Worse service, bad attitude and GREASY food! Hushpuppies were cold. Ask for fresh hush puppies and when delivered they we're. From the same batch.. Took forever to get our food! Upon check out no one ever came so thank God I had cash. Don't waste your money or time! read more

My kids and I went in for breakfast this morning. The restaurant was one in a handful that was open due to Hurricane Florence. The staff was buzzing around likes Bees to ensure everyone was taken care of. So many town members headed in for a nice hot breakfast (including our family) while the power was still out around town. They did not disappoint! read more

First Experience: Couldn't wait to try the food. Heard a few good reviews. Crab cakes were flat, cold, and had an awful flavor. The fries and hush puppies were so greasy. Maybe we caught the chef during his downtime, it was 3pm after all. Flash Forward to a few months later. Have been back several times for breakfast. Staff is friendly and service is quick. If you're looking for an affordable locals joint that serves real Southern food, SMG is the place! read more

I was surprised by the low reviews of this place, my parents and I went here on the Saturday before Mother's Day for breakfast to celebrate, and the food was amazing! Everything was cooked perfectly and tasted great! I do, however, agree with what everyone is saying about the staff. The hostess was Rude AF, unnecessarily so, to like everyone, staff and customers alike. The food runner and the girl that got our drinks were very nice, but our actual waitress was on the okay side of meh. She was slower to refill our drinks, and stood against the back wall complaining to another waitress about working. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ read more

My husband and I love to patronize local places, we stopped here for breakfast on the way to Wilmington from Jacksonville. The place was packed with people (Covid separation & all masked) but they were busy. We were acknowledged and seated in a minute or two and host brought drinks. I'd say we might've waited 6-7 minutes for a waitress but since we'd never been we took time with the menu. While waiting though I observed nothing less than a group of employees working their butts off to seat, take orders, serve and turn over tables for others coming in. Nobody standing around gossiping or checking phones, every single employee was hustling. We ordered very simple breakfast sandwiches on perfectly buttered Texas toast and the most amazing side of potatoes. Drinks refilled before needed and we were asked if we'd like to-go drinks. Despite the sign stating they were short handed and the enormous now hiring sign, this restaurant has an outstanding crew and our breakfast was wonderful! Come support this business!!! And if you need a job, go join their crew! read more

I don't know what to make of this place. My wife and I went Saturday night. The place was full of locals and old folks. The food seemed pretty good and prices were fair However, my one piece of catfish was undercooked and raw in the middle. ( I did not discover this until I was halfway finished.) I called the waitress over and explained the situation. She took my plate. I waited while they cooked me another piece of fish, (or so I thought.) I was shocked when she brought me back the same half-eaten piece of fish, now fully cooked!!! I guess they threw it back in the fryer, germs and all! Gross!!! Cheap is cheap but really? Wonder what the health inspector would say?? read more

Stopped in for breakfast. Seated almost immediately and drink order taken even though she was not our server. I loved the team spirit here and wish others had it as well. Server so sweet and food was quick. Standard breakfast fare, but cooked well and decent prices. We will def be back for lunch or dinner! read more

Although we don't live in North Carolina anymore, this was an absolute must and a definite go to when we lived there. Sometimes I would be in for two meals in one day, either breakfast and lunch, lunch and dinner, Etc. A lot of the things they made, like the pork shanks in various flavors, were unprecedented and quite delicious, and I don't know if she's there anymore, but server Debbie used to make a Pig Pickin cake which was our first and favorite. Unfortunately they don't have that here in Texas and we miss it all. Great food, great people, made it nice living there. Go, you won't be disappointed. read more

Food is great. Service is terrible. They are not a customer focused establishment. They don't treat their customers with a smile. It seems an inconvenience when you ask for extra things like a drink refill. If you appear that you aren't from Hampstead they treat you as an outsider. It's not a friendly atmosphere at all. read more

A really great spot for breakfast. Staff was kind, and prompt. Our whole table had omelets, which were very good.

Great breakfast. Lots of good choices. Lumberjack special was perfect. No children's menu which was only reason fo lower ranking. Good social distancing space. Great service. read more

Sawmill is a great place to eat, breakfast, lunch or dinner. It is good home cooking, with a large selection of food with daily specials. They have a small salad bar and offer home made pies and cakes. It won't cost you an arm and a leg to have a wonderful meal here. read more

Sawmill Grill is a reliably comfortable refuge where the wait staff is friendly and helpful. It's our go-to place for comfort food when we visit Topsail. They have all the down home food your heart could desire. Sure, they have flounder too, but if you need a break from seafood this is the place. They have great chicken fried steak, meat loaf and just about anything else you might crave. They also serve a great breakfast well up into the morning. read more

RUDE, Grease soaked EVERYTHING, Poor Service. Only serving because of hard core locals that accept traditional all fried southern food and accept rude manners. I've lived in Hampstead more than 25 years. Sawmill Grill has always been just above okay. My family and I have eaten here several times and every time, we say "never again". Tonight I stopped in to have dinner with my husband because our "go to" restaurant was closed for their Christmas party. When i entered, I saw a sign that said No Outside Food or Drink. I had a stainless steel tumbler with sparkling water. When I was approached by my server I asked if it was okay to have as I don't drink Hampstead Water. He said "yes". Then I was approached by the manger who immediately told me my cup was a problem. I asked if he had filtered water and he said no. I asked if he had bottled water and he said yes. I was going to order bottled water but he interrupted and said I could pour my drink into one of their clear glasses. That sounded like a solution. Once I did that, he then said that my tumbler had to go. So why not tell me that to begin with. At this point, everyone in the restaurant is watching. A. I would have left my container in my car had my initial server not said it was okay. B. I would have ordered a bottled water had the manager not offered to solve the problem by giving me a clear cup. C. Why did he wait until I'd poured the contents into his cup until he told me I'd have to take the now empty container to my car. Between the less than okay, overcooked, usually cold, never fresh food, the rarely refreshed salad bar, typically snarky servers and now a manager that could have had more tact, I have drawn a line in the sand. No more. read more

Crepe mascaraing as a Spanish omelet. I think there was more salsa than egg, seriously they tried to see how thin they could spread an egg. I was told that the owner made it. I replied "well he sucks at it!". I won't be back. read more

Pretty good food, but could barely sit through the meal as all three televisions were playing FOX news. Some of us in North Carolina are not drinking that kool-aid. Why not have one on Fox and one on CNN and try to be a bit more diplomatic read more

Came here for breakfast it was the best omelette which was a vegetable omelette with Swiss cheese and had grits was the best I've ever had. The Ryebread was excellent read more

Been coming to this place for close to 13 years. Been good, been bad. last year they went through a rough time because of manager Henry. Terrible "front of house manager" Read previous reviews for problems. After replacing him, we all thought things would pick up. Nope!!! Things got worse. The food is fine and since this is the only place in Hampstead for regular food, it is really too bad the service is so Bad. The new manager doesn't know how to do a simple job such as scheduling. Saturday and Sunday mornings (busiest of the week) half staff. Can't clean tables fast enough to seat people waiting. Last Wednesday (after hurricane) all the electric workers came in, plus regulars. Wow, what a mess!!!! Two wait staff one cleaner and one totally confused manager. She spent more time on phone than waiting on customers. We tried coming in on off peak times, for get it. Not planning on trying again. Maybe I'll open another breakfast place,,,the business is there for the taking, read more

Want an old fashioned country breakfast... this is the place. And ribeyes for dinner are awesome.

Okay as far as breakfast food goes, nothing special to offer on reviews, food bland tasting and waitress service very slow and uncaring attitude. read more

Was visiting my son & daughter-in-law in Hampstead, & we decided to try the Sawmill Grill for a late (11am) breakfast. My eggs were cooked perfectly. Daughter-in-law's pancakes were wonderful. My son gave his chicken & waffles 5 stars. Said he was going to take his nephew back for the chicken tenders. Only tried breakfast foods, but all were excellent. read more

Can I give zero stars? Folks waiting at the door and no one even acknowledging their presence. I finally asked if we should seat ourselves and the server said "well no, someone should be seating you but we're real busy." After getting a table a lovely young lady brought us drinks and said our server would be by soon. She was, long enough to take her tip off the table with not even a greeting to us. After 15 more minutes of waiting we left and told the folks waiting at the door "good luck." read more

Probably the best breakfast I've had in a long, long time. We had a party of eight and called two mins before we pulled in and they already had a table and high chair set up when we got there. Staff was very polite and friendly. Service was fast. Food was outstanding. read more

Good country food with generous portions at reasonable prices. I like how you just walk-in and seat yourself. If the place is clobbered then you have to wait for someone to clean a table, but as long as you remember that you're not in an upscale dining locale, you'll be fine. If you want a fancy breakfast place, go somewhere else. I think the coffee is pretty good. Sometimes getting a coffee warm-up can take a while though. The meals are simple, but tasty. Some of my favorite breakfasts are the ones with kielbasa sausage or their fried catfish. Lunch and dinner are good, but breakfast is certainly their best meal of the day in my opinion. I also like how they give you your check when your meal arrives so you can go up to the cashier and pay when you please. No waiting awkwardly for your server to give you something that you don't really want in the first place (the bill). We come pretty frequently and have seen the ups and downs of typical business. I think it's the best little breakfast joint in Hampstead for a sit down meal. I recommend it to all my friends and family. read more

Badd service! So disappointed in my breakfast this morning. The food was good except the toast was cold and hard. What was bad was the long wait to get waited on. The waitress was clueless. She didn't apologize for not taking our order after sitting waiting patiently for 30 minutes.????? I had eggs and toast?? Hubby is more patient but I'm not going back! read more

Food is very good, wide variety to choose from, wait staff courteous and attentive. Great place for breakfast, prices are also very good, especially for the large portion of food served! read more

Hubby and I stopped on out way to Myrtle Beach. While it is a basic breakfast, it was delicious and perfectly cooked. We are very picky about our eggs and almost always send them back at least once, but here they were both perfection. We asked for onions in our potatoes and I'm glad we did. They were a great addition. Country ham was good too..it is now our regular stop read more

When there is no where else to go we stop here for breakfast knowing exactly what we will be served. I sadly can say we are never surprised. The grits taste like chemicals, vegetables from the can and meat cheap and over processed. read more

Went for late breakfast and it was "eh". Pretty standard fixings - nothing I'd write home about. It's great because it's casual and family friendly. Our table of 6 sat comfortably. The service was great! We did wait a long while for the food to arrive. The food was about what you could cook up at home after a trip to the grocery store. My real sad moment was when I dove into my veggie omelette to discover they had used canned mushrooms deal breaker for me. Anyways, our hosts who live in Wilmington love this place and nobody went hungry so, 3 stars it is. read more

Been here many times and never a problem. I am local and try to support all the local businesses. I believe strongly in that. Looked forward to enjoying another meal here with a friend of mine. Sort of a casual business luncheon. When our waitress arrived at our table, I asked if they had the squash casserole. Mind you, just an honest inquiry based off of previous times eating here. Her resposnse caught me so off guard because it was sarcastic, and down right rude. She said " Do you see it "?......It is not my job to see anything. As a customer, I just asked a simple question about the menu. Why all the stank? Why the nasty?...like I will be back soon...hmmm not so much. read more

Canned food and real food prices. Not really a good option for anyone. I had the "deluxe" cheese omelet that promised all their cheeses (5 varieties) and it was mostly all american "cheese". Blueberry topping for pancakes is clearly from cans. The sausage patties looked ok and handmade and pancakes are hard to screw up. Its a styrofoam cup type place that is well stocked with generic and low quality ingredients. Service was fine on our recent trip although we watching people waiting forever to get tables while we were eating breakfast. If you don't mind the lack quality food like then you may enjoy the place, as its apparently very popular! read more

Stopped here on the way home from Wilmington, NC. Wow! What a cool place and hopping with customers! I had the shrimp platter , a friend had salmon cakes, and my husband had chicken fried steak. Everything was good , not great but good. The atmosphere was cool and loaded with people. To me, that is how you know you are at the "PLACE"! We will be back next time we go through Hampstead. Very nice. read more

We were buying a car and doing the inevitable wait thing at the bank and got hungry and were very fortunate to have found this charming eatery. There are not many options out this way. This place reminded me of the local cafe back home. Been in business 50 years, knows everything about everyone on town and feeds them all regularly. They serve good food at reasonable prices and folks keep coming back for more. We were immediately greeted and seated by a charming young lady who filled us in on what's best in the menu that day. We both had the suggested meatloaf, mashed potatoes and fried okra. They have a very attractive salad bar but we resisted it. The meatloaf was astronaut good, out of this world. Potatoes were real Idaho and lumpy just like I like it. The okra was light not great at all and ate like popcorn. We were served more food than either of us could possible eat and took the remainder home. That made a third meal from this delicious kitchen fir under $20. Great service even though I got at least one sugar. It wasn't new but it was spicy n span clean, well managed. They take pride in their work deservedly so and seem to be happy being there which in turn made us happy. They've got first rate lemon icebox pie too. read more

One word: Yuck. If you are too lazy to open your own cans and packets and heat stuff up, then this could be the place for you. Our family has eaten there multiple times, and each time is worse than the last. We have officially sworn off this restaurant. read more

The food is great but the service here is atrocious, the entire wait staff are grumbling middle aged women who take their time.

I am in general agreement with most of the previous reviews. Sawmill is underwhelming. I stopped in on the way home for work because I was starving and craving a burger. I had a cup of vegetable soup, which was kind of bland. The burger was decent, but it is hard to mess up a burger and fries. The service was ok, not awful, but no great. I would recommend skipping this place and driving the extra 10 miles and go to some place in Porter's Neck or Wilmington. read more

Great breakfast, great family atmosphere, great prices. A reliable spot.

Great local breakfast joint! Easy to find off 17, lots of space for larger parties. My husband loves their sausage gravy!

The Sawmill Grill is probably one of our favorites. Their grouper bites are excellent.Mac and Cheese is always good Good choice of sides. If you have room after your meal,great desserts,including cake,pie, and cobbler The staff are always cordial and very efficient. A lot of locals eat there,which is always good. We used to eat there every Sunday after Church but they got so busy (good for them,bad for us) so usually go during the week now. We understand they have an early bird but seems like we never eat until later. You can't go wrong,something for everyone! Hard to believe wait staff received such poor marks,they are always very nice when we eat there. We had a group of 15-20 last Wed night and everyone received their food within a reasonable time and staff was very helpful. read more

Whenever relatives are in town, they always ask to go here. Nicely cooked, homemade tasting food. Reasonably priced. Casual atmosphere. Friendly, hard working wait staff. read more