Life in the Triangle

In 1999, my wife Kathy and I moved to The Triangle Area of North Carolina from California. Interesting area, the Triangle. Here are some of our experiences.

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Wednesday, June 04, 2008

Raleigh Road Outdoor Theatre, Henderson, NC - "Drive-in Movies" Review

Do you remember the old days when you'd take your sweetheart to the drive-in theater for a few hours of hugging and kissing? Or perhaps your memory of the drive-in is more likely to contain scenes of your children swinging on the swing set under the big screen.

Maybe your history contains a bit of both.

Anyway, today the drive-in theater has pretty much gone the way of the VCR - a distant memory of the bygone days.

Well, if you live in the Triangle region of North Carolina, you still can enjoy one of the last vestiges of what was once a Saturday evening staple in many of our pasts. Kathy and I live in Wake Forest, and the Raleigh Road Outdoor Theatre in Henderson, NC, is just a short half hour drive from our front door. Here are our experiences from our first visit to this blast from the past, where we saw the latest Indiana Jones iteration, followed by a summary and details of the theater.

Welcome back to the Drive-in!

As soon as we drove up to the entrance we were thrown back to the days of hot, sticky summer nights when we saw that marquee on street level inviting us in to see no less than two movies for a price that's about what some pay for a single ticket at the megaplexes at your local shopping mall.

The Raleigh Road theater has a down-home atmosphere and a friendly, courteous staff. When we pulled in, we saw one of the ticket takers engaged in conversation with what appeared to be some regular attendees of this establishment.

In the drive-in theater's heyday, you would pull up to the dual speaker pole and hook one of those heavy, grey, crackly, monophonic speakers onto one of your windows. Not any more. The Raleigh Road theater uses state-of-the-art FM broadcasting to bring the movie into your car in as clear and robust stereo sound as your vehicle's sound system is capable of delivering. (However, they will let you borrow a radio if for whatever reason you cannot use one in your car.) You might not get much of an effect watching some weepy chick flick, but listening to Indiana Jones through our six speaker stereo adjusted to my specifications, (loud and bass-heavy,) was a blast and made the experience a much more personal one than that of the indoor theater.

They had signs for separate parking for cars versus taller vehicles such as SUVs and trucks. This helps to prevent today's popular taller vehicles from blocking the view of ordinary sedans and coupes; a point I found myself needing to emphasize to a family in an SUV who pulled into Row #1 in front of us, and who later left after our brief dialog. Of course you also had your usual cars pulling in backwards with lawn chairs set up to face the screen.

The Playground

No drive-in theater would be complete without a playground underneath that great big screen and the Raleigh Road theater was no exception. This arrangement contained swings and a jungle gym style playset with a roofed play area among other things geared towards the younger crowd. The playground was filled to capacity with kids tossing Frisbees and softballs, and there were even kids working a hula hoop and a pogo stick. A couple kids were throwing a football back and forth, and I suspected it was only a matter of time before that ball hit a car. But at the Raleigh Road theater, I imagine the driver of such a victim car would have just smiled and waved at the kids as they rushed to retrieve their errant ball. Of course there were the requisite pair of lovers smooching in a seating area within viewing range of the big screen.

The only thing I missed was that "twirl table," for lack of a better description, I remember from my youth. But other than that, this play area was amazingly reminiscent of the days of going to the drive-in, both as a kid and as a young adult.

The Bazaar

One thing this theater had that I do not remember from other drive-ins is a bazaar. After parking our vehicle we got out and walked towards the concession stand. Before we got there, two boys approached us selling punchballs, soccer balls and wristbands in support of cancer research. They also had tables with a bunch of people selling raffle tickets, shirts, and other items in further support of that worthy cause.

The Concession Stand - Visit One

Our first visit to the concession stand really emphasized that we were going to have a memory of a lifetime of the Raleigh Road theater. Once the line finally got us into the building, we were hit with the hustle and bustle we remember from our youth. They had an amazingly robust selection of food and soft drinks and a cashier with a dead-on memory of what everyone ordered and which patrons were waiting for which food items as the staff busily hurried to get all the orders filled. We ordered a hamburger, a hot dog, drinks, and popcorn. (Gotta have popcorn at the movies, right?)

Before the movie started

While we waited for the latest Indy flick to begin, I decided to take up the theater's website invitation to tour the projection room. There one of the staff members courteously showed me the "works" of the movie presentation system. When I saw the size of the horizontal platters on which the movie reels resided, (about three feet in diameter,) and the yards of film stretching across to and from the projector, I mused about how everything seemed so quaint, specially in these days of full featured films on a single compact disc. I can't imagine running this equipment in such a noisy, hot, and cramped environment.

Outside the projection room some kids had set up lawn chairs to watch the features. Only now, in an updated version of days remembered, this generation of youth listens to the movie through earbuds connected to portable FM radios tuned to the theater's movie station.

A staff member talked to us through a wireless mike to give announcements, such as the one to let us know this Saturday show, (over the Memorial Day weekend,) was the first sellout crowd in the three years they have been managing this theater. All 250 or so vehicle spots were taken.

The Concession Stand - Visit Two

While Kathy continued to enjoy the movie, I found myself making the requisite second visit to the concession stand for our mid-movie snack. It was at this time I noticed there was a second, mobile concession stand present. (Was that there all along, or did they wheel it in to handle the crowds!) Speaking of crowds, there was quite a line at both concession stands, and at both bathrooms.

Once inside the stand, which was still bustling as before, there were barefooted kids waiting to purchase their goodies. Where else but at an old-time drive-in can you let your twelve year old kid safely stand outside at 10:30 at night unattended with no shoes on? I got a drink and some Raisinets for Kathy and for myself an ice cream cone. (For me, no drive-in theater experience would be complete without a Nutty Buddy.) When I departed the stand, I heard a roar of laughter simultaneously emerging from the open windows of dozens of nearby cars over one of Indiana's antics, which brought back another wave of distant memories I thought had long past.

Intermission

After the first feature ended, the theater showed intermission clips from the old days of drive-in. Think of the vintage scene in Grease of a gyrating hotdog in the background while Danny bemoaned in song his loss of Sandy and you'll know what I mean. They even had the classic one with cartoon characters entering the concession stand and leaving with armloads of goodies while a deep-voiced announcer counted off "Three Minutes Till Showtime," and a great big "3 MIN" displayed, presumably so people who are actually at the concession stand knew how much longer they had.

Intermission is also the time when the whole atmosphere changes at the drive-in. After two hours or so of sitting in your car pretty much undisturbed, now you have splashing across the screen headlights, shadows of walkers in front of the projector, and the perennial no-no laser pen, along with dozens of people walking past your car to get to the stands.

One other event the Raleigh Road theater had that I don't remember from the past was to play games during Intermission. We couldn't see from where our car was located, but they played some sort of game involving frozen t-shirts. The players stated their names and hometowns, (which invariably included Henderson and nearby Youngstown, further emphasizing that most of the patrons are probably locals.) They also announced that this was the sixteenth birthday of a local lad who had chosen the drive-in theater this evening to celebrate with his friends.

The next feature - almost

Kathy and I intended to leave without watching the second feature, but out of curiosity we stayed just to experience the transition. However, that transition got off to a few false starts, as there were some glitches in getting the next film up and running. As I generally enjoy "behind the scenes" moments when I can find them, I sauntered over to the projector room, expecting the door to be closed while they fixed the film. The door was open, and as this theater seems to have an "open door" policy with regards to their projection room, I imagined I'd hang outside and watch, at least till they chased me away. (They never did.) What started off with one guy madly working to refeed the footage turned into five guys, including the manager, all desperately trying to get the machine to cooperate. In the meantime, 16 year old birthday boy and his pals fretted over whether the second feature would be shown. After some reassurance from management, they resumed their 16 year old playful antics.

When it became evident that this was turning into a fiasco, I left to return to the car to prepare for our departure. As I walked to my car, I was reminded of yet another memory from our old days at the theater - cars honking their horns in dismay when there was no picture on the screen. However, I was most amused when I saw two kids sitting in chairs near the projector room. Wanting to be a part of the festivities, they shouted "Beep Beep," while the projection team worked fervently into the night. They giggled when they realized I had heard them.

Summary

Kathy and my experiences at Raleigh Road Outdoor Theater really made our Memorial Day Weekend something to remember. The drive-in is located at 3336 Raleigh Road on the left one mile after turning left onto Rte 1 Business exit off Highway 1 in Henderson. It is within a 60 minute commute to most of the Triangle via Hwy 85 or US-1, and within 90 minutes from more remote areas. Trust me, it is worth the trip.

Visit their website at raleighroaddrivein.com to learn more. And be sure to call their Movieline at (252) 438-6959. If you're lucky, you may get one of their classic announcements that last about three minutes and will surely bring back memories. But don't bring your own food and drink! In order for Raleigh Road Outdoor Theater to keep providing old-time family entertainment for years to come, they depend on you making visits to their concession stand for much of their operating expenses.

If you want to experience once again the charm and pageantry of the drive-in theater, (or want to introduce the thrill to family members unfamiliar with the drive-in,) come to wonderful Henderson, NC and enjoy a blast from the past you and your family will never forget at Raleigh Road Outdoor Theater.

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Sunday, February 11, 2007

What? No Crème Brûlée??

Last night we went to one of our favorite Italian restaurants in the Triangle Area. Our Italian haunts include:


Of those, only Casa Carbone is not a chain, but these are the places we go to when we feel like Italian in the North Raleigh region we live in here in the Triangle.

Anyway, last night we hit Carrabba's on Capital Blvd. When we walked in at 5:30 on a Saturday night, we were told the wait would be an hour to an hour and ten minutes. No Prob, we thought, as when they say there's a 60-70 minute wait, we're usually seated in about 25 minutes.

Well, guess what. Last night we were seated at 6:40, exactly an hour and ten minutes after we arrived. That's cool, I guess ...

Our server, Jason, I believe, greeted us kindly and asked how we are doing this evening. I always have to bite my tongue to avoid saying, We're famished, thank you very much, due to the wait for this table. But how could I? They warned of a 60-70 minute wait, and that's how long it took. Instead, we gave him a generic, Fine, and you?

Anyway, one of the first things he said to us, in addition to the daily specials, was that the dessert of the day was Crème Brûlée, however, it was so popular that it was already sold out.

I am somewhat of a sarcastic person at times, so I said, "What? No Crème Brûlée?? WELL, then..." Like we were going to walk out then and there. Of course, I was just joking. Truth be told, although I have heard of Crème Brûlée, I don't really know what it is, nor do I really care because we usually don't order dessert anyway in a restaurant. Who has room after all that bread, salad or soup, and the dinner?

Soon after Jason left to get our drinks, I said to Kathy, Why would he tell us that they were out of the dessert of the day? What's the point if we cannot order it? Was he telling us in the event we were told, Be sure to go to Carrabba's and get the Crème Brûlée, in order to spare us from the agony of waiting an hour and ten minutes, (in spite of being warned,) only to find out later that they were out? If that were the case, they should announce that right at the door. "Welcome to Carrabba's. The wait's about an hour to an hour and ten minutes, and by the way, there's no Crème Brûlée."

The drinks soon arrived, and that's the last I thought about the Crème Brûlée while we were there. (There's something about the arrival of the drinks that causes one to forget about a LOT of things.)

Anyway, it was later in the evening after we had came home that the thought of the mystery surrounding the announcement of no Crème Brûlée that it hit me. Jason was simply explaining, in a round-about way, why our seating was so delayed. More people than usual were ordering dessert last evening. And of course, when more desserts are served, it pushes out all remaining seating.

Any restaurant personnel care to confirm or deny my theory?

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Sunday, October 08, 2006

Ted's Montana Grill - Review

My wife Kathy and I were roaming the corridors of the Triangle Town Center shopping mall one day and we decided to check out the restaurants the Center had to offer just outside their doors. One that caught our eye was Ted's Montana Grill. We stepped inside at about 4:45. The atmosphere seemed to be of western flavor, characterized by a great bust of a bison mounted on the wall.

The host was rather unenthusiastic, and seated us in a booth against a wall near several other already seated groups of guests, even though the restaurant was sparsely patronized at that early hour of the evening. I can understand that servers have their "stations," and that early evening staffs are probably few in numbers, but it always amuses me how the hosts will cluster all newly arriving guests in the same spot in a relatively empty restaurant. I guess it's more convenient to THEM than to consider that early evening guests of a restaurant may want a bit of privacy.

Anyway, I digress. Once we were seated, the server who greeted us was very enthusiastic - one of the most memorable we have had in recent months. We soon found out why the bison was so prominently represented throughout the dining area. It turns out that Ted's offers bison versions of most of their entrees as well as more traditional beef versions. Kathy and I were in the mood for hamburgers, and the server asked if we had ever tried bison burgers. We had not. She said we should try it, as bison is much less fatty and more flavorful than beef. She offered to bring us a sample taste. We said why not - bring it on. She returned a moment later with two toothpicks, each containing a bite of bison burger on a plate. She waited as we tried the bite and savored its taste. Simultaneously, we both nodded our heads in approval, as the server might have expected, and she asked our opinion. We both stated it was good, and ordered the bison burgers as our entree. It was a great meal. We knew we wanted to return to Ted's.


Our Second Visit

Our second visit to Ted's was somewhat regrettable. Though we thoroughly enjoyed the bison burgers on our first visit, we did not have such luck on our return. We were celebrating our anniversary and wanted to do something special, so we decided to return to Ted's to try the bison steaks. After all, if the bison burgers were so tasty, it was no extension to assume the steaks should be equally as enjoyable. Not so, it turns out. I could definitely taste a difference between the bison "Kansas City" steak versus the less expensive beef version, but to me, the taste was somewhat bitter and I did not care for it. Kathy found her platter equally disappointing.

We both felt a bit short-changed, given we had a less than great experience with our meal, combined with the fact that we were celebrating a milestone and this kind of ruined it for us. Next anniversary, we planned to choose a more reliable destination. We decided we had given Ted's its due, and perhaps it just wasn't for us, at least not for steaks.


Our Third Visit

But to Ted's we were destined to return, for we had been the recipient of a gift card to the restaurant.

This time, I elected to give the place a thorough review, perhaps to assist others in their quest for a new dining experience in the Triangle. For what it's worth, here is our most recent experience with Ted's Montana Grill in the Triangle Town Center.

As we approached the establishment, we saw a staff member standing at the outside door preparing to open it for our arrival. He greeted us kindly, and as we stepped past him, he said in a hushed voice, "Short Ribs - Short Ribs." I hadn't heard what he was saying, so I asked and he told me he was encouraging people to order the short ribs. I was amused, but I'm uncertain all guests would feel that way.

Once inside, we were greeted by the hostess, who was polite and courteous.

The server came within the expected timeframe and welcomed us. She failed to give us her name, but that could have been because she might have been distracted by my first statement, a request to have the balance confirmed on the gift card. She returned after several minutes, apologizing for the delay because she had never performed that operation before, but said indeed the card had the value we expected.

The ordering process was typical, with the efficiency I would have expected. I ordered the beef Delmonico with mashed potatoes. The bison chili piqued my curiosity from my first visit, so I decided to try it as an appetizer. Kathy somewhat surprised me by ordering the short ribs, which only comes in bison, (given our fateful previous experience with the bison steaks,) so I guess the staff member's suggestion at the door worked. She ordered a salad as well.

The bison chili was very good, though I am not sure I could tell whether or not the quality was from the bison, through the usual spiciness of chili. I could only assume it was. Kathy couldn't finish her salad, so she requested a container, which was swiftly brought to her, including an instruction to place the foiled side of the lid towards the food for maximum freshness - a welcome gesture.

This has nothing to do with our meal, but it was interesting to note that two servers arrived at the table next to us asking, "Who gets the prime rib," etc. Everyone at that table was looking about in confusion, because nobody had ordered what these two were serving. Turns out that order was destined for the patrons at an adjacent table, who were patiently watching their food going through the motions. Our food, on the other hand, was placed in front of us by a server who did not speak, although she did place the correct plate in front of each of us without asking who got what. It was unclear whether that was an act of competence or just luck. The food came within a typical timeframe.

My beef Delmonico, though it was tastier than the bison KC steak I had previously, was unremarkable in flavor. Her ribs were just OK, and she told me she prefers the taste of pork over these. We agreed the mashed potatoes were dry. She needed to borrow my knife as the server took away hers with her salad plate - a forgivable error.

A nicely dressed gentleman came around to various tables and asked us and others if our food was "great." We fibbed just a little in our response.

Our server returned, stating she hoped we reserved room, because they have a "killer" strawberry shortcake, (not a word I usually want associated with food,) and it serves two. Normally we choose to find whatever we have at home for dessert, but because this meal was on a gift card, we took her up on her shortcake. We ordered coffee as well.

The dessert came in the expected time, and the coffee was promised "in ten seconds." A short time later, the coffee arrived and, although we were congratulated for having received the first two cups from a fresh pot, she admitted she forgot to ask if we needed cream. I stated I did. The only unexpected delay that evening was for that cream. She returned with a small cup of cream, apologizing for having run out of "those little creamer packs." I found her solution industrious and acceptable, but I pitied future customers, as the night was still young.

The shortcake was very good, and easily served two, as promised.

The server came by about three times over the courses of our meal to determine our level of satisfaction. The "closing" service was typical and efficient. A staff member was available at the door, smiling as she encouraged us to return.


Summary

We believed we had a better experience at this restaurant over our second visit. However, even though the staff was courteous and capable, we go to a restaurant for the food, and the food at this location is unremarkable. I believe we get consistent, high quality food at The Outback, Lone Star, and Texas steakhouses in the Raleigh/Wake Forest area at a greater overall value. We agreed that the quality of the food does not justify the costs at this establishment. However, we do remember the bison burgers were very tasty from our original visit, and we agreed we would probably be returning to Ted's Montana Grill, if just for the bison burgers, either for lunch or for dinner.

Here is how we rated this establishment, first mine, and then Kathy's:

Server: B+ and B
Entrees: C and C
Food overall: C and B-
Overall Staff: B+ and A
Atmosphere: B- and A
Value: C and C


A note: I gave the atmosphere a B- because of the music. I "get" that the dining area is supposed to be reminiscent of a '20s Cattleman's Club/Saloon or whatever, (thanks to guidance from the server from our first visit.) But nobody is around from the '20s anymore, so I think that having music that's more neutral but dinable would be better appreciated. Just my two cents.

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Saturday, July 01, 2006

Frankie's of Raleigh - Review

My wife and I had the opportunity to visit Frankie's Restaurant recently. If you haven't yet heard of Frankie's, you probably will. Frankie's, already a staple in South Carolina, has just opened a new "fun park" in Raleigh. There are arcade-style amusements such as video games, manual games such as air hockey and basketball toss, as well as virtual experience games like auto and motorcycle racing. They have laser tag, miniature bowling lanes, and all kinds of games of chance, (including horse racing!) so you can win a boatload of tickets to cash in on valuable prizes such as a teddy bear for your sweetheart. For the smaller guests, there are "crawl around/climbing" adventures, and for those a bit older, a very tall "dropping" style ride sure to help the kids enjoy their lunch again and again.

All this is in a gigantic indoor arena about the size of your high school gymnasium. Outdoors they have mini-golf, bumper boats, a huge batting cage, and no less than three racing tracks.

Let's Eat

But I digress. Amid all this amusement is a full service Italian-style restaurant which boasts a menu that could stand alone against other similar restaurants in the Triangle. Always looking for a good Italian place, I decided to take my wife Kathy to Frankie's one recent Saturday to check it out. I pass Frankie's on TW Alexander Blvd off of Hwy 70 in Raleigh on my way to work at RTP every morning and so I was curious. I didn't tell her about the amusements.

She didn't quite know what to think when we first entered the complex, as you have to walk past quite a number of "amused" guests to get to the restaurant, which is situated inside the main arena of activity. But once you enter the foyer of the dining area, you feel like you are in more familiar surroundings. The entrance is inviting and tastefully appointed.

The host

I was somewhat taken by how young the host was - he didn't look like he was any more than about 16. Nothing wrong with that, of course. After all, this is all part of a "theme park" atmosphere, but his youth made it difficult to hide his lack of experience in greeting restaurant guests who may expect a more enthusiastic welcome. This young man will make a wonderful host in just another year or so - I could feel it. Youthful inexuberance aside, he seated us quite professionally.

I'll always remember good ol' what's-'er-name

I had similar sentiments over our server. I wish I could remember her name … oh wait. She never gave us her name. Unlike most restaurant patrons who may forget their server's name a few moments after it falls off their tongues, I try to make a point to remember our servers' names. It's a lot easier to get their attention when you can call them by name rather than to request, "that dark haired server" from a passing staff member. Alas, tonight that was not to be.

Like the host, this server lacked the enthusiasm one expects at a nice restaurant. She spoke quite softly and rarely made eye contact with us. Though we were two patrons sitting at a table with settings for four, I thought it was unusual that she did not take away the remaining two place settings. I don't know if that is her job or that of the host, but anyway, I was glad I had an extra set of napkins because I tend to be somewhat of a sloppy eater, especially when I am eating Italian.

As the server left our table to fill our drink order, Kathy and I pored over the menu. I should more accurately say that Kathy pored. I just glanced. I order the same thing whenever I go Italian - spaghetti and meat sauce. If they have S&MS, I am good to go. They serve it, however at $10.95, it seemed a bit on the high side, I thought. Any time I pay eleven bucks for spaghetti, my standards go way up and I expect a lot from that bowl of pasta. Anyway, Kathy spotted the lasagna, (about twelve bucks,) so she was good to go, too. Miss No Name returned with our drinks, took our order, and left.

A bit later, our bread and Kathy's $1.75 salad came. The bread was served with olive oil on a small dipping plate with about a tablespoon of grated parmesan cheese on top.

The entrees

Then the food came. Kathy tried her lasagna, and at first she said it was good, though she later told me that it lacked "staying power," in other words, the first few bites are great, but then the remainder gets pretty bland and "boring" the rest of the way. This can happen if the spices are a bit overwhelming at first. It dulls the taste buds and affects the rest of the meal. She also mentioned to me that they didn't seem to give her enough sauce.

My spaghetti was good. Not eleven dollars great, but good. It was thick spaghetti, somewhat al dente as I like it. The meat sauce was pleasant, but unremarkable. Overall we both felt that the quality of the entrees we ordered did not justify their prices.

We still good here?

Other than that, the meal was enjoyable. However, the server never came back to ask us "How is everything?" as we have come to expect. Had she done that, she would have noticed that Kathy's sweet tea glass was completely empty. But alas, that fact was to remain a mystery behind those swinging kitchen doors. The Unknown One did eventually come back, and even though we were both clearly finished with our meals, she only took away Kathy's plate, leaving me to stare at my empty eleven dollar bowl for the remaining part of our visit. Then she returned to inquire about dessert, which we declined, and presented us with our check.

Closing ceremonies

In our minds, a thirty dollar ticket plus tip for two pasta meals, a salad, and two non-alcoholic drinks at an amusement park seemed a bit over the top. We think the planners of Frankie's wanted to give the parents someplace nice to go while their kids burned off their energy playing games and eating Frankie's snacks (consisting of the fare more typical of their age group: chili dogs, pizza, fries, tacos, and nachos.) However, I can sympathize with a family of four who may have wanted to eat together as a unit before sending the kids out for a few hours of wallet-burning enjoyment. A full night at Frankie's can turn into one memorable trip for which you may need to budget more than just your time. I placed the fancy black leather carrier with two twenties visible at the edge of the table.

A few moments later, our As Yet Unnamed server picked it up, and mumbled something we could only imagine was, "I'll be back with your change." I can only assume that's what she said because that is what servers typically say when they take your money at the end of your meal, but I wasn't sure. For all I know, she could have said, "Sorry you're still staring at your empty plate," but who knows? On her return, she somewhat startled us because she smiled broadly and rattled off, almost by memory, something like, "Thank you for visiting us at Frankie's! Come back and see us again, and have a nice afternoon!" Even though it was already about 7:00, our afternoon had actually been quite nice.

All in all, our experience at the restaurant was a good one, and I am sure that the service the staff provides will improve over time - after all, Frankie's has just opened recently in the Raleigh area and they are still "green behind the ears," as I am fond of saying.

The arcade

After our meal, Kathy and I circumnavigated the arcade area and observed some of the activities. We were too stuffed from our meal to want to participate in anything, but there certainly was no lack for things to do. It was enjoyable just watching the participants having fun. One memorable experience occurred at the batting cages. A father was coaching his son, who probably played after-school baseball, while the machine tossed variously placed baseballs towards the boy. With each pitch, the dad would toss his son a tidbit of advice.

"Choke up a bit on the bat, son!" or "Keep your eye on the ball, son!"

The look on the boy's face told a different tale, as if to say, Dad, I thought we came to Frankie's to have FUN.

But there is plenty of fun to be had at Frankie's. Visit Frankie's on line at www.frankiesofraleigh.com, or better yet, come see them in person.

Place: Frankie's

Location: Raleigh, at TW Alexander Blvd & Hwy 70

Atmosphere: Fun park and restaurant

Dress: Casual

Cost: Reasonable

Host: B

Server: C+

Entrees: B

Atmosphere: B+

Value: C

Overall Rating: B+

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