of the fish weekly.
“Some people love it so much that if we don’t have it, they’ll get up and leave,” he said. “But there’s plenty of other good stuff to eat here.”
Patrons and staff have loved Pier 41 for years
As customers poured in at lunch on Thursday, they were seated by hostess Linda LaCaille, 70, who recently celebrated 18 years at the restaurant.
Some of the cooks have been there for decades, Tew said, and most of the servers have waited tables at Pier 41 for more than 10 years.
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On the weekends, longtime patrons from all over Southeastern North Carolina crowd the 220-seat dining room where every table is graced with Texas Pete hot sauce.
“People walk around and talk to each other,” he said.
Tew, a Fayetteville native who has spent most of his career in food distribution, said he had big shoes to fill when his father retired, especially because Runkle is beloved by so many customers.
“He’s like a saint,” Tew said. “He would sit and talk with every table.”
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Tew said he’s doing what he can to maintain the family atmosphere his father instilled.
Tew’s sister, Lauren Runkle, 38, is the business manager. His wife Angela Tew, 47, a first-grade teacher in Fayetteville, and their daughter Caroline, 11, lend a helping hand on the weekends.
“It’s work, but it’s family time,” he said. “Having them here with me showed me that this was the right decision.”
What’s next
Despite the proliferation of chains nearby — Hwy 55 is set to open 2 miles away and two Chick-fil-A restaurants opened within 3 miles last year — Pier 41 has endured, Tew said.
Keeping prices affordable, decreasing wait times and offering carryout help the restaurant continue to thrive.
But as for the future, Tew said he doesn’t foresee many changes.
“It’s a perfect example of ‘if it ain’t broke, why fix it?’” Tew said.
The details
Address: 2401 E. Elizabethtown Road, Lumberton
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday;11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday; closed Monday and Tuesday
Contact: 910-738-8555
On the web: pier41seafood.com and facebook.com/pier41seafood
Food, dining and culture reporter Taylor Shook can be reached at tshook@gannett.com. Want weekly food news delivered to your inbox? Sign up for the Fayetteville Foodies newsletter.
This article was originally published by a www.fayobserver.com . Read the Original article here. .