50 Best Bars in Wilmington

“We came with our dog and the staff was so friendly! The outdoor seating was shaded and felt wonderfully cool for a 90 degree day! I had the smash burger. The Black Forest ham set this smash burger off to the next level! So good!“

“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.“

“Visited 8/16/25, Greenville, NC. The food was excellent.. hot, fresh, and flavorful. Our waitress, Ramsie K, was excellent. Speed of service was excellent. We will definitely visit again.“

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

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

“Great people and owners! All the best“

“Coffee is delish and the staff is always genuinely friendly! ☕️❤️“

“We had our annual Wandetlust Wilmington 2.0 Super Bowl party at Eagles Dare 2-9-25. Joe Apkarian the owner and his team were beyond superb for us all. We had a catered event there for almost 100 members of the group. The place was ready to rock and roll when we started to arrive. Joe was very accommodating in our set up of the room. The three bartenders Shelby, Gillian, and AJ were spot on with great customer service, attentive, and made wonderful drinks!! (They were so good I gave each one a personal tip and tipped again on my bill) Joe’s selection of the caterer was beyond expectation. Delivery was on time as well as the second refresh. He used Dough House Pizza Company” downtown. All the attendees could not stop praising the food. The place just made 100 new customers. In closing if you have a need for an event Joe and the Eagles Dare team needs to be your first stop. If anyone wants any personal info about the establishment feel free to DM me!!! Thanks again Joe and Team Sam“

“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!“

“Good service and food from JD“

“One of our first little stops while visiting Wilmington. Alex the bartender was an absolute god send ! Chill dude and great conversation. The crowd of customers matched the vibe too, we met some good people. a night for the books for us. Thank you again, Alex ! 🍻“

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

“10/10 what food & service should be, excellent!!!!!!!!“

“Wine Knot Sky Bar & Lounge brought the perfect blend of style and flavor to our community event! From the very beginning, Natalie and her team were a dream to work with—communicative, professional, upbeat, and genuinely fun. They fully embraced our Garden Party theme, even dressing the part to add an extra layer of charm. The bar setup was stunning and thoughtfully curated to match both the aesthetic and flow of our event space. With over 225 guests in attendance, their creative mocktails and cocktails were a crowd favorite—delicious, unique, and served with a smile. Cleanup was just as impressive. The team broke down quickly and left the space spotless. We truly couldn’t have asked for a better experience. Highly recommend Wine Knot Sky Bar & Lounge to anyone looking to elevate their event with standout service and unforgettable drinks! I cannot wait to visit their downtown location!“

“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.“

“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!“

“Really love the aesthetic design and the drinks were phenomenal. The bartender was so knowledgeable and really took time to educate us and steer us in the direction. We went on a Friday night after dinner around 7:30. They were setting up for a house music DJ which we couldn't stay for. The music while we were there was a little too sleepy and there were only 2 other patrons, which was surprising considering how great the place and drinks were. Not a high energy place, next time we'll bring a chill group of friends with us and come a little later. Maybe we just hit it up at the wrong time.“

“The Cryptid Den, 225 S. Water St. is located in Chandler's Wharf in downtown Wilmington. Nice atmosphere, attentive staff and live music on the weekends. Last night music was by John Hussmann. You can order food from the Rooster & Crow, and it will be served to you in the lounge.“

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

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

“One of our very 1st customers! Just an awesome vibe, and killer hot sauce collection. Great craft draft selection!“

“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!!“

“Absolutely LOVE this place! they have a whole board dedicated to listing their gluten free beers, the margaritas are always delicious, plenty of spacious seating especially for larger groups, pretty outdoor area, AND it’s connected to a taco place that has lots of gluten free and vegetarian options as well! Only thing I’d really love to see added is Tap to Pay/Contactless as a payment option“

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

“The atmosphere is the best around and the drinks are fantastic. We can’t wait to return back.“

“My wife and I love this place as John is perhaps the best bartender we’ve ever had! Anything you like and he will hand craft it for you fast and fresh. Christina is also one of the best bartenders we’ve had as she’s friendly, attentive and holds a great conversation! We will definitely keep coming back for years to come. Thank you John and Christina you two represent yourselves and Gazebo Bar exceptionally!“

“Great music and awesome stout“

“Great bar nestled right in the midtown community. We live in the Forrest hills area and it's right down the street. They have a great wine selection and the ladies room is beautiful! Never seen a bar restroom as nice! Tons of televisions and has pool tables. Staff was very attentive and sweet. recommend“

“Best family pub by also late night without the kids spot. Great conversation“

“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.“

“Love it !! And a plus they are child friendly!!!“

“Absolutely love this place ! Great people !“

“Great place to grab a drink. Very welcoming and comfortable. Extremely clean. Has a neighborhood pub vibe mixed with sports bar. Becky is a super friendly and attentive bartender. And you can order food from Boardwalk Pizza next door (another awesome place) and they'll bring it over to you.“

“Paco is the man the other staff is great as well. Great evening spot me and my boys stop in the other night they pizza, NFL,cold beer and jello shots not to mention darts, pool and a kick ass jukebox. Appreciate what you guys and gals do ! Thank you.“

“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.“

“Small little dive bar that you would never find if you were actually trying to look for it. My GPS randomly took me there but I almost left the parking lot when I pulled up front until I realized it was on the other side of the building not facing the road. Was only a couple people in there and I didn't stay too long because I was tired but the bartender was really cool and it was a nice little place that I would visit often if I live in the area. If you want something with a couple pool tables and a few dart boards with no frills and a true dive this would be the place!“

“Awesome food and great prices.“

“Great bartenders, great crowd. Fun place to go for a drink. Good sound system and playlist“

“I am so psyched to be seeing SPAFFORD at such a great, intimate venue. See you there June 21. Prepare your mind to be blown by the band.“

“Five stars until I was informed about the woman hating bartender who will hopefully be be behind bars soon for beating and choking a female“

“I was here for a Neebs Gaming event in the middle of January. The bar is fantastic with reasonably priced drinks and a great bartender. Nothing beats the view as you have an open rooftop view of both the river and the Battleship North Carolina. The theater is small compared to the Palace, but it is far larger than I was expecting to see in a bar scene. The sound quality was amazing and there was absolutely no stuffiness that you sometimes get in small theaters. I'm not sure I'd enjoy the open-aired bar as much in the humid summer months, but I can say the dead of winter was spectacular.Also note: the elevator works, it is slow and just takes a while. I didn't know until I walked all the flights of stairs and got to the top just as I heard the doors ding open.“

“My first nighr there was interesting...loved the vibe.“

“Great spot for a big group. The staff rocks and they take great care of their customers. Go there if you like to dance 🙌🏻“

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

“Varnish is hands down the best bar in Wilmington! The bartenders are the best in all of downtown—they’re fast, friendly, and always make sure you’re having a great time. The venue itself is the perfect size—big enough to keep the energy high but never so packed that you feel like you’re missing out. Even if there’s a line, it moves quickly, so you never have to wait long to get in and be part of the fun. The door staff is always on point, making sure things stay safe and enjoyable for everyone. Whether you’re a local or just visiting, I can’t recommend Varnish enough!“

“What an amazing first experience we had tonight! My wife and I live in Myrtle Beach, but our child lives here. We are staying at their place watching their pets while they are away. This place has been on our to try list for a while now and we finally had the opportunity. What an incredible experience! The food was outstanding! The flavor was on point and the servings were huge! My wife and I each had an amazing pasta dish and split the largest piece of coconut cake we have ever seen. Now, you would think after all that I just wrote that would be the best part of our experience, but it wasn’t! The absolute best part was one of the kindest people we have ever met, Bella! Let me tell you the meaning of her name fits in so many ways! She was absolutely incredible! So kind! So caring! I honestly could go on and on! She made my mine and my wife’s evening such a memorable night.“

“Great place. Beautiful view of Wilmington.“

“I don’t usually write reviews, but one food establishment owner to another … This place is great, the food, service, the atmosphere…everything about this place was topnotch !“

“Amazing venue. Nice employees. great drinks. they get some good talent in there too. 💙“