A Great Date for Couples…Angus Barn in North Carolina!

i was originally going to wait to publish this post with a larger series of “A Great Date in…” but i’m inpatient and wanted to tell you about one of our terrific date nights while i’ve been on this North American Tour with my husband! we kicked off our tour in North Carolina and people kept telling us about this great place for couples called The Angus Barn so we figured we’d better check this out before we left the East Coast.

photo used from The Angus Barn

we entered the restaurant and i immediately felt the elegant feel mixed with country charm. my texan husband was in heaven. they knew this was a special date for us so they specifically sat us in what they deemed the “royalty table,” which was away from larger tables so that we could enjoy an intimate evening with less nose and hustle and bustle. i appreciate that.

i may or may not be pretending i was just proposed to again. i asked my husband if he would reenact our engagement and he said “nope. it’s a once in a lifetime thing!”

after we were welcomed and seated, our waiter handed over their cocktail menu and i felt brave so i moved away from my usual gin and gingerale to try the “YAM-tastic old fashioned.” this contains Covington’s NC sweet potato vodka (i had no idea this even existed), orange slice and cherry muddled with brown sugar, bitters and orange juice topped with Prosecco! our waiter could see i was getting a little anxiety while i deviated from my norm but he assured me it was tasty and if i didn’t like it, they’d bring me something i did like. talk about amazing customer service.

i don’t know why i even questioned this decision because this drink was delicious. just the right amout of sweet without being overbearing but enough for it to make it very drinkable. my husband was a man’s man and went with the selection of a straight shot of wild turkey. it comes with a knife. (just kidding, that’s for the steak).

then something amazing happened. our waiter said “please help yourself to our complimentary cheese and cracker bar right over there.” FREE CHEESE AND CRACKERS! i didn’t even know my eyes or smile could get that wide. all restaurants should take note of how they do it over at The Angus Barn because they are obviously doing things right.

i visited those quality mounds of cheese twice before my husband politely reminded me i should probably save some room for the main dish. in other exciting news, i did find out that i will also eat a piece of celery if it’s covered in cheese (i used to think i’d only eat celery if in the form of ‘ants on a log’ with peanut butter and raisins). i must be maturing.

i simply chuckled and said “you must have forgotten that i have separate stomachs for appetizers, main meals and dessert. duh.” thank goodness i have that appetizer stomach because the chef himself brought us out some delicious samplings of their award winning ribs, brochette with thinly sliced beef and shrimp cocktails.

those ribs were truly some of the very best i’ve ever had and i traded all my shrimp to eat the majority of them. yes, i have a good husband who knows when he wife likes something he should let her have most of it.

as we let our first round of food digest, our eyes had so much to take in around us. the walls were covered in letters, pictures, and plaques from appreciative customers but they were presented like pictures of family hanging on the wall. this was a true community restaurant that has been a part of so many people’s special moments. it was really moving to see mutual impact this place has had since it opened in june 1960.

i opted for the chicken salad (it turns out my appetizer stomach and main meal stomach are really connected) so it was perfect for what i was wanting, especially since we have been eating on the road since september. the lettuce was crisp, the chicken delicious and the avocado ripe. it came with warm honey poppyseed dressing that i contemplated sticking in my purse because it was so delicious.

my husband tried their filet mignon that was wrapped in bacon and declared it marvelous. he even shared his garlic mashed potatoes with me. that’s love.

even though we had never been here before and this was only our second time in North Carolina at all, every single person we encountered made us feel incredibly welcomed and like this was exactly where we are supposed to be. i cannot tell you how much i’ve missed that feeling since we’ve been traveling all over but it was incredibly nice to experience a warm environment, even if for only a few hours. thank you to everyone who made that night very special!

these same special people have a way with convincing you you need dessert as well. by convincing, i mean saying “would you like to see our desserts?” we mutually decided on the berry cobbler and even though i was stuffed, my dessert stomach is really separate so i can proudly say i ate my half of this!

oh but our fabulous date did not end here! after our food settled and i was just about to enter that food coma that often happens after devouring so much, we were invited to take a private tour of their exquisite wine cellar. they have received “20 prestigious Grand Awards, the highest honor bestowed upon a restaurant wine cellar,” which is highly impressive and respected. read more about their wine cellar here!

we even got to check out wine from 1850s but what was even more fun than that…you can actually rent out beautiful rooms down there to host private parties with white-glove service! there was one going on while we were there so i didn’t want to be too creepy and take photos of them so here is one from their website:

isn’t that super neat!? i love places that go above and beyond and do unique things for their customers. this one definitely tops the list.

on your way out the door of The Angus Barn, instead of after dinner mints, they offer you an apple for the road! i have never heard of any place doing this before and you better believe i grabbed one to enjoy on our 6 hour plane ride the next day to Portland, OR. i also appreciate the selection of red or green apples because people pick their sides and stick to it (i’m on the red side).

we had a truly great date night together enjoying the classy yet comfortable atmosphere, enjoying delicious flavors and being treated like welcomed family. i would highly recommend adding this to your places for a great date if you are anywhere near Raleigh, NC. thank you again for providing a great date for couples here!

The Angus Barn
9401 Glenwood Ave.
Raleigh, NC 27617
919.781.2444

the new wifestyle: finding new spots to enjoy together for the first time is so much fun, especially when it’s in a welcoming environment filled with delicious foods.

questions:
1) how willing are you to share your delicious food with your spouse? (truth…my husband is more giving than i am)
2) do you and your spouse have a favorite restaurant you frequent or do you like to try out new places?
3) red or green apples?

ps. check out my husband’s post on how he wants to run our business like this (maybe we will start giving out free apples too!)