K38

K38: No better way to top off the perfect beach day. Southwestern "Baja" Mexican food to die for. Seriously, how can you not love the surf bungalow atmosphere? The food is excellent, and not the typical "greasy" Mexican food. I would argue the salsa is best in town, and I'm a salsa snob. They serve the norms like enchiladas, burritos, fajitas, etc. Each dish is creatively named, and it's those fun touches that make you love this spot!

Trying to coerce the kids into choosing k38 - tell them there's a good chance they'll see real live surfers sitting at the bar! K38's owner is deeply rooted and established in the surfing community! Tell the young-ens that K38 is actually named after a surf break down in Mexico...true story!

Adults - K38's Tequila list means business...it's impressive!

Personal fav: Barbacoas Enchilada

K38 Baja Grill
5410 Oleander Drive
Wilmington, NC 28403
(910)395-6040

Hours:
Sun - Thurs 11am-10pm
Fri - Sat 11am-10:30pm

Grand Union Pub

Grand Union Pub has a kick back, drink beer, eat good food, talk for hours atmosphere. They have an above average selection of burgers and sandwiches along with a never ending beer menu. The pub is decorated like an old saloon, only no cigar smoking. The best part of the restaurant are the antique sofa and chairs that remind me of so many local pubs in Europe. Grand Union Pub is certainly unique to Wilmington, and I imagine will only grow in popularity! The food is priced well too!

I highly recommend the Reuben - I'm a Reuben snob, and this one was right on!

Grand Union Pub

1125 Military Cutoff Rd.

Wilmington, NC

(910) 256-9133

Kitchen open daily until midnight!

Causeway Cafe'

Causeway Cafe is like eating breakfast at your grandparents house. Also most likely the cheapest breakfast in town. During the tourist season, be prepared to wait! It's not a huge restaurant, and the crowd will come! One thing to remember is that they only take cash. Bring the family, Causeway is the perfect start to any day!

Causeway Cafe
114 Causeway Drive
Wrightsville Beach, NC 27480
(910) 256-3730

Bon Appetit

Bon Appetit is a well kept secret in Wilmington. They started out as a highly sought after catering business. Due to popular demand, they opened up their very own restaurant. Bon Appetit is gourmet breakfast at it's best, at a great price. The restuarant is nothing fancy, but the food is delectable!

Bon Appetit
3704 Carolina Beach Road
Wilmington, NC 28412
(910) 796-0520

J. Michael's Philly Deli

J. Michaels's Deli brings the authentic taste of the Philadelphia Cheese Steak to Wilmington. This local joint has been in Wilmington for over 30 years now! And their prices are unbeatable! You can design your cheese steak to come with whatever you fancy! They have it all, and the menu has more than just cheese steaks. J. Michael's has tons of sandwiches to choose from!

Monkey Junction
609 Piner Rd
Wilmington, NC 28409
(910) 332-5555

Hanover Center
3501 Oleander Dr
Wilmington, NC 28403
(910) 763-6466

Porter's Neck
8232 Market St
Wilmington, NC 28411
(910) 686-0070

El Zarape Mexican Restaurant

Carolina Beach is home to El Zarape Mexican Restaurant. This is a popular place to eat, and especially in the summer, you can expect a wait! The restaurant itself is huge and can accommodate large party sizes. Overall, this really is great Mexican food. Their menu is also HUGE with about every food combination you could want! There is one drawback that must be noted. Plan on filling up on the complimentary chips and salsa, because regardless of how busy they are, it takes forever to get your food. It is worth the wait, and somehow always comes out piping hot!

What locals love:

• Tuesday's special is $3 Margarita

El Zarape Mexican Restaurant

101 N. Lake Park Blvd.

Carolina Beach, NC 28428

(910) 458-5226

Front Street Brewery

Front Street Brewery must be a priority on your list of places to wine and dine. Or should I say: beer and dine. Wilmington's very own local brewery, and yes, we're proud. Brewmaster, Kevin Kozak, says he's a "sucker for wellmade German beer." Aren't we all? The best part is that FSB has a daily pint special for $1.99. That's right, $1.99. Whether you are craving something light or dark, you won't be disappointed. So, needless to say, it's a brewery, and their brew gets a five star rating. You might be asking, what about the food? So glad you asked. Don't expect typical subpar pub food. Do expect excellent food, great variety, at even better prices! A perk is that it's located convieneintly across from the parking deck and in the middle of all that's happening downtown. Regardless of the day or night of the week, Front Street Brewery is a local favorite!

Some personal favorites at FSB:

Brew - Lumina Lager, Kolsch, Amber Ale

Wine - Pomelo Sauvignon Blanc (citrus grapefruit - perfect summer choice!)

Food - Homemade Crab-cake sandwich, ribs, cajun chicken entree, chips and salsa, buffalo blue sticks, buffalo blue chicken tenders

Bonus Secrets...

• Free Wine Tastings: Tuesdays 6-8pm
• Free Beer Tastings and Brewery Tour: Wednesdays 6-8pm
• Live music every Thursday, Friday, Saturday nights (starting around 10:30pm)
• Half Price Appetizers: EVERYDAY 4-7pm and again after 9pm
• $5.99 lunch menu
• $6.99 dinner menu
• Eat for Two: $12.99

Front Street Brewery

9 North Front Street

Wilmington, NC 28401

(910) 251-1935

Islands Fresh Mex Grill

Islands. Why go to Moe's, Chipotle, or Qdoba when you can go to Islands? Islands is like one of these chains, but with a few unique twists. One, the menu is fun, fresh, and unique. Two, the ambiance: surfing, beachy, laid back, tropical decor done RIGHT! Located near the university, you're bound to be in line with college students just trying to escape the UNCW dining halls. Islands is most famous around UNCW for their TUESDAY DOLLAR TACO NIGHT. That's right, ONE DOLLAR. (Do expect a pretty serious line if class is in session on Tuesday nights.) Islands does have great drink specials with a full bar right across from their taco bar.

My personal favorite: The BLT Quesadilla. (The island sauce just makes it!) My husbands personal fav: The Jerk Chicken Quesadilla.

Again, support the local tex mex when craving tacos and burritos!

Islands Fresh Mex Grill

260 Racine Drive

Wilmington, NC 28403

(910) 799-2109

The Salt Shaker Cafe'

Here's a cozy cafe' tucked away off of Kerr Avenue, near UNCW. The Salt Shaker is a hidden treasure as it's located inside the Christian bookstore. The ambiance is quite peaceful. They offer an assortment of homemade pastas, sandwiches, and salads. They have a great loose tea selection as well as well priced coffee! A regular (size of Starbucks medium size drink) is a steal at $3.

If you are a local who is sad The Connection Cafe' closed down - you might look here for a similar feel.

The Salt Shaker Bookstore and Cafe'

705 South Kerr Avenue

Wilmington, NC 28403

(910) 350-1753

Chris' Cosmic Kitchen

Don't judge a book by it's cover when stepping foot into Chris' Cosmic Kitchen. Located off of Eastwood near UNCW, this spot is very simple on the outside but has exquisite food on the inside! Chris Lubben's resume alone should spark a desire to check this place out. He graduated from the Culinary Institute of America up in New York. Not to mention has formerly cooked for Port City Chop House, executive chef for Reel Cafe', as well as Bon Appetite's catering service. THE BEST part of Chris' Cosmic Kitchen is that you get top notch food for LESS THAN TEN DOLLARS! Not to mention breakfast is served all day. That's right, twelve omelets to choose from! EVERYTHING on the menu is made from scratch daily, from the Shrimp Bisque to the Cheesecakes!

Must try: Grilled Cheese Sandwich with Shrimp Bisque. This is no ordinary Grilled Cheese!

Looking for a deal - search for Chris' Cosmic Kitchen on Twitter and find some daily bargains!

Chris' Cosmic Kitchen

420 Eastwood Road

Wilmington, NC 28403

(910) 792-6720

PT's Old Fashioned Grille

Craving a delicious burger? Times are never tough enough to stoop to a fast food "burger." Yes, in Wilmington, we have MUCH better options! PT's Old Fashioned Grille is a local joint that's been around for over 20 years. They pride themselves in their fresh burgers, made from scratch fries, veggies chopped daily. The ONLY thing that comes from a "bag" or prepackaged is the lettuce. Just when you thought you were impressed, the fries are made in no trans fat free oil! Less guilty fries to please the health conscious! For $8, you are getting one fresh burger. Aside from burgers, the grilled turkey or roast beef sandwich is a win win! Their meat is sliced to order and grilled perfectly! To top it off, even the greatest of sweet tea snobs will find themselves approving their brew! In need of a beer to go with the burger? PT's has Shock Top on draft for $1.88. Though none of the restaurants are particularly flashy, their fresh food makes up for it!

There are currently 7 PT's locations, five in Wilmington (17th Street, Military Cut Off, Monkey Junction, Fountain Drive near UNCW, and Porter's Neck), one in Leland, and one inland downtown Chapel Hill, NC.

Nikki's Restaurant and Sushi Bar

Feeling adventurous and want to go out for sushi? Nikki's is your place to go! As a sushi virgin - my experience with Nikki's sushi couldn't have been better. The downtown location (Front Street) appears to be a whole in the wall, but do not be fooled! On a Tuesday night, there was a wait to be seated! There are also multiple locations scattered throughout Wilmington making Nikki's convenient. Let's say that you LOVE sushi, but the others in your party aren't so much a fan...Nikki's has quite the assortment of dishes to choose from including everything from tacos, wraps, sandwiches, and simple teriyaki chicken! The price point here is also worthy of being noted! You can easily eat under $10, sushi or not!

The Spicy Tuna with Avocado Sushi Roll was excellent with a perfect kick to it! I got suckered into the tempura banana dessert - basically a fried banana with choice of green tea or red bean ice cream...looks better than it tastes. Not nearly as sweet as I wanted it to be - not bad, just different. Last but not least, Nikki's seems to have pretty sweet drink specials. Tuesdays are 1/2 price imports...which are priced starting at $2.50 which is really not bad!

Main Street Sports Cafe'

Do not be fooled. Main Street Sports Cafe', located in Mayfaire Town Center, is NO LONGER Main Street Brewing Company. I was confused. Obviously the sign doesn't say BREWING COMPANY...but thought maybe I just had the name wrong. I had very high expectations going in, Front Street Brewery expectations. Turns out this was the former location of Main Street Brewing Company which happens to be the daughter of FSB! (FSB being one of my favorites.)

Long story short, my posse did what I call, "The Walk of Shame" and left before even ordering drinks. This is such a low.

So what exactly is Main Street Sports Cafe'? Well, it's just a sports bar, nothing fancy. Reminds me of a Carolina Ale House type atmosphere. With no football or basketball games, this place was dead empty! As a die-hard NC State fan, I'm not sure this would be my venue pic to cheer the Wolfpack on.

To be fair, I can't say anything about the food. Looked like standard bar food and clearly not FSB- so we simply left in search of somewhere else. On a random note: I'm guessing based on their website that the Sports Cafe' has the same owners as The Bridge Tender and Fishhouse Grill located at Wrightsville Beach.

Main Street Sports Cafe'

1055 International Way

Wilmington, NC 28405

(910) 256-4170