Old Captain BBQ

Old Captain BBQ sits near the waterfront in Zhifu District, close to Yantai Hill, and specializes in charcoal-grilled seafood in the casual, outdoor-leaning barbecue style popular along the Shandong coast. The signature dish is charcoal-grilled oysters finished with chili and scallions, alongside grilled squid and grilled scallops cooked over open flame. The dining setting is informal and lively, with plastic stools, open-air or semi-open seating in warmer months, and a smoky, convivial atmosphere built around sharing skewers and shellfish with a round of local beer. There is no wine program here; beer is the default pairing, and the restaurant's identity is built around late-evening grilling rather than a structured multi-course meal. Service runs from late afternoon into the night, and it gets busiest on weekend evenings when locals gather after work. Reservations are worth making for weekend nights but are not necessary earlier in the week, when walk-in seating is generally available. It is a good option for travelers wanting an authentic, informal Yantai seafood-barbecue experience near the waterfront rather than a sit-down restaurant meal.