In the mood for a cold pilsner and schnitzel? Prost, right in the heart of downtown Wilmington, has you covered. The tap features North Carolina beers while the extensive bottle list offers a wide variety of European brews. The menu is Eastern European-meets-American, with standouts like the aforementioned schnitzel, a schnitzel patty melt, chicken paprikash, and a smoked trout and horseradish dip.

Classic pub grub, cold beers, and cocktails are the name of the game at Fox’s. The menu reads like a bar-food-lover’s dream, with items like Big Wes’s Lil’ Weiners (smoked jalapeno and cheddar weenies wrapped in empanada dough with chimichurri sauce) and Junk Fries (garlic parmesan curly fries with demi-glace and cheese sauce). The Boston beef sandwiches are a star of the menu and come in half-pound or pound versions.

Tucked away in a space that seems almost underground, Banter feels like you’ve just stepped into an English pub, except instead of semi-warm draft beer there are creative craft cocktails. The menu changes seasonally, but current fall offerings include the Rabbit Restore made with 1000 Piers Gin from Washington, North Carolina, lemon, a ginger/turmeric syrup, and hot honey, or the Figgy-Fashioned, a play on an Old Fashioned with fig jam and rhubarb bitters. There’s semi-regular events like Queer Night, and each bartender on duty usually throws a unique cocktail of their own making up on the specials board each night.

Perhaps the most-anticipated Wilmington restaurant opening of the year, Olivero represents chef Sunny Gerhart’s ode to his family’s culinary history and his love for the beach. With co-chef Lauren Krall Ivey in the kitchen with him, the pair are churning out incredible homemade pastas and a bevy of grilled items fired right on the wood-burning grill in the open kitchen. Menu highlights include the beignets with mortadella, a lasagna made with an octopus bolognese sauce, and the grilled North Carolina fish with flageolet beans, a charred pepper sofrito, coriander, and sesame. There isn’t a bad seat in the house, though the expansive bar might be the place to be for its take on a classic martini (with Spanish sherry) and a bowl of warm dates with nduja.

Located in the Cargo District, in the space that used to house Mess Hall, Beat Street’s menu is a cacophony of global flavors served up counter-service style. Imagine iconic SNL character Stefon — this menu has everything. Smash burgers. Tacos. Steamed pork buns. Truffle fries. Crab rangoon. Harissa beef kabobs. Empanadas. Egg rolls. Seriously, it's something for everyone at Beat Street, and all of it can be enjoyed in the beer garden right next door.

Mess Hall is not new to Wilmington, per se, but its most recent location is. Just north of (but technically still in) the Cargo District, the new Mess Hall still serves up some of the same burgers that made it famous when it first opened in the space that now houses Beat Street Street Food. Opt for the classic Sam burger or the McWhat? (a play on that famous burger chain’s most popular burger), or try one of the specials. It’s also serving breakfast now, and the space is attached to the dog bar (yes, dog bar) Ruff Draft by a shared, fenced-in yard, meaning you can hang with your pups and order a burger from the to-go window at the same time.

Midtown Wilmington is more known for college student eats and fast food than high dining, but Covey is changing all of that. The menu is focused on American and Coastal classics with an emphasis on local and regional fare. There’s a classic wedge salad, crab tagliatelle pasta, and chicken and dumplings. Many dishes have touches of Asian flair, like housemade ponzu sauce and Asian pear mustard. With a pared-down bar menu, Covey aims to be both a neighborhood go-to as well as a destination restaurant, a welcome addition to Midtown.

The newest offering from prolific local restaurateur Ash Aziz and his Circa Restaurant Group, Origins serves modern American fare in an airy space just off Eastwood Road near Wrightsville Beach. Dinner includes a raw bar menu, plenty of steaks and seafood, pastas, and more. Lunch includes various sandwiches and platters (try the lobster roll), as well as a selection of different grain bowls. A Sunday through Thursday bar-only menu, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., includes a burger, fried chicken, baked oysters, and a few other items for only $10 — perfect for a quick bite after work or on the way home from a day at the beach.

Kapow Thai Street Food does what its name suggests — it brings the punch with amped up versions of beloved dishes like panang curry, pad thai, kapow, and more. The Northern Thai specialties really shine, with the khao soi being a menu standout. The pla sam rod, fried snapper topped with a sweet and spicy chili sauce, is another impressive dish, as are the sticky-sweet-spicy Thai chicken wings.