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    The Cardinal Restaurant

    4.4 (25 reviews)
    Closed 4:00 pm - 9:00 PM

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    THE CARDINAL RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

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    Courtney W.

    What a little gem!! So let me just be honest and tell you I am fresh out of New Jersey. NC food for me is challenging if not disappointing. However, The Cardinal brought me right back to those NJ restaurant feels and tastes. Andrew, bartender, amazing! Met the owner, extremely friendly! Seafood is fresh, well cooked with delicious spices and played beautifully! The Apple crumb for dessert is a must not miss!! Thank you for a great meal! ;)

    Cozy Bar

    This is without any doubt the best place to eat anywhere near the area. Their owner is fantastic & it's exactly the type of experience you would hope for with the incredible ambiance.

    Brussels sprouts and pomegranate margarita

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    2 months ago

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    15 days ago

    My wife and both tried the eggplant stack and shared a pear salad. One of the best eggplant dishes we have ever had.

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    10 months ago

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    27 days ago

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    3 months ago

    Hidden gem of affordable American dishes! Food atmosphere and wait staff were exceptional. Will be back for more

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    2 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    Russel S.

    Thanks for the great review Robert.

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Nice atmosphere, great pizza and salads, yummy garlic butter shrimp app. Yay. And thoughtful service. Well done!

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    2 years ago

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    5 years ago

    Highly recommend. My wife & I had filets that were cooked perfectly. Nice atmosphere, good food & service. Our waitress, Chase was great

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    Review Highlights - The Cardinal Restaurant

    Do yourself a favor and try the Brussel sprouts.

    Mentioned in 2 reviews

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    Courtyard Grill - Font of the building

    Courtyard Grill

    3.1(8 reviews)
    0.0 mi

    Came in on Sunday afternoon to catch the Panthers versus Saints game. There were lots of seating…read moreoptions that allowed for excellent TV viewing. There was also a large television on the patio but it was a little too chilly today. The atmosphere was also pleasant for those not interested in watching the game. Our server was friendly and took very good care of us. There were 4 of us and we sampled several menu items. All the food was served hot and exactly as we ordered. House salad very fresh. The bar is stocked well and the drinks were good. If I lived local I would be a regular, especially on game days. Wish my neighborhood had a place like this.

    This new restaurant used to be Halligan's Public House. They have plenty of seating inside as well…read moreas outdoor seating, where dogs are allowed. This would be a good place for groups. Menu items include burgers (beef, chicken or Beyond), tacos, sandwiches, salads, soups, flatbreads, and kid-friendly foods. You can change sandwiches to a wrap with a sun-dried tomato basil tortilla. Burgers and sandwiches usually come with kettle chips and tacos usually come with tortilla chips and fire roasted salsa, but you can pay an additional price for other sides, such as fries, onion rings, mac and cheese, slaw, side salad, chips and salsa. Desserts on the day I arrived were either chocolate cake or key lime pie. I ordered the Sweet Potato Totchos appetizer ($10), which were sweet potato tots with bite-sized pork belly, smothered in melted cheese and garnished with scallions. I ordered it to-go so the honey lime yogurt that is usually drizzled on the tots was put in a separate container. The appetizer definitely tasted a lot better with the honey lime yogurt. For the entree, I tried La's Meatloaf ($11) sandwich. The sandwich had slices of homestyle meatloaf with a sweet tomato herb sauce on grilled sourdough bread. It was good and very filling. I could only finish half of the sandwich. For the side, I changed the kettle chips to onion rings. The onion rings were your typical greasy onion rings and were fried well. Overall, the food was decent and reasonably priced.

    Photos
    Courtyard Grill - Shrimp pork belly app

    Shrimp pork belly app

    Courtyard Grill - Outdoor area

    Outdoor area

    Courtyard Grill - Bar

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    Bar

    Tavern Law 1832 - Comfy, cozy, clean. One-stop shop for trying all that Wilmington and NC breweries have to offer.

    Tavern Law 1832

    4.6(36 reviews)
    6.2 mi
    $$

    One of my favorite bars downtown. It's a great place to go with a group of friends. It's casual and…read morewelcoming. On nice days they open the front windows so you can post up and people watch, or if you prefer to watch sports they have tons of TVs. They usually have a fresh batch of popcorn and on Sundays they have free hotdogs!

    This place is a great place to hang with friends. I've been here five times, twice on pride bar…read morecrawls. It is a cool bar that draws an eclectic crowd. They have a variety of seating options, including some group-friend booths. On my last visit, I sat at the bar and ordered a flight of beer. Tony the bartender was very patient with my request for a flight of local beer with no IPAs or hoppy beers. He picked out: 2: Wrightsville Beach Orange Crush, 3. Waterline Kolsh, 4. Teaches Peaches, 1. Watermelon Dragon Fruit Burst. I was familiar with the first three and loved them. I jokingly refer to Wrightsville Beach Orange Crush as creamsicle beer. It isn't too sweet, but the Orange flavor is quite strong. The Waterline Kolsh is light and very easy to drink. The Teaches Peaches is one of my favorites due to its light fruity flavor. The Watermelon Dragon Fruit Burst was a wildcard in Tony's lineup. This sour was a refreshing way to mix up my beer tasting. My friend also got a flight and didn't like one of the beers he chose. Tony swapped it out for a different beer as soon as I told him and the new one was well-received. My favorite part of this visit was that Tony decided to bring me a sample of the 8. Firestone Walker Mind Haze, because it was a non-hoppy IPA and he thought I might like it. It wasn't my fave, but I really appreciated the opportunity to try something new. I snacked on free popcorn all during my visit. The popcorn machine is in the back. Also in the back are single-stall restrooms. Tavern Law has an A+ in my book because they have great local beer on tap and they are gay friendly.

    Photos
    Tavern Law 1832 - Opening night! Thanks to everyone who made it amazing!

    Opening night! Thanks to everyone who made it amazing!

    Tavern Law 1832 - Tons of TV's and tasty brews.

    Tons of TV's and tasty brews.

    Tavern Law 1832

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    Lazy Pirate Island Sports Grill - These are the potato wedges they serve here

    Lazy Pirate Island Sports Grill

    2.9(468 reviews)
    10.2 mi
    $$

    "Seafood and sports bar on main road in Carolina Beach"…read more Stopped here with a group of 5 on a Friday night in summer, drawn in by the signs about all-you-can-eat crab legs. We arrived at 6pm, and waited maybe 20 minutes for a table. When asked if we wanted indoor or outdoor, we said either was fine as long as not full-sun (some tables were full-sun). Sadly, we were placed at one of the full-sun tables initially. Luckily, when we fussed a bit, they got us a table inside. The restaurant is quite large, with a truly indoor area as well as mostly covered outdoor ones-- we were fortunate to get a truly indoor one, since it was quite hot. The menu was a bit eclectic-- seafood dishes, sandwiches, chicken, and burgers, and lots of drinks. I opted for the fish tacos, since that was reasonably priced-- something like $12-15. The AYCE crab legs were $59-- no thanks! I added a side-salad and also got a fried pickle appetizer for the table. It was a Friday night and busy, but I will say service was SLOW and frankly not great. Took us maybe 15 minutes to get asked what we'd like to order. The fried pickles came almost 30 minutes later. And the meal maybe another 15-20 minutes after that. Our server also seemed almost "put off" whenever we asked for anything, too... like basic flatware after our food arrived. He wasn't great with questions either. Though he did check on us a couple of times. Food was pretty good. The fish tacos were tasty, though one person noted that they were rather minimally seasoned and could have been really great with more. The fried dishes were "fine". One thing to note is the portions are HUGE for many dishes-- one of us got the captain's basket or something, and he's a big eater, but this was way more than he could finish. Similarly, one of us who got the chicken tender platter noted it was really, really big. On the one hand, that's good, but on the other, you're also paying the extra price since the prices were also proportionately higher. The fish tacos were a good compromise-- basically the right amount of food for one person and a decent price. The bathroom was not especially clean-- the soap dispenser was broken and on the side, and it looked like the space hadn't been serviced. The doors to the restrooms were also sticky such that they'd sometimes be left propped open. Overall, I'd say this place was OK but definitely could have been better. I liked my food fine, but the service was definitely underwhelming. One exception-- the lady working the bar was very helpful. There are a lot of GREAT restaurants in Carolina Beach, so this one doesn't do great by comparison.

    One Star - Apparently, We Interrupted a Bad Day…read more We walked into the Lazy Pirate, said hello, and asked our bartender how she was doing. Her response? "Um, you don't want to ask me that today. What do you want to drink?" Well, excuse us for being friendly! I ordered a Miami Vice, which was apparently a tremendous inconvenience. After a dramatic sigh, she informed me it might still be too watery but that she would check. Spoiler alert: It was watery. Very watery. Apparently, the frozen part of a frozen cocktail was optional. My husband ordered a beer, which arrived warm. So, between my melted Miami Vice and his warm beer, we really hit the beverage jackpot! We paid, left, and won't be returning. We understand everyone has a bad day, but when your customers are friendlier than your bartender, something is wrong. One star for the drinks. Zero stars for the attitude. ‍

    Photos
    Lazy Pirate Island Sports Grill - Inside bar area

    Inside bar area

    Lazy Pirate Island Sports Grill - These are the chicken nuggets they serve here.

    These are the chicken nuggets they serve here.

    Lazy Pirate Island Sports Grill - Calamari with frozen mango margarita & electric shark bucket

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    Calamari with frozen mango margarita & electric shark bucket

    Carolina Beach Grill & Bar

    Carolina Beach Grill & Bar

    3.7(27 reviews)
    10.6 mi

    Stopped in to have a couple of drinks only. Sat outside so didn't even venture inside. Outside was…read morenice and shaded. Not an extensive menu for cocktails. Ordered the margarita with jalapeño which was meh. Had a dirty martini that was not good at all. The olives were also terrible. Also had a Tom Collins that was just okay, but was the best out of the three that we ordered. Super friendly server and hostess. Always checked in on us and made sure all was good.

    Location: excellent. Food: nothing to write home about…read more A fun spot in the heart of Carolina Beach across from the boardwalk and beach. Great outdoor patio area steps from the rides. Kids and teenagers were going back and forth with ease, so very convenient for large families or groups if your kids are old enough to venture off on their own. The food itself was mostly bland and overcooked. My burger was very well done, almost rubbery even though I asked for a medium temp. My wife's fried fish tacos were also over cooked. Fries were a bit soggy, but still tasty. There's a variety of options so it can feed a large family with different tastes. Best thing on the menu for me personally was the Tropical Lightning IPA on tap. One of my favorite NC IPAs, and I've never seen it on tap anywhere else. With so many options in the area, we're probably one and done here.

    Photos
    Carolina Beach Grill & Bar - Good crowd for a Wednesday after just opening.

    Good crowd for a Wednesday after just opening.

    Carolina Beach Grill & Bar - Burger with chili, slaw, mustard on a gluten free bun

    Burger with chili, slaw, mustard on a gluten free bun

    Carolina Beach Grill & Bar

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    The Cardinal Restaurant - sportsbars - Updated September 2026

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