I met my dear friend for my first sit down meal here. I'd had a wonderful experience at a catered event a couple of months prior. It was the first night of a new menu and there was a free concert offered so the restaurant was filling quickly. Two factors that often make for some hiccups. Not a one! We received friendly, knowledgeable, professional service. We had an assigned server but other team members were happy to provide support by topping up water glasses or clearing plates which had barely been cleaned. The food? First rate. We ladies shared the chopped salad- a salute to spring- including goat cheese, red onions, mushrooms and strawberries along with crisp romaine lettuce. True to the name- easily managed bite sized morsels- artfully dressed with fresh vinaigrette which accentuated the fresh vegetables rather than overpowering. We were offered and gladly accepted fresh, warm rolls and soft, spreadable butter. My friend sipped her mocktail happily while I enjoyed a California Pinot Gris from the pleasantly refreshing drinks menu with wines by bottle or glass, mocktails and craft cocktails for we who appreciate the pleasures of mixologist. Oh the soup of the day! A modest title for an ambrosia of seafood- shrimp, crab and fish- bathed in a sinfully rich cream sauce and studded with cubes of tender potatoes and once crispy bacon- not limp, fatty stand in's. The all of it? An utterly satisfying meal for we who both love Art we drink in with our eyes, music with our ears and? Food that feeds our bodies and makes our palates sing. There are museums that offer acceptable repasts and then? There's the CAM Cafe which serves Culinary Art. I'm looking forward to my next visit. Lunch? Mimosa Brunch? Yes please . Someone is doing something very right here. Don't stop. read more

We ate here during our museum visit, and we were very impressed with the food. Our server was very friendly, and the surroundings are beautiful. There is an outdoor patio with lots of seating when weather permits. It was raining the morning we visited so we sat inside. The biscuits are DELICIOUS! My husband ordered corn beef hash, and I had one of the specials, a crab cake Benedict dish. read more

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This cafe is surrounded by windows; it has an expansive feel. They often have live music. It has a poor selection for vegetarian or vegan; otherwise, I'm a museum member, & would eat here. Service is friendly & competent. read more

CAM Café - Salad "collage" - Cafes Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

Stopped in the café with a few coworkers for an art tour and lunch. The space is bright and open with all windows, perfect for the museum vibe. I ordered the turkey club, which was tasty, though it came on a brioche bun instead of the croissant listed and was missing the avocado. When I asked, the staff said they probably ran out--would've been nice to know ahead of time. But the chips and fries on the side were really good. It's a nice convenient option if you're at the museum or around the area. read more

CAM Café - Cafes Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

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CAM Cafe is a great choice for brunch. It is located inside the Cameron Art Museum. The space is small but the windows allow for a lot of light. Outside seating may be available in the courtyard. I'm not sure if that was an option the day I was there but it was hot and humid so it could be possible that nobody wanted to be outside that day. Service was good. I was given time to look over the menu and I wasn't rushed and had time to enjoy my meal. A biscuit and mini muffin were brought out soon after I arrived and those were warm and delicious. The brunch menu was limited. I went with the eggs benedict as that is what I like for brunch. The egg was over easy so still had a runny yolk but I do prefer poached eggs. The hollandaise sauce was great though. I'd order the dish again. A side of breakfast potatoes came as the side as those were really good. I wasn't hungry but did want to try the apple tart and even though I didn't finish I did enjoy the bites I had. read more

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Always great! Great food! Great service! Great ambiance! The cafe is all windows with views of the patio and art in the trees. Thursday nights when the cafe is open for dinner, the outside lighting is lovely. Inside the museum galleries you can find regularly changing art exhibits. read more

The food was very good and how can one go wrong with lunch in a museum? Service was kind and professional! Great ambiance! Loved their quiche & fish tacos! read more

Brunch in an art museum. The room is bright with plenty of tables. There's a bar too. I can picture having lunch outside in nice weather. I ordered the artesian quiche of the day, which was sausage and mushrooms (and a side of fresh fruit). The quiche was totally filled with ground sausage, some mushrooms, but not enough eggs. A Quiche is an egg-based dish with other ingredient and should be the star of the dish. The sausage was overwhelming and somewhat greasy. I was very disappointed. DH and one friend ordered the burger. Overcooked. Fries were great. The burgers were topped with a fried egg. One was overcooked, the other perfect. My other friend ordered the veggie omelet. Taking a small bite, it tasted, and looked like the eggs were from boxed powdered eggs. The inside of the omelet had several little squares of cheese (not fresh mozzarella per the menu), a little bit of diced tomatoes. It was a very sad looking omelet with hardly any filling. She ended up eating some of her husbands fries and part of his burger. When we got the checks, the waiter asked if she wanted the omelet to be wrapped up. Nope. She didn't like it. He took her meal off the bill. That was very nice. The Bloody Mary's were quite tasty. As we walked out, my friend and I noticed a man at the bar who was just being served shrimp and grits. It looked delicious and we agreed we both should have ordered it instead of what we ordered. read more

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Wonderful brunch! Delicious food and drinks. Staff was amazing. Will definitely make this a repeat spot in town.

Shrimp & Grits + $5 Mimosas is what made SUNDAY BRUNCH memorable for me at Cam Café CAM Cafe Cameron Art Museum Serving up fresh seasonal offerings, coastal cuisine and classic southern dishes is what makes the food at CAM by Chef Chip Pridgen a standout! He believes cooking is an art and we definitely enjoyed our brunch dishes which included: Low Country Shrimp & Grits, Southern Breaded Chicken & Waffles and the Café Brunch Burger. Reservations are recommended but not required. We reserved for a seat indoors but they do offer patio outdoor seating with heat lamps. After Brunch, you'll want to hang around and see the many wonderful exhibits at the museum (I also did a review for that..check it out) , stop by the gift store or see the new outdoor sculpture ,Boundless..dedicated to the USCT. read more

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We came before the jazz night. There was no music in the cafe (as was advertised), and the menu was different than what was online. Now they recommend having a reservation. We did not have one and were graciously accommodated for seating inside! They were incredibly busy and not staffed for the onslot of patrons. Our entree came out before the salads and our bread came out last. Our sever seemed new and someone disorganized. I didn't enjoy the food...we tried the steak, tortellini and fish...all was very salty and steak was cooked only one way (medium rare). Out of all of it, I enjoyed the tortellini the most. Wouldn't come back again unless it's a different menu and less busy. read more

CAM Café - Jazz night dinner menu - Cafes Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

Fun place for brunch or lunch! The cafe is bright and airy located in the center of the museum. I had the crabcake benedict special with ice tea, and my friend had the burger. The crabcakes were true crabcakes. No filler or seasoning. I wish the English muffin was more toasted. It came with home fries. I am not a big eater, so I didn't eat the home fries. Prior to our meals, they served some mini biscuits and muffins. The service was good and she came to check on us. It was so good I forgot to take a photo. read more

Yes, this was our first time meeting there. We actually enjoyed the meal price was pretty decent. Food quality was excellent will be back. read more

CAM Café - Ham and cheese quiche with creamy white sauce, and fresh fruit - Cafes Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

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Lovely cafe and museum! Saturday's brunch special was Crab Benedict and it was delicious !

New Chef in charge and today was terrific. Such a lovely setting! My French toast with fresh berries was terrific and my partner truly enjoyed her crab cakes. The Bloody Mary was also a hit. Check this place out. It and the Cameron are a Terri asset to Wilmington. read more

I went to the Cameron Art Museum to view art and indeed discovered this extraordinary collection, on the 20th anniversary of the museum. I went for visual art and was visually and conceptually thrilled though, little did I realize the gem of a restaurant within. Their chef Chip Pridgen had the most exquisite lobster bisque soup for starters. I also ordered this incredible Strawberry Salad with a subtle dressing, fresh fruit with goat cheese and it was amazing. My wife ordered The Hungry Farmer Sandwich with grilled zucchini, summer squash, and peppers with mozzarella melted on top and basil pesto, and after one bite of hers, I instantly ordered another meal, consuming it with great delight. Go for the art and stay for the food. This was my best meal in all of Wilmington during our stay, and we will be back for seconds and thirds. For dessert, we had the Warm Apple Tart with vanilla ice cream, and what a perfect museum cafe experience with attentive wait staff, and a lovely enclosed garden environment. Please keep up this artful cooking Chip Pridgen! read more

Have you ever been introduced to a certain dinner entree that just didn't sound appealing at first but then you take that first bite and you're beyond pleasantly surprised? That's exactly what happened last evening for dinner at the CAM Cafe inside of the Cameron Art Museum ! Introducing Chef Chip Pridgen's, Asian-inspired Thai Green Curry (with chicken) entree and bacon-wrapped scallops...sushi style!!! Both...incredible. From the basil, coconut curry sauce, fluffy Jasmine rice and fresh, fire-roasted / blistered bell peppers with wilted lemongrass, it was all sublime. The spice level was perfect and the combinations of ingredients were delectable. If...and I do mean if, I were to make any changes, additions or edit this dish in any way, I would have loved just a little more wilted, greens and maybe some sliced mushrooms in this dish. Plus, if you prefer...CAM Cafe also serves a vegan version of this gem. The scallops are large, tender morsels of seafood deliciousness, scarved with high quality bacon, grilled with a light char, then drizzled with spicy mayo, eel sauce, Sriracha and chili oil. Damn...this was an incredible dinner!! Service provided by Chloe was as good as it gets plus we enjoyed some light tunes from Ken Schnedetz on the acoustic guitar. Thank you, CAM Cafe and your entire staff for, not just an amazing dinner, but an amazing experience. read more

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Great food, and service. Music sometimes leaves a bit to be desired.....but still wonderful to be at CAM!

Management is very kind. I had an issue using Google Assistant to book reservations and they responded very kindly to the issue. I will try to eat there soon and I'm sure food and service will be amazing. read more

I met two other ladies for brunch here. The space for Cam Cafe was light and airy. It featured a nice view of the outdoor area and was decorated with a paper house mobile and paper snowflakes hung in the corners. First, we got a nice surprise from the chef! We were sent complimentary avocado fries with three spectacular dipping sauces: jalapeño, dill/lime, and smoky pepper. Awesome! I ordered the Summer Salad special. Talk about a work of art! It consists of fresh greens, dates, candied pecans, persimmons, radishes, pomegranate seeds, apple slices, onions,and a nice slice of blue cheese. The dressing was made with white balsamic vinegar. The service was a wee bit flighty and disorganized. One of my friends ordered French toast and had to go in search of syrup. It may have been an off day. I definitely will support this sweet spot of culinary paradise! read more

CAM Café - Salad with pecans, radishes and apple. - Cafes Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

Everything is wonderful! I can't wait to go for brunch! Yum yum yum! Best museum cafe ever!

Had dinner out on the patio, the food was just as wonderful as the atmosphere. We had the vegetarian plate and the wine is half off on Thursday. After dinner we strolled through the museum. Wonderful place! read more

Disappointing! I love having a bite to eat in a lovely setting--the CAM Café does not disappoint in ambiance, however it did regarding food quality. The quiche tasted rubbery, as if it sat too long in Whole Foods plus very pricey. I enjoy the CAM but will not indulge in the Café any time soon. Except for a glass of wine? read more

As part of our unofficial yelp brunch club a few Yelpers have been visiting different restaurants the first Sunday of every month. Last Sunday we decided to check out the café at the Cameron Art Museum. I loosely know the executive chef, Jessica Cabbo and have heard wonderful things about the inventive and upscale menu. I told her before we arrived that we would be in for brunch and I was sad to hear that she doesn't typically work brunch but she said her sou chef would take care of us. It's important to note there is no standard hostess stand just a bar with tables in a square surrounding it. At first I wasn't really sure the procedure for seating but someone called out from behind the bar and asked if I had reservations. I told her my last name and she led me to my table. Two other Yelpers joined me shortly after and we patiently waited as it took the waitress three different trips to take all of our drink orders. To start the chef sent out tempura avocado, which was perfect. I love avocado and have had it fired before but didn't really care for it until now. For brunch I ordered a burger, while the rest of the table ordered French toast and the salad feature. My burger was thick, juicy and the exact temperature I prefer. All three of us thoroughly enjoyed our meal and basically cleaned our plates. If you are looking for something different than your standard diner brunch check out the CAM café. The atmosphere is modern and chic. Yes, the service was odd and inattentive but the food more than made up for the lack of service. I will definitely be back and I can't wait to check out the tapas night or another time when chef Cabbo is behind the line. read more

First time eating at CAM Cafe was a wonderful experience! Food was great, service was wonderful and the atmosphere is so different from anywhere else. The grit tots were SO GOOD! we will definitely be back. read more

It's in a museum and it's actual healthy and tasty food and good service, good enough for me.

Sunday brunch is amazing! Atmosphere is perfect and our service was great. I had the Cuban and my mom has the burger. We didn't get the cinnamon roll but was eyeing the table next to us with one. They looked delicious! I'll have to try that the next time. read more

Cam café Returned after previous visit hoping things had improved. Sorry to say, although the food was ok there was nothing special and that you could not get somewhere else. The café has never returned to the excellent quality and variety it had under it first chef and first hostess. read more

I invited my mom and a friend to enjoy Tapas night at Cam Cafe' with me tonight. A popular local band was playing so I thought it would be a delicious and entertaining evening. Wednesday nights are Tapas night at Cam Cafe' and they had a menu of about ten offerings, plus desserts. They also had a free wine and beer tasting during the event, which made for a very fun time. I'll start out by saying that the food was delicious; I ordered the Grilled Romaine Salad and the Lobster Roll, my friend ordered the Jalapeño Poppers and the Lobster Roll, and my mom had the Fried Oysters. The grilled romaine salad was very tasty. One of my wedge pieces was a bit tough and I had a tough time cutting it; perhaps it should have been served with a larger serrated edge knife, as it was a very thick middle of the lettuce, but it was beautifully grilled and the salad dressing had just the right amount of garlic and parmesan. The tomatoes were slightly warmed and the entire presentation was very nice. ($9) My friend and I both agreed that the Lobster Roll was absolutely fabulous. The large chunks of lobster were tossed with a perfectly light amount of mayo, lemon juice, and celery. The lemon gave it a refreshing flavor that wasn't overpowering. The lobster salad was served cold on a warm buttered roll that was toasted; remaining soft, yet crisp around the edges. While it was one of the better lobster rolls I'd had, we both felt that the price of $18 was quite steep for the size of sandwich we received. We agreed that a more acceptable price would have been about $12. My friend also ordered the jalapeño poppers, which were quite good; the cheese was creamy and sharp, and the peppers had a bit of a kick. My mom ordered the Fried Oysters and received a generous portion of perfectly fried, non-greasy oysters. They didn't have that milky texture that some oysters have this time of year. Though the menu said that they'd be served with a cajun roumalade, they came with a lemon tartar sauce which was quite tasty. While the food was great, the service was scattered. I'm not sure if they didn't anticipate the crowd that the band always draws and did not properly staff for the evening, or if they just lack in service in general. But our waitress seemed to purposely avoid making eye contact so we couldn't ask for more wine or food, and almost seemed inconvenienced when we ordered something. When the girl who was a runner brought our food, she brought our two lobster rolls but not the oysters, which were ordered at the same time. Since she was not the one who took our order, I said, "we also have an order of oysters" just to let her know that we had one more dish for our table that we anticipated receiving. Her response to me was, "yeah, I know. I only have two hands." ...and she walked away. Whhhhaaaaat? Oh hell no!!! Thinking since she only "had two hands" and didn't bother to use a serving tray to carry more, I was certain she was going to the kitchen to use her two hands to bring back the oysters. But no, I watched her make THREE more runs of food (with someone trailing behind her, who ALSO had TWO hands and carried the food she was unable to carry in HER two hands) to serve others. About five minutes later she brought the oysters that she, nor her "assistant" were able to carry out the previous trip between their four hands. Had she told me, "yes, they are coming right up" or "yes, they will be right out", or "yes, they will be a few more minutes", that would have been fine...but "yeah, I know, I only have two hands"? Wtf" Later, when I asked our server for our check and said we'd all be separate (there were three of us), she looked at me and said "you're ALL separate?" in a very exasperated tone. Uh yeah, are three women typically NOT separate? Regardless, her tone of inconvenience was a bit off-putting and the fact she never smiled or was personable, even when we'd first arrived before they were slammed, was enough to make my friend, from the very beginning of our evening, comment, "based on her attitude, my boyfriend would say, 'she's doesn't realize that she's working for tips, does she?'" While the food was delicious, the staff that we encountered definitely lacked people skills. I certainly understand being understaffed or busy, but the comments we received were rude and unnecessary. I will definitely return for the food, but take into consideration the service that I may receive while there. Hopefully for those two ladies, it was an off night or they may struggle to make their living in food service. The food was a solid 4.5 stars, the service about 1-1.5, so I gave them 3 stars. read more

One of the best dinners I have had here in Wilmington. I had the tomato bisque soup and the butternut Squash ravioli. Both were beyond expectations. We were there to see the Jazz @ the CAM show which is also great. I love this museum. Not to be missed. read more

What a great meal we had here! The food is healthy and local. Amazing grilled peach salad with proscuitto, pine nuts with a blackberry dressing. Fish was delicious. Oh, and the edamame appetizer was DELICIOUS! After dinner, we toured the Treme exhibit at the CAM. A really fun night out. read more

Assuming the role of 'lady that lunches', my friend and I met for lunch today at the cafe. We sat outside and enjoyed the peace and quiet of the day! I ordered the ban mih sandwich, which was essentially a grilled chicken baguette with pickled vegetables (primarily cabbage) and aioli .. It was very tasty. I had the side of squash casserole, an odd mix, but it was a personal choice and totally worth it. My friend had the BLT without the T, but it came with it anyway ..so she picked it off. Ingredients are locally sourced and the menu is fresh and inspired ..overall great, but the service could be improved. Everyone was very friendly, but being outside I feel like we were forgotten about at times. I will go again and am interested in trying the evening tapas menu. Check it out, it's a refreshing change. read more

I heard good recommendations so i decided to check it out on my lunch. Simply a very delightful cafe. Superb food with many specials including 3 soup options, summer market salad, two fresh sides, bah mi special, fresh fish, vegetable taco of the day, and quiche special. I went with summer salad with the swordfish. It was a grilled peach salad, with cucumbers, croutons, crispy prosciutto and the swordfish had a nice chimichuri sauce. They also have multiple deserts. The lobster bisque and corn chowder dish sounded great as well as the roasted duck bah mi sandwich and the tempura avocado tacos. I will definitely be back read more

This is the second time we have gone to the Cam Cafe for tapas and we were not dissapointed. The tempura fried flat beans were lightly fried and delicious, while the swordfish tacos were excellent in their taste profile, presentation and the swordfish was cooked perfectly for both of us. The prosciutto wrapped melon was good, a liitle too much prociutto and the melon rind did nothing for the dish. That being said, the salami was deliciously prepared. Our only disappointment was the Oreo cake: too much extremely sweet frosting and not enough cake. All in all a 4.5 out of 5. Try it! read more