Cape Fear Wine and Beer

Best bar downtown by far! Best beer selection with a rotating draft list that is amazing. Old punk rock on the juke box and a pool table make a great combo. The outdoor front patio is great for sitting and people watching, all while drinking the huge selection of beers this place offers. Can’t be beat. Sunday is one of the best days to come. Beer church, a rotating selections of beers and you get to keep the glass. What?!? Yes, you get to keep the glass! Replace every glass in your cabinets with beer glass, can’t go wrong with that!

Beer lovers mecca. Lots of reviews rave about all the local craft beer, but I love this place because of all the hard-​to-​find IMPORTS they have on tap, including an extensive selection of sours served at the appropriate temperature. If this means something to you… you’ve found your bar.

While on our way to dinner, my husband, two friends, and myself stop in for the first time to have one drink. The four of us had one drink each, played one game of pool and left. Some time later while checking my bank account, this shady a$$ bartender charged $ 180.00 on my debit card. DO NOT TRUST THIS ESTABLISHMENT. I will never step foot in this place again, and I will make sure no one I know ever steps foot in there.

This will always be my favorite bar. Before I got married I use to go here to drink alone. Drinking alone isn’t always recommended but this venue has amazing staff and regulars to keep you safe and entertained. CFWB is dog friendly, best bartender in town Megan Loux and Josh (usually at the door) gives some of the best hugs in Wilmington. I love sitting out on the front patio to people watch or check out a local parade.
Best part? They don’t serve domestics. Basic bitches keep out
Tip: Check out the regular events. Sunday Beer Church, Monday Beer and a Massage, Wednesday Wine tasting and many more.

It was a great experience in my visit to Wilmington, NC. The waiter were knowledgable or their beers and of the area. Food was good as well. There was no live music that night but still a good experience and would totally go back.

If you love craft beer and hard to find wines, then this place is your jam! I couldn’t believe the incredible amount of beers they had. It’s impossible to choose, I literally just told the bartender to pick out a good wheat beer with a bite. She did good.
The ambiance is almost dungeon-​ish. It’s very dark with very scattered lighting. The bar stretches almost the entire length of the place and then makes an 90 degree turn for another 12ish feet. This place also has an outside beer garden, which is more seating outside. I didn’t notice an area that outside that would transform into a bar or anything.
Nice people, interesting ambiance, amazing beer. I’d definitely go back for another beer that I’ve never heard of and can’t pronounce!

Stopped in around 2pm on a Saturday a few weeks back for some reprieve from the heat.
It’s a really laid-​back bar with a TON of great beers to choose from. Please don’t come here for a Bud Light or Blue Moon. Step out of your box a bit!
Service was fast and friendly. We loved this place!

Terrible. Horrid. The beer I had… There was a string in it. And the bartender laughed at me about it. Don’t go. Avoid it like the plague.

Why howdy punk rock non stop beer hall of glory! Love the largest selection if beer on the cape fear! Not only do they serve you up they’ll educate on your favored beverage. If you are up for a treat try the Maidens Blood, she’s small but mighty!

This is what a dive bar should be. Dimly lit, all kinds of folks inside. Some Celtic punk rock playing on the jukebox. They had a ridiculous variety of beers. Dont order a Bud Light here. They didnt have either of my 2 favorites so I told they bartender to pick me something similar. He made a great call. The dive bar décor was fantastic. A suit of armor was enough to bump this to a 5 star for me even without having my favorite beers available

4 Stars for a polarizing bar downtown.
Some bars are the bars you go to see and be seen, to party and knock back shots in a large drunken group of friends that is one of many, other large drunken groups of friends, all while obnoxiousness and thumping party music blast loudly in the background. This type of bar when in Wilmington, is almost always associated with the large military/​college population that is common around downtown… and all the aspects of tomfoolery that go along with that population.
CFBandW, is not one of those bars. CFBandWine is the place you go to when you want to escape all that.
This is one place that you either love or you hate the minute you walk in,
The black and red ambience is strong with a kind of dark hipster feel. The crowd is typically mid-​late twenties on and especially aware of the type of bar they want to be seen in and the type of «crowd» they want to drink with. There is commonly a good amount of smokers out front of the doors that lead directly into a long bar with mostly standing room only. Writing on the wall lists the beer and wine menu above a long row of coolers. This bar almost knowingly touts itself as, the answer to or other side of the coin of, the more hip and trendy places towards downtown central like Level 5 or especially City Limits.
This is a pretty strong «regulars» pace where black hoodies, grunge looks and bikers are the norm. If you like grunge, punk or indie rock, the music selection will likely cater to you. It has a little bit of everything but by today’s standards compared to what most bars have, it is a limited music selection. Requests for anything new stay just that. As the name implies, the selection of wine and especially beer is extensive (taps and bottles alike) but on a busy night don’t come and expect a detailed run down from the bartender about the nuances between a porter or stout or a Malbec and Cab. You will be better off if you at least have an idea of what you like before you show up. An explanation of everything they have-​both beer and wine– would take hours. This is a no bud light zone. Not to say that they don’t have taps that aren’t similar to other more common brands, they do, but they cater to the microbrew loving and informed/​experienced drinking crowd. The beer selection is huge when you take into account all the bottles, and they have a decent variety of rotating taps– the selection is good for than a strictly beer and wine place.
For the vibe, ambiance and people watching alone this is an easy 3 star place for me, but add in the wine and beer list and it easily makes 4 stars. The only thing that keeps it from getting my 5^th star, is unfortunately, everything I just talked about. I like Alice and Chains or the Ramones as much as the next guy while I drink my Dogfish Head or Bell’s or Southern Tier… but I also don’t need to have an attitude about it. They serve everyone within reason, as to be expected… but the crowd here is just a little too niche for me. It’s a little too grunge, a little too dark, and a little too quick to judge you as you walk in the door, bartenders included. If 1 person out of your group looks a little too preppy, too clean cut, is wearing something name brand, or if your girlfriend has a nice dress on, etc, sidewise tend to occur. It is also an extra 5 min walk up from downtown central, and during this walk you will be passing other good places. Be that as it may, still a very good bar, especially if awesome beer and the vibe I described are your thing.

Cape fear is the best, go drink there. Give Kris a Kiss, he’s a gem. Great taps!

Easy going environment staff is very welcoming and helpful if you don’t quite know what you would like. Price is reasonable. It is a great place to enjoy new different types of wine and beer.

Heard lots of great things about this place and wanted to love it, but… i just cant. Not a big fan of smoke, and even though there is no smoking inside, i somehow still smelled like it on the way out. I tried asking about a few of their beer selections (they have SO many), but I felt ignored and rushed, and everyone in there seemed extremely pretentious. Some guy inside started being a douche to me and my wife. 3 stars for the beer selection, but probably only deserves 2.
Sort of feels like the kind of place the «Encourages Individuality» as long as you have the same tastes and personality as the people working there.

This was easily my favorite bar in Wilmington when I lived there, and Lector, esteemed barman and co-​owner, still buys my wife and I a pint when we’re in town. My real problem with this place will be keeping my gushing review under 1,000 words. But I will try.
Honestly, everything the place does is cool. The front smoking porch is a great place to have a cigar and people watch. Once you’re inside, the place is dark and something you might call «upscale dive»: Hand-​drawn beer lists, foosball, pool, pinball, a jukebox featuring oddities from old punk to Johnny Cash to Screamin’ Jay Hawkins. The only real drawback is that the something-​for-​everyone approach keeps the place crowded and loud. But that’s a good problem to have.
The beer selection is enormous and top-​notch (no macro brews allowed, in fact). Lector and Maaike, the co-​owners, bring homebrewing and beer aficionado chops, so take their recommendations to heart. Porters, quads, and IPAs tend to be the best-​represented. They also offer a beer-​tasting club, and then a super-​secret society beyond that, but I’d have to kill you if I told you about the latter. Cool merchandise and perks come at both levels.
The staff are some of the nicest freaks around, people who end up being your friends after you’ve visited a few times. I was tired of Wilmington after seven-​plus years there, but never tired of them.
Then, of course, there is Beer Church, the greatest promotion ever devised in the history of bars. Twice a day on Sunday, you show up for first-​come, first-​served specialty import and craft beers, and you keep the brewery glass it comes in. No mere shaker/​pint glasses, these represent some of the most interesting styles of glassware in the beer-​drinking world. We cherished them so much that we hauled several boxes of them 1,400 miles with us when we moved to Austin, TX. Oh, Beer Church – I miss you so.
The no-​AB/​Miller-​Coors policy also has an amazing ancillary bonus: the throngs of marauding marines and drunken frat boys that infest Front Street every weekend usually walk out after finding out that no Bud Light will be forthcoming; the ones that stay for a recommended kolsch usually leave after one round. Lector also has an amazing gift for spotting belligerent assholes in advance and firmly (but more-​or-​less politely) denying them service. It’s the greatest crowd-​control policy you’re likely to see in a bar that doesn’t usually feature a bouncer.
Also: Lector likes to play bizarre arthaus and foreign horror from his private collection on the TV, in case the beer and the people and the music and all of the toys didn’t give you enough to do.
Anyway, I could actually write a good bit more (say, about the infused-​beer Exbeeriment), but your takeaway is that these people and their place are awesome, and every time I am in Eastern NC until I die or they close up shop, I’ll make a point of going there. It is one of my favorite bars in the U.S.

Very pleased with the food and service here!
We originally drove all the way from Myrtle Beach on our motorcycles for Lula’s but due to false advertisement/​misinformation, they were closed so we walked across the street to George’s.
What a very nice experience there!
We were told our table would be available in about 20 – 30 minutes do we sat at the bar where service was super quick and friendly.
After about ten minutes our table was ready. We had excellent seats outside and the food was pretty good all around. We will definitely be back.

This place has been my absolute favorite place to go since I first moved down here! They have an amazing selection of beer, mead, cider, and wine. Their atmosphere is perfect and one of the very few places I actually feel safe being at alone as a female in downtown Wilmington. I love everyone who works here and always enjoy spending time with them! They’re the best!

While visiting my friend in Wilmington, she asked if I wanted to go to «beer church». Ok, it’s more like she said, «I know you don’t like beer much, but this is where I go on Sundays for ‘beer church’, so wanna go?»
Now, I cannot begin to describe exactly what beer church is. I know it involves being a regular, having a mentor, taking a test, purchasing the special beers and glasses on Sundays, and more. I think. If I have it wrong, I apologize, Wilmington friends.
But, what I can tell you is that this place is one of a kind. Dozens of beers on tap, changing ALL THE TIME. A juke box with Motörhead, Fu Manchu, the Circle Jerks, and more. A divey ambiance. A place that could become where everybody knows your name. Outdoor seating, where dogs are allowed/​encouraged. Bartenders who will listen to what you like and dislike and do all they can to find something you will enjoy– even if you don’t like beer much.
Beer and wine ONLY. And the beer is craft beer– no bud or miller here. No hard liquor, and no food (but bringing food from other establishments, or home, to share, is encouraged).
I cannot say enough about how great this place is. I can’t wait to come back to Wilmington to go here again– and like I said, I don’t even like beer. :-)

Okay… I absolutely love this place. It may very well be the mecca for craft beer. With well over 200 beers available you are sure to find a beer that appeals to your tastes. Everyone that works here is a beer enthusiast. So they are quick to help with a pick or suggestion on a something you may not have tried before or even heard of. Whether you like stouts, pilsner, limbic, porters, or ales, you will find it here. They also have a nice, small outdoor bar area on the sidewalk to sit when its nice out.

Man I wish Cape Fear Wine and Beer was open when I lived in Wilmington years ago. After hitting up Lumina Station for dinner I was in need of a different scene, preferably a dive to chill with my friends over some good beer or wine. Cape Fear was the perfect joint to check out. I’ve been hearing about this bar for years but haven’t had a chance to get to it until this weekend.
For a Sat. night around 10ish it was easy enough to grab a seat at the bar and check out the blackboard full of amazing craft beers. I was happy to see a mix of local NC beers as well as others. They also had a decent selection of wine as well. The bartender was super friendly and spent some time chatting with us for a bit. For a girl who loves her beer this will be my new hot spot while I’m in town.
There are a a lot of bars to choose from while roaming downtown Wilmington but none have the selection of beer like Cape Fear. I can’t wait for my next visit to Wilmington so I can come back and enjoy myself here a little longer.