Short-order seafood eatery opens near us

After a visit the the North Carolina State Farmers Market in Raleigh on Saturday (see yesterday's post), Lee Ann and I stopped at Carolina Fish Fry, a recently opened restaurant in Garner not too far from our home.

We had never stopped at this place when the restaurant operated as a Burger King, but it was evident from the space when you walked in that it had been a fast-food joint in a previous life.

I understand that Carolina Fish Fry is a modest chain in this state; the original appears to be in Wilmington (I also was able to find others in the communities of Clinton, Jacksonville and Wallace).

The restaurant, which also has drive-through service, has a menu of mostly seafood, although there are chicken and burgers available for "land-lovers." Grilled options are available for some menu items, though mostly with the more expensive platters, and they require a $1 upcharge. There is no upcharge on grilled shrimp in a sandwich.

Seafood selections consist of flounder or Alaskan whitefish fillets, shrimp, oysters and crab cakes (all available also in sandwiches), catfish, clam strips and deviled crab. There are also sides -- french fries, sweet potato fries, coleslaw, green beans, mashed potatoes and gravy, hush puppies, mac and cheese, rice, collards, fried okra and potato salad. Beverages are soft drinks, water or tea (sweet and unsweetened). 

After the server at the counter explained the difference between the flounder and whitefish, I elected to go with the whitefish (above). Lee Ann chose a platter of flounder and deviled crab (below). Unfortunately, the tea machines were not working, so we had a Cheer Wine (think cherry Pepsi or Coke) and water. For my sides, I chose mac and cheese, green beans and regular fries. Lee Ann picked fries, green beans and hush puppies.

I really liked the white fish; I'd get it again ... certainly preferable over the flounder, which I found to lack substantive meat. The mac and cheese actually was large elbow macaroni topped with a soupy cheese, not a thick consistency cheese I usually find with mac and cheese. Still, it was good. The green beans were good, too, I thought, although Lee Ann remarked that she thought they came out of a can.

Lee Ann liked her deviled crab and thought the flounder was OK. She agreed that the whitefish was superior. We both thought the french fries were average.

As always, to view a larger, sharper version of a photo, simply click on the image. This is particularly helpful if you access the blog on a mobile device. Usually I refer readers who area interested to a full gallery of images from a shoot. The photos in this post comprise the full shoot, so there is no point to include a link for you to check out a gallery elsewhere on line. This is it. 

A look at the decor of an exterior wall (above) and a tight shot of the primary eatery sign and logo below. 
 

The full menu (above) and a large decorative lighthouse (below) in the center of the dining area. 

Above and below: More decor shots, each incorporating some amusing signage.

Above: Lee Ann captured this decor shot, making a composition that features the ordering counter on the bottom juxtaposed with the sea creature decoration above it.