Board & Barrel — Restaurant in Wilmington

Decided to try since we were staying at the hotel. The summer menu was a bit underwhelming but we decided to try the fried green tomatoes, pimento cheese fries, pork chop and the blackened salmon. The fried tomatoes were delicious. Nice and crispy with the right amount of Chipotle sour cream and avocado. The fries and the pork chop we're good as well as the salmon itself. I'm personally a pescatarian as animal fat makes me ill, but fish is ok.

The menu specifically called out bacon in other dishes and did not say the collard greens had bacon in it so I thought nothing of it when I ordered. After one bite I saw the little bacon cubes and asked the nice waitress if it was in fact bacon. She said it was and that I should have just asked since it is the south and almost everything has animal fat in it in a slightly condescending tone. She wasn't mean about it but when I said I must've missed it on the menu (I had checked and it was called out on the menu) she didn't seem to understand why someone wouldn't want bacon which made me a little self conscious. I think it would be good to specifically call out ingredients like bacon, as it could be troublesome to folks with dietary restrictions. Suggesting to push the greens onto another plate and substituting with another vegetable seems ok, but the bacon fat has already dripped into part of corn underneath so I couldn't eat that portion either.

All in all it was fine, but if I had to redo the meal I would've probably chosen another restaurant. Hopefully the menu is more explicit in the future about dietary restriction a for...

My only experience here was at the bar, so this review does not necessarily reflect the restaurant as a whole, but given my experience, I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. The bartender was rude, condescending, and unkind. For a bar that is in a hotel, right next to the pool, and in a building that has other food/drink options, one would expect the staff to be used to needing to explain the rules of the space. After we'd ordered several overpriced cocktails and beers, the bartender rudely interrogated two friends who joined us with other drinks. It was not clear that it was a space where things couldn't be brought in, and the rules themselves are totally reasonable and understandable; however, the attitude and harshness of the bartender was uncalled for. If she had kindly explained the rules it wouldn't have been a problem and I wouldn't be leaving a review. We intentionally chose to never return to the bar during our stay in Wilmington, even though it was the most convenient. In a place that's full of tourists, staff need to be extra kind and resilient and understanding, and unfortunately, the staff here seemed unwilling to give the time of day to help guests...

Wish we could give in-between rates, this would be a 3.8 Stars versus a 3. Three, only because it is not a solid 4-star experience. Beautiful ambiance, the hotel it is located inside, The Ballast Hotel and how it is positioned on the water. Very tranquil, sexy and romantic, especially at night. Milieu aside, the food is ok. Grits were watery and rubbery, go figure. Asked for Cheese Grits and "literally" had 4 shredded pieces, unacceptable! Eggs were cooked to request, scrambled and seasoned well. Biscuits are fluffy and very rich because they are doused in butter. They are made of a good fat, either lard or butter that makes them flaky. They also slice and sear each in piece in butter; Oh, the richness! The sausages are savory and were cooked hard, the way we like but extremely sybaritic. Could only eat a piece of one but they are delish! Hashbrowns are shredded, crisp and savory. The French Toast is thick eggy Brioched slices of warm spiced toast served with a hint of orange zest, lots of butter and warmed Maple syrup. They have a variety of juices, including Pineapple and Cranberry. Overall, Service is swift, efficient and congenial. Good place for a...