2025 Wilmington Southern Guide

Billy Ray’s Family Restaurant is a unique destination that attracts sports fans and southern cooking fans alike. Located in a busy but more local section of Carolina...

The Boathouse restaurant is a moderately-sized and unimposing restaurant that’s located in a quiet section of Wilmington, close to Bradley Creek. But although it’s easy to miss...

Downtown Wilmington is known for its collection of hip restaurants with culinary inspirations from around the world, and the centrally located Bourbon Street is no exception. Found just...

For a full range of seafood and steak selections that is complemented with waterfront views, head to the edge of the Wrightsville Beach Causeway to the distinctive Bridge...

Carolina BBQ House is a home-style buffet that offers big southern dishes to big southern appetites. Offering a rotating selection of comfort food with all the fixins’, this hearty...

For breakfast, lunch and dinner, Carolina Girls’ Grillin’ Café is always cooking up something good. Located just north of Wilmington, on the outskirts of Castle Hayne, this...

Where do you go in Wilmington for authentic southern soul food that includes everything from all-you-can-eat BBQ and fried chicken to Chitlins’? You head to Casey’s Buffet and...

Catch has been making waves on the Wilmington dining scene since first opening in 2006, thanks to its award-winning and famous chef and owner, Keith Rhodes. Rhodes was a contestant on the...

Indecisive diners will have a fine time at Circa 1922. This chic tapas bar and restaurant has a prime Downtown Wilmington location, and a wonderfully varied menu that allows patrons to...

The Copper Penny is a favorite go-to for Downtown Wilmington pub fans and beer lovers, thanks to a great combination of an extensive beer menu, tasty and filling cuisine, and an...

David’s Deli & Restaurant is a solid breakfast or lunch destination for vacationers who are cruising from the mainland to the Wrightsville Beach shoreline. Located along...

Wilmington visitors who want the appeal of an oceanfront beach restaurant without taking a spin across the Wrightsville Beach Bridge can pop into the Dockside Restaurant...

There’s nothing like enjoying a stunning waterfront view, and Elijah’s has a prime location along the Cape Fear River on the edge of Wilmington’s historic downtown. Featuring both indoor and...

The Fish House Grill is located on the foot of the Wrightsville Beach Drawbridge, and has been a Wilmington institution for generations of hungry, seafood loving patrons. The idyllic...

Beer fans who want to see what brews the Coastal Carolina region can cook up can pay a lunchtime, dinnertime, Happy Hour or late night visit to Front Street Brewery. Known for a...

Goody Goody Omelet House Restaurant has the look, the feel, and the grub of a classic southern breakfast and lunch joint, with an accompanying long menu that features all the...

For fine cuisine that benefits from an overall “Farm to Table” philosophy, visitors can head over to Henry’s. Boasting a vintage warm interior with a long bar and an accompanying collection of...

This brightly colored and expansive restaurant along Market Street is an eye-catching destination for seafood fans. Featuring a far-reaching menu of steamed...

Hops Supply Co is a fresh gastropub on Oleander Drive that impresses patrons with its equally distinctive drink and food menus. With an internal dedication to provide an exceptional...

When you’re in the south, you have to chow down on big plates of homestyle BBQ, and Jackson’s Big Oak Barbecue doesn’t disappoint southern food fans, thanks to a hefty menu...

Jax Fifth Avenue Deli & Ale House may look like a Swiss retreat, but the downhome cuisine and friendly atmosphere is the hallmark of a southern destination...

Jerry’s is the brainchild of Jerry Rouse – a Wilmington local who is famed for his nearly 40 years of catering experience. While fresh catering is still available, everyday patrons without a...

Jimbo’s Breakfast & Lunch House, an old school diner-style restaurant with a vintage exterior and sky-high sign, is a time-tested staple for solid breakfast and lunch...

Las Olas Mexi-Q Grill is a relatively new but popular restaurant that is a sister restaurant to Wilmington’s acclaimed surfer hang-out, K-38. Found in the heart of the Mayfaire...

Manna is an enticing fine dining destination in the heat of Downtown Wilmington that applies French techniques to elevated American fare. Using local ingredients whenever possible, diners will...

Merritt’s Burger House is a classic little drive-in joint that’s been a subtle Wilmington institution for generations. Featuring a drive-in style exterior, complete with an...

Mike’s Fresh Seafood is located along a busy section of Market Street, but is often overlooked by seafood fans as its rustic exterior and convenience-store vibe might not register...

Mission BBQ has a cool location, cool interior, and a big menu that boasts a world of bold and classic southern flavors. Opened on September 11, 2011 by two friends who went on a...

Ogden Tap Room is Wilmington’s newest haven for beer lovers, thanks to an extensive beer menu that includes 40 rotating beers on tap. Coupled with an inviting interior, a...

Pembroke’s is a favorite choice for fine dining in the Mayfaire region of Wilmington. Located just off of Military Cutoff Road, longtime fans declare that Pembroke’s is more of a...

Fresh seafood, southern cuisine, and the Downtown Wilmington waterfront all seem to go together seamlessly, and the fare and atmosphere at The Pilot House is no exception to this rule...

PinPoint Restaurant is a chic little downtown restaurant with a big reputation as the perfect destination for a romantic Wilmington date night. Featuring a relatively seasonal...

Pirate’s Table Seafood Restaurant is a classic seafood restaurant that’s found along Carolina Beach road, and features all the Cape Fear region classics, but without...

College students and professors who need a filling pick-up in between classes, or visitors who are taking a tour of the extensive UNCW campus, will want to look for the distinctive Poor...

Port Land Grille is becoming one of Wilmington’s favorite destinations for delicious steaks and refined entrees in a warm and elegant atmosphere. Convenient for visitors staying in...

Rx Restaurant and Bar has a goal to feed the soul, with a distinctively fresh menu that uses local ingredients from regional growers, farmers and fishermen. With complementing...

Seafood lovers who don’t mind getting their hands dirty will want to take a stroll to the Shuckin’ Shack. Located in the heart of Downtown Wilmington along a busy section of Market...

Something Fishy Seafood Restaurant is a back-to-basics seafood shack that’s found in central Wilmington along a quieter and less bustling section of College Road...

There’s always something sumptuous to discover at Sweet N Savory Café – an artful little eatery that’s found on the edge of Wilmington’s Landfall Park, and the River to the Sea...

The name of “The Basics” is also an illusion to this casual eatery’s philosophy, which is to serve up all the stales of southern comfort food, keep it simple, and let the inherently rich...

The Dixie Grill is a down-home taste of southern cuisine in the heart of Downtown Wilmington. Found in a modest building just a couple blocks away from the waterfront, this breakfast...

Sometimes a name says it all, and Two Fat Ladies Over a Simmering Pot is a local favorite for sumptuous soul food that’s made right, at a slow pace, and is served...

Whiskey Trail Pub & Grill is a hidden gem that’s tucked away near the Masonboro Sound, and which serves as a popular hang-out for Wilmington residents in the Masonboro...

White Front is a no-frills breakfast joint that’s found within a weather-worn, one-story building on the outskirts of the downtown area, and despite its humble exterior, is...