Banks' Seafood Kitchen And Raw Bar

This was our 2nd time at Banks and we were not disappointed. The fresh oysters were terrific and they offer great variety. I had fried calamari which was perfect. My lobster Mac and cheese was very tasty. Last time I had bang bang shrimp tacos that were really good. My wife had fish and chips. The fish was very fresh, but she thought the batter could be a little better. She couldn’t finish her fries as it’s a generous portion. Not sure why there were fried asparagus mixed in. One person in our party is not a big fish eater, but enjoyed the turkey club. Only recommendation is maybe one more non-fish lunch meal, even if it’s another version of the offered burger. Good drink, bee & wine menu. Definitely will go back and it’s very convenient to the Children’s Museum.

- Andrea Cicero -

Stopped in for lunch and sat at the bar. I used to love this spot when the Riverfront blues festival was the highlight of the summer and I needed real food and drinks, not food poisoning from a vendor selling hog sausage sandwiches. Our bartender was fantastic. She lives out by us so of course we were sharing favorite pizza shops. My wife had a lemon-drop martini and I had a bourbon coke concoction. Food was fantastic. House salad with fresh dressing. Steamed clams in a garlic white broth with ginger. Delicious clams casino. Top shelf burger as good as any I’ve been in ages. Only bummer was hot lobster roll was dry, no butter and sorry dried out meat.

- Tom E -

Mandy my server was amazing . It was my pre birthday dinner . I told her what I was looking for in a oyster and she understood the assignment. (No big oyster). My crabcake salad was great . I can never not get the creme brulee. All around great evening

- Ebony Northan -

On a beautiful day strolling along the river in Wilmington, time for a pause to refresh and there's Banks in front of us. And, well, what a great pause it was. Where else does an oyster list come providing the origin and taste profile of every one of the ten sustainably harvested oysters on the menu? As an appetizer, we ended up selecting four oysters going from the New Brunswick Bijou with a "sweet & clean, melon finish" to the Rhode Island Umami with a "high salinity, high mineral finish". Truly was an interesting, amusing, and delightful tasting experience along the spectrum of oyster flavors. Now, for the owners, the weakness: every oyster is coming from a distance (Connecticut closest) with none from the Chesapeake nor Delaware Bays. Both in terms of North American oyster types and flavors along with sustainability (distance traveled), this was disappointing and seemingly not in keeping with the restaurant's otherwise praise-worthy commitment to "support our farrmers' sustainable practices" while providing clients a rich range of oysters to taste.

- A Siegel -

This was the first place I went to upon arrival to Wilmington. The bartender was great. Full service bar. First visit I had the Salmon with Parmesan Garlic baby potatoes. Delicious. A couple days later I had the Crunchiest most yummiest Salmon Crocketts. And then the Salmon burger. Great choice. Will be my go to when in town. Thanks for the great service both times. Oh and my Favorite Margarita.

- K Mercado -

Had dinner here tonight. Enjoyed the good! Wasn’t crowded when we came in. Was able to get seated right away. Had dinner with friends. Shrimp Boil was tasty! Trout was really good! Snapper was good but done a tad more. Still tasty! Old fashioned was good and had a kick to it! Nice cozy atmosphere! Seating inside as well as outside. Also booth seating and a bar.

- Thomas Cleveland -

The food was good - not great. Location probably drives the price up a bit. The tuna nachos and lobster bin salad were economical for the price! The service was great!

- Sabrina Potvin -

I patronized Banks Seafood recently, and overall, it was a mixed experience. The customer service was excellent, we sat at the bar, and the bartender was amazing (I wish I could remember his name!). The restaurant itself has a nice atmosphere, clean and welcoming. As for the food, it was hit or miss: I started with the New England clam chowder, and unfortunately, it was disappointing. The consistency and taste were just off, definitely not the creamy, flavorful chowder I was hoping for. Ended up sending it back. The crab cake platter was the highlight, absolutely delicious and well-seasoned. The seafood nachos were just okay; they lacked the flavor I was expecting and could use a bit more punch. Overall, I’d come back for the great service and crab cakes, but I hope they revamp the clam chowder recipe!

- Kiwi J -