SOUTH ATLANTIC
Whaley’s at Edisto Beach
Edisto Beach, South Carolina
This old filling station, complete with vintage gas pumps, serves to-die-for fresh local shrimp on cheesy grits. Other divine offerings include crab cakes, pan-seared mahi mahi, and linguine with clam sauce, all just three blocks from the beach. 2801 Myrtle Street; 843/869-2161

Love’s Seafood & Steaks
Savannah, Georgia
More rustic family restaurant than true dive, Love’s has served customers along the languid Ogeechee River southwest of Savannah since 1949. Waits for tables can be long, with waterfront spots not surprisingly the most popular. We especially like the fried shrimp and the creamy crab stew—and the unusual rough-sawn wood paneling. 6817 Basin Road; 912/925-3616 or savannahga.net/dining/lovesseafood.html

Sunset Waterfront Grill and Bar
Cocoa Beach, Florida
From toddlers to octogenarians, tattoos to Tommy Bahama shirts—they’re all here. People mingle in the tiled bar and its open-air dining room overlooking the river. Or they gather on the dockside deck. Most come for the namesake setting and conviviality rather than the food. But no one leaves hungry (try the Sunset Seafood Platter) or thirsty (dare to finish the triple-rum Sunset Grabber). 500 West Cocoa Beach Causeway; 321/783-8485

BAHAMAS
Harry O’s
Harbour Island
Many Harbour Island restaurants compete for five-star status, but locals go to Harry O’s for sustenance. It’s just a walk-up shack with a handwritten cardboard menu, an extended deck for seating, and glorious water views. The bill of fare is small but tasty: lobster snack, snapper fingers, fried grouper, crab and rice, and conch salad, plus a few side orders. Pick up sodas or alcoholic beverages across the street at Burns House Beverage Depot. Bay Street, between Jacqueline’s Straw Works and Queen Conch

GULF OF MEXICO
Cahills Beachside Bar & Grill
Gulfport, Florida
Nothing fancy here, just a casual joint with good fried shrimp and an open-wall deck across the street from the beach. Sweet. 5519 Shore Boulevard South; 727/343-5774

Boon Docks Restaurant
Panama City Beach, Florida
Hidden on the back side of town at West Bay, under moss-draped live oaks, Boon Docks serves wonderfully fresh fried seafood, lightly breaded and seasoned. Even the fries get a touch of seasoning. Other specialties include po’boys, burgers, and—yes—fried pickles. Thoughtful, efficient, and family-friendly, the restaurant even provides live entertainment to help pass the nearly inevitable wait for a seat. 14854 Bay View Circle; 850/230-0005

King Neptune’s Seafood Restaurant
Gulf Shores, Alabama
The building doesn’t look like much. And service, though friendly, can be a little scattered. But the many loyal regulars care only that the kitchen buys good, fresh seafood and knows how to cook it. 1137 Gulf Shores Parkway; 251/968-5464 or kingneptuneseafoodrestaurant.com

Lil’ Ray’s
Gulfport, Mississippi
No need to stray from the house specialty: the po’boy. This Gulf Coast standby is a French bread sandwich filled with fried oysters, fried shrimp, or something equally delicious. It comes undressed (plain) or dressed (lettuce, tomato, mayonnaise). At Lil’ Ray’s, the bread—crusty on the outside, soft on the inside—arrives daily from New Orleans. The seafood comes straight from the nearby Gulf. Perfect. 500 A Courthouse Road; 228/896-9601

Casamento’s Restaurant
New Orleans, Louisiana
The good news: This 1919-vintage favorite still serves wonderful oysters and other great seafood from its original, tiled-inside-and-out Uptown storefront. The bad news: Casamento’s follows the old oyster-house practice of closing during the warmest months (June through August). Cash only. 4330 Magazine Street; 504/895-9761 or casamentosrestaurant.com

Topwater Grill
San Leon, Texas
You may work up an appetite just finding this two-level, rambling, indoor-outdoor restaurant/bar, which overlooks an obscure patch of Galveston Bay southeast of Houston. The seafood—and the cheerful service—make the search worthwhile. Go for the locally harvested items, such as shrimp, oysters, crab, and black drum. And don’t overlook the thick, spicy crab-and-corn chowder. 815 Avenue O; 281/339-1232