Grills/Pubs

The Copper Penny $-$$
109 Chestnut Street, Wilmington 28401
(910) 762-1373
If you’re looking for a laid-back pub atmosphere with tastier fare than you’d be likely to find in a pub, you’ll flip for The Copper Penny. Based on many of co-owner Christine Cadwallader’s family recipes, including her dad’s own award-winning chili, the menu has expanded significantly from the restaurant’s early sandwich days. Each evening features a full entree selection, including a steak, chicken and fish special, as well as nightly appetizers and soups. Definitely not your ordinary pub grub, The Copper Penny’s comfort food pays homage to the old standard neighborhood bar and grill while upping the ante on its menu. The bar features 80 bottled beers, mostly American micro-brews. The Penny even offers monthly beer tastings to highlight new selections. Fourteen taps pour a wide variety of brews from ale to stout, and the extensive martini list is a nice way to kick off the night. Utilize The Copper Penny’s catering service for your next affair or arrange to have your party thrown on the premises. This stately monument to the pub has a home-style feel that envelops you like a warm wool blanket in winter.

Fat Tony’s Italian Pub $$
131 N. Front Street, Wilmington 28401
(910) 343-8881
Founded on the simple joys of a good beer and a hearty Italian meal, Fat Tony's Italian Pub offers plenty of both. They have a selection of 24 draft beers, more than anywhere else downtown, and their menu is filled with generous helpings of fresh and flavorful Italian favorites. Begin your meal with any one of their yummy appetizers, including Pizza Chip Nachos topped with Spinach and Artichoke Hearts or Carolina Crab and Cheese, or try their lightly fried calamari. The huge, made-to-order pizza-dough breadsticks are stuffed with your choice of spinach and cheese, sun-dried tomato and goat cheese, or meatball and cheese. Craving New York-style pizza? Try any one of their specialty pizzas or calzones or select your own toppings. Or how about a pasta dish? Fat Tony's beef lasagna has received rave reviews, and the Pasta Tony (artichoke hearts, mushrooms and ricotta cream sauce baked with angel hair pasta and topped with mozzarella cheese) is another excellent choice. There are also lighter options, for those of you who are counting; try the Tony's Grilled Chicken Salad, Tortilla Pizza or Grilled Shrimp Caesar Salad. If through some miracle, or careful planning, you still have room for dessert, their homemade tiramisu is utterly divine. You can savor your meal in the comfortable indoor dining area or enjoy the coastal North Carolina breeze on one of the patios. The downtown location boasts a gorgeous view of the Cape Fear River. Fat Tony's Italian Pub is open Monday through Saturday 11 AM to 2 AM (the late-night menu is served 11 PM to 2 AM) and Sundays noon to midnight. Plan to visit Fat Tony's the second Saturday in November for downtown Wilmington's annual Chowdafest, where they'll offer three types of incredible clam chowder. Their second location is currently on Racine between Eastwood and New Centre.

Front Street Brewery $$
9 N. Front Street, Wilmington 28401
(910) 251-1935
Front Street Brewery is a spacious eatery and microbrewery located in historic downtown Wilmington. Offering reasonably priced appetizers, soups, salads, burgers, sandwiches, entrees and gourmet desserts, every menu item is made from scratch with the freshest available ingredients. The building has been completely renovated and features amazing woodwork and beautiful decor, creating an upscale yet cozy environment. Nine handcrafted beers are made by the restaurant's award winning brew master, and a number of seasonal brews are switched throughout the year. Whether you're looking for a delicious dinner spot or merely hoping to enjoy some top-notch draft beer, Front Street Brewery should be your first stop.

Hell's Kitchen $
118 Princess Street, Wilmington 28401
(910) 763-4133
Formerly a set for the locally filmed Dawson's Creek, Hell's Kitchen has fast become a popular downtown destination for good times among friends. This pub-style setting has a sinfully fun atmosphere so when you're feeling devilishly hungry, stop by and try something from their menu of pub sandwiches, wraps, burritos, nachos, entrees and more. Hell's Kitchen has a full liquor bar and offers a wide variety of draught and microbrew beers as well as select wines. Regular live music from local favorites each weekend turns the spot from a restaurant into a club. Open for lunch and dinner and serving a late night menu until 2 AM, this place is on fire all day long.

Paddy's Hollow Restaurant & Pub $$
10 Walnut Street, Wilmington 28401
(910) 762-4354
Tucked away in the middle courtyard of The Cotton Exchange buildings, this narrow, intimate restaurant transports you back to friendly neighborhood pubs with an Irish flavor. Seating consists of high-backed wooden booths, tables and chairs or stools at the bar, where you can have a brew and a bite while catching up with the news, both televised and local. The lunch menu offers tasty appetizers, a soup du jour and grilled seafood, chicken or steak salads. Sandwich selections, featuring seafood, shrimp, prime rib and corned beef, are hearty and include a deli pickle slice and a choice of French fries, potato salad, pasta salad or fruit. In the mood for a burger? Paddy's 6 oz. Pub-burgers, cooked to order and accompanied by a pickle and french fries, are a real treat. In the intimacy of the high-backed booths and the subdued lighting, dinner at Paddy's can be a romantic affair. The dinner menu features the fresh-catch seafood prevalent in the Cape Fear area in addition to tasty beef entrees, specifically prime rib and New York strip, chicken and barbecued baby-back ribs. Check the board or ask your server for the daily lunch and dinner specials. Need some diversion? Check out Paddy's game room. Paddy's has all ABC permits, 16 tap handles for draft beer, and bottled beer and wine. Cigar and pipe smoking are not permitted. It's open for lunch and dinner Monday through Saturday and for lunch on Sunday.

Trolly Stop $
121 N. Front Street, Wilmington 28401
(910) 343-2999
Centrally located in historic downtown Wilmington, Trolly Stop serves a specially produced Smithfield all-meat dog, all-beef Sabrett dogs, no-carb veggie dogs and low fat/no-carb turkey dogs in a variety of taste combinations. Local favorites include the American (chili, mustard and onion), the Cape Fear (melted cheese and mayonnaise) and, naturally, the North Carolina (chili, mustard and cole slaw). Vegetarian and fat-free hot dogs are also available. Additional menu offerings are sweet Italian sausage, their unique Burger dog, a black bean salsa burrito, and nachos with toppings. Enjoy Hershey's ice cream at the downtown Wilmington and Southport locations.

Underground Sandwich Shoppe $
103 Market Street, Wilmington 28401
(910) 763-9686
Appropriately located "underground" on the corner of Market and Front streets in downtown Wilmington, this lively sandwich shop serves a variety of classic American choices that include everything from a grilled ham and cheese or Underground club sandwich to the Rueben and Piccadilly Philly. Their BLT is one of the best in town. Can't decide? Create your own with a choice of meats, cheeses, fixings and bread. Salads range from the house salad to their entree-size Italian chef salad. All sandwiches come with a drink and a side item. Try a glass of their fresh-squeezed lemonade on a hot coastal day. It's awesome! Underground also offers a selection of draft and bottled beers as well as a full compliment of liquors, including frozen drinks. The atmosphere is friendly and casual, and it's a great place to bring the family. The decor's theme suggests London's Underground Mass Transit system. An eye-catching mural, painted by local artist Chappy Valente, covers one wall of the restaurant and is thought to be one of the prime pieces of public art in downtown Wilmington. Underground is open daily.

Water Street Restaurant & Sidewalk Cafe $$
5 Water Street, Wilmington 28401
(910) 343-0042
Housed in the Quince Building (1835), a former peanut warehouse on the riverfront, Water Street Restaurant can be quite romantic with its softly lit atmosphere evoking a bygone era in downtown Wilmington. The restaurant offers moderately priced, healthy meals all day, every day. Water Street's innovative dinner menu places emphasis on fresh-catch seafood, beef, a generous use of vegetables, delicious homemade dressings and daily soup specials (homemade, of course). Entrees include choice of Caesar or house salad and fresh-baked bread. For lunch, try the Water Greek Salad (toppings include tabouli, feta cheese, pepperoncini and sun-dried tomatoes), a black bean burrito served with rice and a small green salad, or a host of sandwiches, from the 7 oz. Water Street burger to the Oyster Po-Boy. Their Portobello mushroom sandwich is an especially good choice. Sidewalk seating is in full view of the Cape Fear River, and live piano music is frequent. In fact, Water Street Restaurant is an attractive nightspot featuring live entertainment — jazz and Dixieland bands, flamenco guitar and more — Thursday through Sunday nights. Lot parking is available for the restaurant's patrons at the corner of Dock and Water streets.