Highest-rated cheap eats in Wilmington by diners

Americans spend a lot of money on eating out—in 2024, that totaled $1.54 trillion, or nearly 59% of all food spending. So, it's only natural to want the best bang for your restaurant dollar.

Value has become a key component of what diners look for when they eat out, with more than 7 in 10 consumers eyeing menus for value meals. At the same time, many diners also look for something new and exciting, hoping to sample new flavors or food with ingredients that are too expensive to make at home.

Many ethnic cuisines also provide a lot of value because they aren't as expensive to produce. Many Mexican dishes fall into this category because tortillas are cheaper to produce than bread. Many Asian cuisines, including Chinese, Filipino, and Cambodian food, also rely on low-cost ingredients and simple food preparation techniques.

Food trucks and street food vendors also offer cheaper food, thanks to lower overhead costs. Their limited menus typically focus on one type of food, allowing them to simplify purchasing and pass the savings on in the form of lower prices.

Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated cheap eats restaurants within 10 kilometers of the Wilmington area using data from Yelp. Data is as of Aug. 8, 2025. Businesses were selected using Yelp's ranking system, which calculates an adjusted rating value that takes into account the number of ratings as well as the rating score itself. Only businesses with at least 20 reviews were considered, and a cost of "$" (out of 4) were considered. Also, in an effort to highlight independent businesses and local chains, those with more than five locations nationally, based on the Yelp data, were not included.

Merritt's Burger House

1 / 29

#29. Merritt's Burger House

- Rating: 4.1/5 (42 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2338 Carolina Beach Road Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Burgers, fast food
- Read more on Yelp

The Original Salt Works

2 / 29

#28. The Original Salt Works

- Rating: 4.1/5 (145 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 6301 Oleander Drive Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

Pt's Olde Fashioned Grille

3 / 29

#27. Pt's Olde Fashioned Grille

- Rating: 4.1/5 (82 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 5916 Carolina Beach Road Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

Port City Java

4 / 29

#26. Port City Java

- Rating: 4.1/5 (59 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2099 Market St. Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Bakeries, Cafes
- Read more on Yelp

Smithfield's Chicken 'N Bar-B-Q

5 / 29

#25. Smithfield's Chicken 'N Bar-B-Q

- Rating: 4.1/5 (76 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 7300 Market St. Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Barbecue, Chicken Shop, American
- Read more on Yelp

Your Pie Pizza

6 / 29

#24. Your Pie Pizza

- Rating: 4.2/5 (107 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 4403 Oleander Drive Ste H Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: American, Pizza, Beer, Wine & Spirits
- Read more on Yelp

Shirley's Diner

7 / 29

#23. Shirley's Diner

- Rating: 4.2/5 (49 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 112 Village Road Northeast Leland, North Carolina
- Categories: Diners
- Read more on Yelp

Carolina Girls' Grillin' Cafe

8 / 29

#22. Carolina Girls' Grillin' Cafe

- Rating: 4.2/5 (61 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2535 Castle Hayne Road Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Sandwiches, fast food, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp

Pho Cafe

9 / 29

#21. Pho Cafe

- Rating: 4.2/5 (290 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3926 Market St. Ste 201 Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Vietnamese
- Read more on Yelp

P.T.'s Olde Fashioned Grille

10 / 29

#20. P.T.'s Olde Fashioned Grille

- Rating: 4.2/5 (128 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1437 Military Cutoff Road Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Burgers, New American, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

Taqueria Los Portales 1

11 / 29

#19. Taqueria Los Portales 1

- Rating: 4.2/5 (169 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1207 South Kerr Ave. Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

Agostino's Pizza & Pasta

12 / 29

#18. Agostino's Pizza & Pasta

- Rating: 4.2/5 (158 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 4712 New Centre Drive Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Pizza, Pasta Shops
- Read more on Yelp

I Love NY Pizza

13 / 29

#17. I Love NY Pizza

- Rating: 4.3/5 (168 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 28 North Front St. Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Pizza
- Read more on Yelp

Midtown Deli & Grill

14 / 29

#16. Midtown Deli & Grill

- Rating: 4.3/5 (35 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2316 South 17th St. Ste 100 Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Delis, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

Capricho

15 / 29

#15. Capricho

- Rating: 4.3/5 (88 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 215-A Princess St. Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

Peño Mediterranean Grill

16 / 29

#14. Peño Mediterranean Grill

- Rating: 4.3/5 (228 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 351-29 South College Road Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Salad, Mediterranean, Greek
- Read more on Yelp

P.T.'s Olde Fashioned Grille

17 / 29

#13. P.T.'s Olde Fashioned Grille

- Rating: 4.3/5 (303 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 4544 Fountain Drive Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

Goody Goody Omelet House Restaurant

18 / 29

#12. Goody Goody Omelet House Restaurant

- Rating: 4.4/5 (180 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 3817 Market St. Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp

Grinders Caffè

19 / 29

#11. Grinders Caffè

- Rating: 4.4/5 (116 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 890 South Kerr Ave. Unit 2b Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Cafes
- Read more on Yelp

Seaside Bagels

20 / 29

#10. Seaside Bagels

- Rating: 4.4/5 (135 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 6400 Carolina Beach Road Ste 14 Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Bagels, Breakfast & Brunch, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

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Block Taco

21 / 29

#9. Block Taco

- Rating: 4.5/5 (135 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 120 Greenfield St. Unit B Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Tacos
- Read more on Yelp

Louie's Hot Dogs

22 / 29

#8. Louie's Hot Dogs

- Rating: 4.5/5 (46 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 204 1/2 Princess St. Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Hot Dogs
- Read more on Yelp

Brodee Dogs Brew House

23 / 29

#7. Brodee Dogs Brew House

- Rating: 4.5/5 (46 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 103 A Village Road Northeast Leland, North Carolina
- Categories: Hot Dogs, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

Hoobie's Ny Pizza & Hoagies

24 / 29

#6. Hoobie's Ny Pizza & Hoagies

- Rating: 4.5/5 (59 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2708 Exchange Drive Ste B Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Sandwiches, Pizza
- Read more on Yelp

La Güera

25 / 29

#5. La Güera

- Rating: 4.5/5 (87 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 6620-F Gordon Road Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

The Donut Inn

26 / 29

#4. The Donut Inn

- Rating: 4.5/5 (210 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1427 Military Cutoff Road Ste 101 Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Donuts, Breakfast & Brunch, Coffee & Tea
- Read more on Yelp

Casa Blanca

27 / 29

#3. Casa Blanca

- Rating: 4.6/5 (179 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 7409 Market St. Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Cafes
- Read more on Yelp

Milner's Cafe & Catering

28 / 29

#2. Milner's Cafe & Catering

- Rating: 4.7/5 (40 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 311 Judges Road Ste 1A Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Cafes, Breakfast & Brunch, Salad
- Read more on Yelp

Broomtail Craft Brewery

29 / 29

#1. Broomtail Craft Brewery

- Rating: 4.8/5 (46 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 6404 Amsterdam Way Unit 100 Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Breweries, Coffee & Tea, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp

This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Jill Jaracz, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 388 metros.