We ordered the Tomato and Goat cheese Bruschetta (I love bruschetta!) as an appetizer and two fountain sodas to start. The bruschetta came out and it looked good but unfortunately it missed the mark a bit. The balsamic dressing was actually a balsamic syrup which was a little too thick. This was not the best bruschetta I’ve ever eaten. Moving on to dinner!

My boyfriend ordered the prime rib and I ordered the baby back bbq ribs. While we waited for our meal, I noticed that while the restaurant has an upscale, classy look to it, many little corners and areas of the dining area have dust and dirt in them. There is also a slight mildew smell in the restaurant which was a little off-putting when mixed in with the smell of the food. We were served a portion of bread or rolls while we waited.

Our server was nice but was really busy with a bigger table next to us. While we were able to get our appetizer, drinks and pre-dinner bread in a fairly timely manner, it could have come a little faster.

Our food came out and we dug in. My baby back ribs were crusty on top which for me is a sign of burnt. I picked off most of the charred fat/skin/meat and didn’t have much left to eat. The bbq sauce wasn’t what I was expecting, it was more like a bbq-like sauce. I didn’t like the cole-slaw and so I munched on my fries which were probably the best part of my meal. Hello $25 french fries.

The prime rib looked good and tasted alright but was a little on the fatty side. We’ve definitely had better prime rib than the one we had here at Winston’s.

Once the plates were cleared it was time to order dessert: the awe-inspiring, amazing, wonderful, must-have Bananas Foster. I’m not a huge fan of bananas anything but I was willing to give it a shot. Out came a huge glump of banana-y deliciousness. I’m not sure what went into it but imagine a sweet puff pastry of sorts with bananas and drizzled in caramel with a lump of vanilla ice cream. Or maybe it was whipped cream. Not sure. Probably both.

Dessert was indeed good. For $8, it better have been good!

In all we spent $75.43 before tip. If the food had been delicious and we’d eaten all of it, it would have been worth it. Unfortunately, Winston’s just seemed to be a whole lot of pretentiousness that left me wanting more: if not for dessert I would have left hungry.

Sawmill had a steak special (t-bone) that my boyfriend decided to give a shot. Steak is a tricky dish and our experience has been that the non-steak specialty restaurants usually serve an overcooked steak.  I passed on the steak and ordered the California Burger (subbed bbq sauce for the guacamole) medium-well.

As usual, our server was friendly (not over-the-top I’m your new best friend, not too distant, either) and our food didn’t take too long to prepare. I had special ordered my burger which I usually do when I’m out and I’ve never had a problem with any sort of special order at Sawmill.

The steak was actually pretty good! It came out cooked just right (well-done), not burnt or leathery. It wasn’t the juciest of steaks but for the price and the cut, we got what we paid for. (Well, he did!).

My burger was cooked to perfection. It was a juicy, bbq-cheddar-bacon-burger that hit the spot.

We had a few mixed beverages from the bar and a beer. Our total for dinner and drinks was about $33 plus tip. Not too bad for steak, burgers and beer in a friendly close-to-home restaurant.

If you’re going to eat here on a busy weekend night, be sure to get in a little early as parking can be tricky (though not impossible) on the weekends.

We’d already had dinner earlier in the evening (518 on Glenwood) and then we were off to see Mumford and Sons (my favorite band in the whole world but that’s beside the point). After braving the heat before, during and after the concert, we’d both sweat off the calories from dinner and were in need of some grub.

He suggested Tobacco Road which seemed an odd name for this non-Carolina girl but I was game. We weren’t too far and were able to find a decent parking spot at 222 Glenwood Avenue, in a nice little part of town with a few restaurants and specialty shops.

Tobacco Road is a true sports bar with numerous television sets and a little area that even includes several recliners. I wasn’t here to watch any ESPN, however, so we sat down and browsed through the menu.

It was almost 11 at night so we didn’t want to eat too much food, but we were considerably hungry and an appetizer just wouldn’t do. We settled on the fresh pico de gallo with chips. It was absolutely delicious except we didn’t realize there were decent sized chunks of jalapeno in there (with seeds) so we each got a little more burn than we’re used to. (If you like the burn, you’ll probably love this appetizer).

We each ordered a soda, and then one beer and a mixed beverage (or two).

We also decided we’d share a burger instead of each having a full meal. We ordered the Durham Bull burger (medium well) which has bacon and bbq sauce. We also added cheddar cheese.

The burger was delicious. DELICIOUS.

Tobacco Road had a great atmosphere. There were couples together, a few groups of friends hanging out at the bar or at a table. Some folks watched the TV while others just chatted quietly. There was a family that came in with their kids and they seemed to have fun too. One of the servers put on a children’s channel on the tv closest to their table which I thought was really nice of her to do. (Although why someone had their kids out and about at midnight to eat I’m not sure. Just sayin’…)

Our tab was just under $30 after tip, which wasn’t too bad for the food we got as well as a few bar drinks. We’ve been back several times because we enjoyed the atmosphere and food so much. Definitely a neat date place or if you want to watch the game and chow down on some really good food.

Tap City is located in the Falls Village shopping center, just off of Falls of Neuse Road (there’s a Chick-Fil-A there and a Panera Bread). We’ve been excited about this location because it’s nice to have a more local bar and grill that doesn’t require a trip downtown if we don’t want to drive, park and walk.

Tap City is a brand-new addition to the North Raleigh food scene and we have to say we haven’t been disappointed thus far. Aside from boasting more than 30 beers on tap and another more than 30 bottled, you’re sure to find something to drink that you really, really like.  If you don’t care for beer, you can get any other beverage or mixed drink from their full service bar.

Enough about imbibing:  let’s talk food.  Our first experience left us drooling for more. We had their southern wings with their sweet with a bit’o'heat Wango Tango sauce. Just the smell gets your taste buds revved up for the burst of flavor you get from this dipping sauce. I don’t do spicy but with a bit of ranch to cut the heat, I enjoyed these wings!

Our second trip was almost a complete bust until our server saved the day. I wish I remembered her name come to think of it…  Anyway, one of us ordered the roast beef sandwich and the other a fish sandwich. I have to tell you that the roast beef sandwich wasn’t good. At.All. It didn’t taste like a flavor I thought should be associated with roast beef. Whether it was my own flavor and taste preferences getting in the way or if Tap City just happened upon a not-so-good flavor combo I don’t know, but I was disappointed and picked at my french fries. I figured I’d just get the sandwich to go and leave well enough alone.

My server wouldn’t hear of it though. She noticed I hadn’t eaten much of my food and asked me if I didn’t care for it. I told her it wasn’t a flavor I was enjoying very much and she IMMEDIATELY got a menu, removed my current plate and helped me pick out something else to eat. I had the Funky Chicken sandwich which hit the spot!

They removed the meal I didn’t like from our bill and couldn’t have treated us better if we’d eaten one of everything off the menu.

This type of excellent customer service will get me to go back to eat at Tap City again. (Don’t worry, our server got extra in her tip for her fantastic efforts).

I recommend you give Tap City a try. It’s a fun little spot with a unique menu and fun wait-staff. Prices are comparable to other similar spots in the area.

This is such a great location for living in North Raleigh – especially on nights that you don’t want to drive all the way downtown and experience the hassle that is parking and walking.  I have a good feeling about the success of this new location.

I am seriously looking forward to the opening. Does anyone have a Grand Opening Date?
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The atmosphere at Champs is always energetic, and this day was no exception. The FIFA World Cup was playing on several tvs, and the ceiling hosted flags from the nations represented at the games. Our server was fast and friendly but not overbearing. We ordered chips and salsa for our appetizer as seems to be our trend. I tried out their berry-lemonade (pricier than a soda with one free refill) which was very good and not too tart or acidic at all.

My super-cute date ordered a bacon cheeseburger and I settled on the Cuban grill. It wasn’t a traditional Cuban – which I’ve been craving lately – a pressed Cuban bread sandwich with ham and (usually) pork but sometimes turkey. Slap on some mustard, cheese and a sliced pickle and voila. 

Champ’s Cuban grille takes a little different approach – their ham is paired with a sort of pork-bbq with chopped pickles mixed into the sauce. It certainly didn’t sound like what I wanted, but I was so hungry I figured it would do.

The sandwich didn’t just “do” – it was amazing and delicious. The pickle-bbq-whatever-else-is-in-it sauce was the perfect addition to the ham and the bread. It wasn’t your traditional Cuban obviously, but it sated my longing for one and I’ve been craving another ever since. The chips and salsa were equally delicious, and my date’s burger was also tasty.

The biggest complaint about Champs would probably be that it’s a little on the pricey side for lunch. We paid about $35-40 (after tip) for the burger, sandwich, chips and drinks, what I would have expected to pay for dinner of the same value.

The bar staff was quick to keep drinks coming to all the patrons of the evening – including mixed drinks and cocktails as well as pitchers of beer (don’t forget the congratulatory shots!) and the full menu was available for those of us who were hungry for more than the cake provided at the party.

The bartender was great and served up specialty drinks quickly. One round of drinks was one some of us never heard of (an Aunt Jemima – it smelled like blueberry syrup) and he took the time to explain the ingredients and made several drinks for the curious who wanted a taste.

The food was served up fast and hot and delicious as usual. We tried out one of their grinders and wow was it delicious, not to mention HUGE.

Rudino’s Rooftop Bar is a great place to hang out with friends or a date. You can dine/drink inside or out. Watch a game on one of the televisions or catch some live music depending on their schedule of events. Oh, and if you had your first date at Rudino’s and find yourself proposing two years later, an impromptu surprise with all your friends and family at the same spot is the perfect way to end your special and unforgettable day!

It’s a beautiful and warm day out, just right for sitting outside. Sawmill has a great outdoor eating deck but we opted to dine in. The restaurant was steady but not crowded and not too busy for quick seating and service. The menu has a lot to offer with a nice variety of items on the appetizer list as well as the regular menu. We settled on the fried pickles for our appetizer. They were served at just the right time – not too soon but not too long in the wait time either. That says to me they were cooked up fresh and sure enough, our huge serving (which was the ‘smaller’ serving size) was brought out steaming hot with a side of ranch dressing.

For lunch I ordered the portobella sandwich, served on a kaiser roll topped with provelone cheese, a tomato, and a parmesean crumbled topping.  My partner-in-crime ordered the club which was packed with quite a hefty amount of ham, turkey and applewood smoked bacon with cheese served on sourdough bread. Both orders came with a side of fries. Everything was good and neither of us were able to finish our meals.

I would have preferred the portobella be marinated or maybe served with a garlic spread, but the crumbled parmesean topping helped make up for some flavor. If you really enjoy the natural full flavor of a portobella then you will definitely enjoy this sandwich.

The club may have been a little too heavy on the meat and since it was served warm, it was close to being a little too greasy. Otherwise, it was really good.

The service was good and very laid back. We never felt rushed to leave or that our server was overwhelmed with too many tables. Our drinks were kept full and we had a nice, relaxing lunch.

Our meal total was around $24, a tiny bit on the ‘high’ end for lunch, but the portions were worth it and the food really was pretty good.

Sawmill also has quite a few brews on tap and has a full-service bar. It offers a great neighborhood bar and grill without being trendy or pretentious. There are several locations in the Raleigh area.

We got inside and sat at the bar for a minute waiting for our friends. We were immediately greeted by a super friendly bartender who explained the beer selections. I’m more of a mixed drink kinda gal and let my eyes wander over the many liquors stocked on the bar shelves. (Busy Bee also has their own specialty mixed drinks for the more adventurous.)

Our friends arrived and we moved to a cozy table. Two of us settled on mixed drinks for the evening while everyone else picked from the special beer menu.

Although we’d already eaten, we had the munchies. This is when we discovered that Busy Bee has the world’s best Tater Tots. Well, maybe not the world’s best since we can’t compare, but they were awful good. Maybe Raleigh’s best.

Our server was incredibly friendly and personable. We all chatted like friends for a minute about some trending topic from the day’s news and were happy to note that he kept our glasses full.

It was a fairly easy-going crowd the night we went: one gal worked on her computer, another fellow read through the newspaper. A few friends chatted it up here and there and the upstairs seemed to hum with activity.

We had a great time hanging out and I can see how this would easily become a favorite gathering spot for friends to grab a drink and unwind in a great environment. I can imagine the servers knowing repeat patrons on a first-name basis, maybe even knowing their favorite drink or dining fare.

We didn’t have a meal from the menu, but the choices look delicious and are very reasonably priced.

I can’t wait to get back to the Busy Bee for a little relaxing of my own. By “relaxing” I really mean “having a drink with great friends in a great spot while eating great Tater Tots.”

=)

Check out the Busy Bee Cafe’s website here.

It was pretty early when we arrived – just after 5 or so. It had already gotten dark and chilly out so walking into the warm restaurant with inside house lights low but softly lit up with twinkling string lights was a pleasant experience. Cheery holiday music played quietly in the background and the inside atmosphere was friendly and comfortable.

It wasn’t crowded and we were seated right away. Our server was quick to greet us and take our order. We decided on the 2 for $20 deal. There’s 10 entrees listed to pick from as well as 4 different appetizers. We settled on a chicken fingers basket (with fries) and a riblet basket (with fries) and mozzarella sticks for our appetizer.

I was worried that a meat and fry basket wouldn’t be enough to fill us up, but once we finished our appetizer and dug into our meal, we filled up quickly and had leftovers to take home!

We each got a drink from the bar: he got a Brewtus beer drink and I got a large Southern Punch cocktail (delicious!!!). This definitely added quite a bit more onto our tab, but the prices for a drink are comparable to other bar and grille type restaurants.

While we loved the drinks, service and atmosphere, we’d probably rate the food as good. Not stellar, but still the yummy flavors that you expect to find at Applebee’s.

The main reason to return for us will definitely be to  take advantage of the great 2 for $20 menu again!