Fox Liquor Bar is Open

b-fuss
09/16 07:21 PM

$10 drinks, $10 burgers, $10 fried chicken. No thanks.

Murple
09/16 08:27 PM

Seriously? $10? Give me a break.

Sporko
09/16 09:06 PM

$10 for a drink….nope

AW
09/16 09:20 PM

So if you order something uncomplicated that’s not on the menu, will it still be $10?

J. Biafra
09/17 01:01 AM

Actually, it’s $11 for drinks. Is “Cloverbclub” anything like Clover Club?

jt
09/17 04:21 AM

I had a drink at the Paris Ritz last night.  $10 would have been a hell of deal.

Hackles10
09/17 06:30 AM

The specialty cocktails are $11, I had a modelo draft for $3 and there are plenty of wines by the glass for 5-8 dollars. 

Atmosphere was very cool, I highly recommend the Mexican firing squad! The private bathrooms were also a nice touch.

Marky Mark
09/17 08:38 AM

$10 for a coctail? So…...can I correctly assume then, no $1 PBR’s?

Jeff
09/17 10:37 AM

there’s places for cheap beer and drinks.  this isn’t one of them.  i agree that virtually all of her ventures are ridiculously overpriced for what is served.  at least with interesting, unique cocktails it’s not something you can get everywhere.  i have no problem going to Foundation every so often for their special drinks.  i’m just curious to see how this compares…

frank
09/17 12:31 PM

does this mean I can’t get my Aristocrat Vodka and Mr. Perky here?

Zack
09/17 03:07 PM

Seriously people?  You need to take a minute and look at the attention to detail that goes into these drinks.  Fresh ingredients and complex recipes that take a minute to make.  They aren’t just cranking out vodka tonics here.  It’s 2011, not 1985. Get some culture.

Jdawg
09/17 06:03 PM

I wonder if I can get my diet cherry lemon shasta and stoli on the rox here…

smitty
09/17 11:29 PM

The only reason to pay $10 for a drink is to pay $10 for a drink.  This way you don’t have to look at people who can’t afford a $10 drink while you are drinking your $10 drink.

sycamore
09/18 01:34 AM

$11 drinks.  At least Foundation recognizes that some drinks are more expensive to make than others and prices accordingly.  When you do a fixed price like at Fox’s , it’s basically stating “this is how much the Fox’s experience costs”, regardless of whether the product cost was $.50 or $4.  It’s pretty brazen, but unfortunately not uncommon.  I’m sure I’ll have the same issues with Fox’s as I do with Ashley’s other businesses-` the nagging feeling that what I got wasn’t quite worth what I paid for it.  She usually puts out consistently good products, but just as consistently prices them at the absolute edge of the curve.

Carl
09/18 10:02 AM

Funny on all points.
Nice place.
Didn’t see a lot of the namesakes though.
Mostly people whom resembled the cast of CSI: Steampunk.

I can handle the ‘craft made’ drink costs.
That’s the same mentality i take when I serve my home grown vegetables as compared to the rest of the world’s food supply.
I let my guest in on the secret of the greatness that i am educating them to.
I just know they love for me to lord over them the difficulty in growing tomatoes.
Seed in the ground….that whole bit.

You see, I view myself as an educator.
People need to shut up ,cough up the ten bucks, drink, and be enlightened,

Even better is that we have another ( I count 12 ) exposed brick and mortar food /drink establishment.

This look has me so flabbergasted in it’s originality that I am going to buy a copy of DWELL to-day and find the best pseudo-preservation hardscrabble mood that best describes my ability to pay $10 for drinks vibe.

Bar Man
09/18 07:39 PM

9/17/2011 at 10:30pm.

To all of Raleigh and newcomers DO NOT go here.

This was the worst bar experience in my entire life.

I will say it started with a nice atmosphere but quickly went downhill from there.  From our annoyed server to a limitation of high priced drinks it was truly sad.  Where do you put your drinks at this place? That’s right, amazingly there were no tables by some of the couches to put them, so you ended up putting them on the floor to get knocked over.  How much is a table for your customers? Seriously?

Drinks: I asked for a Crown & 7 up, pretty basic right? No, very complex.  They didn’t carry Crown, only certain types of Whiskey that they were partial to. No high ball drinks of any kind or soda. Who doesn’t carry Crown? They have a very limited selection of drinks, all of course were less than 8oz for a hefty $10. No specials, no 1/2 off’s for the new bar, these were all FULL priced drinks and a horrible selection at.

Our server wasn’t even friendly, the whole place is just a major disappointment to the bar /lounge industry.  Save your $10 and go around the corner to a bar that actually will make you a drink for 1/2 the price and make what you want.

EPIC FAIL

John
09/18 10:35 PM

Bar Man:

The lack of your preferred 1+1 highball and a place to set your drink made it ‘the worst experience of your entire life’? Not to worry, Applebee’s Bar and Grill will welcome you back with open arms.

I, for one, applaud Ashley’s effort to bring something unique to Downtown Raleigh.

RipWinkle
09/18 10:51 PM

So can I order a gin and tonic? Is that going to cost me $10 + tip?

Phillo
09/18 11:56 PM

No.  You can only order what’s on the menu.  I look forward to her next concept where there are only three menu items you don’t get to choose which one you want. 
 
That “experience” should be a steal at $15/drink.

Adam
09/19 12:30 AM

Sycamore, you encapsulated it pretty well.  I always eat really good food at her places, but I’m always sitting there thinking about all the other places around town with designer ingredients, locally sourced produce and prices half of what she charges.

over the over-rated
09/19 11:07 AM

if i’m paying that much for drinks that don’t sound that great (bitters in everything?), i.e., paying for the “experience,” i would rather that experience be in an actual city.

over the over-rated
09/19 11:07 AM

if i’m paying that much for drinks that don’t sound that great (bitters in everything?), i.e., paying for the “experience,” i would rather that experience be in an actual city.

Nathan
09/19 11:20 AM

My understanding is that they are all $10 so everyone does not go for the cheap one even though they may prefer something else or the expensive one because they assume its the best, just get what you like.

hackles10
09/19 12:30 PM

“paying for the “experience,” i would rather that experience be in an actual city.”

This is a weak argument on so many levels.  First of all, its chicken/egg crap.  We will never be a cool/big/actual city without adding tons of establishments such as this, but as your argument goes, we shouldn’t have them because we aren’t an actual city. Secondly, your comment makes the pedestrian assumption that any and all people who visit Fox Liqour Bar could just as easily and cheaply travel to an “actual city” for their high end drinking experience.  I don’t think I have to point out every flaw with this, but I am a local, I like having these options, and I am not going to fly to New York, Chicago, DC, or LA every time I want to have “this experience” and I am guessing there are 400-500 thousand others like me in this oh so mediocre city that wallows beneath your expectations!

Charlie
09/19 01:53 PM

There’s a theme around Ashely’s establishments: they have a rigid style that you have to go with. Some people view this as inflexible and rude… some view it as a unique experience. I tend to favor the latter. However, a lot of people who enter her establishments could not give two sh*ts about a unique experience… many people care about getting good food or good drinks they way they want it. My only gripe with Poole’s, Beasley’s and Fox is the high price level… but other than that, I am a big fan of Ashley’s places. They’re just not for everyone.

L B
09/19 02:35 PM

+1 Charlie.

Synaesthete
09/19 03:16 PM

It’s important to make a distinction between price and value.  Price is the same for everyone, but value is a subjective quality.  The price-to-value ratio has always seemed a little high in Raleigh, with places like 42nd street or 518 west serving decent food, but charging premium dining prices.  In a big city, you will almost always pay more for a meal, but you should always be able to find a place with a relatively low price-to-value ratio.  This lower ratio has everything to do with more competition in bigger cities.  Establishments in big cities can’t afford to lower the price too much, so they compete on value.  In Raleigh, there is little competition so you can get away with a high price-to-value ratio.  Also, folks in Raleigh haven’t traditionally had the most sophisticated tastes, looking more for a “good meal” than a complex dining experience—they’re happy slapping down the plastic on a fatty meal at a “sit down restaurant”, and paying a premium to impress their golf buddies.  As more restaurants move downtown, the price-to-value ratio drops.  Establishments will begin competing more on value and less on price.  It’s clear to me that Ashley’s strategy is to compete on value like you would expect in a larger city.  She doesn’t have to do that… she could easily get by competing on price, but she’s not.  She’s attempting to provide a high-value dining experience (she definitely puts most of that value in to the food and keeps the “experience” simple).  Additionally, the cost is a couple dollars less than the equivalent experience in a big city, so the price-to-value ratio is quite low; actually from my experience, that ratio hovers right around the equivalent big-city establishment.

jt
09/19 03:34 PM

^

A lot of good points but I will have to greatly contest big cities can’t compete on price.  There are a lot of places I’ve been in SF and NY that have foundation quality or better cocktails for a lower price.  I’m not talking upscale hotel just a run of the mill cocktail bar.  She doesn’t have to compete on price and that’s why prices are what they are.  If Raleigh could support 10 bars like Fox’s the prices would go down.

Synaesthete
09/19 04:06 PM

^agreed.  In both SF and NY, I’ve been to “artisanal” cocktail bars and the drinks are typically $12-$15.  If you go to a good cocktail bar that isn’t necessarily a specialty artisanal cocktail bar, drinks are about $9-$11 (but yeah, upwards of 20 or more at a hotel, skybar, or nightclub).  Given this, I feel that Fox is probably a good value assuming it’s taking the artisanal angle.  I’d expect though to be drinking a “big city” artisanal $12-$14 cocktail at the $10 price point in Raleigh to really support my claim.

Synaesthete
09/19 04:17 PM

^^Also, you will always have price competition, but in big cities price competition is less prevalent and value competition becomes more of a factor.  It definitely depends on the neighborhood and how high the rent is.  There is a minimum price that many big city establishments can’t beat because of the high cost of operation associated with rent and wage.  You can’t afford to push shots of aristocrat tequila for under $7 in lower Manhattan.  A few of the artisanal speakeasy spots are capable of importing the world’s finest bartenders and the best ingredients and mix up a $12-15 cocktail I will gladly fork over for.  If Fox has imported one of the finest mixologists, if they keep the standards really high among their bartenders, and they keep the ingredients top notch, I will be thrilled at the $10 price point.

JohnnyLately
09/19 04:23 PM

Come on. If anyone other than Ashley had put together this trifecta you be screaming BS. I like Poole’s as much as the next guy.  And I’m a fan. But given the comments about value for commodity items - burgers, chicken and cocktails (yeah I know they’re artisan) - from people who want her to succeed, she’s pushing a pretty heavy stone uphill. If one of these places was your first encounter with an Ashley product it could very easily lower your expectations for Poole’s. And that would be a shame.

TVD
09/19 08:00 PM

Well, I say let’s give the place a chance.  Ashley is betting that our tastes are growing more sophisticated, and that some folks here are going to be willing to pay for a bit of a different twist on the ‘Raleigh scene’ , one that emphasizes quality over quantity.

Think of that corner, and the empty, boarded up storefront ( not to mention windowless basement space) that sat there dead for years.  A turn for the better, I would say, and signs of the the next generation of mojo in Downtown Raleigh.

Carl
09/19 11:47 PM

“Also, folks in Raleigh haven’t traditionally had the most sophisticated tastes….”
Synaesthete

“Ashley is betting that our tastes are growing more sophisticated, “
TVD

Really?!?!
Are you expecting ‘Deliverance’ scenes in Raleigh 2o11?
Raleigh is easily a 60% population of ‘folks’ from said big cities.

Synaesthete
09/20 12:20 AM

^ “traditionally”...“are growing”.

So, no, not in 2011, but Deliverance scenes as recently as 2005?  Perhaps…

As an aside, you could make a news website with “new” appended to most of the mid-sized cities in the US.  The demographic of urban dwelling 20-30 somethings with more sophisticated taste is a phenomenon driven by the Internet, reality/documentary TV, and more exposure to cultural movements in large cities.  This last one is due to the phenomenon of lower inner-city crime rates (in other words, most of us have lived in or visit high density urban environments, which we wouldn’t have 10-15 years ago).

What you’ve got is a new YUP-like movement that we call “hipsters” or the “creative class”.  Like YUPs, we live downtown and are well-educated.  Unlike YUPs, our tastes are more sophisticated, and we make less money and spend it differently (more rental properties, less sports cars, less cocaine, less ego, more marijuana, trendy food, trendy beverages).

How this relates to Fox Liquor Bar, is that the focus is more on quality and ambiance and less on ostentation.  If you stepped in to an 80’s cocktail lounge with a bunch of YUPs, expect to be spending a lot more money on a much lower quality beverage and referencing how much money you make.  The “hipster” association is temporary.  The eventual outcome will be more sophisticated dining options for everyone and an economically and culturally healthy downtown.

Roadhouse
09/20 03:37 PM

I’m inspired to watch Cocktail, starring Tom Cruise.  That awesome stadium of a bar with patrons 3 stories above watching him spin bottles.  That’s what I expect -  but at cost of no more than $2 per drink.  That’s some big city shit.

The uneducated and uncreative masses
09/20 03:37 PM

I guess the hipsters really are the “creative class” if they can somehow convince themselves that eating over priced fried chicken, burgers, or a slice of pizza out of a truck is “sophisticated”. I really think some of you would pay $25 to eat a bowl of human excrement if certain Raleigh taste makers added some aioli on it and told you it was the new trend in dining.

richardfoc
09/20 04:12 PM

Thank goodness we can let the market decide if concepts such as AC’s ‘Corner of Distinction’ will be able to survive on their own merits rather than rise or fall on the vagaries of New Raleigh message board commentators. And what I really don’t understand is the zeal with which some of you folks attack anybody or anything that is successful. Jealousy is an ugly emotion.

pj
09/20 05:49 PM

I’m drunk in Paris again.  Glad the cocktails at beasleys are worth it.

Behki
09/21 01:37 AM

Whatever, I got a drink, it was the best drink I’ve had in Raleigh. Fox Liquor Bar is not someplace you go to get shitfaced, you go to get a nice drink and chill out. If I wanted to get drunk on the cheap I would go to Slim’s or Mecca. Or my own apartment.

And it was like $2 more expensive than a drink I get at Foundation, and so much better (sorry, Foundation!).

The service was kind of slow even though it was a Tuesday night, what gives?! I’d go again, but it’s not a place I would go all the time because even if I planned on just drinking cheap beer, I’d probably get drunk and order a cocktail, ugh.

toto
09/21 08:21 AM

you don’t have to turn this into a phD thesis - she has four establishments that serve different types of food/drink but largely follow the same basic premise - limited high-quality options, premium price, her reputation as part of the experience.
it’s like going to imax and complaining that the screen is too big and the sound is too loud - that’s why you go to imax, for that experience. if you want to go to a regular movie theater, then go to one. same thing with her restaurants.
as a potential customer, i find her premise somewhat pretentious so i just simply don’t go to her restaurants. i get that some people consider themselves food elite, “foodies” (hate that term), or somehow more able to savor the elusive qualities of that experience but i’m not one of those. i’m more of the “no fucking way i’m paying $10 for a chicken waffle” type. i don’t know if that makes me a hick, but instead of caring about how i look to people i don’t know, i’ll just stick to spending my money on things i like that seem worth it to me. the rest of you would be well served to do the same.

Curtiss
09/21 02:42 PM

Thanks Synaesthete, for elevating the discourse and bringing some sensibility to the table. I’d be happy to buy you a 3oz pour of top-shelf liquor mixed with fresh-made juices, homemade syrups and cultivated modifiers for $11 at Fox anytime. Holler.

Lauren
09/21 03:06 PM

I’ll be the first to admit that Fox isn’t for everyone.  It’s just not.  If you’re someone who decides what do drink based on price, there are plenty of other places for you to hang.  But if you’re open to widening your drinking knowledge, seeing some killer ice cubes, and sitting down in a cool, unpretentious environment, then please, head down to Fox!  The drink menu is small for now and will continue to be small for a few more weeks.  That doesn’t mean that you’re limited to the menu.  Bartenders will happily make another cocktail for you, given that they have the proper ingredients to do it well.  The folks that work at Fox don’t derive pleasure from denying you a Crown and Seven Up, they just want you to have a drink that you can enjoy comfortably.  And maybe something that will open up the door to the world of cocktails for you.  If you’re curious, grab a friend, suck up the $11 bucks, and treat yourself right.

Jill
09/21 03:41 PM

They already have a bad review on Yelp. Posted by somebody who was more than willing to pay $11 for a drink but came away painfully dissapointed. The Reveiw “I was really excited to try all of AC’s new places that have opened up downtown in the past few weeks, so I ventured to Fox’s last night with high hopes.  I’m a fan of well-crafted libations and am not afraid to pay a little more for a damn fine cocktail. My 3 friends and I each ordered something different: Tuxedo #2, Pan American & the Mai Tai.  Each drink was terrible.  Not just terrible, but downright disgusting.  We equated them to “kerosene, battery acid” and several other combinations that humans should never ingest.  At $11 a pop, it was not only disappointing, it was painful. As we were leaving (with 3 full drinks sitting on our table), I even informed one of the staff that not one, but all three of our drinks were horrible and nothing was done to make our experience better - no remakes, no refund, nothing.  Just a “thanks for letting us know.”  Well, here’s what I’d like to let you fellow diners/drinkers know: If you are looking for a delicious, hand-crafted, simply delectable drink go to Foundation, Borough, Raleigh Times, Sitti, Busy Bee Cafe/The Hive or any of the other amazing places downtown, but do not, I repeat do not, go to Fox’s.”

hackles10
09/21 04:39 PM

^that was a well crafted review from someone with a clear agenda, probably works for or supports Empire or another local group in some way. 

I bet if you interviewed and gave lie detectors to the staff of Fox nobody left 3 full drinks, complained, and got no response and walked out.  This just smacks of internet review warfare.

Charlie
09/21 06:36 PM

I have to say, there is one big solution to this argument. If you don’t like the sound of the place THEN DON’T GO. Simple as that. If more people would understand that then we would have a lot less insufferable whining on this website.

Marky Mark
09/21 06:46 PM

Disagree. There will never be less insufferable whining on this website.

David
09/21 06:59 PM

Funny whining coming from two of the biggest whiners.

Everyone
09/22 11:51 AM

I struggle to justify how my dreams and ambitions coalesced into an insipid, soulless present. 

A concept that bitters my sensitive aesthetic is a stair tread to stomp beneath me.  If I elevate myself above what is wrong, I’ll find what is right.

I critique, therefore I am.

HARGLE BARGLE

Curtiss
09/22 12:56 PM

That Yelp review is an apocryphal smearjob. The user signed up to rate two places in the same day—Fox at 1 star and Sitti at 5 stars. Internet literacy 101: consider the source. But aside from the questionable conditions under which the ratings were doled out, the Fox review itself is bogus on a number of counts. Subjective tastes aside, if any patron of Fox is dissatisfied with their drink, the bartenders at Fox will happily and professionally craft them another cocktail, even if their palate discerns ‘kerosene’ from a mixture of orange bitters, maraschino, dry vermouth and gin. Secondly, the staff are very attentive and considerate to the customers’ needs and feedback. The ‘thanks for letting us know’ line may apply to some other establishments with a business-as-usual approach, but rest assured this is not the case at Fox. The proof is in the pudding though. Don’t take my word or anybody else’s word on the matter. Go and see for yourself. All this Yelp user is doing is painting a derisive picture of an emerging establishment that obviously threatens them or their interests in some way. Piss-poor scare tactics not even worthy of a Karl Rove comparison. I’m calling you out Anna H.—your game is weak.

hackles10
09/22 03:45 PM

^couldn’t agree more….obvious hack job.

They were very attentive, explained everything to me and asked us if we enjoyed the drinks no less than 3 times during our time there.  Even took the time to explain ingredients that we were unfamiliar with in drinks we didn’t purchase.

Alton
09/23 10:01 AM

Looks like a smear job from a competing restaurant empire.

WILLNCSU
09/23 10:55 AM

I come to this website specifically for the whining.  It is hilarious.  Sometimes I just want to chill out and have a good liquor drink. I plan on trying Fox liquor bar this weekend.  If I want to get hammered, I am going to the Goat.

mel
09/25 11:49 AM

one thing i like about fox: you will not find people who go out for the sole purpose of getting hammered on shots & PBR there.

klute
10/03 06:17 PM

I’ve been to Fox Liquor twice this week and really liked it. Sat at the bar with attentive bartenders. Drinks were quite delicious. Will it replace Landmark or even Foundation for me? No (I can’t afford for it to!) It’s not supposed to. It’s there if you want it. Sometimes I do, if I’ve got the $$$ and don’t want to get falling down pissed. If do want to, there’s just about every other place downtown.

downtown res
10/28 02:30 PM

got drunk downtown, bought a spiderman blanket off a bum on the way home and tried to go to Fox’s on the way. Wouldn’t let me in.

F*ck this place.

ZheeZhee
11/16 11:43 PM

Umm forget the cheap asses posting comments. Yep, you might want to consider moving to Fuquay-Varina or something!

OrangeRaleigh
11/17 10:33 AM

As a former resident of the Fuquay-Varina area, I’d at least like to defend it for Aviator Brewery’s really cool bar on Main Street, Varina. They typically have good music, Nintendo Wii’s set up, a laid-back clientele, and of course great Aviator beer.