The food was so good we ate it without taking pictures... fresh and clean - great server Michael who even went down the street to Java Dog to get oat or coconut milk since they were out. The Migas, the amped up avocado toast, and especially the potato pancake were a hit! read more

Total deliciousness. Everything was amazing. I rarely leave a review but I couldn't let the good food, friendly service and cool vibe go unwritten. 10 stars!! Daren was amazing. read more

A must try in Wilmington. It's worth the wait folks. Get whatever is on special with a side oatmeal pancake. Id recommend getting an exotic entree with a side of pancake or French toast instead of getting those as your meal. Wonderful food. read more

I know there is a mask mandate and I am more than willing to abide by it, but there's no fucking reason to be rude about it.

We stopped in for lunch. I ordered the Brunswick stew and it was delicious. It was a large portion which was awesome. I like the atmosphere, it was casual and had cool band memorabilia on the walls. The staff were very friendly. My husband ordered an oyster salad that he loved as well. Very happy and highly recommend. read more

Stopped here for lunch after the coffee crawl in Wilmington and it was much bigger inside than I had expected! At first, we were told there was a table ready for us. Afterwards, the lady came back and told us she wasn't the one who does tables and said there were other people in front of us. And then she came back and said we can take a table that was meant for someone else because they have not come yet and wouldn't be back for awhile. I really appreciated this and adds a star in my book! The presentation of food is lovely and don't forget to check out their daily specials. Food came out pretty quick. I got the Spinach Feta Grill and I love the use of French bread in the dish. It was cute how they gave me a single slice of kiwi too to eat after my meal as a palate cleanser. The potato cake was pretty good too and I don't even like potatoes that much! The eggs were perfectly poached!! read more

Wow. Amazing! Great area, great food, great service. I'll start with the fruit plate side. It was actually a real fruit plate with fresh fruit, as composed by the seasonal summer fruit: watermelon, cherries, plums, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, in addition to cantaloupe, melon dew, apple, orange, grapefruit. Fried okra and potato cake sides, also amazing. So was the yogurt with watermelon and mint. Entrees were great. I got the veggie sandwich, though it was slightly soggy. Maybe put the tomato and zucchini between lettuce? My husband got the special - bean cakes with poaches eggs. Also good. Each entree also came with a mini biscuit and slice of kiwi. Everything was fresh and tasty! Loved it and hopefully will come back soon. read more

Very good. Great service, very sanitary. Highly recommend the chicken BLT with pimento cheese on it. You won't be disappointed. Also Mac & cheese is fire read more

The Basics - Fried Chicken Blt Sandwich, Fried green tomatoes - Southern Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

Food is great and I love the atmosphere but we had a bad experience with the service. Our server (female with long dark hair) was not helpful. We arrived at 10 when the restaurant opened and at about 10:20 asked if we could order drinks. She said yes and then walked away without taking our order. After another 15 minutes we asked another server to get a drinks and he was pleasant and happy to do so. We waited 45 minutes total before she came to ask what we would like to eat. If the place was slammed pack or I could tell she was super busy I wouldn't have left this review, but everyone in our party felt she was perhaps just not friendly or efficient. I would love to come here again and really hope that I can update this review with a more positive experience of the service! read more

I had a late lunch with a friend at The Basics, which is located in the beautiful, old Cotton Exchange building. I wanted the Cobb Salad without the meat. The server graciously stated that more veggies would be added in their place. The salad came complete with a creamy deviled egg and fresh guacamole. The only problem was that the blue cheese had been omitted. I asked for some, it was brought to me, and I was charged for it. I chose not to argue over .50. The greens were very fresh and the buttermilk ranch dressing was a nice accompaniment. My friend ordered the grits dish with vegetables and feta cheese. She raved over her dish, so it must have been good (she never raves over anything). For dessert, she had the flourless brownie with whipped cream. I had a bite, and it was chocolatey goodness with real whipped cream. Great atmosphere; they played 80's music! read more

We haven't been here in awhile and we came for dinner to celebrate a friend's birthday. I ordered the fish special of the day and companions ordered a variety of items. All were delish. The cuisine at Basics is inspired. Portions are large so you can share or bring home yummy leftovers. read more

Woooooo is amazing place for breakfast, lunch, bar, dinner.. and more I go with my son for breakfast..wooo sooo great, I send pictures to my wife and she told me... I want to gooo jajjaa we back to pick up and we back for lunch woo I love this place.. I want back Wilmington and visit again THE BASICS EXCELLENT service the people is amazing... thanks for all read more

Excellent food! Had their Omelet of the day with: Andouille sausage, peppers, squash, onions, topped with a sun dried tomato tapenade, absolutely delicious... read more

Had amazing shrimp and grits last night for dinner. This morning back for Sunday brunch of crab cakes Benedict. Wow. Very good fresh food with unique preparation. Service right on also. read more

Dude! Yeah, I said it. I love this place. Great wine, better food. I would recommend you give it a go!

Wow. If you're in Wilmington, this is the spot to be for brunch. Simply amazing food and even better wait staff. My girlfriend and I sat at the bar and were taken care of super well. Definitely get their mimosas. I got a mango mimosa that was the perfect balance of sweet and bubbly. For food, I got the Southern Benedict and my gf got the grits. The Southern Benedict had this house smoked ham but it tasted like pulled pork to me minus all the good smokey flavors you would expect. Eggs were done pretty well over the biscuits as well as the gravy. Definitely would recommend getting a side that isn't super bready since you're also given a small biscuit in addition to your two big ones. I made the mistake of getting the blueberry pancake. Although it was really good, I think some meat would've been a better choice. The grits were fluffy and when mixed with the tomato and onions on top was a whole other level of flavor. She got the breakfast sausage and that wasn't too sweet, which can sometimes happen with breakfast sausages. I can't wait to return here when I visit the beach in the future read more

We came for brunch while in Wilmington. I had the omelet of the day. It was excellent. My husband had the southern Benedict....ditto on his. The pancakes are OUT OF THIS WORLD delicious. The service was on point as well. I'd definitely recommend. If there had been a straw form my water, it would be five stars. read more

Loved The Basics! Good service, nice portions, and fresh ingredients. Ended up on accident and I am glad we did. Good kids menu, my son loved his PB&J and sweet potatoes. I got the Spinach Salad with chicken and it was delicious. My husband's okra was so fresh! Recommend. read more

The Basics - Southern Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

Nice twist on Eggs Benedict. Excellent smoked ham flavor although could've used a bit more sausage gravy. read more

The Basics - Southern Benedict - Southern Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

Everyone in my party absolutely loved their meal!!!! Mine was amazing. Will be back next time I am in Wilmington, read more

The Basics - Southern Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

They are the nicest people you will ever meet. They gave me water when I was parched and couldn't find a store or vending machine. Next time I'm in town I'm going to check out the food. But really, it is so nice to meet people who will help you out even when they don't have to. They wouldn't let me pay for it. read more

I went on a weekend for brunch - which may have been my folly: it was packed, with little space to stand / sit and wait for seating. However, the minor inconvenience was negligible in comparison to the quality of the experience. Great mimosas, great brunch, and served super quickly - despite the crowd. The server assured me it was never usually that busy, but with the quality of food and punctuality of the staff, I could understand why. Success is built on being brilliant at the basics, and this restaurant is no exception. Very Good out of 10. read more

My favorite dish here is the Southern Benedict! Love this place for brunch!! I highly recommend it!

Sort of glad our regular brunch spot was closed this particular morning because it forced us to venture out somewhere new. Cocktails were perfect and tasty/fresh! I ordered blueberry pancakes and they were like homemade, so fabulous. My husband had the omelet and again, fresh and fabulous. Everything served up by a super nice bartender. Thanks for a wonderful experience! read more

Very good breakfast, really exceptionally good coffee, excellent service and they take Covid precautions seriously.

Stopped here for lunch and it was pretty good. A little confusing when you first go in as far as waiting to be seated or sitting at the counter or whatnot, but people were all pretty friendly. They have a bar and a variety of lunch/brunch items. The fruit was beautiful, like something you'd see in a magazine, and it was tasty too. In general it was a relaxing stop and would go again. Biscuit was great too. read more

Basically, very average. Flavourless fried chicken sandwich, slow service and not good value for money.

I have never felt compelled to post a comment on Yelp. In fact I just downloaded the app to be able to do so. I am incredibly disappointed that my husband and I did not get to experience your restaurant. I was really looking forward to the spinach feta special today. The reason why we are not there is due to your hostess on duty. She thought she texted me, did not, so she sat the people who checked in after me. When I confronted her she said oh I texted you and then she checked and realized she had not. She did not apologize. She went on to seat two other parties of two as they had reservations. When I confronted her she was abrasive and dismissive. After waiting close to an hour we were done. Unfortunate. Kathleen; your hostess kept calling me Kathy. Again disappointing. read more

Cool spot, great location. Overpriced American menu. Dry flavorless duck, and my wife wanted the black drum dish but they were out. Bartenders choice drinks were good, we tried them both. Then tried the Bloody Mary off their cocktail menu and was nothing special. Ordered fried green tomatoes & fried oysters and they didn't have much flavor. My wife ordered the Carolina Cobb salad and it had a fried oyster in it that was not supposed to be apart of the dish. The service was okay, drinks were good but food was unimpressive. read more

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Great spot for breakfast. It'll fill up on weekends so make sure you get there early or prepare to wait. There are shops around it so you can easily walk around while you're waiting for a table. We've had the southern grits, french toast (Holy crap delicious), and the southern benedict. Never eaten lunch or dinner so I can't be sure it's good. Usually when I find a place that serves excellent breakfast, they don't do dinner very well (and vice versa). read more

Fun place for breakfast or lunch. Fresh and unique dishes at reasonable prices right in the heart of downtown Wilmington.

Brunch was soooooooooo good! I had a mimosa, which they had a variety of almost 10 flavors. It was served in a tall glass, instead of a standard champagne flute. I tried both specials, the burger and the omelette and it was PERFECT. Service was perfect, both with the bar and hostess. Music was good too. Yassss Basics! read more

The service suck. Takes forever to get food. Been here a hour so far and still waiting on the appetizers. I doubt the food is worth the wait

The staff was great and the food was even better! The tomato basil soup and grateful bread was absolutely delicious. Definitely give them a go! read more

First off I'm disappointed because I came here because I wanted brunch well guess what no breakfast items on the menu we were given I ordered the meat loaf which wasn't southern tasting and Mac and cheese had no flavor. read more

The Basics - Southern Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

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Meh, sometimes a place is exactly what it calls itself. You can always hope for a little better, as if they took a concept and sort of ran with it a bit in a more original way, but when you don't get what you're expecting you shouldn't be too surprised. That's how The Basics felt to me. I get that they want simple flavors, with good ingredients, to let the "basic" food identity shine, but come on, it doesn't take too much effort to spruce things up a bit. I was really looking forward to some classic Carolina favorites, but wound up just being underwhelmed and agitated. The little restaurant itself is cute, with a couple different dining areas, a little bar for ordering, and what looked like some sort of lounge off to one side. I wound up in what I will consider the "main" dining area (http://www.flickr.com/photos/wedoitforlove/5222168435/) just across from the kitchen. I thought this was great, as I would be right in front of all the servers for maximum attentiveness, and also be able to see how the kitchen operates. It didn't really provide either, just a seat next to the door so I constantly got a cold breeze whenever it opened, woops. The menu (http://www.flickr.com/photos/wedoitforlove/5222167487/) is most definitely true to the name, as nothing really stands out as being anything outside the ordinary, so I decided to start with one of my favorite dishes that isn't very well replicated in DC, the fried green tomatoes. For me, this was definitely the highlight of the meal. The tomatoes were fried perfectly (http://www.flickr.com/photos/wedoitforlove/5222168845/), with a nice bit of crunch but cooked enough to keep them somewhat tender, and the sauce drizzled on top was a very nice accompaniment. I've never had this dish served almost as a salad, but it worked. Feeling optimistic about the first course, I decided to try one of the chef's specials of the day, the grilled mahi (http://www.flickr.com/photos/wedoitforlove/5222766028/) served over a bed of rice with a pineapple jerk coulis, a biscuit, and fried okra. Here basic took on a new meaning, bland. The coulis was almost completely unnoticeable, the rice was very stiff and flavorless, and the fish was just bone dry. The biscuit too was kind of sad, as it seemed to still be coated in flour, and was entirely too doughy. I'm not sure how you can screw up simple things so easily, but they managed to do it. Even the fried okra (http://www.flickr.com/photos/wedoitforlove/5222170185/), something I have very fond memories of growing up in the South and eating regularly, was fried too long and much of it had a strong burnt taste. I'm not sure how often they change the oil in the friers, but there was a distinct flavor that reminded me of my days as a kid working at Bojangles and noticing once the oil had started to change flavors after about 3 days. To add insult to injury, as I was dining a cockroach crawled across my foot before being kicked over to the next table, something that I automatically deduct 1 star for from any restaurant. Possibly even more aggravating was that I really had my hopes up for the peach cobbler that was on the menu, another of my Southern favorites, so I ordered a bowl after my meal was over. [Note, the waitress brought my check over before even asking if I wanted dessert, another of my huge pet peeves.] So the server went back to update the check and presumably pass my order on to the kitchen. Unfortunately for me she neglected to mention it apparently takes about 15-20 minutes to make, so I sat there idly staring around waiting on my cobbler that never came. After the first 15 minutes I inquired again about my dessert, and she said it would still be a bit longer...so, not feeling like having to go back out and refill my parking meter just to eat some dessert, I told them forget it and paid at the counter and left, hugely disappointed, and that's definitely how I will remember this place. read more

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The Basics came highly recommended and absolutely did not disappoint! The pork belly omelette was outstanding! Prompt, polite service with a smile made our brunch a memorable one. We look forward to returning next time we visit Wilmington. read more

The hostess told us that when interacting with any server to please wear your mask, I understand trying to keep everyone safe. We ordered two salad specials and two drink specials. Our waiter was amazing. He was very attentive and enthusiastic. When our food came the hostess brought it out. She acted almost afraid to place dishes on the table. She placed them on the edge and nudged them closer to each of us. If you're that afraid why not have, idk, our waiter bring them?? She made us feel very unwelcome to even eat there. Our salads were ok, but definitely not worth the $40 for our meals. They did look pretty though. We really hope our tip went to the waiter and not that hostess. read more

The Basics - Southern Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

Stop looking for other breakfast places and just go here. The oatmeal blueberry pancakes were delicious. I suggest getting a side order of the pancake because the full order is huge. The bacon was crispy, greasy, and slightly fatty - so perfect. The sausage patty was also great. The biscuits are dense so if you're looking for a fluffy, flaky biscuit this one is not for you. The coffee was coffee, not great but not awful. They will give you a to-go cup for free, which is a nice perk. The building is neat with exposed brick and old wood floors, and the waitstaff was great! read more

The Basics - Really neat old building! - Southern Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

This is our second time trying the Basics. The first time we got brunch and it was good, but dinner is just not good. The restaurant was basically empty and the food was not warm. The brunswick stew is like blended up beans. Gross. The fried green tomatoes are soggy because they put mustard all over them. The cole slaw tastes likes watermelons, and the bbq sauce tastes like strawberries. Why? No idea. Also mask policy is so ridiculous and we stood outside waiting for someone to let us in for 5 minutes. Meredith was our server and she did a good job. The food was just not good. read more