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

A little on the Salty side but delicious. Our server was very polite and always checked on us. Shrimp and Scallop Scampi, kid's Tenders. Crab Bisque and Calamari read more

Pilot House - Shrimp and Grits - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

Food and service was good, the ambience was good as well. My only problem was that I had to shuck my oysters, I wasn't told I had to and for the price I shouldn't have to. I was the last one done with my meal due to me having to shuck my oysters, mind you that I've never done it before. read more

Pilot House - The Steam Pot - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

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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Great atmosphere. Very clean and not loud which we where able to sit and enjoy a good conversation. My appetizer was really good. My only issue is the apples taste like lemons. I would also only say that staff need to pay better attention to the table! Fries where seasoned and hot and amazing!!! read more

Pilot House - Almond Crusted Brie - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

Friendly service and a relaxed atmosphere on a slow Monday afternoon. Based on reviews, we were skeptical of this place, but decided to give it a shot as it was in walking distance of our Airbnb. Ordered the fried green tomatoes and the low country spring rolls for our appetizers. Both of these dishes were delicious and well prepared. Really liked the southern twist on the spring rolls; they were packed full of flavor. For our entrées we ordered the lunch portion of the shrimp and grits and the shrimp and scallop scampi. Not sure the size of the dinner portion, but the lunch portion was plenty, especially after getting two appetizers. The shrimp and grits weren't traditionally prepared, but was still one of the better variations I have tried. "Gravy" was thinner and had a consistency similar to the scampi sauce, but had excellent flavor. The grits were grilled(maybe deep fried?) and gave it a nice crunchy texture on the outside while maintaining a moist and cheesy consistency on the inside. Didn't overload the dish with grits like most places do and skimp out on the proteins. The collard greens it came with were good as well, but didn't take away from the main part of the dish. The scampi was excellent. The dish had a rich lemon butter flavor balanced out by the sweet roasted tomatoes. The shrimp and scallops were well prepared, not chewy or rubbery, and the pasta was cooked to a perfect al dente. Would definitely give this place another visit the next time we're in town! Will definitely come here again on our next visit! read more

Pilot House - Shrimp & Scallop Scampi, Shrimp and Grits - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

Great place love it loved the food also great location on the water would love to go back sometime

Can not say enough great things about this restaurant! Amazing staff! Amazing views! AMAZING FOOD!! Hot Crab Dip was just the right amount of bite with the added horseradish, the accommodation for my shrimp scampi bc I'm not a fan of scallops was done without hustle bustle and is probably the best scampi I've ever had personally! My friends steam pot came out looking like a dream! 10/10 would recommend even to my worst enemy LOL! read more

Pilot House - Crab Legs Pot, Shrimp Scampi, Crab Dip, & Amazing Views! - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

We just had lunch for Mother's Day at the pilot house. We had reservations for 11:30 and waited in the line for them to open. The restaraunt is very pretty, love the decor and the window seating. Our server was wonderful, attentive and kept up with our drinks. Our drinks were great and we had the strawberry crepes as an app which were fantastic. I had the sweet potato grouper which was very good, but the raviolis were lacking the sauce. They were completely dry, just removed from the water and put on the plate. Looking at pictures on yelp, I can see it was missing the sauce. My husband had the Parmesan crusted chicken which came with rice and veggies. He had one bite of rice and the rice wasn't cooked. We told the manager, who said the rice was cooked in a big batch...I hope they told the kitchen because I'm sure others complained about the rice, it was hard and inedible. He offered him a different side so he had the house chips which were great. Overall our lunch was nice and the food was tasty, just some oversights from the kitchen read more

Pilot House - Strawberry crepes - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

Sweet potato grouper was even better than last time! I have to admit to having "ribeye envy" of my companion's meal; if I was eating meat, this is where would have it. Very enjoyable sourdough bread, as well. Sad to miss out on the in-house fresh peach cobbler. :-/ read more

Pilot House - Sweet potato grouper - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

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Great waiters super polite nice everything the one complaint is the wait one hour to get wait and get food and my family said in 10 min we are going to leave and it came out in 2 minutes. read more

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

We came here as a large group on a family vacation. We had a lovely experience through and through. All orders were fabulous and without error. The view of the river and river walk area was beautiful. The actual building was precious and full of history. Come here! read more

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We have gone to The Pilot House for years and it has been a steady decline the past few years. I'm done with them and will not go back. A friend ordered the steam pot and it was horrible! Contents seemed unclean and did not have any potatoes, corn or sausage. Other menu items were OK but not what I would consider very good. Service was good. Our waitress did her best with what she had to work with. read more

While the view is always a draw the service and food no longer is. Our server was adequate but zero personality and seemed almost irritated by our party of 8. I ordered the fried green tomato sandwich and had to send it back, which I rarely do. The tomatoes were rock hard, the bread was dried out and very little pimento cheese. Several others were disappointed with their meal as well. Nothing was comped and being charged .50 cents for ranch added insult to injury. It was unanimous that we would not go back. read more

We had a great experience at Pilot House on our last night of vacation in Wilmington. When we first stopped in for dinner around 6pm, we were told it would be almost 1.5 hours to be seated on the outside deck, so we put our name down and wandered around downtown for a few minutes until they called us back with a cancellation, so luckily we were seated within 30 mins! Very grateful they offered us this opportunity to dine in. We started with the crab dip which was delicious-would highly recommend it! There were large chunks of crab and toasted baguette to enjoy with it. It was a good portion to share between 3 people. I ordered the grouper fresh catch, blackened. It was cooked well and definitely flavorful. The rice and veggies were simple, but nothing to brag about. My friend ordered the shrimp and lobster carbonara (recommended by our waiter) and really enjoyed it! It looked like a great portion and a good choice. They had live music from 6-9pm which really added to the experience. Plus, you can't beat the sunset views! I'd recommend calling ahead for a reservation, even in the off season. read more

Pilot House - Grouper fresh catch with rice and veggies - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

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I could not get a good pic of the food because it was dark but I did get a pic of the view on the Cape Fear. It is always breathtaking. That experience alone is worth a visit. Now for the food. We both ordered the pick three. I ordered flounder, oysters, and shrimp. The basket was good. I had a decent sized piece of flounder, a good amount of shrimp, but only two oysters. It came with two sides. Fries were cold and the portion of slaw came in the smallest container known to man. Lol. My friend ordered the same except he got the scallops. They were bay and not sea. The menu should state this. Do not order the scallops. Overall we had a great experience. It is a tourist spot. And I will have to give a plug to our waiter. He was great! Below is a pic of the view. read more

Pilot House - Cape Fear - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

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We had the hot honey chicken sandwich and the salmon and grits. Both dishes were delicious! The waitress was really sweet and she heard me say we had somewhere we needed to be so she kept things on point. We really enjoyed our meal and the view is also nice. Get there when they open and you may have your own private dining for a bit before they get busy. read more

Place was amazing the atmosphere and quality was so great! I recommend the burgers, crab sandwiches, and the salads. They have great views and service. Definitely one of the best water front restaurants I've been too. You can sit outside or inside. read more

Pilot House - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

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We had a large party that we booked with Mason only a couple weeks in advance. He was super helpful and accommodating. Our servers did a great job the night of our reservation. We will definitely be back! read more

Food was great and the staff was very friendly and attentive! Great ambiance right downtown and on the water !!

My wife and I drove to Wilmington for Thanksgiving. Our son had to work a 1/2 day so we met him and went to the Pilot House. I had made reservations and we were seated promptly by a window overlooking the water. Great food, huge portions, and Tristan took care of our every need. Hats off to ownership and all staff. Thank you again for making us feel special with a home-away-from-home meal! read more

We split a seafood platter and had two house salads. Very tasty! The plus is the view from their deck outside. read more

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My wife and I, have come to pilot house, numerous times, since we've moved to Wilmington. We always remember, how we liked, their service and food. We love the view of the river from the restaurant, and it's a big and spacious place. But, since our last visit, we will reconsider coming back. Pilot house is pilotless. Shame on, either the manager, and, or, owner(s), who decided to cut back on the quality of food being served. It felt, and tasted, and looked like, we were being served retirement home level, defrosted in the microwave, type meals. The Carolina bisque was a disappointment. Not chunky with seafood, at all. I think, I had, one shrimp in mine. My wife got a crabby melt with chips, and felt that it wasn't anything special. It looked like something you would get at a diner. My crab stuffed salmon, with rice, and vegetables, looked like, it was defrosted and heated up, in the microwave. The salmon, the rice, and vegetables, were all over cooked and boring, in taste, and appearance. Very little crab stuffed in it. It felt like, I was eating a stouffers frozen dinner. The Mac n cheese, as well. The cheesecake and the key lime pie, tasted, like it was bought from a supermarket refrigerated case. Very disappointing dinner experience. The service was on point and friendly. We noticed the place had empty tables, so, maybe word is getting around, with the locals, about what they're serving. Definitely not worth what you're paying for. Coming here again, I felt like, I was cheated out of having a great dinner experience. We will think twice about coming back. C'mon, pilot house! You're better than this! read more

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The setting was nice. But the service and food were pretty bad. Catch of the Day was not at all local.

I consider myself a seafood chowder aficionado. Their Carolina Chowder was perhaps the best I have ever tasted in my life. Classy with pro bartenders. Highly recommend. read more

Went to bar to cool down from the heat. Had their Sangria, outstanding! Also had a cup of their Carolina Bisque, very tasty and hot with lots of bits. Great view too. read more

Pilot House - the bar area of a restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

Waited over an hour for our food and drinks. Our server was no where to be found and after speaking with the manager (blonde woman) she walked away mid conversation (so rude). All the tables around us were dirty for over an hour and the table next to us said they hadn't seen their server either. The crab cakes tasted like corn bread, the shrimp and grits were freezing cold and the crab dip was burnt. I was really upset by this whole experience, my family drove over 6 hours to visit me yesterday and this was the experience. Avoid this place at all costs. read more

Long wait. Not so good food and a cocktail that gives you nausea. We waited one hour just for our appetizers. Another one hour for our food. It wasn't just us. Our table beside us waited for one and half hour for their food. The food that came, after that long wait was not so nice. I would not recommend this place. read more

Food mediocre. The taste of food does not equal the taste. Just boring and not too flavorful. Service is so so. Yes, nice view, however I will not be coming back. Too expensive and food isn't worth the cost read more

We enjoyed dinner here on vacation. We sat on the deck overlooking the Cape Fear river, just as the sun was setting, and it was an amazing view. Between the three of us, we had grouper, ribeye steak, and crabcakes. The grouper was perfectly cooked. The ribeye was also wonderful, cooked exactly as requested. The crabcakes were a generous portion, and very tasty, but still a little overworked, and a tad too much breading. Still, quite good. It was a Friday night, and they were quite busy. It seemed like they were understaffed or it's also possible that our server had a few more tables than she should have at one time, so service was a bit slow, and there was a wait between requests. They still get four stars because she remained upbeat and friendly, in spite of being incredibly busy. So the missing star is more for the crabcakes than the service. I would definitely come here again. read more

First, let me say the manager took care of our meal. We had gone to have brunch with friends and had ordered our meal and the food came out cold. The wait person called the manager over he took the food and later returned with the same food reheated. Now can you imagine eating scrambled eggs and French toast reheated? When I brought this to the managers attention all he could say was I am sorry, and walked away. How did we know the food was reheated ? The eggs had pepper on them. This is the second time we have gone to the Pilot House and both time we have been disappointed. We would not recommend the Pilot House. read more

Excellent food, excellent location and very special place. Great place for a treat!! The service was fantastic and it's a very quaint romantic experience. Will be back read more

We loved the Pilot House! Best restaurant that we came across in Wilmington! Food was excellent, service top notch and the ambiance superb. My compliments to the staff . We will be back! KWS read more

Food was nothing special and everything we had was really...oily for some reason? Service was excellent however, and everyone working there was really nice. Places like this tend to get away with okay food because it's all about the view. read more

Great food, fresh seafood, perfect water view seating. The staff was incredibly friendly! read more

Pilot House - Roasted Brussel sprouts - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

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This is a beautiful spot to eat overlooking the river. I had the lobster and shrimp carbonara and it was amazing. The margarita was very good as well. My server was attentive and friendly. I would recommend eating here if you are visiting the Riverwalk. read more

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Amazing views of the Cape Fear River on an awesome riverside location. Amazing ambiance! The beers on tap were excellent, I had a honey brown ale, and selection of seafood was great. We ordered the crab dip which came with perfectly browned slices of sourdough, and then followed up with fresh catch salmon on a bed of some of the best Light green beans I've ever had. Great time! Not really sure what's not to like about this place read more

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The food was great! My first time and they left a lasting impression my server Laken was amazing! Thank you so much

Our party of seven gathered to celebrate our anniversary. My husband called, not once, but twice to secure our reservation. Upon arriving, the staff had no record of our reservation, and that was just the beginning. Every dinner that we ordered was sub-standard. I ordered grouper encrusted with sweet potato. The fish was over-cooked and dry, whatever they were calling sweet potato, was unrecognizable. The chicken dishes were extremely over cooked and tasteless. Each dish came out of the kitchen Luke warm. I will not recommend this restaurant to anyone, nor will I return. our bill was several hundred dollars and was a complete waste. read more