Get us in your inbox

Subscribe to get the latest travel articles by the North Carolina Travel Guides team straight to your inbox.

Subscribe Search

7 Fantastic Breakfast Spots in Wilmington, NC (+ Map)

Dish at Eternal Sunshine Cafe, one of the best breakfast spots in Wilmington, NC
Food at Eternal Sunshine Cafe, one of the best breakfast spots in Wilmington, NC

There are great breakfast spots in Wilmington that you can go to for delicious food in the morning.

Wilmington is an amazing city to explore and if you’re going to do so, it’s great to start your day at one of the city’s restaurants for delicious breakfast. You can get a large variety of dishes at these places and you can choose from both sweet and savory options. For example, you can get French toast, buttermilk pancakes, waffles, omelets, and many other types of dishes.

I made this guide to the best places for breakfast in Wilmington to help you find a great spot to go to at the start of your day!

Best Breakfast Spots in Wilmington, NC

Eternal Sunshine Cafe

Food at Eternal Sunshine Cafe
Dish at Eternal Sunshine Cafe

Eternal Sunshine Cafe is a restaurant that you can find at 420 Eastwood Road where you can have breakfast every day of the week from 8 AM.

The restaurant’s breakfast menu features many different types of dishes, including French toast, pancakes, Eggs Benedicts, and other types of dishes.

One of the best dishes to get at Eternal Sunshine Cafe is the “Hot Honey Chicken Biscuit”. This is a dish with 2 eggs that comes with biscuit French toast, hot honey sauce, fried chicken, powdered sugar, paprika, and a choice of side.

There are many types of Eggs Benedict to choose from. Each one is served with a choice of side. For example, you can get the “Black Bean Benedict”, which is made with avocado, grilled black bean cake, poached eggs, microgreens, and hollandaise sauce.

Eternal Sunshine Cafe serves three types of French Toast. One of these is the “Blueberry Danish French Toast”, which is a croissant French toast with fresh blueberry compote, lemon cheesecake icing, powdered sugar, and almond streusel. It is served with 2 eggs.

The pancakes that you can get at this restaurant are great too. For example, you can get the “Cinnaswirl Pancakes”, which are buttermilk pancakes that come with a cinnamon-sugar swirl, cinnamon, coffee maple icing, and powdered sugar.

Address: 420 Eastwood Rd # 109, Wilmington, NC 28403

The Dixie Grill

Toast with fruit at The Dixie Grill
Toast at The Dixie Grill (Santos Martinez)

The Dixie Grill is a breakfast restaurant that serves breakfast every day of the week, except for Tuesdays. The restaurant is located at 116 Market Street in Wilmington’s Historic District.

For breakfast, you can choose from savory and sweet options.

For example, one of the best sweet dishes is the “Strawberry Banana Pecan French Toast”, which is brioche bread that is dipped in vanilla custard. It is topped with strawberries, cinnamon, honey-roasted pecans, and bananas.

You can also get the restaurant’s sweet potato pancakes, which are buttermilk pancakes that are mixed with a puree of nutmeg, cinnamon, and sweet potatoes.

If you want to have a savory dish, you can choose between all kinds of omelets, breakfast burritos, and other dishes.

A great option on the menu is the “Dixie Breakfast”, which consists of bacon, grits or home fries, two eggs, and a choice of toast.

You can also get the “Veggie Breakfast Burrito”, which is made with cheddar jack cheese, 2 scrambled eggs, garden veggies, sour cream, black beans, and salsa.

One of the best omelet options is the “Western Omelet”. This is an omelet with three eggs, peppers, onions, ham, cheddar jack cheese, and mushrooms. It is served with a choice of toast and a side.

Address: 116 Market St, Wilmington, NC 28401

Cast Iron Kitchen

Bowl at Cast Iron Kitchen
Breakfast bowl at Cast Iron Kitchen

Cast Iron Kitchen is one of the best breakfast spots in Wilmington where you can get delicious Southern dishes made by Chef Josh Petty that are a creative take on old family recipes. The food that you can get at Cast Iron Kitchen is made with fresh and local ingredients from North Carolina.

You can have breakfast at the restaurant from Wednesday through Sunday from 8 AM.

The breakfast menu of Cast Iron Kitchen includes all kinds of cast iron specialties.

One of these is the “Corned Beef Hash”, which consists of skillet potatoes, chopped corned beef, pickled cabbage, 2 sunny eggs, white bean relish, and hollandaise.

Another delicious dish to get is the “Sweetpotato Hash”, which is made with grilled sweet potatoes, pickled papers, spinach, onions, pickled jalapeños, chimichurri, hollandaise, and 2 sunny eggs.

You can also get a classic dish, such as the “Southern Breakfast”, which consists of a choice of meat, two eggs, grits or skillet potatoes, and toast or biscuit.

Cast Iron Kitchen also serves various types of omelets that are all served with toast or biscuit and a side.

One of the best omelets to get is “The Vegetable Garden”, which is an omelet with sweet onion, spinach, tomato, sweet peppers, and a choice of cheese.

Address: 8024 Market St, Wilmington, NC 28411

Jester’s Cafe

Jester’s Cafe is a bistro where you can get breakfast from Wednesday through Saturday. The restaurant is located on Castle Street.

Jester’s Cafe’s breakfast menu includes lots of different types of dishes, including soups, toast, benedicts, sandwiches, and much more.

“Le Monsieur” is one of the best options on the restaurant’s menu. This dish is a version of the classic Croque Monsieur. It is made with Dijon mustard, Swiss cheese, fluffy white bread, ham, and a béchamel sauce.

You can also get the “French Toast Casserole”. This is a dish that consists of three slices of homemade croissant casserole that is topped with whipped cream, fresh berries, and maple syrup.

You can choose from many different types of Benedicts, which are all served with a choice of fresh fruit or stone-ground cheddar grits. One of the benedicts that you can get is the “Black Bean Benedict”, which consists of two poached eggs on black bean patties that come with avocado, diced tomato, and hollandaise.

The menu of this restaurant also features various breakfast sandwiches that are served until 10:30 AM. One of these is “The Jessie”, which comes with avocado, tomato, and provolone. It is served on a choice of bread.

Address: 607 Castle St, Wilmington, NC 28401

Eggs Up Grill

Plates with food at Eggs Up Grill
Dishes at Eggs Up Grill

Eggs Up Grill is a restaurant chain with locations throughout the United States. One of these locations is located in Wilmington, on Carolina Beach Road, and this is a great place for breakfast.

“The Classic” is one of the best classic dishes on the menu. It is made with two eggs, toast, bacon or sausage, and home fries or grits.

Another delicious classic dish is the “Homestead Platter”. This platter consists of four pieces of sausage, two eggs, a biscuit, sausage gravy, and four slices of bacon.

The restaurant serves different types of signature omelets and you can also build your own omelet by choosing all the ingredients that you like, including vegetables, cheeses, and meats. Each omelet is made with farm-fresh eggs and is served with toast and a choice of grits, home fries, or fresh fruit.

One of the best signature omelets is “The Greek Omelet”. This omelet is made with feta cheese, spinach, tomatoes, and black olives.

Another great omelet is the “Baja Chicken Omelet”, which is made with 4 eggs, pepper jack cheese, grilled chicken, salsa, fresh avocado, and a citrus chili sauce.

Address: 5932-110 Carolina Beach Rd, Wilmington, NC 28412

Drift Coffee & Kitchen

Drift Coffee & Kitchen is a restaurant and coffee shop with multiple locations in Wilmington as well as in other cities in North Carolina. One of these locations is on North Front Street in the Historic District.

Drift Coffee & Kitchen is open every day of the week from 7 AM.

One of the best dishes on the breakfast menu is the “Bodega Breakfast Sandwich”, which is made with scrambled eggs, ham, caramelized onions, Dubliner cheddar, and a special sauce.

You can also get the “Chia Pudding”, which is made with chia seeds, banana, berry preserves, almond butter, pumpkin seeds, and seasonal berries.

A unique dish to get at this place is the “Pear Toast”, which is made with sliced pear, lemon whipped mascarpone, and candied ginger.

In addition to great food, you can also get high-quality coffee drinks at this place made with coffee from the small-batch, specialty coffee roaster Black & White Coffee Roasters.

You can choose from many different types of hot and cold drinks, including unique lattes.

Address: 221 N Front St, Wilmington, NC 28401

Blue Surf Cafe

Blue Surf Cafe is a restaurant that serves modern American food for breakfast in Wilmington. It’s possible to get breakfast here every day of the week from 8:30 AM.

You can choose one of the three “Blue Surf Signature Breakfast” items.

These options come with sunny eggs, and a choice of potato hash, grits and toast, and tostada and swell sauce.

One of the signature options is the “Havana’, which is made with garlic, sriracha, cilantro, onions pulled pork, black beans, jalapeño, and cheddar.

You can also get one of the buttermilk waffles. For example, you can get buttermilk waffles with blueberry compote and yogurt.

Blue Surf Cafe’s menu also includes various breakfast sandwiches that are served on a choice of bread.

One of the best sandwiches is the “Smoked Salmon”, which comes with onion, cream cheese, egg, tomato, and spinach.

Another great sandwich is the “BLT”, which is made with egg, feta, and arugula.

The restaurant’s menu also features 4 types of plates. One of these is the “Homestyle”, which is a plate that consists of 2 strips of bacon, 2 eggs, hash or grits, toast or biscuit, and 2 sausages.

Address: 250 Racine Dr, Wilmington, NC 28403

More Wilmington Articles

Best restaurants in Wilmington

Best things to do in Wilmington

Day trips from Wilmington

Breweries in Wilmington

Things to do with kids in Wilmington

Breakfast in Wilmington Tips

If you are in a hurry but still want to get food at a breakfast spot in Wilmington, you can order breakfast for pickup. That way, you can get the dishes that you like and pick it up at a time that you like without having to sit down and wait for your food.

Also, keep in mind that not all restaurants serve breakfast every day of the week. At some, this is only possible on certain days.

Car and people in front of The Dixie Grill
People and a car in front of The Dixie Grill – MicheleMidnight / Shutterstock.com

Wilmington Breakfast Spots Map


I hope you liked these breakfast spots in Wilmington. Thanks for reading my guide!

Get us in your inbox

Subscribe to get the latest travel articles by the North Carolina Travel Guides team straight to your inbox.

Subscribe