Diners' Choice: Best Food restaurants in Wilmington

OpenTable

Updated March 05, 2025

Looking for restaurants with the best overall cuisine in Wilmington? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Ellipsis

5.0

5 (46)

$31 to $50

Dining Bar

Wilmington

About the restaurant

Our new fall/winter menu, Farfalla, offers a rich celebration of Italian flavors tailored for the cooler seasons. Featuring comforting dishes like handmade pastas, hearty braised meats, and seasonal vegetables, each plate embodies the warmth and soul of traditional Italian cuisine. Indulge in bold flavors with our curated selection of wines, perfect for pairing with these seasonal delights.

Known for its culinary innovation, Ellipsis features pop-up concepts that change periodically, offering an ever-evolving dining experience. The restaurant sits on the corner of the South Front District of downtown Wilmington, NC, featuring an inviting outdoor porch under string lights and a quaint side garden that complement its cozy, inviting interior and exterior, perfect for any occasion.

Created by We Are True Blue restaurant group by Chef Bobby Zimmerman, Ellipsis invites you to discover the unexpected and stay surprised by what comes next...

Top review

John

Dined 4 days ago

The staff was accommodating and friendly. The chef remade a dish that was too spicy. Clare was very helpful and knowledgeable.

Seabird

4.9

4.9 (1546)

$50 and over

Seafood

Wilmington

About the restaurant

Mindfully sourced and thoughtfully prepared ingredients highlight the landscape of the food in our coastal community. Menu subject to change daily with local availability of seafood and produce. James Beard nominated chef and owner, Dean Neff.

Reservations available for dinner Wednesday through Monday. Closed Tuesdays.

Brunch now served Saturday & Sunday!

Top review

GretchenVIP

Dined on Mar 3, 2025

Great place for uniquely and deliciously prepared seafood.

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Experience

New Years Eve Prix Fixe Menu Only

Genki Sushi Bar and Japanese Restaurant

4.9

4.9 (640)

$31 to $50

Sushi

Wilmington

About the restaurant

We look forward to welcoming you into our warm environment, with food so good you will swear you just stepped off of the train in Tokyo.

If you are reading this description, please take note that:
* Starting October 1st 2024: We will no longer be able to seat you unless your entire party has arrived and ready to sit ON TIME.
We will hold your Table/Seats for ONLY 10 minutes past the reservation time.
*After 10 minutes, you will lose your reservation to someone who is on the waiting list.
*Please take this serious as, it will allow us to provide better customer service to our guests as we increase in volume, and allow the evening to flow better with timing for our reservations through out the evening.
Thank you for your cooperation and understanding! Our customers mean the world to us!

*Also, please remember to count small children and babies as a person for seating. Thank you for your participation and understanding in this.
Thank you for your business! See you soon!

Top review

Rick

Dined 4 days ago

Adam (our server) was very attentive. Even had a few recommendations.Lana (the manager)made seating run like a well oiled clock. Our table was bussed promptly and the food is AMAZING! We’ve eaten there several times now and will never go anywhere else EVER for sushi.

Brent's Bistro

4.9

4.9 (661)

$31 to $50

Contemporary American

Wrightsville Beach

About the restaurant

Upscale yet casual restaurant located in Wilmington, NC. Located near Wrightsville Beach. Menu changes weekly to highlight the freshest seafood and land dishes. Enjoy flavorful dinners and extensive wine selection in our welcoming atmosphere. When weather permits, book a seat outdoors on our covered patio. For reservations, please utilize Opentable or call us directly. However, reservations for Fridays and Saturdays can ONLY be booked by calling us directly. 910-839-3131.

Top review

Cindy

Dined 4 days ago

Brent's is one of our all time favorites in town. Always a fabulous meal!

Jerry's Food, Wine and Spirits

4.8

4.8 (442)

$30 and under

Contemporary Southern

Wilmington

About the restaurant

Serving the best from North Carolina's land and sea in a warm, casual setting since 1992. Contemporary American dishes lined with classic flavors of the South. Couple your meal with a glass/bottle from our hand picked wine list featuring many Napa, Sonoma, and Oregon options, or go with a delicious hand crafted cocktail like the Hellcat Holler. Jerry's has been featured on PBS' "NC Weekend" with Bob Garner, Wilmington Today, the Wilmington Star News, and has had the pleasure of serving a sitting Vice President, Hollywood actors, pro athletes, tourists and the wonderful Wilmington community for 30 years. We look forward to serving you soon!

Top review

VickiVIP

Dined 5 days ago

Fabulous as always! Julia was great and the food excellent! Always a favorite.

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Catch - Modern Seafood Cuisine

4.9

4.9 (2105)

$30 and under

Seafood

Wilmington

About the restaurant

Serving the Best Seafood in North Carolina. James Beard Semi-Finalist and Bravo Tv's "Top Chef"contestant, Chef Keith Rhodes and his team, explore the Cape Fear Coast,for the best it has to offer. We feature Wild Caught & sustainably raised Seafood. Organic and locally sourced Produce.Providing the perfect compliment to our fresh Catch. Consecutively Voted Wilmington's Best Chef Dubbed by NYT's,"Modern Seafood Cuisine” we offer an array Fresh Seafood and Vegetarian options. We offer our Signature NC Sweet Potato Salad. Appetizers include our “Fire Cracker” Shrimp, NC Oysters on the 1/2 Shell, Seafood Ceviche & Conch Fritters . Larger Plates include our "Angry" Maine Lobster, Prime Steaks, Blackend Mahi Mahi & our Award winning Charleston Crab Cakes, Seared OBX Scallops, Flounder Escovitch & Pan roasted Black Grouper. Full ABC Permits.Large selection of boutique Wines by the Glass, Hand crafted Cocktails And over a half a dozen rotating local beer offerings.

Top review

VickiVIP

Dined 6 days ago

Catch is a great restaurant! The food is always amazing and the service impeccable! Love it!

The Melting Pot - Wilmington(NC)

4.9

4.9 (732)

$31 to $50

Fondue

Wilmington

About the restaurant

Welcome and thank you for choosing The Melting Pot of Wilmington. We offer a very unique and interactive dining experience, with a heavy focus on personal service. Our Wait staff has been hand picked and extensively trained to have the ability to provide you, our guest, with nothing less than a "Perfect Night Out." Every visit will be hand tailored to fit your wants and needs during your fondue experience. We are a four-course full service restaurant. We offer a stunning variety of creamy, perfectly balanced cheeses that our servers hand craft table side for your dining pleasure. We have a selection of cold, crisp and fresh salads, paired with house made dressings. Our entrées are as beautiful as they are delicious. We offer a wide range of premium meats and seafoods with a variety of sophisticated marinades and sauces for dipping.

Top review

OpenTable Diner

Dined on Feb 21, 2025

Great time as always at the Mayfaire Melting Pot. My daughter’s favorite restaurant and one of mine as well. Charlie was our server and she was excellent! Quick with refills on dippers and checked on us often. The food is always great and having a wonderful server makes it even more enjoyable. Thank you!

G Prime

4.9

4.9 (270)

$50 and over

Steakhouse

Wrightsville Beach

About the restaurant

G Prime offers the highest level of service and ingredients for the entire community to enjoy – from beautifully curated and customizable prime cuts, locally sourced fish and fresh seasonal produce, a classic craft cocktail and mixology program, to one of the largest, most prolific wine cellars in the area.

Top review

PhilVIP

Dined 1 day ago

This was my third visit with G Prime. Each visit has bettered the previous one. Starting with the special soup through dessert, the food was prepared flawlessly. The perfectly cooked to order filet mignon was preceded by a fresh and tasty wedge salad and accompanied by delicious creamed spinach. The Tahiti vanilla gelato was a perfect ending to a memorable evening of fine dining. We look forward to our next visit to G Prime.

Port Land Grille

4.9

4.9 (2138)

$31 to $50

American

Wilmington

About the restaurant

Port Land Grille has progressive American regional cuisine masterfully executed in a casually elegant coastal setting since November 2000. We have both indoor and outdoor dining and private rooms are available. Thank you for dining with us!

COVID-19 updates: Masks are no longer required to be worn indoors but they are still recommended if you are not vaccinated. Our staff is fully vaccinated and ready to serve you!

We have suspended the ability to bring in outside food or beverage (ex. cakes or wine) while we continue to recover from the devastating affects of COVID-19. Thank you in advance for your understanding and continued support.

Top review

greg

Dined 3 days ago

The service was great and the food was very good. We sat outside which is very nice over looking the pond.

The Green House Restaurant - Wilmington

4.8

4.8 (408)

$31 to $50

Vegetarian / Vegan

Wrightsville Beach

About the restaurant

The Green House offers inventive, plant-based menu with an emphasis on sustainability, seasonality, and all of the amazing local producers this area has to offer

Top review

monicaVIP

Dined on Feb 28, 2025

Amazing. One of the greatest places in the country - certainly the best in the Wilmington region. Try the butternut squash soup and the chocolate cake!

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