Took a trip with my wife to Wilmington NC "THE PILOT HOUSE RESTURANT" (3 1/2 Hours one way) and boy was it worth it , awsome seafood and deserts.....Customer service was excellent and very friendly......If you are looking for a fine dining experience on the water in Historic Wilmington N.C. this is the place .......Many thanks for making our trip enjoyable in conversation and awsome food we will be back read more

We went out Good Friday evening as the weather was perfect for river walk dining. We were seated on the patio and started with amazing cocktails. I will say, however our round 2 cocktails were not finished/garnished as nicely as the first ones. The steamed oysters appetizer was delish and the perfect salty bite. Our table ordered bucatini seafood, shrimp and grits, and red fish. I will say, our main meals could have been warmer as they were more like lukewarm when they arrived at the table. We also had two desserts - the apple bread pudding and the raspberry creme brûlée. Something was off on the crème brûlée. However, our overall experience was great. The manager did explain that they have new chefs and are slowly rebuilding their brand. We will be back in the future and look forward to a menu that changes with the seasons. read more

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I want to start this review by stating that after eating here several times in the past, it has been a few years since we've been here. That said, I was definitely "underwhelmed" this visit. First, our waitress was slow and not engaged. Although she checked on us several times throughout the meal, she acted as if she was new to the task. Second, the food was not memorable. We started with the crab dip and this was probably the highlight of the meal. My wife and son got the Captain's Platter (fried seafood) and I tried some of it. Very little flavor and the oysters were overcooked. I ordered the blackened redfish. Because it was blackened, I was expecting much more flavor than I got. I was simply disappointed with the food. The atmosphere itself was as charming as always. If trying to decide whether to eat here or not, just don't expect too much and you'll probably be fine. read more

Pilot House - Blackened redfish. - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

I ordered the strawberry salad which was good - but it came with a dead stink bug. When I showed it to the waiter, he replied that he wouldn't charge me extra for it. No adjustment to the bill. Menu is way overpriced for value received. read more

Beautiful restaurant by the river, we were able to see a stunning sunset before & as we were dining. We were sat at a further corner away from the busy main area so it was nicely quiet for our group to chit chat & enjoy our time. The services were fast & smooth, the waitress made sure our drinks were refilled and check on us multiple times. Food came out at a good pace, we didn't feel rush eating or waited too long. I ordered Blackened Redfish, it was sadly a bit too salty for my liking, but the LAYER OF CRAB RICE UNDERNEATH WAS AMAZING. Would just ordered this separately next time if I could. My partner ordered the Fried green Tomatoes - they enjoyed it, I was okay with it, also was too salty for my liking. read more

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This place is near the end of the River walk with a beautiful view. Sit outside if you can. We had a small dog with us. They are dog friendly. The staff were super helpful and kind. Great service and great food. My wife and I both got the Hot Honey Chicken Sandwich. We left nothing. We killed it. So... so good. We also both got the house side salad and Gin and Tonic. Wonderful lunch. Will definitely return! Nice job folks. read more

Pilot House - Hot Honey Chicken Sandwich - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

I dined there for Easter and had not been there in a few years. They no longer provide bread with the meal. They used to have delicious corn muffins. The fried green tomatoes came smothered with too much sauce that used to be on the side. I had the Captain's platter that said it came with slaw which was more like a small cup of dip with some shredded cabbage. This was one of the worst meals I have had in Wilmington and I will never visit the Pilot House or recommend it. read more

Enjoyed a delicious dinner at the Pilot House. Our server Jill was very attentive, knowledgeable of the entrees and excellent at providing a welcoming atmosphere. The food was a 12 on a 1-10 and the bread pudding (dessert) was outstanding. Highly recommend this restaurant for a terrific dining experience. read more

Exceptional service by Emily L., food and drinks!!! Red drum and grouper were phenomenal. Try Carolina Spritz. It's delicious!!! read more

Pilot House - Carolina Spritz - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

Good was good not great. The place was warm and cozy and bright and themed well. The service was good. Everyone enjoyed their meals. Would certainly give it another try. The view was nice and he outdoor space was clean and comfortable. read more

We haven't been here since moving to the area but only because they're so many other places to try. Friends were in town and wanted to eat near the water so we chose this place. The outdoor eating area is phenomenal and difficult to beat! The service was good and he was friendly without being obtrusive. We each ordered different entrees and each was good. Not great, but good. This probably won't be our go-to place but I am happy we ate there again. read more

Pilot House - The view - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

I'm leaving this review primarily to share a caution for anyone planning to order takeout from Pilot House: call well before 8:00 PM if you actually want to place an order. I called at 7:20 PM to ask what the latest time was to place a takeout order before the kitchen closed. The hostess told me 8:45 PM, so I let her know I'd call back around 8:30. I called at 8:38, then repeatedly after that with no answer. My husband even left a voicemail with our order--still no response. Finally, someone (presumably a manager) answered at 8:57, long after it was clear the kitchen was closed and there was no intention to fulfill our request. I understand it may have been the end of a long or slow shift, but it felt like we were deliberately ignored, which is frustrating when we were just following the instructions given. If you're not actually taking orders until 8:45, please don't say that you are. Just be honest--it's far better than giving guests false information to avoid doing a late takeout. Bottom line: the food here is great, but the customer service during this experience left a lot to be desired. If you want takeout, call much earlier in the evening to avoid the runaround. read more

Walked around wilmington with the girls and found a cute outdoor patio to sit and get drinks at! All of the drinks were very good. We also got the spinach dip which was delicious! It was nice sitting outside, on the water, with lots of planes flying over us. Our waiter was nice as well. read more

Pilot House - drinks - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

The outside patio had a great view of the river! Staff was nice and pleasant. Food left much to be desired. They apparently recently changed their menu so they may be working out kinks. Desserts were way better than dinner also! read more

My mouth is watering just writing this review! The food was so good we went back again! Thomas was our server and did a phenomenal job! My tea was never empty, his recommendations were spot on, and he triple checked to be sure my items were gluten free! Pimento cheese with tons of fresh cut veg-full of flavor, amazing texture and huge portion. The filet with mashed potatoes melted in my mouth! Night two I had the lamb lollipops WOW! I haven't had lamb in ages, Thomas recommended and did not go wrong! I was pleased with the gluten free options, the non-gf was super happy as well. Prices are on par for the food, food is beyond delicious, service was great and portions are generous! read more

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My husband and I were in town for a funeral service. We stopped by this fine, yet casual establishment on 9/30, hours after Hurricane Ian came through. Pleasantly surprised that they were open as were other restaurants in Wilmington. When we called, they said they were not busy so we did not need to make reservations. When we arrived, there was a small wedding party on one side of the restaurant and we sat at the window with a view of the Cape Fear River. Service was great and so was our meal. read more

Pilot House - Sweet Potato Grouper Sweet Potato Grouper - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

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If you are looking for a picturesque restaurant on the river then this is the place for you! The tables all overlook the river and they have outdoor seating. The servers were very knowledgeable and pleasant. Our server recommended the grouper with sweet potato and mushroom raviolis. This dish did not disappoint. It was cooked perfectly. We also had the stuffed salmon. Wow! Another excellent dish. Our server was gracious enough to split the dishes for us. read more

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Enjoyed my meal tonight! Everyone was wonderful! Vince checked in and recommended a delicious cocktail! Our group had a great time!

I went to First Watch on 10/15/25 around 11am located on Leesburg Pike in Falls Church VA. And the service was awesome. I went one other time and ordered to go and this time I decided to stay and enjoy some time to myself. The best pumpkin pancakes ever! One was just enough buy I ordered 2. One fit the size of my plate. Tasted awesome. My eggs were as requested. Scrambled well done to my liking and the best crunchy bacon ever. Look out IHOP and Silver Diner! You have competition. And my server had great customer service. I wish I could have given him a big tip. But decided I would do this review hoping he would get recognized and given kudos. His name was Enson. He kept coming over making sure I was taken care of. read more

Went to lunch and ordered shrimp and grits. Just ok, grits should be creamier and although shrimp was good I did not care for the sauce.

I was excited to try this restaurant and I ordered the shrimp and scallop scampi. It was nothing at all that I couldn't do at home. It felt watery and flavorless unfortunately. I wanted some bread to have along with it, but I was told I had to wait until they made it because it was grilled bread and they put it on the grill which was delicious but your charged for that bread, I can't remember how much it was a dollar or two for a little piece of bread. We sat by the window and the view of the river was outstanding and the service was fine. But for the cost, the chef needs to amp it up a bit. read more

Perfect waterfront spot with delicious food and drinks - couldn't ask for more! My friends and I came here on Saturday around 7pm for a sunset dinner. We actually had planned on Elijah's, but the wait was about an hour and there wasn't anywhere for us to grab a drink and enjoy it on the deck, so we walked over to Pilot. The hostess said it would be a half hour or so and that we could over from the bar and then sit outside in their cocktail seating area so it worked out perfectly. I ordered a vodka based orange drink while my friends got some sangria. Our drinks were delicious - pure summer in a glass. We sat along the outside of the restaurant and were treated with a live musician which was a perfect addition to the evening. Once we got seated, we ordered a round of appetizers - fried tomatoes, calamari, and the crab dip, and all three of them were scrumptious. Not a scrap left on any of the dishes! For my entree, I ordered the catfish tacos. My friends had the shrimp scampi and some other seafood dishes. Food came out pretty fast and we all cleared our plates. I had another drink, forget what it was called but it came with a prosecco split and it was also really good. We all thoroughly enjoyed our evening here, the beautiful views, the live music, and the food/drink itself all delivered! Would definitely return! read more

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The wait here was horrible and our waitress never came back to check on us. After an hr the manager came to say the house market special was no longer available. So we went with a simple salmon order...which took another 45 mins. There were others that came after us that were subsequently served before us. I could be wrong,but I felt singled out...nonetheless...do better@ The Pilot House! read more

Not impressed. While highlighted in magazines this place leaves something to be desired. Maybe it's just us, but the oysters fell short. Fishy and accompanied by little baby crabs?! And dirty. Just disappointing for a place right up against the river. While the drinks were good, we can't get over the oyster presentation. And when we alerted the waitress to the issue, all she said was thanks for letting her know. No apology, no nothing. Pick and choose where ya go in Wilmington. just not a place for us. read more

We have enjoyed The Pilot House for years, it was our go to whenever in Wilmington. we just had lunch there and was so disappointed. The menu offers little selection . we loved the crab dip and the service was great. Lunch was very disappointing, the food was bland and overfried. After we ordered we noticed we were the only ones in the restaurant and we could see the two restaurants next door were very busy, we should have noticed this when we first came in. read more

Pilot House is towards the southern end of Wilmington's boardwalk, so with that comes slightly less foot traffic, which ended up playing to our advantage when looking for a place to eat lunch on a busy Saturday afternoon. My wife and I were planning to go to another restaurant on the boardwalk with some friends, and we were looking for outdoor seating by the water. We stopped at two other places, which both had 30-45 minute waits for outdoor seating. Pilot House had no wait for its seating by the water, so it was an easy choice for us. I ended up ordering the Flounder Po' Boy, which was a breaded and fried fresh flounder filet with lettuce, tomato, and red onion on a sizable baguette. I asked for tartar sauce on the side and swapped the chips with french fries as my side. It was delicious! The fish was perfectly breaded and fried, maintaining its crisp exterior while having a nice tender and flaky interior. The tartar sauce was a crucial addition, and I'm glad I got it on the side, or else the exterior of the breaded fish may have softened up if it was slathered with tartar sauce for too long. The fries were excellent - I'm so glad I swapped out my chips for the fries, because they were nice and crispy and full of flavor - it was probably my favorite part of the dish. Overall, it was a huge portion too - I was stuffed afterwards. My wife ordered the Crunchy Catfish, which was a fried catfish filet atop collard greens and creamy grits, topped with some gravy. Her fish was good, but the breading on it was a little too thick and turned out soggy with the gravy sitting on top of the fish as well as the the collards / grits soaking it from below. The collards were flavorful, though - with just the right amount of spice. The grits were just ok, and the portion size overall was a good amount for her. It took a bit longer to get the food out to us after we ordered it, but we were made aware early that they were understaffed due to COVID, so I understood the delay. The service was very friendly, and they had good COVID protocols and precautions in place - all the staff were wearing masks the entire time. The outdoor seating was great - it helped that the weather was amazing. Overall, we had a great lunch experience here, and were happy to have "stumbled upon" Pilot House. read more

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Monday lunch was underwhelming, although the bisque was very good. My partner had the crab melt sandwich with chips. The bread was white bread with not much crab melt. I had the Apple and Brie chicken sandwich. The grilled chicken only filled about 3/3 of the bread, tasted ok, but it did not live up to the title or description. Service was good. read more

This new menu is tragic, to say the least. I am a native and have been dining at this restaurant for 25 years. Needless to say, I will not choose to dine there again. Bring the old menu back. read more

With the previous menu it was 5* and our Fav place for fine dining. Now with the new limited and very lame menu it has become a 1*. What a shame when according to the Star News April 30 writeup 2 new directors supposedly "upgraded" the restaurant and ruined the menu. See RECENT Feedback on the restaurant website and Nextdoor. Huge disappointment and forcing us to look for a better place, unless the owners decide to listen to their loyal local customers and revert to their tried-and-proven old menu with better offerings than the new one. read more

We had the best time celebrating my aunt's retirement after 37 years. The atmosphere was beautiful and the food was delicious! Especially the crab dip and collard green spring rolls! The wait staff was so attentive and prompt. We could not have asked for a better day! 4.8 stars! Took off a few points for the annoying fly that wouldn't leave us alone! read more

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I literally think they ran out of seasonings and salt. Nothing and I mean absolutely nothing had any flavor at all which means they either don't taste what they're cooking, don't care or their taste buds are completely shot! They provided salt and pepper shakers to each table, but even that didn't help much, because food needs to be cooked with seasonings sal and pepper to get the best version. I've never experienced anything like it in my dining experiences. The vegetable fettuccine was so bland that it was inedible. We later ended up ordering takeout at our hotel room from Pizza Hut which was more satisfying unfortunately. Keep in mind the menu was also part of a rehearsal dinner package so their were three options to choose from. The salad was decent but it's hard to mess up a salad I suppose. As far as the atmosphere goes, it was blazing hot in there in August and the air conditioning was not good at all. The fact that it was on the water was nice though and that was pretty but other than that it was not impressive and I wouldn't go back there again. read more

Pilot House - Bland Vegetable Fettuccine - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

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This is a pretty nice restaurant right on the river. It is a little pricey but the food is good. - Great views of the river - Indoor and lots of outdoor seating - COVID-19 precautions taken - Great seafood selection - Full bar, beers and wine selections - Service was very good - Fried green tomatoes were great - Highly recommend read more

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The food was delicious and the service was great! Our server had great recommendations. The hot crab dip was amazing. Beautiful view of the river, get a table outside if possible! read more

Pilot House - Hot Crab Dip - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

We had a wonderful evening at Pilot House. The crab cake dinner was delicious, perfectly prepared. But we need to give a shout out to Jules, the Manager, who really went above and beyond. We arrived on scooters and she took them indoors for us so that they'd be safe, made sure we were seated in a comfortable spot, and checked on us during dinner. Another big shout out goes to the gentleman who was our server, Elijah. This fellow had a 10-top, a 6-top, 3 other tables of 4, and us, a couple, and he took care of everyone seamlessly, with a smile. What a professional! We recommend Pilot House when in Wilmington. read more

Such great views! I loved the fried green tomatoes and the shrimp and grits (sub creamy grits). these were the most flavorful collard greens I've ever had. The river 75 was delicious, and there was live music. Great experience and would definitely come back! read more

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My dad is 93 (almost) and this is his favorite restaurant. We went for lunch, about 10 minutes after opening and got a seat at the window. Gorgeous views of the river. The menu has lots of great choices. The crab cakes are very good, either as an entree or an appetizer. Sandwiches are all good, and the homemade chips will be finished. The staff is very friendly and helpful. This is definitely worth a visit. read more

I am giving this place a 3.5 but there is no option for a half star so I decided to give a 3. The service is slow. We waited a little while to be seated and our waitress takes her time to refill our drinks. We got Calamari and Hot Crab Dip for appetizer. The crab dip was super runny and doesn't have alot of crab, good flavor though and the baguette was hot. The calamari was served cold. I am glad it was still crispy when it made it to the table. The sauces are great but it being cold made the dish just fine instead of excellent :( . I got the catch of the day for main dish. The grouper was so small and half of it was overcooked. By the looks of it, it seems like they checked multiple times if it was cooked. It was together with 1/4 cup of rice and some beans. The green beans saved the plate because it wasn't overcooked, has good seasoning and warm. Ambiance was pretty nice, I feel bad not being able to neat up our table because it was about to rain and tried to get out of there as soon as we can to avoid rain but the spot is perfect to watch sunset. read more

Pilot House - Hot Crab Dip and Herb Fried Calamari - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

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The food was good, the drinks were great. Our server was young and having an off day, but she did a great job! The ambiance and view of the river was amazing. read more

3.5 stars. Quaint location on the old waterfront in Wilmington. Food was good -the Carolina chowder was similar to clam chowder but very thick like a stew. I had been hoping for something like she crab soup because it contained sherry. No discernible sherry taste. I also ordered the peasant salad and it was very good. My husband had the fried shrimp and French fries. He liked his meal. Service was ok. Our server never refilled our water or Pepsi. The pepper shaker was empty. When I asked for pepper, she just pointed at it and I explained that it was empty. She was pleasant otherwise. Food is reasonably priced in this age of extreme inflation. read more

Emily L is a fantastic waitress at the Pilot House in Wilmington, where we enjoyed a delicious lunch of fried green tomatoes, Carolina bisque and hot chicken. Since we were celebrating my birthday, pilot house gave me a birthday chocolate ! read more

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