Dram & Draught — Restaurant in Cary

Starting with Atmosphere: this place is compact. They were thoughtful in how they wanted to use the space, and since they are a business, they optimized it to get as many people in there as they could. They also have a decent outside seating area (which was surprising full giving how chilly it was on Saturday, even with the propane space heaters). This is not an issue if you and everyone else is being mindful of their space and path. Thankfully I did not have any collisions (or even near misses), but I witnessed quite a few, and at times the staff also had to do a lot of turn-and-shimmy to move around behind the bar with all the activity there (again maximizing the space for occupancy).

The space has high open ceilings, and plays music at an appropriate volume. Unfortunately high open ceilings and large glass windows do not absorb sound very well, and the high-occupancy meant speaking at a higher-than-normal volume to be heard by the other party. It doesn't help that my hearing isn't that great. Thankfully the bartenders Leo and Greg were both patient when I had to ask them to repeat things. My voice was a little hoarse by the time we left. At one point the crowd ebbed (around 6pm) but it was back up to capacity shortly after 7. I was there from about 4:30 till 9.

They have a very impressive selection of alcohol, including a lot of hard to find things. The prices are reasonable and about on-par with what you would find at a good steakhouse (example: Clase Azul Gold tequila was $50 a pour, most cocktails were around $15, plus or minus a few dollars).

The bartenders know their craft, and this place puts a lot of pride in their ingredients and drink assembly. With the exception of your standard Agno bitters, I think every other 'mix' they use is a house-made item. And if they're not happy with how a batch turns out, they'll take it off the floor. I know this because I saw two drinks get sent back from the same table. The waitress and bartender talked, he got out a mixer bottle, they did the 'straw sample', and the waitress made an unhappy face. The bartender called for a few more opinions, and that bottle then left the bar, replaced with another.

The food was very good. Quality and presentation was on par with what you'd find at an upscale location. I enjoy Burrata, and was glad to see it on the menu. It came on a spring-leaf simple salad with a balsamic vinegrette, and lightly toasted bread slices. From a value standpoint I am on the fence, as there is an Italian eatery in a smaller town that makes Burrata and you can get just the Burrata for about 1/3 the price of D&Ds appetizer. Is the salad, bread, and presentation worth it? I think my opinion would change depending on my mood. Very on the fence here.

I also had their grazers board, which is a mix of a cheese board and a charcuterie board (which you can order separately). Presentation was excellent, and with those boards there is always a lot of work that goes into the assembly of it. With that in mind, I think the value is definitely there and on par with other places that have similar offerings. Just keep in mind it is not likely going to be very filling, it is absolutely a "classic" appetizer, not what appetizers have become in some places (where they can replace a meal).

I have not tried their flatbreads yet, but I did see a lot of them rolling out of the kitchen. Leo spoke highly of them.

Bottom line? When I go next time, I will avoid Saturdays. Or I will go by myself. It's a place that requires some patience when they are slammed, even with 4 bartenders running at one point, everyone was busy. And lastly, could you go in here and have a good time for less than $50 a person? Maybe, though it'd be a stretch if you want to leave...

Customer service was horrible. As soon as our group arrived to the bar, a member of our group went to the restroom. A person on staff instead of greating and asking how they could help, stated “restrooms were for paying customers only”. As all of this situation was transpiring a bartender (which I don’t know the name; was very kind) informed us that upstairs was available and that he would have someone help us with getting a seat. Please also take into account that there were maybe 3 tables being used at this time on a Sunday afternoon. The hostess or waitress came out to “greet” us with “how many people are in your party?!” As I am counting and responding, she cuts me off and says again “how many people in your party?!” As this is happening, my nephew who was already scolded for using the restroom for not being a “paying customer” walked out the front door and had a non paying customer held the door open only to harass him for not noticing that he was holding it for a female. At this point, you can understand that the vibe at this establishment had been ruined for our group and we left. I have been to this bar in downtown Raleigh before and loved it but as far as this place in Fenton Cary NC, I would recommend you find somewhere else to go as this place needs a complete staff transformation or at least an updated training in how to be a decent...

Dram and Draught is a great cocktail bar chain that is growing in North Carolina. The first one I went to was in Raleigh, but they have recently opened two new locations including one in Wilmington and one in Felton.

The cocktails are always creative with half the menu being shared across all locations, a quarter being standard classics, and the final quarter being local cocktails. The bartenders across all locations competing to come up with the best items to see if they can make it on the menu and you can see they clearly all are passionate about their creations.

The location in Felton is the only Dram and Draught with food. I personally have not tried the food yet, but will say it's a nice addition as sometimes a light snack can help with a heavy cocktail.

I've been here two times and both times the bartenders were wonderful. My first trip both Brin and Riley were very nice and offered me an array of good suggestions and cocktails. The second trip Leo was wonderful enough to provide just as good of service.

The first drink was not on menu it was Brins recipe, a light negroni which was very approachable. I then went back to menu having: afternoon tea, Elvis Presley, blackberry smoke, weekend friend, and kiwilime pie. The kiwilime pie is phenomenal and a must have, it's like...