Had reservations for 2 on Friday night. We sat at the bar, Ricky was knowledgeable and friendly. We had local oysters on the half shell, tuna & grouper for dinner, it was all amazingly good. We finished the meal with two desserts, in house made banana ice cream and a white chocolate creme brûlée. The music & vibe were cool, so worth the trip, we'll be back soon read more

Catch Restaurant - Grouper - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

The BEST 2 lb lobster I have EVER had! (& I've been around awhile, & worked at the best seafood restaurant in Cleveland, Charley's Crab, in its heyday) It is so refreshing to get a salad that didn't come out of a bag. No bread; supplier went out of business, I was told. I only wish they weren't out of the fresh coconut cake @ 6PM. The chocolate lava bundt cake was not as special, except for the whipped cream topping & golden berry garnish. read more

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Had a great dinneR last night. I had grouper special and my wife had Mahi special. Both were spectacular. The portions were adequately sized and presentation was excellent. While fish was prepared differently, they were cooked to perfection. Loved the calamari app. A nice crisp crust with a tender squid morsel. A lot of great wine by the glass. Dinner took about 90 minutes, but service eAs spaced to allow for a relaxing evening. In a town of great restaurants, Catch is right up at the top. read more

We enjoyed our dinner so much we are already planning on when we can go back!! The night started out with the Brussels sprouts and a Caesar salad that were not only beautifully presented, they tasted divine. The apps servings are plenty for 2 and 2 apps are easily shared by 4 people. We had fire cracker shrimp that was tender and tangy. The sauce on it was so bright it really brought the dish together. Again, really pleasing to the eye and plenty for 4 people to have a taste. The colorful ceviche was fresh and served with chips. The plate of muscles is huge and served with toast rounds to dunk in the robust sauce. So much flavor in all the dishes it is really hard to describe. We had ribs with shrimp, sweet potato brule and collard greens, great little sides take you on a wonderful flavor journey. Swordfish with mashed potatoes and salmon with rice were also dishes our party devoured. We came here to celebrate a milestone birthday and the sticky bun layer cake did not disappoint!! I can not recommend this spot enough. Chef Rhodes is a Top Chef season 9 alum as well as a James Beard award winning chef. The service is above and beyond and the staff speaks so highly of Chef when they talk about his cooking style, they are smiles from ear to ear. It was truly the best dining experience we have had in years. read more

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I went to Catch for the first time tonight and it did not disappoint! First of all the staff was fantastic! Our server was super friendly and extremely accommodating. I have celiac and he made sure to let the kitchen staff know. Second of all the food was delicious!!! From the appetizer to the dessert!!! I had the amazing crispy brussel sprouts, mussels and scallops over a sweet potato mash with a coconut curry sauce and CBD ice cream. I highly recommend checking out Catch! I know I will be going back for sure!!! read more

The service and food at Catch is spectacular. I brought a group here for a special celebration, and they went above and beyond for us. Everything was delicious and I thought the prices, especially the wine list, were incredibly reasonable. There are many excellent restaurants in Wilmington, but we will definitely be back to Catch soon. read more

All the food is amazing but the oyster apps should be illegal they are so good. Really great restaurant, great chef, wish I still lived in Wilmington. Definitely a must if your anywhere nearby. read more

This establishment's customer service is terrible with the owner being overtly rude and unprofessional. Instead of stating, "I'm sorry you weren't able to dine with us but if you make a reservation we will be happy for you to try our delicious variety of seafood options." He responds with (typos included) "You have no idea what your talking about. You obviously are not in the restaurant business and have no real insight to how one operates. We don't need negative vibes. Stay up and bake a reservation like 99% of our other guest. Walk-in seats are a crap shoot. Do yourself a favor, make a reservation and taste what your missing. "Mic drop". In addition, to the subpar way the owner talks to a customer the food is overpriced for the lack of ambiance. read more

Excellent, outstanding, delicious. This is one of those places where if you don't like the food, it's probably you. Lol! The owners are wonderful, the staff is lovely, and dining here will rate among the best culinary experiences you can have in Wilmington and North Carolina. read more

Nice looking and romantic restaurant setting. My girlfriend and I went for our anniversary dinner and had a lovely experience. We were treated well by the servers and the service was quick. We both enjoyed the sweet potato salad and sautéed peppers special along with the shrimp bisque soup. We split a half dozen local oysters and were pleased with them. We ordered the crab cakes and salmon entrees and enjoyed both very much. Since it was our anniversary they surprised us with a chocolate cake anniversary dessert and we also ordered the key lime pie. Which were both very delicious. Everything was fresh,flavorful and delicious. We didn't like that the utensils were exposed and sticking to the table and the linen I had was stained. The prices are on the high side. The crab cakes were $48 and the total for the meal was $170 without tip. We weren't charged for the anniversary dessert. We will be back. read more

The only reason we will go back is because we have a remaining balance on a giftcard. Let me start by saying we reserved a table for two at 5:30pm because we thought that would be plenty of time to get in and out before a 7:30 show. Upon entering the restaurant we noticed no less than six wait staff. All seemed busy but 15 minutes later we were still waiting on drinks. After sending back two flat club sodas we finally received bread. Twenty minutes in we received our oysters on the half shell. The oysters were delicious but we could have done without the grit and cracked shells in the oysters. After waiting 45 minutes dinner finally arrived. Oh, I failed to mention there were only 4 other tables there so who knows what they were doing in the back? The ribs were dry. My dish, the grouper was tasty. It was 7pm, we needed to pay the bill. We had a gift card that had $200 on it. They couldn't run the card. I finally got up and asked the manager what was happening. He said "she's taking care of it in the back" and turned his back on me. Great customer service! The waitress then came out and said it wasn't working. Luckily I had the receipt so they couldn't argue with me. He, the manager, said "your card is defective." I told him the entire evening had been defective and asked for a comment card. He then handed me the chefs business card. Very helpful...not. Service- horrible Wait time- horrible Food- mediocre Cost- Pricey and not worth it Too bad this Chef doesn't have good management or good time management front of house or in his kitchen. Very, very disappointing. read more

Food was ok. Ordered the mahi...the fish tasted similar to a fish stick, not a lot of flavor. The plantains where good. The appetizer shrimp was the best part of the meal. Ordered the lobster with caviar, it wasn't bad but it wasn't an experience that makes me excited to come back. Restaurant decor was nice. The service was good. read more

The quality of the food here is excellent. I'm giving it 4 stars mostly because I thought our appetizers out shined our entrees. The Dirty South Oysters are insanely good. The clams were excellent as well. I had the crab cake which was perfectly fine but didn't wow me, although the lobster sauce was delicious. They also made a weren't dirty dry martini which is always a plus. Definitely go but I would consider splitting lots of appetizers. Also, the staff is super friendly and prompt. read more

Catch Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

Oh. My. Goodness.... Dinner last night was incredible! We can't thank you enough, Chef Rhodes. Each course was delicious, flavorful, colorful, and fresh. I was practically drinking the curry that came with those perfect scallops! We had a top notch experience. Our sever Renee was super friendly, knowledgeable, professional, and informative....damn, those cocktails were good (creative and refreshing)! Thank you thank you!!! Pretty sure we found our new go-to restaurant for date night, there was not a dull note in the evening...Catch Restaurant is absolutely wonderful...PS. It's no wonder your crab cakes are award winning read more

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We've been eating at Catch for a number of years now (every time we visit Wilmington) and it never fails to be great but this is our first review. Keith Rhodes is not only a great chef, but he cares about sustainability. His restaurant reflects that care, as the food is great, the service impeccable and the menu outstanding and ever-changing. It's not cheap but unlike many restaurants who seek to attain the title of a "special" place, it lacks the pretentiousness, small portions and lack of true value too often found in such places. Instead, you get great food, great service, great people and leave sated and happy knowing your money was well-spent. Make sure you have the soft shell crabs when they are in season(they were awesome) but everything we had on this visit (Thai Mussels and swordfish) was great. Oh, if you like coconut cake give it try if you are hungry enough at the end of the meal. Also, as per above, the service was impeccable. read more

I would suggest better signage. I drove by it five times !! When I did find the restaurant, it began an amazing experience for me!!! We had a very big group from work. About 30 of us. The drinks were delicious. Order the cucumber mojito!! The seafood appetizers were flowing !!! The calamari!! The oysters!!! Unreal. I had the crab cakes. Almost everyone ordered something different and all that attended this dinner was raving about the food!!! Bravo Chef Keith Rhodes !!!! read more

We went to Catch to celebrate a birthday and they did not disappoint! The staff went over and beyond to make sure the occasion was special. The food was spectacular and the service was amazing. There were so many amazing food items to chose from that it was hard to narrow down and I will definitely be going back to try out other menu items. read more

Would give 3 1/2 stars if that were an option. Great place for a date night, but a little on the pricey side. It's not what one would expect from a restaurant located in a strip mall but we were pleasantly surprised. They have great cocktail options, both the cucumber margarita and the catch were delicious! I also highly recommend the sweet potato salad. Seriously, this may not sound that impressive, but it is a must try! Aside from that, we weren't very excited about our main entrees. The blackened swordfish was okay but we also ordered one of the specials, the angry lobster and were disappointed as it seemed as though it was overcooked. We had both a chocolate bundt cake and a coconut cream cheese cake for dessert. Both were good but the coconut cream cheese cake was amazing. Waitress was very pleasant, helpful, and knowledgeable about the menu. Service could have been a little quicker, especially for what you pay for a meal here (we were here late on a Friday night so they were pretty busy). We will probably be back but maybe on a Tuesday or Wednesday for the happy hour specials (Half priced bottles of wine, half off appetizers, and $1 topsail oysters). read more

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LOVE CHEF RHODES AND HIS MENU! This place is amazing and worth the wait for food. It's a smaller restaurant but perfect for a nice night

We were excited to try this place as we just moved into Wilmington. We made reservations after a failed attempt to drop in on a Saturday evening previously. So, I would highly suggest to make reservations just so you aren't disappointed if you can't get a table. We had deviled sriracha eggs with fried oysters on top as a starter. These were not a standard menu choice, but they were by far my favorite part of our entire meal. They were very good and delicious. The fried component with the creaminess of the deviled egg and the hint of heat and flavor from the sriracha was wonderful. Highly recommend these! My husband had the drink special of cucumber bliss (?) and I had citrus sangria. Our drinks were pretty bland and not very good. We were really hoping for some delicious drinks with our meal and they both fell flat on flavor and delivery. My husband had the shrimp and grits and I had the crab cakes that had a yukon potato puree and a bed of spinach. The food was good, but I felt like we weren't that impressed with the flavor. The shrimp was a bit over cooked and my meal was pretty bland tasting overall. We shared a trio layer chocolate cake with a ganache and a nut crusted bottom. It was very sweet, almost overly sweet. Our bill came out to around $117 without a tip. For that price in a smaller city, I was really hoping for a meal we would be able to rave about. I just felt really disappointed we aren't able to relay that from our experience. I just think it is a bit overpriced for what we experienced for Wilmington. The inside is very casual and relaxed, which is surprising. The service was good. I would skip the specialty drinks and dessert though. Hard to say if we will return. We travel a lot and I feel like for $140 with a tip, we could have a flawless meal easy in Vegas or San Fran. read more

Had I written this review after my first visit, it would've been a 5-star review. It's very unfortunate that with each visit I mentally docked a star off the 5-star review that I had put off writing for so long. My first visit was fantastic, despite the extremely slow service. The pork rib appetizer was so flavorful and fall-off-the-bone tender. It was sooo good that I didn't mind the crinkly store-bought fries that came with it. We got two fish entrees and they were both very flavorful and tasty. The fish was cooked to perfection and the portion size was just right. The chef personally brought us free dessert at the end of the meal and apologized for the slow service. The food on the second visit was great as always, but service was still painfully slow. The whole meal took 2+ hours to finish. Took my brother here for his birthday for the third visit. Ordered the ribs and calamari as appetizers. The ribs were as good as I remember, but the calamari was unfortunately overcooked. My entree was good, but my brother's crab cakes (the special) were way too salty. Service was once again slow. I really want to like Catch because they are a good supporter of local farmers and foods, but I'll probably stay away for a while with so many other great restaurants in town. read more

Catch is our go-to restaurant for any special occasion. The food is amazing, and the staff is so welcoming and friendly. I cannot recommend this restaurant highly enough. In my opinion, it's the best in Wilmington. read more

Excellent experience. From start to finish must haves; dirty south oysters, angry lobster, fresh grouper over sweet potato purée and to end the evening key lime pie!! Our waitress Jessica was amazing and extremely helpful. read more

Catch Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

To start I just want to say, my experience here happened before Top Chef. My family and i went to this restaurant for the first time in September 2011. I recommend reservations as the place it self is small. It was an upscale casual atmosphere. Don't judge the book by its cover. The exterior is nothing to write about... if you want that go waste your money at PF changs. Wait staff were very accommodating and made sure we had a good table and room enough for the baby so she wouldn't be in the way. For the main dish i had the Angry Lobster : 1.5lb Cracked & Seared Wok Seared Maine Lobster in Sweet Chili Whiskey Glaze with White Truffle_Foie Gras Fried Stick Rice. The dish itself was very flavorful with all of the components complimenting each other. The presentation itself was immaculate. I finally got to experience what "gourmet" was all about. That being said, this was not applebees (i.e. mediocre food pushed out in 20 minutes so you can eat it in 10.) It is a bit of a wait to get the food. But the food itself is well worth it. It is helpful to know that before you go. We had our main courses within an hour of arriving despite a large party that they were accommodating as well. All the staff were very helpful. It made for a wonderful evening. In the end we even got to meet the chef himself. (again prior to the show) He is a wonderfully down to earth humble man. Thank you so much for your hospitality and delicious dinner. read more

I'm probably going to make some enemies here, but we were very disappointed. I'm pretty sure they used imitation "krab" (masquerading as "shredded lobster tails"). The "lobster" consisted of processed, flat, mushy pieces with neither the flavor nor the texture of lobster - one piece even unrolled just like the imitation stuff. They denied it - first saying all the seafood was fresh, then saying they bought whole packaged lobster tails and shredded it themselves. Unfortunately, I'm allergic to imitation krab and had a reaction. I understand running out of ingredients and making do with what you can get, but don't lie about it when you get caught. Drinks came out with apologies (and compliments of the bartender) after we had finished eating. In addition to high prices, they charge a "service fee" (they said it was supposed to be 3% but it was 6%} which according to the server, goes to pay staff a living wage and health insurance. We asked the server if staff got paid health insurance, and he didn't know. On a positive note, the bartender was friendly and the drink and brussels sprouts were good. Ambiance was fine. Still, I would not go back. read more

I've been meaning to try this place for a while. So I decided to try them on Tuesday, they have 1/2 price starters and cocktails. They call it Tuesday Tapas. I had the Mussels and they were great so I continued and ordered the Oysters. The Oysters were amazingly delicious. I could not stop raving about them. Cocktails were good as well, Tropical taste to them. I will definitely be back. Oh forgot to mention, we met the well renown chef/owner Keith Rhodes and his wife! read more

Catch Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

The seafood here was excellent. The service was outstanding and the bread course at the beginning, OMG! I got a pan seared grouper, over a covington sweet potato and crab hash with bacon and a shallot reduction sauce. Yum! The fish was cooked to perfection and paired well with all of the other elements on the plate. I can't remember the last time I had such a delicious sweet potato. Keith Rhodes knows seafood and I will be back to eat more of it. read more

Catch Restaurant - Pan seared Grouper with Bacon over a Covington Sweet Potato and Crab Hash with Shallot Reduction sauce. - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

I went here about two weeks ago on a Monday night when I was traveling in the area for work. Place is not real impressive from the outside and not very crowded given the day of the week so I was a little nervous. No need - one of the best fish restaurants I have been to We had the fish of the day - I forget what it was but it was excellent. Really really good restaurant Would go back every time I am in Wilmington read more

Started my meal with grilled bread. The grilling was a nice touch. There was an oil dipping sauce with the bread which had an herb and vinegar taste...yummy! I ordered the heirloom tomato salad...wow! It was so yummy. The tomatos were bite sized accompanied by greens, kumquats, pistachios, and dressing. I could have licked the plate. My main course was the crabcake which was simply to die for. read more

Catch Restaurant - Anticipation! - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

For the food I would have given five stars, but honestly I think they are a bit pricey for the atmosphere. When you walk in you're expecting casual cuisine (we knew ahead of time that it wasn't as we had viewed the menu online), but what you get is gourmet and absolutely wonderful. So why is the waitstaff in jeans? I'm typically not one to pick on these things, but it just seemed a little odd. I believe that Catch is going for hip and trendy upscale but I think they're shooting just below the target. The local artwork is beautiful; it just didn't all come together for me. But on to the important part! The food was AMAZING! Our appetizer was both beautiful and delicious. I had the honey, tempura shrimp and hubby had the crab cakes. I have NEVER had better shrimp in my life. Ever. Bar none. The quality of the shrimp itself was outstanding. It was served on a bed of bok choy. Good combo of slightly sour to cut the sweetness of the honey shrimp. Hubby's crab cakes were also very tasty. What really made the crab cakes, though, was the bed of mashed sweet potato that they were perched on. I wouldn't have imaged that to be as great a treat to the taste buds, but definitely worth a try! Our desserts were both very good. Hubby had a nice tart and I enjoyed a chocolate mousse rum cake. Very rich, but wonderful. Overall, we really loved it, but when I'm spending that much on a meal that comes to my table looking so exquisite, I do expect a greater visual experience as well. I likened it to being served by Mario Batali in an Applebees. Just didn't seem to fit. read more

I went here for my birthday and seriously the service and food was incredible! They accommodated a 10 person reservation with ease. The oysters were my favorite by far. They even brought me a chocolate dessert for my birthday which was so sweet, I will definitely be back! Thank you Catch for a great birthday celebration! read more

Repeatedly this amazing staff knocks it out of the park. Tonight's meal was no exception. Splurge for the tempura lobster tail on crab fried rice in a sherry cream sauce if you want the most amazing flavor and texture experience. Out server, Sutherlin, is a joy as is the other staff members. Enjoy! read more

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First off: Super attentive service from both the front and the back of the house. We went for a meal after I flew in from Atlanta and we were looking forward to the local fare that is abundant on their menu. They definitely have embraced the local food movement. Our waiter made sure that we knew that they use local ingredients whenever possible. I have always enjoyed Keith Rhodes' food at Deluxe and the original market so I had pretty high expectations. They did not disappoint! Had a bottle of the La Cana Albarino and loved it! The waitstaff definitely knows their wine list! For appetizers we had the Kentucky Fried Calamari with the srirachia aioli, Green and Red Tomato Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing, the Mexican tomato shrimp soup. All were good and tasted very fresh, but we weren't absolutely blown away. The appetizers are why I am giving Catch 4/5 stars. We all agreed that we would try the firecracker Shrimp the next time around! The entrees were fabulous, definitely worth a 5/5! We ordered the Fried Soft Shell Crab (what a surprise for august, highly recommend if they have it!), Shrimp and Grits, and the Grouper. If you like grouper and bacon, the grouper was perfectly cooked and bed of spinach underneath just oozed with bacon flavor! The shrimp and grits were not your standard shrimp and grits. They had a succulent sauce that filled the bowl and came with a piece of toast to soak up the remainder of the leftover sauce. We ordered the Rum Cake for dessert. Apparently all of their desserts come from a local pastry chef who contracts out to different restaurants in Wilmington. It was delightful! I would highly recommend Catch on Market! It's some of the best food I've ever had in Wilmington! read more

Let me just start by saying-- we should have left within the first 3 minutes of arriving. My husband and I chose Catch as the setting for a family dinner to celebrate our daughter's 14th birthday. The five of us (my husband and our 3 children ages 9, 14, and 15) had looked forward to our dinner at Catch -- going so far as to drool over the menu online. We had 5:30 reservations; when I realized we were going to be 15 minutes late because of flooding and torrential rain, I called the restaurant, but kept getting a busy signal. We rushed into the empty restaurant and made our apologies. The first incredibly rude hostess told me she couldn't find our reservation. She summoned a second stone-faced woman and they whispered together, glared at us and frowned at the computer. (We should have left then.) Instead I pulled out my phone and showed them the confirmation email from Open Table and again apologized because we were late. A third woman joined them and together they sighed, glared and whispered. Meanwhile 3 other tables were seated. We were begrudgingly seated and told "we have 2 hour seatings so you will need to leave by 7:30 because you were late." (What? Did she really just announce that to the restaurant?? Did she really give me a deadline on eating a $38 entrée? I can't believe we didn't leave then.) I won't bore you with details about the rest of the subpar service- suffice it to say that when I went to the restroom one of the other diners said to me, " I have never seen such rudeness in any restaurant -- anywhere. " Yep. Me either. And then-just for grins- they added a 20% gratuity to our check because there were 5 of us. We were so stunned we did not question the gratuity and I did not check the menu to see if it was stated there. If it's not on the menu- then its illegal. If it was stated on the menu -- then it just served as a license for the staff to behave outrageously. I usually discount the "crazy ravers" who complain about service instead of the food. BUT -- I have worked in the service industry for my entire life - part of it in the restaurant business. There is a gracious way to handle a situation and then...well...then there is the Catch way. Our $200+ meal? Meh. read more

We had a wonderful dinner at Catch! We started with the crunchy calamari and kale. From now on, I only want to eat kale if it is tempura kale with guacamole and spicy sauce. A super food for sure! Our entrees were equally as delicious and memorable. I enjoyed the salmon with udon noodles. My husband hesitated to order ribs at a seafood restaurant, but the risk payed off. The ribs and shrimp with collards and sweet potatoes (with a brûlée topping) were outstanding. Executive chef, Keith Rhodes, has thought of every detail from micro greens to a chill atmosphere. We will definitely come back! read more

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We went on a Saturday and had two specials, the ahi tuna and pork tenderloin, in addition to the salmon. It was all fantastic!! The service is attentive and friendly. Casual, with really delicious, high quality food. The oysters were superb. I celebrated my birthday here and couldn't have asked for a better meal!! read more

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This place is great! A little expensive, but great! I found the staff to be a little snobby. We asked to sit at the bar - where NO ONE was sitting. She said yes but there would be a long wait for food. Which is great to know but she just sounded so bitchy. Our bartender was really accommodating but again, snobby and not much of a conversationalist. Our cucumber marg was worth it though! The rolls with dipping pesto was delish. And we split the crispy duck....I want to go back just for that! Every plate they brought out looked amazing. I can't wait for my next trip...I will be going back! read more

Came for my birthday and restaurant week. Got the scampi appetizer: AMAZING. husband and I sopped the bowl with bread. Husband got the duck and I got the lobster. We scraped the plate. The chef, Keith Rhodes, was sitting at the bar. So friendly and approachable. You cannot go wrong with this place or the food truck. Consistently delicious and interesting combinations. The wait staff and everyone working there takes care of you. Attentive and friendly. Even if it's not their table. You should stop reading this review and go there now. read more

Catch Restaurant - Restaurant week. Everything was delicious. Can't go wrong. - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

Food was good. Appetizers: Ordered shrimp ceviche, fried oysters, blue crab claws. The ceviche was too bland for my taste. But the claws were good and the remaining sauce was great with the bread. The oysters were good but I've had better. Entrees: Crab cakes were full of crab. It tasted fresh! I've had crab cakes where they were full of filler or the crab was not fresh. But these were wonderful. The seafood gumbo was also very good. read more

We've only been once and it was just last night but I have to say the service here is top notch! And the food is even better! Everything we tried was delicious, the calamari, the salmon, soft shell crab, grouper, and pecan pie! The wait staff and patrons were right on time and paid attention to detail. Our waitress (I wish I remembered her name) was absolutely perfect! Will definitely be going adaj read more