Cherry Bomb with Pin-up Costumed Servers to Replace Joe’s Place
Woah! As if The Flying Saucer’s “servers in school-girl outfits” wasn’t enough sexism for one district, here comes another. The N&O is reporting that the restaurant to replace Joe’s Place on Martin Street will be called Cherry Bomb and will feature pin-up costumed workers, live music, 50 craft beers on tap and a Hot Rod/Rockabilly theme. While it could have an edge to it and become a bit of a cool hangout (a la burlesque), it almost sounds like a glorified Steak N Shake or Johnny Rockets. I guess we’ll have to wait and see.
At this point, Cherry Bomb is making our April Fools’ joke sound kinda tame. At least we’ll have some culture to anchor the other end of the street.
UPDATE: A few readers have pointed us towards a few other “themed” restaurants/bars like this that are actually kinda groovy so I guess we’ll just have to see how it turns out. Usually it depends on who is running the show…...
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Restaurants , Other posts by Jedidiah.
Get Raleigh Updates
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lastcaseofzima
05/12 11:45 AM
Martin and Lewis or Amos and Andy?
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DAve
05/12 11:55 AM
Is there a website for this place yet? Is it going to be more Hooters, or more Southern Culture on the Skids?
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revolu
05/12 12:18 PM
someone went crazy with the photoshop.
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sally
05/12 12:22 PM
This has the potential to be so cool. It will all depend on the music and the vibe. (Well - and the food better be good.)
I hope that it truly is rockabilly, psychobilly, and surf music. (No crap.)
I can’t help but think of the place that John Travolta took Uma Thurman in Pulp Fiction - although this should be a bit raunchier.
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Phil
05/12 12:24 PM
Cool! We need some hot rod/classic car culture downtown.
Hopefully the food and beers are good.
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Jon Williams
05/12 12:26 PM
All I can think is: it’s Raleigh: “it could be a lot worse,” but then it starts to get terrifying to contemplate.
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nate
05/12 01:27 PM
as long as its more Cramps and less Brian Setzer it could be cool…maybe
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TC
05/12 01:49 PM
66 craft brews on tap is not a bad way to peak my interest.
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T-Plain
05/12 02:10 PM
I feel like this has a “should have gone where the Hook Up was” vibe for some reason.
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Brian
05/12 02:24 PM
“as long as its more Cramps and less Brian Setzer it could be cool…maybe”
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Ole Paisty
05/12 03:29 PM
I hope not all of the pin up girls are white,so I can show them I know how to move what I gots.
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Moon
05/12 03:46 PM
A few facts, rare around here:
The Cherry Bomb Grill is actual name of the place.
A wonderfully creative chef from Atlanta will be oversee the preparation of “local specialties” from various US cities. Boston Lobster Roll, LA Fish Tacos, Chicago Italian Beef, etc. It will be unique, fresh, delicious, spectacular and (insert superlative of choice>>> here <<<).
There is definitely a bit of Jackrabbit Slim’s in the DNA.
There will be healthy contributions from the worlds of Psychobilly and Rockabilly, along with an eclectic mix of analogous music—live and otherwise. Not too narrow. Not too broad.
From past experience, the consensus among the servers, who design their own (pinup girl inspired) work uniforms, is that it adults choosing their own clothing can be an empowering form of self-expression. Most prefer not to be put into orange shorts and tank tops. Is that REALLY a problem for you, whover wrote this?
There will be live music on weekends and select weeknights. You might find the Straight 8s one night. Perhaps Static Minds another. Yet another night, it could be the Psyco DeVilles or The Design. You might find a cover band on an occasional Thursday. Even (gasp) on an occasional Friday.
There will be beer. Lots and lots of beer. People like beer, so this could be fortuitous.
It will definitely not be “Joe’s Place, WTH BEER!”. (No offense to Joe’s Place, a beloved and missed Raleigh institution).
Those who are predicting a Johnny Rocket’s knockoff will be bitterly disappointed.
Poseurs will be annoyed just walking by the joint.
The place will not take itself as seriously as people who spend time writing comments to blog posts. (oh… wait).
Easy now. It will simply be a fun neighborhood hangout with a little Rockabilly/Hot Rod culture thrown in, with the grand aspiration of being a fun neighborhood hangout with a little Rockabilly/Hot Rod culture thrown in
Lighten up kids. It’s a bar with really good food.
Rocket science and pretentiousness are best left for the bloggers. (Journalism, apparently, not so much).
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Jenny
05/12 03:59 PM
Moon- Get a life and drop the attitude. Your snarky little post just ensured that I will NEVER step foot in your joint, even though I wasn’t put off by it at first.
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Moon
05/12 04:14 PM
Sorry to offend, Jenny. The snark was aimed squarely at the the author of this:
“At this point, Cherry Bomb is making our April Fools’ joke sound kinda tame.”
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arthurb3
05/12 04:28 PM
Late night food away from Glenwood South and IHop sounds nice!
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Leo
05/12 04:31 PM
Moon, wait, are you saying that people on the internet can be wrong? Weird.
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M
05/12 04:33 PM
Looking through the Facebook page, I see nothing on the menu (except for a few appetizers and the desserts) that is vegetarian or vegan.
Please tell me the menu is still expanding… regardless of how many beers you have on tap all it takes is ONE vegetarian/vegan in a group to determine where several people can go grab dinner… and this one is off the safe list right now. Add a killer veggie burger, and maybe we’ll talk. -
sally
05/12 04:35 PM
“From past experience, the consensus among the servers, who design their own (pinup girl inspired) work uniforms, is that it adults choosing their own clothing can be an empowering form of self-expression.”
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In all seriousness, this sounds like a good way to prevent it from being cheesy (a la Pour House / Hooters) but instead to add to the ambience. -
Moon
05/12 04:36 PM
Hi M. The web menu is just a template. There will be vegetarian options, vegan options and Gluten-free options.
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INSTIGATOR
05/12 05:20 PM
It’s about time. Raleigh is one of the last major metropolitan cities to not have a Cherry Bomb. This place will no doubt be one of the 17 top 50’s-themed low def pop eateries in Raleigh. I’m glad we are getting more and more PROGRESSIVE business choices in this town.
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AM
05/12 05:25 PM
Would you people rather have another Applebees on this corner?!? I love how NewRaleigh people scream “support your local business!” while at the same time attempt to put these new businesses down before they’ve even opened. Make up your minds, people….you’re not going to love everything that opens, but at least be happy new local businesses are opening..
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michelle
05/12 05:40 PM
Sally - “In all seriousness, this sounds like a good way to prevent it from being cheesy (a la Pour House / Hooters) but instead to add to the ambience.”
What Pour House are you referring to Sally? Surely not the one downtown… and if you are PLEASE explain to us your logic in calling it cheesy and likening it to Hooters in regards to cheesiness.
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Whitey
05/12 05:45 PM
I’m an old (52) white man that loves most music (except country). I wanted to go where some life was, and the drum beat is dominate. I’ve been twice to this place without incident or any other negative occurance. I felt no rejection as I danced amongst everyone and with some individually. I was just one of a very few white people there, but never felt threatened or shunned. If this club is for losers then I raise my hand and want to be one. I can get a groove on or bust a move or whatever anyones accepted term for it is. But my term for it is “fun”, and that’s damn sure what I had there. ALL the staff is nice and professional, and the ladies in this part of the world are exceptionally beautiful. Yes, I have black eyes and I am proud of it. I plan to take my white ass back again and again. And ladies…..keep your eyes open for ole paisty, cause as some saw, that white boy know how move what he gots
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Jenny
05/12 05:57 PM
Lighten up, enjoy the free publicity and quit trolling the comments.
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Jon Williams
05/12 06:00 PM
@AM: A business that Raleigh will be “one of the last major metropolitan cities” to have one of is by definition a chain and not in any real way a “local” business. Yes, Applebees would have been far worse. Yes, I’m glad it’s not worse.
I heard a grapevine number for the lease $, and *that* is what really determines whether a local business person feels confident setting up shop. Higher $, we get a kitchy smaller chain; higher still, a truly awful mega-chain. Snarky commentary on NR merely helps determine the demographic of the crowd that eventually shows up (or not).
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WILLNCSU
05/12 06:10 PM
Quit whining you stupid hipsters. Why don’t you open something cool downtown instead of just complaining about everything. Oh, that’s right, your liberal arts degrees have left you socially crippled and incapable of being productive members of society.
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Rostel
05/12 07:07 PM
I never thought of something like this, but this seems like the perfedt thing for this spot and im glad to see it going there. Ill definitely try it out.
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Brocktoon
05/12 07:55 PM
Whitey are you talking about the Cherry Bomb Grill? It’s not open yet, and I don’t believe it will be a dance club, so I think your comments must be about another place downtown. Which one?
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Tony Woodard
05/12 10:02 PM
I am sorry but if you have to rely so heavily on a theme, particularly a played out one such as this, the food is probably going to passable at best. (Example: The Diner on Glenwood South)
Somehow I also have the sneaking suspicion from the decor that these guys ideas of a ‘pin-up’ girl is going to trend towards girls that are so tatted up they look like the cover of a 7th grade dirt-bags’ notebook. (Example: Bombshell McGee)
Oh, and to those if-you-know-so-much-then-open-your-own-place folks: I too busy being the arbiter of taste for society to start a side project, but thanks for the vote of confidence! -
sally
05/12 10:48 PM
Sally - “In all seriousness, this sounds like a good way to prevent it from being cheesy (a la Pour House / Hooters) but instead to add to the ambience.”
What Pour House are you referring to Sally? Surely not the one downtown… and if you are PLEASE explain to us your logic in calling it cheesy and likening it to Hooters in regards to cheesiness.
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Gosh - I’m sorry. I was talking about the Flying Saucer. Sorry! -
Chico
05/12 11:21 PM
Goodbye diversity - hello lowest common denominator. Are they going to move the life-size Elvis over from The Diner on
Glenwood? -
brian_M
05/12 11:57 PM
Eh, not willingly/knowingly giving my dough to Republicans, even the Reagan variety.
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Joe Seale
05/13 09:45 AM
@INSTIGATOR AMEN!
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Ivory
05/13 10:29 AM
@INSTIGATOR This place will be AWESOME. In all seriousness though, I’m thinking Cherry Bomb will disappoint as The Diner has disappointed. Everytime Raleigh makes a step towards cool, someone makes us take 3 steps back toward lame.
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Just A Observation
05/13 12:21 PM
I swear there could be a post about a guy on a street corner handing out $100 bills and someone here would bitch that he was standing on the wrong corner.
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sally
05/13 12:34 PM
/\ Yep!
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Seth Myers
05/13 12:47 PM
@Tony Woodard
A recycled Saturday Night Live joke? Really?(look, I can do it too!)
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crankasaurus
05/13 03:08 PM
wow looks like the slims crowd will have one more place to go other than standing around in front of blue flame.
taking bets on how many of those damn rollergirls are going to be waitresses. all or…. ALL?
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Harry Seaward
05/13 03:48 PM
if rollergirls are the only people they hire as waitresses, i will never go. those broads are gross.
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arthurb3
05/13 04:09 PM
Oh you all have me laughing so hard right now!
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It's me
05/13 04:41 PM
What a waste of time and money. It won’t last a year, and will never turn a profit.
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hipsters suck
05/13 05:15 PM
get over yourselves
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DPK
05/13 09:35 PM
You people are hypocrites.
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I like stuff
05/13 10:44 PM
I’m excited about this place, all this hipster-bashing rabble aside. Hopefully when I have a Cookout or a Char-Grill craving after last call, and I can’t get a ride to Western, and I’ve just come to the realization that Char-Grill still hasn’t extended it’s weekend hours past 2am, maybe this place won’t disappoint. This is your challenge if you choose to accept it.
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Bill M
05/14 09:56 AM
This looks okay. I enjoyed the movie Grease and Happy Days but I wish this was a little more current and had a theme based on the Green Day musical. Rockabilly is like 55 years old - punk is only 35 years old.
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Sea Bass
05/14 10:25 AM
lame.
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Straight Guy
05/14 11:23 AM
To you people dissing this place before it even opens… All you really know is that that there will be hot waitresses in pin up girl outifts serving a bunch of different beers. If this repulses you, maybe Legends is more your speed.
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Jon Williams
05/14 11:38 AM
@Straight Guy (aka Anonymous asshole coward)
Get it through your narrow-minded, Neanderthal skull: Just because I don’t objectify women doesn’t mean I like fucking men.
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Jon Williams' Boyfriend
05/14 02:48 PM
You tell ‘em, honey.
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Phillo
05/14 04:40 PM
Sigh. I wish someone would have the balls to go up to these objectified women and tell them how much you don’t like their jobs.
Better yet, you should protest out front and not even let them inside to work.
That would show them who’s boss. -
Tony Woodard
05/14 07:51 PM
@Seth Myers
Hahaha! Busted, but again being so busy with arbitration I farm some of my jokes out.
BTW, that huge nose of yours makes it hard to concentrate on the Update.
Argh, this post is useless without pics.
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Insufferable Hipster Douchebag
05/16 11:18 AM
I really don’t like “theme” restaurants or gimmicks. Just give me a place that serves great food and drink, has a welcoming vibe and plays good music.
I’d be interested in this place if it was on the Reverend Horton Heat and Southern Culture on the Skids tip. If it’s just Johnny Rocket’s with beer then I hope it dies a quick death.
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Phillo
05/16 10:12 PM
Then don’t go to it. Wishing for businesses to fail and for empty storefronts doesn’t do downtown’s economy and growth any favors.
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NMR
05/17 10:29 AM
there are no hipsters in raleigh.
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NMR
05/17 10:41 AM
@willncsu—you write pretty good for a vet tech. are you sure you don’t have a ‘crippling liberal arts’ minor tucked away somewhere?
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beckstar
05/18 03:36 PM
GO moon! i will be there! we need better restaurants in raleigh
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grandmasterflam
05/18 03:51 PM
i just wish joe’s had never left. that place was the mack.
as for this new place, i wish it could be The Penguin (charlotte) but alas… enforced super-coolness usually falls flat on its ass.maybe there will be cool cars parked outside.
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MarkyMark
05/18 07:21 PM
All the hipsters on here bitching will still show up here if it has $1 PBR’s and a place to lock up their fixie.
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T-Plain
05/18 11:10 PM
“enforced super-coolness usually falls flat on its ass.”
Agreed, we’ll see how they pull that off. It’s tough to manufacture retro successfully. Usually it ends up looking like Johnny Rockets, though a comment up there assures us this isn’t the case.
“maybe there will be cool cars parked outside.”
I was wondering about that myself. . . not a lot of parking spaces outside.
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GentleReader
05/20 06:27 PM
I’m kinda wondering about Moon’s comment, “Poseurs will be annoyed just walking by the joint.”. I mean, is there a new 50’s era subculture out there? Or is the type of place that Jesse James would hang out at? Can I go if I don’t identify w/the 50’s subculture and just want a beer? Or like rockabilly (Nate - great call on Cramps). If I bring one of the Saucer waitresses and we bang a pinup rollerderby chick, would that mean I’m cool? I mean, I hate PBR. Will it be ok if I drink CPA? I just don’t know what I need to do. Please help me.
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mgd
05/24 12:47 PM
They should put this in the Bud Lighter Building!
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Shan
05/28 12:05 PM
An outpouring of hatred towards a new establsihment on new raleigh!?! No way!!
I guess comments are generally for the angry. Cities always change - I’d rather have functioning businesses instead of empty buildings. -
Peter_K
05/31 05:19 PM
“Are you being sarcastic, dude?”
“I don’t even know anymore.”Either a quote from the Simpsons or what this whole site has become. I’m not sure which.
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do or don't
08/12 09:29 PM
I was walking by the other night and some guys were moving things inside and the bar was all lit up. Looked pretty cool. From what I have heard they just want to do cool food from across America have good beer good music and have fun. If you don’t want to hangout with a diverse crowd and have fun than dont go. If you do than go…This whole blog is ridiculous.
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hackles10
08/17 09:50 PM
Any news on an opening day?
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CBGBabe
09/26 12:39 AM
So, Cherry Bomb Grill is now open. The food is diverse and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed everything I’ve tried. The (all female) front-of-house staff dresses anywhere from jeans/skirts and cute tees to pencil skirts and heels to corsets and fishnets, but more importantly, they’re all cute and very friendly.
The majority of the music they play is either 80s/90s/current rock or punk/rockabilly/psychobilly (Rancid, Op Ivy, Cramps, Rev Horton Heat, etc). They’ve had a few live bands, mostly doing covers, but from what I hear hope and plan get more original artists in soon. They also have a digital juke box that they’re setting up to have music streamlined to the style of the bar (right now it’s able to play anything…the other night it was Justin Timberlake and Debbie Gibson).
CBG is definitely not a glorified Johnny Rockits or anything like The Diner (which is over-priced and offers horrible service, from my experiences). Hot Rod and Pin-up styles do not necessarily equate with 50’s, Grease, and/or Elvis styles. There are no poodle skirts, it’s not a sock-hop…
Is Cherry Bomb a place that’s totally different in every aspect from anywhere else is Raleigh? No. Are there things they could do better? Of course, and I’m positive that things that need to be worked out will be soon and they’ll continue to strive to do them better and better.
Cherry Bomb Grill isn’t some shoddy theme restaurant that was thrown together with little to no thought and planning, it’s a concept bar and grill with a flare that’s a lot different than the other places in the area. There’s great food, cute, friendly staff, and a sh!t ton of beer and liquor…and it all comes with a cool, have-fun vibe. So check it out, and don’t knock it til you’ve tried it
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