3 Best Seafood Restaurants in Wilmington, NC

“Hieronymus Seafood Restaurant & Oyster Bar serves freshly caught seafood, plus wines and spirits in a casual setting. They serve some of the best Cape Fear cuisine, including local seafood, vegetables, cocktails, and craft beer. The restaurant was voted Best Seafood in Wilmington by Encore Magazine from 2009 to 2011 and nominated for Best Oysters for 2015 and 2016. They provide top-quality seafood for their guests. Their wide menu includes fried oysters, fried shrimp, clam strips, fried combination platter, snow crab legs, and more. Hieronymus Seafood Restaurant & Oyster Bar offers happy hours and a private dining room.”

“Dockside Restaurant provides a casual marina spot with an eclectic, seafood-heavy menu and full bar, with boat docking available. The restaurant menu focuses primarily on seafood dishes, with an emphasis on fresh, locally sourced ingredients. Their signature dish is the crab cake, made with jumbo lump crab meat and served with a side of remoulade sauce, and popular dishes include seafood pasta, shrimp and grits, and blackened tuna. They also provide a raw bar with a selection of oysters, clams, and shrimp cocktails. The restaurant atmosphere is casual and relaxed, with a nautical theme throughout the decor. Dockside Restaurant is open for lunch and dinner every day, and reservations are recommended for dinner.”

“Boathouse Restaurant is a family-owned restaurant that provides a bustling, all-day dining establishment with American eats and classic Calabash fare like clam chowder and crab cakes. Their extensive menu includes grilled garlic shrimp, blackened grouper, grilled grouper, snow crab, fried oyster platter, half rack baby back ribs, fried flounder platter, and more. They also provide a kids' menu that includes fried shrimp, chicken tenders, corn dog, grilled cheese, and linguini marinara. They feature breakfast, lunch, and dinner with a specialty in Calabash Style Seafood. Boathouse Restaurant provides online ordering for its customers.”