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    Varnish

    2.8 (5 reviews)
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    1 year ago

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    2 months ago

    christian is so awesome! we loved him, came for a bachelorette. Will definitely be back!

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    Barbary Coast

    Barbary Coast

    4.0
    (54 reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $

    I was thrown out for no reason lester dunton's girlfriend thank you very much for the experience …read more I came in about a week before with a friend of mine to play pool and he was black, and they threw both of us out for no reason

    So. Me and my wife. Has our party at k town. Great times. We have always been a fan of Barbary…read more For years. We come back. We're fine. The bouncer. Total ducking asshole she's that we're too intoxicated. We have loved this place. We have brought tons of people here. But let me tell goin. This guy really fucked it up. We were clearly sober. And he just insisted that we weren't. I must insist. We were. Just coming back to have a few drinks. But this guy made it a point. So. My birthday is coming up. I was plannning I having 22 peopleeet there. But now. That's all gone man. Tour asshoke door man has fucked it all up. We were completely sober. He just made shit uo. So guess what. Fuck tou guys. I loved this place. But your asshoke door man fucked it all up. I made Reiner's with your owner about f signs and all that. But your one employee fu led it all up. I will never come there agins. And it sucks. I love that bar. I'm sorry for all of this. But your one employee. Has rounds everything. Wrsonallh. The one guy that loves old beer sings and talked to too about all that shit. Fuck you. guys for how treated us us. . That was really fucked up. I thought we were friends man

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    Barbary Coast
    Any friend of Bourdain is a friend of mine
    Any friend of Bourdain is a friend of mine
    $3?! Love this place

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    $3?! Love this place
    Dram Yard

    Dram Yard

    4.2
    (198 reviews)
    0.2 mi
    $$$

    What a fantastic evening at Dram Yard…read more We were a little concerned we might miss our 5:30 reservation after getting delayed by a seven-car accident on the bridge, but we arrived just a couple of minutes late and it wasn't an issue at all. From the moment we arrived, the experience was relaxed, welcoming, and exactly what we needed. We chose to sit in the beautiful courtyard, and with temperatures in the 70s, sunshine overhead, and a gentle breeze, it couldn't have been a more perfect setting. The outdoor gazebo bar creates a wonderful atmosphere for enjoying a cocktail before dinner, and if the weather isn't cooperating, the indoor dining space is equally inviting. A special thank you to Sarah, whose service was outstanding. She was cheerful, attentive, and genuinely seemed happy to be there. The restaurant wasn't crowded, which made for a peaceful and unhurried dining experience. For drinks, I ordered the Ghost Town, while my wife enjoyed the Venus Flytrap. Both were beautifully prepared and easy to see why they're among the restaurant's popular cocktails. The food was equally impressive. I had the Spaghetti Carbonara, and it was exceptional. The kitchen even accommodated my request for extra freshly cracked black pepper, which took an already excellent dish to another level. My wife ordered the Little Gem Salad with shrimp, and it was fresh, flavorful, and perfectly prepared. We also shared the Tuna Tartare Tostada, which was outstanding--beautiful presentation, fresh tuna, and a great balance of textures and flavors. Adding to the experience was a bottle of Albariño that paired wonderfully with the meal. What stands out most about Dram Yard is its atmosphere. It's the kind of place where you can settle in, slow down, enjoy a handcrafted cocktail, and forget about the stresses of the day. Whether you're looking for a date night, an evening with friends, or simply a quiet place to relax, Dram Yard delivers. Excellent service, creative cocktails, outstanding food, and one of the most relaxing outdoor dining spaces in Wilmington. We'll definitely be back.

    This was the 3rd time we've been here. The first two times we did not make it to the table because…read moreof the service. They generally do not care about the customer at all. The star of the show is definitely the food. The chef is super proud of his food, and he should be. The only reason I'm giving this a 4 on food instead of a 5 is because there was no iced tea (in the summer in the carolinas - not really forgivable) the water was nasty and the biscuits on my Benedict were towards the burnt side on the bottom. Honestly, everything otherwise was amazing. What was really great: The restaurant itself is AMAZING! It's like being transported to a Parisian cafe. I love that when you walk in, you immediately see the fully in view kitchen. I'm assuming a chef owns the restaurant and designed the layout. The patio is quaint and delightful and surprisingly private for a downtown sidewalk restaurant. The eggs on my Eggs Benedict could not have been more perfect. I'm not a fried potato person; however, the pan fried potatoes here are mostly whole and they are out of this world. They were exceedingly crispy on the outside and completely soft on the inside. My son ordered the dutch baby. It was delicious. The accompanied fruit was perfect and truly ripe. I feel like they would have to toss a lot of fruit to get the ones that were truly that perfect. What did not work: The water - it was about 85 degrees out and humid. There is nothing here refreshing. Water is served European style meaning no ice and out of the tap. Warm tap water on a hot day in South Carolina is just nasty. It's ironic that while Europeans visiting the US for the World Cup are posting social media reels raving about ice in drinks in the United States, meanwhile The Dram Yard is insisting on pulling all of the worst parts of eating out in Europe into their restaurant. I truly dislike restaurants that serve canned and bottled beverages. It screams, "nickel and dime". If you bought your cans of soda at Costco and charged $4.00 for a can, I'd have to drink 9 cans before you're losing money. There is literally no reason to limit beverages other than driving higher profits. I hate price gouging. At the very least get a fountain and serve iced tea. SERVICE - the service staff simply makes you feel like they're doing you a favor by being open. Don't expect anything after that. When we arrived, the restaurant was at about 25% capacity with 2 food servers, who also double as the hostess. After waiting 10 minutes to be seated (yes...even at 25% capacity), service truly went downhill from there. It wasn't that the staff was rude. They were just not present and extremely slow. It honestly seemed like they were doing everything they could to not be seen. We needed salt, a refill of the water carafe and our check. That was it. The staff would come to our part of the dining room but then not even glance around or come by to see if we needed anything. I'm giving them a 2 because they were exceedingly slow and not present. When we did chase them down, I felt rude asking for help. The chef delivered our food. He was very proud and should be. However, here's the rub. The chef needs to learn that being in the restaurant business is not only about creating great food. It also requires front of house service and an overall dining experience that people are happy with. Right now, I'm walking away feeling: 1. great food and great atmosphere 2. terrible service 3. nickle and dimed me on drinks 4. doesn't have the sense to serve iced tea in the Caronlinas So - as much as I loved the food - there are too many restaurants in Wilmington that are good enough to overcome 2, 3 and 4 above. The Dram could be fixed so easily: 1. hire servers who want to be there and smile a little 2. put ice in your water 3. serve iced tea - at least in the summer months 4. get a soda fountain - it's 2026 Unfortunately, we won't be back because there are simply other options that, at the very least, hit 1, 2 and 3 with good food.

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    Awesome bar
    Awesome bar
    After (Shrimp and Grits)
    After (Shrimp and Grits)
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    Fox’s Hole In The Wall

    Fox’s Hole In The Wall

    4.4
    (63 reviews)
    0.1 mi

    This is one of the best hidden spots in Wilmington. It's located on a corner kind of easy to miss…read more We stopped here on a late Sunday night after the beach as it was one of the places open late, very thankful that it was. Such a unique and different menu we started out with the Big Wes Lil' Weiners which was 4 smoked Jalapeno and cheddar sausages wrapped in an empanada crust served with an arugula chimmichuri dipping sauce. So innovative and delicious, sauce had a bite to it and the sausages were juicy and crispy with the empanada crust, highly recommend. I wanted to house made roast beef only available on the weekends but it was sold out, no surprise. Opted for the Ghostface Fillah instead. Shaved ribeye, arugula, horseradish on delicious sourdough bread. Perfect amount of ribeye and the all of the components worked perfectly. Saw quite a few people getting the burger as well, people rave about it. We also got an order of the garlic parm curly fries which couldn't have been much better, place just has such a fun menu putting their twist on American staples, perfect spot to grab a bite and watch a game. Our server had food recommendations, limited seating inside but just the right amount, worth any kind of wait you might encounter.

    The Big Wes' Little Wieners were so good.. the service was incredibly kind and personable. I was in…read morethe area for work and popped in for dinner and was so glad that I did so. They were knowledgeable about the area and happy to share and the food and drinks were phenomenal. Definitely worth while checking out.

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    Fox’s Hole In The Wall
    Big Wes lil weiners
    Big Wes lil weiners
    Fox’s Hole In The Wall

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    Varnish - divebars - Updated July 2026

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