The Cowfish Sushi Burger Bar — Restaurant in Raleigh

For March 31st, 2021, Times like these, I really need to rant because some individuals need recognition for their hard work, especially Kyla. It was my sisters birthday and we came here with a total of 6 people and the restaurant was packed. We came in separate groups and waited to order because the rest of the group wasn’t here yet And it was busy. But our waitress Kyla was not phased. We saw her serve through all these tables like a boss and she was very very attentive. Even though we didn’t want to order yet, she was still caring and gave us water and made sure we knew how to use the digital menu. And even though she was busy, And I mean the tables she had were 4-7 tops and as a server myself, i know how hard it is to serve big tables on a busy night, she still came to check on us. When we all finally came, she greeted us all in seconds (like literally). We took so long to order but she was super patient and she let us have our time to decide. We ordered 6 milkshakes, two appetizers, 6 burgers, 2 sushi’s and waters and dessert and every single one of those dishes came out exactly right and cooked extremely well. And I’m going to be honest, we were all over the place with our orders but she made it organized somehow (talent lol)The food was very amazing but her wonderful service topped it off. If you thought you had the best service somewhere else, then you haven’t met Kyla. Kyla is AMAZING. She cared about my mother’s allergy and she was very very knowledgeable about the menu. On top of that, she was genuinely nice and she made conversation even though she had other tables. She had a very positive energy and she let us know about food times and stuff. Like no server has ever asked me “how would you like your burger cooked”. They always come well but I got it medium well (like I love so much) because she asked. She also automatically gave us ketchup and soy sauce (both gluten free and regular) which I think is amazing because we didn’t have to ask. If you ever go to cowfish (and you should) ask for Kyla. And the other staff were very nice too. They were super engaging and it seemed like they had a good team. The manager also came to speak with us, he was super nice to. They even gave us a free dessert for her birthday.

First time coming ; I went with my mom and sister to this place. First impressions: very clean, spacious and all the employees were wearing a mask and the customers also were wearing a mask upon entering. I think tables were at least 10 feet apart so that was amazing. Indoor seating was max capacity but we only waited literally 1 minute for outdoor seating! And that’s what we wanted anyways so we were happy about that :)

The server we had were so nice to us. She told us the entire menu since it was our first time and she was very accommodating. The food tasted so good and we were able to substitute for things we didn’t want. We had the wonton appetizer thing (which was suggested by the server). It was so good. A big portion and the creme that was with it was amazing. I had two California rolls and some truffle fries. The guests with me had the bento boxes.

The sushi was ON POINT. It tasted clean and fresh and I love sushi. I need to come back to get more. We also got fried pickles. My mom enjoyed that as well. We were sitting outside and a fly landed in my moms drink but the servers there were quick to replace the drink. (IT Wasn't their fault that the fly went in the drink. It came to her without the fly. Sitting outside, flies come with the territory). The dessert was massive. It was big enough to share.

Anyways, loved this place. Definitely going again.

My sister says: friendly, good service and she liked how the server explained the menu even when...

It's hard rating Cowfish because I've been here two different times and had vastly different experiences. The first time we came here it was around lunch time on a Saturday in the summer and we had an amazing time. We had to wait a little bit for a table but they allowed you to order drinks on the patio while you waited. The food was good, the outdoor seating area was comfortable and chill, and the service was great. They even took my sister's nut allergy very seriously, which was a welcome surprise.

Because we had such a good time here the first time, I decided to bring family (a group of 5, including me) here while they were visiting. It was a Saturday night, so we knew the restaurant would be busy, and we put our name into their wait-list app around 5:15 PM. We arrived to the restaurant around 5:30 and checked in with the host and were told we were 5th in line and it would probably be 15-20 minutes until they had a table ready, which was totally understandable and fine with us. We sat in their outdoor seating area to wait because their lobby is a small, crowded, and chaotic. Things went downhill from there.

After waiting about 25 minutes, we checked the waitlist app to see how much longer we had and it suddenly said we were 30th in line. I went back into the lobby to check and see if something was wrong and the host dismissed me, saying the number on the app meant basically nothing and that they'd text us when our table was ready.

We waited outside another 20 minutes, when suddenly we got a text saying we were a "no show" even though we never got a text saying our table was ready and had talked to the host twice at that point. When we went back in, the host said he wasn't sure what happened but that he'd get a table for us and seat us next. We waited another 20 minutes in the lobby this time, just to be sure, during which time the host seated several other parties of various sizes, each time he passed us saying we'd be next. By this point we were very hungry and frustrated (we'd put our name into the wait-list at 5:15 and it was now 7 PM, despite being told on arrival that it would only be 15-20 minutes).

It's understandable for a popular restaurant to be busy on a Saturday night, but their wait-list app seems really unreliable and the communication from the host wasn't good. We decided to leave, unfortunately having wasted almost 2 hours waiting. It's one thing to wait that long if you're told that's the wait time in advance but we'd been told 15-20 minutes.

I would probably give this restaurant another chance, but definitely not for dinner again. I also don't think I'd eat inside if I could choose: while waiting, I noticed seating inside is very close together and because the dinner crowd seems to attract a lot of families, there were a lot of kids wandering around throughout the restaurant, going back and forth in and outside to use the Cornhole game by the door. Kids were also playing in the revolving door at the entrance, which (while that's not the staff's fault) was very chaotic and probably a safety hazard.

Our afternoon visit to the patio area was FAR more calm...

Awful service! Being that it was my nephews birthday, he really wanted to eat at this restaurant, because of the great reviews regarding food and the awesome aesthetic. Instead we were greeted with being told there was a 2 1/2 hour wait. (Yes, I tried calling to make a reservation before coming over and the phone just rang) I was immediately shut down When I asked about getting a table. So I asked about the to go order area she told me the wait for To-go was 45 minutes. My Family was extremely hungry and really wanted to eat here. Starting to get disappointed the manager noticed he came over and asked if he could assist us. I told him of the situation and he said he would try to get us seated. Was never acknowledged again. We even asked if we could order Togo could we just sit outside under the heated covering and eat. The response was that’s not really a thing. Mind you this Saturday it was in the low 50s. The children didn’t want to stand outside in the cold and wait for the food to be prepared. Instead we found a “corner” and stood in it a party of 6! The staff and waitresses made it apparent that we were in the way, and even when the children got tired of standing we snuck to sit at a table, we greeted by a very rude waitress that told us the waiting area for Togo was on the other side of the restaurant. Mind you they were sitting a table that just walked in, so the whole response about being low on servers just wasn’t true. The one kind server that my sister stopped to ask if he could at least sing happy birthday to her son. Thank you!!! Only person that really cared enough to try to put a smoke on a child’s face. He said sure and let me check on the Togo order as well. Meanwhile!!!!!!! Several people walking in were seated at 6 tops and smaller tables, took photos of all the empty tables. My 11 year old became the official door holder for the server’s. But hey after $170 a second order and tip at least my nephew got a free piece of cake for his birthday. Now we are driving back to downtown Glenwood to go home because there’s literally no place to eat. Kids eating cold!!! Food in the car at this point Mc Donald’s service would have been better and hotter. Beyond disappointed. Food review burgers were burnt, fries and calamari freezing cold. Only thing that was good was the sushi orders. Hearing my 9 year say how rude the staff was to our family. You never have to worry about my family, friends ever!!!! Coming back here… should’ve got the hint we weren't wanted when we first walked in...