Sometimes raising a Ruckus isn’t a bad thing. In fact, how about raising three Ruckuses! Because this local chain of casual sports bars are popping all over the place! While the original Ruckus is located over near NCSU (which I ate at a lot), Ruckus Cary is a newer location that’s much bigger and modern. Located in a corner of Tryon Woods near Harris Teeter, Ruckus sports a nice covered sidewalk patio outside, inside it’s one big noisy dining room with several screens showing the latest game. Normally when I stop in for lunch, I just grab a quick seat at the bar for easier service.
The menu is basic pub grub and pizzas. We’re talking NY-style thin crust which is decent but probably not my top choice in the area. Recently I’ve tried both their meatball parmigiana and chicken parm sandwiches and they’re good. An 8″ toasted bun filled with thick meatballs or slices of breaded chicken covered in a decent marinara sauce and cheese. Solid sandwiches but not amazing. Also the sandwiches typically come with pasta salad, but fries are a $1.50 upgrade which is odd to me. Overall I find the menu at Ruckus to be a bit standard with nothing really too interesting to choose from. I’d say you’re probably best off with their pizza over some of the other food options.
Service at Ruckus is probably the best thing going for the place. It’s usually very efficient and friendly, they train their people well here. But coupled with the standard Italian menu and mixed value for the price, Ruckus is always just an ok choice for me. Something about the suburban Cary location is missing the personality of the original, what can I say. And this place can get pretty noisy with the open dining room, so don’t expect a quiet or peaceful meal. But Ruckus Pizza works if you’re looking for a casual sit-down meal with a decent bar and chance to catch up on some sports. Or if you can eat their 24″ pizza with four toppings in an hour as a food challenge, you can have some fun there. Otherwise just jot down Ruckus Pizza and Pasta as just another decent family option in suburban Cary for quick Italian eats!
Pizzeria Toro in Durham for Artisan Za!