Brent's Bistro — Restaurant in Wrightsville Beach

I tried Brent’s Bistro on 3/3/24. I did not have reservations, and I was sat immediately. I may have got lucky, so it is probably a good idea to make a reservation.

We started with the crab dip. It was fantastic. It was loaded with crab with a lovely browned cheese topped with diced tomatoes and chives. Most crab dips that I try are loaded with mayo and not crab. Not this one. This is crab-forward and the best I have ever had.

After the crab dip, we tried some salads. We ordered the house salad and the sweet pea salad. Both were excellent. I got ranch dressing with the house salad. It was homemade dressing.

For our main dishes, we ordered the unique Grilled Mahi w/a honey almond basil pesto rub Served over Spinach risotto, Finished bruschetta tomatoes & balsamic, and the *Salmon Piccata: Sauteed salmon topped with a classic lemon caper sauce served with mashed potatoes and green beans. Both dishes were fantastic. I do have to say that the risotto that came with the special was undercooked. Still, they handled it very well by immediately replacing it with some of the best mashed potatoes I have ever had, so I did not ding them on the stars because it is undeniable their food is five stars. A note for wine drinkers is at least for our first visit, the amount they pour for a glass is very generous.

As mentioned, the service was outstanding, and the atmosphere was very nice and pleasant. This is a must-try if you visit or Live...

Two very dear friends treated me (for my birthday) to an outing at Brent’s Bistro. They dine here often and now I understand their love of this very special place. Needless to say I was WOWED to an incredible dining experience. From the first moment I was greeted by friendly faces, a warm inviting beautifully lit decor. I began to understand their love of this place and I had yet to taste what was to come regarding the well thought out menu. On that point, I’m reminded of a quote from the movie of the same name, ‘The Menu’ when the chef says, “Do not eat. Taste. Savor. Relish. Consider every morsel that you place inside your mouth.” Indeed, I tasted, I savored every morsel of a wonderful meal. However, with great food it was accompanied by the friendly educated staff that rounded out the delightful evening knowing when assist, when to add to each pleasurable moment appropriately throughout the evening. ‘Perfecto’ to allow us to relish each moment. From Ken Cox, to our beautiful server Brittany, and to all the other staff that took time to say hello, (in other words, ‘a place where they know your name’) right up to our exit, it was like leaving a friend’s home after a lovely evening, wishing ‘good will and safe travels’… To my wonderful friends that introduced me to Brent’s I say thank you and say I have found a new home at Brent’s Bistro. What a lovely birthday indeed! Five stars across the...

The great service, nice decor, and fairly good food was ruined by the terrible acoustics. The volume started off tolerable, but it just increased more and more as the dining room filled up, from 6:30 to 8, to the point at which I had to yell to be heard by my friend, right across the table. I couldn't believe how noisy that place got. I left with a headache!

As far as the food, the kale salad was relatively simple, and it tasted just like a spinach salad except with a heap of chopped kale, a small heap of chopped tomatoes, and a quartered egg, with some sprinkles of bacon. The pork chop had some weird spice that took over that I couldn't identify that sort of ruined it. Cardamom? Nutmeg? I don't know. And the sauteed red cabbage was mediocre, as well as the sauteed spinach I got as a substitute for the risotto.

But our waiter, who was two months new, (Steven, I think) was really good. He was very accommodating.

I think they should change venues and get a space with a dining room with much better acoustics, so patrons can enjoy themselves (and their meals)...