Winnie's Tavern has been operating for more than 62 years. 

Winnie Hansley Swanson was the founder. She was raised in Wilmington. Her father was a Wilmington police officer in the 1920's. Winnie worked at the shipyard as a welder during the World War 2. She worked in local diners, restaurants and drive-ins including the Chic-chic until opening Winnie's Drive-In at 16th and Dawson St in 1957. Winnie's Drive-In was a popular spot with young people, known mostly for good food and a DJ spinning the tunes of the day.

In 1962, Winnie bought the property on Burnett Blvd which consisted of a bar/tavern and a mobile home park. Over the years, "the tavern" was a local's spot for a cold beer, good burger and a game of pool.  

In the mid 1980's, Winnie's daughter, Jeanne, stepped in to help out. Jeanne always made point to tell people she met that Winnie's had the best burger in Wilmington.  She was not shy about it either.  And well, the word got out and that leads us to where we are now.  Now, the third and fourth generations, Wendy, Jessica and Owen own and run Winnie's. The hard work put in by the the women before them insured that the business would continue, as a family business, for the foreseeable future. 

The clientele has changed from mainly neighbors and sailors to a wide range of people looking for a good burger, great atmosphere and good music.  We pride ourselves on all of those things and hope that you enjoy your visit with us!    

On another note, Winnie's Tavern has been used as a film location several times over the years. The most notable was the film "Blue Velvet" in the mid 1980's. In late 2021, Winnie's was home to two film shoots and we look forward to seeing "Breakwater" and "One True Loves" when they are released.  We have also been featured in short film "All You Can Eat!"  filmed here in 2013, by Samy Burch and Alex Mechanik. Samy was recently nominated for an Academy Award for her screenplay, May December. We congratulate Samy on her nomination! We have also been featured on the Cooking Channel's "Best Thing I Ever Ate!" With Special Thanks to Fanny Slater for highlighting our Trailer Park Burger!