The Copper Penny — Restaurant in Wilmington

The Copper Penny is a relaxed typical “American” fare restaurant located in downtown Wilmington, NC. While it is a good location the only issue I have found is that parking can be an issue at times. This is typical for any downtown restaurant. Those of you that have followed my reviews have probably noticed that I truly enjoy French Onion soup. The reports of the exceptional French Onion soup are what spurred my visit to this restaurant. Alas….. I was disappointed to find it was no longer on the menu. Since I am all about trying new restaurants My wife and I decided to stay and order some food. My wife, a Wilmington native was excited to eat there again as she had expressed how good the food is, etc.…

We started out with an appetizer of Cheesesteak Spring Rolls. These were very flavorful when combined with the Spicy Catsup provided. Without the “Spicy” Catsup it would have been good but not exceptional. The Catsup was not spicy to me but was still flavorful. They were greasy which should be expected to some degree however, these were exceptionally greasy. I feel the fryer temperature was too low, as this allowed grease/oil to seep in during cooking. We arrived and were the first customers in the restaurant, so that leaves me wondering if we had not been first would the oil have been at the correct temperature?

My wife ordered the Southwest burger with no peppers and a medium cook (See the menu picture for more information). The burgers presentation was bold with it being so tall and well put together. The toppings were provided at an appropriate level and were fresh. The cook on her burger was perfect and the flavors were well balanced. I would recommend this burger. Her fries were well cooked and were typical restaurant fries. Tasted great, but nothing special.

I ordered the Classic Pub Style and asked for a medium well cook on the patty. Again the toppings were fresh and appropriately portioned. My burger was heavily burnt on the bottom but I chose not to send it back. I was a noticeably uneven cook. The sweet potato fries were also overcooked. They were not oily but were definitely left a little too long in the fryer. They must have corrected the early low oil temperature or used a different fryer.

The most outstanding thing about the restaurant was the high level of service. All employees were happy and seemed genuine about that fact. They truly seemed to care about the customer's experience.

Overall I am torn between giving this a 3 or 4-star rating. My wife’s burger and the exceptional service moved it to a 4-star. My burger and the Cheesesteak rolls would have...

I visit bestie in Jacksonville at least once a year and in those times we have been trying to get in here, but always after opening only to find a line. On this last visit (Presidents Day weekend) we were determined to sample the fares everyone keeps bragging about. Saturday had us out of the hotel at 7, rolled down to Holly Ridge/Sneads Ferry for some geocaches until 9am where we then make our way to Wilmington. Who woulda guessed we'd make it there in an hour so we had time to kill. And we spent that hour watching Harry Potter fans on a virtual tour. Some of them were simply adorable!

Now, there really isn't much I can expound on from previous viewers as CP is all they said (and more!) but we both really enjoyed our burgers (I had the BBQ minus jalapeños and bestie had the Black & Blue) but I must make mention of just how friendly the staff was. They were quite attentive, accommodating and seemed to be very concerned about our dining experience. My burger was cooked perfectly and was one of my most favorite burgers of all time. It had the sweetest BBQ sauce and I licked every drop of it that fell on my hands, as if I was in my own home and didn't care who saw me. It was just that good. The multi fried onion rings were HUGE and superb. You can always tell a good onion ring if it separates as you bite it. Bestie and I both had the Penny Punch. It was so full of liquor that bestie (who was our Jeep driver of the day) couldn't finish hers. You bet your Penny panties that I finished hers off too!

Long story short, it was worth the wait and I'm glad we weathered the howling winds and Potter fans. We will most definitely be back!

Thank you everyone at CP for making our visit an enjoyable one.

• I post reviews on a couple of sites so this is on another...

Their food is ok, and the French onion soup is tasty, but I won't go here anymore because of how rude they were to my elderly mom. I had a massage across the street, and it was close to 100° outside. My mom really had to use the restroom, so I asked if my mom could use their restroom and wait in the waiting area or at the bar until I came back and ate with her as long as she wasn't in the way. I would've understood if they had said no if she would have been in the way or something as long as they had said so kindly or like they cared at all, but the way they told her was very dismissive, short, and rude, and I personally think it was because she was older and using a walker. They told her to wait outside in the close to 100° weather with her walker or to go somewhere else even though we were being nothing but nice, were going to eat there (and be paying customers), and the restaurant was empty right then (they wouldn't even let her use the restroom).

I had gotten a bit of off and stuck up vibes a couple other times I'd gone, but they were never rude about it to anyone exactly either. I went here a few times because I had heard a friend say their food was good, but after this time and after not being super sold on the food or experience the other times, I haven't gone again. That said, the people at The Pour House across the street were super kind to my mom and myself right after we left and went there instead. Admittedly, this was awhile back, but I have heard similar experiences from other people, so hopefully, they have...