The Cowfish Sushi*Burger*Bar

Location: Raleigh, NC

Cuisine: American/ Asian infusion

Price Range: $7-$23

Website: www.thecowfish.com

Atmosphere: The Cowfish sushi-burger-bar is about as creative looking as the restaurants name and one thing I love when it comes to food is creativity. The set up of this restaurant is like a sushi spot had a kid with a hip,trendy burger joint and their kid was amazing! The decor uses lots of bright vibrant colors and lights which help bring life to this spacious restaurant, I also like the pictures on the wall which resemble Japanese anime and once again full of color. The environment at The Cowfish is very bar like; with music playing through the speakers, lively conversations going on all around, and TV's to watch sporting events if your interested. They have a full bar which includes some Saki's and also a sushi bar which I thought was really cool. I wouldn't recommend if your looking for and

intimate/romantic dining experience because of the noise level, but if you and yours don't mind the food and atmosphere was great in my book.  On top of the vibrant decor they also have a huge fish tank that is full of beautiful,colorful fish. The big fish tank actually adds to the ambiance of the restaurant giving off a slight aquatic vibe while also being a little calming. Even though I'm grown I still sometimes think it's cool to watch the fish while your waiting for your food, only difference is I may have a drink in my hand now. The seating was pretty spacious in my opinion and they had a decent amount of booths, also they had outside seating for when the weather is nice. Another thing I liked was how they used dim-sum steam baskets to hold the table condiments on your your table, this was something I found cool that also added to the ambiance of the restaurant.

Staff: The staff was very polite and helpful when it came to ordering or needing assistance, especially our server he was very patient and knowledgeable of the menu. With it being out first time here and them having so many good choices , it took us a while to decide on what we were going to eat. Our server was completely fine with that and just made sure he checked in on us frequently while still handling his other tables. Next to the great food the staff helped make our first experience at The Cowfish a good one.

The Food: I was a little confused when my sister first mentioned this place because I couldn't picture a place selling burgers and sushi with both actually tasting good, but I was quickly put in my place once our food started to come out. The menu had lot's of options, some very creative and different sounding but don't be scared to try something new! With everything on the menu sounding so delicious and creative I had to take my time choosing because it would probably be a little while before I make my way back. Stuck between sushi or a crazy burger I was informed by our server that I could get a Bento box which would include a burger and some sushi, a Bento box is typically a menu option at sushi restaurants where you get a little of everything in this wooden box type serving tray. I thought this was very cool because your giving patrons the option to try the two things your establishment specializes in which I'm sure they will come back for one, the other or both!
 We started off with the Seared Ahi-tuna and edamame for an appetizer, the edamame was steamed just right and had a good clean, crisp taste. Im not a huge fan but it was actually pretty tasty, its also pretty good for you. The Seared Ahi-Tuna was my favorite out of the two, it was amazing! The tuna was coated with sesame seeds,seared to perfection and served on top of a fresh seaweed salad with a very flavorful soy-ginger dipping sauce. The tuna was so flavorful and fresh tasting that I was almost positive that they had just pulled the tuna out of the ocean. The taste was very mild and pleasant on your palate; paired with the seaweed salad and the dipping sauce gave this dish that amazing oriental flavor! I hate to say it but this Ahi-tuna would put some sushi joints tuna to shame, with this not being your typical sushi spot I was a little skeptical thinking it was going to be Americanized versions of sushi but once again I was put in my place, I'd recommend this to anyone who enjoy's seared Ahi-tuna. After enjoying our appetizers it was about time to get to the main course, which ended up being just as pleasing as our starters.
 Everything that came out looked very delicious and I heard not one complaint just compliments on how good the food was, the only reason some to-go boxes got used was because some people couldn't finish their food. Out of our table I was the only  to get a burger and after my first bite I did not regret my choice one bit. I ordered the Mediterranean Lamb Burger which was served on a soft brioche bun topped with feta cheese,Taziki sauce, lettuce, and tomato. This was one of the best Lamb burgers I've tasted in a while and I love lamb! The patty was a 1/2 pound of ground lamb which made for a healthy sized burger; this well seasoned patty with all those fresh toppings, meshed together for an explosion of flavor. The lamb burger was well seasoned, juicy, moist, tender, and grilled perfectly. A burger gets a big plus in my book when you can taste the grill smoke in the meat and the patty has those beautiful grill marks, long story short this burger had all of that! Now, the spin that Cowfish put on this burger that in my opinion is what set's it apart from other lamb burgers I've tasted is that on top of that juicy, flavorful, well seasoned lamb patty they put a piece of flash fried feta cheese and fried capers! These additions not only added another level of flavor to this burger but also gave it a little crunchy and salty pop, my mouth is starting to water just thinking about how good this burger was. All in all we enjoyed our meal and I would definitely be willing to come back to The Cowfish.

Seared Sesame tuna

Salad w/ grilled chicken

Whats Shakin' Tuna Bacon Sandwhich

Sushi Rolls

The Taste Explosion Roll

Recap: The Cowfish  Sushi-burger-bar is a nice, small, trendy restaurant chain with a location in Raleigh, North Carolina that has great food that is just creative as their name. They have a lively bar type atmosphere with music, great service, and TV's to watch sporting events while you eat if you choose to. The menu is very creative with lot's of choices that could appeal to almost anyone. I would recommend this place for group's of friends and family, couples or for a solo venture if you looking to grab a bite to eat. Like I mentioned earlier this is a small chain so they have 2 other locations one in Charlotte, North Carolina and the other in Orlando, Florida. If your in any of these areas I suggest you find Cowfish and give em a try, you wont be disappointed!

Mediterranean Lamb Burger w/ Seaweed salad

Spicy Togarashi Shrimp