I would skip this place at all costs. I travel a ton and use Yelp to guide me a bunch. This was one of the times we did not use Yelp to find a place and just went on a recommendation. The service was terrible, the food was not edible and two of us ended up throwing up for the evening  because the clams were bad. On top of that we expressed the issues to the manager who did not seem to care at all. When I say the service wast terrible she told us the soup was good and we ordered it. It was like water, not a bisque. Then she carried the food to us against her body to where it splashed on her and back into the bowl. Twice we got dirty glasses and dirty silverware. The seafood was inedible and she never came to check. The potato was cold with some melty cheese wizy stuff on it. It was not great and the burger, how you mess up a burger I don't know, was bland as could be and dry. The manager tired to tell us food was a priortiy but we know better after eating there. I would say just drink but just order something that would not be in a glass as they dont seem to clean them very well.
So we paid for bad service and bad food that made us sick. Awful experience that I hope no one else has to endure.
I went to Reel Cafe regularly while I lived in Wilmington for college and recently went there for the first time in years this past weekend. I was in Kure Beach for a bachelorette and we headed to downtown Wilmington for a big night on the town. We wanted to start with dinner and I thought Reel Cafe would be great because we didn't want to go somewhere too fancy or pricey.
Unfortunately they don't take reservations and it was Memorial Day weekend so there was a 45 minute wait. We headed up to the rooftop bar and it was pretty easy for us to kill the time with some drinks. The rooftop bar is awesome, great views, and we enjoyed the music. It was nice to hangout before we went back inside for dinner.
The wait staff was very helpful and accommodating with our large party, there was only one error with someone's order and the drink refills came quickly. I ordered the black bean burger which was absolutely amazing though a bit on the spicy side. Not too much though. Some of the girls ordered the grilled cheese which I tried and was phenomenal, whoever dreamt of putting goat cheese onto that sandwich was a genius.
We all left with full bellies and happy hearts for a fun night out. I was glad to see that the food and service at Reel Cafe have maintained since I moved!
I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food at this little place!
Generally, I find that food at 'bar and grill' restaurants tends to be boring and poorly cooked/prepared.
But the food at the Reel Cafe was excellent!
I drove through Wilmington for a general meeting with a nearby casting office, on my way down the coast from Atlanta to Florida to visiti family. Stopped here for lunch after my general and had a wonderful meal! I shared a caprese salad with my mom and also ordered a penne pasta dish that had artichokes and bell peppers (I think) in a cream sauce.
The tomatoes in the caprese at the Reel Cafe were the freshest and redest tomatoes that I saw on my whole trip (10 days of eating people!). And the basil leaves were HUGE and super fresh. And the balsamic reduction?! Are you kidding me? Perfection.
My penne pasta was cooked perfectly al dente and the parmesan cream scratch tasted like it was made from scratch! The veggies were tossed in in generous portions, and the chicken looked freshly grilled as well.
My mom and sister both got coconut shrimp and they were HUGE. Both were pleased with the texture and quality of their lunches as well.
Plus, the location couldn't be better. Take a quick stroll down the pier after dinner one day and watch the sun set over the water. Absolutely beautiful!
Thanks for a wonderful visit Wilmington! I hope to be back soon!
While visiting Wilmington for a mini vacation my friends and I were wandering around looking for a place to eat. We walked by The Reel Cafe and I had eaten there once before. We walked in and got seated right away even though it was a Friday night. The waitress took our orders quickly and the food came within a good amount of time. I ordered the crab cake sandwich (grilled) and it was delicious. It was cooked just right and the sauce that came with it complemented it well. Two of my friends had pasta dishes and really enjoyed them as well.
The inside of the place is fairly small but they offer a nice patio around the corner. Often there is live music on the patio and always a full bar.
We didn't make it to the other floors of this place but there is apparently much to do, dancing and other entertainment. Friday nights ladies get in for free which is always a plus.
Unfortunately, I was not impressed with this place. Â We were here on a weekday afternoon for lunch. Â For as empty as the place was, the service was terribly slow. Â Hubby had a shrimp burger that he said was "OK" and I had a reuben. Â A pretty greasy reuben. Â Normally one of my favorite sandwiches, I would never get it again here as I fear it might ruin me for other reubens. Â My father-in-law and his wife were with us and they shared an appetizer platter which they said was lackluster as well. Â
Safe to say that we wouldn't choose the Reel Cafe again.
Okay, after swearing never to return to Reel Cafe, I was there this past weekend for a holiday party. Â The party was held upstairs, and was served banquet-style (so we didn't order off the regular menu). Â However, this time the food was much, much better. Â There was prime rib that looked good, though I didn't eat any. Â I had some fantastic asparagus and, funnily enough, chicken fingers! Â Chicken fingers was one of my biggest complaints the last time I was at Reel Cafe. Â So it was been (somewhat) redeemed for me.
Review Source:I've made two trips to The Reel so far, and both have been pretty average. The first time I sat inside and ordered some food. I can't even tell you what it was since it was two years ago, but that generally tells me it was nothing but ordinary. Later on the first visit I went outside on the patio near the street. The service was average, and it was very crowded with a bunch of kids acting pretty obnoxious.
The second time I went was towards the end of a night in Wilmington. Someone had said that there was a good rooftop and if you wanted to dance, the music was good. I went to the rooftop and I have to say the setup is pretty appealing. That being said there wasn't many people and the DJ was horrible. i don't care who you are, and what decade your supposed to be spinning, but Right Said Fred's I'm Too Sexy should never be played. I left and went down one floor only to find it totally empty. The music was much better, but I'm not into being the only person at a club.
I would say this place deserves a third try, and it might inch it's way up to a 3rd star. But for now, it's an average place at best.
This is one of those places that epitomizes Wilmington. Â I love Wilmington, born and raised there and went back to downtown ILM for my own wedding, BUT many business get away with lackluster facilities/food/service due to the location, and Reel is one of them. Â
Reel Cafe has a great view from the rooftop bar and has a constant rotation of decent local bands that hits the patio stage. Â Reel also has an indoor bar/dining area as well. Â None of the areas are very clean, IMO, especially the restrooms. Â I have eaten here a couple of times and the food is standard beach/bar food, and the drinks are fine.... but served in little plastic cups which drives me crazy! Â This used to be on the regular rotation of bars in Wilmington for me, but I guess the older I get the more I expect from a place.... at least swap out the plastic and keep an eye on the cleanliness. Â I'm sure I'll be back here next time I am hanging around before or after dinner at one of the close by restaurants, but I am not going to go out of my way.
I have never been to Reel for anything but drinks, so I can't really comment on the food offerings. Â As for the boozing it, the only true attractions to Reel are the front deck seating and rooftop bar. Â Neither is overly impressive and there are better options for both in the downtown area (just not at the same location). Â The whole place has a slightly dirty feel to it, especially the bathrooms (yuck). Â This is unfortunately the norm in Wilmington. Â I guess since it's near the beach or downtown, bars feel that they can get away with it. Â The standard selection of domestic beers and liquors are available at bars on each of the three levels. Â Lots of nightly specials, but nothing fancier than a miller lite or well drink. Â I tried the $3.50 bloody mary and it was no name mix, with cellar vodka, in a tiny cup, and no garnish. Â It was barely drinkable.
Basically if you want a cheap beer and I good view, this is a decent choice, but I would head a little further down the street to Level 5.
Found this place through Yelp and decided to try it out. Myself, my wife and my 2 year old son came to eat dinner at 4:30 on a Saturday and didn't have to wait at all for a booth. The wait staff was extremely friendly and my son really enjoyed the 20something crayons they gave him to color with :)
They have a wide selection of beer on tap, including many imports.
My wife and I both ordered the Alexander Burger that was topped with a crab cake and it was phenomenal!
The service was exceptional and we would definitely visit again!
This place was okay. Â The service was nice, but the food was fairly mediocre in my opinion.
I split a humus plate with my date and it was fairly good. Â It wasn't the best but it was far from the worst. Â The entree I ordered, the scallop scampi, was actually ridiculously buttery. Â It had a lot of scallops, but I just felt that everything got lost in the extreme amount of butter. Â My date also expressed displeasure in his fish and chips.
Overall, it wasn't bad, but I probably wouldn't go out of my way to go here again.
Mediocre at best. They have this stupid ass rule that if your not eating you can't sit at a table. I assure you that my friends and I drink enough to run up a decent sized bill. Also, it's pretty funky on the patio, dried up fruit on the ground, empty beer bottles in the plants, and no-see-ums up the ass. A little bug spray would be nice.
However, during football season they play The Redskins games. So that makes it all worth it.
What a fun place to dine or have a drink. I went hear with my son for lunch. My son had a chicken sandwich and I had fish and chips. Â The fish and chips were very fresh and tasty. My son devoured his sandwich before I could get a taste. Great atmosphere, reasonable prices, great food and friendly staff. I will have to return for dinner or perhaps happy hour. The place looks like it would be a lot of fun at happy hour.
Review Source:The food at the Reel isn't spectacular - but it is consistently good, and there's plenty on the menu. The prices are reasonable, considering the massive portion sizes they have. The catch of the day sandwich is a good choice for a good price.
Downtown lacks a sports bar, and the Reel isn't a sports bar - but it fills this role for me. It is a magnet for tourists, who come to get toasted at the outside bar. They have live music outside almost every night, and it is crowded most nights in the summer.
I've been to the Reel Cafe on several occasions with friends (post college and during my first job experience). Â I specifically remember drinking myself to oblivion on the rooftop bar before. Â I've closed the place down with friends...and I can recall meeting some very interesting characters there....wow...I'm old b/c that seems a lifetime ago.
Here I am several years later relocated on the west coast. Â I never thought, in my wildest dreams that I would be back at the "REEL CAFE" as an "adult", Â but this time to experience the food with some business associates.
Unfortunately, I can only offer up 3 stars for the service. Â
1st because we ordered their famous oysters....only to be told AFTER we submitted our order that they had run out of oysters.
Although, Â I could kind of understand their dilemma b/c it was the end of the oyster season (March 12), but I was particularly bummed about the way that it was handled by the waitress. Â
What they did finally offer to us (a decrease in the initial quantity ordered) Â were oysters that were not steamed enough. Â Therefore, they were impossible to schuck with the utensils provided.
In fact, I spent over 25 minutes trying to open some grudgingly difficult to open shells.
UUUGH. Â
The beer is good (GUINNESS) and the company I shared the meal with was great. Â
Yet, I think we easily ended up spendiing over $300.00 for a party of 8 or 9 for very little food.
Eh...I wasn't so impressed as an "adult" with this place.
This is a bustling three story bar and restaurant in historic downtown Wilmington, featuring outdoor dining at the street level, a nightclub on the second floor, and a rocking rooftop bar with an addictive ring toss game in the corner. Not sure that i would classify this joint as expensive.
Typically, I'd give a place like this three stars; I've only eaten here once (it was not bad), and I've never been in the nightclub, but the outdoor rooftop bar overlooking the Cape Fear river may be the best place to enjoy a hefeweizen in the city. Ergo, four stars.
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