Front Street Brewery, Wilmington NC

On Front Street in Wilmington, North Carolina, you can find a really nice place called The Front Street Brewery. When you find it, go in and eat and drink. You will not be disappointed. We were there with seven adults and three children on a Tuesday evening and had a very enjoyable experience.

First, check out the appetizers because on weekdays from four to seven PM they have a great selection for half price. I tried (not just me, but the whole party) the fried Buffalo blue cheese strips, the fried green tomatoes, the onion rings, and the jumbo soft pretzel. All were good.

For dinner I recommend the Black and Blue burger, bacon, blue cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and a half-pound of good beef on a Kaiser roll for only $7.99. The only drawback is that the rarest they’ll make it is medium well, but it was okay. I like mine medium. My son-in-law had a Horseradish burger, and he had a grin on his face as he ate it. The rest in my party had the Baja salad, Blackened Chicken Breast, Bratwurst, and Fried Shrimp. Everyone said his or her meal was good.

I liked their IPA, they are after all a microbrewery. I also tried the Oatmeal Stout, but was slightly disappointed. Not that it was bad, but I’ve had better. I tasted the Scottish Ale, and that was good too. I think I need to go back and try a few more.

Like I said, it was a good dining experience. Maggie took good care of us and made sure all of our needs were met. We also tasted some nice wines, because on Tuesdays they have a free wine sampling.

Check out their website for more information.

Update- Aug 22, 09

When I find a restaurant I like, I go back often. In my travels I’ve come across a few that I’d like to visit more often, but I can’t. Such is the case with Front Street Brewery in Wilmington, NC. We paid our second visit there the other day and all I can say is that I’m even more impressed. The food was excellent, the service great, and the atmosphere fun.

You see, Front Street Brewery is one of those places that just isn’t pretentious, and if you’ve been following this blog at all, you know that I hate pretentious. I like simple food for regular people, and that’s what Front Street is all about. They aren’t trying to impress you with anything but the food and the beer, and even that’s understated.

We had a party of eleven, eight adults and three children. Five of us got there first and sat at the bar for a beer while waiting for the rest of our party. I met a nice man named Sam eating at the bar and we struck up a conversation, turns out he works there and we were discussing beer and Philadelphia where he was from. I also had a nice conversation with Maddie (I think that’s her name) the bartender. The people who work there are nice, friendly, and interesting.

When we were seated, Christy took care of us, after the first server left (I hope we didn’t scare him off) and she quickly corrected a mistake in the order. Food was great! Please note the picture above of my delightful Black and Blue Burger. I ordered it with sweet potato fries and that was the error that Christy corrected for me; I even got to keep the regular fries when she brought the sweet potato fries, probably the best I’ve had by the way.

We had a few appetizers; the fried green tomatoes, Buffalo Blue Sticks, and Buttermilk Breaded Onions, all half-price between four and six by the way.

I had a few beers. The Scottish Ale was delicious. The Vanilla Porter, the special that day, was interesting with a nice taste. I liked the California Common as well. It has a nice taste that starts off like a wheat beer and finished like an IPA, with a slight fruit flavor. They were out of my favorite, the Port City IPA.

Definitely stop by Front Street Brewery if you’re in Wilmington and tell them I sent you.

Update- April, 2. I stopped by today for a quick Port City IPA ( I didn't have time to order food) and I remembered why I love this place. Great beer and nice people, even without the great food. I'll be back a few times this Summer.