Frankly, we’re stumped.
After researching Fernando’s Restaurant in the city records, talking with historians, asking Wilmington Natives Chat groups, and interviewing people living along Oleander beyond the City limits, was unable to come up with a Fernando’s Restaurant.
Does anyone know? Please share any information you have in the Comments below.
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Date posted: December 10, 2012
User-contributed question by:
Fory
Nope, never heard of Fernando’s. Maybe it was before my time — I was born in James Walker Memorial Hospital in 1943 . . .
There was a Francisco’s Restaurant just up from Flip’s BBQ, for about a year in 76-77 or so. It had been something else for several years before that, I vaguely think Carmen’s?
When it was Francisco’s, it was operated by Frank Perez, married to one of the Reddicks of Redix. It was a fondue restaurant serving cheese fondue and hot-oil fondues with beef, chicken and/or shrimp. There was a nice salad bar, and the two albums on the turntable the most were a great Nat King Cole best-of and Boz Scaggs Silk Degrees. That was back in brown-bag days before fancy cocktails could be sold by the drink. There was a “locker club” where you could leave your own bottle without dragging it around with you, and you paid $1.50 for a “setup” of ice and mixer of some sort. During the several months I worked there, there were never more than 20 customers in a night. The decor was truly hideous, red shag carpet even on some of the walls. I left before it folded, not sure exactly how long it lasted but it never had a prayer.
There was an Italian Restaurant out on Oleander Drive in 50’s and 60′, Great food and atmosphere !!! Don’t remember a Fernandos.