42 Best Bars in Wilmington

“Prost is one of the best things to happen to downtown Wilmington in a while! I cannot recommend them enough for lunch or dinner—both are delicious. Their historic building's outdoor space in particular is truly special, and I try to sit there whenever the weather allows! As for food recommendations: - You have to get the pretzel. You just have to! It's mind-blowingly good. - I don't eat meat, but a companion of mine loves a good beef stroganoff, and he said it was the best one he had *ever* had. I heard similar reviews of the reuben! - The apple strudel is DELICIOUS. It's a surprisingly large portion—easily could feed two diners! Definitely give Prost a try. They won't disappoint!“

“First time visit. Was impressed to say the least. The friends that I was with are regulars there. I ordered the seafood platter. First time in my life I have ever left seafood on the plate. And I ate very little of the slaw, however it was very good. Didn't eat any of the French fries. There was so much seafood on the plate, I literally could not eat at all. Most places have four oysters on the plate, I believe mine had seven. All fried very crispy and the food was hot when it came to the table. The breading on the seafood was excellent and they even gave me the dark side of the flounder. By the way in case you don't know, the dark side is the best side. There were six of us and we split an order of clam strips, calamari, and crab dip among us. All three of those were delicious too.“

“we had the pleasure of eating at Junction 421 this evening for a pre-Valentines dinner date I had the steak with mashed potatoes, asparagus, spears, and crab meat and topped with a delicious Bernese sauce . Michael had shrimp and grits and we had a nice, romantic dinner. Evan was our server and he treated us like we were VIPs. Highly recommend this restaurant is so close to our home.“

“Spectacular experience at your establishment last night!!! Attended the burlesque show, thoroughly enjoyed the show! The bar tenders were amazing, as always!!! No matter how busy, they are always helpful and friendly! Keep up the excellent service. wonderful establishment, super awesome location!“

“It was great food entertainment and amazing drinks the atmosphere was cool and the staff was very attentive! Great date night !“

“Good service and food from JD“

“Stopped in around 2:30. Bartender and GM Lexi very friendly. Dwayne(The Rock)Johnson guarding the front door.“

“Great experience. Was total trash but I had a lot of fun! The staff gave me pointers and tips and it did actually help me out. Very much open to coming back again.“

“Probably my favorite bar in all of Wilmington, great staff, and even better drinks!“

“Love this place! Great music and great environment!! Friendly staff always.“

“We had an incredibly great time last night. The front of house staff was very accommodating, the bar and wait staff were fast. Drinks were cold, quick, and reasonably priced. That says a lot with a sold out crowd. Bert Kreischer killed it by the way and performed for like 2 hours and hung out after. We'll certainly be back often. Thanks Dead Crow Comedy for a great night all around.“

“The BLT is the best you’ll ever have. Staff is friendly and efficient. Say hi to Olivia!“

“The Rusty Nail is one great spot to be in Wilmington NC. The staff and patrons are the friendliest around and the live music on Tuesday night nights and weekends ranks among the best blues I have ever seen and heard anywhere! In fact my wife and I are on our way there now, on Thanksgiving , for tonight’s Thanksgiving pot luck dinner. It will be a great time for those who don’t have local family, can’t travel or just want to have some holiday fun. No kidding, the Rusty Nail is a definite good time!“

“I recently had the pleasure of revisiting Olio Courtyard Bar! What truly sets Olio apart is the exceptional customer experience from Kelly and her exceptional drink selection!!!! My husband and I started a business one block away and this quickly became our escape to enjoy another family owned business! this is a place you must visit when in the Cargo District! She has drinks available to anyone, N.A. selections, wine, beer, craft drinks that are all to die for! This is more than your typical bar; this is a destination for all friends, family to come together and share good times! Kelly is over the top personable, makes you feel like you are part of her framily (friends that are family!) and the epitome of hospitality!10/10 must come here when in the area!!“

“Great cocktails, a varied wine list, outstanding food, fun music and relaxed atmosphere. So glad we had dinner here!“

“Awesome atmosphere, food, drinks, and staff! Highly recommend 10/10 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️“

“This place lives up to it's name. The bar has a great offering of beer on tap, plus a huge variety of cans that the bartenders know really well.The space offers many types of sitting areas; indoor and outdoor with a casual environment. They also host great monthly events.Parking: Small parking lot and some street parking availableWheelchair accessibility: Not impossible but not made with handicap people in mind.“

“This is my fave restaurant for a special night out in Wilmington, so when it came to choosing where to have my birthday dinner, it was a no brainer.An hour before the reservation, my babysitter had to cancel suddenly. I called the restaurant to ensure it was ok if my 2 year old joined and they assured me it was. I cannot stress enough how WONDERFUL the staff and chef were- even making himButtered noodles and giving him a condiment cup of his favorite - cherries! I was so stressed going into it but had no reason to be at all! Insanely good food and the kindest ppl. Thank you all so much.“

“Great service every time we are there. Superb quality food“

“Great date night atmosphere!“

“Bottega is such an eclectic yet down to earth place to hangout with people in the neighborhood. There’s always beautiful art and an opportunity for music.“

“So cute with great views and fun conversations“

“This place has great food for a good price. Not to forget that the portions were plenty big. Not only is there famous fried chicken delicious, but so is there Mac and Cheese (preferred the plain style), potato salad and Cole slaw. Would highly recommend you give them a visit!“

“This place was so much fun. The whole family had a blast.“

“First time in Wilmington and was looking for a place with a smart, friendly, diverse crowd among whom to have a drink. Tried several places, but this one is it, hands down. Great jukebox and great people there to make those selections. Even the drink prices are right. If you're in my shoes sometime, save yourself some walking and head straight here.“

“My husband and I have been looking for an authentic feeling of a British pub and this is it for us! Best in Wilmington!“

“After living here for years, my wife and I discovered this jewel of a restaurant. A great menu of fresh prepared daily options. To begin we enjoyed their chips & guac with queso, followed by a chopped house salad (wife) and a Caesar for me, then the short rib dinner. Everything was absolutely delicious, and plentiful. Sean Michael served us, and was able to give thoughtful insight on the dishes and the background of the restaurant, most helpful to a first (but not last) visit. The atmosphere was a bit ‘industrial’ in the downstairs dinning (they also have a rooftop outdoor dinning area), and we got there during happy hour, so it was a little loud (but this calmed down as we ate). Again, the food is fantastic! I would caution though (as Sean did before I ordered) the Ceasar salad is very intense with anchovy. Had I not been warned I would have sent it back, but I had been warned, and now so have you. Looking forward to our next visit, this time hopefully leaving room for dessert!“

“Great music and awesome stout“

“Awesome place. Owner is great. Bartender friendly. First time there. Outdoor space is amazing. Dog friendly which is very important to me. Clean. Invited friends to join us. First time too. They loved it. I will become a regular. If I could give more than 5 stars, they would get them.“

“This place is great. Our first time going was Saturday and I was not disappointed. The selection of Scotch was awesome and the food was terrific. Only thing...the fire wings are not hot enough....make them thangs FLAME! I'm kidding....food was terrific. We will definitely be back.“

“We enjoyed food at Mellow !! Pizza and salad were delicious“

“Stayed here for a second time and loved it. The room was so beautifully decorated, the bed was very comfortable, and the room is sparkling clean. The grounds are really pretty with lots of options for sitting outside I’m absolutely in love with the bathroom tile and intend to go home and redo my kitchen backsplash. Duncan at the front desk was welcoming and helpful. We opted to self park which was easy with lots of options on the street and in the parking lot across the street. Note that street parking is free after 6:30 at night and on Sundays. Some things that I would like to see improve are the air-conditioning in the rooms. Our room did not go below 70°, which is a little too hot for us for sleeping. We also didn’t like the Dram yard for dining. We like different kinds of foods, but the menu is just too unusual for us. We thought it was a safe bet for breakfast, but we were disappointed. The Crunchy lady, what could have been an artistic take on Eggs Benedict was inedible. It had a solid layer of pepper coating underneath the egg yet the bread and hollandaise were flavorless. It could have been described as blackened eggs (see photo). Although the staff is very friendly there, and the coffee is really good, we opted to go downtown for breakfast for the rest of our trip. Lastly, I don’t understand why they feel the need to have valet parking. The lot behind the hotel has more than enough parking for all of the guests and I would have preferred the convenience of self parking. Overall, I definitely recommend this hotel and will definitely stay here again“

“We enjoyed food at Mellow !! Pizza and salad were delicious“

“Hands down one of my favorite bars in Wilmington! This bar is the oldest bar in Wilmington and one of the first I came to back in the 90s. Great selection of beer and spirits! The staff is always fast and friendly! The restrooms were clean with plenty of products! If you want to play pool then this is the place for you! I would highly recommend Barbary Coast if you are in the area! You won't find a more down-to-earth or authentic bar in town!!“

“Best luncheon Best service Best venue & ambiance Best price Best dining experience“

“If I could give Ibis 100 stars I would. The service is impeccable and the drinks come in at a superb level beyond what you're expecting. The vibe is spot on if you love vinyl spinning, mood lighting at just the right time and comfy seating.“

“Nice local pub with many local taps. Friendly staff and plenty of locals.“

“Never know what you'll see. Amazing is frequently on the list.“

“Chill atmosphere , great bands , FREE pool. Anybody and everybody that has good vibes and genuinely wants to have a great time this place is for you. Happy vibes only!“

“I love this bar. There's a mix of older people & younger people that goes to this bar. Everybody treats ya like it part of the family. The only bad thing, which is why I rated it with 4 stars, is that they need to get some decent spirits in stock & they need to keep them stocked.“

“We had a great experience at Seagate! It's got a good selection of draft beers and hot sauces, but it also had live music and a nice, fenced in outdoor space with picnic tables that is perfect for dogs. Multiple folks had their dogs with them, and I can understand why this would be where they go. Look forward to coming back soon!“

“Every time we’re in Wilmington we come here for the best fresh seafood! Matt is also the best server!“