Island Time

When Clayton Gsell and Kevin Keatts decided to expand beyond their downtown Wilmington restaurants, they weren’t simply looking for another location. They were looking for an opportunity to bring something new to Wilmington’s dining scene.

“We had been having a lot of fun downtown with The Husk, YoSake and Tempo 33,” Gsell said, referring to the other downtown eateries that he and Keatts own. “But about a year ago we decided to start to look for something closer to the beach.”

That search eventually led them to what was then Sammy Seas, the restaurant and nightclub that replaced Waterman’s Brewing. The space appealed to Gsell and Keatts, and so although the restaurant had been open for less than a year, they approached the owner with an offer to purchase. Within a few weeks, he accepted.

The result is Cabana Bar & Grill, a casual restaurant built around an island-inspired atmosphere and menu. Gsell and Keatts wanted a place where people could show up as they are, bring the dog and grab a seat on the deck, or watch a game and enjoy some great food and drinks.

That sense of ease extends to the restaurant’s design. Gsell’s wife, Susan, designed the restaurant’s island décor, drawing on her 14-plus years as a local interior designer.

The space itself is designed to be flexible. One side is centered around dining, while another area lends itself to games, live entertainment, DJs and late-night gathering. In the middle, a former brewing-equipment room is currently being transformed into a private event space that can accommodate 50-60 people.

The food follows that same philosophy: island cuisine without being confined to a single island or culinary tradition.

The menu draws inspiration from across the Caribbean, with touches of Hawaii and the South Pacific woven into the mix. The result is a collection of dishes that move between familiar and unexpected. Diners will find jerk-seasoned shrimp and chicken, curry chicken and Jamaican beef empanadas, conch and saltfish fritters, coconut shrimp and island-influenced burgers.

The menu was designed with cross-utilization in mind, allowing ingredients and preparations to show up in different ways. For diners who have trouble choosing just one thing – or simply want to sample their way through the menu – there are options such as a slider plate featuring jerk shrimp, ropa vieja and Puerto Rican-style pernil pork, as well as a Pu Pu Platter featuring jerk chicken wings, curry ribs, coconut shrimp and fritters.

Among the standout dishes, according to executive chef Kyle Batts, are the Cubano sandwich, built with house-roasted pernil pork, pecan-smoked ham and a Cuban orange mustard, as well as the mango mahi sandwich with a tangy Haitian pikliz slaw and mango salsa. Even the smash burger gets an island treatment, with jerk-seasoned beef, pepper jack cheese and mango salsa.

The menu continues in that spirit with whole grilled chicken wings served with a choice of sauces, including pineapple teriyaki, lemon garlic, rum barbecue, jerk and yellow coconut curry. Braised ribs are served with the same yellow coconut curry.

Batts is making a concerted effort to make as much as possible from scratch and procure items locally. Many of the restaurant’s sauces, syrups and mixers are made in-house, including components for its rum-focused cocktail program.

That emphasis on rum is intentional. Cabana leans into rum and tiki-style cocktails, with house-made mixers and syrups. They will soon launch a mobile bar featuring these cocktails, which can be rented for events.

More than half of the food menu is gluten-free or can be made gluten-free, a focus informed by the kitchen’s experience accommodating dietary needs.

In addition to the main menu, brunch is served on Saturday and Sunday, and a late-night menu is available as well, designed to serve those coming in for evening football games or live music in the bar.

While the food and drinks may transport diners to the islands, Clayton Gsell says the restaurant’s main focus is the experience.

A large portion of Cabana’s guests live nearby, with some walking, biking or arriving by golf cart. The response, he says, has been encouraging.

“They’re saying, ‘Hey, wow, we’re glad to have a place like this,’” he said.

That neighborhood connection is exactly what Clayton Gsell and his team were hoping to create: a casual beach-area gathering spot with good food, a welcoming atmosphere and enough personality to stand apart.

“Our culture is very service oriented,” he said, “and we take really good care of people.”