I was staying next-door at the Home2 suites and the front desk said this was a great place, so I figured I'd try it out. It's sort of Italian and sort of steak and sort of a little bit of everything. Really clean, strait forward , reasonable menu, nice ambience. It feels kind of high end but the pricing is definitely mid range. I selected the tomato basil soup as my appetizer. It came with a nice toasted crustini. It was a really good soup. It tasted fresh. It had a lot of body to it like, maybe they did the tomatoes here in the house from fresh. It was definitely tomato. The basil was kind in the background, but it was a true red sauce. It was almost tomato paste or tomato sauce flavor. I would've not complained if they given it to me over a bit of penne.. It had a really nice flavor on it not too sweet not too acidic really a very good soup. It came out in a footed coffee cup so you're getting about one cup of soup. The main course was the broiled seafood platter. It was anchored by a large piece of mahi-mahi, that was amazingly well prepared, firm and tasty. To the side of that was a wonderful crabcake, one of the best I've had anywhere and definitely the best in the Carolinas. It did not have too much breading and it had a wonderful texture with lots of good crab flavor. Drizzled across all of this were scallops and shrimp. The shrimp were a little overcooked if you asked me. The scallops were sweet and perfect and everything you would want them to be. The side that comes with this is their crab fries which essentially our beer battered french fries dusted with old bay seasoning. If you've ever had the crab fries at the Philadelphia, ballpark, this is the way they do it. For dessert, I ordered the lemon cello mascarpone cake. It comes drizzled with raspberry sauce. I had visions of lemon curd, and what I got was really good and really lemonade and good cake. But it's not a very big slice. I know about the weight staff. I don't know if they're all good, but mine was exceptional and lovely to talk with. The place was very busy. It had a nice vibe to it, it could've been in South Beach or Miami or Los Angeles, not that it was over over the top just that it was very clean and nice and well done. This is a professional restaurant not some amateur attempt. I recommend it. read more

Casual restaurant serving a variety of items. Ahi tuna app was very fresh seared perfectly. My daughter had a cheeseburger and fries Burger was ok fries great I had crab cake dinner which was very good. Crab cakes were light with hefty amount of crab and a side of asparagus , grilled, which was good. Service was friendly and prompt and the vibe had a nice chill atmosphere . read more

Wife ordered the blacken chicken salad - good Parents has the chopped salad appetizer- delicious Parents also had the chicken pot pies - fantastic. Not too salty or too much cream and butter. Very well done I had the special chicken parm. The worst I've ever had a not edible . They need to remove this from the special menu and never bring it back. I'm dumbfounded on how bad it was . Pasta was a sticky gooey mess and the sauce was worse than I can describe. It was like a paste with completely unneeded spices . The cutlets were hard and crusty. No cheese . They were super cool and immediately removed it and I had the pot pie and it came out immediately. The prices were fair and service was very good. Gave my father a military discount which was real nice. read more

Had a great dinner upstairs! Smoked salmon with rice and veggies that were perfectly cooked. Chopped house salad was excellent and had a great mix of fresh crisp cucumbers, celery and candied pecans (would've asked for more if these if I knew how great they were) Raspberry vinaigrette was great. Service was super friendly and quick. Don't let the strip mall location deceive you, this was a great choice! read more

We visited this restaurant since it was close to our hotel. They currently have 19 beers on tap, some nice food items, and several cocktails. This is a great place to bring small groups, clients or family. I chose the steak frites, and subbed the fries for brussel sprouts. I also added an iced tea and a local brown ale. Steak frites were a little strange as they were not visually pleasing and the steal itself was a gray color. It tasted ok, but I've had way better. The brussel sprouts were the best part and I didn't eat any of the "house greens". The tea was tea, and the server brought out the wrong tea the 2nd time and gave me sweet, even though I initially ordered unsweetened. It took a while to pay the check as well since we couldn't find our server. The downstairs wasn't that busy but there were a million cars in the parking lot. I'm guessing most customers were seated upstairs, but I never went up there to look. My colleagues meal was okay, but he still found something to complain about. read more

JohnnyLukes KitchenBar - Brussel sprouts - New American Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

See all

Date night at Johnny Lukes. He made a reservation, not knowing there were other locations than the rooftop that you see as we drive by. So we ended up at the bar- which was fun! Jalen was our bartender and comic relief! What a nice touch when he asked us our names- let's see if he remembers them! We ordered our usual drinks, him a bottled beer, and me a skinny, spicy margarita! Both were cold and tasty! For dinner, we split the lamb lollipops, which came with a raspberry (I think) horseradish jam- the jam was phenomenal! He ordered the special which was risotto and beef tips- which he thoroughly enjoyed. I got the chopped salad which had cinnamon covered almonds, cucumbers, blue cheese crumble and tomatoes. Neither of of liked the blue cheese crumble, but that was easy to avoid. We ordered cake for dessert, it was a little dry, but the chocolate mousse held it together. And Jalen DID remember our names! We loved our date night! read more

See all

We were looking for a last minute Easter spot to get dinner. We called here and they said they didn't have a wait time when we arrived there's a bar and kitchen area downstairs and the the restaurant portion is upstairs. Got seated quickly and got a spot outside. The sun was shining and it was so nice. Waitress was super kind and helpful. Food came out quick and tasted delicious. Would love to come back again regularly to see how everything else taste. read more

See all

I must admit I'm a little biased because one of my best friends used to work here. When I went I was alone and they suggested sitting at the bar which I was planning on doing that anyway. I ordered the spaghetti and meatballs and was told by my friend that they actually are part of the family of a restaurant called Luigi's in Fayetteville where I'm from and the meatballs and spaghetti were the same family menu. I did love the beer selection as there was a large amount of local beers which I am a fan of. The service was amazing as my drink was never empty for very long. The spaghetti and meatballs came and the meatballs were super huge and just amazing. I can't recommend this place enough and have already been back once on a second trip to Wilmington since this trip. You won't be disappointed! read more

See all

Always a great meal! 1/2 price bottles of wine on Wednesday. our server tonight, Ryan, was attentive and kind. He was ver welcoming. The food is always good and fresh. read more

Delicious food. Great menu options. Clean restaurant. I did notice that the bathroom marked handicapped accessible does not have bars to assist on the walls. They are truly needed for the disabled & I can't help but wonder how this was an oversight by the inspector. read more

Service was great. Atmosphere bright upstair section. Caesar salad with blackened salmon a must

Met here for a business lunch and it was great. Friendly service, yummy food. I had the special sandwich that I now forget the name but it was pesto with shrimp and mozzarella and delicious. They also had daily specials on the board as you entered so be sure to check those out. read more

Love the appetizers flatbread choices and JL Special Salad. It's reasonably priced Great service. Fun place to come and try a new item each time. I'd give them 6 stars if I could. read more

JohnnyLukes KitchenBar - Specialty salad brie margarita flatbread, beer, butter, friesP - New American Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

Stopped here again after spending the week at Surfside Beach. I ordered two fish tacos with broccoli and carrots. The fish was grilled and very tasty. My wife had the turkey sandwich with broccoli and carrots also. Sidney was our server and very friendly. I also ordered a local kolch beer. Once we entered the restaurant we went upstairs to be seated. It was during lunch and an open area so it was not noisy. This restaurant is also good with children. Small bar area too. read more

JohnnyLukes KitchenBar - Tones turkey sandwich with broccoli and carrots also - New American Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

See all

We walked in around 730pm on a Sunday evening with my husband and toddler. We opted to sit upstairs on the open air balcony. It was a beautiful night and it was very nice up there with the twinkle lights. We had the sweetest server who let our daughter use her purple pen during the entire dinner. I can't remember her name but she's blonde and said she always works Sunday evenings. The "kids" got a lemonade and I ordered "the pit" I believe it was called. Bourbon cocktail, delicious. My husband ordered the salmon and devoured it and I had 2 crab cakes with risotto. I got the 2, because I knew my husband would eat what I didn't. We ate every bit of the seafood and took some of our daughter's chicken home because it was a massive kids meal. I would certainly come back! read more

Great Gastropub type place. Nice layout with Bar on first floor and second floor dining and outdoor patio. Unique menu. We had lamb chop starters, along with fish tacos and she crab soup. All very tasty. Lamb chops were grilled and had great dipping sauce. Tacos had healthy portion of fish meat. Bar had a great selection of local beers on tap. Service was right on the mark. read more

JohnnyLukes KitchenBar - Beers on tap menu - New American Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

Nice ambiance and the service was great. Food way way better than I expected. I Will be going back to try other options on the menu. read more

JohnnyLukes KitchenBar - New American Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

See all

First negative review that I have ever given.to JL.. I love this place but my delivery service was terrible and way overpriced. I ordered a crab dip and a Caesar salad. Crab dip didn't taste anything like it does in house. So much breading. The beast salad for $8.00 should have been a $4.99 salad. 3 croutons , barely any cheese, soggy dressing, and barely any cheese was just terrible! Very disappointed! read more

JohnnyLukes KitchenBar - Crab dip All crumbs - New American Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

See all

Food was ok, service was ok, would probably have a little bit better of a review if the past 2 times had been better. My last visit I ordered the chicken and waffles which sounded good, then the waitress came back to inform me they had ran out of gravy that was supposed to be there selling point of the dish, then came back another time to say they had ran out of grits that also came with the meal, finally our food came out and the sunny side up egg that comes with the meal was a over done scrambled egg. The service was good which is the only reason that I gave 3 stars. I really wanted to go back once again before I made a review but I don't think I will. read more

Outstanding meal from start to finish! Attentive service but not intrusive. Non rushed well paced meal. We had a reservation for a group of 7 at 5:30 and seated promptly and drink orders taken, cocktails were great. I had a black and blue burger cooked exactly how I ordered it MR it was an 8 oz burger which was topped with Blue cheese crumbles, sautéed mushrooms and onions, and some house made mustard and mayo combo this was very tasty but very messy not being a mayo on burger guy although very good I would order with out that next time. I chose a chopped salad with balsamic vinaigrette as a side instead of fries which honestly was the star it had a variety of lettuce greens with tomatoes, red onion, cucumber, a scattering of chopped candied pecans (outrageously addictive) and blue cheese crumbles the amounts and balance of the items in this salad were perfect and chopped perfectly. My wife had the chicken pot pie which was topped with what appeared to be a crepe different but excellent it was a large portion with chunks of chicken with the usual suspects carrots, Pearl onions, peas and corn in a wonderful creamy sauce again excellent. The people with us had a variety including Braised short ribs, crab cakes, a pulled pork flat bread and one had a cup of crab chowder which looked excellent and they couldn't stop raving about it everyone sad their meals were excellentThis whole dining experience was on point and reflected in how busy it was for a Thursday night. We had passed this place a thousand times but never thought about going it is on a very very busy corner but well worth the bit of traffic. read more

We were in town visiting our UNCW student and visited for a late afternoon meal. We chose to sit upstairs in the patio area since it was a nice afternoon. Loved the casual atmosphere. We tried the baked Brie and jam appetizer and it was delicious! Loved the soft flaky texture of the puff pastry with the warm, gooey cheese. For our meals we had a Reuben sandwich, a crab cake sandwich and some wings. Everyone enjoyed the meals. Definitely well cooked, well proportioned and yummy. Our server was polite and friendly and we never had to wait on refills or check ins. Definitely recommend this place if you are looking for a meal that is well priced and tastes good. read more

My current employer rented out this space once for a Christmas work party. It was spacious, there was a wonder selection of catered food and wait staff. Parking was ample as it is located in a mini-mall type setting. read more

A girlfriend was having a rough night and really wanted the baked brie from Johnny Lukes so we went for a late dinner. We decided to share the baked brie as well as the crab dip for our meal- both were sooooo warm, delicious, and filling. Our waitress, Morgan, was really awesome- she gave great drink recommendations and was super friendly and attentive. When we'd finished our apps and were chatting, she came over to ask us about dessert. Well, obviously, we had to try some of them, so we shared the bread pudding, which my friend loves, and the peppermint brulee, which was a new one to all of us. It was surprisingly tasty and creamy, and I would definitely eat it again! read more

The crab cake was cold and the mahi was over cooked , the sauce was supposed to be a white wine lemon garlic aioli and it tasted like a mustard rem Remolade ... not good I expected a lot better ... well seasoned but over cooked and dry ... read more

JohnnyLukes KitchenBar - Under cooked crab cake and over cooked everything else ... they didn't even provide silverware - New American Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

I was new to the area and Johnny Luke's seemed to be a safe bet after a flight into Wilmington with my family. First off, we were greeted warmly by the two hosts and the atmosphere was a little dark and cold. To be fair, we declined sitting on the patio because of the mugginess outside. The roasted pork nachos were a nice app and I wish I would've stayed close to that. Anything with some flare to it was probably better than the standard fare items. The buffalo chicken sandwich was really dry. If I had not been very hungry, I would've left it all. My wife crab cake sandwich was quite good but the kids' meals were mid. The mac&cheese side was a big hit though. It's our first day but we're not planning on going back. read more

Located between downtown Wilmington and Wrightsville Beach in an unassuming strip mall is JohnnyLukes Kitchen & Bar. Being a well reviewed local spot with fairly extensive menu options sealed the deal for this to be our dinner venue our first night in Wilmington. They have both a main dining area and a rooftop dining area, and 2 different menus for each, but our waitress was kind enough to explain that all options from the full menu were available regardless of where we dined. We started out with their nachos, asking for toppings other than the chips and queso on the side. The nachos (4/5) were solid and flavorful, with perfectly seasoned chicken, but it irked me a little that we were charged a dollar extra over menu price for asking included items to be put on the side. For meals, we went with the American chicken burger, a black & bleu burger, and the margherita flatbread. We felt the flatbread (2.5/5) was the weakest item, not being all that crispy and overly drenched in balsamic glaze. The American chicken burger (4/5) was tasteful and filling, with decent mashed potatoes. The black & bleu burger (3/5) was a large portion, but didn't have a flavor profile that I like in my burgers, as I've had much better. The fries that came with them were similarly underwhelming for a modern bistro/brewpub type of place. Once again, I noticed on my receipt after eating that I had been charged $1.50 over menu price on the black & bleu burger, which I can only assume is because I asked for a different cheese other than the bleu cheese crumbles (a petty upcharge if you ask me). For dessert, we went with the bread pudding (4/5), which was a tasty way to end the meal, although I wasn't the biggest fan of their bourbon tasting sauce. Service (4.5/5) by Reilee was super friendly, and made for a memorable meal. Overall, I'd rate JohnnyLukes a 3.5/5, but this is one of those rare instances where I'm rounding down due to the mysterious and petty upcharges that I wasn't informed about and only noticed on my receipt later on after dinner. While the $2.50 in extra charges isn't going to kill me, it does leave a little bit of a sour note on an otherwise decent meal. read more

See all

A casual dining restaurant thats both a perfect place to come and enjoy an anniversary, sipping a fine wine at a dim lit table, as well as a restaurant that you can come an enjoy an appetizer and burger after a long day with friends. First time in.... stellar! Cozy place with great menus for lunch, weekend brunch and dinner. Full bar with beers.... mimosas etc. Had the chicken cesar which was amazing and those french fries ..... wow. Stick to your ribs! Service was great, I found the bar tender to be very polite. Will definitely return!! read more

JohnnyLukes KitchenBar - Blackened chicken Caesar Salad and fries - New American Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

First visit and definitely not the last! Excellent quality made from scratch food. And the from scratch kitchen is noticeable! Started with the garlic Parmesan chicken wings which were perfectly cooked, slightly browned on the outside. Hubby had the chicken pot pie lunch, which had huge chunks of chicken in it and lots of vegetables and a brown puffy pastry. Mamma had the crabcake sandwich was a large portion of REAL CHUNKY lump crab, perfectly cooked. Said this is where she is coming when she wants crab cakes from now on. They had a separate gluten-free menu, which had many options for lunch. I decided on the hamburger without a bun and it was excellent. The coleslaw was also excellent. Hubby and Mom also had a chocolate mousse cake and it was so good. They got a piece to go home. I could have had crème brûlée which is gluten-free, but I was just too full. In fact I'm taking food home. Our server, Mo was attentive and friendly. This is one of our new favorite places for sure! read more

This is a fun little spot. They have pretty good food. Everybody at my table had burgers except for me and my son's girlfriend. She had the shrimp tacos and I had the buffalo mac & cheese. I really liked it. It was nice and creamy and just enough spice, but not too hot. It was quite a bit of food for us the surfing. I didn't even eat at all. The shrimp tacos were delicious. We ended up taking those home with us and all the boys cleaned their plates so I'm assuming their burgers were pretty tasty. I would absolutely recommend this place. It's a cute little restaurant very casual but very modern. The service is fantastic and very fast. There's a couple other places near here in the same building like a kitchen store that I would like to go check out so you could do a couple things while dining here totally recommend it. read more

We've been to Johnny Luke's several times over the past few years. We keep saying "maybe we were wrong" or "maybe we hit it on a bad day" or even "maybe it's gotten better". We've come to the conclusion that "maybe we just don't like it". Evidently many people do. They're still around. We find. the atmosphere cold and artificial. The food is mediocre and overpriced. The staff seems stiff and kind of cold - artificial. Some places are just not a good fit. We enjoy a loot of good places around here as ll of my other reviews will attest. It may just be us, but Johnny Luke is no longer on our list of favorites read more

It was our first time visiting Wilmington, and found this great spot very close to our hotel, so we gave it a try. They have a main floor dining area and an upstairs rooftop room that is "outside". You can be under roof, but there are plastic covers for the windows to keep out rain. We decided to sit upstairs since it was sunny and warm. Nice atmosphere, tv's are on which I don't particularly care for, since it can be loud and distracting, but it was Saturday evening so, it was fine. Norah was our server, she was very pleasant and attentive. We started off with the Crab Dip with crostini which was very tasty. We ordered some extra crostini which they do charge for, but I guess that's policy. Not a big deal, but just thought I would mention it here. Dinners were next: Jane's addiction with chicken, two orders of JL's tacos, and chicken pot pie. All delicious and very filling. We had a great first night in the area, and we will be back to try JohnnyLukes again another time! read more

See all

We came here for lunch. My husband, who loves reuben sandwiches tried their version and while he liked it, did not rave. I was surprised because it looked very substantial and made with nicely handout corned beef. I had a burger made with goat cheese and fried onions. Excellent! I was sorry they did not have any housemade onion rings but overall a good spot. read more

Drove up to a crowded parking lot, heard and saw a roof top of people enjoying the evening. We walked inside to great 80's music mixes and lots of conversations. Pretty loud downstairs in the dining room. Nice wooden tables and chairs. Some tall some standard. Bar is fully stocked, including 19 different drafts. Many were local drafts but we found a good one. My Blood Orange Cosmo was well made. Our server was very attentive, gave good suggestions since this was our first time. Our meals were good. The JL salad hit the spot!! So delicious. We shared them ordered chicken pot pie and salmon w wild rice and asparagus. Chicken pot pie. My server stated it came with shredded chicken, it came with cubes chicken. It was still good I was just looking forward to shredded chicken with each bite. The sauce was home made and flavorful. Simple dish but tasty. The bourbon salmon was excellent, unfortunately the asparagus was not cooked enough for hubby. They have him some more and still the same. He just didn't enjoy the crunchiness of the veggie. We did finish with chocolate lava cake and ice cream. It was small but perfect for us to split. Tasty. Overall a fun place to come with friends, just expect to speak loudly to be heard. I'm sure the roof is lots of fun as well. The food is very good, drinks a plenty. This would be a definite place if your visiting. Like we are! read more

See all

7 of us attended this place for dinner. We were seated at the right time. Our waitress, Kay, was very good and nice. The food was good as well. However, the entire meal was dampened by two large tables that were together. It appeared to a girls athletic team and the parents. They were so loud that it really made it hard to talk and it was obnoxiously loud. The parents said nothing and neither did the manager that came in several times into the area. We know it wasnt us because a group of 4 was seated next to them and within 5 min they got up. I dont know if they left or asked to be moved. We would have asked as well but our group was kind of large. This place is to expensive to have the atmosphere ruined by another group. I was disappointed the lady manager didnt ask them to at least keep it down to just a scream leve. read more

JohnnyLukes KitchenBar - people sitting at the bar - New American Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

It's probably one of the best unassuming restaurants in Wilmington. The food was absolutely fantastic, and even delivery from Uber won't be disappointing. I had come for one of the things they specialize in, a burger. Specifically, a Bleu cheese burger, and it had a wonderful combination of flavors between the mushrooms, the lettuce, and the onions. There are some spots where the bleu cheese is occasionally overpowering, but overall, it's just a tiny bit short of a perfect cooked burger. Staff are friendly, reliable, quick, and just all-around pleasure. Always go above and beyond for their guests. Atmosphere is a nice southern coastal charm. The whole place has very pleasant mood lighting. The bar itself is a very eye-catching center piece. Brian (apologies if that's the wrong spelling) and Morgan were the staff attending me there, and they were THE definition of hospitality. Check this place out with family & friends when you get the chance you can't go wrong. read more

I don't really understand the hype. I mean it is just mediocre. The macaroni and cheese is not that great it is just ok. I got a burger and it was bland. There wasn't a speck of salt and pepper. It was a black and bleu burger with cheese and mushrooms. There was absolutely no seasoning on any of it. This isn't the first time I got a burger from here and they never season it. I also asked the waitress to make sure the burger was cut in half and lo and behold it wasn't. Very awkward trying to cut it at the table and it fell apart. Of course the waitress disappeared and I had to cut it myself and my drink sat empty. The service is abysmal. I have to wait for a refill. I only come here because my husband likes it but he is not to enthused with now either. The ambiance is pretty good actually, it is better than the food. read more

After spending 5 hours buying a car at Mazda, we stopped in here for a late lunch. Ordered the lamb chops, nice sweet flavor. Fries were perfectly salted. The Caesar salad was way too soggy. Mine was with chicken, my daughter had the plain. Looks like most people come for the drinks. Service was 5 stars though. Plenty of parking. read more

JohnnyLukes KitchenBar - Chicken Caesar. Lamb Chop Appetizer Fries. - New American Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

A typical greasy fare menu with an over-salted, over-cooked, un-inventive selection of standard, poor-quality menu items commonly found in restaurants catering to college students or groups on a budget to stay open. A hole-in-the-wall with a liquor bar and several beers on tap and AC is a go-to for a non-discriminating palate and heavy drinkers. All the ingredients for a barfly pub, serving less-than-mediocre old pub food, but the only ingredients that seem to work. The mac and cheese tasted like it was pre-made a week ahead and reheated in the microwave. The crab cakes were burned on the outside and undercooked and mushy on the inside. The fries had enough salt to put someone in the ER. The salad must have been in the fridge for days. My dog passed by the leftovers, showing no interest in any of the food from there. Very telling. Everything tasted processed and seemed hastily thrown together fruit flies flying around were annoying, and they especially liked the bar area. Not to mention, unsanitary. The health department missed that. The alcohol is the lifeline for this place. Would not recommend. read more

Great venue with space and esthetic for parties, social events. The food could use some personality, it almost feels like a smaller scale Cheesecake Factory. I would come back to see if progress is made or not :0). read more

See all

Yes, once again, Costco gift cards led me here. I started with the ahi tuner as an appetizer. Nothing was special about it. Then the she crab soup came which was thick and full of flavor. What a treat! The final was ribeye with mashed potato and asparagus. Both sides were seasoned well. The waiter asked me if I needed steak sauce. No sir! I am not eating at Denny's or Waffle House, bro. If I needed steak sauce at a restaurant, either the steak was crappy as hell or the chef needed to be fired! And I like my steak rare to embrace all the flavor it has to offer. Yes, I am glad that I came to this place. read more

See all