Highest-rated seafood restaurants in Wilmington

Whether you've waited in line for soft-shell crabs in the Chesapeake Bay or savored sushi in New York City, you know there's something special about finding the right spot to enjoy seafood. From ceviche to grilled salmon and towers of shellfish, the top-rated seafood restaurants in the United States serve up mouthwatering dishes across diverse cuisines like Japanese, Latin American, and Mediterranean to suit every palate.

Of course, certain areas of the country are known for particular delicacies. California's proximity to the Pacific Ocean, for example, makes it one of the best states for seafood. The Los Angeles area serves up everything from caviar to Santa Barbara spot prawns, while San Francisco is a mecca for fish tacos, ceviche, and sushi. Further north, Seattle is legendary for its shellfish, showcased at the famed fish counter at Pike Place Market.

While Chicago may be best known as a pizza capital, many flock to the city for its king crab dishes; a bit further south and east, you have Miami and its sought-after stone crab season. Southern locales like New Orleans boast fresh crawfish from the Gulf of Mexico, and the two noncontiguous states have their own signature offerings too: Alaska is known for its pollock and salmon, while Hawai'i is known for its poke.

Dining at a seafood restaurant can be one of the most memorable parts of your trip to a new city or offer comfort food in your own hometown. To celebrate the best options near you, Stacker used insights from Yelp to compile a list of the highest-rated seafood restaurants in Wilmington.

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 restaurants with at least 20 reviews were considered. In an effort to highlight independent restaurants and local chains, those with more than 10 locations nationally, based on the Yelp data, were not included. Data is as of July 29, 2025.

Keep reading to discover your highest-rated local seafood restaurants for your next special meal out!

Anne Bonny's Bar and Grill

1 / 30

#30. Anne Bonny's Bar and Grill

- Rating: 4.0/5 (269 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 106 South Water St. Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: American, Seafood, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp

The Bridge Tender

2 / 30

#29. The Bridge Tender

- Rating: 4.1/5 (564 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1414 Airlie Road Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Seafood, Steakhouses
- Read more on Yelp

Perla Raw Bar

3 / 30

#28. Perla Raw Bar

- Rating: 4.1/5 (73 reviews)
- Address: 1039 Ashes Drive Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Seafood, Wine Bars, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp

Tower 7 Baja Mexican Grill

4 / 30

#27. Tower 7 Baja Mexican Grill

- Rating: 4.1/5 (554 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4 North Lumina Ave. Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina
- Categories: Mexican, Seafood
- Read more on Yelp

Rx Chicken & Oysters

5 / 30

#26. Rx Chicken & Oysters

- Rating: 4.2/5 (37 reviews)
- Address: 421 Castle St. Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Seafood, Chicken Shop
- Read more on Yelp

Shark Bar and Kitchen

6 / 30

#25. Shark Bar and Kitchen

- Rating: 4.2/5 (496 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 13 East Salisbury St. Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina
- Categories: Seafood, Burgers, Bars
- Read more on Yelp

Origins Food and Drink

7 / 30

#24. Origins Food and Drink

- Rating: 4.2/5 (84 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 102 Autumn Hall Drive Unit 120 Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Seafood, Salad, Pasta Shops
- Read more on Yelp

Coquina Fishbar

8 / 30

#23. Coquina Fishbar

- Rating: 4.2/5 (115 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 890 Town Center Drive Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Seafood
- Read more on Yelp

Ciana Ristorante Italiano

9 / 30

#22. Ciana Ristorante Italiano

- Rating: 4.3/5 (56 reviews)
- Address: 4724 New Centre Drive Ste 3 Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Italian, Breakfast & Brunch, Seafood
- Read more on Yelp

8207 NOMA

10 / 30

#21. 8207 NOMA

- Rating: 4.3/5 (45 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 8207 Market St. Ste F Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Salad, Burgers, Seafood
- Read more on Yelp

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Catch Restaurant

11 / 30

#20. Catch Restaurant

- Rating: 4.3/5 (368 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 6623 Market St. Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Seafood, Salad, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp

Michael's on the Waterfront

12 / 30

#19. Michael's on the Waterfront

- Rating: 4.3/5 (197 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 5 South Water St. Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Seafood, New American
- Read more on Yelp

Molly Pitcher's American Grill

13 / 30

#18. Molly Pitcher's American Grill

- Rating: 4.4/5 (177 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4001 Wrightsville Ave. Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Seafood, Sandwiches, American
- Read more on Yelp

Black Sea Grill

14 / 30

#17. Black Sea Grill

- Rating: 4.4/5 (255 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 118 South Front St. Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Mediterranean, Seafood, Gluten-Free
- Read more on Yelp

Cape Fear

15 / 30

#16. Cape Fear

- Rating: 4.4/5 (361 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 140 Hays Lane Ste 140 Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Seafood, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp

Genki

16 / 30

#15. Genki

- Rating: 4.4/5 (397 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4724 New Centre Drive Ste 5 Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Japanese, Sushi Bars, Seafood
- Read more on Yelp

PinPoint Restaurant

17 / 30

#14. PinPoint Restaurant

- Rating: 4.4/5 (391 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 114 Market St. Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: New American, Seafood, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp

Brent's Bistro

18 / 30

#13. Brent's Bistro

- Rating: 4.4/5 (112 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 7110 Wrightsville Ave. Unit C-12 Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: New American, Seafood
- Read more on Yelp

Cape Fear Seafood Company

19 / 30

#12. Cape Fear Seafood Company

- Rating: 4.4/5 (798 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 5226 South College Road Ste 5 Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Seafood, American, Bars
- Read more on Yelp

Fish Bites Seafood Restaurant

20 / 30

#11. Fish Bites Seafood Restaurant

- Rating: 4.4/5 (940 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 6132 Carolina Beach Road Ste 11 Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Seafood, American, Desserts
- Read more on Yelp

Seaview Crab Company - Midtown

21 / 30

#10. Seaview Crab Company - Midtown

- Rating: 4.5/5 (65 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1515 Marstellar St. Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Seafood Markets, Seafood
- Read more on Yelp

Topsail Steamer

22 / 30

#9. Topsail Steamer

- Rating: 4.5/5 (35 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 530 Causeway Drive Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina
- Categories: Seafood, Seafood Markets
- Read more on Yelp

Ceviche's

23 / 30

#8. Ceviche's

- Rating: 4.5/5 (695 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 7210 Wrightsville Ave. Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Seafood, Latin American, Caribbean
- Read more on Yelp

Seabird

24 / 30

#7. Seabird

- Rating: 4.6/5 (261 reviews)
- Address: 1 South Front St. Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Seafood, Cocktail Bars, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp

Three10

25 / 30

#6. Three10

- Rating: 4.6/5 (69 reviews)
- Address: 1022 North 4th St. Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Seafood, Southern, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp

On Thyme Restaurant

26 / 30

#5. On Thyme Restaurant

- Rating: 4.7/5 (118 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 918 Castle St. Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Seafood, Tacos, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

Tidewater Oyster Bar

27 / 30

#4. Tidewater Oyster Bar

- Rating: 4.7/5 (186 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 8211 Market St. Unit DD Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Seafood
- Read more on Yelp

Savorez

28 / 30

#3. Savorez

- Rating: 4.7/5 (631 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 402 Chestnut St. Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Latin American, Seafood, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp

The Maine Lobster Roll

29 / 30

#2. The Maine Lobster Roll

- Rating: 4.8/5 (24 reviews)
- Address: 420 Eastwood Road Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Seafood, Soup, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

The Maine Lobster Roll Company

30 / 30

#1. The Maine Lobster Roll Company

- Rating: 4.8/5 (167 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 5202 Carolina Beach Road Ste 6 Wilmington, North Carolina
- Categories: Seafood, American, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 303 metros.