From big burgers to beer, this Wilmington restaurant looks to the future as it turns 10

Allison Ballard, Wilmington StarNews
·3 min read
Katie Honaker, Diane Smith, Ellis McNeill, John Biggett, Dustin Smith and Kaitlyn Thompson stand outside Fork n Cork restaurant at 122 Market St. in Wilmington, N.C.
Katie Honaker, Diane Smith, Ellis McNeill, John Biggett, Dustin Smith and Kaitlyn Thompson stand outside Fork n Cork restaurant at 122 Market St. in Wilmington, N.C.

Without telling too many people about it, James Smith quietly opened his restaurant in downtown Wilmington 10 years ago.

“He just pulled the trigger,” said his brother, Dustin Smith. “It was just open, on Memorial Day.”

Smith brought Fork n Cork to local diners in the small, brick-lined space at 122 Market St. in downtown Wilmington left empty when Slice of Life moved across the street. His mother, Diane Smith, also noted that day was his father’s birthday. Owning his own restaurant, which started with the popular Patty Wagon food truck, was always sort of a family endeavor in spirit.

“This place has lots of good memories,” she said. “This is where my heart is.”

When James Smith died unexpectedly last year, he owned two Fork n Cork locations and was the primary partner at Smoke on the Water. In the intervening months, the Carolina Beach location of Fork n Cork closed and Smith’s estate was settled. Now, Allan Middleton is the primary owner of Smoke on the Water.

More: Wilmington restaurant reopens after staff, menu changes. Here's what to expect.

The Smith family, meanwhile, is focusing on the place where it all began. One of downtown's most popular restaurants, that was featured on the Food Network in 2018.

“We are thinking back to basics,” Dustin Smith said.

That doesn’t mean staying static. Instead, they want to maintain the original Fork n Cork vision and carry it forward. Part of that was making Justin Copeland, who trained with Smith in the early days and whom Diane Smith calls an adopted son, an official partner.

“We want to give Justin the freedom to come in and say, ‘But can we do this?’” she said. “We want that creativity in there.”

As a result, longtime fans might have noticed more salads and specials at Fork n Cork. 

“A few weeks ago, we put a big ol’ dinosaur rib on a burger,” Dustin Smith said.

A recent burger special at Fork n Cork restaurant in downtown Wilmington was The Home Wrecker. It featured the house blend patty, with brie cheese, corn and cabbage slaw, a full smoked beef short rib, a fig barbecue sauce and a smoked jalapeno.
A recent burger special at Fork n Cork restaurant in downtown Wilmington was The Home Wrecker. It featured the house blend patty, with brie cheese, corn and cabbage slaw, a full smoked beef short rib, a fig barbecue sauce and a smoked jalapeno.

More: Who has the best burgers in the Wilmington area? Vote for your favorite!

For the special, they added a beef short rib (from the days of the Bone & Bean BBQ restaurant) to the burger. The Home Wrecker also had brie, a corn and cabbage slaw, a smoked jalapeno and their new fig barbecue sauce.

More is on the way, too, including Fork n Cork beer.

The partners are working with Mannkind Brewing in Leland. The first brew, tentatively titled Blood, Sweat and Tears, should be available for the anniversary weekend. It’s made with blood oranges and other ingredients to emulate the flavors of Grand Marnier, which was a favorite of James Smith and his go-to choice for toasting any occasion.

Part of the deal, Smith said, is that he gets to learn the brewing process.

“That’s always the way it’s been. If there’s something to go and see, we wanted to do it. We wanted to see the local farms and everything. We have pictures of where our meat comes from,” he said. “We are big kids and want to take a field trip."

He hopes that Fork n Cork and Mannkind can produce a series of seasonal beers throughout the year.

The Smiths said they also hope to expand the partnership with The Veggie Wagon. The Carolina Beach-based market already carries the signature Fork n Cork burger blend. They’d like to also produce more of their sauces and seasonings.

They have plans, even though this isn't what they thought they'd be doing.

“I’m supposed to be retired,” said Diane Smith, who had a career in nursing.

As the Smiths move forward, the downtown restaurant is the focus. But other locations are a possibility.

“If I ever went forward, I would look for this type of setting,” Dustin Smith said. “I think that’s where Fork n Cork thrives... This is what everybody knows, big ass burgers and bricks.”

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Allison Ballard is the food and dining reporter at the StarNews. You can reach her at aballard@gannett.com

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Fork n Cork burger restaurant honors 10 years in downtown Wilmington, NC