Let’s Shake Things Up A Bit And Look At These Fun Restaurants In Wilmington NC!

Wilmington, North Carolina. A city known for its great beaches with strong surf spots, a beautiful Historic District, shops, galleries, museums, and restaurants. This popular spot is for all those looking to get away to a nice beach town, whether you’re there for vacation or decide you need a change of scenery. Since this port city has a lot going for it, you may want to know where the it spots are in town when it comes to dining, and not just good restaurants but the exciting ones. 

So let’s take a journey together to find out some of the fun restaurants in Wilmington, NC, it’s sure to be a great adventure!

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Rooster & The Crow

Set in a laid back industrial brick building, this fun Wilmington restaurant serves Southern classics!

Food looking good? Check! Hot and ready to eat? Check, check! Image courtesy of the Rooster & The Crow Instagram page.

225 S Water St Suite G & H | Wilmington | roosterandthecrow.com 

Proudly boasting on their website as having “the best Southern food in Wilmington!” The Rooster & The Crow started with two best friends Zach and Allen, who came up with the idea to make a spot where everyone can come, enjoy good food and drinks while dining in the historic Chandlers Wharf Building!

And if you’re curious on how the restaurant got their name, you can learn more about that interesting story in their about page here. What’s also great about the Rooster & The Crow also has live music on certain days of the week from a variety of artists, and a menu that changes with the season, so you can check back and see what they have all throughout the year!

Alright! Now that you know what Rooster & The Crow is all about, let’s break down some of the food from the brunch, lunch, and dinner menu:

• With each ‘Classic’ brunch dish served with a choice of cheese grits or home fries, you can enjoy Chicken & Beignets, Bananas Foster French Toast, Southern Omelet, the Fried Chicken Benny eggs benedict, and Smoked Salmon Scramble!
• While the lunch & dinner menu has things like Loaded Nachos and Fried Green Tomatoes appetizers, with Fried Chicken, Hoop Cheese Mac-N-Cheese, and Chicken Pot Pie for the main course!
• Since this is at the top of the fun restaurants in Wilmington NC list, we can share a drink from their seasonal cocktails menu, like the Crow’s Crush an orange vodka, triple sec, orange juice, and sprite!

“Hands down, my favorite place to eat in all of NC. Amazing as usual, even while dealing with staffing shortages. Their mac & cheese, the fried chicken, the banana & bread puddings!!! No complaints, only compliments!” -Yelp Review 

Although this restaurant doesn’t have a GiftYa gift card opportunity yet, check back soon, as new places are being added to the GiftYa website frequently!

Caprice bistro

French fare served in an intimate atmosphere for all to enjoy!

10 Market St | Wilmington | capricebistro.com 

Head chef Thierry Moity is the brains behind Caprice bistro in Wilmington, originally from the town of Nantua in Central France, he has been learning and cooking since he was 13! Meeting his wife Patricia who grew up near Belgium, they took their adventures to America in the late 80’s, opening up their first restaurant in New York. Then they eventually made it to Wilmington where Caprice bistro was born! 

They are seen still working at their restaurant, Patricia in the front and Theirry in the back, and with their combined efforts they have made Caprice bistro a place where all those craving authentic French food can go!

Let’s talk food! On their dinner menu you can expect an array of dishes like the Calamari Mandelieu, Mussels “du Jour,” Steak Frites (Market Price), Carolina Mountain Trout, and Waterzooi (House Speciality). They also have a wine list you can peruse through and see what you’d like to pair with your meal if you’re in the mood for a nice glass of wine.

“Excellent food and unbelievable service. This was our second time dining here and the food and service was above expectations. Servers like Brian make the experience even better. Extremely knowledgeable and personable. All around great date night and worth the drive from out of town.” -Yelp Review

Although this restaurant doesn’t have a GiftYa gift card opportunity yet, check back soon, as new places are being added to the GiftYa website frequently!

Seabird

Retro and unique, this seafood restaurant is providing every seafood lover's dream!

Brunch is back! And that means fun flavorful food for everyone! Image courtesy of the Seabird Restaurant Instagram page.

1 S Front St | Wilmington | seabirdnc.com 

Seabird is a restaurant in downtown Wilmington set in a historic building that’s been made to feel like a true vacation eatery, with their light colors, beach decor, and of course, seafood upon seafood! Celebrating the “seasonality of seafood,” the aptly named Seabird makes sure their menu always reflects what’s best caught in the sea, meaning that they make sure to procure their local seafood by finding the best fishing and farming methods available! 

Since their menu is known to change with the tide, make sure to look into what you wanna get right before you go to know what they’re currently serving. Right now on the menu you can expect BBQ Oysters, Peel & Eat NC Shrimp, Smoked Yellowfin Tuna & Tomatoes, the Seasonal Seafood Tower, Vegan Plate, Fried Smoked Catfish, and more! For all those craving seafood, Seabird is the place to go to in Wilmington!

“Creative and delish food in contemporary settings. We loved everything we ordered but short ribs stood out ( I don't usually order or eat short ribs but sounded good on the menu and our server recommended). Complimentary corn muffins brought to the table. Highly recommend.” -Yelp Review

Although this restaurant doesn’t have a GiftYa gift card opportunity yet, check back soon, as new places are being added to the GiftYa website frequently!

Steam Restaurant and Bar

Indoor or outdoor seating in this restaurant with river views featuring seasonal American cooking!

Delicious food in a gorgeous setting? That’s what we call great dining! Image courtesy of the Steam Restaurant Instagram page.

9 Estell Lee Pl | Wilmington | steamrestaurantilm.com 

If you’re new to the Wilmington area, you may have heard by doing your research of the famous Cape Fear River, which is one of the city’s most beloved outlooks. At Steam Restaurant and Bar, you will be dining right on the Cape Fear River in historic downtown Wilmington! With top to bottom windows around the restaurant, you will get a stellar view of the sun right upon the river’s waters while you dine on Southern fare using ingredients that've been locally sourced of course. 

Now that you know you’ll be dining in style, let’s talk about what you’re actually going to be dining on! Steam Restaurant and Bar has a great selection of menu items including but not limited to Crispy Brussel Sprouts and Hand Cut Garlic Fries under their “snack” section, soups like Blue Crab & Corn Chowder, salads like Riverside Caesar Salad, Pan Roasted Salmon and Cast Iron Diver Scallops sea fare, with Grilled Spicy Tofu and the ‘Burger Burger’ in their “Land Lovers” section. Plenty to eat, and plenty to enjoy while you dine at Steam Restaurant and Bar!

“The atmosphere was beautiful!  Hosts and servers were very attentive.  We ordered the special for Wilson theatre goers - special menu - all delicious, and service was wonderful and sensitive to our being able to attend the theatre.” -Yelp Review

Although this restaurant doesn’t have a GiftYa gift card opportunity yet, check back soon, as new places are being added to the GiftYa website frequently!

PinPoint Restaurant

In a unique space lined with beautiful art, this restaurant brings New American food to all those who stop on by!

Making menu options that everyone can boast about, that’s PinPoint! Image courtesy of the PinPoint Restaurant Instagram page.

114 Market St | Wilmington | pinpointrestaurant.com 

PinPoint Restaurant is here to serve food deeply rooted in tradition and preparations used to make that food. Featuring locally sourced ingredients from Wilmington farmers and fishermen, this fun establishment is making sure to keep with the season, always updating the menu to make sure the food reflects the environment. Being just a block away from the famous Cape Fear River, PinPoint Restaurant has been named one of the best restaurants in many magazines ever since it opened in 2015!

PinPoint Restaurant has a variety of menu items for dinner like French Onion Dip and a Cheese Plate for snacks, Raw Oysters, and Local Garlic Confit Hummus shareables, with Buttermilk Fried Chicken, Country Fried Cauliflower Steak, and Pan Seared Heritage Pork Chop as main course options! (They do say on their website that their menu changes nightly, so be sure to check consistently before you enjoy your evening meal at PinPoint)!

“Hands down the best food I've ever had in Wilmington. I highly suggest making a reservation and grabbing a meal here. The ingredients are locally sourced and they have a lot for sustainability practices!” -Yelp Review

Although this restaurant doesn’t have a GiftYa gift card opportunity yet, check back soon, as new places are being added to the GiftYa website frequently!

Buffalo Wild Wings

A fun restaurant chain serving up wings with an array of flavors and other “pub” foods!

With inventive flavors like these rotating in and out, you’re sure to have a great time! Image courtesy of the Buffalo Wild Wings Instagram page.

206 Old Eastwood Rd | Wilmington | buffalowildwings.com 

With their first location opening up in 1982, Buffalo Wild Wings was originally named Buffalo Wild Wings & Weck, and after a name change in 1998 to what we know now, this brand has become well known all throughout the country with 1,279 locations! And what’s fun about BWW is their wide range of flavors used when making their wings and other dishes, just like the photo above, they are constantly adding fun things to the menu to keep things interesting for you!

Buffalo Wild Wings is the perfect mix of casual and comfort, with their cool interior and “sports-pub” like vibe, this restaurant is for all those looking to grab a bite and enjoy a nice time with your loved ones! But before you go, let’s take a look at what BWW has on their menu: Cauliflower Wings, Bogo Boneless Wings, 2 Honey BBQ Bird Dawgs + Fries, Smoked Brisket Burger, Saucy Chicken Sandwich, and more! Make sure to see what fun sauces/other specialty items they have as they are always advertising something new!

“Great walking experience at the bar.  Bartender was attentive and gave great suggestions about wing sauces.  The chop salad was good sized and delicious, and the WILD sauce on the boneless wings was the perfect amount of heat (for me at least)” -Google Review

You can Purchase a GiftYa Gift Card to Buffalo Wild Wings here!

North Carolina is full of many different restaurants that have so many different things to offer, and these fun restaurants in Wilmington NC are here to bring exactly that! Whether you’re in the mood for seafood or Southern comfort, there’s plenty to eat, plenty to see, and plenty to enjoy!