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    Cavanaugh's Restaurant

    4.2 (34 reviews)
    ModerateAmerican
    Closed 11:00 am - 3:00 pm

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    The Executive Cheesesteak - very bland
    Courtney E.

    I came here with my mom for lunch a couple of days ago. She used to work downtown years ago and highly recommended Cavanaugh's, so I agreed to meet her. My first impression is that the architecture was beautiful. It was a little too traditional for my tastes, but the high ceilings and the greenery surrounding them made them a little more modern. The dining placements were odd. It felt more like cafe seating than a restaurant - walking through tight tables to get to your own. Their food menu mostly consists of pub/bar food. I ordered the cheesesteak without horseradish and mushrooms and my mother requested one their salads. The salads looked good and my mom enjoyed it, but I was disappointed with the cheesesteak. I like to order meals plain so that I can taste the quality of the food without it hiding behind other ingredients, then depending on how good it is I'll return and order the same thing without any alterations. This was not the case. The cheesesteak was dry and bland and had mushrooms. The fries that accompanied it were cold and just OK in terms of taste. I ate two bites of the cheesesteak and finished off the fries and that was my lunch. My mom tried the cheesesteak and she decided to take it home for herself, but also agreed it was dry and bland. I believe the entire platformed dining area had one server. She was nice and didn't linger for too long. I expected the food here to be good since it was downtown and with so many competitors within feet of this place, but maybe I came here at the wrong time or with the wrong intentions. Maybe this is just a nice place to grab drinks with friends.

    Crispy Chicken Salad
    Kyle C.

    I'm so glad this place survived the pandemic. Cavanaugh's is your classic American lunch spot in the middle of the downtown business district. They are only open for lunch. Highly recommended if you are selected for jury duty and have some time to kill. Prices are very reasonable, $14.50, for a fully loaded chicken salad. The guys and gals working here are great and know how to please. This place is the only reason I miss going into the office!

    Ceasar salad with crab cake
    Dennecia C.

    My coworker and I love to go here for lunch. I have been going here for years and honestly never have had a complaint. Today I tried something different. The French onion soup is great but it had a LOT of cheese on it. I am a cheese lover so for me to say that it means it's a lot. But trust me it's good. I also had a much special of ceasar salad with crab cake which was yummy. Its a nice spot in downtown Wilmington so check it out!!

    Double Cheeseburger, without the bun
    Joe M.

    This is a great place for a quick but good quality lunch! I was surprised at how fast the service was and special orders are OK! It's a neat old establishment that looks and feels like it was built in the late 1800's or early 1900's. Worth checking out!

    French Onion Soup-

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    11 days ago

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    1 year ago

    One of my favorite lunch spots! Food is always delicious and staff is always so friendly and welcoming. Highly recommend.

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    3 years ago

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    8 years ago

    Enjoyed the crab cake and salad. Friendly staff

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    18 years ago

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    14 years ago

    Great building (an old candy store). Good food. We use them to cater our office parties and meetings. Sandwiches and soups.

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    Coterie Cafe + Kitchen

    Coterie Cafe + Kitchen

    4.8
    (35 reviews)
    0.7 mi
    $$

    Staff was very friendly. Food and coffee came out very quickly. It was very quaint, and clean…read more Recommend!!

    Wanted to try someplace new and this popped up. Headed on down and couldn't find them as Google…read moreMaps showed them near the end of the street. They're a little further down on the corner. Keep going to the stop sign. When you're at the stop sign look across the street to the left and they're right there. I got lucky and found street parking right in front of their door. Walked in and they were packed. One tiny table open squashed between two others and the bar were my options so I sat at the bar. I try to pay cash at Mom & Pops place so they're not hammered by the credit card fees. They were low on change and recommending credit cards. I dug around in my pockets and found exact change. They were all out of pastries but one. I wanted to try their pasties de nada but all that was left was a croissant so I ordered it, along with their French toast and an oatmilk cappuccino. Turns out the croissant was already purchased by another patron who was going to have it after their meal. It hadn't been served yet. I received a refund. A couple showed up and sat at the bar as all the tables were full. Then someone else showed up and pointed at the seat I had my coat on saying they were told to sit there as it was the last seat open in the entire place. Packed. The French toast came out in good time but somehow my cappuccino got lost in the mix. It was immediately made and brought out. The French toast is as good as everyone says it is. Light, well filled, great flavor without being too sweet. I was trying to eat it all but had to stop 3/4 of the way as somehow it's filling. The cappuccino is also very good. I made the mistake of wanting to try them out at 11:45 on a holiday. 100% my bad. Considering there are only 3 people working the entire establishment, they did a great job. The food and drink were totally worth it and I will be back (at a less busy time)! *Quick add: I usually don't post while in the establishment but did here. Even with it being busy the owner came by to talk about the review and share a little about their business. They do evening events, private dinners. They also host guest chefs. Their goal is to elevate dishes, which is exactly what they did to the French toast. Based on this one breakfast I would definitely consider them for any function I was hosting in the area.

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    Coterie Cafe + Kitchen
    Pasteis de Nata
    Pasteis de Nata
    N waffles sans gravy

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    N waffles sans gravy
    Eclipse Bistro

    Eclipse Bistro

    4.4
    (225 reviews)
    1.3 mi
    $$$

    We came here for a birthday dinner as a group of four. There was street parking nearby and we made…read morea reservation in advance. This is a lovely spot for a special occasion because they give you a giant sparkler for the guest of honor at the end of your meal. It's an intimate restaurant. I loved the unique lights at the tables that felt like taper candles. I'm not sure if it's because of what we ordered, but wait times were really long. It took about an hour for us to get our entrees. Thankfully we were in good company. And our party enjoyed their cocktails. We started with the brussels and cauliflower. This was beyond delicious. You have to order this as a starter. They had a quail special and monkfish special the evening we were there. The birthday girl ordered the quail. It took about an hour to arrive and came undercooked. Thankfully they were kind about cooking it more. I think she enjoyed it once she got to eat. Her husband got the pork chops. I shared the monkfish with a friend and really enjoyed it. We also got the seared tuna for the table and that was good too. Our waitress was super kind especially with the food hiccups. They have one gender neutral restroom stall. It has the prettiest wallpaper. We were stuffed by the time the dessert menus came out. Thankfully they still gave us a mini scoop of ice cream for the birthday girl with a sparkler. It was lots of fun. I think wait times were long for the specials and if we stuck to the regular menu things would've arrived faster. I'd go back to try more yummy food.

    Rotating seasonal menu!! Went fall 2025 dinner menu featuring duck bao buns (2), pork chops (2),…read morecrispy calamari, and smores bread pudding. We don't go out much in Delaware, so friend's recommendations carry a lot of weight. Everything tasted divine. I would order all these again. The pork chops were filing enough to split between two people. Dish included pork chops (medium), crispy potatoes, Brussels sprouts, as well as sweet onions. Also, the drinks!! I love the different size glasses they come in. We got lychee sour (twist on sweet lychee martini, dirty martini (gave 6 olives :), and red wine sangria. The ambiance, the sweet servers, and the delicious food will definitely make us want to visit again for a special occasion.

    Photos
    Bar area which has a fabulous happy hour. And a very happy guest.
    Bar area which has a fabulous happy hour. And a very happy guest.
    Brussels & Cauliflower (prosciutto, marcona almonds, smoked paprika-honey vinaigrette)
    Brussels & Cauliflower (prosciutto, marcona almonds, smoked paprika-honey vinaigrette)
    Coconut espresso martini was very strong!y, not my fav!

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    Coconut espresso martini was very strong!y, not my fav!
    Dead Presidents Pub & Restaurant

    Dead Presidents Pub & Restaurant

    3.6
    (118 reviews)
    1.3 mi
    $$

    After all this time, we have finally worked our way through the entire menu. We are sad they ended…read morebrunch because that was definitely our favorite, but the WTF burger and the Kennedy Melt will do. Or the meatloaf wrap or chicken salad club. We get Val's cheesesteak eggrolls every time. I just had Val's mac and cheese on the last trip and it was phenomenal. We need to come on Jamaican night to try something different. We stopped by the Friday before St Patrick's day and it was packed! They had live music and some specials. The bartenders are the best! This is a great place to sit at the bar, watch some sports, and chill.

    Tldr: If your thinking of going here, Do It! You may/may not like it depending on your taste in…read moreambience but the foods good, and people are are nice. Alright, if you cant tell from the reviews this place is somewhat polarizing... I went here for the first time recently and felt mixed on the experience. On one hand I loved the lowkey, mysterious, hyperlocal, dive bar atmosphere. On the other hand it does have a bit of a genuine dirty feel that can be off putting. The bathroom in particular is really quite bad, the bar is a bit musty and just feels like it would benefit greatly from a good wipe down. Additionally, I can see how the laid back bartenders and overly comfortable regulars could be a bit intimidating to folks who go in expecting a 'normal' restaurant experience. Servers here will not wait on you hand and foot nor will they at most any other local bar/tap, its just how it is. When you go to a place like this you should understand your visiting someone elses world for a bit, it's not McDonalds or a fancy Italian spot. If local dive culture is foriegn to you or you don't like it you will likely not like this spot. All that being said I found the somewhat aloof bartender and local regulars to be quite charming, reasonably attentive, and all very kind. I ordered some drinks and food, the food was suprisingly good for what you might expect when you arrive, and the drink was fine (just ordered a bottled beer or two). I feel like this place deserves more than a 3 star rating, but honestly I have a hard time saying that my experience was anything special or above being "okay". If I were a local I could see being a regular here, most out-of-towners probably wont like it - that being said If your bored on a random weeknight and don't want to cook at home, stop by and give Dead Presidents a shot, it may surprise you. Ownership, I'd recommend a solid deep cleaning, otherwise I have no real notes.

    Photos
    Dead Presidents Pub & Restaurant
    Southwestern chicken salad
    Southwestern chicken salad
    Toilet handle wouldn't flush. Only bathroom available as the other was totally out of order.

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    Toilet handle wouldn't flush. Only bathroom available as the other was totally out of order.

    Cavanaugh's Restaurant - tradamerican - Updated June 2026

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