Hank's Downtown Dive - Cary

I wish I had taken pictures, but the food was so delicious I couldn't even get to my phone before digging in. We had a bottle of wine for a date night out, served with the seasonal appetizers of collards egg, as well as birriadilla. My husband and I could not stop ooing and ahhing over how much we enjoyed the unique and elevated dining, just a few minutes from home!After apps, we shared a main plate of pork loin (though my description could never do justice to the treatment applied) and a side of broccoli rabe. Y'all. I can NOT overstate how wonderful our meal was. My husband commented that the most basic portion of our dinner was dessert, but I still LOVED it: the chocolate brownie ice cream served with chocolate torte *crisp*? Delightful. Even though he said it was the most basic, he still appreciated the thoughtfulness in textures and presentation.Do yourself a favor and reserve a table in advance. Additionally, use the parking deck on the other side of Downtown Cary Park and walk over: the amble back through the park after an amazing meal was worth doing all over again!!

Best food ever, loved the Tuna Tartar and Martinis. Chris is amazing as always!

Sorry Hank, but this costly experience was just.. MYSTIFYINGLY AWEFUL. And I 'm not even picky. First off.. the two best items on the menu were the olives and on. my part, the burnt grapes with pistachios. Everything else we ordered made me feel like they lost their chef because it was borderline inedible. The Tuna Tartar... God awful and so salty (both the crackers and the tuna) that you may as well called it Salt Lick Tuna. It was that bad. And Hank my friend. when you call something Cauliflower on your menu, people order it because of the cauliflower, not because of the lb. of garbage smelling, orange soy and sesame paste you doused all over that wonderful vegetable. My wife almost vomitted smelling that bowl, and before you react to this, go ahead and smell it yourself. It 's that bad. Now.. the brisket tacos... The brisket looks boiled, pale, and dead, with these old, lifeless crispy noodles on it... You can 't serve tacos in downtown Cary that look like dog food compared to a local food truck. Again.. pitiful. The shrimp taco? With the whole 2 small shrimp on it and non-delightful sauce? You guys HAVE to be kidding me? The only thing that turned out as it should was the fried chicken and french fries, which cost a whoppng $30. They add what she called flash fried green beans to it that made the vegetable taste like dried up salty wet noodles rather than a healthy green bean.. These guys could make a piece of toast go bad. Don 't expect a hearty drink either. The bartender had zero personality and made martinis the size of a shot glass. Nothing is right about this place. Go there.. A downtown dive that isn 't divey at all... No local would ever visit this soulless place. To finish it off, they had a giant painting that was not hanging from a wire, but from the bare edge on a loose screw that fell in the restaurant. This place is a train wreck and FOR SURE has paid for whatever good ratings they have. Out of business in one more year, tops... Go there, try it. The food is mostly inedible. Best of luck and I hope Hank finds this review and turns things around.

Great spot for dinner and drinks in downtown Cary. Service was great and super helpful, food was awesome, fried chicken especially.

The beets, oysters and tacos were all excellent and the service was spot on. I'll be back!