Wilmington seafood restaurant, Rx Chicken & Oysters, dives for fresh dinners

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — A Wilmington seafood restaurant is going to great depths to get fresh food for its customers. 

“Just introducing a new fun aspect of, ya know, recreation and work at the same time,” Rx Chicken & Oysters Co-owner, James Doss, said. 

There are plenty of restaurants in the Port City known for great food. But Rx Chicken and Oysters, at the corner of Castle and 5th streets, takes a unique approach when it comes to serving up seafood. 

Owners James and Sarah Doss suit up and go diving for fresh dinners for customers. They specifically target lionfish which is considered an invasive species. 

“The best way to help combat this problem is to spear the fish individually. So, that means for us we need to go out at least 100 feet, we need to have our special gear,” Sarah said. “The spines are venomous. So, they can sting you and they can seriously hurt you.” 

Along with setting sail and going for a swim, the two also harvest oysters from their own oyster farm. James Doss said it’s more environmentally friendly this way. 

“The other advantage too is that you are not taking as much from the wild oyster population. It still allows you to, we can still harvest wild oysters, but that’s not our only source,” James said. 

Sarah said she wants to encourage folks to do their part in helping our ecosystem stay balanced. But she also wants to help educate others about what’s in our backyard. 

“We want to highlight them, utilize them, and encourage people to understand more about our coast and what is right off of it,” Sarah said. 

On the walls of the restaurant, you’ll see a sea of paintings featuring creatures from down below and they’re all crafted by Sarah. 

Sarah said she wants others to experience the beauty of the adventures she gets to see first-hand. 

For more information on how you can be a part of their mission and plan your next meal at Rx Chicken and Oysters visit this website.