The Local — Restaurant in Raleigh

Wife and I went to back to back Hurricane games on 11/17 & 11/18. On the 17th we decided to eat dinner here due to the location. We got the wings for appetizer... at first i thought not enough sauce but they were quite tasty and nice and crisp. I got a build your own burger with mushrooms. Overall it was very good, great blend of meat for the burger. Wife got the Cubano, she liked it but it could have stood to have some mayo or something to add some moisture to it. I liked the fries but quite a few of her "chips" were overcooked. The service was spot on up until all the food was delivered. Once we had everything at the table we felt a bit forgot about. Now it was right before a Hurricanes game and the place was cram packed. Our food came out fairly quickly and we were "checked on" quite often until we gave the thumbs up when the food came out. The next night we decided to hang out in the bar prior to going to the game on 11/18. I asked for a long island tea, and I have to say it was one of the best ones i have had in quite a while. I ordered a second and it was consistent with the first. The atmosphere in the place leading up to the game was great and service in the bar was as good as it gets in a sports bar type setting. As we are season ticket holders for the Hurricanes we will definitely be coming back prior to some games this season.

Ok we went back again prior to Buffalo vs Hurricanes game...First off we started with General Joes Shrimp....... (get the wings with Joe's sauce) Ok these things were AWESOME!!!!!!!! I want an option to get a whole bucket of these!!! Wife did build a burger this time, i got a french dip. Everything was spot on. Service was great from start to finish. Even with "away" fans crowding the place the atmosphere was as awesome as the shrimp. If this place were closer to home I would be hitting it once a week...... We will definitely be stopping by here for every "Canes" game we go to.

Now its March 2019 and we have had many, many,many more visits ....and i posted more pics..... Mimi's chips.... if you like Blue Cheese and balsamic vinegar... get em....How the ones on the bottom under all of these toppings were still crisp amazes me. Mushroom Quesadilla..... YUP! ..Ribs...... WOW.. In our (Wife) opinion meatloaf wasn't up to the rest of menu we have had so far. Collards a bit on the salty side for me, but I'm a low to no salt person so it could be normal for most. I like the jalapeno grits flavor, but they could be creamier. Got the fish tacos 3/16.... I loved them but i ate so many of mimi's chips i could only eat 1 1/2 of them.

Full disclosure.. We asked for Stephanie as she suggested to one of my early reviews. The same visit we ended up meeting chef Joe as well. We have now been here so many times the last 4 months quite a bit of the wait staff recognizes us.

We eat out a lot.... everything from 5 star take a second mortgage to pay the bill spots, to hole in the wall cafeteria style places. Absolutely nowhere is perfect 100% of the time or has a menu that is 100% loved by everyone. But there are those places that stand out because the people running them just know how to do things the right way. This is a place where the owners and management have a passion for their food and service. Wings, Ribs, Cubano, French Dip, Fish Tacos, every appetizer we have tried, lots of cold beer choices, great bar tending, and a game time hang out for "Canes" fans and their opponents fans that couldn't be a better atmosphere. Back again for "Canes" opening night 2019.. More mimis chips... they are down...

We placed an order to be delivered by Grub Hub. We had never heard of your bistro before but were looking for something different & thought we'd give you a try. I actually tried sending this to the restaurant via email but it came back as undeliverable addressed to the email address on their website so I decided to post it here instead.

I really need to let you know that it was one of the worst meals serve had in our six years in Raleigh. The ribs were unbelievably dry. I have never ever had a rib that dry. The pulled pork tasted like the kitchen had over-doused it with vinegar. I have never had pulled pork that was so inedible because of the vinegar taste. I have to assume there was a kitchen accident & that you don't normally prepare or serve it that way. The large wings were average sized at best. They weren't large or jumbo as described. I think greens are best prepared without sugar. Yours were very sweet & off-putting. The cheddar & jalapeno grits were soupy & flavorless. They didn't taste like cheddar or jalapeno. I'd I hadn't known what they were supposed to be I would never have guessed. I didn't tell my partner what they were. When he asked I told him to guess; he said they didn't taste like anything. And he was right. Bland with no flavor or seasoning. We ordered the redneck egg rolls which were so dry I could only eat two bites. The hot links were dry & hard. Way over-cooked. The mac & cheese wasn't horrible but tasted like it came out of a box. I'm certain it's not housemade. For the prices y'all are charging your food should taste good & should be housemade. The only thing my partner liked was the brisket, which I didn't like because you ruined it by putting that disgusting sauce on it (I don't like sauce) & he also liked the baked beans, which I didn't think were great, but I'm not a big fan of baked beans. I really feel like that entire meal was a waste of money. I should have just gone to Harris Teeter & picked up some TV dinners. They would have been tastier & more flavorful and not cost anywhere near as much. Please talk to your kitchen manager about the food. It's sad that you're making horrible BBQ in the South....

A group of 6 of us decided to stop in on a Sunday to watch football a few hours before the Hurricanes v. Caps game. We were told there would be a longer wait than it actually was (pro), but that’s where the positivity of our experience ended. I’m not sure our server could have visibly hated her job anymore than she did that day. She would make eye contact with one of us from across the restaurant & then walk in the opposite direction. Our bill would have been even higher if she would have tended to us, rather than leaving us dry. I ordered the chicken tender appetizer and the picture is what was delivered. Albeit, a very good laugh for all of us at the table, but my stomach wasn’t too happy. The food runner that dropped the app at the table turn around & walk away so fast it was basically a sprint— I think he might have been embarrassed about it too? I was going to ask our server about it, but after 15 minutes of waiting for her to return to our table, I decided just to eat it & move on. I’ll give credit where credits due: they were good. But not worth $13. Maybe I could suggest a smaller plate so the lack of contents isn’t so noticeable?

The atmosphere is unlike any sports bar I’ve been in. The other reviews stating it is cold & there’s a huge lack on Canes memorabilia is correct— which is odd since it was recently purchased by them?

I’m going to be positive & give them the benefit of the doubt by saying hopefully this is growing pains. Maybe they’re hiring a local artist to paint Canes art in the wall? Hiring good staff is hard to come by these days, maybe they’re short staffed? Maybe the purchase by a large entity makes it hard for management to make improvements? I’m not sure, but this place won’t stick around after the stadium renovations if it doesn’t improve. As a season ticket member & one of the only options around the arena pre-game, I’m sure we’ll end up back there. I hope to see improvements in service, food presentation, &...