I wanted to like this place so much more because it has delightfully kitschy ambiance, has a sense of humor, is super vegan/vegetarian friendly, and has excellent prices. But, unfortunately, we got really awful service and my entree was legit gross. Not because it wasn't prepared right - because it was just...an exceptionally werd combination of foods that do not belong together. Let's start with my absolutely bizarre brunch entree. At $8.75 I really feel bad complaining but...it was so gross. I'm sorry. I ordered a kimchi grilled cheese. What does that conjure up? Probably some toasted crusty white bread with a bunch of cheddar or jack and some Kim chi mixed in right? Wrong. This was served on a brioche hamburger bun and when it arrived the top bun was upside down and there was melted cheese on top of the bun (so under it) with a wonton crisp stuck to the cheese. The top (so, bottom) of the bun had a drizzle of soy or ponzu sauce and sesame seeds. The bulk of the sandwich was egg. Kudos for also having avocado but for the life of me I had to dig to find the kimchi. There was no additional cheese other than the small amount stuck to the top of my bun. This sandwich was completely unhinged you guys. The two things in the name - kimchi and cheese - were the two things I struggled to locate. And the egg was kind of sweet. And so was the sauce. But then the rest was super savory. It was a lot of things that are delicious separately but had no business being combined. And WHY was my bun upside down? I have never been so confused by a sandwich. This was a post-modern meta-critique of sandwiches. I am a philosopher of sandwiches. Ceci n'est pas un sandwich. Ceci also nest pas edible. Our elote dip appetizer and chips was decent. A little pricier than our other items. It actually looked and tasted like elote dip so, hooray. My husband's french toast was bare bones, but that is fine given the price. However, it was really dry. We were having a terrible time getting service so he had to flag down a different server to request syrup. Rather than simply informing him there was an upcharge and asking if he still wanted it she said something along the lines of "we don't serve our French toast with syrup because it's already really sweet and we use real so we charge for it so taste it first and see if you still really want he syrup because I don't want to charge you unnecessarily." And then. She walked. Away. And we never saw another server again for the entire remainder of our meal so my husband never had a chance to ask for syrup which, yes, he did want after trying his dry-ass French toast. We were kind of flabbergasted. He is not nearly as much if a spoiled princess as me but that did NOT go over well with him and the idea of a server refusing to bring syrup has been an inside joke between us ever since. Getting drink refills was impossible. I waited too long to write my review so I am struggling to remember what else was so bad about our service, but I remember being pretty astonished. I think at one point our server forgot she had taken our order. So, in summation...this place is fucking wackadoodle. What weird ideas they have about what customers actually want from a restaurant. The place was busy so maybe they have a target market that they cater to and that loves them but...it isn't us. read more

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This place has been on my list for a while. My family and I stopped in on a Saturday afternoon after visiting the children's museum. We were greeted immediately and were told to sit anywhere we wanted. Well made drinks, a pineapple mimosa and a spicy bourbon Bloody Mary...which was probably the bartenders first time making it with bourbon. They did well! Good menu, lots of good burgers, which hubs ordered the one with kimchi on it. 2 thumbs up. I had the tomato pie with a side salad. I'd get that every time. Our kid enjoyed her sweet potato fries and chicken nuggets. Our server was also great with our very extroverted daughter. There's a nice, little lounge in the back, that looks like it can be rented out for events. We will certainly be back. read more

We met up with family for a long, relaxed brunch at Castle Street Kitchen, and overall it was a very enjoyable experience with some clear highlights. The restaurant itself is very cute -- bright, open, and welcoming with a casual neighborhood vibe. The bar area stood out in particular, and the bartender was extremely friendly and engaging, which added a lot to the atmosphere. It's also clearly a very inclusive and welcoming place for the local community. Food-wise, there were some real winners. The street corn dip with cotija cheese was outstanding -- easily one of the best items we tried. Flavorful, creamy, and very well balanced. Several of the dishes were visually appealing and generous portions, and the menu has a lot of creative options that go beyond typical brunch fare. That said, there were a couple of execution issues. The eggs on the tots dish were inconsistent -- one was properly over easy while the other was cooked hard, which shouldn't happen on the same plate. Service from the table servers was also a bit underwhelming. They weren't rude, just not particularly warm or attentive compared to the friendliness of the bar staff. Overall, though, this is a solid brunch spot with a fun menu and a great atmosphere. With a little more consistency in the kitchen and more engaging table service, it could easily move into top-tier territory. Rating: 4 out of 5 Would definitely return -- especially for that street corn. read more

It was my first time here with five friends (Sunday 17 Nov 2024). We had about a 25 minute wait, as it was completely full. I started with a bloody Mary, which was pretty good. For my lunch, I had heirloom BLT. It had plenty of crispy bacon and tomatoes. What was a little different was the white cheddar cheese and the oh-so-tasty aioli sauce. I asked for regular bread instead of the biscuit bread. I'm glad I ordered the bread because the biscuit would have just fallen apart while eating the sandwich. Two others ordered as well. We all thought it was excellent!! My other friends ordered the heirloom tomato pie with mac & cheese; a chicken Caesar salad; and the seared ahi tuna salad. They too thought their food was excellent. It was a beautiful day, so the front garage door was open. However, that led to a lot of flies in the dining room. I guess this is normal because some of the tables had those battery operated fly fans that sits on the tables and keeps the flies away. The flies were somewhat annoying. Even though the garage door was open, it was extremely noisy inside. I would love to bring my husband here, but it will have to be at a time when it's not full. There are lots of other great choices on the menu, so I'll be back again. read more

Castle Street Kitchen - Heirloom BLT - Sandwiches Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

I had the most delicious burger here and I will be back to get it again!! I had the Seoul burger which had kimchi and other delicious ingredients that combination was just explosion in my mouth. read more

Castle Street Kitchen - Sandwiches Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

My wife and were in town for a wedding and happened up this spot. We both had a great burger and I had fresh , fried okra and she had fries. I had a local beer which was excellent and a good selection also. This winter's night was not cold and the roll up door was open with live music and a great atmosphere and great crowd. I will definitely be returning. read more

OMG this place is amazing. Super welcoming and actually fresh cooked from scratch food. The heirloom tomato pie was to die for and I could have eaten bowls and bowls of the corn dip. Great place for any ages or occasions if you want to hang out and eat yummy food. read more

Castle Street Kitchen - I am always a sucker for a place that makes their own tortilla chips! - Sandwiches Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

Great service , prices, quality, and delicious food. Yes, please! We had the guacamole, salsa, and chips to start. I had tomato pie (yum) and my husband had the totchos which were delish. read more

The food was delicious!! My steak Asiago salad was superb! Service excellent!! So friendly!! I highly recommend!!

I'm a fan. Great location to grab a drink and something to eat. Castle Street really needs more places like this, so I am very happy this place is here. They got an inside, outside thing going. They basically open a large garage door and you can float from inside to out. Seating outside and inside. Large bar area if you want to sit there. The drinks are good. Cocktails, beer and wine available. Food is small plates, soups, salads, burgers, sandwiches, and other stuff like tacos. It's hard categorize the menu. The menu tries to represent several food styles. I tried the Chips and Guac, Street Corn Dip, and Tacos. The tacos were good. Street corn is better. Guac is okay but a little bland. They need to add some more spice or hot sauce to the guac. Just my opinion. I would recommend and I do plan on coming back. read more

We are always looking for new places to try and I found this on yelp. This is just down the street from Jester's, which we also like, and so there is only street parking. So far, we've never had an issue finding a spot though. They have outside tables, inside tables, a long bar area, and a large lounge area in the very back. The menu is diverse without being overwhelming. I ordered the grilled chicken sandwich with a side of mac and cheese - and it was a huge side! The chicken sandwich was cooked perfectly, the sauce was delicious, and the bread was soft and tasty. The mac and cheese was good, but not great. It had a lot of yummy cheese, but not enough seasoning. And, I am a traditionalist when it comes to mac and cheese, so when I say seasoning I am referring to basic salt and pepper. My husband ordered the Cuban with a side of slaw. He said it was good but didn't taste like a traditional Cuban, which isn't an insult, just an observation. The slaw was unique, crisp, and very good. I love variations of slaw. Our granddaughter ordered the chicken nuggets from the kid's menu (well I ordered because she's 2), and those were delicious! Beautiful white meat chicken with just enough breading and cooked perfectly! She nearly finished them off along with her fries! They have high chairs and booster seats, and we felt welcomed there with a young child. I have just two minor suggestions: 1) sweep the floor under and around tables between customers because it looks unappetizing to see food on the floor, and 2) please add a changing table to one of your bathrooms. Their health score? 98!!!!! This is so RARE in Wilmington! Thank you for caring enough to achieve this very high score! read more

Ordered to-go on their second day of opening. They currently have a limited menu so check their website for updates on the menu and their hours. They have plenty of seating inside and some outdoor seating. Free street parking and it looks like there's a small parking lot across the street. I tried the heirloom tomato pie and the cannellini bean burger. Both were good but the tomato pie could be improved. The heirloom tomato pie slice had different kinds of heirloom tomatoes with a small amount of mascarpone cheese blend and caramelized onion. The pie crust needed to be cooked a little more till it was golden brown and could have been more flaky. The bottom of the pie crust was a little bit soggy from the juiciness of the tomatoes. The onions were more like sauteed not caramelized. I wished there was more of the tomato pie slice because it wasn't filling enough. The size of the salad that came with it was bigger than the tomato pie itself. I tried the homemade ranch dressing with the salad, which was delicious, creamy and flavorful. The salad came with shredded white cheese, walnuts, tomatoes, cucumbers. The cannellini bean burger was a solid vegetarian burger. The bean patty was soft and mushy, which is just how bean burgers are. I liked the spiciness from the pepper jack cheese and jalapeno honey mustard. I got to choose a side to come with the burger so I tried the sauteed zucchini and squash, which was good. I would come back to try their other menu options. read more

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Off the Beaten Path Review. 4.5/5 I've done CSK twice now, a solo visit in June near closing on a Thursday night. Looking for something other than the usual tourist-fare pizza or tacos. Seated at the bar, my bartender was engaging and quick with drink and food. The second time as a family, on a hugely-busy back-to-school weekend at nearby UNCW - we walked in and got an inside table straightaway. Undoubtedly due to their distance away from the 6-lane strip and alternatively a brick street moat keeping the waterfront ice-creamers away. Happily, food was very good both visits. I experimented with soup of the day each time, an excellent tomato bisque first and a rather thick-ish corn chowder heavy on the potatoes and wanting of some cream and a bit of water, but topped with tasty bacon the second. The chicken sandwich for me was perfectly cooked both times with cold lettuce, good mater slice, dijon and a fresh bun - unlike lower star reviewers. Perhaps they knew l was coming...? Mac 'n cheese is a big bowl of conchiglie shells, seasoned properly and just enough cheese - not too soggy. A good salad topped with a nice sized medium-rare salmon filet was delightful, just right portion size accompanied by a cold beer. The tomato pie was almost quiche-y with a light crust, not too sweet, served with a fresh sidesalad. The balsamic dressing like many places serve, is thick and too strong. Go for a vinagrette next time. The vibe is sparse but clean, servers are quick and friendly and we definitely felt like regulars stopping in as if we lived around the corner, joining older couples and small new families. CSK is not perfect, but a really good neighborhood joint - the kind of casual place that sits in your go-to list when you can't decide. They appear to be listening to their reviews and working hard with a smaller menu to hit the quality mark. Shhhhh. Don't tell your friends. read more

Castle Street Kitchen - Chicken sandwich - Sandwiches Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

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A girls lunch at a place we'd never been to before. Definitely would recommend and return to frequently. We both had the heirloom tomato pie with side salad. It was the perfect portion and was delicious. We also shared the chips and guacamole. The chips were homemade and guacamole was great. read more

Stopped in for a late lunch yesterday and enjoyed park tacos with tater tots at this local gem! The entree arrived as two flour taco shells filled with perfectly cooked tender pork strips combined with tomato, lettuce, red onion, and a mildly spiced sauce drizzled on each. With a large pile of crunchy seasoned tater tots beside them. Basically scrumptious lunch and dinner combined because of the HUGE portions. Not crowded around 3 pm. A great sunny day to sit outside on Castle St and enjoy this unique local cuisine while taking a break from the hustle and bustle of the week. The outside seating is along the front of the building but not on the sidewalk so it feels like a cool urban cafe experience but in a neighborhood. And the staff was friendly and easy going. This kitchen is definitely on my go to local lunch treat list. read more

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Now serving brunch from 10 to 2 and also has a vegetarian vegan menu as well you can sit inside or outside. Have a nice meal. Staff is wonderful and if you occasionally want to drink, they made the best drinks and everything that are reasonable price stop by promise you enjoy. read more

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I finally had the chance to eat here. I ordered the tomato pie which came with a house salad. I have never had tomato pie and this was filled with heirloom tomatoes and marscapone. I thought it was really good. The salad that it came with was really, really good. The lemon ginger vinegaraitte was awesome, too. Pricing was great as it was $12.95. I also had a Bloody Mary that was really good. I enjoyed this place and will definitely be back. It was an open air place with great music playing kinda loud. Very casual. My server was very nice as well. read more

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Nice place with indoor & outdoor seating with a roll up door for nicer weather. Fast & efficient service. The Mac & cheese was so good. The burger & tots perfect. They have a taco of the day. Can't wait for the next cheeseburger taco day. Full bar with good beer. They have very funky lounge, you can rent for groups in the back. read more

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Loved this hip eatery! Food is fantastic! Casual and comfy vibe...go! Get that very special tomato pie!!!

We just happened to be in the neighborhood and decided to try this place out. Very friendly staff and the food was great! The max and cheese was especially delicious. I'm usually not a big fan of restaurant Mac and cheese but this was gooey, cheesy, stringy, and the. Oodles cooked perfect. Very happy with the experience! read more

Castle Street Kitchen - Havana Oonana - Sandwiches Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

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$9 for bland Mac and cheese with very little cheese and very dry, no thank you. When I mentioned it to the server she just ignored it and brought the bill with the Mac and cheese still on the tab. I barely ate any of it. The server did not offer to remove it or offer anything else as a replacement. Will not be going back. read more

Ordered lunch to go yesterday. I got the ancho turkey melt, my husband got the Asiago melt burger, and my father-in-law got the plain burger. Turkey melt was very good. Everyone enjoyed their burgers, and my husband said his side of Mac and cheese was okay (he's a Mac and cheese snob though so take it with a grain of salt). The fries were kind of blah - I think they could use more seasoning, and taking them home before eating them didn't help the texture. One thing to note - you pick up to go orders at the bar, not the host stand. I assumed the host stand so brought my dog on the few block walk to pick up lunch, and accidentally complicated things for the host in doing so as dogs are not allowed inside. Overall, good new choice downtown. I will be back to try their brunch menu. read more

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I cannot stop thinking of this place. The most excellent brunch plate, Hottie Scottie! I plan my agendas around their hours! Absolutely love it! read more

Love everything about this place, the staff was super friendly, the atmosphere was wonderful, and the food was absolutely outstanding!!! Can't wait to go back. read more

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It was ok. Went late Sunday morning. They were not busy. My husband had egg & sausage wrap that he really liked. My heirloom tomato BLT was loaded with bacon and a side of tater tot's they were really greasy but tasty. My daughter also enjoyed her vegan wrap. Her boyfriend had the same as me - a heirloom BLT but they forgot the tomato - strange. It took us about 25min to get our food- way too long for standard menu items & no drinks. While it was a cute place, the wait was a little too long for us & put a damper on our short weekend stay in Wilmington. read more

I enjoyed lunch there today, Thursday, along with nine others in a men's group. It is convenient to downtown Wilmington, with adequate free parking on the street at late morning. The staff were friendly and accommodating, moving tables to seat all ten of us. The lunch special I had was two BLT tacos with fried chicken; perfectly done, and served hot and fast. Others liked the generous portions of the ahi tuna salad, and the perfect done-ness and flavors of the Asiago melt burgers. Everyone enthused about the freshness and careful preparation of the dishes. One fellow told me "They don't just have a cook here, they have a chef!" The ambiance was basic, exposed brick walls and metal ceiling, raising the noise level a bit. But we all were able to carry on animated conversations during lunch. The group opinion was that CSK is a great place to eat and will be on our list to come back to. read more

brunch was tasty! the chicken biscuit was delicious! cool spot, love the garage door and vibe! service was okay, our sever seemed very busy. she rolled her eyes at us when we asked to order our food after we had been waiting for 10 min... also pay attention to the glasses 3 of ours had lipstick stains on them read more

My husband and I tried this restaurant on a Monday around 5 and there was only one other person in the place! Here's what we tried: the street corn dip (very good). My husband has the Havanna Na Na (he liked it). I had the Dijon Chicken sandwich (delicious). I also had the Paloma mixed drink..wasn't my favorite. They have a nice selection of beer and ciders...next time I'll get a cider. The server was just as pleasant as can be and we loved the eclectic vibe. I'll definitely be back for more. read more

The food was good, highly recommend the tots! Staff was super friendly and made great food recommendations. The restaurant itself is a pretty cool spot we very much enjoy it. read more

Great food and atmosphere. Brunch on the weekend is served both Saturday & Sunday with fantastic drink specials.

I really liked this place. It's a cool place with a cool ambiance. We sat outside. The wait staff was attentive. They weren't overly friendly; they seemed busy. I had the Moira Rose cocktail. It was good and strong. I had two of them and was feeling pretty good. I started with Ahi nachos. If you get anything here, get these. They were delicious. I'm not usually a raw fish person but these were magnificent. I had the BLT salad. It was a decent salad. They had a good ranch, so I loved that. Two of my friends got burgers and they asked for them to be cooked medium. They both came out well done and a bit dry. My other friend got the sliders. He finished them quickly but said that they were just ok. I'm giving them 4 stars purely for their cocktails and Ahi nachos. I will definitely be back because their menu does look unique and interesting. read more

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Was looking for some lace different, that's not a "chain". Service was excellent, food was/is delicious. Great find, will be going back. read more

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This place is great! It has a good atmosphere, very nice ! The server and bartender Z! super friendly and helpful ! Three adults and a kid for brunch and drinks and it was under 70 dollars ! We will definitely be making this a regular spot! So glad we tried it ! read more

Castle Street Kitchen - Sebbys clean plate - Sandwiches Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

We like this place staff are great food is always great . We would strongly encourage you to give it a try

What a great atmosphere! Fun decor, Amazing staff, wonderful food, and awesome vibes! The Havana sandwich was bursting with flavor and my side salad was super fresh with delicious dressing! read more

Castle Street Kitchen - Havana, ooh na-na Great take on a Cuban with super juicy flavorful pork. - Sandwiches Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

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This place is a good value. The other night we ordered: 2 Asian sliders - these come 4 to an order-(pulled pork on a little bun with slaw); shared a salad and an order of fries, had two glasses of wine and took home two sliders (they are generously portioned) for well under $50 including tip. The food is solid, the service excellent. I find this place a little wanting in the ambience dept. but I'll swap that for the meal deal. I do hope in the future they expand the menu a little. Give it a try if you're in the area. UPdate: Still worth stopping by. However I live in the area and wish they would add some new items to the menu. I believe the menu has remained unchanged since they opened. Getting a little bored with the same. And they will have new competition very soon. So yeah, time to change it up! read more

I wanted to share with you that I went back to Castle Street Kitchen this week and I took a friend who had never been there. She and I are foodies so she had already looked at the menu and was very excited by what she saw. I like to review it once I get there and see what's going on. And the special of the day captured my mind and my belly. I can't remember what she called it but it was white on white I think. And it was a white bean burger, with barbecue sauce, cheese, fried. Jalapenos and a side dish. I picked the macaroni and cheese, because she said it was better than her mother's, which is usually a high recommendation for anyone. It was fantastic. So good that I ordered another one to take home for dinner. For $3. It was a great decision. My friend ordered the crunchy burger. I think it was called and she loved it. She had also wanted to try either their tater tots or french fries and the waitress suggested the french fries while they were very good. I don't think they were anything to ride home about. I think next time she's going to try the tater tots. The menu has so many fun and exciting things to try that aren't what you find at any other restaurant. They have Tomato Pie that sounded really good. It's probably towards the top of what I'll try next! We went on a Thursday at 11:30 because we like to beat the crowd. Much to our surprise and a smidge of our dismay, it was not crowded at all until around 12:30 when eople started coming in. The other times I had been there it was standing room only and very crowded. I think people might be afraid because they think there's not adequate parking. There is. If it's not available right out front, there is a parking lot across the street or another grassy lot that allows parking. People get nervous about coming downtown because there won't be anywhere to park, don't worry about it. I also wanted to mention the outstanding weight stuff. She took care of her every need and although it wasn't busy, she still was very attentive and seemed to really care that we enjoyed our food. Come downtown and see this restaurant. They deserve our support. read more

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Bloody Mary's are. Have had lunch twice and both times were great. Service was perfect and it has a fun vibe. Menu has a little bit of everything so everyone will be satisfied read more

This is a great little spot. I especially liked the open dining experience to allow fresh air. I would have loved to move to the back lounge to continue the evening with friends, but there was literally one server/bartender for the entire night (on a Saturday!). She did an amazing job considering how slammed they were, but we never got refills on our drinks and the chef had to deliver our food. Walking by the kitchen on the way to the bathroom revealed it didn't look like they had a dishwasher that night either. The food was average. No one really loved their meals at our table. Maybe the food was not as good as it could be because the chef was slammed too. The fries were good and the street corn and guac apps were better than average. I would definitely return for drinks and apps and would consider giving them another chance, but only if there is more than one person working the floor. CSK, hire more people! We would love to support a locally-owned business trying to revitalize that part of town! read more

Atmosphere was warm and had enough seating, there is a room in back you can hang out in. The food was delicious- highly recommend going read more