Time To Take A Peek Into These Awesome Restaurants In Porters Neck Wilmington, NC!

Wilmington, North Carolina is known for its small city charm, with their unique shopping areas, restaurants, museums, and more, it’s a city that is rapidly growing due to everything it has to offer. Located just north east of Wilmington is Porters Neck, a small little town that shows off the “relaxing vibes” Wilmington as a whole has. With country clubs, parks, and a quick 10 minute ride to the beach, Porters Neck is one tiny part of North Carolina that has its own dash of speciality. Today, we are here to discuss some of the restaurants in Porters Neck Wilmington, NC that might have you come back to for seconds!

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Cast Iron Kitchen

A bustling daytime space that serves Southern classics and many other tasty dishes!

Food that serves to delight, with many side dishes just as delicious! Image courtesy of the Cast Iron Kitchen Instagram page.

8024 Market St #6 | Wilmington | castiron-kitchen.com 

Chef and owner Josh Petty was brought up in a family that loved to cook, he grew a huge appreciation for cooking from his mother and his grandmother, learning the joy behind sharing food with others. With that background, Cast Iron Kitchen was created in mind to introduce the freshest of ingredients that enhance every corner of flavor in each bite to everyone who walks through the restaurant’s doors! Many of the menu items are Chef Petty’s old family recipes recreated by Josh himself to add something new and exciting to something old and wonderful.

At Cast Iron Kitchen, they take “Southern Hospitality” seriously, from the local farms they get their ingredients from, to the service, and the final bite. You can have a choice between so many great menu items, from Rustic Tomato Basil soup, to Biscuits & Gravy, Corned Beef Hash, Chicken & Pancake, The Vegetable Garden Omelet, CIK Hot Honey Chicken Sandwich, and more are all available at Cast Iron Kitchen!

“Our family loves Cast Iron Kitchen. It has a great southern vibe & delicious food options. I believe It is well loved by the locals. Double check their opening times before you head out there though because if you are not one of the first to arrive you might be waiting a while to be seated. Absolutely worth it!” -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!

Umaii Thai Restaurant

Featuring authentic Thai cuisine that satisfies any craving!

8209 Market St | Wilmington | umaiiportersneck.com 

Specializing in authentic Thai cuisine, Umaii Thai Restaurant is the perfect place to enjoy delicious foods, take a swing by the sushi bar, and enjoy indoor or outdoor seating! Their mission is to provide every patron with a memorable experience, not just with the food, but with the service too! Head Chef Pang has been traveling around Asia for years, learning and harnessing her own signature culinary style, and the menu reflects that. From Thai entrees, seasonal favorites, fresh sushi, and much more, Umaii Thai Restaurant is filled with so many classic and new dishes!

Umaii Thai Restaurant has a lunch, dinner, sushi, drink, and specials menu, lots of different dishes from each menu, so let’s give a sneak peek into just some of what to expect at Umaii!

• The lunch menu has Thai and Pineapple Fried Rice, Pad See Ewe, and Green, Red, and Panang Curry, plus each dish comes with a choice of Vegetable or Fried Tofu, Chicken - Pork - Beef, Shrimp, and/or Seafood!
• The dinner menu has Edamame, Crispy Spring Rolls, Tuna Tataki, salads, Tom Yum Noodle Soup, Fried Rice and Sweet & Sour Chicken.
• The sushi menu is full of raw, cooked, combo plates, handrolls, raw rolls, cooked rolls that feature tuna, salmon, and yellowtail.

Make sure to take a look at what specials Umaii Thai Restaurant has on their website as they are constantly updating and changing their menu to keep things fresh!

“I am here at least once a week when possible.   Food and service is excellent and they always use the freshest ingredients.  My favorite go to dishes are the drunken noodles and all the curry dishes are excellent.” -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!

Kornerstone Bistro

“A Neighborhood Place for Wordly Tastes,” that's the motto for this Mediterranean and Italian restaurant!

Carbs, carbs, and more carbs = yum! Image courtesy of the Kornerstone Bistro Instagram page.

8262 Market St | Wilmington | kornerstonebistro.com 

If you’re looking for an upscale casual Italian Mediterranean bistro, then welcome to Kornerstone Bistro! Producing the highest quality of fresh ingredients to make meals that reflect the Mediterranean philosophy of enhancing every flavor. Their main go-to ingredients that are the base of a lot of their recipes are olive oil, tomato, lemon, whole grains, and coastal authentic North Carolina goodies! Since its opening in 2007, Kornerstone Bistro has been featured in articles and has won awards, Kornerstone wants to be the “cornerstone” of the Wilmington/Porters Neck neighborhood. 

Kornerstone Bistro has plenty of menu items, if we would list them all here, it would fill up the whole article! So let’s name just a few dishes you can expect at Kornerstone Bistro, Calamari Fritti and Chicken Parmesan Panini for lunch, Flounder Mediterranean and Pesto Primavera pasta for dinner, Vegan and Vegetarian pizza, salads, desserts, and cocktails! Plenty more to enjoy once you take a stroll down to Kornerstone Bistro with your family/friends.

“We had several wonderful meals at Kornerstone. The salad ingredients are fresh, chilled, and delicious. The lobster/shrimp penne is excellent, as is the spinach/pesto pizza. Neveida, Falon, and Brittani, along with Gary provided excellent customer service and made each meal a great experience for us.” -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!

Tidewater Oyster Bar

Locally sourced tasty seafood prepared with care for all who enjoy a taste of the sea!

Salty, nutritious, and delicious, that’s oysters! Image courtesy of the Tidewater Oyster Bar Instagram page.

8211 Market St Unit DD | Wilmington | tidewateroysterbar.com 

Tidewater Oyster Bar is known for how they prepare their seafood. On their website they note that delicious seafood is “fresh, lovingly prepared, and carefully seasoned.” Sourcing their food right from the North Carolina coast line, they make sure to give anyone that’s looking to satisfy their seafood craving exactly what they need. 

Now if it’s not obvious from the name, Tidewater Oyster Bar is known for their oysters. Oysters have varying flavors, it all depends on where they are harvested from, how they are prepared, and how much salt is used, and Tidewater gets some of the best!

Besides orders, Tidewater Oyster Bar has so much seafood to try, like House Gumbo, Shrimp, NC Catfish, the Daily Catch, Snow Crab, and more! North Carolina has a lot of great seafood restaurants and Tidewater Oyster Bar makes dishes that are sure to be remembered!

“Straight up amazing!!  Food, service, cleanliness of the restaurant everything was so good.  We got the steamed platter for two and it was cooked perfectly and the quality was outstanding.  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!

Italian Bistro

A simple Italian eatery that focuses on flavor and welcoming the community!

So much flavor and cheese-y goodness in every bite! Image courtesy of the Italian Bistro Instagram page.

Unit HH, 8211 Market St | Wilmington | italianbistronc.com 

Fresh handmade and authentic Italian taste, that’s Italian Bistro in Wilmington. They have three key factors: fresh: thin crusted hand tossed pizza made from scratch daily using the best ingredients, homemade: all dishes are made to order in house, and local: Italian Bistro is just eight minutes away from Figure Eight Island (hah), and right in the heart of Porters Neck for your convenience! 

On the menu is an array of Italian Bistro classics that will make any carb lover swoon, from their traditional NY style pizza, to their Meat Lovers and Hawaiian Bistro specialities, a whole section of chicken centric pizzas, multiple veggie pizza options, strombolis & calzones, salads, appetizers, and much more!

“We had lunch here today.. this marks the 5th time here!  Love the atmosphere, the food is excellent and the staff is super friendly!  I've had something new each time and today I had the shrimp scampi.. which has been my favorite so far!  Definitely 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!

Buffalo Wild Wings

Well known chain serving wings and other classics in a casual setting!

Wings doused in sauce > Dry wings. Image courtesy of the Buffalo Wild Wings Instagram page.

140 Hays Ln B15 | Wilmington | buffalowildwings.com 

If nothing else caught your eye on this list, you could always try an old favorite like Buffalo Wild Wings! Buffalo Wild Wings is a well known American casual dining restaurant chain that has thousands of locations all around the world. They're well known for their wings (obviously), many many sauces, and other “sports bar” type foods. From their relaxed atmosphere, to the many tv’s with the latest game on, this restaurant has set a standard for great pub food and a great time.

At this particular location, you can look forward to great menu classics like their traditional and boneless wings cooked how you like and with any number of sauces like Parmesan Garlic, Honey BBQ, and more! Or you could decide on something a little different with their take on a classic chicken sandwich! There’s many different items to choose from at BWW, and you’re sure to have a good time while you dine!

“I have been coming in for a long time. The managers of this location go above and beyond to ensure that everything is guest focused. Servers are attentive and beer is always cold! Alyssa is a wonderful bartender and it always on point. One of the best bww I have been to!” -Yelp Review

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

These restaurants in Porters Neck Wilmington NC are sure to give you something to talk about, whether you’re just stopping by town on the way to the beach, live there, or headed back to Wilmington proper. From classic Italian eats, to seafood, and bar food, you get a whole range to enjoy with these great spots!