The Cowfish Sushi Burger Bar

Located at 4208 Six Forks Road in the North Hills area of Raleigh, The Cowfish Sushi Burger Bar offers salads and sandwiches, half-pound burgers, traditional sushi, and “burgushi” fusion rolls along with a build-your-own option. There is a sushi bar, a drinks menu with cocktails and spiked shakes, and an outdoor seating area. Slider specials rotate weekly.

This place is ridiculous, in the best sense of the word. A madcap fusion of East and West, kitschy youthful exuberance and serious eats, The Cowfish is an unforgettable experience if a sometimes overwhelming one.

First, a caveat: despite multiple seating areas and plenty of space, this place draws a crowd. Show up on a Saturday night, and you will face a long wait. When you check in and put your name on a waiting list, your party is assigned a cartoon fish with a terribly punny name that appears on a screen behind the hostess stand. You’ll get a text when your table is finally ready.

Given the volume, The Cowfish is as loud as you would expect it to be. At least the tables aren’t too close together, which is a welcome relief. Red walls adorned with colorful pop art and an aquarium in the center of the dining room give this place a distinctive aesthetic. Sedate it is not, but that isn’t what one should expect when dining here.

The Cowfish’s menu is impressively varied, almost intimidatingly so. Appetizers set the pace for the rest of the menu, offering Asian (edamame, togarishi shrimp), American (parmesan bacon truffle fries), and somewhere in between (crab Rangoon dip). The burgers include lamb (Mediterranean or Vindaloo) and bison as well as beef, and some of the topping combinations indulge in chorizo, pork belly, and even a full-pound Elvis-themed variant (peanut butter, fried bananas, and bacon). On the sushi side, there is a similar flair for the eclectic though classic sashimi, nigri, and rolls are also offered. Speaking of flair, the truly adventurous can go all-in for a burgushi such as a Ric Flair-inspired bison/fried green tomato/feta roll topped with jalapenos and chipotle aoli or a filet mignon/portobello/lobster roll.

The servers here are well-trained to navigate this river of insanity and will gladly run down the menu and offer recommendations. Service here isn’t what I would deem quick, but it is response enough given the volume, and it comes with an outgoing attitude that matches The Cowfish’s motif.

My first visit was in the company of my wife and two friends, and we went with the crab Rangoon dip as a starter. It was addictively cheesy with a nice parmesan crust, and the accompanying wonton crisps scooped it up without breaking. Wanting to try a little bit of everything, I followed up with a Fusion Specialty Bento Box: slider of the week, four pieces of a sushi roll, sweet potato fries, Thai cucumbers, and edamame. The slider was a tasty goat cheese/Thai sauce combo, cooked to order and well-seasoned. For the half-roll, I went with the Mark’s Roll: tuna, jalapeno, cream cheese, and scallion, coated in panko, and topped with Japanese mayo and siracha. It tasted fresh and had a good balance of hot, salty, and sweet. The sweet potato fries and sea salt edamame were both good but not outstanding. The Thai cucumbers proved to be the real star among the sides: refreshing with a nice bit of spice.

Given that everything else about The Cowfish seemed outsized in one way or another, it was no surprise that they do not skimp on portions here. Our one appetizer fed four without shortchanging anyone, and I could have easily gotten two full meals out of the bento box had I not devoured the cucumbers and sushi wholeheartedly on the first go-around. Pricing is consistent with the quantities and ingredients offered, which is to say not cheap but not exorbitant by any means. Our app was $11 and my bento box was $16.  Many of the burgers and rolls run in the mid-teens. Since we mentioned that we were visiting for my wife’s birthday, The Cowfish also comped us a slice of very nice – and very dense – chocolate cake.

If you are seeking a quiet meal or a quick one, cross The Cowfish off your list. Ditto if you are a traditionalist to the extent that fusion concepts leave a bad taste in your mouth. But if you are open to trying some unique combinations in a fun environment (and willing to wait to do so), The Cowfish is sure to make for a memorable meal.

8.25/10