Anne Bonny’s Brings Riverwalk Dining Aboard an Old Boat

Along Wilmington’s Riverwalk, Anne Bonny’s Bar and Grill puts lunch or dinner directly beside the Cape Fear River—and does it from an old boat. That bit of nautical character gives this casual stop more personality than the usual waterfront patio, while the river supplies the steady backdrop.

The appeal is pleasantly straightforward: find a seat in the open air, order something cold or something fried, and keep an eye on the water. Boats move along the river, daylight shifts across the open water, and an occasional plane may appear overhead on its way toward landing.

It works nicely as a pause during a Riverwalk outing, but it also has enough of a settled-in, breezy mood for an unhurried meal. A bar seat with the river in front of you can be a perfectly good lunch plan.

Anne Bonny’s is built around outdoor dining, with shade in portions of the seating area and a breeze off the river that can take the edge off a warm Wilmington afternoon. The arrangement is casual rather than formal: come for a sandwich and sweet tea, stay over a beer or cocktail, and let the view do some of the entertaining.

Not every visit will deliver the same river traffic or sunset color, of course. But late-day dining has a particular appeal here, when the sun drops over the water and the music, drinks and river activity give the place an easygoing evening rhythm.

The open-air setting also means conditions outdoors matter. This is a restaurant for enjoying Wilmington weather, not escaping it.

The food stays in familiar bar-and-grill territory, which is useful when a table includes seafood fans, burger people, salad orderers and someone who just wants a good sandwich. The menu ranges across seafood, chicken dishes, burgers, wraps, pulled pork, fries, side salads and appetizers meant to be passed around.

That breadth makes Anne Bonny’s easy to use for lunch or dinner without requiring everyone to be in the mood for the same thing. The dishes are individually ordered, so one person can go light with a salad while another takes the more direct route through a cheesesteak and fries.

Menus spell out the ingredients in each dish, a small convenience when deciding between several sandwiches or sorting out a group order.

Seafood is well represented without turning the menu into a white-tablecloth affair. Choices that have appeared include a grouper sandwich, fish platter, crab cake Reuben, Tropical Shrimp Salad and po’boys with names such as Ahoy and Yo Ho.

The crab cake Reuben is especially in keeping with the place’s loose, riverfront sensibility: a recognizable deli format reworked around seafood. A grouper sandwich or fish platter, meanwhile, is a simple answer for a waterfront meal when a full seafood feast is not the goal.

The Tropical Shrimp Salad offers a cooler counterpoint to the fried and sandwich-heavy side of the menu. It is the sort of choice that fits a bright afternoon at a shaded table near the river.

Chicken gets plenty of space on the menu. The Tropical Chicken Sandwich and Tropical Chicken offer one direction, while a chicken Caesar wrap and buffalo chicken sandwich cover two dependable casual favorites.

Burgers are available as well, along with pulled pork and cheesesteak. One visit found a gluten-free bun available for a burger without an added charge, though diners with dietary needs should check current options and preparation directly with the restaurant.

On the side, the fries are thinner-than-usual crinkle cuts—an unexpectedly specific detail, but the sort that can matter when fries are sharing table space with sandwiches. Carolina corn salad and side salads give the meal a few less-heavy companions.

The large pretzel is a natural opener for a group lingering over drinks. It is the sort of shareable order that keeps hands busy while people study the river, decide on entrées or wait for latecomers to finish their Riverwalk stroll.

Fried banana peppers and cheese curds provide two more appetizer routes. One brings a tangy, fried-pepper bite; the other goes for the uncomplicated pleasure of warm, crispy cheese curds.

These are not precious small plates, and they do not need to be. Anne Bonny’s suits the kind of meal where a few things land in the middle of the table before anyone worries too much about who ordered what.

A cold drink makes sense here. The list includes beer, cocktails, sweet tea and Bull City Cider, covering the table from classic Southern refreshment to a cider break or a more leisurely evening order.

Sweet tea is an especially fitting companion for a daytime meal along the Riverwalk. Later on, a cocktail or beer can turn the same table into a place to watch the changing light over the Cape Fear.

Food is generally characterized as approachable in price, while drink totals naturally depend on what is ordered. The overall setup remains more casual riverside bar-and-grill than special-occasion splurge.

Anne Bonny’s welcomes pets, a practical plus on a walkable riverfront where dogs are already part of the passing scene. The outdoor tables have seen plenty of dogs alongside their people—and even a cat riding in a stroller.

Families, couples, friends and solo Riverwalk wanderers can all make use of the setting. It can be a quick stop for a hot sandwich and fries, or a longer pause with appetizers, a drink and the river in view.

Its place beside the Cape Fear makes the restaurant easy to fold into time around Wilmington’s riverfront rather than treating the meal as a separate expedition. Order at your own pace, settle into the shade when it is available, and leave some room for the pretzel.