We made another visit here, this time for dinner, and with different friends who have not visited…read moreSouth Front Tavern before. It was great weather this night, so we opted for an outside table that was in total shade. Very comfortable. Our server came by for drink orders. We had no appetizers this visit and went right into entrees. We tried the Port City Burger, the Gnocchi with chicken, cilantro lime shrimp quesadillas and the salmon tacos. Everything was delicious. The only complaint I would have is that the Salmon Tacos was a bit small. The dish is two small tacos with a side of tortilla chips. There is no salsa, no pico de gallo, no slaw. I was actually sorry that I didn't get an appetizer. I was still a little hungry after I finished. We didn't want any of the dessert offered this time. Again, everything was great. Service, food, atmosphere, outside patio. Just my dish was a little less in size. I will keep that in mind next time we visit. I'm not sure something like this would be changed on the menu, but I still wanted to voice my opinion. Still a great place with a great menu and service. If the weather is good, opt for the patio. It is really nice sitting out there.

Came in for dinner at South Front Tavern with two colleagues who between them have nearly fifty…read moreyears of North Carolina under their belts. I'm the St. Louis visitor in the group, here to be educated on what Southern cooking is supposed to taste like. The verdict by the end of the night was mixed. The space itself is cute and clean, with an industrial-chic, open feel inside, but it gets very loud once it fills up, like hard to hear your side neighbor loud. We lucked into a set of club chairs in a corner away from the main dining area, which knocked the noise down enough that we could hear each other. Without that, I'm honestly not sure we would have stayed. The host didn't blink at seating us over there, and the wait staff throughout the night was friendly. Drinks were fine across the table. My grilled peach old fashioned was the only one I tried, and I was hoping for a sharper, smokier profile, what I got leaned peachy without much else going on. The clams my friend ordered had a little grit in them, so not perfectly cleaned, but the flavor was there. The six-hour baby back ribs was a great start, great sauce, not smothered, fall-off-the-bone tender, the kind of thing I'd come back for. I didn't get a photo because we tore into them too fast, which tells you most of what you need to know. After that, things got uneven. The pork empanadas are listed with an ancho chili jam, but no jam or sauce came with ours. The pastry was crisp and tasty, but the pork inside was under-seasoned, and we left a whole empanada on the plate. The crab cakes was the bigger letdown, my friend, who grew up in Maryland and knows what a crab cake should be, said hers tasted more like a flat, minced patty (possibly with fish filler) than actual crab. She didn't finish it. My gumbo ya-ya had chicken, shrimp, and andouille, but the sauce was thin and tomato-forward where I was hoping for, and a richer sauce. Spice was fine; the whole thing just landed middle-of-the-road. Desserts split the difference. The key lime crème brûlée was genuinely excellent, I'd order it again on its own. The North Carolina blueberry bread pudding was beautifully plated but a little dry in execution for use. We left half of it. One thing worth flagging: the restaurant closes at 8:30, and at 8:30 sharp, with us still finishing dessert, the music came on with the unmistakable "we're closed" energy, even though we'd arrived at 7 and no one else was wandering in late. It made the end of the meal feel rushed in a way that didn't match the otherwise warm service. 3.4 starts out of 5. To be fair: we didn't leave feeling the food was bad, just that we'd ordered into the weaker half of the menu. Our server highly recommended the skillet mac and cheese and the quesadillas, and the skillet cornbread looked great online - we just didn't pull the triggers. We have generous optimism a version of this meal that goes much better than ours did, and on a second visit I'd lean into those recommendations. For now, though, with friends in town and a list of places I haven't tried yet, I probably won't be steering people here for your one night in Wilmington. I'd come back to give it a fairer second shot if I lived here.

Finally! After many years, we made it back to Copper Penny! On our return trip from Southport we…read morestopped in downtown to grab a bite before heading home. We started walking around and my wonderful wife suggested Copper Penny. Absolutely! There was a short wait for a table, but we didn't mind. The inside is almost like we remember it. We did notice the menu is a lot smaller. The last time we dined here was around ten years ago. Definitely plenty of options. We went with the onion ring appetizer, Cobb salad, and the BBQ Burger. The atmosphere of Copper Penny is the same. Definitely missed this place. After a short wait our food was brought out. Everything was delicious. This is just an update, but we still love Copper Penny and will continue to return.

It's been a long time since I last visited the Copper Penny and it's because of my overwhelmingly…read morepositive previous experience with their food and service that I recommend it to my colleagues (who had never been to Wilmington)when we were considering a place for dinner. It was a little embarrassed after spending $192, on food and drinks for 4, with glasses still full of alcohol when we're were asked to leave. We were told that they are enforcing a 90 min in restaurant visit...to the point where they don't care if we had finished our beer/alcohol...clearly they just wanted us out. I've been to a lot of restaurants all over the world but this was the first time in my life that I was asked to leave...we weren't loitering we only wanted to finish our drinks before leaving...the person didn't look at our situation...was very black and white, "you've been here more than 90mins". Their food is good, they are as popular as ever but clearly not a place for people who want to chat and hang out...copper penny is a restaurant not a hangout spot...to me that's loud and clear. As someone who isn't in Wilmington often I rely on my previous experience as a stating point to my ( restaurant) choice. This experience was so jarring that I'll never recommend copper penny to anyone. The food is good but they really don't want or need non local business!

Everything and they're dog friendly. The KJ for karaoke was outstanding. The drinks were good and…read morereasonable. Had The Cuban sandwich for dinner and it was reasonable and good.

Great wings! Fun karaoke!…read more Note there will be loose dogs throughout the bar/restaurant and I'm not a big fan of pets (esp that I don't know) begging under my table.

The vibes here are so great! Love the story behind the restaurant's name and a powerful woman!…read more Came here on Saturday for lunch right at opening & we were surprised by how busy it got shortly after. Speaks for itself. The Saturday special was wings & a $5 selected pint! The pint special was a Oktoberfest beer which was fun because usually it's something that isn't really worth the $5 at most places. I got the BYO burger, my husband got the Betsy Ross & my daughter got the kids cheeseburger. Get the Molly's sauce with the fries- it has such great flavor! We all enjoyed our food and had 3 empty plates. Service was fast & all the staff we encountered was very nice. The outdoor patio with tables is always an added bonus for seating options!

Nice spot for a quality Sunday brunch. When we arrived, there was a pretty significant wait…read more However, they were able to get us seated faster than the estimated 45 minutes. Unfortunately, we were by the door, and it was a little chilly with people coming in and out, but I totally understand that they have to pack in tables due to being so busy. Service was friendly and quick, and they were very patient with the fact that a member of our party was late arriving. I went with the Oh Molly, which included 3 eggs, bacon, sausage, homefries, grits & a biscuit with mollasses butter. They let me sub in double bacon since I don't eat sausage. The main draw for that dish for me was the molasses butter. The molasses flavor wasn't as strong as I was hoping, but it was still really tasty. The biscuit was soft and perfect, I liked the grits, the eggs were cooked right. There was room for improvement on the hashbrowns. For such a busy spot, the gender-segregated single stall restrooms did have a bit of a wait. So, just keep that in mind. Also, when they are busy, their parking lot does fill up. We struggled a bit with parking. I'd definitely stop in again!

Sometimes the view is what you need to get started. And when near the water, seafood is a good…read moreplace to start. And, being a beautiful night to watch the sunset, River 128 was the place to be. Traveling with friends we find a good place for cocktails, conversations and a view to enjoy., The choice of seafood was the tougher part. There were classics and new ideas to choose from. Where to begin was tough. But, over a martini, that made things easier. Our waiter was excellent, and patient, as we picked what we were thinking of. To start, we had a special appetizer for the table...It was Lobster Dip served with pita toast. It was a good portion to start with a martini or glass of wine as the sun set. It was fresh, and tasty. It was seasoned well so you could enjoy the dip in a good portion. Once complete next came the entrees. This was a good variety to try. We had a dish of Shrimp & Grits...a true Southern dish to have. And, as is typical in any region, this was based on the flavor of Cajun . A mound of grits that were fresh and creamy. This was toped for 12 large shrimp. There was a red Cajun sauce with the taste you would expect. It was warm and hot in flavor. It was rich and special to enjoy with each spoon you might take with each bite. It was a true Shrimp & Grits I was use to, with the spice to enjoy. We also had an order of Grilled Swordfish. This is a special to have if you want to try a piece of fish you do not usually have., This was very fresh of the day. It was de-boned and grilled to a state that allowed the taste with the seasoning it had on the grill. It was moist and firm and a taste to try and see what it was like. Finally, we had a dish of Sushi Tuna. This was a large portion that could be served as an appetizer, but was large enough to make it an entree. It was also very fresh for the day. The Tuna was the right look and style that is typical in a sushi bar. We ordered a side-dish of fresh asparagus. It was a good compliment to the tuna which was at room temperature and flavorful. When the meal was complete we did share an order of Key Lime Pie. Home-made and light, it was a good way to have a Southern dessert to share after the rich meal we enjoyed together. The team at River 128 is excellent. The portions are perfect. The price is what to expect when having a wonderful seafood meal right by the water. Next time I am in Wilmington, I will go back to have a good meal at sunset. Even with a martini in hand.

We sat out on the covered patio. It was a very nice view and great for our party (10). The service…read morewas excellent. The food was delicious. I had a shrimp and grits dish different than any I've had before. Great flavor. We shared. Tuna sashimi, calamari crab dip. And Brussels sprouts. All were amazing

The food was amazing!!! We came in for a late night bite before getting back out to the clubs and…read morethis place just hit the spot. With an easy going and welcoming atmosphere. The bartender (Susie- you rock!!!) was very attentive and courteous while also helping with recommending one of the best sandwiches I've had the pleasure of enjoying down in Wilmington (and I wasn't drunk, yet). The one bartender /server on hand was crushing the definition of hospitality. Thank you for being the restaurant/bar that we needed to kick start our New Year's Day!! Btw- best sandwich was the Ghostface Fillah- don't be scared- it's beyond amazing!!!!

The Big Wes' Little Wieners were so good.. the service was incredibly kind and personable. I was in…read morethe area for work and popped in for dinner and was so glad that I did so. They were knowledgeable about the area and happy to share and the food and drinks were phenomenal. Definitely worth while checking out.

Food was delicious best burger in town !! Service was awesome and food came out fast !! Great vibe…read morethere I highly recommend Thank you. We will be back !

We had dinner here recently and I was super impressed with the quality of the food. I ordered the…read moredaily special which was baby back ribs, and they were prepared very well. My husband got steak frites and said the steak was cooked from well, but he wished it had more salt on it. Our friend ordered a burger and he raved about it all night! Obviously they specialize in steak, but they also have their own bakery that makes their desserts. We ordered the key lime pie, but I was disappointed because it wasn't tart at all. If my eyes were closed I might have thought it was a citrus cheesecake.

I can't believe this was my first time to the Fork and Cork after living in Wilmington for 7 years!…read moreThey had a full house on a late Saturday afternoon, so we sat at the bar where I had a delicious bloody Mary and the 'brisket biscuit' from the brunch menu.OMG, it was a perfect pairing with the cocktail. The bbq pulled beef over homemade biscuits was topped with a spectacular mustard sauce with two perfect eggs and a side of sweet potato waffle-fries sprinkled with cinnamon, cayenne, and sugar... You guessed it, I ate the whole thing! My husband had the beet salad topped with blackened chicken, which he raved about the whole time we were there. I highly recommend this restaurant, it is small and cozy with a unique ambience, great service with a smile, quite loud, but worth the wait!

Walking around Wilmington and discovered this neat little restaurant. Only 3 tables inside and…read moreseveral bar stools at the quaint bar area. Seating available outside as well on a warmer day. Had the crispy chicken chef salad...amazing! Their blue cheese dressing was tasty and the salad was fresh with lots of delicious items mixed in. Service was excellent. Will go back for sure!

Had amazing service by Abby! Tried the new shrimp bread and while it was good we all much…read morepreferred the old shrimp cheese bread. Bring it back!!!

I have been to Elijah's twice within the last two weeks. The food and service were much better than…read morewhat I received at Annie's. The boiled shrimp was outstanding. The crab dip was the best I have ever had. The shrimp and oysters were so fresh and fried perfectly. The staff was very helpful and checked frequently on your needs. The first time I sat outside and the second time inside. Both were great. I would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for good food and good service. There was so much food that some took some home with them.

Last week my family held an event on the second floor here. The staff at the bar and that brought…read moreout food worked hard! I had a couple of tasty cocktails such as an old fashioned and an orange-based liqueur cocktail. The food was also very tasty. The sliders, Mac and cheese, fries, and pretty much everything else was fresh and well made. The bar has a great ambiance for a party. Pretty much any drink is makable here with tons of options. You can also catch a sports game here pretty easily with all the TVs. This place has a great staff, good food, and fun vibe. Definitely worth you checking out.

Rebellion in Wilmington has a great vibe--warm lighting, with a historic feel, laid-back…read moreatmosphere. We dropped by for wings after some recommendations, so our expectations were high. The staff were friendly and welcoming, and our waiter was especially attentive which we appreciated. The only hiccup was the food timing--our wings took at least 20 minutes to come out. That said, it felt like they may have just been having an off night, and the service throughout stayed positive and professional. Overall, it's a great place for drinks and atmosphere, with a staff that clearly cares about the experience.