Fresh is Best at Henry’s Restaurant

Henry’s Restaurant & Bar is rooted in the community, supporting local sources and serving fresh ingredients.

Henry’s is a name and face you won’t soon forget. The hidden midtown gem makes a delicious first impression that will last and return, visit after visit.

Located within a popular shopping center in Wilmington, Henry’s Restaurant & Bar has become widely known for the spot to drop your shopping bags and pull up a chair for a lunch break. But the neighborhood restaurant is also a hotspot for dinner and drinks.

“No matter what time of the day you visit with us — brunch, lunch, dinner or any time after or in between — the atmosphere here is always warm and inviting, and our staff is really focused on serving that southern Carolina hospitality,” says Marianne Stokes, Signature Brands marketing manager with LM Restaurants. “It’s just welcoming and seems like you’re home.”

Henry’s award-winning interior design work features warm, natural elements, like stacked sandstone walls, beautiful beamed ceilings, hardwood floors and a cozy tiger oak bar. At the entrance, the hostess stand is flanked by two, large blackboards chalked with daily specials and local sources of the day’s fresh ingredients.

“Our chef and our culinary team have a really strong focus on making sure that our dishes, the produce and the ingredients are fresh and local as much as possible,” Stokes says. “They work with local farms and fisheries throughout Wilmington and the region to make sure that we’re bringing in the freshest products in season. Some of the purveyors on the blackboard have longstanding relationships with us, so they’re kind of a staple on the board.”

Stokes describes Henry’s cuisine as “scratch-made, Southern-inspired comfort food.”

“We serve traditional, familiar dishes,” she adds, “but we have really creative, interesting ways of presenting them. Once you’ve dined with us, then you’ll understand the quality of the food.”

A handful of musts to order in the From the Farm section are Hank’s Mom’s Meatloaf, served with garlic mashed Yukon gold potatoes, fresh veggies and drizzled with brown gravy; the Hearty Pot Roast (served as a sandwich at lunch) heaped over garlic mashed, roasted vegetables and finished with a Burgundy beef herb gravy; the Rotisserie Chicken & Dirty Gravy, a half chicken plated with garlic mashed potatoes, vegetables and the chef’s Dirty Gravy that’s out of this world; and the panko-dusted Fried Green Tomatoes starter, stacked incredibly high atop house-made pimento cheese, corn salsa, bacon crumbles and red pepper coulis.

From the sea, try the Blackened Shrimp & Spinach Salad, a fresh mix of bacon, hard-boiled eggs, roasted new potatoes, fresh mushrooms, Roma tomatoes and

Kalamata olives with sherry vinaigrette; Shrimp and Grits; and the house-made lump crab cakes.

Pair lunch or dinner with one of Henry’s fresh signature cocktails — so fresh, in fact, that the menu changes seasonally and is updated daily with certain drink specials — like the seasonal mojitos; the Peach Tea Margarita, shaken up with tequila, Cointreau, hand-squeezed lemonade, fresh lime juice, peach iced tea and fresh juiced peaches; and the Melon Cucumber Cooler, a blend of Absolut vodka, Midori, fresh juiced honeydew and cucumber, simple syrup and lemon juice. Or choose from any of the cocktails showcasing Henry’s house-infused pomegranate vodka, citrus rum or blueberry vodka.

An even sweeter deal is Henry’s drink specials, such as Infused Tuesdays, when the housed-infused cocktails are only $5, and Wine Wednesdays, when select bottles are half-price. Monday through Friday from 3 to 6 p.m., in the bar or outdoor patio, enjoy small-plate specials like Shaved Onion Straws, sliders, buffalo chicken dip and more — and stick around for live music on Thursdays at 6 p.m.

And if your visit to Henry’s involves a larger group of friends, family or co-workers, the restaurant has you covered with a private event space that can accommodate up to 28 people in gorgeous surrounds.

“We’re that neighborhood spot because we accommodate so many different things here,” Stokes says, “and just really support local, from farmers and fishermen to breweries and more.”

Henry’s Restaurant & Bar
2508 Independence Boulevard, Wilmington
(910) 793-2929
henrysrestaurant.com