I first discovered the cozy little coastal town of Wilmington when I had to take the PCAT and Wilmington had the closest testing center to my house. Little did I know that I had been SLEEPING on this amazing town for almost 10 years! Yep, for 10 years I had lived a little less than an hour and a half from one of the most amazing cities in North Carolina and had no idea. I spent so many weekends after that going back and forth spending as much time there as humanly possible. Then things got even better…my last year of pharmacy school I was placed in Wilmington to do my required internships. Was it real life? Do I really get to move to Wilmington? YES! I found myself living the dream in a little apartment right downtown. For almost 2 years I was blessed with exploring this gorgeous town every day, and now I’m sharing some of my favorite secrets so you don’t miss the best of the best.
1. Dead Crow Comedy Room
Probably my favorite place in Wilmington, Dead Crow is a small underground comedy club right on Front Street. I probably spent almost as much time here as I did in my apartment. They host tons of well-known stand up acts weekly featuring names from SNL, Conan, HBO, and more like Ray William Johnson, Ramy Youssef, Erik Griffin, and even Jim Gaffigan! They also do weekly open mic nights every Thursday (I’ve never been, but I used to go to their weekly improv night every week so I imagine this is a blast as well). Along with big names, they also showcase local talent with the best of local standup and improv troupes. If you love comedy this is THE place for you.
2. The Italian Gourmet Market
Wilmington has so many good local stores that I frequented…Candles etc., The Cape Fear Spice Market, Old Books on Front. All pretty well-known stores that are central to all the action. But head down Front Street a little more and you’ll stumble upon a little Italian Market. Small on the outside but packed with tons of Italian goodness inside. You can pick up products imported directly from Italy (my favorite was always the squid ink pasta), Italian cookies, candy, sauces, you name it. Another highlight is the homemade ravioli. Easy and delicious, you’ll be wanting to take it ALL home (along with the rest of the store).
3. Pender’s Café
Remember in We’re the Millers when Jason Sudaekis is sitting in a little diner ignoring all those phone calls from his boss before he goes outside and gets jumped by his bosses hit men? That’s Penders. A tiny little local joint with a diner type feel, Pender’s is open for breakfast and lunch. Since its family owned, it can be hard to find it actually open but if you do see it open, run in there. You want the best burger in Wilmington? This is it. The Pender Burger (fully loaded of course) with some of their homemade lemonade…my mouth is watering just thinking of it. It doesn’t look the fanciest from the outside but once you try it you won’t regret it!
4. Museum of the Bizarre
Okay, okay. What kind of local would I be if I didn’t throw at least one tacky tourist trap in here? This is the kind of place you see every day, roll your eyes, and walk past. Claiming to have artifacts such as Alexander Hamilton’s hair, a bigfoot footprint, and a unicorn horn, it sounds absolutely ridiculous. But I swear to you…go in. Take 30 minutes and explore the (essentially) one roomed museum. It’s only $3. It’s surprisingly entertaining. Take your friends and pay the full $7 to do the mirror maze and the laser vault room. We spent an afternoon laughing hysterically, channeling our inner James Bond playing the laser game and getting lost in the mirror maze. A typical tourist would pass it by because…yeah, it looks lame, but TRUST ME, give it a chance. $7 for an afternoon of fun with your friends seems like a more than fair trade off.
5. Blue Post Billiards
I’m definitely not a bar person but since most people coming into Wilmington are, I’ll go ahead and mention one of my favorite ones. Blue Post Billiards is located on water street and from the outside looks like a sketchy hole-in-the-wall joint that only bikers would go in. (Sharp eyed people will recognize the inside and outside from Melissa McCarthy’s Tammy.) However, once you journey inside it’s a pretty chill and nice looking joint. Not to mention that perfectly lit hallway is a killer date spot, perfect for sipping drinks and enjoying the atmosphere. If you’re looking for a low-key place to grab a drink this is it.
Note: North Carolina has a “membership fee” to get into any bar for the first time. It’s $1 cash and at least one person in your party has to have a card in order for you to be admitted. Blue Post is 21+.
6. Riverfront Farmer’s Market/Artesian Market
Wilmington’s riverside farmer’s market is set up by the river on Saturdays from March to November. Featuring a variety of local produce, cheeses, wines, honey, plants, etc., you’ll find many Wilmington locals wandering around on Saturday mornings browsing and picking up some produce for the week. There’s also an artesian market set up most Sundays featuring art, crafts, pottery, jewelry, and furniture. How many pottery bowls and hand poured candles can I buy before my whole apartment is taken over? I’ll let you know.
7. Rx
Moving away from the downtown area, on the corner of Castle street you’ll find Rx. With it’s price tag it has to be reserved for special occasions or your occasional Sunday brunch, but the food is unmatched. With a menu that changes daily, Rx is the epitome of classy. Keep an eye out for Pig Ears on the menu…don’t even know how to explain it but just trust me on this one.
8. Indochine
Ask almost any local about a restaurant favorite and you’ll hear Indochine pop up in the conversation. And if you’re thinking, “Thai and Vietnamese foods really aren’t my thing…” then you sound just like me the first time I was invited out. I nervously went along and tried a little of what my friend had gotten. Turns out it was pretty good. And by pretty good I mean, REALLY good. I recommend the Bun Tau Xau Rau (and if you think I had to look that up to spell it then you’re absolutely right). If the initial price of $14.99 scares you a little just know that this is a serving size capable of serving at least 2 people. You’ll have leftovers, I promise. So think of it as an investment for two meals! The restaurant itself is gorgeous with an outside area designed to make it feel like you’re having dinner in Thailand. A different escape from the seafood and pub food focus of your average Wilmington. (Plus some really cool looking drinks!)
9. Poe’s Tavern
Heading out towards Wrightsville Beach, right over the bridge you’ll find a little pub with a big painting of Edgar Allan Poe’s head on the wall. Poe’s Tavern is the perfect place to grab a burger (or better yet those Edgar’s Nachos…omg) and a drink after a day downtown or at the beach, and with food named around its theme, it’s a very whimsical meal. I was originally drawn here by its name (I can’t be the only one obsessed with EAP right?) but found out the food makes it super worthy of coming back.
10. Brown Dog Coffee
Okay so this one isn’t technically in Wilmington…it’s in Burgaw, about a 30 minute drive from downtown. I included it because it is by far one of my favorite spots in the area and I totally made that drive a couple of times JUST to come here (sorry not sorry). But why would I drive 30 minutes out of town for a coffee shop you might ask? Two words: Mocha Milkshake. Yep, mocha milkshake. It’s the only thing I’ve found that’s worth saving my entire days allotment of calories for. Made with their homemade ice cream I’ve yet to find anything close to the pure heaven this is. PCJ has something similar on their menu but it’s not the same, I promise. If you have the time, make that drive out to Burgaw. It’s a cute little downtown area in itself (and if you like Under the Dome you’ll be stepping RIGHT into Chester’s Mill). But seriously if you only make the trip for that mocha shake I won’t judge.
Living in Wilmington gave me so much time to explore more than just the typical tourist spots and popular eateries. Even so, I still feel like there’s so much to Wilmington I haven’t seen and done. Whether you’re visiting Wilmington for the first time or for the hundredth time I urge you to take a step back from the obvious and look a little further into everything this town has to offer. Who knows, you may even discover a new favorite hidden treasure of your very own.
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