We had lunch here to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary. The Pilot House catered our wedding on the River Deck. We were immediately seated inside with a view of the water. Our server arrived and took our drink orders with our appetizer order of their crab dip. Once the drinks arrived we ordered the Shrimp and Scallops Linguine and the Shrimp and Lobster Newberg. Wife ordered a Pacific Rim Riesling as well. Our meals arrived in a timely manner and presented very well. We really enjoyed everything we ordered. Both meals were delicious, but the highlight was the crab dip. Wife also enjoyed her drink. Our server, Jessica, started off strong and fizzled at the end. We were thinking about dessert, but we decided not to drag this out. We had to ask another server for a dessert menu. We looked over the menu, still no server. Once she finally showed up, we just requested the check. We'll continue to visit every year for our anniversary. read more

Pilot House - Shrimp and Scallop Linguini. Very good. - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

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This was the first restaurant I tried after moving to the Wilmington area. A good way to start! Awesome location; great large outdoor section; and good food, too! I recommend the crab cake sandwich, but my guess is you can't go wrong! read more

Everything is delicious a little bit more seasoning on fish would be amazing. Fresh fish taste amazing, lemon shallots vinaigrette dressing perfect read more

Pilot House - House Salad, grouper, samon - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

I hate to do it, I've always loved the Pilot House, but after a year or two of declining crab melts, and our most recent experience, I have to knock it down a little. First and foremost, as I previously mentioned, we would make special trips here just for the crab melt. But I have noticed in the last couple years that there is less and less crab to my melt. Its still super yummy, but this past visit, it was a minuscule amount of filling. I understand there are cuts to be made sometimes, but the price seems to rise over the years as the sandwich itself declines. I used to take half home for a second lunch, but I easily ate it all and was still hungry. The service this time around was pretty poor. When we arrived, we were one of three parties waiting (a party of two, and two parties of four, including us). The hostess made note of this, quickly sat the first party, returned for the second, and then never came back. As we stood their waiting, my kids became a bit restless, so my husband took them down to the Riverwalk to wait. I waited about 10 minutes, peaking around corners for someone to acknowledge me, but to no avail. Finally my husband, who came in from the back of the restaurant (which is connected to the Riverwalk), said our table is ready. Apparently when he came back in someone stopped him and said it was ready. Thanks for letting me, the person out here waiting, know. The service itself was slow. By the time our waitress showed up, we knew everything we wanted, so we went ahead and ordered drinks and our meals at the same time. This probably was a mistake because the bread she said was on order never came. We asked for it when our food arrived (because we usually LOVE the cornbread), and there was no apology for the delay (or for forgetting it, which is likely what happened), and when the basket did come, the cornbread was cold and hard as a rock. As someone who worked in the restaurant business, I know how these things go. Sometimes there are off days. Will this stop me from coming back? No probably not. But if the food and service is similar in our next visit, we may rethink our annual Wilmington stop moving forward. read more

This place has the best oysters at the best price around $16, you can't beat that and the view right on the water. I've come a few times and the male bartender is phenomenal! Very knowledgeable and super friendly (red beard wish I knew his name). I came on date night a few nights ago since my service before has been great. Instead of the bar we sat in the dining room. The food was delicious and we enjoyed the setting. My only concern was the knowledge of the server. She must have been new or just not as knowledgeable about the food and drinks. We will be back but going to the bar next time. read more

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This weekday lunch was just "OK". The service was good and the food was just a notch below that. Fresh oysters were priced fantastically, but they were very small and we had some shell in each one we had (1/2 dozen, $12 MKT). The spicy shrimp & grits were alright- but the collards on the plate were the star. Shrimp were small and tasted like they used to be frozen, the grit cake was good but tasted ordered in, and the collards were seasoned perfectly. Drinks were just "OK" as well. read more

I've been a fan of the pilot house for 30 years, give or take, so this year when my daughter selected to go there for her special birthday dinner I was all for it. We got dressed up, we were excited, reviewed the menu ahead of time and hope to get there in time for a beautiful sunset. The view is excellent and thank goodness it hasn't changed, however the building is noticeably shifting and sitting by the window your plates would shift to the river. It was a little unsettling but still fine. The food was good. The prices were very noticeably higher, a good $10 at least per plate, which is understandable given the times that we're living in. But the environment had changed, people weren't dressed up, they weren't even really dressed, including one of the waitresses was walking around in a hoodie. It just didn't have the feel of being one of Wilmington's top restaurants. It was loud, it wasn't the dining environment it had been, it wasn't that crowded but it was boisterous, and it's not tourist season so... I think the management should set the tone for the waitress steps a tire and demeanor, as well as if guests are being extremely loud that they gently guide them towards the environment that they would like to have. I'm not saying I won't go back there, I'm just saying that it's not what it used to be. read more

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I will start by saying the food is usually good here but I don't know what happened tonight! I know places are crazy during a holiday at restaurants but I've been to other restaurants that were much better than here. Food was mediocre at best. Asked for extra gravy for the turkey and they said we would be charged $1.00 which is totally ridiculous! The food wasn't very hot and the squash soup was more like a stew than a soup and wasn't good at all. Then we get the bill and they charged me $28 dollars for two small glasses of Pinoit Grigio. I told her the bill was wrong and she said "that I pointed to the expensive wine" which was $14 a glass. First off there was only a $7 a glass Pinoit Grigio on the list AND we never pointed to anything! So she goes to get the bill corrected and they took the glasses of wine off ONLY to re-enter in the middle of the bill (I guess hoping we wouldn't notice)! She said the manager fixed the bill! OMG never going there again on a holiday! The service wasn't very good at all either!!! read more

Do not get the bread pudding. Shrimp and grits, crab cakes, grouper = fantastic. Chocolate mouse was so rich. Fruit sorbet was refreshing. Laken was our server and she was great! I forgot to take pics ‍ read more

This place was pretty good. Ate dinner as the sun was setting over the river, so the view was incredible. Food was really good. Lots of good feedback from our crew. Shrimp and grits were awesome. Steak was perfectly prepared. Crab cakes were as good as what you get in Charleston. Little bit pricey, but worth the extra. Wait staff (Mia) was super attentive and a pleasure to have as a server. Hope to visit again soon. read more

This place has a great view of the river and a very friendly staff. And for being a touristy riverside restaurant the prices were very reasonable. But I was expecting something for my crab melt sandwich. Not sure what would have made it better but it was just some crab meat and cheese pressed between 2 slices of sourdough bread. I was so hungry I didn't mind it but I thought it could have been better. read more

Pilot House - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

Sunday afternoon at 1pm our family went to pilot house for a glass of Prosecco, pimento dip, and a side of mac and cheese for our toddler. all of the above were decently tasty. We proceeded to order a Cesar Salad with Grilled chicken and a Carolina burger. We had two families sat next to us and were served their food before we were. My husband went in to see what was going on with our food as it had been over 45 minutes, only to witness the server with the outside deck where we were sitting handling the to go orders and using her hands with no gloves to serve french fries whole wiping her face and pants. We are in the middle of a pandemic and we trust that for a $14 hamburger and a $17 salad that the standard would be been higher with more food/safety regulations at this establishment. My husband then proceeded to tell the manager that we are not paying for our meal due to the way it was being handled by a server touching doors, wiping her face, and who knows what else and then handling the food. The manager was upset, rude, unapologetic, and yet he "apologized about the wait and that the food has been ready for a while... not sure why we hadn't gotten it yet.".. what does that even mean?? SO he either saw it and didn't properly prepare/deliver it to our table, or he saw it and told the waitress to prepare a togo order after touching door handles, handling cash and cards, and who knows what else. either way, save your $$ and go to a different riverfront restaurant. Even though the Manager/Server was upset and rude we refused to pay for our to-go food, we did pay for our drinks and and appetizers. it's it is scary to think during a heightened time with covid 19, that the staff was so unaware and neglected common health practices at a high end restaurant. please be aware that this establishment is not taking the necessary and Heightened precautions to protect their own staff and the people dining there read more

View, simple historic ambiance, fantastic food and great service!!! We were quickly seated to a window, cape view table. Our server was super attentive and knowledgable. We had the baked oysters, vegetable gnocchi, and crab melt sandwich with sweet potato chips. All were fresh, made from scratch and delicious. (We did not sit in the bar area, but noted that it has a gorgeous view and would consider it for a future visit). read more

- was a great place to eat at once I touched down in the city. Staff - it bugs me that I cannot recall our waitresses name but she's originally from Fayetteville. She's a jewel. Excellent personality. Food - they have the best fried chicken salad I've ever tasted. If they gave me the recipe for the sauce alone I'd be happy. Dining - eating out is a straight up drag during covid. Period! However, eating on the patio was lovely. Overlooking the water watching the swallows zip around and tables aren't on top of each other. Great time for an out of towner. read more

We ate on a Sunday afternoon at The Pilot House in Wilmington NC. The service was excellent, the staff was friendly and helpful, and the food was delicious. The clam dip was wonderful with lots of bread. The fried calamari was very good if a bit too much coating. The flounder po' boy sandwich was fresh and the fish moist on the inside. And, the Carolina Seafood Bisque was spectacular!!! It had a wonderful buttery taste with lots of seafood. The best seafood bisque I have ever had! Plus we had a lovely table looking out on the Cape Fear river. It was a wonderful lunch. read more

We went on a Saturday night to sit on the patio. It was a long wait but the food was good. Our server was great and very accommodating, we had a lot of questions read more

A wonderful place on the River Walk with a great atmosphere and fabulous food. The seafood had a great flavor and we loved everything we ordered. The server was friendly and very professional. This is a must visit place for anyone wanting that riverside dining experience. read more

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Bad services, long wait, small portions, nice river view. Please don't waste your time and money. We had very poor service.

The river view is amazing especially at Sunset. The service was exceptional with great appetizers and good Southern seafood prepared and seasoned just right. read more

Service and quality of food and portions have been drastically reduced, but pricing has continued to climb. Had to ask for bread when folks that can after us were offered right away, had to walk payment to server as it felt as though we were not very attended to. Next time I want a steam pot, I'll buy the ingredients and make it at home. $40-$44 a pot and it was cold, overcooked corn, no juice in the pot and overcooked everything. Just not the next experience. Management must have changed since last year? read more

My husband chose this place to take me on my birthday this evening. I nor.ally wouldn't have chosen it because of the average review rating, but I think this place is very underrated. We entered through the riverwalk & as we were coming in, Cody (I made sure to get his name) had already come out to open the door for us. I asked whether or not he would suggest sitting outside because the sun would be going down soon and he said it would probably be fine but if we needed to move inside it would be no problem. We decided to try the dock seating and it was great until the sun hit us but it ended up getting too warm so we asked to move inside. Our server was Emma W. She greeted us within a minute or so of being seated and was very friendly. She gave great suggestions on what we should order (both alcoholic drinks & food) & we were pleased with her recommendations. You start off with a complimentary bread basket that comes out very warm & fresh. We tried the crab stuffed mushrooms which were good and our entrees were great. My husband ordered the herb flounder and I ordered the clam linguini. We left satisfied and very full. I'm so glad we tried this place, especially because it would not have been somewhere I would try based on the overall rating. If you are considering this restaurant, I would definitely recommend giving it a try! read more

Pilot House - Herb Flounder - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

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Food and service were great! The portion size on the crab stuffed salmon was a little disappointing for the pricing, but it was tasty. Best house made chips I've ever eaten. Sitting outside on the river walk was lovely. We were there on a Sunday afternoon and there was live music. We're highly recommend. read more

I do not understand how anyone local or nonlocal cannot give this place 5 stars. I have eaten here so many times and never once had nothing but a stellar experience. The view is perfect from anywhere you sit. The good is outstanding and well priced. The service has always been wonderful. The place is a historic building and is very nostalgic. I think they have the very best collards I have ever had. I love the mixture of country and seafood. I love their fresh catches and the bisque is amazing. I have had raw bar items, appetizers, sandwiches, entrees, etc and everything is wonderful. They have a banquet room, too. read more

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I would be giving only 3 stars, but....location, location, location. The menu is very heavy, greasy, cheesy, animal laden. Only 2 vegan choices. And they are both challenged. One is the Impossible Burger, which I had, and which is fine, but is so heavily processed that if you are a whole plant food eater like myself, you will find it sitting in your stomach like lead well into night time. And I ate here for lunch, so that's a long time! The other is a portobello mushroom sandwich, which I would have loved to have, but it is marinated in Balsamic, which I can't have because I have a Sulfite allergy. My husband had the portobello sandwich which he enjoyed. All sandwiches come with homemade chips. Very greasy. But very tasty. The only vegan dessert is sorbet. We had the mango sorbet which was very tasty. There are other vegetarian options for appetizers and entrees but they all include cheese or butter. Couldn't get a water refill to save my life! And I was dying of thirst given the saltiness of all of our food and chips. So it was a delightful ambiance and good server other than no water refills. Great view of the water. We sat inside because it was nearly 100 degrees outside. So I'm giving 4 stars even though the food was challenged. I will not be returning due to lack of vegan options, but if you like seafood, animal products, cheese and a view, check it out. read more

I wanted to have dinner with a view of the river and this place was perfect. Even indoor seating had a good view. We were seated right away in a Sunday late afternoon. Waiter was very attentive. Bread and cornbread came out nice and warm. The appetizers are half off from 4-6 so I ordered the fried calamari. Yum! Crispy and light with 2 types is sauce. Squid came in from the ocean that morning! The portobello mushroom sandwich was ok, too salty for me but fresh. The homemade chips were good too and plenty of them. Floors could have been cleaner but it was Easter weekend and busy. read more

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Went to the Pilot House for a friends birthday on 6/28. 6 of us attended and the food was amazing! Better than that the bartender and our server (beautiful blonde with a bubbly personality... wish I could remember her name) were fantastic! Needless to say me and all of my friends felt welcome, being LGBTQI, and I highly recommend dining at this fabulous restaurant! read more

The food doesn't Match the price at all . The service was okay, Although the scenery is nice.

Hurricane Idalia hit FL coast. We were on way to Wilmington and were delayed due to storm. We arrived late and headed to Pilot House as they were one of only places open for food. They were GREAT. They welcomed us and several others in same predicament. They kept same menu and each of us were given fabulous meals and service. As hurricane moved thru, they were followed by 3-F1 tornados. Sirens went off and we were told we could all continue our meal and then they offered to move us into their kitchen to finish eating!! Unbelievable!!! Food was fabulous but service and flexibility of Pilot House were phenomenal! Highly recommend! read more

Stopped at the pilot house today for a snack and a few cocktails. Our bartender Colby was amazing he made the best martini and suggested a limoncello spritzer it was phenomenal. We had an amazing brussel sprout appetizer. Thank you Colby for making our experience wonderful. read more

Food was disgusting. Chicken was terrible, has no steak, burger was burnt. Chicken was pink and didn't taste well at all.

We waited about ten minutes before Mrs. Krabby Patty snippy hostess came to seat us. After that, we waited about 40 minutes for mediocre food. Didn't taste fresh and could've made it ourselves for half the price. The ladies room was tight to get into and absolutely blown up and polluted!! No paper towels and had to get hand soap out of jug. Family restroom had a roach in it. Skip this place and go somewhere else. read more

Pilot House - Bathroom roach - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

Not off to a very good start. Only a table for two, and we requested a table outside, stated there would be a 30 minute or more wait. I've been watching three open tables outside--don't get it. Sat at bar, ordered a martini, the glass was warm!!' You should always chill down the glass. The glass, should have been ice bathed!!! Warms the drink down--bar tending 101. Now there are five open tables outside--the three original tables were NEVER filled!!! Absolutely the worse service!!! Several tables were always open, but they had you wait? The manager never did come over! I can't see the reason why they leave open tables and make people wait. The food could have been great, but the experience was horrible. I wanted to leave, but girlfriend insisted on staying. Won't be back! read more

Pilot House - Several open tables, stated reserved. How long do you leave a table open. - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

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I am a fan of this restaurant because of the location, view and the incredibly friendly and attentive staff. The food is not disappointing but has never risen to the level of exceptional, but I'm willing to give them a pass because I have never had a bad meal here, they are not overpriced and the other factors I mentioned make it one of my favorite spots to eat in Wilmington. One thing I do like a lot is their Sunday Brunch and make a point of going into town for it with my wife. It is priced well and it's a great way to spend an easy Sunday morning by the river! read more

This place gets a solid 5-stars being located right on the Riverwalk. Don't judge this place by its looks. The inside is very quaint with fine dining. The staff is very friendly and the food is extraordinary! We started with the crab stuffed mushrooms. As delicious as they were, it only got better. The crab melt was amazing. The crab melted together with the cheese is so great. As great as it was, it only got better with the dessert! We shared a New York Cheesecake with pecans, caramel, and a chocolate ganache. We also had wine with our meal and most people say this place is expensive, but we had all of the above for $60. For the view and the quality of food, I don't think it can be beat. read more

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Great service, great view and darn good food. So happy we stopped in on this gorgeous day. read more

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One of my favorite restaurants in Wilmington. The Grouper and Seafood Chowder are my go to favorites. So we, (4 of us) planned our Thanksgiving brunch at the restaurant. The Bloody Mary- perfect. The seafood bisque- perfect. The turkey, mashed potatoes, green beans was a real disappointment. The others who had ham not pleased as well. The turkey was bland and rubbery, the mashed potatoes full of lumps, and the green beans cold. The dressing was good. I believe serving this number of people- it was packed- made this very difficult. I'll always return , but Thanksgiving is more than likely a no go. read more

Food wasn't great and place needs updating and a good scrub down. Outside seating is dirty, beer tasted stale and we took two bites of our appetizers and paid and left. They need a revamp and a good cleaning read more

We love having linner (lunch&dinner) at this restaurant in downtown Wilmington, NC, right on the Cape Fear River. Not crowded at 3 pm, with great food and service. Seafood carbonara is fantastic!! read more

Three of us went there today. Called ahead for the reservation. The waitress reserved a table next to the window. It has a great view, saw people walking on the riverwalk with the sunset. The food was good. Really like the hot crab dip. The service was great. Nothing left us a deep impression. 4.3 star. read more

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Wonderful experience as usual. Food was excellent and service was outstanding. Great spot for catching up with good friends.