The Half — Restaurant in Wilmington

The sandwich artisans at The Half have never introduced me to a sandwich I didn't immediately love. At times I'm grateful that I don't live nearby, because sandwiches would replace all three meals of the day and I'd gladly empty my bank account and sacrifice my waistline to allow it. The caprese (pictured on the right) is a perfect classic with always fresh ingredients. the pesto is nothing like what you'd get in a jar from the store. It's vibrant and sharp, and reminds me of the pesto my grandparents would make with basil from their garden when I was a kid. The Stamets (on the left) is a more recent addition to the menu, so I'm unsure if it'll stick around. Definitely try it if you get the opportunity. The combo of savory marinated and grilled mushrooms, with an herby chimichurri sauce, and cold crunchy shredduce on top, makes for a very unique sandwich unlike anything I've had elsewhere. Not that you'll have a reason to try sandwiches elsewhere in Wilmington once you make it to The Half! The reason for just 3 stars on my atmosphere rating, is that during summer heat and humidity it can get extremely stuffy in the small old building. Additionally, during busy hours there is definitely not enough seating to meet the high demand. While service is good, the kitchen just isn't big enough to get a normally quick service food item out with the speed you might be used to. None of that is to say that you shouldn't go, because you absolutely should. Just go on a weekday or right when they open, do takeout, or be prepared to wait around for a bit! Nothing wrong with grabbing one of their several beers on tap and chilling in the back...

Three of us ate here for the first time. We had heard great reviews about this sandwich shop. It's located in the Brooklyn Arts district.

Your order is taken at the counter and you're given a number to place at the table.

There's a dozen or so sandwiches to choose from, and I ended up selecting the Harvey. It's a roast beef sandwich with swiss cheese, pickled onions, mustard, cole slaw on ciabatta bread. I ordered the chickpea salad as my side.

While waiting for our food, others came into the restaurant. We had to move outside in order to hear ourselves. There was music playing and everyone competed to be able to hear their friends. Luckily there are picnic tables in the back. There's an awning over top some of the tables but not all. Maybe some umbrellas would help.

Our sandwiches arrived. We all loved our meal. I was pleasantly surprised at the portions. could only eat half of it. Mine had too much mustard, so I would ask for it on the side next time. Of course, I will first try other sandwiches (Mixto, the Rachel, or the Caprice) before ordering the Harvey again.

The staff was very friendly and the owner (I think he was the owner) came out and stopped at each table asking if everything was okay and if we needed anything. Nice touch.

4/5 stars due to the noise level inside the place. 5/5 stars for the food...

After scouring the internet for gluten free options while on our trip visiting Wilmington, we landed on The Half. It was a very cute sandwich shop and had an awesome vibe to it. We’re on our way to the beach, so when we got inside, we ordered our food and then the rest of my group went back outside to our van to apply sunscreen since it takes time to soak in after applied.

I was standing at the bar waiting for our food, and the blond staff member with tattoos on her right arm decided to talk trash about my family members for being in their swim suits and applying sunscreen on the sidewalk. I was taken aback in the moment because with the amount of people that were within earshot, that an employee would be making fun of customers that were just inside of your establishment spending quite a bit of money. The cashier even turned around and mentioned that my family was really sweet and that they were just inside ordering, and the blonde staff member continued on poking fun.

Overall, the food was delicious, the wait time was short, the vibes of the restaurant were great, but the staff member making negative comments about my family members/customers within earshot of everyone in the restaurant to another employee was very displeasing, especially as a traveler looking to get a feel...