waverly place Archives ~ NC Triangle Dining

September 9, 2019 by Ron Wen

First Take: Shake Shack Waverly Delivers Delicious Beef on a Bun!

Front of Shake Shack in Cary - nctriangledining.com

If you’re a fan of a great, seared hamburger, you might know a bit about Shake Shack! This national chain of fast-casual restaurants that’s known for its high-quality burgers, fries and shakes has finally made it to the Triangle at Waverly Place in Cary (Opened on August 21st). And yes, the place is popular and the lines are a bit long right now. But I can say that for the most part if you haven’t tried out Shake Shack yet, it’s worth the wait. Here’s why!

Located in a stand-alone jewel box building at Waverly Place, Shake Shack totally sticks out as the centerpiece of this plaza. Brick building with a lot of plate glass windows and wrap-around patio seating, it’s a modern looking space for a restaurant with such a simple menu. In its opening week, there was probably a 30 minute to 1 hour wait to get your food here but the crowds are slowly dying down now.

Shake Shack at Waverly Place in Cary - nctriangledining.com

Shake Shack menu in Cary - nctriangledining.com

The Shake Shack menu is super simple offering up a handful of burgers, chicken sandwiches, hot dogs and fries along with shakes, custards, beer and wine (all under $10). Shake Shack Waverly also offers up some local specials for its shake and concrete flavors. Order at the counter, you’ll be greeted by a friendly Shake Shack employee and handed a black plastic buzzer. Your food will probably take 10 to 20 minutes. While you wait, self-serve your drink, grab some condiments, napkins and find a seat in the dining room! The Shake Shack patio overlooks the main Waverly Place plaza where you can sit back and watch the pedestrian traffic for entertainment!

Condiments area at Shake Shack in Cary - nctriangledining.com

Dining area at Shake Shack in Cary - nctriangledining.com

Hopefully your buzzer goes off pretty quickly and you can grab your food at the front counter. Shake Shack serves up its food on aluminum trays and in paper containers and baskets, take-out eats are neatly packed together in a paper bag. And I can tell you that getting your food at Shake Shack is pretty exciting given the wonderfully, savory aromas emanating from the building. When you get back to your table with your eats, you’ll immediately notice some nice little touches. Shake Shack uses soft, Martins potato buns for their sandwiches and they are grilled on the insides. All the cheese is very nicely melted over your burger and the lettuce and tomato is sliced perfectly to just cover up your patty and make for easier eating. I recommend going with the double for any burgers, Shake Shack use 1/4 lb. patties of an Angus beef blend. And 100% cage-free chicken for its chicken sandwiches, the quality of ingredients here is obvious.

Double Shack Burger at Shake Shack in Cary - nctriangledining.com

Tasty double Shack Burger at Shake Shack in Cary - nctriangledining.com

Just be aware that you can’t customize your burgers, it’s either the standard Shack Burger or Smokehouse Burger to keep things simple and orders flowing. When you bite into a Shake Shack burger, you can taste the tender, well seared beef along with a bit of salt on the edges. The cheese, lettuce and tomato make for great balance and the first burger I tried was cooked a perfect medium well. The beauty of a Shake Shack burger is its simplicity, no need for toppings piled on high.

Double SmokeShack Burger at Shake Shack in Cary - nctriangledining.com

Chick n Shack sandwich at Shake Shack in Cary - nctriangledining.com

The SmokeShack burger is your other beef option and it adds in crispy bacon, peppers and savory Shack sauce! While I liked this burger, my 2nd visit resulted in a patty that was a bit over-cooked. If you’re not in the mood for beef, Shake Shack’s Chick n Shack is a wonderful take on the classic Southern chicken sandwich and features a thick, seasoned chicken breast with mayo, shredded lettuce and fresh bread and butter pickles with just enough snap and tang. A great alternative if you’re not up for a hamburger. And yes, those Shake Shack crinkle fries are quite good with crispy edges, perfect for dipping in the condiment of your choice.

Patio at Shake Shack in Cary - nctriangledining.com

So while the hype may be really high for Shake Shack, for the most part it meets expectations. The burgers at Shake Shack are top notch, perfectly made and well-constructed. And while the grill concept is super basic, it’s really well executed and delicious. I’ll be back to try more off the Shake Shack menu but call me impressed so far! I hope you will be, too.

Shake Shack Cary

Waverly Place

310 Colonades Way

Cary, NC 27518

919.230.9390

Location on Google maps

November 21, 2014 by Ron Wen 3 Comments

Toast Cafe in Cary for Great Service and Sammiches!

Sign for Toast Cafe, Cary- NC Triangle Dining

Out in Waverly Place, activity and construction continues with the recent opening of Toast Cafe, the fifth location from a small chain of sandwich spots from the Carolinas. With a nice patio to the side and large space inside, Famous Toastery was hopping with action during its opening week. And here’s what makes Famous Toastery a bit special as a lunch option in Cary…

Front of Famous Toastery, Cary- NC Triangle Dining

Front of Toast Cafe, Cary- NC Triangle Dining

Dining room at Toast Cafe, Cary- NC Triangle Dining

Inside Famous Toastery it’s got a country feel, for some reason a modern Cracker Barrel came up in my head, probably a homage to its Carolinas origins. The crowd was a bit older and family-oriented which might be why I thought Cracker Barrel! I grab a seat at the lunch counter to the right and service is quick. Menu with daily specials and my drink are all brought out quickly. Looking at the menu of sandwiches, wraps and salads, nothing is really striking on the list, you basic diner classics along with a handful of freshly made sides to tide you over. I do spy an interesting looking meatloaf sandwich, we have a winner!

Meatloaf sandwich with potato salad at Toast Cafe, Cary- NC Triangle Dining

My order comes out pretty quickly so they must have a really fast kitchen. On my plate I’ve got a good looking sammich cut diagonally, cup of potato salad and pickle spear for some greenery! I jump into the tater salad and it’s good, just the right amount of creaminess and soft, fresh potato chunks, a good start. The pickle is a decent dill and just a nice change of pace. And the sandwich? Yeah, I typically play with my food, try to figure out what they did that was special here. For this meatloaf sandwich, Famous Toastery has it sliced in 1/4″ slices and layered across the bread so you’re not biting into a thick monstrosity. Melted American cheese, a spread of mustard on good white bread. That’s toasted, of course! Overall a very nice sandwich and different spin on meatloaf. I spy some peppers in the meat so it looks home-made.

Close-up of meatloaf sandwich at Toast Cafe, Cary- NC Triangle Dining

Service at Famous Toastery is excellent, very attentive and a bit Southern (polite), I get asked 8 times how things are over the course of my meal. The staff is primarily men in black polo’s which is a bit different. I grab my tab and pay at the register, the whole meal comes out to about $13 which is certainly not cheap for lunch. But overall we’re talking a good quality meal with very good service so I don’t have much to complain about. So welcome to Waverly Place, Famous Toastery! You’re a welcome addition and I’m already looking forward to round 2.

Famous Toastery- Cary

316 Colonades Way #201C

Cary, NC 27518

919.655.1971

Location on Google maps

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January 8, 2014 by Ron Wen 2 Comments

Good Greek! Taziki’s in Waverly Place, Cary

Front of Taziki's in Cary - NC Triangle Dining — Front of Taziki’s in Cary – NC Triangle Dining

Located in the recently renovated Waverly Place, Taziki’s dishes out wonderful Greek eats in a quick-serve environment that’s SUPER-busy for lunch! While I’m not a huge salad fan, I still enjoy Medi cuisine quite a bit so I was glad to hear that Taziki’s had opened up right around the corner from work. A group of us from the office headed on over and showed up at about 12:15 on a Wednesday afternoon. And was there a line! About 25 or so people, single file in front of the kitchen area to a single cash register up front. While I waited, a scan of the menu showed your usual Greek favorites: salads, wraps, gyros and kabob platters. Thankfully the cashier was super-fast and it only seemed to take about 15 minutes to reach the front. I order up a chicken gyro, roasted potatoes and a fountain drink for about $10.

Dining area at Taziki's in Cary - NC Triangle Dining — Dining area at Taziki’s in Cary – NC Triangle Dining

Our table gets a number, we get served soft drinks and it’s off to snag an empty table! Taziki’s has a large concrete patio out front but it’s too hot for there today. A table eventually opens up, somebody comes by to bus it and we hang loose. Fresh flowers on the table, silverware wrapped in a high-quality napkin, Taziki’s is counter-order, table-serve but feels a touch nicer than most casual places. Our lunches arrive all together in about five minutes, my co-workers salad and plates all look super-fresh and substantial. I’ve got a tightly wrapped gyro with a large cup of roasted taters. The gyro is dense with long strips of grilled white, breast and plenty of veggies. It’s a bit wet but very tasty with tender chicken, a thumbs up here. The potatoes were hewn, chunks of red skin, roasted with olive oil and rosemary (I think). Fork-tender and tasty, a solid and filling side and nice change from fries, eh?

Chicken gyro at Taziki's, Cary- NC Triangle Dining — Chicken gyro at Taziki’s, Cary- NC Triangle Dining

And as we ate, the staff came by to see if we needed drink refills or anything else for the table. So definitely a solid choice, Taziki’s is a popular place so you may want to come early for your meal. With all these well-prepared wraps and salads along with large portions and decent prices, I understand why this place is busy and I’ll back soon to try more off the menu. Awesome job, Taziki’s. Even though you may be a chain you’re doing a great job, bon appetit!

Taziki’s

302 Colonades Way, Ste 201

Cary, NC 27518

919.415.0447

Taziki’s menu

Location on Google maps

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November 5, 2013 by Ron Wen 1 Comment

First Take: Mambo Italiano at Enrigo Bistro in Cary

Front of Enrigo Italian Bistro, Cary- NC Triangle Dining

Have you ever driven down Tryon Road in Cary and noticed a discrete plaza with blue rooftops? At the corner of Kildaire and Tryon, you’ll find the slowly reviving plaza called Waverly Place. When I lived in the area, there was rarely a reason for me to stop by but a recent change of ownership has brought new life to the plaza. From Whole Foods to Taziki’s, Gigi’s Cupcakes and Fresca Cafe, there have been a slew of new eateries moving in. Now add Enrigo Italian Bistro to the list! In all honesty, Enrigo opened up about a year ago and I had visited then but a recent return lunch reminded me to write them up, finally!

Inside of Enrigo Italian Bistro, Cary- NC Triangle Dining

Enrigo is a traditional Italian cafe with above average prices. The decor is casual with a hint of upscale, you’ll often find local business people and mom’s dining here. The lunch menu is a bit small, about 8 items, prices in the area of $10 each while dinner entrees will run closer to $20. I ordered up a farfalle alfredo with chicken for my meal. Out comes a large plate of al dente pasta in a light alfredo sauce and pieces of white chicken scattered about. It’s a decent version and plenty to eat for lunch. My companion’s plates look decent too but a good pasta should be simple and easy, so the bar isn’t set too high. Service was fine during lunch and just be aware that the bathroom is hidden behind a curtain to the back right of Enrigo’s. Enrigo’s also has a large patio which should be really great once it warms up again.

Farfalle alfredo Enrigo Italian Bistro, Cary- NC Triangle Dining

Overall I think Enrigo’s is an above-average Italian spot that tries to stay true to its roots. The food there is light and simple, in my previous visit I had done a pizza and meatballs app which was also solid. And yet I’m not overwhelmed by the place, it’s a solid option for eats but not one that immediately comes to mind. Maybe because the place is a bit pricier than I would expect for the food, in the same vein as Bella Monica to me. But it fits in well with the now upscale, Waverly Place. So ciao bellisima and ciao Enrigo’s! Keep on dishing out your Italian eats in style and I’m sure I’ll be back again some day…

Enrigo Italian Bistro

575 New Waverly Place

Cary, NC 27518

919.854.7731

Location on Google maps

First Take: Shake Shack Waverly Delivers Delicious Beef on a Bun!