Whether you are an incoming freshman, transfer student, or have already spent some time in the Wilmington area and simply looking for a new favorite place to eat — look no further! The following list of restaurants are favorites in the Wilmington area handpicked by other UNC Wilmington students and myself (as well as pricing information cited from Yelp).

Betsy’s Crepes ($$-$$$): Located in the heart of downtown Wilmington, Betsy’s Crepes is one of my favorite breakfast spots. Their crepes are tasty (my favorite being the Marie Antoinette — Nutella & Strawberries), as well as their other traditional breakfast options. It is located on Front Street, so it is the perfect place to make a stop for a quick bite when you are adventuring around downtown.

Hibachi Bistro ($): “My favorite place to eat in Wilmington is Hibachi Bistro. Hibachi Bistro is really close to campus, has a student discount day, and has great food. They give you a lot of food so typically you can get two meals out of it!” – Alex Putman (Junior)

Fish House Grill ($$): “Fish House Grill is my favorite restaurant in Wilmington as it has great scenery over the water, as well as a fair priced menu. It can be the perfect place for a nice lunch with friends, or a first date with a girl. The menu has something for everyone and can be scaled up or down depending on the occasion.” – Sean Clark (Junior)

Flaming Amy’s Bowl ($): “My personal favorite is Flaming Amy’s Bowl as it is kind of a unique ‘buffet style’ restaurant, and you also get a pretty great amount of food for a really nice price. There is also tons of variety, so there is a lots of room for trial and error when it comes to your bowl of food.” – Loren Bullock (Junior)

Grinder’s Caffé ($): While not necessarily a restaurant, Grinder’s is one of my favorite places to get coffee. Every Thursday night they have Open Mic/Songwriter’s Night which provides an awesome atmosphere to relax with some friends and catch some live music.

Jimbo’s Breakfast & Lunch ($$): “For nostalgic reasons, Jimbo’s is one of my favorite spots. They’re open at 10pm to 12 in the afternoon which is good for late night meal cravings. Also the servers are nice and chatty.” – Maggie Auzenne (Senior)

K38 Baja Grill ($$-$$$): “My favorite place to eat in Wilmington is K38 for it’s amazing and reasonably priced food. The queso and salsa are amazing. While you may be able to find cheaper tacos in Wilmington, it would be hard to find any that taste better.” – Alex Jones (Junior)

P.T.’s Olde Fashioned Grille ($): I believe that P.T.’s is a staple “must try once” restaurant location and has some of the best burgers in Wilmington. On top of that, the seasoning on their fries is heavenly. It was one of the first places I ate at in Wilmington, so it has always had a special place in my heart.