South Front Tavern — Restaurant in Wilmington

What a delightful surprise! I had been hearing about South Front Tavern for a few months, but somehow we just managed to try this fantastic restaurant last night! The atmosphere is a perfect blend of casual upscale- the decor, the seating, the lighting all bring elements of luxury. We didn’t have reservations, so I inquired to the hostess whether we would be able to be accommodated. She assured us that we would (we were quite early so before the Friday rush) and promptly seated us. Our server was a delight; friendly, attentive, and knowledgeable about the menu. I selected the Plancha burger and my hubby had Gumbo Ya-Ya. We started our meal with a glass of wine and a cold beer and sat and absorbed the beauty of our surroundings. When our food came- WOW! I consider myself a Wilmington burger consumer extraordinaire, and this may have been the best burger I have had in Wilmington. The meat was perfectly seasoned, the Gruyère cheese and arugula paired with tasty sautéed mushroom elevated this burger to new heights. The bun was so soft and pillowy that either it was made in house, or at a nearby bakery that day! Exquisite burger paired with fries that were quite a delight as well. My husband inhaled his gumbo and declared it was “the real deal” (I can make a good gumbo and the roux is seriously an endeavor in love, and I could see that this gumbo was authentic.) Added to our wonderful dining experience was meeting the owner of the establishment who was quite delightful. I seriously would give this place six stars out of five! We will definitely be making this one of our local hangs, and I cannot wait to go and try some brunch items...

In June, while visiting my sister and Brother in law in Carolina Beach, we met Mark and his wife who talked to us about them opening a new restaurant in Wilmington called the South Front Tavern SFT). Just talking with them made it clear that SFT was going to be a place we would definitely want to try. I returned to visit a few days ago and we made the trip to SFT for dinner. The service, ambiance and last but certainly not least, the food was fantastic! The food coming out of the kitchen is nowhere remotely close to anything else in Wilmington. The grilled Skirt Steak with Chimichurri, roasted squash and Tobacco onions and rice was delicious! We also tried the Toasted Gnocchi and Farmer's Market salad. Each dish was well portioned, well presented and absolutely delicious! For all of you folks that have not been to South Front Tavern, you owe it yourself to indulge in a fine dining experience. Katie, our server was wonderful and I almost forgot to mention, the deserts!!! The deserts are a must! The NC Blueberry pudding, Flourless chocolate torte and seasonal Apple Crisp are a perfect way to cap off a wonderful dining experience. But don't take my word for it, you be the judge. After which, you can tell and bring your...

Four of us had brunch today (6 July 2025). We had been here previously when it was a different restaurant. The bar is still there, which I really like. Open room with lots of high tops. There is outside seating too.

The owner greeted us warmly and called me by name, as I made the brunch reservations.

Our waitress, Jordan, was very nice and attentive.

I had a delicious mimosa with pomegranate juice. There were about four other juice options.

The menu had some very interesting choices. I selected the skillet, which had pulled pork, potatoes, green peppers, onions, Andouille and topped with arugula and a fried egg. It was a very nice portion; however, it was very salty, especially the potatoes.

My husband had the steak and eggs, grilled Skirt Steak, fingerling potatoes, fried egg, and chimichurri sauce.

Our friends had the farmer's market salad with strawberries; and the steak quesadilla.

Everyone liked their food but they also mentioned being very salty.

I would like to come back and try their Maryland crab cake sandwich (if there's no filler).

We will have to remember to ask the chef to cut back on the salt; otherwise, this was a...