Pilot House

This is a very fine restaurant. 1st if you get there early, Free Parking. Then when you get inside, the staff is wonderful. There were six of us, but the wait person gave us time until everyone was ready, that takes longer than you think. When the food arrived, 5 doesn't do it justice. The drinks and appetizers were perfect and not late. Dinner was fantastic for everyone. Shrimp, carbanarra and perfect 🐟. A ten

Service was good, my scallops and schrimp were not. The scallops had no flavor and the schrimp were over cooked and hard. $30 for 4 of each. Others had fried oysters they mentioned should have been much warmer but said they had a good flavor. Schrimp and grits was with a hard cake of grits, NOT the way to do it

Great views. Generous portions. Friendly staff. I had fried shrimp, oysters, and flounder. Seafood was fresh however the breading was not seasoned leaving the food a bit bland. There was also too much breading on the flounder such that there was more breading than fish. The fruit cobbler wasn't that good because the crust was not crispy but soggy.

We had a great lunch here today. It was too cold to sit outside, but we had wonderful indoor seats right by large windows overlooking the river. The service was fast and friendly, and the food and views were both excellent!

I would say try some of the food, I liked it. I haven't tried everything.

A delicious mid-day meal and a beautiful view! I ordered one of the brunch specials, which was delicious, and was served while sitting on their covered patio area (there is a covered patio that is separate from another large uncovered patio). With breathtaking views of the bridge and river and great service, the meal was perfect!

Nice mix of college age and family aged customers. Not you local bar restaurant but not too polished either to where you must wear a sports coat. Good view of the water. Good food. Good cocktails. Good times.

Food was good. Prices were a little high. Service was a little slow tonight for some reason, not like usual. Was right before a holiday though.

The Pilot House is a nugget of gold. When I am near water I want to eat my meals on the water. It's one of the things I treasure. We sat outside on the riverfront, under the stars, with a wonderful breeze which made it perfect before the food came!! I have many allergies which could send me into anaphylactic shock. I shared this w the waitress and she said "no problem, I'll take of you". And she did! She understood. I had pan seared grouper on a bed of Romain lettuce. It was heavenly...JUST as I asked. She was an excellent waitperson!!! Everyone with me loved all their food. Excellent atmosphere...excellent service....attention to detail.... excellent food!!! It was a little pricey but with such excellent everything....it was worth every penny. ❤️❤️❤️

Decent meal but overpriced. I had the grouper catch if the day. It was just okay, a little bland and served with lukewarm vegetables and rice. Decent but unremarkable. My companions enjoyed the filet mignon and the pecan crusted chicken. Both said they were very good. Service was good. Again everything was decent but.....just decent. And pricey.

Food was good, but host was trying to set a third party of ours that was coming late, he was trying to put them at a 6 top with a planter between the two tables and the planter reached above our heads. So I can figure out how he thought we could converse with our other guest. Not very smart about planning the seating situation.

Very nice for our family. Joshua was polite and most helpful.

Enjoyed a great lunch here recently on a Friday. Arrived around 12:30 and was able to get a table inside right at the window with an amazing view of the river. The hostess was very sweet and welcoming and offered great advice for walking around after lunch. I enjoyed the blackened tuna which was cooked perfectly and my mom had the fried flounder sandwich. Both were served with homemade chips and were very fresh and flavorful. There was free parking right in front of the restaurant. We will definitely be back!

I'm giving this three stars based off the location only and having a romantic evening with my wife with seats next to the handrail outside. We came into town for a wedding and we thought we would try their food because of the location and the quantity of reviews. Unfortunately the special I ordered came out ice cold which consisted of steak, potatoes, gravy and a lobster claw. We will not return to this location.

We were able to sit outside and enjoy some live music. There weren't any outside heaters, but we managed. We had excellent service; she was very patient and offered daily specials as many times as we needed. The area was clean, food was served fast with nice portions. It is NOT a cheap spot for a haphazard grub grab. It IS quality food and service that is well worth the price.

Excellent Rib eye steak, lobster, calamaries and bread pudding!. Beautifull view and excellent service.

The Shrimp & Grits is amazing! And spicy. Will definitely return again for that. Hubby had the Blackened Tuna Sandwich loved it. Loved dining Al fresco on the riverfront.

Nice established restaurant on Cape Fear River. Beautiful views and good food. Crab dip delicious as well as brie with figs.

Decent quality food. Each dish at our party of four had something not quite right, i.e. rice was overcooked, flounder had no taste, shrimp seemed old. Decent food but pricey.

Loved the tuna burger and the homemade chips. Generous portions and delicious. Loved the staff... made you feel welcomed the moment we entered the building. We ate outside on the patio along the Cape Fear River... was a perfect day to do so. I look forward to going again!

Lovely atmosphere and very good service. Fresh spinach salad and very yummy.

Was here for a business event and everyone had a wonderful time. The staff was very patient and accommodating.

Food was delicious. Scenry overlooking Cape Fear River.

Low Country Favorites, Riverfront Views - Pilot House remains among Wilmington's quintessential coastal dining experiences. The whole menu is delicious but the specials are where it's at. The kitchen is consistent, the bar is charming, and the view is when we live in Wilmington for.

We are vegetarian and vegan and this place had a number of salads that accomodated us very well. In addition the fish lovers among us were overjoyed. Portions were great, view was stunning and service was terrific

Had a wonderful lunch with my sister and niece. We shared oysters on the half shell and they were excellent. I had the fried shrimp which was wonderful. My sister had the shrimp and grits and it was really good. The niece had tuna tartare and spinach salad which was all fresh and she loved it. Thank you to Josh who was friendly and accommodating. We've been coming here for years and it still holds up.

My experience this time was a let down. Our service was poor all most non attentive. And our food was okay except for our steamed vegetable were hard. The money you pay there you want there best.

Excellent food, with hard to beat location. If it's nice weather, definitely opt to sit on the deck over the river! Service was great -- very attentive and efficient, and the 2 servers on the deck managed the tables well. We shared the Blackened Tuna Sandwich -- excellent tuna, cooked perfectly; and the Southern Shrimp & Lobster Carbonara -- phenomenal pasta dish with rich seafood and ham. We will definitely return on our next trip through the area.

We split a steamer pot OMG!!!! That was beyond amazing awesome. We had the best waiter we've ever seen. I can't wait until we come back 👏👏👏👏👏🖒🖒🖒🖒🖒

One of my favorite places in Wilmington. There is a great view of the river, food is delicious and all the servers have been very friendly! There is a decent selection of choices for vegetarians, especially as this is a seafood place.

Great down home service and reasonably priced options for every pallet. The fried seafood options are terrific! Not too heavy or saturated with grease. Light, tender, well seasoned with just the right breading. Very easy to eat and enjoy! I love all of the options, especially the shrimp and grits! Some of the best l’ve ever eaten. The corn bread is off the charts!! The place is cozy enough for a date night, and spacious enough for family and friends. All in down town historic Wilmington, NC, with a wonderful boardwalk and river front view. My whole family loves this place. A jewel to Wilmington, but a secret to the world. For elegant dining, down home service and healthy portions with a world class taste, try the Pilot House. You’ll love it!

Food was good a little over pricey for it. But still good and the server we had was not the best had to ask for refills and assumed my change was to tip him and never brought it back

Nice upscale restaurant by the Cape Fear River. Excellent, friendly service, very good entrees. Barbecue Tuna especially good; very different from typical.

Clean and friendly. Great atmosphere. Definitely will return. We spent time at bar but menu looks awesome.

This restaurant had free parking first of all in a very difficult area near the river to find parking. The dining room was clean and we had great service. The food was delicious and I would highly recommend for lunch.

My husband and I came here for lunch and it was delicious! The flounder in the flounder sandwich was so good. Service was great. Can't wait to go back again!

Our experience was enjoyable. Alaskan Crab Legs were succulent and just enough seasoning . Grouper was very good. I will definitely have dinner at the Pilot House the next time in the Wilmington area.

The food is amazing, HUGE portions! Emma (our waitress) made the whole experience awesome! She's GREAT! Ask for her, you won't be sorry! Of course the location can't be best!

Awesome menu selection. All looked great and those I chose were excellent. Recommend to anyone!

The food was absolutely stunning. I took my friend from out of town here for lunch and they did not disappoint! Calista and Shane were super accommodating and attentive. Definitely the best!

Phenomenal. I had the fresh catch;Blackened Tuna with seasonal vegetables and garlic tossed spinach. My wife had the pimento cheese burger and loved it as well. Their view is wonderful as well. We will definitely be back.

Rarely do you order rack of Lamb and ask for medium rare with no blood and the chef pulls it off......Well they did and it was perfection. The fresh vegetables DELICIOUS also. Service and view very good as well and the Ladies room was clean. Worth every penny......well done Pilot House.

We had a fantastic brunch on the water. Lobster, oysters, shrimp were all fresh and fabulous. Wonderful atmosphere, courteous service and beautiful view made for a great time. Would recommend

Loved it here, fabulous service and great food all sitting right on the water. Had live music as well. Was just amazing.