50 Best American Restaurants in Wilmington

“My family and I have enjoyed visiting the Cardinal for its fine food, libations and especially the personal service we receive from Marco. He is attentive and friendly, adding to the wonderful experience we have whenever we visit.“

“All drinks , food and service are excellent .. I recommend 100% blue surf !“

“So good! Best resturaunt steak I've had. Crab legs were delicious. Be sure to get the hush puppies. Even our kids' meals were great. Great service!!“

“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.“

“Doug and his crew are so professional and have a vast knowledge of wines! This is a great addition to the community! I’ll be visiting them every time I come down for vacation!“

“BOY OH BOY!!!! Let a fella like me be the FIRST 🥇 To say, THIS is the crown 👑 jewel of the Cargo District! My tastebuds have never been as tingled as they were when i took my first bite of that BIG A$$ BURRITO!! 🌯🤑.

P.S, youve gotta be a total SQUARE ▪️ if you pass on those crispity-crunchity brussels!! 🤑🥙“

“We just moved to the historic district and LOVE CP! I never leave reviews anywhere but we thoroughly enjoyed our meal here!“

“Dinner - Delicious Ambiance - Classic Service - Just perfect! Thank you Brandon, you were exceptional! 10/10“

“Great staff and food to match.“

“Jerry's has been a favorite of mine for years. The quality and care given by the wait staff is remarkable. And the food is unsurpassed!“

“Very cool vibe, with quick friendly service.
The server was right at our table as soon as we were seated and answered all of our questions on the menu. She gave us some good recommendations, and the were spot on.
If I am ever in the area again this would be a go to spot.“

“Good food, great service, good prices!“

“Incredible service, incredible food, incredible care! You can tell the owner abs everyone who works here enjoys what they do and have taken the time to ensure every customer is taken care of as a top priority!! Best fries in town and anything you get on the menu is a delicious win!! 10/10 and that’s rare these days!!“

“i cant wait until I go here. sounds so good!“

“It was my first time at Covey. We had octopus and it was delicious! Potatoe Pave - good. My friend and I split the 22OZ KC 45 day dry aged. We ordered medium rare and the temperature was fine. I thought the steak was slightly underseasoned. My friend thought it was seasoned OK. The fries and broccolini were good, but nothing I'd rush back for. Our server, Brook, was great. The right amount of attentiveness and engagement. We tried the white chocolate tort and affogato. Very good. Overall, the food was good, not great.“

“We stopped in on our way back to the airport from a week of vacationing at Top Sail Island, NC and the food and mimosa’s was awesome!! We’ll be back next year!“

“Did an amazing job catering for a birthday party. Food was delicious! Those fingerling potatoes and steak and shrimp---yum!“

“We've been eating at the Green House for years. Normally I love the mushroom steak dinner but this time I just didn't enjoy it. I'm not sure what has changed but it just didn't taste as good and the sauce was very vinegar heavy. One of the first times I had the mushroom steak dinner it was amazing; I think maybe it was overcooked this time. A different sauce would be better too; like a au jus or something. Or a steak sauce. Something savory. Or a gravy. More menu options would be awesome too. For the price point we just can't eat here often. Sometimes we feel it's just too expensive for what it is. Only passing this along b/c we love your restaurant.“

“first time going really cool place“

“The Bavarian pretzel was huge and absolutely delicious. all portions were very generous and the service staff was great!! I highly recommend this restaurant!!“

“Great breakfast. Omelet, grits and biscuit,, very good. Server Melissa's smile and great service was an added bonus.“

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

“My wife chooses places based on the presence of outdoor seating and/or live music. I choose them based on the quality and creativeness of the food. She choose this place and nobody in our party knew anything about it beyond it's a rooftop bar with view of the river (faces west). My undeserved trepidation was immediately dispelled. Our server was on top of everything, friendly, and charming. The food arrived quickly, was elegantly presented and tasted delicious. A great place for watching a sunset while having a drink or dining.“

“The cafe is part of the art museum and what a treat it was for our visit. There was a large party of lovely ladies speaking French, a smattering of children visiting with their mothers, and a few other visitors such as ourselves enjoying the lovely fall Wilmington weather and the lunch fare available. You really must go if you are in the Wilmington area. It is a wonderful experience for young and old alike.“

“Nick at The bar was amazing and the server was very attentive and helpful. The food was hot and and even better than the expected. I definitely recommend this place for great drinks and awesome food.“

“Food is great with excellent service! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️“

“Incredible service and the most delicious Seared Tuna Salad ever!“

“We recently had my husband's repast at Cornelia's. Casey, Anthony and staff worked with us to plan a lunch for our family and friends. The food was excellent as were the beverages. No one wanted for either during the afternoon. The dining room allowed for people to circulate within the group but there were also plenty of seating options. The room was light and bright and helped to add a little cheer to the celebration of my husband's life. If you are thinking of planning an event I would not hesitate to recommend Cornelia's! Delightful people to work with!
Thank you to all,
The Regans“

“I hosted my son and new daughter's rehearsal dinner at Wrightsville Beach Brewery's event space earlier this month. Katelyn, the event coordinator, was truly exceptional. From the very beginning, she was incredibly responsive, addressing all my inquiries and offering valuable suggestions throughout the planning process. Katelyn and the entire staff at Wrightsville Beach Brewery were fantastic and accommodating. The food was phenomenal, and the venue received numerous compliments. The evening surpassed all expectations. I enthusiastically recommend Wrightsville Beach Brewery for events or simply for enjoying their delicious food and beer.“

“Beautiful space deliciousness everywhere. So convenient and good! Grateful for the GF options too!“

“Took one of my old bosses there Today. Today was German Cuisine day. We started with soup, I had trout and then Apple Strudel. The student wait staff was very attentive and kept a close eye on my iced tea. With my strudel, I had some coffee. This is by far one of the Best Hidden secrets of Wilmington. Only thing is not everyone can get in. So if you can get in to have one of their Wednesday lunches, I would say jump on it. Staff, food and ambiance is outstanding.“

“If you go to Ale House, sit at the bar and meet Brittany the bartender for a good laugh“

“This is the first time I did the pop up dinner paired with French wines, but it was spectacular. I love the blind wine tasting pop-up dinners, but this was exceptional.“

“So fun, great bartenders, great atmosphere! Something for everyone!“

“I am a new resident to town and have been making my way around to the locally owned spots. I popped in for lunch and had the most delicious cheeseburger! I ended up adding on hushpuppies, which were also delicious. The diner is a step back in time and absolutely adorable with counter and booth seating. My burger came with fries and homemade sweet tea, which was very refreshing.The owner was kind and invited me back. I told her the next time I am in, I am getting the fried apple pie and ice cream!“

“The fried shrimp platter was delicious! Fast service and nice, attentive wait staff! Bartender was also super fast getting drinks out to tables!“

“We had a great time at the Grill and our waitress Zena was fantastic. The food was excellent and the staff was professional and very courteous.“

“Two of our 6 dinner plates were not eaten because they were NOT good. shrimp poboy looked like a drive thru menu item. This used to be my favorite place. Food meh. Service bluh. Not likely to return. Wish I had the $300 back!“

“We just finished another great lobster roll. Yes, the lobster is too die for! We missed seeing Jim this time on our trip down. No worries though, Pam and Jamison took great care of us. Of course they are both from Maine. Makes the experience more authentic. Thanks to you both for the great hospitality! We can't wait to finally move in a year so we can enjoy this treat more often. See you guys in a few months!!!“

“A friend and I stopped by last Tuesday to catch up and have a few drinks. Well we ended having several drinks and some tacos as well. Melinda was fantastic very engaging and attentive. The resteraunt was modern, clean and neat. Definitely coming back. Thank you Melinda and the rest of the staff as well“

“Faith restored!!! After swearing never to return I thought I would give it another try and very happy I did. I ordered the Eggs Benedict again and our Waitress, Trish remembered me and said, "you like your Muffins well done right?" I must confess being remembered after so long was a tad uncomfortable and I thought "oops maybe I was a little too vocal and critical last time I was here! But Trish was charming and allayed any concerns in that area. She was very attentive made sure my meal came out exactly as we had requested, Muffins well toasted!. I have been back twice since and hoped that I would again be served by Trish, sadly not but received great service from my servers and the food was perfect. This restaurant has an holistic approach to serving insofar that your main server may not be the one that brings your food or ensures you are well served with Water, coffee or whatever. I believe tips are shared but regardless this results in a high level of attention to the customer. Though not our prime server today I was happy that Trish was on hand to keep my coffee cup full. Shame on me but I did not get my prime servers name today but I would be remiss in not also giving kudos to her for great service. Thank you for restoring my faith. Oh, I forgot to mention the Breakfast potatoes are to die for!

Original posting:
The good, excellent friendly and attentive waitstaff. The bad: the kitchen does not respond to customer requests/desires. I love Eggs Benedict and this is what I typically order and they do a good job getting the eggs right. However, I hate soggy muffins and specifically ask that my English muffins be well toasted (just about black) and on only one occasion out of many they actually got it right! I have had to return many due to the underdone muffins and even after returning them they still seem reluctant to toast them as requested. Today I made the same order
plus a side order of Hollandaise sauce. Specifically mentioned I want the Muffins very well toasted, they arrived almost pure white! I returned them and then at best got medium toasted and the side order of sauce was stone cold and the potatoes barely warm. When I informed the waiter that the sauce was cold I got the most ridiculous response that they could warm it up but that could cause the eggs to cook up. When the English Muffins are well toasted and crispy the Eggs Benedict are excellent but I have had enough of not being given what has been requested and ending up frustrated and disappointed. Sorry to say this will be the last time I eat here.“

“Great food, staff and atmosphere! Would definitely go back!“

“Ah, the Veranda has been a local secret spot for years. Their staff is unmatched to any other place I have found. The view from the back patio on to the large driving range is spectacular. If you have never been, go see what it's all about. You will love it!“

“The food is always good but the great service keeps me coming back!“

“Outstanding venue, service superb, ty Mark, appetizer's out of this world, dinner, seafood, even better ......in the words of a great poet, we'll be back.....good job, Brent“

“We just finished another great lobster roll. Yes, the lobster is too die for! We missed seeing Jim this time on our trip down. No worries though, Pam and Jamison took great care of us. Of course they are both from Maine. Makes the experience more authentic. Thanks to you both for the great hospitality! We can't wait to finally move in a year so we can enjoy this treat more often. See you guys in a few months!!!“

“Excellent service. Delicious meal.“

“Had an absolutely outstanding dinner. Great atmosphere, service and food with the love of my life. Will definitely be back again.“

“Nice atmosphere kind of an upscale casual vibe. Portion size & pricing was very good. The wheels came off the bus when it came to service though. While it was essentially friendly. it was also very amateurish. 30+ minutes with no food, checking on us, and so forth. Once the food arrived, no refills on drinks, no stopping by and checking to see if the meal was OK and so forth. Interestingly, on the group of tables adjacent to us there was an older server who seemed to be on her game (explained the specials for the evening, engaging with the customers, etc). Our table was tag teamed by two young guys who I would guess have never been trained nor eaten out at restaurants very often and were not sure what they were doing. Frankly I would go back, but some degree of trepidation.“

“Best breakfast [Original] Best breakfast“