We had an awesome time at the Pilot House. The sunset was beautiful while the food and service was excellent. I had crabcake sandwich and my wife had a salad. We plan to return again. We highly recommend it. read more

This place was fine; nothing special, but it is nice it is on the river. We went here close to closing on a Sunday in November and it was pretty empty. We sat outside, which would have been nicer if other tables had been cleared and the floor clean. I know it was low season during a pandemic, but that kind of affected the ambiance. Service was nice, but a little slow. My dad and I got the crab dip, which was pretty good. The scallop entrée was one of the better deals and I was able to enjoy the leftovers the next day. I would try again in day light and knowing you are really going for the view. read more

A couple friends and I ate here while in town back in April and none of us were super impressed unfortunately. We sat outside on the patio and had a nice view, but even though it was pretty warm out, they didn't have the ceiling fans on. Not the worst thing, but would've been nice. Service was kind of slow and we didn't feel like we were really paid much attention to. My friends meals were so so and I ordered a house salad (which shouldn't be hard to mess up) but it apparently had been sitting out or under heat lamps because when I got it, the greens were pretty warm. I definitely don't recommend eating a warm salad to anyone! I didn't try to order another one because we didn't get checked in on enough and I didn't feel like I would get it until after my friends finished their meals so I ate what I could and got some snacks when we went back to our Airbnb. Pretty disappointed and not sure I'd come back here. read more

I've never had a restaurant so quickly and warmly take a reservation 30 minutes from the time we called. When all 22 of us arrived, our table was set in the corner with a view of the river. The team was quick to get our drink order while we settled in and never dropped a beat through the entire meal. I'm so impressed with the service, the food, the prices and the atmosphere. I would recommend this to anyone who visits Wilmington and we look forward to returning. Thank you! Wes was our server, if you have the opportunity to be waited on by Wes, take it! read more

Pilot House - Our view. - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

After painfully searching for a solid seafood restaurant at the Riverwalk, we decided to go to Pilot House. The location of Pilot House is as good as you'll get with a view of the Cape Fear River. All of the tables inside were reserved at the moment, but our host let us hang around the bar area during our wait. The bartender offered to give us water, and the whole staff were very accommodating. Once we were seated, we were given a basket full of dank assorted bread with spread - I could eat them for days. My baby nephew was given crayons and paper to draw on too! I ordered a plate full of baked scallops topped with butter, bacon, hollandaise, spinach, and parmesan. Scallops are my favorite type of seafood dish and I'm very picky with how they're made, but I LOVED Pilot House's fix on it. I would definitely recommend and go to this place again. It's quaint and homey with a slant of fine dining. The staff definitely upped our experience as well. read more

Pilot House - just really good bread 10/10 would do again - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

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Food was average. Nothing special. Fireplace in the bathroom was the highlight. Probably won't be back

fries were hard undercooked and lukewarm , the chopped up to bits lettuce on my sandwich was bitter tasting I ate the mushy lobster off my roll top thats about it I was disappointed read more

Had a reservation for 3 at 7 pm...even had the text confirmation to show it. Initially we were simply dismissed and told we'd have to go elsewhere. After inquiring why our reservation was being denied and couldn't be accommodated we were eventually told we could have an "Inside table". (As if our dollar was less valuable than others.) Found it rather interesting that the restaurant was about 25% full...so they must have been short staffed. Crab leg pot came out cold. Crab cakes were awful...no flavor and no taste of anything but breading. Stuffed salmon was great! Our server was very wonderful but the rest of the treatment was bad enough to make sure we will never return. Definitely not impressed. read more

I probably would rate this higher but it got off to bad start. Ourselves and another couple waited obediently at the sign that said "Please wait to be seated." 5-10 minutes later, a hostess walks back and forth without any acknowledgement to any of us. Finally, she comes in and takes the other couple to a table. She never comes back. So my husband goes to investigate what the heck is going on. Well, there is another hostess stand. She was standing there and says, "Would you like a table?" and he says, "Yes, we've been standing out there for 15 minutes." And she says, "Yes , I know, I saw you." Are you kidding me? So after we get on the list and go sit down, back in the entrance, 8 other couples walk in and stand there. I couldn't take it, as I watched them dutifully stand there at the sign, I told them no one is coming, you might try going to the other stand. Once we got seated, our server was very good. The calamari looked over cooked but it was actually very tender and the sauce that came with it was good. We both had the flounder Po-boy and it was good, the fries were good. I wonder if the waiters know all the hell that goes on before people actually sit down. read more

Three stars for location. Otherwise underwhelmed. Long waitlist at my fave Elijah's, told by hostess to try this sister restaurant. Plenty of covered outdoor seating available with no wait. Now I know why. Service was painfully slow. High prices for bland offerings. The big tip to share: they offer you bread, you ask for a refill and are blindsided with a $5 charge X2. Waiter was inattentive and seemed annoyed. Do not recommend. read more

Pilot House - Prickly Pear - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

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We went over to Elijahs after our 30 minute wait turned into 45 at pilot house, which is not the reason for the one star review. Pilot house had 5 waiting ahead of us, and apparently a couple reservations as well. There were 6 four tops available, and 2 two tops available, none of which became occupied while we waited the 45 minutes. I went to ask why it was that none of the seats were getting filled but we still had to wait an additional 15 minutes. I was called a dumbass by the hostess, Sarah that wears the Amish looking outfits. We won't be coming back until they get a couple better hires. Got immediate seating and much friendlier service at elijahs, and the food is great. I recommend checking them out instead of pilot house when looking for good seafood read more

Very good food and great views! Just slight expensive but also worth the price. Got lots of appetizers and entrees!

Hubby liked better than me so only gets the 4. He had fried seafood platter & liked that it was lightly beaded. Mine was good heirloom tomato salad. When I see word heirloom tomatoes I expect nice ripe beautiful tomatoes not cherry tomatoes. Tasted great just not what I was expecting. read more

Pilot House - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

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We were in the are for the day and I originally wanted to eat at another restaurant however it was closed so we figured we would give the Pilot House a shot. I've been in the are a lot in the past and have never eaten here yet immediately regretted not coming sooner. There were so many great options it made it very hard to choose. It was a cool day so we sat in the heated outdoor seating area. The view was nice on the intracoastal waterway. We were served plenty of rolls and butter to start. While deciding what to eat a family seatednearbywas eatingthe spicy chicken sandwich and just by seeing it on someone else's plate, my husband knew immediately what he wanted. My son ordered the Grown up grilled cheese, he doesn't like sourdough so they easily accommodated his request to use a different bread. It was huge and had thick bacon on it along with 3 different cheeses, cheesy and buttery. It was served with house made chips. Essentially his plate was empty in moments, he may have just inhaled it. I had the mussels. They were super fresh and the serving was huge, especially for a lunch portion.My husband had to help me finish it. The sauce was so flavorful and the tomatoes in the sauce were great with the little bit of acidity. Now, the chicken sandwich.....my husband only let me have 1 bite. We both agreed that it was AMAZING. By far the best chicken sandwich either of us have ever had. The portion was huge. It wasnt very spicy but that had no bearing to us. Myhusband said he would easily make the 2 hour trip from Raleigh anytime just for the sandwich. He said the only downfalls were that he didn't order 2 and that we couldn't give more than 5 stars. We will definitely be back. It will be harder to convince him to go to my favorite restaurant now that he found the Pilot House!! read more

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Lovely spot on the water and a great day to eat outside. I had high hopes for the root salad which boasted beets and parsnips, along with kale and carrots and such. The price was a bit higher than a regular salad, but I understand the price of root vegetables. i was able to locate 4-5 tiny pieces of parsnips but not beets at all. I could have bought a bag of kale from the grocery store for a lot cheaper. i do not recommend. read more

This was a wonderful meal. Our server name was Shawn and he was awesome, very attentive, prompted with refills, and all needs for a party of 11. He was helpful with menu items and had a good personality and sense of humor. I had the Crunchy Catfish and it was hands down the best meal I've had in Years! The collards were almost better than the catfish...YUM! My boyfriend had the captains platter and couldn't say enough about how good everything was. My cousin had the tuna, salmon, and shrimp and just raves about it! A nice little place on the boardwalk with a sweet little cozy dining experience! I would recommend it 10x over! See you again next summer Pilot House read more

Lunch with a beautiful view of the Cape Fear River.the Carolina bisque was creamy with lots of seafood.the calamari was cooked perfectly with a crispy batter and tender squid inside.A perfect lunch read more

I had high hopes for this restaurant. I was visiting for labor day weekend with a group of 4. The cocktails were good. Food was... below average for the simple sake of lack of seasoning. The presentation of the food and atmosphere of the restaurant were awesome. The server was not attentive and we were jealous of the other guests server who seemed stellar in atmosphere service. I don't think it was a bad enough experience to write this restaurant off but I'll pass on my next visit to the area. read more

Pilot House - Crab stuffed salmon - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

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I had the salmon (when it was on the menu) as well as the shrimp & grits. It was well-seasoned and the sauces they make are delicious. Also had the lobster mac & cheese which was a lot better than I expected (I expected good, but it really was amazing). It's on the cheaper side of upscale restaurants, which makes it a viable option for lunch/dinner on the waterfront without destroying your wallet. Also this place is huge - tons of seating, so it's likely you'll get a table. But reservations are always a plus just in case. read more

The food was pretty good. We ordered the calamari for an appetizer. The only thing that was off putting was the slack white sauce that came with it. Not sure what it was but it wasn't my favorite. I did enjoy my entree. It was the stuffed catch of the day. Salmon stuffed with shrimp and scallops. The country beurre blanc was delicious. The only complaint that I had was that the salmon was a little too crispy on the bottom for me. One friend got the pulled pork and said it was good. The other got the shrimp and grits but wasn't sold on it. Apparently the grits were overcooked. This restaurant makes a grit cake that is deep fried. My friend mentioned only being able to taste the grease. I really like the atmosphere of this place though. It is directly on the waterway with beautiful views. We came a little late so we missed the sunset but I can imagine that it's gorgeous. Our waitress was amazing. Very attentive. Our drinks were strong and delicious. This place is definitely worth a checking out if you're in town. read more

I have been to this restaurant a few times but it's been quite a while since my most recent visit. In the past this place has been awesome. Whenever my dad came to visit this was his go to restaurant. Tonight however I was pretty disappointed. The complimentary bread basket wasn't warm and the bread was hard as a rock. Then when dinner came my meal wasn't very warm at all. I got the shrimp and grits. Most of the meal was tasty but the grit cake had no flavor at all. The best part of the dish was the sauce by far. My boyfriend got the fried shrimp and flounder and said his seafood was gritty. Overall we were just really not very impressed. This was disappointing as we have had good experiences in the past. read more

Stopped in for appetizers and a couple happy hour drinks. The service was great and the cool breeze while sitting on dock dining area made the evening. Drinks were spot on. read more

Went for dinner and were told the wait was an hour, so we grabbed a drink at the bar while we waited. The bartender was friendly and made some good suggestions! About 20 minutes later they had a table for us, so nowhere near the hour we originally thought which was great. Tables were spaced well for social distancing. Service was fantastic, food was delicious. We had the crab dip and calamari, both were great. The calamari comes with a really good dipping sauce too. My friends got the crab cake sandwich, one with fries, one with mac and cheese. My pasta was good and had lots of shrimp and lobster in it. Both said all their food was wonderful too. Such a great experience! I think our waitresses name was Carolyn, she was so nice. This was my first visit to Wilmington, can't wait to go back! read more

Pilot House - Shrimp and Lobster Carbonara - Seafood Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

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Complete disappointment. Went out for a family dinner only to receive poor service and subpar food. The table next to ours was piled with dirty dishes from the previous party. Wasn't cleaned off for at least 45 mins. We did enjoy our appetizer but our meals left so much to be desired. Waitress didn't check to see if we needed refills of our beverages. Had to ask for water. Steak was ordered cooked medium but a overcooked well done steak was delivered to our table with 2 other meals that were sad. Fried fish breading was separated from slimy fish filet. Salmon was cool with an over salted crab stuffing. Would not return due to this experience. read more

We left before we were even seated. When we arrived, a couple sat before our party of three. The hostesses could have sat us both if they had sat the couple at a two top and us at the four but they didn't. The two young hostesses then sat another couple who arrived after us before us. They had an open table that wasn't cleared they could have sat us at but the hostesses continued to just look at their phones and let us wait. We waited at the bar and the bartender was fantastic. All these two girls had to do was clear the empty tables and seat us. It's a shame we had to leave because the menu looked good, but the two girls seating people just made too many mistakes. read more

Super disappointed in the food and service. It used to be such a great restaurant. Hopefully they will right the ship.

We enjoyed the pilot house ! Expensive . Good service . Great atmosphere . Would go again. Had the shrimp and grits. Delicious .

Josh is the bomb! Great service and so kind. Food was fresh, we had 3 different salads, all giant, delicious. The clams were so clean, yummm. Great food great service. Will be back! read more

Nice atmosphere on the River front downtown. Fried fish was overcooked, heavy breading. Loved the creamy slaw.

The food was ok. Nothing special. Not worth the wait. Would recommend going elsewhere especially for the price. Blackened Grouper was very dry and not flavorful. read more

COCKROACHES. We were recommended this place. The view was nice but the food was lack luster. In addition, we were waiting for desert when a large cockroach fell from the ceiling onto my mother's plate (just cm from her nose) and ran around the table over each dish -multiple times!! The server said "jeez I've never seen that before" no apologies or compensation for the meal we severely over paid totaling over $200. read more

Food was delicious and service was pleasant, prompt, and efficient. Very enjoyable for our anniversary dinner.

Ambiance is amazing on the waterway Live musician had a silky voice The food was amazing: half garden salad with blackened chicken was moist and had the right spice. Greens were fresh and crunchy. My cousin had the spinach salad with crab cake. Crab cake was soft and well seasoned. The house honey mustard dressing was light and complimented the salad. read more

Joe and I went here last night with some friends because we wanted seafood and we wanted to be waterfront. The view was very nice, especially at sunset. The food, however, was just average. We had the calamari, which was too breaded and overcooked for my taste. We also had some of the crab-stuffed mushrooms. The texture of these was great! But I'd have liked them more if they had more flavor. We also split a dozen chilled oysters on the half-shell. The cocktail sauce came premixed, and definitely needed more horseradish. We also had to ask to have crackers. I had a cup of the seafood bisque to go with mine. Overall, this place could use a menu updating. I feel like it's really suck in the past in terms of what nice modern food is. The place has a "fancy" atmosphere, but it really lacks flavor. read more

I was expecting this place to be top notch amazing, however our server lacked knowledge about if the crab cakes were fresh or frozen then meal came and my steak was rubbery apps were ok but not something to want to go back for. read more

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Ate here on a recent trip to Wilmington - we were not disappointed. The seafood linguini I had was hot and delicious. Service was excellent, non-intrusive, but attentive. Hubby had sea scallops and shrimp. He said it was excellent. The only take-away was was a fly that made a nuisance as soon as our food arrived. read more

Frigoff pilot house n ur overpriced overrated food. Came here for my dads 73 after the annie musical. Shoulda just went to freakin hells kitchen n had 4 times the food at the same cost, better service with same kinda food. Shit even hells is a notch up! The place felt dead. Its november i get it. But the server seemed like she didnt wanna be there. The calamari was fairly good. Soft and flaky but not for $10 at that portion. The free "rolls" wer dry n the butter just got pulled outta the cooler. Did we mention november? Oh yeah but its also 615 in november so all the condiments are bye bye until needed. This goes for ALL condiments throughout the entire meal (cocktail, tartar, whatever) - all were that hard n cold, jam the fukin knife in type feelin. The fried green tomatoes wer aight. The drinks wer small and not that strong. Got the prickly pear martini...eh. Not sweet which is good but not strong not flavorful. The grouper special was rubbery. The fried okra tastes fry-ey. The crab cakes wer good the ole lady said. But the oil was old and overused. She wouldnt get again. My mom said the lobster wasnt lobster...it was lagostine that weird ass shrimp crawfish shit...false advertising Anyways F this place too many other better spots and for $150 + tip for a 4top? Ill go to manna or caprice or copper penny or fukin chops deli and get a god blessed catering tray read more

I have lived here for years, but never ended up visiting this place because I worked at Elijah's when I first moved here and they put a bad taste in my mouth. I am so glad I finally went! Prices for lunch are VERY affordable. I went once with a friend for lunch. I got the catfish plate and she received the portobello sandwich. We also shared the green fried tomatoes. I wish the tomatoes came with a sweeter sauce, but the texture was very nice on the tomatoes- not soggy at all. My catfish was huge! Moist, perfectly fried, and with delicious grits. The red eye gravy MADE the dish and everything tied together for a beautiful lunch. I liked it so much that I went back the next week with my husband. We got a window seat and it was very beautiful. I love the dark wood floors and the airiness of this establishment. He got the basic burger and I got the chicken Marsala pasta. The waitress with bright purple lipstick was very sweet and accommodating. The shaved prosciutto was the perfect saltiness. The sauce was not too thick, not too thin. Everything was very balanced. The calamari wasn't anything to write home about, but the full experience was awesome. read more

What a disappointment, the hosts were extremely untrained and confused, finally they gave us a table which was dirty, we have to wait to be cleaned, after we sat for almost 15 minutes not even a greet or any interaction, so we just left and took my business elsewhere which was excellent at George's, hopefully they will train the staff to take care of customer, read more

View was great!! Food was very good! Hot bread while you wait. Calamari was tender and not chewy. I had the shrimp and lobster newburg and hubby had the crab melt. We both enjoyed the good flavors. Son had the steak, and he thought it was just ok. Wait staff very friendly. read more

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