Wilmington: Where to Eat and Drink

Discover more on Wilmington, North Carolina
Wilmington City Portrait
What to See and Do
Meet the Locals
 

Where to Eat & Drink

Barbary Coast
Opened in 1946, this is Wilmington’s oldest watering hole and, by a long shot, the most colorful bar in town. It’s divey in the best way, drawing all sorts, from career drinkers and their dogs to local businessmen to adventurous tourists. There are about a hundred beers on offer, but PBR is the drink of choice here. 
116 S. Front St.; 910-762-8996

Causeway Café
Nestled between a boatyard and the causeway bridge, this beach bungalow café is home to the town’s best breakfast (see: the seafood omelet). Not surprisingly, it’s often packed on weekend mornings, but there’s always free coffee on the porch while you wait. 
114 Causeway Dr., Wrightsville Beach; wbcausewaycafe.com

Crow Hill
Combining a warm, earthy atmosphere with a decidedly hip urban spin, Crow Hill serves flavorful Southern dishes like chicken potpie and North Carolina trout with sweet potato hash. Don’t miss the blackened green beans with Creole remoulade. As one waitress predicted, “You’re gonna want to bathe in that sauce.”
9 S. Front St.; crowhillnc.com 

Deluxe
Though it’s perfectly acceptable to saunter in wearing flip-flops, Deluxe does full-fledged fine dining with an expansive wine list (more than 450 choices). Best bets are upscale Lowcountry dishes like paella with backfin blue crab, shrimp, and oysters, or ale-battered local flounder. It also draws a lively happy-hour crowd and displays rotating art exhibitions.
114 Market St.; deluxenc.com