First Watch

Hidden Grounds has my favorite coffee ever... and I've had a lot of coffee!…read more I'm itching to go back to Wilmington and I'd be lying if having another Nanner Puddin' coffee wasn't one of the top reasons. I absolutely loved it and wish this coffee shop was closer to me! Aside from the phenomenal coffee, the outdoor patio has such a cool, unique vibe with all of the dinosaur decor. I sat out there for about an hour, and the atmosphere was absolutely perfect. If you're looking for a memorable coffee spot with amazing drinks, great service, and a fun atmosphere, Hidden Grounds is a must visit!

This is such a fun and enchanting place in downtime Wilmington. There are so many cute coffee shops…read moreto choose from and this one is always such a treat! Yes, the coffees - hot and iced - are delicious, the baked goods are indulging (rich, sweet, salty, tasty). The staff is always so warm and friendly and it's obvious they have frequent-ers and friends and they treat you like one if you're not. Who knew overlapping caffeine, cowboys, and dinosaurs could create a perfect place to stop and go or stay and gather to enjoy an escape from it all?

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Periwink

4.5(49 reviews)

5.1 mi

Women-owned & operated

Boutique

I've never had cold foam and I honestly wasn't going to try it because I tend to just stick with my…read moresame order, but my sister URGED me to try and HOT DANG! The cold foam is SOOO good! I got an iced vanilla oat milk latter with vanilla cold foam and it was delightful! It's like a dollop of cool whip on top. And the espresso was just right! Yummmm! Nice setting too!

Amazing and creative drinks. Ive never had a bad experience here. The only thing is it is a little…read moreexpensive. But it is great if you want to treat yourself.

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Creme

Maven Coffee

4.7(54 reviews)

0.3 mi

This little coffee shop is amazing not are the coffees tasty but very creative. Our Barista…read moreexplained each drink, she was very knowledgeable and helpful. We got the brown sugar & vanilla cloud; chocolate cherry truffle latte. Both are delicious.

This genuinely might have been the best coffee I've had! I got the red velvet latte, and while it…read morewasn't necessarily red, it tasted like a rich and delicious mocha. The chocolate shavings on top really put it over the edge for me and made it extra tasty. The girl behind the counter was so sweet and helpful as well, and had our drinks out pretty quickly. The inside is very cute and has a decent amount of seating. If I lived closer I'd be here all the time!

Drinks

Campfire Latte from the Seasonal Menu

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S'mores hot and cold with flavor fusion

Bespoke

4.6(220 reviews)

2.8 mi

I really wanted to like this place. Cute bar area and great interior design. Where it lacked to me…read morewas that the music was blaring loud at 530pm on a Saturday. I got a headache and had to leave. The bartender also told us after we ordered our drinks at 5pm that there is a no laptop policy after 6pm? If this is the case I urge to advertise this more as it appeared to be like a cafe with a bar situation to which I've never heard of that policy. (I have been to numerous combination bar cafes) Zoe approves this message

Ok experience. They only carry whole milk or alternative milk. No skim or 2%. I opted for a…read morepistachio latte which was overly sweet. They only had a small selection of specials or signature drinks. Staff was great! Beautiful interior.

Hand crafted cocktail

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Maroon Monkey Coffee

4.7(96 reviews)

2.8 mi

Such a good cafe in downtown Wilmington! ! I opted for the Vanilla Twist Latte delish! Dog friendly…read moreinside as well. Atmosphere is warm and inviting!

Really loved the concept and their summer menu is so fun!…read more Located right downtown so it's very convenient to park and wander around. A little sad that their card machine was down, so I couldn't get everything I wanted, but I did get to try the blueberry cobbler latte! Light coffee flavor and I couldn't really taste the cookie, but there was a yummy thick blueberry top that made up for it!

S'mores latte

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Snag a bagel with cream cheese for breakfast with your coffee

Folks Cafe

4.9(95 reviews)

2.3 mi

This is the best breakfast place ever!!! And the combo of coffee and empanadas mmmmmmread more

Coffee was good I'll would try it again Service was good…read moreand promptly served Ambiance was good I went there for the apañadas but was not what I expected I'm try breakfast next time

The sitting area

Empanadas

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Blue Surf Cafe

4.4(620 reviews)

2.7 mi

My husband and I visited Blue Surf Café for the first time, and we were so impressed! The food was…read moreabsolutely delicious, and there were so many great options to choose from. The service was excellent--everyone was welcoming, attentive, and genuinely friendly. It made for such an enjoyable brunch experience. We'll definitely be coming back and highly recommend it to anyone looking for a great brunch spot!

OMG! Awesome place! Great food. Great service - Jasmine was stupendous. Great vibe! Draft beer…read morespecials. Wish they would open a place up in my hood - Surf City!!

Inside

Blueberry Buttermilk Waffles

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Casa Blanca

4.6(189 reviews)

6.7 mi

Our first stop in Wilmington and it was perfect! Workers were the sweetest and super friendly. My…read morevanilla latte was just right and I loved the sourdough they used for avocado toast. It reminded me of Santa Barbara- I will be back!!!! The best.

Vibes were amazing, indoor and outdoor. The staff is SO sweet. The music is good & there is plenty…read moreof seating. I got the bacon & egg sandwhich with no bacon and it was perfect. Also had an iced caramel latte - tasted so good I had to get another!

| ENTRANCE AREA |

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| COZY INTERIOR |

Eternal Sunshine Cafe

4.2(582 reviews)

3.2 mi

The French toast on the brioche was good The service was…read moregood The ambiance was good The server and hostess were all good folks The space was small and cozy with seats still available

I returned to Eternal sunshine because my last visit was so amazing that I couldn't wait to return…read more A very charming cafe atmosphere that is cozy and welcoming. I enjoyed the eternal sunshine Benedict on gluten free toast with a side of saffron grits and gluten free French toast with blueberry syrup. It was just as I remembered and still very good. I think next time, I will try a new Benedict just to switch it up. I highly recommend this spot for brunch.

Inside

Biscuits & Gravy with Truffle Grits

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Inside

Cafe Mata

4.8(13 reviews)

2.3 mi

This place is really cute! The idea to have a yoga studio, a book store, and a coffee shop all in…read moreone place was genius. The vibes are immaculate and calming. This Black Magic Latte rivals my favorite caramel latte in town. They have a cute little porch with turf for sitting in the sun too. Even though it's 20 minutes from my house (and on the second floor ) I will definitely be back!

Holy smokes! I think this is the best coffee I've ever had! I ordered the seasonal peppermint…read morelatte. It was so flavorful and not too sweet. I don't know what type of syrups/flavors they used, but they tasted fresh and full bodies - not artificial. It's a little hard to find unless you're looking, but it's worth the effort. The atmosphere is relaxing and airy. Really cool spot!

Things to do in Wilmington

Ube latte

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10 reviews that are not currently recommended

The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.

Alexis E.

4 years ago

If you're coming here for good food, you're in the right place, but if you have a moral compass, this is not the store for you. The GM, Jordan Newman, has been reported of multiple inappropriate/sexual relations and comments towards the female staff, yet there have been no repercussions from higher management put in place for these actions. It is utterly disappointing for such a great restaurant to be run by such a big piece of shit. I hope to anyone reading this, that you as well find this to be appalling. If you would like to know more about details, please feel free to reply to this comment. read more

D-Ray W.

4 years ago

Such a great dining experience, my first time ever coming here and certainly not my last! I had the shrimp and grits and it was the best I ever had. Great friendly wait staff, be sure to ask for Sydney. read more

CJ M.

4 years ago

Delicious food and two of my favorite servers, Bailey and Mikayla are at the 3534 Oleander Drive location in Wilmington, NC. Such a great way to start the day with their smiles and excellent service! read more

Bruce M.

5 years ago

Terrible service. Waited for the ten minutes after being seated . I left after others were taken care of immediately after being seated. Will not return! read more

Lilz B.

5 years ago

Been here a few times & the servers have always been very kind & helpful - food is pretty good for its price, too.

Emily A.

323

5 years ago

Everything was so delicious ! Definitely recommend ! Everything was super fresh and the servers are always great

Annette M.

120

5 years ago

Sat for 20 min. No water or site of our waitress. Went in to ask for water and still no one. Will not go back

Kiersten C.

6 years ago

Food was amazing and our server Kelsey was great!!

Catie G.

4 years ago

Natalie was FANTASTIC! She put a smile on my face!

Krista S.

4 years ago

fantastic service and great food!

First Watch - breakfast_brunch - Updated September 2026

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New Day Cafe

4.4

(115 reviews)

Best Ruben sandwich I've ever had! Homemade fries!…read more Their breakfast is the best in town and about the same price as Eggs Up Grill except the cooks here know how to cook eggs. I wish they didn't deep fry their home fries though.

Came yesterday around 10:30 for an early lunch with a friend. They weren't super busy yet. But that…read moresoon changed. Dawn was our waitress. I had the club sandwich with fries. Plenty of meat, and super filling iced tea was good too. Friend had corned beef breakfast plate. Both arrived in a timely manner. They charge a surcharge of using a credit card. But remove it if using a debit card. Service always friendly.

Farmhouse Kitchen

4.4

(141 reviews)

Always enjoy this place for breakfast and stop when we can on our way to Wilmington. Food is good,…read morestaff is great, seating is limited so place stays crowded. When it is nice outside we prefer to eat on patio. All around, great place.

First time here but definitely not the last. The food is delicious especially the buttermilk…read morebiscuits! The staff were attentive and polite. We brought our little dog and sat outside. The staff brought her water without us asking.

Castle Street Kitchen

4.5

(78 reviews)

I wanted to like this place so much more because it has delightfully kitschy ambiance, has a sense…read moreof humor, is super vegan/vegetarian friendly, and has excellent prices. But, unfortunately, we got really awful service and my entree was legit gross. Not because it wasn't prepared right - because it was just...an exceptionally werd combination of foods that do not belong together. Let's start with my absolutely bizarre brunch entree. At $8.75 I really feel bad complaining but...it was so gross. I'm sorry. I ordered a kimchi grilled cheese. What does that conjure up? Probably some toasted crusty white bread with a bunch of cheddar or jack and some Kim chi mixed in right? Wrong. This was served on a brioche hamburger bun and when it arrived the top bun was upside down and there was melted cheese on top of the bun (so under it) with a wonton crisp stuck to the cheese. The top (so, bottom) of the bun had a drizzle of soy or ponzu sauce and sesame seeds. The bulk of the sandwich was egg. Kudos for also having avocado but for the life of me I had to dig to find the kimchi. There was no additional cheese other than the small amount stuck to the top of my bun. This sandwich was completely unhinged you guys. The two things in the name - kimchi and cheese - were the two things I struggled to locate. And the egg was kind of sweet. And so was the sauce. But then the rest was super savory. It was a lot of things that are delicious separately but had no business being combined. And WHY was my bun upside down? I have never been so confused by a sandwich. This was a post-modern meta-critique of sandwiches. I am a philosopher of sandwiches. Ceci n'est pas un sandwich. Ceci also nest pas edible. Our elote dip appetizer and chips was decent. A little pricier than our other items. It actually looked and tasted like elote dip so, hooray. My husband's french toast was bare bones, but that is fine given the price. However, it was really dry. We were having a terrible time getting service so he had to flag down a different server to request syrup. Rather than simply informing him there was an upcharge and asking if he still wanted it she said something along the lines of "we don't serve our French toast with syrup because it's already really sweet and we use real so we charge for it so taste it first and see if you still really want he syrup because I don't want to charge you unnecessarily." And then. She walked. Away. And we never saw another server again for the entire remainder of our meal so my husband never had a chance to ask for syrup which, yes, he did want after trying his dry-ass French toast. We were kind of flabbergasted. He is not nearly as much if a spoiled princess as me but that did NOT go over well with him and the idea of a server refusing to bring syrup has been an inside joke between us ever since. Getting drink refills was impossible. I waited too long to write my review so I am struggling to remember what else was so bad about our service, but I remember being pretty astonished. I think at one point our server forgot she had taken our order. So, in summation...this place is fucking wackadoodle. What weird ideas they have about what customers actually want from a restaurant. The place was busy so maybe they have a target market that they cater to and that loves them but...it isn't us.

This place has been on my list for a while. My family and I…read morestopped in on a Saturday afternoon after visiting the children's museum. We were greeted immediately and were told to sit anywhere we wanted. Well made drinks, a pineapple mimosa and a spicy bourbon Bloody Mary...which was probably the bartenders first time making it with bourbon. They did well! Good menu, lots of good burgers, which hubs ordered the one with kimchi on it. 2 thumbs up. I had the tomato pie with a side salad. I'd get that every time. Our kid enjoyed her sweet potato fries and chicken nuggets. Our server was also great with our very extroverted daughter. There's a nice, little lounge in the back, that looks like it can be rented out for events. We will certainly be back.

Blossoms Restaurant

3.8

(43 reviews)

Love this spot! One day soon, could you bring back the old hot dogs?…read more Here is my argument: 1.They are sooooo much better. 2.My partners fave chili cheese dog. 3. I love them too and I'm not a hot dog lover. It's really a win-win. I won't have to hear him crying every evening after golf and you sell more dogs. Truly can't wait ! On a serious note : The staff there is always so great, the food is always amazing! Happy New Year!

A lovely venue and the new menu is nice, however the service is just incredibly poor. Not sure if…read moreit's the norm or growing pains, but we are unsure if we will come back anytime soon. Been waiting 20 minutes for the check after waiting 10 to be acknowledged. It's a shame because the outdoor deck on the golf course at sunset is really nice.

Sawmill Grill

3.5

(165 reviews)

This place is wonderfully basic! You'll find southern choices along with diner favorites. I had the…read morepatty melt and it was made to perfection. We also had the turkey bacon melt which was a very good choice! The service here is beyond good, with friendly staff who were often seen cleaning the dining area. It definitely appears to be a favorite local spot which also has early bird specials.

This place is nasty. Their breakfast wasn't good at all . I ordered a breakfast platter and the…read morefood was cold and hard. Like it had been sitting in the back. Service was terrible. We were there for hour and it was just 2 people and not very busy.. I can definitely see why it doesn't have good reviews and it's not busy. Will never go back or recommend this restaurant again.

The Original Salt Works

4.1

(152 reviews)

What else do you need to say.....JOHN is the MAN This guy is…read morea legend in the food biz and is a kind and hard worker. Get a burger!

Like the old atmosphere. Waitstaff great. Pecan waffle just OK - kind of bland. Real butter and…read moregood hot syrup could make it a little better. Bacon plenty tasty but not crisp.

Jester's Café

4.3

(219 reviews)

Great breakfast place. Food always fresh and very good. Friendly staff with great customer serviceread more

Happened upon this quaint restaurant inside of a renovated home off Castle St. They have a nice…read moreselection of brunch bevies (think mimosas), breakfast/brunch/lunch meals and sides. Portions were just the right size without feeling stuffed. We even enjoyed a Key Lime tartlet for dessert. Hubs had the waffle with the BEST cheesy grits. I enjoyed the cubano & black eyed pea salad. We will be back again!

Goody Goody Omelet House Restaurant

4.4

(187 reviews)

The food was delicious and the service was very attentive and friendly. I would go there every week…read moreif I lived closer!!!

Went there on vacation and the omelet tasted like foot and the waffle was like they bought it from…read moreihop yesterday and reheated it. Would not recommend. Staff could walk and breathe at the same time, so 2 stars instead of 1. Ive been to worse, just not many.

Spindle's Filling Station

3.5

(65 reviews)

Nice menu, good service, reasonable prices …read more Have been twice and both times food was good and exactly as we ordered.

We decided to grab lunch here before going to the movies. We were running short on time, and our…read moreserver was able to get our food to us quite quickly. It was a week day around 1:00, so not super busy. The menu is quite large, and prices are reasonable. The food was really good. My husband had a burger, and I tried the grilled maji tacos with chips.

The Dixie Grill

3.9

(510 reviews)