The food, price, and service are wonderful. The only fault I have is that the waitstaff are allowed to wear their hair down, no matter how long. How unsanitary and rare to see. Perhaps hair restraints could improve their sanitation grade! read more

We came with our friends for lunch, we were for the first time and the server told us what was better to try, thanks to her. Everything was delicious and the food was cooked quickly, we liked everything.The place is beautiful and cozy read more

Boathouse Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

Food was delicious!! It's been a long time since I've had Calabash seafood and it was just what I needed!! Had a fantastically sweet server named Henley and she was a doll!! She made our time there wonderful and special! We will be back! read more

We came here on a Friday night after a local person recommended the restaurant. We were seated right away in a comfortable booth and the restaurant looked pretty clean. The server was very friendly and attentive. The hush puppies came out lukewarm and weren't very crispy. I ordered a broiled dish with flounder and shrimp. Both were very fresh and flavorful and there was plenty for seconds. A little skimpy on the sautéed spinach but it was very flavorful and the sweet potato was very creamy. read more

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Excellent food, phenomenal service (Juliane), great prices and an extensive menu! Comfortable & quiet with easy access and a large parking lot. Will definitely return read more

Boathouse Restaurant - Fresh crab cakes loaded with crab, fried okra & French fries - perfect! - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

Food was great, service was even better - Colleen was a wonderful server - cordial, efficient and attentive. Would definitely visit again!

I had no idea this place served breakfast! I just always assumed it was only a seafood joint. Breakfast was delicious and fast. And I was shocked not to have to wait on a Sunday morning. It hits the spot for a no frills diner breakfast! read more

i do not understand why this isn't a 5.0 instead of a 3.8. wilmington USED to be a restaurant town. the eroding economy over the last, say, 20 years has ended all that. this is a fine seafood restaurant. they have wonderful lunch specials for $12.99. nice decor. really nice "best friend" waitresses. great food. breakfast 7:00 to noon. what else can you want? this is one of the places we eat at regularly. the seafood is right out of the sea, as it is next to wrightsville beach. their special is a 10 oz crispy flounder filet with two sides and hush puppies. do yourself a favor and eat here. it seems some of these reviewers have very low IQs or something. this is great in april 2025 to have such a fine meal for a mere $12.99. if there was something to complain about i'd be first in line! read more

Another restaurant mark off our list. Went again today can't of course my husbands hash browns were icy in the middle. My bacon was burned to a crisp. And hash browns also. Just finished. With it. We have been coming here for years. Not again. Service was ok. Nothing spectacular. Had to ask for more coffee. Will find another eatery. read more

great service and wonderful food! highly recommend. Went for my birthday and was offered a dessert by my waitress to celebrate. Best Bloody Mary I've had in a while. Definitely will go back read more

It is a nice Calabash seafood restaurant near Bradley Creek. We went for a late lunch on Saturday, and this is place was busy. The server was nice. Great vibes among the servers and the manager who ran around to help and clean up. We did wait a while for the hush puppies, which we were foretold, but they were so good when they finally came. I got the mahi tacos and they were also very fresh and delicious. The fried clam strips seemed over cooked but other than that, no complaints. I don't mind coming back again! read more

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Great good for a great price! We were looking for a seafood restaurant while in Wilmington and found this "old school" place. The atmosphere reminds me of a typical seafood place as a kid back in the 80's. But let me tell you the food is great. A plate full of calabash style, ole southern, fried flounder! The place gets very busy so the service was a bit slow, but it's ok, it's worth the wait. read more

This place has been surprisingly successful, but it isnt my style of food. Very southern, but sometimes southern means overcooked, greasy, and lacking seasoning. That is how my experience here was. The staff was ok, not bad, not amazing, but the options aren't great and nothing has been spectacular. Good hushpuppies!! And possibly good southern style cooked fish but again, I don't like southern style fish. So for the sake of being honest, it may deserve a 3 star from someone who does enjoy that style. My other issue is the atmosphere...it almost feels like a sit down, fast food restaurant...another staple of southern restaurants. Soooo...ive been there, the owners and managers are super cool, which is why it pains me to give a negative review...but in my opinion, their game could be stepped up...even considering their success (which I'm happy about because their owners are great people!!). This a place where I say...give it a try, it isn't my thing, but a lot may be personal preference. Stay tuned for my eating trip across country...from Wilmington, NC, to Atlanta, to Nashville, to st. Louis, to Kansas City, to Denver, to Cheyenne, to Salt Lake City, to Boise, to Monterey Bay, and finishing it off in Anaheim...ill be reviewing local favorites in each city. read more

First time to this restaurant. Beautiful inside with lots of room. Food was excellent! Service was also excellent!!! Highly recommended. Will definitely be coming back!!! read more

We picked this restaurant to dine with another couple as an "In between" location for us all. My wife and I hadn't heard about it before nor had we read any reviews so all of our expectations were nuetral. All I can say is wow at the meals we recieved. The portions were huge, hot and the service was timely. Staff was friendly and accomadatiing. The atmosphere and lighting is bright and well maintained. As no surprise, the main cuisine here is seafood but the menu has something for everyone. If you don't like fish or seafood, try the burgers or ribs. Want something a bit more traditional? How about a Ribeye Steak? I had the Greek Grouper and have to say that it was one of the best fish dishes I've ever had. I found out after we ate there that they serve breakfast lunch and dinner. Getting in and out of the parking lot is easy and the property is well lighted at night. Would I go back? Can't wait. read more

Highly recommended for the value. I could not believe the prices compared to other seafood restaurants in the area. I knew it was a good find when I saw locals and seniors waiting in line. My only compliant was that while this is advertised as calabash style, the hush puppies did not fit the style. I was hoping for them to be larger, in the shape of a sphere, and contain a bit more flour relative to corn meal. Being from New England, it was remarkable to find how similar the interior felt to a costal crab and lobster shack up north. I will absolutely visit more regularly when I come to town and for those who enjoy club soda - it is complimentary here! read more

First time I ever came to this restaurant and was extremely impressed with the quality of the food and how good the service was. This was the best seafood restaurant I have ever been to in the Wilmington area. I highly recommend you visit this restaurant. read more

Welp! I can honestly say I have never had this kind of customer service at a restaurant. It was impeccable. Our waitress was warm, inviting, knowledgeable, and honest. She let us know which dishes were either satisfying or not so much. She was very personable and friendly. Her dinner suggestions were spot on, and both my guy and I were impressed, and our meals were filling and delicious. We were visiting from out of town, and this young lady made us feel like family! If you are in Wilmington and want some good food and amazing customer service, stop by and ask for Crystal. Stellar waitress with a smile that could melt the coldest heart. Ashley, thanks for stopping by our table. It was a joy to chat with you. Your kindness magnified our dining experience. Blessings and here' hoping your business is enlarged. read more

The food wasn't good, it was bland. We tried a few things on the menu. Tue spinach dip was hot cream cheese with just a bit of spinach. The service was good. read more

This was one of our favorite places but really let us down today. Hubs side salad arrived after complete meal was done so we boxed it up to go. Lemon requested to go with seafood arrived 20 minutes later. Food was decent but service was lacking and it wasn't a busy day. We'll try again and hope for better service next time. read more

Good food for reasonable prices and friendly environment with good servers. Large menu with many options both seafood and country staples plus they have a full bar with craft beer. read more

Good food, prices affordable. Clean establishment and staff very friendly. Will definitely go back.

UPDATE: I am updating my review to 4 stars due to the owner (Daniel) taking ownership of this issue and discussing my concerns with me in a professional and courteous manner. The others in my party enjoyed their meals and had no complaints. I learned that the non-deveined are not supposed to be served broiled. As the owner stated in his statement below this review. It is served plain and unseasoned unless you ask for it to be seasoned. I did not think to ask, and my server being new did not think to offer. I appreciate the owner taking he time to reach out and discuss this and explain everything. I will give Boathouse another chance and when I do I will update this review again.. Original: My family and I visited the Boathouse for dinner. This was the first time I had come to this restaurant for dinner. My previous experience was with breakfast about two years ago. The level of disappointment that I experienced was shocking given the reputation and location of the restaurant. There were many issues with the meal. The first issue was that the shrimp were served NOT deveined. Every seafood restaurant Deveins its shrimp. To not Devein it is absolutely disgusting. I am so happy I did not order the fried shrimp or else I never would've seen this. When I brought this to the attention of management, I was told that's just the way it is. The next issue I had was the crabcake. While it had a lot of crab meat in it, it did not taste or smell like crab. To verify this was not just an issue that was only occurring to me I passed it to the three other people at the table and everyone agreed it did not smell or taste like crab. The crabcake was extremely oily and had a weird smell. The next issue I had was with the scallops. While they were cooked they had no sear on them, were sitting in oily water with no flavor, there was no seasoning or salt or anything. The pasta salad tasted like pure oregano and really had no vinegar flavor, it was just like oily oregano. The only good thing with my meal was the okra. The only positive thing I have to say is that our server Jackie L. was very nice and attentive. She apologized and even appeared shocked at the shrimp. I do not plan on returning to this restaurant as I feel I wasted a great deal of money ($150 plus) taking my family out. The Wilmington market has plenty of other seafood restaurants that know how to prepare shrimp and scallops. The ONLY reason I am giving two stars is that some of my family members had acceptable meals. Their meals were NOT perfect but relatively acceptable. read more

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If I could rate your restaurant LOWER than a single star overall, I would. Unfortunately for your establishment, I cannot comment on the food, service, or atmosphere except to say that I didn't have an opportunity to experience any of them. A grieving family today, with reservations for lunch as a way to host guests after a funeral, was turned away simply because the family member who made the reservations did not answer a confirmatory call DURING the funeral service. Upon showing up at the restaurant, the "host" displayed a complete lack of empathy at what had transpired and how this family felt at being turned away. You had one job, Boathouse Restaurant.....to welcome and nurture a long-standing Wilmington family who was grieving a tremendous loss. Sadly, you blew it. I love catching people doing something right and I go out of my way to acknowledge and spotlight those times. Beware, that sword cuts both ways....owing to your complete lack of compassion and flexibility, I will tell anyone and everyone I know about this debacle. At some point, it WILL come back to haunt you in the way of lost revenue. read more

Darn good seafood in Wilmington, NC. The price to quantity ratio make it all worthwhile. We came around 2pm on a Sat during Memorial Day weekend. It was pretty busy but not so that we had to wait too long. It was only about a 15 min wait to be seated. They serve their lunch specials (til 4pm) on the weekends as well which was awesome. I thought the portions were gonna be small but they were very generous and came with 2 sides as well. Bang for your buck, check. We ordered: Shrimp platter lunch special - 12.99 Flounder platter lunch special - 12.99 Scallops platter lunch special - 14.99 Carribean chicken - 15.99 One perk of this place is that they serve complimentary hushpuppies with butter! How cool is that?! They were so good we had 2 baskets of them. Food was delicious. The fried platters were about what you could expect out of fried seafood. That being said I absolutely loved the scallops - they were big and juicy. I had a few bones in my flounder which I didn't mind too much - that just told me how it wasn't the packaged kind and must be fresh and fileted. I was expecting the shrimp to be the jumbo sized ones but these small ones tasted fine as well. Carribean chicken was nicely blackened and moist and the sauce was tangy, rich, and flavorful. The sides were alright - nothing to write home about. I did like the cukes tomatoes which was sliced cucumbers and tomatoes tossed in olive oil with seasoning. The fried squash was also another good one. Overall, great spot for seafood. I would come here again in a heartbeat if in the area. The price tag makes it very affordable especially the lunch specials and they give hefty portions enough to fill you up. Come on by for a visit! read more

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My mom visited me from wilmington. I wish I remembered who the server was it was around 12 pm my mom and step-dad ate there and the server was awesome. We were greeted at the don't door by management he was very welcoming so it was already off to a great start. My mom and I had the lunch fried oysters which were amazing My step dad had lunch fried shrimp. We were in a booth near the bar it was a younger blonde so I hope yall can figure out who she was and give her th credit she deserves. Also Dec 30th was the date read more

Don't be surprised that the Boathouse is not jammed packed with tourists. It's a little off the beaten path, as it were. But let me tell you their seafood is the absolute freshest and best. No other place compares. Their seafood platters are unbelievable. Large, fresh flounder, fried (or broiled) by a chef who has mastered the art of frying. The fried oysters are really something to enjoy. They use clean oil, very hot and the result is amazing. Don't take it to go because fried food is only fabulous when it comes straight to your table from the fryer. If you only eat seafood at one place at Wrightsville Beach/Wilmington, let this be the place. read more

I just want to say, I rate my restaurants according to expectations. I was looking for a casual, comfortable, friendly and decent priced meal after a long day of travel. It was clean and inviting, with a chalkboard to signal the specials. We sat in a cozy booth right away, the ambiance was comfortable and not too noisy. The extensive menu has something for everyone, and the first basket of hush puppies is on the house! The house made crab cake was delightful! Our server Katie (I think, cute braids) was super friendly, not overbearing, yet attentive and took good care of us! For the price, I would definitely go back again and recommend to anyone wanting to enjoy a casual, relaxing evening out! read more

Boathouse Restaurant - Salad with crab cake - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

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Friendly staff and the owner is always on hand. He is very friendly and cares about the food being served. I love their oyster poboy sandwich. read more

This restaurant is totally out of control no management. Nobody ever seen the quality of the food and it sucks. Please don't waste your money. If you do get a good meal, you have to listen to the kitchen's political advice all the way to the front door. And the cooks make you what they Would like to and not how you want it. Dont think of soft bacon...well done and baked...lol.. .3 strips of it 3.99....Please everyone, tell this man to improve his management before its toooo late. No stars from me...........!!!,¡!!!!!¡!!!¡!!!Breakfast Special. I'm done finished. Never get any of my money again. read more

Grouper and fish platter was so yummy! Great portions for $18.99!! We stopped in here off a Google recommendation and so glad we did. The mahi mahi tacos we got as an appetizer and so tasty! The free hush puppies were tasty, too! Definitely recommend! The service from Victoria was outstanding. Very friendly, kind, and an amazing server! read more

Boathouse Restaurant - Mahi mahi tacos - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

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WHAT A GREAT PLACE! it is december 2024 and we now have few good restaurants in this town. we used to have a lot just 10 years ago. we go to the Boathouse regularly for lunch. you can get a generous meal for only $12.95. totally fresh NC seafood, lots of sides, 10 oz fish entrees all for $12.95. the waitresses are really southern friendly. you just can't lose here. and if you don't like seafood, they have other choices. right next to wrightsville beach. read more

Lovely location. Drinks are ok. Food is not special. Service is rude. Regardless of how few tables are available, and that staff is not busy, there is no concern for customers. read more

Love breakfast menu! Service is prompt. Family friendly Casual atmosphere! Can handle groups! read more

Very Disappointed in the food!!! The catfish was nasty! The butter that the waitress brought out was old and had a funky smell to it, the shrimp quality was in comparison to a cheap frozen shrimp in your local grocery store. The brown gravy was overpowering, and not mixed right. Please avoid this restaurant!! The server was rude and smelt like she had just smoked a cigarette before she delivered our food. read more

I had heard good things about this restaurant and had the opportunity to eat there on Friday 10/20/2023. Trying to be healthy and influenced by the meal picture on thier website I chose the grouper. Trying to stay healthy I went for the blackened grouper. When the meal came I was underwhelmed by the portions on the plate. I had a healthy helping of cole slow, a few frys and two tiny pieces of grouper that could have not weighed more than 3 ounces total if I were to estimate generously. Quite frankly, the plate looked very sparse with the cole slaw dominating the plate. I didn't complain immediately as it was a birthday for one in our party and I didn't want to tarnish the evening. I should have taken a picture but did not. During the payment interval we complained to the waitress and ended speaking to a manager. Initially, he offered a free desert which we declined and he commented that well you've already paid so all he could do was apologize. I felt the management response was quite lame, there were other things he could have done like redo the transaction or offer a voucher but these alternatives were not offered. Overall, due to the portion of the meal and weak management response, I won't be visiting this restaurant again. read more

We walked in for breakfast, and we were taken a back by a distinctive musty and sour smell. I believe the smell comes from using dirty mops. Our service was excellent. The two-egg breakfast with potatoes, and turkey sausage patties was okay. I would give them one additional with better quality utensils, and replacing the privacy shield in the men's restroom. read more

The service was very good. A mostly young, female staff, presumably college students enrolled at UNCW? They were all hard working, friendly and engaged, how refreshing. The atmosphere was pretty plain but everything was tidy and clean. I ordered the calabash style fried flounder, shrimp and scallops, which is apparently one of their specialties. It was pretty standard fare, I will say the scallops were a bit chewy and gritty, may have just been a bad batch. I would go back for the service alone, I would probably change my food choice, but would definitely go back. read more

Boathouse Restaurant - Calabash style flounder, shrimp and scallops with a side of black eye peas and fresh steamed broccoli. - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

Tried to order takeout on their website. Everything was fine till you got to the end and there was no opportunity to "place an order". So living only 3-4 minutes from the restaurant I called to place our order. The gal who answered the phone immediately said "can I put you on a "brief" hold and put me on hold before I could respond. I waited on hold for ten minutes before getting in my vehicle and driving over there....still holding on the phone. When I arrived I showed the gal my phone and how much time had elapsed since being place on a "brief" hold. When I implied that they forgot I was on hold, they simply held up there phone and said I apologize. Very disturbing experience....won't be going back. read more

Mushy shrimp with no flavor. Still had the poop. Very unseasoned. Not a fan. Corn also was very plain.