The Vine — Restaurant in Wilmington

My wife and I stopped here tonight on 5/16 just before 6 pm for the first time. We read the good reviews and were excited to give it a try. Unfortunately, our experience was very short-lived, and frankly, I was shocked at what took place.

We walked into the restaurant and wanted to see if they had an available table for 2. We did not see a hostess station, so we stood in front of the bar to ask one of the 2 people who were working behind the bar if there was anything available. Neither one paid any attention to us, as we stood there for a good minute or so. At this point, another couple walks into the bar and stands right next to us, and immediately one of the women behind the bar looks past us and asks them how may they be helped. She literally ignored us and helped the couple that came in after us while we had been standing there in plain sight.

My wife and I looked at each other in disbelief. I've never had anything like this happen and was shocked at the absolute rudeness. I know she saw us, but she just decided to ignore us for whatever reason. So we just walked out as I have no desire to give my money to an establishment who treats people this way. Absolutely no excuse for being...

When we find a place this good it's hard to write a deserving review...we want it to be our secret. But, I also want this place to succeed wildly because it is sooooooo good.

We had every small plate between four of us. And we shared a couple of salads. Every dish was as wonderful as the last. We had a hard time picking our favorite. Whipped feta...10/10. Bacon pops...10/10. Truffle mac and cheese...15/10 (yeah, turns out it was our favorite).

Service was attentive and friendly. We chatted with the owners...great couple. Atmosphere was perfect. Quiet music. Just enough noise to mask our conversation, but not so much that we had to holler at each other.

For what we ate and drank, the meal was a steal...incredibly reasonable for 2 people. I've blown 50% more in Wilmington on average food.

We talked about it on the way home and we think this is our new favorite place in Wilmington.

Go here. Soon. ...

We opted for the Vine over some of our usual haunts for our anniversary this year. We were wanting something more low-key without sacrificing quality. The Vine did not disappoint. We were able to sit outside with our dog, which as service industry professionals, we realize adds a bit more work than indoor tables. We also had A LOT of questions about the wide selection of wines, cocktails, and cheeseboards. Our server Sam was wonderful, and happy to answer all of our questions without a hint of impatience. All of Sam's suggestions were on point, and everything was wonderful. We loved the Ca' Momi Red Blend, Key lime martini, and the Call of the Wild Boar cheeseboard. I only took one star off for atmosphere, as it would have been nice to have a candle or some other form of lighting at the outdoor table. We will definitely return to the Vine for date night again and again. Thank you for a...