Restaurant Reviews

Review of Cowfish, the burger-sushi fusion restaurant that recently opened at North Hills, Raleigh, NC

We review Five Star Chinese Restaurant: lychee martini, heat seeker shrimp, and General’s Chicken.

Like the Old Wake Forest Road area I wrote about in my review of Mami Nora’s, the area surrounding Rex Hospital is not one of Raleigh’s culinary hot spots. Chubby’s Tacos is good, as is Sushi Thai, in the Lake Boone shopping center. Or, if you plan ahead and get reservations (which you will need, [...]

The Raleigh Citizen reviews Mami Nora’s Peruvian Rotisserie Chicken Restaurant on Wake Forest Road, Raleigh, NC

Jenny checks out the brunch offerings at Lucky 32 Southern Kitchen in Cary, NC

If you love southern fried chicken and if you love waffles (delicious, soft, fluffy waffles), then Dame’s Chicken & Waffles is a must-go in the Triangle.

My visit to Oryx was a strange experience. Oryx has a cool, contemporary atmosphere that fits in well with its Glenwood South location. The service was good. The menu was interesting and the food looked good. But, I found the cocktails and food so quirky that I’d suggest that the chef do some tweaking to [...]

There’s a lot to like about Blue Mango, which just opened on Glenwood South. In focusing my reviews on new restaurants, I’ve seen a lot of places open up, with varying degrees of success. Blue Mango has done a really superb job. Everything about the restaurant is quality; the interior design, the service, and the [...]

A few years ago, the New York Times ran an article that observed the decline of the delicatessen. At that time, there was no New York-style deli in Raleigh. I was pleased to hear that Weinberg’s Deli was going to change that. I was even more pleased to hear that Neil Horwitz would be consulting [...]

Mandolin Restaurant occupies a place that is home to some old Raleigh history. But, in recent times the restaurants that have operated there have quickly become history. While Red Dragon has continued to thrive next door, EVOO and the other incarnations of 2519 Fairview Road have opened and then quietly disappeared. Raleigh native Sean Fowler [...]

My experience at Calavera was extremely good. Tucked away on the corner of Blount and Davie, Calavera is on the edge of the business section of downtown. The downstairs dining and bar area is cozy. I tried a number of cocktails. The mojito and pisco sour were fantastic, very flavorful and more than sufficiently strong. [...]

My first impression of Beasley’s Chicken and Honey is very good. I was a fan of Ashley Christensen at Vin and, of course, personally wish her the best with the opening of her newest restaurant, but I do have to admit being just a touch cynical about the amount of buzz that Beasley has received. [...]

I usually use the Small Bites section to discuss restaurants that have just opened or that I’ve only tried once or twice. I’m going to switch things up and give a brief review of an old favorite, Seaboard Café. Situated around Logan’s garden shop, the outdoor and semi-indoor seating is a great place to have [...]

After the disaster that was Cantina South, I still needed to get my Mexican fix, so decided to try Cantina 18, located in Cameron Village. What a difference 12 blocks make. The service was impeccable; prompt and courteous but not intrusive. The queso and chips ($5) were great. The chips were warm and crispy. The [...]

I love the concept of Buku; street food from all over the world. I also love the feel of the restaurant. It has a beautiful bar, with a waterfall mirror behind the liquor. It has a very hip, downtown feel. I tried a Hemingway daiquiri (Cruzan light, Luxard, maraschino liqueur, grapefruit, lime) and a strawbeñero [...]

Cantina South “Small Bites” Restaurant Review – not there yet.

The Citizen checks out life in the ’615 at a new South American wine bar, Vinos Finos.

I found 618 Bistro to be a good lunch spot. I tried the smoked salmon panini and lobster bisque as well as the mango, avocado & grilled chicken salad. The salmon panini was good. I must concede that I have high standards for panini, having tried the original in Italy on my honeymoon. I have [...]

“Small Bites” Restaurant Review of a very pleasant dinner at Gravy.

Relish Café raised our expectations but did not fulfill them.

My visit to Pie Bird was very good. I tried the pimento cheese and spinach with feta hand pies ($3 each). I added carrot soup as a side. The crust was buttery and fantastic. The pimento cheese pie was creamy and had just enough bite. The spinach/feta pie was heavy on the spinach, but savory [...]

I recently had the pleasure of visiting Chubby’s Tacos for the first time. I went to the Wycliff Road location off of Lake Boone Trail. For the sake of this review, I tried both the ground beef crunchy taco ($2) and the chicken soft taco ($3). Either one would have been enough for lunch. Both tacos [...]

My first impression of Wilmoore Cafe is very positive. I stopped in for lunch and tried the brisket sandwich on crunchy white bread. The free sides were chips and a pickle, both of which were apparently made on site. Everything was flavorful and tasted very fresh. The atmosphere was pleasant, bright and airy. I could [...]

Growing up in Raleigh in the 1970s and early 80s, my options for Japanese cuisine began and ended with Kanki. The image of Kanki as anything but a steak house was hard for me to shake. I knew that years ago Kanki went through a major remodel and added a large modern sushi bar. Still, [...]

Market’s lunch menu announces first thing: Market is committed to serving only fresh, all-natural, unprocessed foods and features select products from Animal Welfare Approved farms. We are proud to support many local farmers, including: Ben’s Produce, Captain John S. Pope Farm, Rare Earth Farms, Long After Farms, Saltwater Seafood, and Wells Pork and Beef. Market [...]

We review the dinner selections of Sunflowers Cafe, which is primarily known as a popular downtown sandwich shop.