The food was good and reasonably priced. Our server was excellent! We had a large group and were the first guests in the restaurant. We arrived 10 minutes before they opened and Andrew came right out and helped us get set up with chairs and umbrellas on the patio. He was kind, attentive and hospitable and went out of his way to make us feel welcome. Thank you Andrew! Nice views of the river is a bonus. Ask for Andrew, you won't be disappointed! read more

Six of us had lunch recently. We heard the place underwent a rebranding last year, so we decided to give it a try. It was a beautiful day but on the cool side, so we sat inside. We wanted to sit by the window but the tables were set for four people. The interior was welcoming and bright. There were a few items on the menu I wanted to try but the Bulgogi cheese steak sandwich sounded interesting. It was a bulgogi-style beef with American cheese, pickled slaw, onions and a side of togarashi (a seasoning) fries. My husband ordered the same thing. It was delicious and a cool twist on a cheese steak sandwich! Others enjoyed their food (shrimp and grits, local lettuces, Bulgogi cheese steak, and I forget that last food item). While service was good, it took almost 15 minutes before the shrimp and grits were served. Did someone drop the ball in the kitchen? We were not sure what happened, but our friend's meal was comped. Thank you. This is a place I would return to, either to dine outside or near the window. read more

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Enjoyed a beer here but in reviewing the lunch menu, there really wasn't much we were interested in. So drank that beer, enjoyed the pleasant conversation with our bartender and kept going on our walk. read more

Pilot House - Drink menu - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

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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 really wanted to enjoy this meal, but unfortunately it fell short of expectations. Overall, the food was subpar, especially considering our bill was well over $100. We had requested a seat on the patio, and while the restaurant accommodated that request, we were seated in direct sunlight with no umbrella despite there being several shaded tables available. My wife is pregnant, and sitting in 90-degree weather in full sun made the experience uncomfortable from the start. We would have appreciated being offered one of the many shaded tables. The highlight of the meal was the potato salad--it was by far the best thing we were served. Unfortunately, the mac and cheese was completely lacking in flavor. The fried catfish was inconsistent: my plate was overly salty, while my wife's was under-seasoned, making it seem like there wasn't much consistency in the kitchen. After we shared our honest opinion with the staff, they handled the situation professionally and offered to comp one of our meals, which we genuinely appreciated. They also still brought out our dessert. The banana pudding, however, was another disappointment. It tasted like canned banana pudding rather than homemade, and the whipped cream was slightly over-whipped, which affected the texture. I do want to give credit where it's due--the staff listened to our concerns and made an effort to make things right. Unfortunately, between the uncomfortable seating, the inconsistent food, and the quality not matching the price, this visit wasn't worth the $100+ we spent. I hope this was just an off day because the restaurant has the potential to do much better. This version is likely to be taken seriously because it acknowledges the restaurant's effort to resolve the issue while clearly explaining why the overall experience did not meet your expectations. read more

Pilot House - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

I think y'all are sleeping on this spot. We've dined here twice and both times were delish. Most recently, we shared the crab dip, fried green tomato's, and Market Catch which was grouper with risotto, squash, greens and sauce. All were fantastic and all while watching the sunset over the river.. perfection! read more

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

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This place was great! Seriously don't understand why it has such bad reviews. Took our two young kids here. Good food, good service, great atmosphere. read more

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

Awful food. Dirty restaurant. Bad service with many workers standing around doing nothing Will never go back read more

Oh the management here is amazing ! Also the food , yesssss! Cody and Decker and chef and killing it !

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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We're an extended family of six from New York. We were surprised how much we enjoyed everything. Kale Caesar, crab dip and seafood pasta were favorites but also redfish and spear caught snapper. We ordered everything on the menu practically and there wasn't a dud. Fish cooked properly and well seasoned. Wine and beer options are limited but that's the only negative thing I have to say. Terrific location right on the water/ boardwalk and nice service read more

We used to dine every other week for the past 8 years at the Pilot house to get the best 'Shrimp & Grits' in town, for some un-Godly reason they changed their recipe or chef and I wouldn't recommend this place to anyone. The last three times we tried the Shrimp & Grits each were completely different, like they couldn't make up their mind or chef on what is good. There are too many fine restaurants in Wilmington to keep being disappointed in this establishment. read more

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

Made reservations for the 4th of July. Website advertises great seafood. Walk in after parking 1.5 miles away and they hand us a prefix BBQ menu for $50 per person for pulled chicken, sausage or pulled pork. Not even ribs or brisket. I don't even think they made it. They didn't even provide BBQ sauce just vinegar and mustard. So dissatisfying and disappointing. I hope the owner is ashamed while he's counting his money tonight. read more

My husband and I visited The Pilot House for the first time today 6/25/26. It has a great spot right on the Wilmington river near the bridge. It was a nice view. We really liked the ambiance and friendliness of all the staff especially our server, sorry can't remember your name! Great guy though! My husband had the Korean style ribeye cheesesteak sandwich and he loved it! The seasoned fries were very tasty too. I was interested in the shrimp & grits and the server made sure I understood that it was not like other restaurants shrimp & grits. It would have been great except that there was a very small amount of grits that were literally swimming in a basil cream sauce (no cheese). It had about 6 good sized large shrimp along with chunks of roasted carrots which was good. Unfortunately I felt there was way too much basil cream sauce. It drowned everything and really overpowered the dish. It would have been much tastier in my opinion to have more grits and just a swirl of the basil cream sauce to add another level of flavor. The dish was topped off with a dollop of pickled green tomatoes. This was hugely unnecessary and actually clashed with the other flavors I felt. I would have sprinkled a little Parmesan cheese instead! Even with all these objections, I did finish all the shrimp and most of the carrot chunks and a few bites of the delicious grits. The bowl was left with a lot of the basil cream sauce when I was finished. Next time I would order the catfish sandwich! Sorry I didn't think to take a photo, but my dish didn't look anything like the photo in another reviewer's post. read more

Yikes. Food was barely marginal. Service just fine but they destroyed their octopus starter. Also forgot to exclude mushrooms from main dish but oh well that was acknowledged but totally dismissed by the server. They did agree to remove the octopus from the bill but honestly the entire food bill should have been comp'd. Sweet location on the river. Only plus as I see it read more

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

Just had dinner here, what a huge disappointment. Our appetizer was delayed as the chef had burnt it! While we were waiting for another one to be prepared we were given a complimentary appetizer to keep us going. We got our appetizer & before we had finished it our dinner arrived, which I dislike. Trying to shuffle plates around & finish eating the appetizer. The dinner was extremely disappointing & not as advertised on the menu. I had the redfish that was supposed to be served with local mushrooms, caramelized fennel puree & spring vegetables. There was no mushrooms or caramelized fennel puree. The spring vegetables were turnips, potatoes & cauliflower!! I asked why there were no mushrooms, fennel or spring vegetables. The waitress offered to get me mushrooms on the side & went to find out why there weren't spring vegetables. Apparently they serve the vegetables that are delivered! The fish was okay but the rest of the meal was a total disappointment & not as written on the menu. Menu should have said red fish & whatever the chef decides to serve with it! They gave me 50% off, but I won't be going back. The waitress was lovely & had the job of trying to explain why the meal was not as described. read more

The food here was not good and way over-priced. The presentation of my chicken, Mac and cheese and greens looked like it was just thrown on the plate. The chicken was burnt and dry. The Mac and Cheese had barely any cheese. I had two glasses of wine and the pour, for $14, was chintzy. The service was average and bill was $100. Don't waste your time or money on this place. read more

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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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I went to Pilot House with some friends on a beach trip last week. Yikes. I have a soy allergy that was disclosed to the restaurant when we made the reservation; however, they failed to mention until we were there and seated that I could not eat anything on the menu because all of it was made with soybean oil. I was able to request one of the menu items be broiled instead of deep fried in the oil, but they then automatically removed all the sides from the meal and still up-charged me. I spent $40 on a plate with 4 shrimp, one small filet of flounder and 4 scallops. The meal was average at best, definitely not worth $40. The other meals that my friends got were also average at best and were not worth what we paid. We also opted for the drink special, which was a blueberry cocktail. The cocktail was not great and still $15 each. Overall, I would not come here again and definitely not with a large group if anyone has any allergies, I'm not sure why they didn't disclose at the time of making our reservation that someone with a soy allergy would be unable to eat there. read more

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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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

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

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

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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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.

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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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

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