Satellite Bar and Lounge

Stopped in here on a whim to check the place out, because my sister just moved into an apartment nearby. It was a Wednesday night so the place was understandably dead. I, however, was not looking for a crowd so much as a well-​mixed drink. This place is so comfortable — had a great outdoor space and a very kitschy interior with a mix of cozy lodge elements and vintage furniture. The bartender who waited on us was awesome and he was not only able to note the subtle differences between a Manhattan an old fashioned, but he was able to mix a brilliantly balanced OF with a bold suggestion of a whiskey that’s decidedly not mainstream. And he didn’t even bat an eyelash when I decided to be a total pain in the ass and ask for extra cherries. I love this place, you should definitely check it out.

This place place is unique! The interior is rustic that kind of gives a cabin vibe. They have a nice lounge to relax with comfy furniture and a big bar. There variety of brew is extensive. They also serve mix drinks as well. If your looking for a place to decompress from whatever you need to come try this place out! The bartenders are nice and outgoing.

Great atmosphere, great drink selection. Dog friendly, corn hole and bluegrass Sunday’s are a blast! All around I would say best bar in town!

Love the vibe in here. Street easy, dogs allowed. Great bartenders. Quick service. Lounge. Cornhole. What more could you want.

Wilmington has no shortage of bars but it’s not as easy to find a bar to accommodate a crowd and your furry friends. Satellite is one of my favorite bars due to both location and size. The venue is actually an old barn that was vacant for years. Once a neighborhood full of projects, this section of town has been rejuvenated into a hipster hideaway minutes from downtown Wilmington.
I stopped in Saturday night to meet up with some old friends from College. The bar was busy but not too crowded for the small group I was with to find seating both inside and outside. I had a few beers while playing corn hole out back and then we ventured out front to check out the food truck. Apparently they have a food truck most weekend evenings. Saturday was the Taco truck. My friend ordered me a chorizo quesadilla and it was amazing! I love it when quesadillas are served with other ingredients like lettuce and tomato.
Tip: If you are not a fan of crowds, stay clear of this bar on Sunday evenings. Blue grass night here is easily one of the most popular regularly scheduled event in town. I think Tuesday’s they do movies out back.

Friendly, inviting. Beautiful décor and pet friendly. Best part outdoor movies and it’s Per friendly!

Great atmosphere, great drinks, bathrooms are always clean. Love the corn hole games and music stage out back. One of my favorite bars down town but out of the down town scene! Really ranges in ages but no one that is there is worried about it! If your looking to dance to crappy techno or stuff off the radio, your at the wrong bar! Great place to relax and hangout with friends! Memberships are only $ 1 and you can add it to your tab at the bar!

Love this place! Everything about it is perfect! Clean, warm and inviting. I’ll be back!

Went there last night. LOVED it! I’m from out of town and it was def one of the cooler placed I visited while here. Two different atmospheres inside and out. Huge bar, nice people, live music. and they are dog friendly!!! What else can you ask for?!

one of the few gems left in wilmington. wonderful beer selection, great atmosphere, what’s not to love? I love that it’s not located directly downtown like my other watering holes (blue post/​cf wine and beer/​barbary coast,) and most of the downtown weekend college bs can be avoided. this place opened up long after I moved away, and I’m truly bummed I can’t visit more often.

They may have a decent beer selection and a good space, but it’s way too loud. Indecently loud.

We watched fireworks from here and the vibe was fun, laid back, and the beer was cold (ice cold) and although I did not have my pit with me, they do welcome dogs. Extra points for that in my book.

Easily one of the best bars in Wilmington, if not the best– depending on the night.
Warm eclectic feel and a genuine chill vibe are what you can expect nightly at the Satellite. I like to think of if it as the home away from home for all the real people in Wilmington who still have enjoyment for a real bar scene but have out grown the touristy and sometime’s over bearing military presence of the downtown bars. The crowd is almost always a good mix of people (and dogs on occasion), hard to say it caters to one type of person or group.
It should be noted that this is strictly a bar, no food is served on premise, however there are food trucks in the parking lot on certain nights. The bar is basically a large and open barn with plenty of wood to be seen along with exposed beams and large doors leading to the patio. It has decent space between the stools at the bar proper and large spaces on both sides of the building for outdoor seating. Also there is a good selection of chairs and couches and to be had across from the bar, along with the crowd favorite stuffed black bear that people love to take pictures with.
On Weekend and Sunday nights especially, (bluegrass night) the place can get pretty packed. Walking from here to there or trying to get outside or to the bathroom, especially if you are sitting in one of the couches, and have to get up to get might be a long process. There are no waitresses there and if a band is playing sometimes it can also take a while to get a drink, depending again on the crowd.
The drink selection is large and rotating with one of the better micro and craft beer sections in town. The taps they have pale in comparison to the amount of bottles/​cans they have, and both do rotate a certain amount seasonally. From PBR, to Rogue, to Bells, to Dog Fish Head… no matter your taste in beer they will have something you will like and are usually good with suggestions to boot. They also have a surprisingly large amount of unique ciders, even in the winter time.
Have been here numerous times and plan to keep coming back. Great ambiance, great drinks, and awesome music make Satellite hard to beat when it comes to bars in Wilmington.

For my money, this is the second-​best bar in Downtown (ish) Wilmington, following the godlike awesomeness of Cape Fear Wine and Beer. That’s not the Satellite’s fault, though; it’s like being Rodan and trying to beat up Godzilla. I’d just call this a «low-​five» to CFWB’s «high-​five.» But the Satellite is still way cool.
So, the DL: Satellite is essentially a barn. I don’t know if ownership inherited a barn or built one, and really I don’t care, because the mysterious charm of drinking in a barn is actually much more fun for me than knowing the proper history. Satellite’s barn-​ness has practical ramifications that all seem to work out to the customer’s benefit: open walls leading to outdoor areas (with tables and wooden benches) for smokers, not far from their friends ten feet away across said open walls; places right outside to hang out with your dog (although they are allowed inside as well); acoustic «ventilation,» capping the maximum volume of the (usually pretty good) bands, making conversation in an often-​crowded live music venue still possible. So, in general, open-​sided barn good.
Add to that the super-​cozy couches, chairs and tables inside, and you’ve got a really inviting atmosphere to have a beer. As a weird bonus, there are sometimes movies projected out back against the neighboring building; it’s a fun excuse to go on an off-​peak night.
Beer selection is good and eclectic, letting you go from crafts to discount MGD, depending on your predilection and budget. The staff do a fine job of keeping up with the robust crowds. Prices are at worst fair and sometimes better, so no need to contact Sally Mae before coming.
The night crowd is usually mid-​20s and, frankly, on the prettier side, but this is still a place that the, um, grownups are welcome at; it’s post-​college in the best sense of things, so if you’re 28 or 58, you still stand to have a good time (and maybe leave with some new friends).
Bands are well-​chosen: usually folky and mellow, never too harsh, they add to the party rather than try to take it over, and you’re glad that they’re there. To my knowledge, there’s never been a cover. The music’s just another element of a well-​balanced atmosphere and a good time as whole.
So, if you happen to find yourselves in a newly gentrifying area south of Downtown, you need to look for a tucked-​away barn just off of Third Street. You’ll be back if you do.

This is a great place to meet and have a good beer, the place is alive and you feel at home once you get in the doors. The fact you can bring your dog is really nice and the outdoor areas are great for the nice NC weather. The staff is great and attentive to your needs and prices are average for the area. The only draw back in Parking and they have no kitchen so if you want something to eat you are out of luck, But if they could get a food truck to park on the street next to the place it would be a five star for me. Great Music and people make for a good time.

Truly cool bar. Easy going vibe with a come as you are bring the pets kinda attitude. If you can’t enjoy yourself here, you’re just done. Corn hole and rockers in the back. Benches in the front. Couches inside. Selection of beer is great but they got alcohol goin on too.

Love it here. We came in on a Saturday night to celebrate a friend’s upcoming nuptials. The door guys were very pleasant, and a great low-​key band was playing.
I ordered a whiskey sour and it was a good size and definitely not watered down. Friendly bartenders, great outdoor area with cornhole, plenty of seating, and dogs allowed!
Inside is eclectically decorated, which I love, with plenty of seats there as well. Bonus: the bathroom was actually stocked and clean, unlike some bars.
At the end of the night, a friend realized she hadn’t drunk enough for the minimum on a tab, so we combined. The bartender was awesome about combining and even thanked us for doing so.
The atmosphere here is very relaxed and so many different types of people come in.
Another perk is the ample parking available (probably because it isn’t in the heart of downtown).

This is the cutest little place. Friendly staff, good live music, dog friendly, corn hole, great beer selection. There is something for everyone here. Including gluten free! The only downside is the parking. When it gets late it’s tough to find a spot that’s close. And, when you’re there, you’re pretty much staying there. It’s not within walking distance to anything else. But, they have a lot to keep you entertained. Make sure you come with a full belly. No food.

I live in Fort Collins Colorado and when I set foot in this place I get at home with its relaxed and hip décor. A dog friendly bar with a killer beer list??? Did I get transported back to northern Colorado?

FINALLY made it out to Satellite after listening to too many stories of fantastic evenings and afternoons spent in this ridiculously hip yet cozy and friendly (how they manage this combination I haven’t yet figured out…) bar, and it blew away all my expectations. I was tempted, in fact, to not write this review for fear that divulging the details of this little gem might render it over-​run with tourists come beach season. In the end, however, I figured I have to do my part to make sure this place (and others like it) thrive in Wilmington.
Housed in a former warehouse-​type building across the street from the recently bought-​up former projects (ostensibly with the «if you build it they will come» line of thinking), Satellite’s design is simple but stunning. It’s the kind of place we frequent in bigger cities like Columbus and Raleigh, but hadn’t seen in the ILM area until now. The attention to detail (the hanging bare bulbs, antique posters on the walls, cushy armchairs and ottomans… and the bar stools! So cool) makes for killer atmosphere.
The afternoon we stopped in the two sets of barn-​style doors were wide open creating a breezy feel inside. The bar itself is very chill with a come-​as-​you-​are attitude (at least during the day, I’ll have to report back on the night scene here). It’s dog friendly (we met a sociable pup named Bailey) and a while it orbits several blocks from downtown and outside of any real residential area, it manages the air of a neighborhood hangout.
As for drinks, Satellite certainly specializes in their brews — from unique taps to exotic imports to Miller Highlife minis, the range is impressive and offers a little something for everyone (or for whatever mood you might be in… or whatever budget you might be on).
If they could just transport this place to my neck of the woods, all would be right in the world. Until then, the taxi fare will be well worth it.