This place was great. Hands down. The southern decor on the inside, excellent service, and delicious food. I see why there is always a wait. It's a gem! Best shrimp and grits I have ever had. The only negative is the waffles. Too thin for my taste but the chicken was well seasoned and delicious. Prices are fair and the quality and quantity of food is just lovely. read more

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Much improved from our last visit. We learned from that visit, and didn't come on a Monday or close to closing time. The execution was notably better on this trip. This was Wednesday 6/5/2024 about noon. The pastrami on rye was very good; a bit over-buttered but otherwise well-cooked. The sauerkraut was different than the canned stuff and very tasty. At $17 it's not cheap, but it's big enough for two to share. I asked for the potato side extra crispy, and while they were very brown they were not at all crispy. We took those home and crisped them up in a frying pan - they were very good then. I don't know why this is so hard to get right. We also had the hot honey chicken sandwich, which was perfectly fried but not noticeably seasoned. Had it not said hot honey on the menu, I would have guessed there was just a pinch of cayenne in the breading. If you want something spicy you would have to add hot sauce, but if you don't you're safe with this. The sandwich is large and about $16, but shareable if you're not a ravenous teenager. The side of pickles was a little unusual (limp, instead of crisp) but tasty. We had a traditional and a blood-orange mimosa; skip these. They were not as bad as our last visit, but we make far better at home with $10 bubbly. All-in-all, the potential is there but CIK is still overpriced and under-good. We make a habit of re-trying a restaurant every year or two, so we'll be back at some point, but we're not in a hurry. Service was very good, and while the ambiance is basic, the outdoor table we ate at was scrupulously clean. The operation was running efficiently on this visit. read more

14.00 breakfast Eggs w cheese cheese put on top of cold eggs Bacon asked for crispy??? Biscuit cold GRITS GREAT! 1 FOR 5! read more

Love this restaurant Not only was the food perfect our server Lindsey was so great!! Definitely will be back to try everything on this menu! Our entrees were perfectly seasoned read more

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Very unassuming given its location, but don't be fooled and judge by the cover right? Great food, definitely worth the wait. The staff was very nice. Extra parking in the back. read more

My husband and I were traveling out of town and stopped by this place for breakfast! They were doing outdoor seating mostly, all socially distanced and everyone was wearing a mask. Overall our food was pretty good. We really enjoyed the chicken and the granola that came with our meal. The waffles were okay, nothing special. I do wish they would've been thicker and more fluffy. Our waiter wasn't very attentive to us, we had to get up and find him or to get his attention to get anything. Otherwise a really nice place overall read more

Cast Iron Kitchen - Chicken & Waffles - Southern Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

This place has the best grits that I have ever eaten in my entire life. They are damn good grits. Even my boyfriend loved them and he hates grits!! Whaaaaat?! We ate here on the last day of our little vacation with my parents and brother. The restaurant is super cute, it's located in a strip mall, and I loved that Guy Fieri ate here on DDD. My parents both ordered the biscuits and gravy (the portion is huge), my boyfriend had eggs, bacon, home fries and an English muffin, my brother had the veggie omelet with home fries and rye toast and I had the shrimp chorizo omelet (I substituted turkey sausage for the chorizo-it gives me the heartburn), and I had grits and a biscuit. Let me tell you about these grits!! They are hearty, creamy and peppery. They have fantastic flavors!! You must order them!! The biscuits are light and buttery, the portions are very generous, the coffee is delicious (no sock water here!) and the waitstaff is super friendly. We all loved our food. You gotta try this place! I can't wait to come back! read more

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Always quality. Some of the best fried chicken in Wilmington.................................................................---------------------- read more

This place is awesome. Big portions, creative dishes, and wonderful service. Last time I was there I got the BELT (bacon, egg, lettuce, tomato) on sourdough and it was EPIC. I could hardly finish this huge sandwich. The Dirty South bowl is great too. This is a must stop for creative southern style cookin' on the north side of Wilmington! read more

Too shelf food every time we visit. Their biscuits are HUGE! It has become a regular stop on our way to Wilmington. Six stars!

Go there all the time delicious food service is fast and the ambience is local beach-y

Before we talk about their insanely great food, the decor and service; the vibe is excellent. Peaceful and relaxing. It's just a cool place you'd never expect to see there! Peaceful yet fun and inviting. The staff is so consistently excellent and welcoming you feel like you're at your grandma's house if your grandma could really really cook! The food? It's so incredibly good! Delicious and comforting, it's also kind of cool. Trendy without being weird, the food leaves you full but not the sick kind of full. This is the 'I'd eat more if I physically could it's THAT good!' The staff and crew from my the owners to the kitchen staff are all welcoming and kind. My food arrived hot and steaming delivered by a person who cares to deliver excellent food and service. read more

Just moved here and came to try this place out for breakfast and it was amazing. Great country ham and made from scratch biscuits that were to die for. Was slower to start but then filled up quickly. I would highly recommend anyone stopping through or here that hasn't come to this place to definitely try it out soon. read more

Cast Iron Kitchen - Southern Breakfast - Southern Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

This place never ceases to amaze me! The food is always a notch above the competition...if they have competition!! Honestly it's that good, but expect a wait.... it's worth it....enjoy read more

Cast Iron Kitchen - Stuffed omelette - Southern Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

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Stopped here to try it after watching an episode of DDD. I had the Guy Fieri recommendation Dirty South. It's a biscuit with a fried chicken breast, bacon, fried egg and smothered in gravy. It was delicious and definitely Southern comfort dish. A large portion which I managed to eat 90%. FYI , I skipped lunch. Staff was friendly and attentive. Go hungry read more

Cast Iron Kitchen - Dirty South - Southern Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

I want to start by saying I've eaten at this restaurant about 20 times and have, for the most part, been pretty happy. That being said, they must be under new management because things have definitely gone downhill. I will NEVER go back there again! I ordered the biscuits and gravy with "supposedly" two patties of sausage in the gravy. In fact, as my 4 employees I took there today can attest, I even ASKED "how much sausage would you say is in this?". She said, and I quote, "about two patties". "Perfect", I said. When the food came out I saw two biscuits and gravy... but no "lumps" of sausage at all. I even ran my fork through it looking for sausage. None! Zippo! Nada! I took two bites to see if it was "pureed" into the gravy... but nothing. When the girl finally came back I asked her about the sausage and that I'd like a "side of two patties of sausage" and since the biscuits and gravy were "frozen cold" after waiting such a long time... I told her to take it back and take it off the bill. Let's just say, "Her glowing 'tude shown forth." When the bill came... you guessed it! The Biscuits and gravy were still on the bill, so I took it up to the manager and told her the story. She took the bill, took off the sausage that I ate and not the main entre order I refused to eat and came back. When I said, "You got it backward. I sent the biscuits and gravy back and I ATE the sausage patties. You took the wrong thing off the bill." She proceeds to tell me that I ate most of it! WHAT?!! God as my witness, I said, "I may have eaten two to three bites tops and my people can confirm that." Then the manager gave me that "attitude look" too. I had liked this place, but I'll never go back. "Incompetence" is something I do not tolerate. How stupid do you have to be to lose a customer who has taken many groups of people there over the years... over a lousy ten bucks? Pretty doggone stupid! I am normally a very generous tipper (more than 20% each time), but I left this pathetic excuse for a waitress $10... when I normally would have left $20+. Buyer beware... and IF your order is NOT what you ordered I'd suggest going ahead and asking for the manager. Otherwise... well, you'll get what I got today. read more

Definitely worth a visit. Have been here twice and both times the food was delicious. Gets busy in the summertime so don't be surprised if you have to wait a minute. Par for the course in Wilmington during the season read more

This was the fat, heavy, rich southern breakfast of my dreams! I loved everything we had - cheese grits with pork cracklins, shrimp and grits, and biscuits and gravy with fried chicken in it. Everything was so delicious! I was worried the food would be greasy and salty, but it was just right and even the fried and creamy things didn't feel gross. I loved the pork cracklins too because they seemed so fresh and sizzled when dipped in the grits. Oh also had a delicious Bloody Mary full of spices. Our server was really awesome and helpful and there was a longer wait since it was the weekend, but space wasn't cramped and service was fast, food was hot. I love this place and will definitely come back when I'm in the area! read more

Saturday 1300 Cast Iron Kitchen is a delightful restaurant located on the side of the road in a small lot full of other shops. It is possible the parking could get tricky but we didn't have any issues. Primarily, boyfriend and I wanted brunch and Cast Iron Kitchen fit the bill. The decor was tasteful and casual and our server was so sweet. + Bloody Mary: Normally $8; it was the special for today and was $6. My first glass wasn't quite at the spicy level I was looking for, but our server generously made my drink with much more horseradish and tabasco. It was spicy and I loved it! - Irish coffee: A ok. + Dirty South biscuits: Phenomenal sauce! The sauce was cheesy and seasoned just right. + Corned beef hash: Also a very delicious dish. I was expecting the corned beef hash to look like canned corned beef hash but it was actual meat. No military discount. Fast wifi. Loved our food (especially the Dirty South biscuits), would come back again for the rest of the menu! Ps. We tried to come back on a Sunday morning (11am) and the wait was an hour! We went elsewhere. read more

Cast Iron Kitchen - Southern Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

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What an adorable place. Sweet old fashioned kitchen country style with an Ambiance of "welcome". The food is amazing. You can tell it's fresh, 24/7... nothing is set to the side and waiting for hours it's cooked upon demand. Yes, the wait time to get into this amazing restaurant can be a little lengthy but it's so worth the wait. We left so stuffed, that we could not taste their Savory dessert menu. We certainly will be back to this amazing Eatery. Who ever is running/owners, this eatery is intelligent, creative and an enigma!! You're spot on people!! Kudos to you! read more

Cast Iron Kitchen - Ribs are juicy and tasty. The best ever!!! - Southern Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

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Come here for brunch! Highly recommend. The biscuits and gravy are the absolute best. They also have some top award winning dishes which all sounded and looked amazing. Service was good, atmosphere was fun, would come back again. read more

Cast Iron Kitchen - Biscuits and Gravy - Southern Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

Loved this place! You can call ahead to get in line so you can wait at home. Service was great and the food was even better. I'll definitely be visiting this place every time I come to Wilmington. read more

Cast Iron Kitchen - Specials menu - Southern Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

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Last full day of Vacay needs a Bahama Mama mimosa and spicy Bloody Mary! Discovered this fabulous place on last years vacay and had to make a return visit on our trip this year!! Still worth the wait! Don't pass this place by when you are in the area! read more

Cast Iron Kitchen - Last full day of Vacay needs a Bahama Mama mimosa and spicy Bloody Mary! - Southern Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

Great food and great service !!! Wonderful breakfast and brunch !! Bloody Mary's are great too !

Great food, great service, friendly staff. They go over & beyond to ensure quality comes out their kitchen. The pancakes are DELICIOUS. Word of advice.. the specials cannot be changed so don't even ask. Why would you want to ruin a gastronomical delight anyway?? read more

Delicious food. Hometown feel. Hope it stays the same forever! Would recommend to anyone

On vacation at Topsail Island and decided tip make the drive to try the food here. I was not disappointed, one the best meals of pr vacation! I had the dirty biscuits and gravey, my wife had a breakfast sandwich and some of the kids head the Sour Mill pancakes. Everything was very, very tasty. The portion sizes were very generous. None of us walked away hungry. I highly recommend a visit to this Wilmington gem!!! read more

Cast Iron Kitchen - Southern Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

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First visit, brunch. Fairly busy, service was fine. Food was fine. Worth a second try.

More than we could ask for as our last meal in Wilmington. My boyfriend and I started with the BBQ chips with blue cheese dip and that was AMAZING...the dip was made up of chunky blue cheese, bacon, and scallions. For breakfast, I ordered the shrimp & chorizo omelette (no picture ) and that was delicious. My boyfriend ordered the dirty south biscuit (see picture) and he couldn't stop talking about how delicious it was. Our waiter, Dan, was super attentive and hospitable. They don't serve iced coffee, which is my go-to, but Dan made me a hot brewed coffee mocha that went well with breakfast. read more

Cast Iron Kitchen - Dirty south biscuit - Southern Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

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Finally dined here with family before they left Wilmington today. We arrived shortly after opening and found parking right in front. The host seated our party of six right away. The outside strip mall appearance is deceiving as the inside is very well decorated and gives the impression of a stand alone structure. Drink and food orders were taken by a very pleasant server. She smiled every time words were exchanged. The restaurant was clean and the wonderful aromas coming from the kitchen just amplified our hunger pains. Chorizo & shrimp omelette, House made hash, dirty south biscuit, chicken & waffles, and everything that landed on our table was good. The portions are proportional to the value. Very pleasant experience for our first visit. The bourbon maple syrup on the chicken & waffles was probably prepared with unicorn blood as it was a magical flavor to remember. Give this place a try. read more

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Came to the restraunt because it is a guy fieri reviewed restraunt. This place was packed. We were stuck in a 45 min waitlist at like 1pm for brunch. It was a very cute place. We ordered pork rinds and pimento grits as an app, for my first time having pork rinds it was pretty good! My bf had the egg gravy biscuit, it was pretty impressive, so good. I had the chorizo and shrimp omelet which sounds sooo good on the menu but... it was one of those omelets where the egg is kinda burnt, the cheese is not melted and the first bite just makes everything fall out. Not good. I would not suggest ordering that, and that omelet had ruined omelets for me. I would go back and try other things though, it wasn't bad in any means, just wish that omelet were a lol more melty read more

Cast Iron Kitchen - Southern Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

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Ohhhh, my goodness y'all they have the Absolute Best Breakfast in Wilmington ... Service was Great and Extremely Timely I Highly Recommend Y'all read more

Love Cast Iron! Great menu with interesting dishes, atmosphere is homey and welcoming. Really enjoy dining there.

Every time I visit my daughter from california I have to eat here . Love it highly recommended.bloody Mary's are GREAT!! Along with the food read more

Cast Iron Kitchen - Dirty south biscuit. - Southern Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

Finally, I had the opportunity to attend one of Chef Josh Petty's pop up dinners and boy what a dinner it was. I added pics of the courses and the menus. The theme was Pig and Beer, so it had to be good but he brought it to the next level of greatness. The craft brew was provided by Edward Teach and the pork was provided by David of Changin' Ways LLC. Some of the best beer and pig in North Carolina. If you have the opportunity to attend one of Josh's dinners, I guarantee you will thoroughly enjoy it. read more

Great original breakfast choices. Guy Ferrari stopped by for an episode of Diners, drive-thrus and dives putting them on the map. Closes at 2 or 3. read more

We ate here Sunday morning. We waited over an hour outside the restaurant like hungry hogs waiting to be fed. Never again. One and done. The food was fine. The homemade corned beef hash was a salt lick. The country ham was another salt lick. My over easy eggs were so underdone the egg white was still transparent. I may be still miffed at that hour wait, but sorry.... the food wasn't worth my hour. read more

This was the the best! large servings and great flavor! Nice find definitely worth the visit!!

We arrived at 7:15 dreaming of walking in to order a wonderful breakfast. We had to wait 15 minutes until the opened. So worth the wait. Fluffy biscuits filled with gravy, bacon, fried chicken and a fried egg. The Dirty Chicken with a side of home fries did not disappoint. Sweet tea in a mason jar. Yummy and affordable breakfast. I did notice that the restaurant had a separate area where you could carry out items like chicken salad and pimento cheese. I think this would be a bi-monthly or monthly stop for me if I lived locally. Our waiter was very friendly and told us that he was actually on the episode of Diners Drive-Ins and Dives that brought us to this restaurant. Looking forward to a return to this clean and appropriately decorated establishment. read more

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The Grandma's Club went there and they were able to accommodate 13 of us and it was delightful! The staff was very friendly, patient, and helpful. The food was amazing!! Will definitely be going there again! The ambiance was cozy. read more