El's Drive-In Morehead City, NC

Re:El's Drive-In Morehead City, NC (AllenK)

Sat, 25 Jun 2011 13:43:01 GMT

El's is amazing! My wife and I loved that place. We stayed in Morehead City two years in a row,and I think we ate there almost 10 times! It's great to sit in the car and eat,and watch all the action. The seagulls are a hoot. They will sit on the hood and stare at you through the windshield!

Re:El's Drive-In Morehead City, NC (cementhead)

Sat, 25 Jun 2011 11:08:56 GMT

Has anyone here been to the Big Oak Drive In in Salter Path? My wife enjoys the shrimpburgers there but I believe its the only place she ever had one. Just wondering how they compare. I for one dont like slaw so I never had one.

Re:El's Drive-In Morehead City, NC (carlton pierre)

Sat, 25 Jun 2011 09:24:24 GMT

I get to Morehead City a couple times a year but will look for El's onmy next visit.

Re:El's Drive-In Morehead City, NC (N2OND)

Tue, 21 Jun 2011 17:25:14 GMT

Anybody..... Anybody at all..... I need the recipe for the coleslaw burger topping.... I've been dying for an El's Burger since the last time I was in Morehead City (1968)

Re:El's Drive-In Morehead City, NC (jellybear)

Fri, 13 Feb 2009 10:12:05 GMT

And don't look up with your mouth open.

Re:El's Drive-In Morehead City, NC (mikeam)

Fri, 13 Feb 2009 09:49:35 GMT

jellybear

I stop by everytime on my way back from Hatteras and get Myself an EI's Burger thats a Cheesebuger with Mustard Chilli and slaw aka Carolina Burger.Don't walk in the place though as there is barely enough room to turn around.And whatever you do Don't Feed the Seagulls!

You are right about the seagulls. If you feed one stand back and watch them multiply!

Re:El's Drive-In Morehead City, NC (mikeam)

Fri, 13 Feb 2009 09:47:58 GMT

leethebard

Thanks for the rteport...I love places like this...have our share in Jersey,too. Are those FORMED onion rings, or the real thing?

They were not the real thing! They were ok but not worth bragging about.

Re:El's Drive-In Morehead City, NC (Nancypalooza)

Fri, 13 Feb 2009 09:10:33 GMT

Slaw on a shrimp burger is a new one on me, but I bet it's terrific. Nice report mike!

Re:El's Drive-In Morehead City, NC (leethebard)

Fri, 13 Feb 2009 08:57:42 GMT

Thanks for the rteport...I love places like this...have our share in Jersey,too. Are those FORMED onion rings, or the real thing?

Re:El's Drive-In Morehead City, NC (tcrouzer)

Fri, 13 Feb 2009 08:10:51 GMT

It looks like they have paved the parking lot at El's. I prefer the crushed oyster shell surface myself. And what would El's be without the seagulls? I like seeing them, but, no - I don't feed them.

It's been years since I first went to El's for a shrimp burger, but it was a real treat, complete with the bruiser of the female car hop who took our order and delivered it - smile or any semblance of charm not included. At the time you could only get canned cold drinks but that just fit in with the experience.

I tried to write up that first El's experience and post it here, but the powers that be did not deem my contribution worthy of publication.

Teresa

Re:El's Drive-In Morehead City, NC (jellybear)

Fri, 13 Feb 2009 07:48:53 GMT

I stop by everytime on my way back from Hatteras and get Myself an EI's Burger thats a Cheesebuger with Mustard Chilli and slaw aka Carolina Burger.Don't walk in the place though as there is barely enough room to turn around.And whatever you do Don't Feed the Seagulls!

Re:El's Drive-In Morehead City, NC (doggydaddy)

Fri, 13 Feb 2009 07:25:37 GMT

===Is that a fried oyster platter, or raw?===

Great little report and a cool looking place. You are providing arguments that many trip reports deserve and should be turned into a listed review /logbook

I think everything is fried. The oysters are probably pre-shucked as nobody in a small place like that could not do it to order, especially if you are making oyster burgers. The menu has other interesting things that make it unique to this region. This is a important point, shrimp and oysters are common and used on the menu. If you want clams, you'll have to drive up a couple states along the Atlantic seaboard.

You would be hard pressed to find chicken salad, western sandwich, and bbq too. I doubt it is 'true' Q, but it probably is better than whatever other regions would try to foist off. I notice that they sell both Pepsi products and Coke products!!!

mark

Re:El's Drive-In Morehead City, NC (MiamiDon)

Fri, 13 Feb 2009 05:09:07 GMT

You just have to love a place with a menu on the storefront! Looks like a great little place. Did you see anyone eating the oysters? Is that a fried oyster platter, or raw?

Re:El's Drive-In Morehead City, NC (FriedClamFanatic)

Thu, 12 Feb 2009 20:08:22 GMT

Great pics! And any place with Hush-puppies has gotta be great.

Thanks for the info!

El's Drive-In Morehead City, NC (mikeam)

Thu, 12 Feb 2009 19:48:18 GMT

El's Drive-In in Morehead City, NC is an old fashioned order in your car, eat in the parking lot with the seagulls place. It had been a while since I had been so I stopped by a couple of weeks ago. El's has been around as long as I can remember. It is a tradition to go to El's when you're at the beach.

The onion rings were ok but nothing spectacular.

The shrimp burger however was wonderful. Delicious fried shrimp, slaw and cocktail sauce on a hamburger bun. My picture does not do it justice.