Yes it's pricey. Yes it's good. Yes it's the only 'fancy' restaurant on the island. We loved their…read moreshrimp and grits. Ordered it multiple days in a row. They take reservations and do book up some nights. You can always order take out from the bar. It's next to a park so could bring the kids there right after dinner. I will def go back here.

Yay they take reservations for our family of 17, not easy for small beach town…read more Place was packed thou on cozier side (not huge space). We're from the land of plenty aka Northern VA, the food is comparable to All American Restaurant chain. The steak was the star, the other entrees were fine but not spectacular. The short ribs tasted like pot roast and was oddly shredded- not a fan. Dessert was let down, crème brûlée was way too fudgy (no signature jiggle), carrot cake meh and truffle had no cake (just pudding). Seriously, Hire a new pastry chef. Service was efficient, friendly but more towards quick turnaround as they were busy.

If you love Salty Turtle, you'll love The Cove even more!…read more The Cove is a cocktail bar/event space that is owned by Salty Turtle. They carry a few of their beers to serve as well as wine and liquor. Ever wish you were having a cocktail at Salty Turtle while your partner was enjoying a beer? Well now you can! Hit up the cove and you can have the best of both worlds with no one compromising. The Cove is a "club" so you'll need to sign up for a membership at the bar before you can enjoy some drinks, but don't worry it's free to join! We enjoy coming here on Wednesday nights to play trivia with friends that is hosted by Meeser Eddie. My favorite drink to sip on when coming here is probably the spicy margarita. It's not on the printed menu, but you ask and your wish shall be granted!On Wednesdays they also offer $15 bottles of Prosecco. Yes you read that right $15 for a BOTTLE of Prosecco. Nothing beats coming to play trivia with friends and sharing a great bottle together. The staff here is always so friendly, it's clean, the service is fast & the cove itself provides excellent vibes. We love the cove & salty turtle so the hardest decision is usually choosing which one to go to... and sometimes we just hit up both!!

My friend and I went in here on a whim when we had a ladies night at Salty Turtle. Prior to this,…read moreI thought this was only an event space. Which it is but it is also open a few days a week, one of which being on Wednesday nights at 6:00pm for trivia. The place is smaller but very cozy. The decor inside is super cute and the drinks are great. We got a tequila drink that looked beautiful and tasted very good. They also have beer and wine. Super cool place to check out and really excited for an upcoming event I am going to at their location too!

Had an INCREDIBLE experience here. The shrimp tacos were delicious, the cookie skillet was to die…read morefor, the atmosphere was GORGEOUS, and our server was so so sweet. We have babies, and I wasn't sure how that would fit the vibe, but it went very smoothly and everyone was very gracious to us!!! I highly recommend if you're in the area- we will definitely be coming back!!

We all really enjoyed our meals! We waited a while for a table as it was a busy Thursday night but…read morewe got a drink from the bar and sat outside to kill the time. They have tables inside and outside. Our waitress, Sara, was amazing! Several people in our group had the tuna steak with wasabi potatoes and really enjoyed that meal but honestly everything we had was good. (I'd pass on the shrimp cocktail next time as the tarter sauce was kinda sweet and they didn't have horseradish)

Driftwood Craft Kitchen was one of the highlights of our visit to Hampstead. The atmosphere strikes…read morea great balance between upscale and coastal, with warm wood tones, modern finishes, and subtle nautical touches that feel inviting without being overdone. We started with The Amelia cocktail, which was refreshing and well-balanced. For appetizers, the Sesame Ahi Tuna was incredibly fresh and perfectly prepared. The C.A.B. Ribeye was the standout of the meal--tender, flavorful, and cooked exactly as ordered. We also shared the chocolate mousse, which was smooth, decadent, and the perfect finish. What stood out most was the attention to detail in both the food and the overall experience. With excellent ingredients, skilled preparationu, and a beautiful atmosphere, Driftwood Craft Kitchen is absolutely worth a visit. We'll definitely be back.

Where do I begin... We ordered martinis,…read moreThe glasses were no where near "full" Wife ordered the chef special, Chilean Seabass. I think it was the special because it was almost ready for the dumpster, She said she thought the sauce tasted odd. But later her stomach wasn't feeling well I ordered the steak sandwich, And specifically asked if the steak was chopped up, As I do not like fat or gristle in the bites of my steak sub. It was large chunks of steak that the fat had not been trimmed off of there were a lot of bites that I had to simply expel onto my plate. When Kimmy our server, asked, how was the meal? I told her and she could clearly see that I did not eat most of my steak sandwich and I had spit out a lot of it. When the overpriced Bill reached our table, A tall man with a big beard came to the table and asked how was the meal? I told you him about the steak sandwich. And he asked, If we were locals I said yes we were. And he said this, Well, maybe we can take care of it the next time you're in... HE SHOULD'VE TAKEN CARE OF IT THERE AND THEN Not sure what that's really means, Since now I will never be going back. And neither should you As you read the other reviews, it is CLEARLY an overpriced menu. With overpriced drinks Just like the Owner's other "bar and grill" in Sneads Ferry Spaggia (sp)? We went there a while back and found the same thing to be true. I think they're a "couple" from New York and wanna come down here to SouthEastern, North Carolina and charge New York prices Now, I reached out to the owner the next day and never received a call back. My advice. Don't waste your time OR your money

Stopped by WTF in Wilmington. Very cool place with a great vibe. Plenty of comfortable seating, TVs…read moreeverywhere, pool table, and even more space upstairs. Service was excellent and the location is perfect if you're out downtown. Drinks were a mixed bag. The smoked Old Fashioned looked good but wasn't anything special. My Kiss of Fire had a nice spicy kick at first, but it watered down really quickly, probably from the ice, so it didn't hold up the way I hoped. Overall though, it's a cool spot with great service and a fun atmosphere. Definitely worth checking out if you're in Wilmington.

Amazing vibes and beer. There were two DJs playing that night, DJ Sotipop and J-Smooth. Both played…read morefantastic house music. The entire venue was popping.

It was our last night on the Island and this restaurant ended up being our favorite in the area…read more From the beautiful seating to the incredible service, we really enjoyed ourselves and the wait wasn't too long. We called to see about a reservation and they didn't take them but we arrived between 4-5 and did not have too much of a wait. Just enough time to rock on the porch and take photos. The food was primarily fried so it was fast service and the drinks were great! We'd recommend bopping over the bridge if you are visiting Topsail.

Incredibly slow to seat, be greated, have our waitress hit our table…read more... I'm all for a leisurely Sunday, but when hangry mode kicks in; you're locked in. NOW ON TO THE GOOD When drinks need to be refilled, they were rapidly delivered. The fritters alongside the four sauce pairing *chefs kiss.* Scallops could have been slightly more seared but the fried green tomatoes made up for it!

The drinks are really good, and the atmosphere is super cute and fun! However, the wait times are…read morereally long and have always been longer than what the online waitlist estimates. I'd say it's worth trying once for the experience, but probably not worth the wait to go regularly. We actually went back a second time to give it another chance, but unfortunately, my food came out completely refrigerator-cold. Our waiter was really nice about it and took it off the bill, which I appreciated. Overall, it's a fun place with great drinks, but the long waits and inconsistent food would keep me from going back again.

No. Just NO. Lexi our server was the only thing pleasurable…read morehere. She knew the wine, beer and alcohol options inside and out. Sure the decor was nice, clean, ... The food? SALT BOMB. Calamari appetizer?- I had to spit it out. The burrata was gorgeous- I'll give you that but my husband husbands linguine shrimp and my veal Marsala was dog food!

We are outside and had great views of the beach! We had fried chicken sandwiches and a mahi…read moreReuben. All were very good. Abi was our server and she was great!!

Came in for a late lunch after spending the day at the beach. Service was great. We ordered the…read moreclub sandwich with fruit and the burger with sweet potato tots. The food was so good and a generous portion size. The burger was huge and cooked to a perfect rare medium rare. The sweet potato tots were so tasty with a little bit of cinnamon sugar and honey on them. They were not busy at 3:30, only a few other people in the restaurant, but there was a private party in the other room. You can sit outside but it was too hot after already being in the water for hours. Definitely a fan. Prices were great, too. All in all a great place to eat!

Centerfire was a great relief from the typical bars and taverns that reside within this corner of…read moreNC. Locals will remember this location as the former Crooked Lotus, but is now a comfy, cozy adjustment into a well stocked cocktail bar. The staff is great (ask for Sara) and the menu is a simple, yet creative blend of simple favorites and original recipes. The ambience is a soft, warm setting with a random but fun mix of playlist music and live performances. Check the placard on stage for the schedule. The liquor selection isn't the world's biggest, but it is stocked with some good, above average choices that non-beginners will appreciate. There is also a good selection of wine, as well as some limited tap options (call ahead to confirm taps are flowing. Seasonal traffic impacts the flow). Whether it's a private affair, celebration of sorts, one-on-one meetings, or catching a breath after a long stretch, Centerfire is a must stop for anyone. The prices are reasonable and the quality stands above the local average of the area. Enjoy!

Stopped in on a Thursday night to meet friends for Christmas. Here is what we liked:…read more* Immediate seating, only one other person when we arrived. A variety of seating, bar, tables or couches. * Decent selection of holiday cocktails. * Variety of spirits to make what you would like. * bartender was helpful and cool. What could of been better: *Not sure what the vibe was supposed to be, brightly lit and very low background music. Almost seemed sterile. * Drinks were just ok, nothing stood out as impressive for a cocktail lounge.

Excellent food! Our family had the turkey apple wrap and a Cuban sandwich. Both were perfect.read more

Had to review this lil' deli because we had some really good food at Cora's Deli. The art on the…read morewalls made the experience one of a kind. Thank you Cora team