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Cape Fear

4.4 (288 reviews)
Closed 11:00 am - 9:00 pm

Order Cape Fear Takeout or Delivery

Cape Fear Photos

Business Info

CAPE FEAR ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Casual
Dogs allowed
Outdoor seating

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Recommended Reviews - Cape Fear

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Reviews With Photos

Tina L.

My partner and I shared a nice New Years meal here. First off, I want to point out that the service was great, and the restaurant has a lovely and fun atmosphere. However, I think the food was a bit underwhelming. I got the saltimbocca while my partner got the broiled seafood platter, and we shared crab legs. The crab legs were pretty good.. I think crab legs are overpriced in general, but I was craving them for a while, and the price here was fair. I wish there was some way to keep the meat hot throughout xD I actually loved everything about the saltimbocca except the fish. lol. It was pretty overcooked, and I honestly forgot it had prosciutto until I looked at other reviews post meal. I think the broiled seafood platter had potential. The scallops were cooked perfectly, but the other seafood was lacking a bit of flavor. We also agreed that the asparagus was undercooked. I think the best prepared part of our meal was actually the hush puppies. Was just passing through Wilmington, so probably won't get a chance to come back. However, the hush puppies were so well fried, I wish we had ordered some fried seafood instead.

Cape Fear Shrimp and Grits
Robert J.

Had an awesome dinner with friends while visiting Leland. It was on a Friday night around 7 PM and the wait was about 30 minutes. The restaurant is very clean and cozy. There was ample parking and the ambiance was of a higher end restaurant. The service was good. Food came out quickly. Our waitress was friendly and prompt. She kept water glasses full and checked on us frequently. She made recommendations and seemed knowledgeable about the menu. The food was absolutely delicious. While they have a small beer menu, the selections are good. We ordered some calamari with marinara sauce. The sauce was one of the best I have had and had a sweetness to it. We also ordered hush puppies. They were very hot and crispy outside with a tender and tasty inside. For dinner I had the Lemon Pepper Scallops. They were perfectly cooked with just a slight blackened seasoning and a lemon butter sauce. The risotto cakes were good but not as good as the creamy risotto my wife had. My wife and I also split the Pot au Chocolat which was very tasty but thick and rich. It could have been split among all four of us as a bite or two was all that was needed. A side note.. the waitress mentioned their shrimp and grits were rated top 5 in NC. Our friend tried them and was not disappointed. He said they were the best he has had.

Menu cover
Jeremy T.

I visited this small chain in NC during a recent work trip. Their main menu has a lot of good options. They also have a seasonal menu with food and drink choices. During my visit, they had 3 fresh catches: salmon, mahi and swordfish. I ended up ordering the grilled swordfish with asparagus and green beans. It wasn't exactly cheap. For starters, they give you French bread at the beginning, which is a small section of a loaf. Their loaf has a much smaller diameter than French bread served in seafood restaurants back in Louisiana or Texas, for reference. The rest of our table ordered the fried dishes and a grilled Mahi. Everyone pretty much cleaned their plates so it seems everyone enjoyed their food. I didn't notice gumbo on the soup menu, but then again, NC isn't exactly the south. Their dessert menu, which was tempting, had 2 choices for chocolate lovers. My clients say they have several locations in NC, 3 of which are in the Wilmington area.

Classic Caesar

I've tried this place three times now and I'm still not impressed with the food. The salad was heavy on the dressing. The "comeback" sauce on the sandwich was weird and didn't actually come on the sandwich or on the plate, I had to ask for it. The fries had some seasoning on it. The drink was amazingggg. I would go back for drinks and desert but entree wise I've given up.

This appetizer with risotto was amazing
Sue R.

Service was great! Food was very tasty, fresh and well prepared! If you are in the area you must give this place a visit you won't be disappointed

Apple cider margarita

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2 months ago

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10 days ago

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18 days ago

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13 days ago

We love this place! Just moved to the area and love the food and attentive service. Shayna the bartender is fast and friendly!!

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9 months ago

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3 months ago

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3 years ago

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4 months ago

Their tacos were the best ive had in a long time. Everybody was friendly and made feel welcomed. Establishment is clean.

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10 months ago

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4 months ago

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4 months ago

I came in and was informed they let go of my favorite waitress! Laura was amazing!! So unfortunate for you all.

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8 months ago

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8 months ago

Always great food and service! Love the shrimp and grits! Our go-to restaurant in Leland.

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2 years ago

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1 year ago

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1 year ago

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6 months ago

Great meal on a weekday night, terrific midweek specials for $80.00 for a two for one meal with wine one appetizer, entrees & dessert!?

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11 months ago

Great menu, perfectly cooked and seasoned seafood. Service was great as well. Specials are always fresh.

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2 years ago

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Page 1 of 8

Ask the Community - Cape Fear

Do we need a reservation for the bar?

Folks seemed to just walk in and go right to the bar. Seems to get crowded. Just like most places, depends on time of day.

Seating by reservation only?

Seating by reservation is what's best. If it's pretty packed you have to wait a while to be seated. The first time I went I had to wait about 30 minutes due to the people who had reservations.

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What a fantastic evening at Dram Yard…read more We were a little concerned we might miss our 5:30 reservation after getting delayed by a seven-car accident on the bridge, but we arrived just a couple of minutes late and it wasn't an issue at all. From the moment we arrived, the experience was relaxed, welcoming, and exactly what we needed. We chose to sit in the beautiful courtyard, and with temperatures in the 70s, sunshine overhead, and a gentle breeze, it couldn't have been a more perfect setting. The outdoor gazebo bar creates a wonderful atmosphere for enjoying a cocktail before dinner, and if the weather isn't cooperating, the indoor dining space is equally inviting. A special thank you to Sarah, whose service was outstanding. She was cheerful, attentive, and genuinely seemed happy to be there. The restaurant wasn't crowded, which made for a peaceful and unhurried dining experience. For drinks, I ordered the Ghost Town, while my wife enjoyed the Venus Flytrap. Both were beautifully prepared and easy to see why they're among the restaurant's popular cocktails. The food was equally impressive. I had the Spaghetti Carbonara, and it was exceptional. The kitchen even accommodated my request for extra freshly cracked black pepper, which took an already excellent dish to another level. My wife ordered the Little Gem Salad with shrimp, and it was fresh, flavorful, and perfectly prepared. We also shared the Tuna Tartare Tostada, which was outstanding--beautiful presentation, fresh tuna, and a great balance of textures and flavors. Adding to the experience was a bottle of Albariño that paired wonderfully with the meal. What stands out most about Dram Yard is its atmosphere. It's the kind of place where you can settle in, slow down, enjoy a handcrafted cocktail, and forget about the stresses of the day. Whether you're looking for a date night, an evening with friends, or simply a quiet place to relax, Dram Yard delivers. Excellent service, creative cocktails, outstanding food, and one of the most relaxing outdoor dining spaces in Wilmington. We'll definitely be back.

This was the 3rd time we've been here. The first two times we did not make it to the table because…read moreof the service. They generally do not care about the customer at all. The star of the show is definitely the food. The chef is super proud of his food, and he should be. The only reason I'm giving this a 4 on food instead of a 5 is because there was no iced tea (in the summer in the carolinas - not really forgivable) the water was nasty and the biscuits on my Benedict were towards the burnt side on the bottom. Honestly, everything otherwise was amazing. What was really great: The restaurant itself is AMAZING! It's like being transported to a Parisian cafe. I love that when you walk in, you immediately see the fully in view kitchen. I'm assuming a chef owns the restaurant and designed the layout. The patio is quaint and delightful and surprisingly private for a downtown sidewalk restaurant. The eggs on my Eggs Benedict could not have been more perfect. I'm not a fried potato person; however, the pan fried potatoes here are mostly whole and they are out of this world. They were exceedingly crispy on the outside and completely soft on the inside. My son ordered the dutch baby. It was delicious. The accompanied fruit was perfect and truly ripe. I feel like they would have to toss a lot of fruit to get the ones that were truly that perfect. What did not work: The water - it was about 85 degrees out and humid. There is nothing here refreshing. Water is served European style meaning no ice and out of the tap. Warm tap water on a hot day in South Carolina is just nasty. It's ironic that while Europeans visiting the US for the World Cup are posting social media reels raving about ice in drinks in the United States, meanwhile The Dram Yard is insisting on pulling all of the worst parts of eating out in Europe into their restaurant. I truly dislike restaurants that serve canned and bottled beverages. It screams, "nickel and dime". If you bought your cans of soda at Costco and charged $4.00 for a can, I'd have to drink 9 cans before you're losing money. There is literally no reason to limit beverages other than driving higher profits. I hate price gouging. At the very least get a fountain and serve iced tea. SERVICE - the service staff simply makes you feel like they're doing you a favor by being open. Don't expect anything after that. When we arrived, the restaurant was at about 25% capacity with 2 food servers, who also double as the hostess. After waiting 10 minutes to be seated (yes...even at 25% capacity), service truly went downhill from there. It wasn't that the staff was rude. They were just not present and extremely slow. It honestly seemed like they were doing everything they could to not be seen. We needed salt, a refill of the water carafe and our check. That was it. The staff would come to our part of the dining room but then not even glance around or come by to see if we needed anything. I'm giving them a 2 because they were exceedingly slow and not present. When we did chase them down, I felt rude asking for help. The chef delivered our food. He was very proud and should be. However, here's the rub. The chef needs to learn that being in the restaurant business is not only about creating great food. It also requires front of house service and an overall dining experience that people are happy with. Right now, I'm walking away feeling: 1. great food and great atmosphere 2. terrible service 3. nickle and dimed me on drinks 4. doesn't have the sense to serve iced tea in the Caronlinas So - as much as I loved the food - there are too many restaurants in Wilmington that are good enough to overcome 2, 3 and 4 above. The Dram could be fixed so easily: 1. hire servers who want to be there and smile a little 2. put ice in your water 3. serve iced tea - at least in the summer months 4. get a soda fountain - it's 2026 Unfortunately, we won't be back because there are simply other options that, at the very least, hit 1, 2 and 3 with good food.

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Dram Yard - After (Shrimp and Grits)

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I have been here 4 times now and I want to keep coming back! The food is amazing and I have never…read moreonce gotten any food item that I did not enjoy. Everything seems to be as locally sourced as possible. This is a higher end restaurant so not really a place to bring your kids or make menu changes (which is frowned upon in high end dining anyways). The service is top tier! These servers really know what they are doing and I've even watched them handle unhappy customers with outstanding service as well (remember they're people too and if someone talked to me the way I have seen them get treated I'd be in jail). The building and ambiance is magical, very high end and I just feel special and high class when I eat there!

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Where is the button for a sixth star on this review??? OMG - good! We couldn't decide on what to…read moreorder so we made our own sampler and I am still thinking about how good the food was the next morning. The Cajun penne pasta had a slight kick- mostly more for flavor than for heat. The calamari was perfectly crispy paired with a delicious tomato based sauce. The ahi tuna was sliced to perfection and tasted same-day fresh. The bread and butter even was delicious, was that cinnamon sugar in it? Yum! The truffle mac and cheese and the brussel sprouts were our standout favorite sides, both had a punch of flavor and were perfectly prepared. The crab cake had an interesting sauce flavor profile, almost like pickles, definitely unique and added a lot of interest to the dish. I also ordered the hibiscus spritz mocktail which was light and fresh, perfect for a hot summer evening. Our server was prompt and friendly, she anticipated needs like refills and informed us on the off menu specials. The view of the river is why we picked this place, but the food will have us coming back again and again!

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River 128 Restaurant - Patio seating

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Cape Fear - seafood - Updated July 2026

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