This is the story of a wonderful Hidden Gem in Jacksonville NC. It’s the story of sustainable seafood, fried chicken and a food truck all wrapped up into one sweet package in Jacksonville NC. It’s the story of Southern Breeze Seafood and the reason you should always bring an empty cooler when you travel to the NC Coast.
Great Finds Are What Food Centric Travel is All About
You first heard me talk about Southern Breeze Seafood in this article I wrote towards the end of the 2020 Pandemic about food centric travel to Jacksonville NC.
That was just after meeting John Mallette and Randy Millis, the day after they opened Southern Breeze Seafood. The two are good friend of many years and partners in the business. Both Randy and John are long time fishermen, in fact, Randy’s family has been fishing off the NC Coast in Onslow County for generations.
It all started at the Farmers Market in Jacksonville NC, in town doing research for my first article about Jacksonville. I asked about resources for local seafood and the market manager mentioned a new little seafood place that had just opened “down the street.”
Randy Millis and John Mallette are Southern Breeze Seafood
I was delighted to meet long time Jacksonville area fisherman, John Mallette and Randy Millis at Southern Breeze Seafood, 5138 Richlands Hwy in Jacksonville NC . These guys are doing it right. Selling sustainable seafood, lots of local products & local catch.
When I met John and Randy, the store really wasn’t even finished being set yet. But, I noticed that they had a lot of local products on their retail shelves as well. These items included cornbread and hush puppy mixes, seafood sauces; and, in the freezer case, pork and sausage from nearby Masterblend Farms.
As they were giving me the tour around the room, John talked about eventually wanted to bring in more locally sourced products and proteins.
As a part of my freelance work, I handle the social media feeds for Tidewater Grain Company, growers of heirloom grains in Oriental NC – in particular Carolina Gold Rice. In fact, as of 2024 Tidewater is now the largest producer of Carolina Gold Rice in the world, but that’s another story.
Back to my 2020 Jacksonville NC trip – as luck would have it, I had several bags of Tidewater Grain Company Carolina Gold Rice in the car. Always on a marketing mission to promote supporting local farmers and producers, I gave this NC grown rice to John and Randy to try.
How to eat local with Southern Breeze Seafood Breaders for Fish and Chicken
Fast forward, not only does Southern Breeze Seafood, now carry the entire line of Tidewater Grain Company Rice products on the retail shelves in the shop; but John and Randy both have become fast friends with the Tidewater crew. Together they worked to use the Tidewater Heirloom Rice Flour to create a private label line of gluten-free Southern Breeze Seafood breaders.
John and Randy cook at the shop a lot, allowing customers to sample product before they buy. As they were developing the breaders, they started cooking fried chicken at the shop every now and again to let customers taste and get feedback. The reaction to the taste and texture was overwhelming. Customers loved it and wanted to know how to make this same fried chicken at home.
Their Southern Breeze Seafood Line of breaders is now available to retail and wholesale markets. Each one – Chicken, Seafood and All Purpose start with Tidewater Grain Company rice flour, so they are all gluten free.
The Best Fried Chicken
If you know anything about my background, you know that I know fried chicken. Read more about my story here. So, I don’t take it lightly when I say, this is the best fried chicken.
The secret sauce to John’s fried chicken here is the Southern Breeze Seafood breader ( and Southern Breeze’s signature line of spices) that make the difference; and make this fried chicken the best. The fact that there is no gluten in the mix leads to crisp and crunchy results.
The same crispy crunchy results are there when you fry fish or veggies with Southern Breeze Seafood breaders as well. Your can use the breaders interchangeably and for me, the all purpose variety and dash or two of hot sauce, is the secret to truly excellent fried okra. If you know, you know.
How to fry chicken with Southern Breeze Seafood Breaders and Spices
John’s method for frying chicken is super simple. Start with bone-in cuts of local chicken. John suggests thigh for the juiciest results. Bone-in cuts of meat and chicken all have more flavor than boneless cuts.
First, John rinses the bone-in, skin-on with cold water and patted each piece dry with paper towels. Then, he generously seasoned the chicken with one of his his Southern Breeze Seafood Seasoning mixes; and then dusts each seasoned piece in his Southern Breeze Seafood Chicken Breader and dropped the pieces individually into hot oil.
The chicken fried, uncovered, for 20-25 mins or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165 degrees. John suggests using an instant read digital thermometer for best results.
Southern Breeze Seafood Sausage Gravy
Enjoy John’s Southern Breeze Seafood fried chicken hot or cold or topped with a pan gravy. When John was cooking with me on the GotToBeNC cooking stage at the 2024 NC State Fair, John used Carolina Gold Oil ( made in Harrellsville, NC from pressed sunflower seeds) to start his pan gravy. His recipe begins by making a roux, first heating 2-3 tablespoons of the oil and then blending in 2-3 tablespoons of the chicken breader.
Once you have a smooth mixture in your pan, add in 1-2 cups of whole milk or buttermilk. And cook until the mixture is smooth and thick. If you’d like to add sausage to make a true Southern sausage gravy, dice and then saute your sausage or pork in the oil to brown. Then, add the breader and continue with the recipe and enjoy the delicious results.
Spreading the Word about Local NC Seafood, Sustainability
In addition to fishing, both commercially and for fun, and running the shop. Both John and Randy give back to the community with a mission to help customers gain an awareness about local and sustainable seafood.
Randy has taken a local lead and has been instrumental in restructuring the annual Sneads Ferry Shrimp Festival, a festival now going into it’s 54th year in 2025, originally started by Randy’s grandfather.
It’s truly a passion project for Randy to bring the event back to a community festival that saluted local fishermen, the local seafood industry and the area’s annual shrimp harvest.
John is also involved and works with chefs and farmers at the festival’s day long Saturday cooking stage.
John, as begun to take their mission on the road. Several years ago, when John appeared with me on the Got To be NC cooking stage at the NC state fair to cook chicken and talk about the SBS breaders, he mentioned that he had a 60 lb. just caught Big Eye tuna on ice on his truck.
Shop For Local Seafood, just like these NC Chefs
John delivers fresh caught seafood to chefs up and down the coast. The all star list of chefs who trust Southern Breeze with their seafood purchases is long and includes, Chef Jamie Davis at the Hackney in Washington NC, Chef Keith Rhodes at Catch in Wilmington, and Chef Ricky Moore at Saltbox Seafood in Durham, NC who all buy from Southern Breeze on the regular.
Likewise, chefs in Greenville NC like Luke Owens at Native Fine Diner and Tobias Boutilier of Starlight Cafe buy from Southern Breeze as does Chef Daniel Murray of Cypress Hall in New Bern, just to name a few.
All of that to say, it didn’t surprise me that he had fresh caught Big Eye tuna on ice ready for delivery on his truck. What did surprize me is that he offered to bring the whole tuna onto the cooking stage at show the crowd how to properly break down a whole fish. It was an easy yes and the beginning of a tradition on the cooking stage at the fair.
John now comes to represent Jacksonville NC and Southern Breeze Seafood each year at the cooking stage with his amazing tuna demo and talks about supporting the NC fishing industry all along the way. NC Catch could not have a better spokesperson.
Spreading the Word about NC Seafood
Not only that, but John’s “Tuna Demo” has become somewhat of a legend. He has since done the same demo for events sponsored by Meals She Eats in Raleigh and at Elon College in Elon NC.
In fact, Southern Breeze now supplies breaders and sometime seafood to both Elon and at UNC-W in Wilmington and is working with the team at Aramark to do the same at Campbell University in Buies Creek, NC and others. Love seeing the culinary teams at these universities offer more local product to students. It’s just the beginning.
On the Southern Breeze Seafood Food Truck
In the years since the shop opened, John and Randy have added a food truck to the operation. This allows folks to walk up and buy a hot seafood – and sometimes chicken – lunch or dinner -all made to order. Everything on the truck is 100% sourced locally. And, its all gluten free.
Randy’s daughter, Nicky is at the helm in the mobile kitchen. Although, you’ll still find Randy and John often getting in on the act. Both of them love to cook.
On the menu: Delicious fried flounder, shrimp, fried pickles, and more. Everything is breaded and fried to order.
You won’t go wrong ordering anything off the menu here. ProTip: don’t miss the crab rolls. These crunchy fried rolls filled with local crabmeat are one of my favorite Southern Breeze Seafood Food Truck favorites.
These crab rolls are actually Southern Breeze Seafood’s answer to traditional Filipino lumpia. I first discovered lumpia when I ate at Filipino Cuisine in Jacksonville. You’ll find that mention and my take on it all here.
Lumpia are fried spring rolls that are generally found in Filipino and Indonesian cuisine. Traditionally they are filled with a mixture of pork and cabbage. And served with a sweet chili dipping sauce on the side. Ask anyone from the Phillipines and they will tell you there is no such thing as crabmeat lumpia. But, trust me, I am telling you they do exist under the aka of “crab rolls”. Only available at Southern Breeze Seafood.
Your Next Move?
Plan a trip, pack a cooler and Visit Jacksonville NC and Southern Breeze Seafood soon. Tell them Heidi sent you… you can thank me later.
Where to Buy…
Southern Breeze Seafood is located at 5138 Richlands Hwy in Jacksonville, NC. They use their social media frequently to talk about weekly specials and more. Follow Southern Breeze on instagram at @southernbreezeseafood and on Facebook at Southern Breeze Seafood LLC. Follow John Mallette on instagram at @captjohn86 and on Facebook at John Mallette
For more fabulous food finds in Jacksonville NC, Visit Jacksonville NC online here.
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