We spoke with Steve de Castro, owner of the Wilmington location of Ruth’s Chris Steak House for 12 years, as well as eight other locations, about his career, the pandemic’s impact on the country’s largest steakhouse franchise and the restaurant's upcoming move from Hotel Ballast to River Place. GWBJ:  Tell us a little about your background. It ...

Brothers and business partners Miguel and Ramon Villasenor have announced plans to open a third Los Portales Taqueria next month on Carolina Beach Road in Wilmington. Their original location is at 912 S. Kerr Ave. and the partners opened a second location at 39 Van Campen Blvd. in September 2019. The Villasenors also own Los Portales Supermarket on South Kerr Avenue and ...

Two local restaurant groups have announced temporary closures to help them weather the winter season now plagued by rising COVID-19 cases throughout the Cape Fear region. Rebellion NC, 115 S. Front St., announced that the rising cases of COVID-19 in New Hanover County, coupled with a staff member testing positive, have prompted owners to close the restaurant temporarily ...

Ben Avalos is a native of Jalisco, Mexico, and was raised in a Wilmington restaurant family. His father, Benjamin Alvalos Hernandez, operated restaurants in Wilmington and Elizabethtown, and after a move to Ohio, Ben said it was a dream of his to return to the Port City and carry on his father’s legacy with a restaurant of his own. Las Margaritas Bar y Grill, 4 ...

Launched here in October in beta version, a food truck app is gaining traction locally and has expanded to two other cities in North Carolina.   Food Truck Track is a web-based application developed by Wilmington tech agency Wide Open Tech. It was inspired by the agency team’s desire to have a reliable source of information as to where they could find their fa ...

A new food truck concept is on a roll – literally - and rolling into Wilmington this week.   Lobster Dogs had its premiere at Flying Machine Brewing Co. on Sunday and has scheduled stops at other New Hanover County locations through this coming Sunday. A new schedule will post on the local franchise’s website each Monday morning, according to franchisee ...

The Clemons family is putting the final touches on a seafood restaurant with the aim of opening Coquina Fishbar at Mayfaire Town Center by the end of the year. The owners of the area's three Hibachi To Go restaurants, the Clemonses have been working on getting the Mayfaire restaurant up and running for six months. The restaurant's menu is partially inspired b ...

Independence Mall is now home to a Jersey Mike’s shop.   The submarine sandwich franchise, located in front of Dick’s Sporting Goods in the redesigned section of the mall, opened Sunday in what owner Jason Kesler called a soft opening.   “Normally, we do a big grand opening,” he said. “We give out 7,500 free sub cards and [arrang ...

Not quite up for a cooking fest this Christmas? A variety of Wilmington-area eateries will provide a tableful of treats for you; here's a sampling. Most require orders in advance; some, marked with an asterisk, are open only through Christmas Eve. Check websites for details and menus. Aromas of Peru – family-style roasted chicken and empanada dinners.   ...

After five months of renovating 1020 Princess St., Hi-Wire Brewing is close to opening its nearly 8,000-square-foot Wilmington taproom. The Asheville-based brewery announced in July its plans to open a fifth location, this one in the Port City's Soda Pop District. The brewery also operates two taprooms in the Asheville area, one in Durham and one in Knoxville, ...