Wilmington: Trolley Pub Crawl & Downtown Bar Stops

4.93

(131 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

Li waved us over right away—she was our guide for the night, and honestly, she had that “I’ve seen it all” look you want in someone steering a group of strangers through downtown Wilmington on a trolley pub. She grinned when we tried to sync up our playlist (it took longer than I’d admit), then handed me a cold can from the onboard cooler. The seat was stickier than I expected—humidity does that here—but we were off, legs pumping, music bouncing off old brick buildings.

First stop was Slainte. I’d heard stories about this place being the top Jameson seller in North Carolina—couldn’t resist testing if their pour was as generous as rumored. Bartender gave us that “welcome back” nod even though it was my first time. The smell inside hit me—mix of wood polish, spilled beer, something fried—and there was this older guy at the bar telling a story way too loudly about St. Patrick’s Day chaos. We laughed more than we drank, which is saying something.

After that came the dive bar from “Dawson’s Creek.” I’m not even sure how much of the show I watched growing up but seeing the set in real life felt weirdly nostalgic anyway. The drinks were cheap and strong; someone ordered fries and we all stole a few without asking. Li told us about filming days and how locals still spot actors sometimes—she shrugged like it wasn’t a big deal but you could tell she liked sharing those little secrets.

We pedaled along Front Street as sunset started sneaking in behind the Cape Fear riverwalk. It got quieter for a second—the kind of hush you only notice when everyone’s catching their breath at once. Just wheels clicking and some distant laughter from another group passing by. I didn’t expect to feel so much just rolling down a street with strangers-turned-friends, but here we are.