The Sounder
$$ • American, Seafood, Cocktail Bar
Hours:
5400 Oleander Dr, Wilmington
(910) 200-2204
About The Sounder
The Sounder Reviews
Ratings
Menu
Add a Menu
Hours
| Monday | 4 - 10PM |
| Tuesday | 4 - 10PM |
| Wednesday | Closed |
| Thursday | Closed |
| Friday | 4 - 11PM |
| Saturday | 10AM - 11PM |
| Sunday | 10AM - 10PM |
People in Wilmington Also Viewed
Olympia Restaurant
Greek, Seafood, Mediterranean
Triangle Lounge
Cocktail Bar, Dive Bar, Bar
Wrightsville Beach Brewery
Brewpubs, American, Brewery
The Sounder is a newly opened, vibrant, and clean restaurant with a bright, welcoming, and coastal-like design. The space is spacious, open-aired, and an upgrade from the previous business, offering a casual yet beautiful setting. The menu is primarily seafood with everything made in-house using local ingredients, though a wonderful, flavorful, and juicy burger is also available. Popular dishes include excellent smash burgers, all types of fresh and delicious raw oysters, a Caesar salad, polenta fries with smoked aïoli, mushroom and romesco flatbread, fish dip, mussels, wings, ribeye, and a fresh catch. Meals are complemented by complimentary gingerbread and cinnamon muffins. The drink menu features fun, unique, and very good cocktails, a perfectly poured bloody Mary, and reasonable pricing.
Service experiences vary. Many staff members are described as fantastic, knowledgeable, friendly, attentive, and professional, with specific praise for an excellent server. The general manager is noted as receptive and professional. However, some front-of-house issues are reported. These include a disconnect between phone and Resy app reservation availability, occasional unprofessional interactions from the host stand, and pacing problems where appetizers and entrees sometimes arrive all at once, making the meal feel rushed.
Given it was their first week open, some growing pains are expected, but the core offering of great food and drink in a beautiful space shows strong potential. Many guests state they will absolutely return, recommend it to friends, and look forward to it becoming a regular spot, anticipating a five-star experience on their next visit.