Wrightsville Beach Restaurants

This place looks like a burger joint but what a nice surprise at dinner. white table cloths and candlelight set a nice mood but its casual too. The food is mostly local seafood with a creative flair.
The dining room is small and I prefer to sit outside on the patio. The anchored boats in the harbor make a nice backdrop. There is a public dock across the street so you can go by boat.

Favorite Dish: Pecan Crusted local Grouper with lump crabmeat sauce and a great wine list.

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This restaurant has a waterfront deck. When we were there, it was too windy and cold to eat out there, (pictured) although some people did. In the evening it would be a good place to take in the sunset.

I picked this place to eat because I thought we might be able to watch the Wrightsville Beach bridge go up, but nothing happened while we were there except that a power boat left its slip.

Favorite Dish: Bob had chicken pot pie with a salad (pictured - I was surprised because for some reason I didn't think he would like a pot pie) and I had bbq chicken sandwich (pictured). Both were lunch specials for $5.99. The other lunch specials were

Chicken salad wrap $5.99
Fish -n- Chips $7.99
Very Fresh Salmon $8.99

AAA gives it a two diamond rating and says "fresh seafood and key lime pie, has a Caribbean flair. Tasty margaritas are worth a try"

The Insider's Guide says: "Lunch or mid-day snack choices include a dozen tasty appetizer selections (the hot crab dip is a must), numerous salad options, soups and chowder, sandwiches and generous lunch-size entrees. The coconut shrimp plate and the seafood lasagna are excellent choices, but the lump crab cake entree is incredible. Bluewater's dinner menu is equally generous in its choices and, while fresh-catch seafood is an obvious feature, the restaurant also excels with prime rib and steak entrees, chicken and barbecue baby-back ribs. Seating is available indoors on two floors, on a waterside patio downstairs and an intimate covered terrace upstairs. Bluewater has all ABC permits and serves a full range of imported and domestic wine and beer."

Guess they couldn't decide whether it was a cafe or a restaurant. And only a small part of the restaurant is actually on the verandah.

But the food was good. The day was windy (like it often is along the beach) so we ate indoors with a great view of the beach.

The restaurant is part of the Holiday Inn complex. I am not sure whether it is restricted to hotel clientel only (which we were) but nobody asked for ID so I assume you could just walk in off the street. The waitress seated us quickly (dining areas was only about half full). We ordered drinks and within 10 minutes our orders were taken. (I like quick efficient service).
I had the Chef Salad with Chicken and Oil/Vinegar dressing. My wife had the Seafood Platter (shrimp, fish, crab) and a side salad. We split a chocolate drizzled piece of cheese cake. Bill came to $30 with tip.

I am not sure about the breakfast or the Sunday Brunch but it probably is as good as the meal we had. The staff was courteous and thoughtful (they were right there as we finished each part of the meal to see if we needed anything else.... I like that too.)

We did not eat here, although if I had known that they made frozen custard, we certainly would have stopped.

Favorite Dish: Kohl’s Frozen Custard is made fresh all day long in special frozen custard machines at each location There is a flavor of the day.

They also have hot dogs, hamburgers, grilled cheese, and chicken nuggest.

We didn't eat here because it didn't overlook the ICW.

In-season and on weekends off-season, be prepared to wait for a table. It's worth the time spent on the covered front deck, and the folks at Causeway thoughtfully provide complimentary coffee. Open seven days a week for breakfast and lunch.

Favorite Dish: Breafast - 15 different omelets, served with hash browns or grits, Belgian waffles, malted pancakes and French toast

Lunch- daily specials, sandwiches and salads. Seafood, subs, burgers, steak and other sandwiches.

A child's menu is available for children younger than 10.

I haven't eaten here, although I considered it. I took the picture because of the brunch sign.

Brunch Menu
Stacked French Toast

French toast topped with fresh assorted berries
and whipped cream served with applewood-smoked bacon
and roasted new potatoes.
$8.49

Eggs Benedict

Two poached eggs atop an English muffin with grilled
pancetta and hollandaise served with steamed asparagus
and roasted new potatoes.
$8.99

Shrimp & Grits

Shrimp sauted with mushrooms, green onions,
grape tomatoes and Pancetta in a light cream sauce
served over cheddar cheese grits.
$13.49

Crab Omelet

Crab and applewood smoked bacon, spinach,
grape tomatoes and mixed cheese served
with roasted new potatoes.
$10.49

Pancetta & Spinach Stuffed Chicken

Chicken breast stuffed with pancetta, spinach and cheese.
Topped with béarnaise and served over rice pilaf.
$12.49

Prime Rib

6 oz cut if Prime Rib served, garlic mashed potatoes
and steamed broccoli.
$13.99

BBQ Beef Brisket

Slow cooked beef brisket served with
garlic-mashed potatoes and steamed asparagus.
$10.49

Apple Chutney Pork Chop

Two grilled boneless pork loin chops topped with
homemade chutney. Served with rice pilaf
and steamed broccoli.
$12.49

Grouper Florentine

Fresh baked grouper over a bed of spinach topped
with our homemade hollandaise.
$14.49

Fresh Catch of the Day

The freshest fish available grilled and served with
steamed asparagus and rice pilaf.
$10.49

Gorgonzola Walnut Salad

A bed of mixed greens with Gorgonzola crumbles,
apples and candied walnuts with a berry vinaigrette dressing.
$7.99

Caesar Salad

Crisp romaine tossed with our creamy Caesar dressing,
grated Parmesan and garlic croutons.
$7.99

Garden Salad

Mixed greens served with grape tomatoes, cucumbers,
red onions and Romano cheese.
$6.99

Spinach Salad

A fresh bed of spinach topped with pine nuts,
mushrooms and goat cheese served with a side
of smoked bacon vinaigrette.
$7.99

Favorite Dish: Some items from the dinner menu

Served with your choice of chowder, soup du jour, Caesar, garden, spinach or Gorgonzola walnut salad.

Tempura Fried Shrimp
Tempura fried jumbo shrimp topped with soy ginger vinaigrette. Served with stir-fried vegetables and sticky white rice.
$20.99

Ginger Lime Scallops
Grilled scallops topped with a ginger lime glaze. Served with sautéed spinach and sesame ginger ***ake mushrooms.
$20.99

Horseradish Fried Oysters
Fresh oysters seasoned with horseradish and deep-fried, topped with tomato basil vinaigrette. Served with wild mushroom rice pilaf and sautéed spinach with grape tomatoes.
$19.99

Carolina Crab Cakes
Two jumbo crab cakes, broiled or fried, and drizzled with chipotle remoulade. Served with red rice and sautéed vegetable medley.
$21.99

Seafood Platter
A house favorite! Fresh seasonal fish, shrimp, oysters, scallops and a crab cake. Served broiled or fried with your choice of a side.
$24.99

Crabmeat and Gorgonzola Filet
A seven-ounce Certified Angus Beef® filet mignon stuffed with crabmeat and Gorgonzola cheese, topped with a sweet port wine reduction. Served with garlic-mashed potatoes and steamed asparagus.
$32.99

Beef Tenderloin Tips Au Poivre
Pepper-seared Certified Angus Beef® tenderloin tips topped with portabella mushroom au poivre sauce and buttermilk fried onions. Served with garlic-mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli.
$24.99

Portabella Sirloin
A ten-ounce Certified Angus Beef® sirloin chargrilled steak topped with a balsamic marinated portabella mushroom and Romano cheese. Served with garlic mashed potatoes and sautéed spinach.
$21.99

Smoked Tomato Basil New York Strip
A ten-ounce Certified Angus Beef® New York Strip topped with smoked tomato basil relish and Mozzarella cheese. Served with smoked bacon roasted potatoes and sautéed spinach.
$25.99

The Bridge Tender
A twenty-ounce cut of Certified Angus Beef® prime rib, served bone-in with your choice of a side. (Limited availability)
$27.99

The first time I came to eat here was a few years ago, where we sat beside Joshua Jackson. Since I only remembered being here with a celebrity and didn't remember how good the food was, I decided to return to have some good seafood. The Oceanic is a large restaurant with seating on two floors and outside on a pier. It is right on the beach and has a great view of the ocean and all the seagulls and terns anxiously flying over hoping to get some scraps from the people eating there. Hoping for good seafood, I ordered the grilled mahi mahi with mashed potatoes and a house salad. The salad was about as good as one I could eat at home, with lots of white lettuce that wasn't that fresh. I was looking forward to my fish since the salad wasn't very appetizing. It turns out that the salad was actually the best part of the meal, b/c the mashed potatoes and the mahi mahi completely lacked all taste and seasoning. I salvaged the potatoes with table salt, but the fish was still tasteless even with lemon juice, and I barely finished half. I will never come here again, and I would discourage anyone else from coming here as well. Even the tea was weak and not sweet enough, and my mom had to order a soft drink because she said the water tasted funny. This was the most disappointing restaurant experience I've had in a long time.

Favorite Dish: My mom had a shrimp pasta that she said tasted alright, but definitely nothing extraordinary. This place is quite expensive, with most entrees costing between $15 and $25, the fish being the most expensive. I dont know if everything here is as bad as what I had, but definitely dont order grilled mahi mahi or mashed potatoes if you come here.