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Well, the title of this post may be a tad misleading. But I wanted to once again offer up my thoughts on a new place that has opened downtown (and provide another forum for those that have tried other new joints as well).
Some friends and I made it to The Draft last night. Someone had warned me that the place was "very loud," and they were spot-on. Even sitting at a booth, it was difficult to hear the person right beside you. (Yeah, I know, I know: I sound old writing that.) One friend described it as "sensory overload."
As for the food and drinks ... being that it's a Rocky Top place, they had their fair share of Mash House brews. But The Draft appeared to be out of a lot of beer choices last night. (To be fair, they do promote N.C. beers AND it was $6 mug night, which was a nice touch.)
We were all mainly there for drinks, but one friend got a burger and was pretty satisfied with it, especially since it was a HUGE. (Burgers start around $9 at The Draft.) I ordered a side of tater tots, which cost $3. There were roughly a dozen tots in the small bowl; they appeared to be out of a bag, to be quite honest.
In short, our experience at The Draft was both overwhelming (from the noise) and underwhelming (the food). Will we try again? Hard to say.
Been anywhere lately that you want to pimp or pillage? I'm interested in trying Babylon and Beasley's; have heard mixed reviews of both.
And, finally, be safe out there this weekend, everyone. Here's to hoping Irene heads east. FAR east.
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9 comments:
I am a big fan of local beers so I appreciate The Draft's selection. Compare that to a place like Tyler's where NC makes a minimal appearance on the beer menu. Haven't had a burger but have seen them. If there was ever a burger worth $10, I think I may have been looking at it.
I went to Beasley's for lunch (on Tuesday?) and the place was full by 11:50 with people waiting for a table. Hope you like fried chicken because that's all there is. Sides are $3. The honey is drizzled on the chicken. I was pumped about getting a waffle but was given the Heisman and was politely told they only have waffles for late-night dining and brunch. The reason was given that they take 4 minutes to make and everybody wants one so the orders would be piling up if offered during busy times. Also, the waffle irons take up a lot of room in the kitchen when in use. (This is my interpretation of the explanation but really? You don't serve them because you're afraid everyone will want one?) I guess I may go back but honestly, it was an expensive chicken mcnugget with honey.
Also went to Babylon last Saturday. I had couscous with lamb which was very good but again, pricey. The staff was very friendly and you could tell they cared about us having a good experience. May be a drink place and while the food here is Moroccan not Lebanese, I choose Sitti. And I still can't get over the name. A Moroccan restaurant/bar/outdoor lounge named after an ancient Iraqi town.
Actually, the sides at Beasley's are $3.50.
Awesome insight, TSnow. Thanks for sharing.
A co-worker went to Beasley's on Friday and said it was "nothing special" and a "little overpriced." He said the food was decent, just not spectacular. Another friend had the same no-waffles experience. He couldn't get over that they didn't have them all the time. He probably will never go back.
I had Beasley's last night and I thought the Fried Chicken was the best I've had pretty much anywhere and I'm a lover of Fried Chicken. I'm not sure why people are upset that they don't have chicken and waffles all the time. It's not a Chicken and waffle place. There are tons of places that serve certain food at certain times of the day.
Fraiser, thanks for commenting. We accidentally deleted your second post. Please feel free to re-post.
Thanks!
May I also be able to visit that lovely place. Thanks for the idea.
Did a little reading online and then went to Ruben's Downtown yesterday for breakfast. The building's facade (and probably structurally) could use a renovation not just a can of paint and while the inside is simple, it is very bright, clean, and inviting. Our waitress was extremely nice and the food was great. Just good ol' breakfast food at a very reasonable price. They have lunch too but didn't even look at that side of the menu. They weren't slam-packed but had quite a few patrons at the time and we will definitely be back for more. This place is worth a try and I would like to hear other opinions.
VERY interesting about Reuben's. Will definitely have to get around to trying it sometime. I have heard it's pricey for lunch, but I trust your judgment.
With Reuben's, it took over the spot where the Sunrise Biscuit Station used to be if you knew of that place. Reuben's took over and many of the same patrons still go there. There are daily lunch deals, call ahead ordering and such. One of those hole-in-the-wall places. It is touch and go for many a place as we know in the downtown area. Having worked down there since 2000, I have seen so many come and go. Many still cater to the state employees and such. But, on a state salary many are left out in the dark when a lunch "special" is $8 or $9.
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