By Katlyn Carter
Fox’s Liquor Bar mixes unique, well-crafted drinks and laid-back vibes in a fashionably relaxed setting.
Fox’s is the most recent edition to the collection of Ashley Christensen restaurants that reside on the corner of Wilmington and Martin Streets in Downtown Raleigh. While the menu is a bit pricey for a college student’s budget, it is a great option for a date or a special night out when one would rather avoid the masses of people in a club.
A Fox’s experience begins after a short wait in a line when turning to go down the old brick steps heading towards the heavy, lime green door that opens to the dimly lit basement.
It was surprising to note the lack of crowd, which accounted for the wait, they intentionally kept the patrons down to a minimum. The atmosphere was instantly inviting and without pretension that you sometimes find in upscale establishments.
The room was filled with large leather couches and industrial-style metal accents, with a long bar against an exposed brick wall. Finding a seat at the bar took little time and menus of the drink lists and available hors d’oeuvres were readily available.
If you’re unable to choose a drink, you have the option of consulting a bartender to prepare you one suited to your tastes. All drinks are a flat $11 but the quality ingredients and artisan care in every one is worth it.
The preset cocktail menu included every part of the mixed drink spectrum, from stiff classics such as the Dark and Stormy to the
ultimate girly dessert drink, the Marie Antoinette. They include the fresh ingredients stored right behind the bar and watching the bartender create your drink with these was like watching a chef prepare dinner at your table.
Restrooms always seem to be an issue when going out, but Fox’s has several single-person, unisex toilets. Instead of feeling you might step or sit in something unpleasant while a drunk patron bangs on the door, they were clean and intensely private.
The only disappointing factor about the entire place was that there wasn’t a courtyard to enjoy your drink in the night air, but it being in a basement makes that pretty impossible.
Fox’s Liquor Bar made a very surprising impression: comfortable, a lot of bang for your buck, and somewhere I wouldn’t mind making my go-to Downtown haunt.
There’s no need to dress any certain way to be welcomed warmly, your patronage is enough.