Rumcow

While in Wilmington at a brewery, we ask the bartender where to go. He directs us to Rumcow, just a few minutes away. Always keen to a local’s suggestion, we promptly go to the Rumcow bar, where we order and sip on (strong) rum cocktails while we wait for our food. The painkiller is particularly delicious and creamy.

It’s early on a Tuesday, so the place is quiet, save for a few folks working at the far end of the bar, and some patrons slowly trickling in to stave off early bird hunger pangs. The idea here is “Southern plates with a global twist.” Many ingredients are sourced from nearby farms.

Southern fried chicken cornbread sliders are served on honey cornbread with pickled green tomato and pimento cheese. They’re a bit towering, but we easily find a way to devour them. The combination of textures and flavors is addicting. We’re not just a little disappointed when they’re gone; we vow to return for them again and again.

Cajun-fried gator bites are crunchy and salty, served with a side of pickled green tomato remoulade and a sprinkling of boiled peanuts. Shrimp and grits tacos are nice in theory, but they’re a dish in which too many things go on at once. The blackened shrimp are delicious, but the fried grits, which come as long sticks, do not deliver that coveted grits texture and flavor. 

Crispy pork belly pockets are served with syrupy peach chutney, fig goat cheese, and arugula. The pork belly is nicely cooked and has a sweet glaze that’s a little much with the chutney. But the pockets are soft and neatly bundle everything together. 

Rumcow should be your go-to sweet cornbread, crunchy fried chicken and a punchy rum cocktail.