Eternal Sunshine Cafe

Pricey for portions served but quality food. Excellent marks for food creativity in a mundane breakfast world. If it was a bit cheaper I would visit more often. Service was attentive and helpful without smothering or ignoring. Eternal eggs Benedict were delicious. Good café coffee too!

We found this gem after looking at Unilocal,and decided we had to try! It was awesome, we ended up going twice in the week we were in Wilmington. The food is quality. Tried the potato omelet (I asked for no bacon and was offered a substitute– which i have to say others places never do). The place is not huge but there menu has options for everyone (including people with Gluten allergies). Just make sure that you are not in a rush — the food is made to order so it’s not fast like places that have everything prepped. My husband keeps saying «you can hear them cracking/​beating the eggs!!» We will be back next time we come to the area — and have already told family in the area it’s a must!

Awesome food and service! Love the specials!

I would consider myself a regular «bruncher». I was on vacation in Wrightsville Beach and looked up this restaurant. It was everything I wanted and more! The staff was super friendly and attentive, which I’m not used to. The food was out of this world and really reasonably priced. The only downside is that they don’t serve alcoholic beverages but their amazing food is worth over-​looking that detail. I will always go back when I’m in town.

Breakfast made in heaven. The benedicts here are AMAZING! I have tried almost every one of the benedicts. My girlfriend always gets the cinnamon pancakes, and they are also very good. The service can be a bit slow during busy hours, so a wait is to be expected.

This place has literally the best biscuits and gravy I have ever had. The servers are all friendly and it’s super cute inside. Good coffee, quick services, and delicious food. I always try to order something other than biscuits and gravy but I can’t because it is so delicious! Seriously try it!

Is this place new? From looking at the first review of the place (h/​t to Jackie C.), not really. But that was the vibe I got when my husband and I had breakfast there on a Monday morning (a holiday).
We walked in and were warmly greeted by a server who was busy with a table. She instructed us to sit wherever we wanted. We had a few options: a two-​top by the door on that frigid morning (nope!), another two-​top that hadn’t been bussed (nope!), or take two seats at one of the larger tables that could accommodate 6 – 8 people. I didn’t know what kind of crowd they would get, and would have preferred a smaller table, but had to go for the end of a larger one (which was repurposed from a door – very cute).
After sitting down, the service was, in a word: slow. In two: slow and disjointed. While we waited for service, that messy table got cleaned up and another couple sat down. They were served first. There were two servers, and one was clearly picking up the slack of the other, checking in on us to make sure he got our drink order (he did, and then got it wrong), then our food order, etc.
The menu was inventive and everything sounded so delicious, I had trouble deciding. I ultimately went with a crab cake Benedict, which was really tasty. For the price, though, I would have liked the side fresh fruit cup not to cost extra. My husband had an omelet, part of which was undercooked. He would have pointed it out, but with the service, figured he’d just eat around it since we had to head back to our hotel to check out.
Since breakfast pickings are slim in the area, I would give them another chance next time we’re in town. But only if I have the time for the lax service.

My coworker told me about this place so my friends and I decided to try it one morning. There wasn’t anywhere for us to sit (we had a larger party and didn’t call ahead) so we sat at the bar instead. Everything on the menu looks delicious! It took us so long to decide what to get. I ended up getting a California style eggs Benedict and it was fantastic. Best Benedict I’ve ever had, hands down. My boyfriend got the chicken and waffles (his favorite) and he said they were phenomenal, though he had to add some extra gravy to it. One of my friends is actually in culinary school and he loved it as well. Not one person had anything negative to say about their experience, and I’m actually bringing a different friend there today since she’s from out of town. New favorite brunch spot!
PS I love the tree! So cute!

Ate here today around 10am it was super crowded. I literally bumped elbows with the table behind me. The space is just too small. The grits were tasteless… Breakfast quesadilla had no cheese and some slices were empty of meat altogether. Glasses of OJ were tiny. The California eggs Benedict were the sole ray of light at brunch today …

Breakfast at the Eternal Sunshine Café, is okay. The grits are better than IHOPs and the meal is sorta fancy. My husband had the breakfast burrito, previously we’ve had tasty delights such the Monte Cristo and the yummy burgers. This time I got the classic. My critique, with the hand pattied sausage is – I wish there were two, and the toast is abundant. The meal itself was satisfying. Would I order it again, probably, but I think I would need an extra sausage. The price concerns me because of my lack of sausage… I know you’re thinking– Please someone give this girl sausage!!! Well you would want another too if you had a taste of this southern goodness!

I can’t even! The first time I tried the eternal Benedict and it blew my flip flops off! Mind you I was in a rush. My friend and I made our orders (he picked the eternal flambé) and realized we had to jet! Didn’t end up eating breakfast for 3.5 hrs and even stone cold every single bite was incredible!!!
Went back yesterday and switched things up a little — swapped the croissant for the homemade jalapeño cheddar bread on the eternal Benedict and lost my ever loving mind!!! Lost it! Did I say the service is great and they have fresh squeezed OJ??? Huh? Sooooo good!

Had high hopes given good reviews and local flavor and how crowded it was when we arrived. But in the end I felt that, especially for the price, it was not great.
I had the homemade corned beef hash, eggs and potatoes, but the corned beef was so sad I couldn’t tell the difference between it and the potatoes. My wife’s dish was better, but not in proportion to the cost.
The servers were pleasant, but a bit overwhelmed. I was offered one coffee refill the whole time I was there.

I’m a bennie person, so I thought oooh, a spicy bennie, what’s not to love and boy am I glad I made that choice. Their Kickin Benedict was bursting with spice and the egg oozed out slowly over the cheddar jalapeño bread as I cut into it and took a heaping bite with sausage included. mmm mm! Definitely needed to cool my mouth after that, and the fresh squeezed OJ was great for that. The artwork inside is lovely and very bright/​welcoming. A lot of ocean scenes and pastel colors. It’s a creative place with reasonable prices and great food. No wait for brunch on a Saturday morning which was a huge plus!

Went here for restaurant week, they had a great special going on. We really loved it, cute interior, friendly service… My friend had a caprese Benedict that she loved and I had the Rubenny (as a lover of Reubens and benedicts, how could I NOT?) it was DELICIOUS. They even swapped the standard croissant for their homemade Parmesan and pepper bread (I suggest this bread for any of their benedicts it was sooooo good). Our special included a baked good, so we took two brownies to go, they were pretty standard but tasty. We will definitely be back!

What a cute little café with wonderful food and excellent service! My friend had a flight delay and to kill time we came across the enteral sunshine café. While enjoying delicious coffee she had the fiesta quesadilla and I had the California Benedict (or something along those names). The food was very good, prepared with fresh ingredients and came out with a beautiful presentation.
The staff was beyond friendly and alive considering it was only 7am and very eager to please. I wish I could remember their names for there were two people who waited on us showing a teamwork oriented environment.
The atmosphere of this café was cozy and comfortable. The decorations were inspirational, the music was soft and the added touch of live flowers on every table was warming. Will definitely be back!

This was a great breakfast place! I loved my bananas foster French toast. I highly recommend! My son got the strawberry cheesecake French toast which was also very tasty, as I might have snitched a bite when he wasn’t looking (don’t judge-​lol, it was good!). My husband had the cinnamon swirl pancakes and they were the only bit of a let down. They were good, you just couldn’t taste any cinnamon!
If you love corned beef hash, they by far have the best I’ve had in a restaurant! Definitely not the «Alpo» you’re used to getting from other restaurants!
One tip, if you want cheese on your eggs, expect a $ 0.50 upcharge. Our waitress failed to mention that when we ordered and I didn’t see it on the menu, so don’t be surprised!

This place was pretty good, but the service is severely lacking. I have been here twice and both times was waited on by two different people, which seems to not work out so well. You end up getting missed since no one is really designating your table as their responsibility to look after. For this reason, coffee wasn’t refilled and food came out warm-​ish.
Bottom Line: It’s kind of pricey for what you get in a town that specializes in providing breakfast. It good enough, but there are plenty of other places in ILM with great breakfast AND great service.

BEWARE! Make sure you look at this menu before even making any decisions on sides. Because what we encountered at this place made me think twice about this restaurant. And what happened actually happened to other people as well. *When ordering fruit as a side, IT DOES NOT COME WITH THE MEAL.* There’s a fee to it. When I ordered my food, along with my parents’, the waiter asks us what sides we would want. She then suggests fresh fruit. This made us all think that the fresh fruit comes with the meal. Wrong. When the bill came out, to my surprise there’s an extra .75 for every fresh fruit side. Thanks for letting us know it’s extra.
Anyways, let’s get back to the breakfast. I ordered the Philly Cheese steak omelette. It had 3 eggs, charged extra because of the egg prices, and well 3 pieces of cubed steak. Along with the omelette, I ordered some bacon. The bacon were just 2 strips tacked on an extra $ 1.00, where the menu price of a side of bacon was $ 2.75? I don’t know about this one, at one point you just have to say to yourself when are the extras not going to cost anything? I thought bacon was in the category of an universal breakfast item. The omelette wasn’t bad though, the cheese was pretty spot on.
On another topic, the restaurant itself was quite decorated. It had a aura of a movie set, which fitted in with how Wilmington has a studio/​movie theater reputation. The restaurant was busy, and coming from the reviews I could see why. But, what I saw wasn’t impressive. I was leaning on a 3 star, but reflecting back on the experience it wasn’t that great. Also, another thing to point out, the sign outside… very deceptive on the size of the logo. I mean, I had to really look to see if there was such a restaurant. So, bigger logo would probably help the outside.
So final thought: This place was okay, but because of the hidden prices and the weird way of pitching the sides it turned my experience into a more sour note.

I kept hearing about this place being deemed the «best breakfast in Wilmington». Surprise! My expectations were actually met! This place was awesome!
I was looking for a place near Wrightsville Beach serving breakfast all day. Eternal Sunshine Café was the winner. We arrived around lunchtime, party of two. The place was pretty packed, but we were seated at one of the last tables. I wouldn’t say they are a tiny place, but they do have limited seating. We both ordered quickly and were brought drinks quickly. I got the Southwest benedict and my dining companion got a traditional breakfast with over easy eggs, bacon, toast, and apple sauce.
I remember thinking the coffee was good. I am a coffee addict, so I will drink any crap someone puts in front of me, but I do know the difference between crap and good coffee. Our food was brought within a reasonable amount of time. I wouldn’t say is was super speedy but I do not remember thinking it was slow. My Southwest benedict was really delicious. It was unlike anything I had ever had before. It tasted like they put Sriracha in the hollandaise sauce. It was cooked absolutely perfectly. Anyone can cook eggs, but it is a true skill to cook eggs perfectly. I was really impressed. The accompanying homefries were really good, too, and seasoned perfectly. My dining companion liked his breakfast and had no complaints.
The atmosphere in there was really cute and cheery. They have a few large fake trees inside, and paintings and inspirational quotes on the wall. It was unique and bright. Everyone we interacted with was cheerful and non-​intrusive. Our server checked up on us enough and we were never waiting for anything.
Wilmington is a tough place to do business, and I really hope this place succeeds. I had no complaints at all during my visit. Please come support this local business!

Partly cloudy skies mark a downward trend at Eternal Sunshine Café
I think the best way to describe ETSC is hit or miss. About 7 months ago I loved coming here because the menu was equal parts quality, simplicity and care when it came to breakfast. However, after a few trips at different times, the quality just wasn’t there anymore, and honestly still isn’t. Sometimes things are made fresh, other times things are greasy or just taste different than they do at other times. Sadly, it seems things are bi-​modal. 1 way on the weekends, another on the weekdays. The best time to go is hands down during the weekend when it is busy and management seems involved and the menu items are prepared with a measure of quality control.
Going during the weekdays, especially after noon, is a very different story. You might be told they are out of basic items, like the raved about sweet potato pancakes, or a side of bacon, as simple as that is, because they don’t want to make any more. The restaurant is basically empty with no management in sight and not much in the way of standards either. It was pretty embarrassing for my waitress to have to come back to my table multiple times either saying they didn’t have something that they normally had on the weekends, that the special board was «wrong» or that didn’t have any more of this or that. It felt much more like a run of the mill let down, no better than any other breakfast place, putting in minimal effort towards their menu and customer experience.
Typically, Eternal Sunshine Café is solid for Sunday or Saturday brunch of breakfast, but menu changes and drastic inconsistency are beginning to routinely and negatively effect the business. If you are in the neighborhood for Sunday brunch I might try it, but any other time, I would skip it.