Hieronymus Seafood Restaurant & Oyster Bar — Restaurant in Wilmington

After residing in Wilmington for almost 3 years, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to enjoy some good, local seafood for my birthday dinner this year. After scrolling through social media, a family meal from Hieronymus popped up and had plenty of seafood options and combinations in order to deliver a feast. My choice was made.

FOOD: Shrimp & Grits, of course (1 of my favorite dishes). Fried Seafood Platter consisting of fresh flounder, tender clam strips, plump shrimp and the star of that platter...the fried oysters. Fried Grouper Bites with a wasabi, cucumber aioli dipping sauce and a Praline Cheesecake to top it all off. The shrimp & grits were delicious. The lobster cream sauce with white wine, danced on my tastebuds with each chew. The size of the shrimp were well above your average, seafood chains and each one were cooked perfectly. I sampled each of the items of the fried sampler as well. The clams were generously packed into the container and the flounder was succulent. But those fried oysters though...large, juicy, fresh and fried golden brown. I could have eaten an entire platter of these balls of goodness! The grouper bites were also fried to perfection with large chunks of well-seasoned grouper fish nestled inside a thin layer of batter. Hieronymus cut no corners with this buttery fish. I still have yet to try the cheesecake, as it still sits in my fridge, awaiting to be devoured this evening. :) With all tastings considered, the fried oysters and shrimp and grits were the stars. Each of these score 4.7 Stars and all other items still clearing a solid 4.5 Stars. I enjoyed everything I tasted and must add that their cole slaw is some the best you'll ever taste. I promise you this. SCORE: 4.6 STARS!!

SERVICE: I placed a call for curbside pickup, was offered up a variety of combinations to order from, was on-time with delivery and each member of the restaurant was delightfully kind. We took some pictures, shared pleasantries and it just felt like small-town America. Great people and everything went according to plan. SCORE: 5 STARS!!

OVERALL SCORE: Hieronymus is not far away from one of the busiest intersections of Wilmington, but you can pass right by it if you're not looking carefully. Lush trees and foliage surround the storefront and has a quaint, coastal feel to it. The staff was wonderful and the food was equally as impressive. I look forward to dining with you in the future under better circumstances in the COVID-19 era. ...

What a complete nightmare. We had the only server who chose to wear her mask around her chin & COUGHED on us multiple times. Now that would normally upset me but were in the middle of a pandemic.

This was BY FAR the worst dining experience I've ever had. Let me start with saying the food was very good. Let me also state that I've been to hieronymus many times & always enjoyed it.

I figured it'd be the perfect place to get dressed up and celebrate my birthday. We called ahead and made a reservation for 7 people at 7:30. Considering bars close at 11 pm we figured this would be a perfect time to enjoy our dinner and then make it to the bar.

We all order specialty drinks from the bar and a round of waters. 8:30 rolls around and we have water. I track down my waitress who is standing at the bar to ask if we can put our order in as we have other plans and not much time she tells me she's been waiting on our drinks and gives me an attitude. She gets our order and we're now on an hour and a half without beverages. She finally brings them over and they're all dead, the ice is melted and they're all watered down. One drink is wrong. We tell her about it and she gets it fixed as she leans in and coughs on the table.

She brings the food over and lifts the tray above our heads hitting the tray off the wall, luckily nothing fell. BUT WHAT ARE YOU DOING!

We finally get our bill right before 10pm and its about $300 with 20% gratuity added. I told her that is ridiculous and the entire experience was bad. This woman really looked me in the eye and asked if I had a bad time before I got to the restaurant, as she coughs on my friends head.

Now mind you this is a table of bartenders, servers, and a bar owner. We pay and get up to leave... the majority of the party has walked away but I was still sitting there, she grabs some plates and sits down beside me COUGHING and says I dont want you to have to wait on me anymore tonight.

The audacity of this woman, it was like we were in the twilight zone, I couldn't believe this happened. I quickly said something to the hostess as I walked out but unfortunately we didn't have time and I wasn't having anymore of my birthday ruined by this disrespectul woman.

Restaurants are operating at 50% capacity, this is literally serving with training wheels there is no excuse for bad service when you're not busy. There's less of an excuse for being disrespectful & having no concern for other peoples health...

5 ⭐️ - Hieronymus Seafood Restaurant: Bringing the Fresh Flavors Since '72!

If you're looking for a genuine Wilmington seafood staple, you have to stop at Hieronymus Seafood Restaurant. This place has been "bringing the fresh flavors" for decades—since 1972, and it still "rocks”. the house" when it comes to taste.

We dropped by for a late lunch and were so thoroughly impressed that we canceled our planned dinner reservations elsewhere just to order takeout from here again.

LUNCH: Flavor Overload in the Best Way The crowd was light, the kitchen was clearly on its A-game. Every single thing we ordered was top-notch. We started with the Garlic Cheddar Biscuits, which were buttery, soft, and perfect, but they reached legendary status once we dipped them into the Lobster Cream Grits. This grits dish is the star of the show: a one-of-a-kind, knock-out flavor bomb LOBSTER CREAM that is simply WOW! Seriously, it's rich, savory, and an absolute must-try. The Grilled Seafood Platter (Blackened Shrimp & Scallops) was amazingly tender, perfectly seasoned, and cooked to absolute perfection. It's the kind of subtle flavor that proves they use high-quality, fresh ingredients. Paired with the Sea Crab Soup, the whole meal was a seafood flavor overload that was simply GREAAAAAT.

DINNER: The Captain's Platter Wins For dinner, we decided on the Captain’s Seafood Platter, featuring flounder, shrimp, oysters, scallops, clam strips, Brussels sprouts, and, thankfully, more grits with that creamy lobster sauce. Normally, a large fried platter isn't my first choice, but the light, crispy batter and spot-on seasoning left no choice but to dig in. The variety was excellent, with every component tasting perfectly cooked and distinct. Even the Brussels sprouts were perfectly done, providing a nice counterpoint to the rich seafood. From the first buttery biscuit to the last scallop, the quality of both meals was phenomenal.

Hieronymus isn't just a community staple; it's a culinary destination. When I'm in Wilmington, NC, this will be my absolute go-to, and I strongly recommend you make it yours too!

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