Highest-rated restaurants for burgers in the Wilmington area by diners
Highest-rated restaurants for burgers in the Wilmington area by diners
There's just something about a hamburger—from the way the juices from the freshly grilled meat gently dribble down your chin as you take that first bite of the succulent patty to the way the cheese curves along the sides, melting slowly over the ground-beef goodness placed gently between two buns.
While a burger's je ne sais quoi may defy definition, one thing is certain: Americans love hamburgers. According to a 2024 YouGov survey, burgers are among the top three most popular foods in the U.S., tied with fried chicken and bested only by French fries. As further proof of hamburgers' dominance in America, chains where burgers are the star of the menu generated $110 billion in sales in 2024, according to the annual Technomic Top 500 Chain Restaurant Report. Based on a Restaurant Business analysis of the Technomic report, that accounts for more than a quarter of the total sales among all Top 500 chains and more than double sales from chains where chicken is the main attraction.
The burger's origins stretch far beyond America, however. Named after Hamburg, a region in Germany known for its cattle, the Hamburg steak was the first step toward what would become the sandwich we know and love today. Served on a plate (sans buns, if you can believe it), the steak was said to have become popular during the Industrial Revolution after an influx of German immigrants into New York. To make the food easier for the workers to eat on their breaks, a now unknown cook sandwiched the steak between two pieces of bread, and the rest, as they say, is history.
While it may never be proven when and where the hamburger was first invented, the deliciously simple sandwich is here to stay. But who serves the best burger today? You'll find many restaurants around the U.S. that claim they do, from Au Cheval in Chicago and New York to The Habit Burger Grill, a California-based chain that USA Today named the #1 fast-food burger in America.
Of course, those restaurants may not be in your neck of the woods. To find the best of the best in your area, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated restaurants for burgers in the Wilmington area based on diners' reviews on Yelp as of March 2025. Restaurants with at least 20 reviews tagged as "burgers" on Yelp within a 10-kilometer radius of Wilmington were included. As a result, many restaurants featured may primarily serve other food items besides burgers. Also, to highlight independent businesses and local chains, those with at least five locations nationally, based on the Yelp data, were not included.
Keep reading to see if your favorite burger spot made the cut—or maybe you'll find your new favorite on this list!
#29. Port City Cheesesteak
- Rating: 4.0/5 (122 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 21 North Front St. Unit D Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Cheesesteaks, Burgers, Chicken Wings
- Read more on Yelp
#28. Merritt's Burger House
- Rating: 4.0/5 (40 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2338 Carolina Beach Road Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Burgers, fast food
- Read more on Yelp
#27. Brunches at Randall
- Rating: 4.0/5 (113 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3326 Jaeckle Drive Ste 120 Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, Burgers, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#26. The Original Salt Works
- Rating: 4.1/5 (140 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 6301 Oleander Drive Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#25. Pt's Olde Fashioned Grille
- Rating: 4.1/5 (81 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 5916 Carolina Beach Road Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#24. Grimm Burger
- Rating: 4.1/5 (29 reviews)
- Address: 1113 Military Cutoff Road Ste F Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Burgers, Wine Bars, Beer Bar
- Read more on Yelp
#23. Platypus and Gnome
- Rating: 4.1/5 (256 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 7205 Wrightsville Ave. Ste 100 Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Cocktail Bars, Burgers, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#22. Angus Grill
- Rating: 4.1/5 (21 reviews)
- Address: 6331 Carolina Beach Road Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#21. Shark Bar and Kitchen
- Rating: 4.2/5 (485 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 13 East Salisbury St. Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina
- Categories: Seafood, Burgers, Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#20. David's Deli & Restaurant
- Rating: 4.2/5 (84 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1984 Eastwood Road Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Burgers, Delis, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#19. True Blue Butcher and Barrel
- Rating: 4.2/5 (98 reviews)
- Address: 110 Greenfield St. Ste 114 Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Burgers, New American, Butcher
- Read more on Yelp
#18. Rebellion NC
- Rating: 4.2/5 (258 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 15 South Front St. Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Bars, American, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#17. P.T.'s Olde Fashioned Grille
- Rating: 4.2/5 (122 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1437 Military Cutoff Road Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Burgers, New American, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#16. Brunches
- Rating: 4.2/5 (250 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 6800 Parker Farm Drive Unit 150 Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, Burgers, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#15. The Fork n Cork
- Rating: 4.3/5 (1145 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 122 Market St. Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: New American, Burgers, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#14. Flying Machine Oyster Bar
- Rating: 4.3/5 (70 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 530 Causeway Drive Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina
- Categories: Burgers, New American, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#13. Mess Hall
- Rating: 4.3/5 (213 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2136 Wrightsville Ave. Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Burgers, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp
#12. Winnie's Tavern
- Rating: 4.3/5 (255 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1895 Burnett Blvd. Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Burgers, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#11. Fox's Hole In The Wall
- Rating: 4.3/5 (44 reviews)
- Address: 124 Princess St. Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Bars, Sandwiches, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#10. Celtic Monkey
- Rating: 4.3/5 (42 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 5607 Carolina Beach Road Unit 100 Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Irish Pub, Burgers, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#9. P.T.'s Olde Fashioned Grille
- Rating: 4.4/5 (299 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 4544 Fountain Drive Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#8. 8207 NOMA
- Rating: 4.4/5 (45 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 8207 Market St. Ste F Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Salad, Burgers, Seafood
- Read more on Yelp
#7. Whiskey Trail Pub & Grill Midtown
- Rating: 4.4/5 (22 reviews)
- Address: 3525 Lancelot Lane Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Burgers, Pubs, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#6. P.T.'s Olde Fashioned Grille
- Rating: 4.5/5 (74 reviews)
- Address: 8116 Market St. Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Burgers, American
- Read more on Yelp
#5. Brodee Dogs Brew House
- Rating: 4.5/5 (42 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 103 A Village Road Northeast Leland, North Carolina
- Categories: Hot Dogs, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#4. Castle Street Kitchen
- Rating: 4.5/5 (67 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 509 Castle St. Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Sandwiches, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#3. Savor Southern Kitchen
- Rating: 4.5/5 (247 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3704 Carolina Beach Road Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, Salad, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#2. Rooster & The Crow
- Rating: 4.5/5 (292 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 225 South Water St. Ste G & H Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Southern, Burgers, Soul Food
- Read more on Yelp
#1. On Thyme Restaurant
- Rating: 4.7/5 (100 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 918 Castle St. Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Seafood, Tacos, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp
This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 304 metros.
