Calabash is a small fishing town in Brunswick County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 1,786 at the 2010 census, up from 711 in 2000. It prides itself on being known as the "Seafood Capital of the World" because of the town's "Calabash-Style" seafood restaurants. Calabash is part of the Myrtle Beach metropolitan area.

Calabash was named after the gourds that grew in the region, which were used for drinking well water. Since the 1930s, Calabash has been known for its distinctive style of fried seafood, which has come to be known as "Calabash Style." Calabash style buffets are common in many eastern Carolina coastal towns. Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, is home to a large number of these restaurants, as the city is just 25 miles from Calabash.

In 1998, a large portion of the town of Calabash split to form the town of Carolina Shores. The split came as the result of years of bickering over "sewer, garbage collection and sign restrictions". The town limits of Carolina Shores currently interlock with those of Calabash. --- the above taken from Wikipedia