The Cowfish Restaurant Review: Worth the Wait

A Review of Charlotte’s Favorite Restaurant

When my friends suggest that we go to The Cowfish for a Mom’s Night Out, I let out a slight chuckle. Really? I mean, it’s really good, but do you have the time to wait that long?  The Cowfish, one of Charlotte’s most popular restaurants, is notorious for a long wait.  Every night.  Usually, once someone suggest we go, we end up going.  Because once we’ve convinced the baby-daddies to stay in for the evening without us, we actually do have time to wait that long, and we get out so rarely that we don’t mind having the time to catch up.

The menu at The Cowfish can be intimidating (think Cheesecake Factory menu without the ads).  For someone that’s never been (or that rarely goes), it makes it hard to pick just one thing to order.  So, when I get to The Cowfish, I usually pick about 15 things to order.  And I gotta be honest, from sushi to burgers, and edamame to sweet poato fries, I’m rarely disappointed.

 

Quite the culinary adventure, wouldn’t you agree?  The hubs and I hit up The Cowfish last weekend and stuffed ourselves.  Starting with the top photo and going clock-wise, I’ll walk you through our order.

(1) First off, the Specialty Bento Box.  This, my friends, is what you want to get if you have no idea what to order and everything sounds good.  For $13, you get to sample the burger of the day, a specialty sushi roll, their awesome sweet potato fries, edamame, and my favorite – the marinated cucumbers.

(2) Next up… Create your own Burgushi!  Yep, burger + sushi = Tastiness.  At least, I thought so.  The hubs didn’t care much for my culinary masterpiece: ground bison, mango, and jalapenos wrapped in sushi paper and rice, drizzled in a spicy cream sauce.

(3) One thing I can’t ever turn down is a seared tuna appetizer.  The Cowfish does it well with fresh tuna and a light dressing.

(4) Tired of talking food? Me too… Jon and I started off the evening with a local craft IPA (him) and a mango martini (me).  My martini was a tad to sweet for me, but I “managed” to get it down in order to move on to a beer myself.

(5) Are drinks and apps are more your thing? Then be sure to order the onion rings.  Not only are they really darn tasty, but they come with two yum dipping sauces, and go really well with a cold beer.  I ‘spose it’s a classic!

(6) If creating your own Burgushi sounds intimidating, they do have a list of tried and true favorites!  Rick Flair fans will want to check out the Bufalooooo-shi Roll.  Complete with it’s own twitter hashtag!

All sounds good, doesn’t it?  I spoke with the manager when I was in, and asked for the skinny on when you’ve got the best time to get in for dinner without waiting…. Let’s just say the odds aren’t in your favor.  But, he did indicate that getting there before 6pm on any given night improves your chances.

As a sidenote, I would like to add: The Cowfish is exceptionally kid-friendly.  There were many happy families eating dinner while my husband and I were enjoying their date night.  The menu boasts healthy and fun kids’ menus and the restaurant itself is entertainment for them!

So, roll call: Who’s been to The Cowfish? What’s your favorite thing on the menu?

*I received a complimentary dinner in order to facilitate my review.