Jester's Café

Finally made it to The Half. We had a day to roam around and took our son to lunch. We've been…read morewanting to try this place for a while. The Half is in a very old building repurposed into this amazing little sandwich shop. It's always great to see business leaders doing this. There's street parking and paid parking nearby. Be careful where you park as there are other businesses in the area with small signs posted (funeral home next door). Walking in you'll see the main counter and register with tables and bar area on both sides as you approach the register. We were greeted as we picked up the menus. After a few minutes we ordered our sandwiches and requested cups for water. They have a self serve water machine toward the back of the restaurant before you reach the restroom. Once you order they provide you with a small number card for your table. After a short wait our chips and sandwiches were brought to us. The sandwiches are wrapped in brown paper which we thought was great. The sandwiches are fairly big with a lot of ingredients. I ordered The Tucker. Turkey with a variety of vegetables. The grilled bread was tasty and accented the turkey, lettuce, and various other vegetables with a nice red sauce. While enjoying our meal there was a steady flow of customers for dine in and to go. For good reason. The food was great and the restaurant itself was nice and comfortable. Wife and son definitely enjoyed their sandwiches as well. Highly recommend trying The Half. We will definitely return to enjoy another incredible sandwich here.

Sandwiches are delicious. Made fresh and great service…read more It's small and there is some bar seating. Wait staff was very friendly.

Dining Area at The Half

Chickpea Salad at The Half

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Inside-- 10/03/2025

Potbelly

4.1(69 reviews)

2.4 mi

We had passed the location at Mayfaire a few times and decided to try it yesterday with another…read morecouple. We were all impressed with the food quality and the staff. I had a special with the Broccoli Cheddar soup and it was great. I have always been a fan of Panera's Broccoli Cheddar soup and this was as good if not better. We also join the Pot Belly rewards club. This will certainly be a goto stop when in the area. Thanks for the great food and service.

Young Tall boy behind the register was of no help, I said I had never been there he offered no info…read moreon any of the foods, just left the area.....The preparer, Good thing I was watching could barely see the kraut on my pastrami sandwich and to top it off the girl who bags the sandwiches had the personality of the filthy floor....which looks like it had Never been mopped...... ..No smiles from anyone in the place. I will never return...I will NOT reccomend this place at all. I recently visitited The Potbelly in Cincinnatti, Ohio, and it was very CLEAN, unlike your place and very friendly unlike your place..... ..I suggest you train your employees to be a bit kind and friendly, and to top it off when I got home my husband read the label on the bag and it said 2 of 3....I ONLY purchased 2 sandwiches..... Makes sense why there was only 2 other people in there eating food..... At Dinnertime !!!!!!!! .Very Poorly Run !!!!!!!!!!

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The Kitchen Sink

4.4(110 reviews)

1.1 mi

Rainy days sometimes make the food decision for you, and Italian Wedding Soup was absolutely the…read moreright call at Kitchen Sink. The soup was excellent--warm, hearty and packed with greens, pasta and meatballs. Exactly the kind of comfort-food bowl you want when it's gray and raining outside. I paired it with a sandwich, which was a great complement to the soup, but I have to give some love to the homemade chips too. Crispy, well seasoned and much better than throwing a bag of chips on the side and calling it a day. Overall, this was one of those simple meals that just works: good sandwich, great soup, homemade chips and perfect timing with the Wilmington weather. Sometimes you don't need fancy. You just need the right food on the right day. Kitchen Sink delivered.

My brother is working in Wilmington this summer and told us we HAD to go to the Kitchen Sink during…read moreour visit. After our visit, we now see why! This place is super cute and cozy, you order at the register and they bring you your food. We went on a weekend and there was ample seating. The food is FRESH! Everything tasted so yummy. They have a nice variety of sandwiches - cold, warm, spicy. I personally had the BAD chicken biscuits which was the best of all worlds. Spicy hot chicken and fresh flaky biscuits. Their fries are also great. Regular alone are delicious but the Parmesan fries take them up a level. I think chips are the standard side but you can do a premium side for an upcharge. Staff was very friendly and overall this is a very solid place. They also have specials so be sure to check those out too!

View from our table.

Brooklyn Bird

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Kitchen area

S&L New York Style Deli

4.3(161 reviews)

2.2 mi

Everything is fresh and delicious. Every person that works there remembers me and my husband and…read moreremembers what we want to drink. The desserts are to die for. We make this our weekly lunch spot. My husband loves the sandwiches, and I am in love with the soups!

My husband and I were in the area so we decided to try this place for lunch. There was a long line…read moreat the deli section, probably for take-out. I ordered the tuna salad melt with a side of potato salad and my husband ordered a burger on a bagel with a side of macaroni salad. We were told everything is fresh-made. I'm not a salt lover, but both the tuna and potato salad could have used more. This was a little surprising because I find many restaurants in North Carolina are heavy in salt use, so this was a good thing for me in being able to add a little on the potato salad to my liking. Very good size portions. We brought half our sandwiches and sides home for lunch the next day. Parking is limited because this seems to be a popular place. Great menu with much to choose from. We bought a Sfogliatella pastry to eat at home. It was delicious! Great place for breakfast and lunch if you are in the area. We'll be back!

Just perfect dessert

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Cheese Smith

4.3(162 reviews)

0.8 mi

Cheese Smith was a great spot in Wilmington!! I tried the kimchi sandwich and the fig jam sandwich…read more Both were really good. Mine (pictured) was a little sweet/rich for a full sandwich, I would rather split it with another sandwich next time I go. The employees were kind and the vibes were super chill. Seems like a great spot to hang out!

I was pleasantly surprised by this one. I'm not a fan of "cheesy" things nor do I have an affection…read morefor grilled cheeses, but I really enjoyed this experience. I ate half of a Buffalo Baby and half of a Figgie Smalls. Both were good, but I enjoyed the Buffalo Baby. The Figgie Smalls was the perfect blend of sweet and savory; I just missed having some meat on it. Bacon or some type of pork would have been perfect. I'm glad that I gave this place a try! The service was great, and the atmosphere was welcoming.

Atmosphere

LARGE SMITH FRIES

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Cheerwine

Midtown Deli & Grill

4.4(38 reviews)

2.2 mi

Their Reuben is incredibly delicious. Probably the best I have had since leaving the west coast…read more Also their chicken salad is not to be missed and also their BLAT.

This place has the BEST Rueben in Wilmington! Everything I've had has always been good but let me…read moretell ya, I've been on a hunt for a good Rueben around town and really Lucked out on finding this place!!

Sampler, with potato salad

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Potato salad

Blue Willow Cafe

4.6(27 reviews)

2.6 mi

We were looking for some new breakfast options in Wilmington, and this place was perfect. Super…read morecute and comfortable decor. The staff was very attentive and made us feel welcomed. My hazlenut iced coffee was perfect and our party chose the breakfast croissant and the bananas foster French toast. Both were really good! While it's not the easiest place to find, it's one of the best!

The food was great. We tried the Blue Willow Smash Burger 9/10 and the Breakfast Croissant 8/10…read more Great atmosphere and friendly service.

Breakfast Croissant

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Indoor

Sub Stop

4.0(73 reviews)

2.4 mi

Fast service and great food! A go to in the Wilmington area great subs for at the beach or by the…read morepool

You must stop at (SUB STOP) on a beautiful sunny day that may be spent by a body of blue water! I…read morewent to sub stop and had two stubs that my friend and I split! The Italian Sub is a must! Prepare the sub all the way garnish and do not add mayonnaise please! The Italian sub has the right amount of everything and a fluffy bread that held air pockets! I really enjoyed it! Second, a classic turkey provolone loaded with mayo, lettuce, tomato, salt pepper, oil & vinegar! Kept it simply beautiful! Great, conventional, trust worthy sub choice! Lastly, the service was great and met with laughter! Really enjoyed looking at all the stickers, they made me laugh! Some are not kid friendly but some kids can't read so whatever!

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Cousins Italian Deli

4.5(154 reviews)

0.6 mi

Amazing! Wilmington has amazing food but this tops the cake! It was our second visit. Bruschetta…read moreand appetizers were amazing. The pasta was unbelievable (I am not a big pasta person). Chicken was so so tender. Then the in house dessert with coffee. Poetry in motion. Other restaurants could and should learn from cousins. They have their Friday and Saturday night 5-6 course dinners down to a science. Just so efficient and friendly and delicious and awesome. See you in 11 months!!

I liked the taste of.my cousin sandwich but the bread was so hard to bite through, very tough…read more Husband said his club sandwich was ok. Service was quick, order at counter and they bring it to table. It's a cute little deli with photos on the wall of family over the generations

Inside view

The end!! "Leave the gun get the cannoli"

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Pasta course

Cheesesmith

4.4(7 reviews)

0.8 mi

Stepped in for post garden grub. A docent recommended Cheesesmith. I was impressed with the quality…read moreand portions of the dishes. The staff was helpful in providing recommendations of their favorites fries style. The grilled cheese oozed with every bite and the tomato jam hit with a punch of flavor. The interior itself is simple, casual, cute with house plants trailing on the walls.

I got their big seller the buffalo chicken grilled cheese. It was delicious at 9:30 pm after a day…read moreof sun and drinks. The bread was perfectly crisp and soft. Buttered but not greasy. The middle was full of flavor not only from the buffalo chicken but there was a pickled flavor from the carrots and celery that balanced the richness of the cheese wonderfully. I would love to go back and try the goat cheese fig one! The place itself was clean and had awesome branding. I bought a sticker with a skeleton pulling apart a grilled cheese. The employees were nice and the place was clean.

Before the rush

The O.G.

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11 reviews that are not currently recommended

The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.

Sheridan C.

135

7 years ago

What a wonderful little restaurant. After Valentine's Day, my lady and I desperately needed a savory breakfast/brunch. We found Jester's...parking was easy, the staff was friendly, the service was quick, and the food was perfect. I had the french toast casserole and the girlfriend had the lox bagel. Both dishes were phenomenal! My only critique would be that the coffee was just mediocre and they don't serve bloody Mary's. Other than those small issues, this is a must! We WILL be back for sure!!!! read more

Edie S.

10 years ago

Such a quaint, lovely atmosphere, relaxing and friendly PLUS the food is AWESOME! Literally every. single. thing. on the menu has been delicious, fresh and wonderful! Love the rotating soups and quiches, (though I can't decide which is my favorite), and the shrimp salad is the best in town read more

Elizabeth M.

8 years ago

My very favorite breakfast/lunch spot in Wilmington. Incredible fresh delicious food, amazingly friendly and helpful staff and perfect relaxing atmosphere. Best part, they just started selling alcohol making it the ideal spot for brunch with my gals! Every item just absolutely divine! read more

Vicki J.

9 years ago

The food the staff and the friendliness are all A Plus at Jester's Java. I do not like that it has such a strong aroma of cooking oil. I could not get that out of a silk shirt so I'm taking a star off of a five star rating. read more

Chelsea M.

Elite 18

162

10 years ago

I love love love jesters. I have never once had dissapointing food or service. I love it here!

Nick B.

13 years ago

This place is really good, cheap and consistent. I wish I could eat here more often.

Heather K.

13 years ago

I go to Jester's every time I'm in Wilmington. My favorite lunch spot!

Linda G.

5 years ago

At this place the food and the service was not great.

Alex R.

14 years ago

Coolest people and great food go check it out

Olivia L.

9 years ago

Best breakfast/lunch in Wilmington!

Lewis L.

13 years ago

Love the shrimp salad

Jester's Café - newamerican - Updated October 2026

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Wonderful breakfast at an amazing price. We got ours to go, but the dining area looked nice.read more

To be fair we came in at 3 so not starting the dinner menu but the tail end of lunch. Ordered the…read morepower bowl with shredded pork. The pork was put on the grill and came out like flattened hash browns It would have been better to not have smashed the pork and create a crust on it. The veggies were yummy with the quinoa and black beans. Had a taste of the chips on my companions lunch of bbq brisket sandwich. The chips were salty and very peppery. He said the sandwich was a little dry. We were the only ones in the cafe. The tables need to be cleaned to remove the stickiness that gets left behind when you only swipe a table with a cloth. They needed a good scrubbing. It was fine but whomever thought it was good as the Kitchen sink was crazy. It's much bigger than the Kitchen sink.

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Another great experience. Stopped in for a late lunch with the team. Special was still available. I…read moredecided to behave and had a delicious Cobb salad. The others ended up getting sandwiches which they devoured so they must have been good. Happy plates everywhere. The service was solid and friendly. She was definitely hopping as they were preparing for the next crowd and still several customers in there besides us. Decor is typical old school diner. Walk in and seat yourself at an available table if there is one. This place is very popular with the locals.

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We ate here during our museum visit, and we were very impressed with the food. Our server was very…read morefriendly, 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.

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