Hank's Downtown Dive

Got to Hank's a bit early so grabbed some cocktails at the bar waiting for our table to be ready. Both cocktails we tried were creative, delicious and expertly made. Didn't take long for our table and they carried our open tab to the table, no need to settle up. Tried several small plates, the cauliflower was my favorite. Had the fried chicken entree which was a half chicken on a plate loaded with thin fries and haricots. Excellent and more than I could eat. Lastly we tried the chocolate torte ala mode which was good but probably wouldn't order it again. The restaurant is small and always busy but worth getting a reservation or trying to find a free spot at the bar where they serve the full menu. I had heard many people rave about Hank's and I can agree. Looking forward to visiting again.

Ascending dog. The food was great. As with a Vineyard, the best fertilizer is the owners footsteps. The owner was here plating the food, greeting the guests and making sure things were running smoothly. The bartenders were knowledgeable and entertaining. My only quibble with my meal was that $12 for 3 oysters was a bit pricey and I would not have ordered them had I known the quantity. We had the steak and scallops and they were delicious and well worth the price. Good dog.

I almost skipped over trying this place as we were looking for something upscale to eat with friends. Dive bar has certain connotations. But this place is anything but a dive bar! The drinks were tasty, the shareable plates were well portioned and the entrees were all memorable. This was an excellent meal. Mars was our waitress and she was personable and provided great service. The entire evening was wonderful from the decor, to the staff, to the great food and drinks.

One of the outright best restaurants in the Triangle and absolutely one of the most underrated! The flavor pairings are consistently some of the most unexpected, delicious, and surprising that I've found anywhere. The fried chicken is outright "slap yo mama" good and can easily knock the socks off even the most heralded Southern fried chicken. The vibe is immaculate, the service always on point, the cocktails delicious.

Amazing American fusion restaurant, don’t let the name mislead you. This place can bat with some of the top restaurants in any metropolitan area. We got a delicious mango salad with salted black beans and a variety of mixed vegetables and fruits, scallops on top of creamed corn with tomatoes potatoes and pickled okra, salmon roe and crème fraiche chips as an appetiser, and friend eggplant on top of gochujang sauce. Everything here is high quality and artisan with amazing decor and service 10/10!

WOW!! The food here is so amazing!! Also, the vibe and the customer service are top notch. The small plates are great size so my bf and I treated them like tapas and split three. We ordered the heirloom tomatoes, the cauliflower, and the ceviche (not pictured). I had the gin mule which was SO refreshing. Will be back for more!! :)

I can’t say enough about how much we enjoyed Hanks! The food ( cauliflower snack, trout, and lasagne) and drinks were outstanding and our servers ( Chris and Mars) were top notch. The atmosphere was cozy and inviting. It was our first time there but we were made to feel at home. Kudos to Matt, the owner, who stopped. by to check in on us. Such a nice guy. We’ll be back often and highly recommend Hank’s !

I would give this place 10 stars if was an option. We’ve dined here at least 20 times and we’ve always had a great experience. Tonight they allowed us to dine outside with our pup. Food is amazing, drinks are good, and service is 100% awesome!

Looking for something upscale and ah-mazingly delicious in Cary. I think I've found it. Pricey, for sure, but if I want to show off my town to someone from out of town, I'm bringing them here. My plates: lasagna (this was soooo good. The sauce tasted like one I make at home that takes me hours and is divine. The cheese had a slight crunch on the edges where it was toasty. The veggies were just right, not soggy.) & salad (basic greens with pickled onions that were a highlight) and a side of green beans (blanched perfectly and the spice on them had a slight smokiness). My partner had the steak. He said the meat wasn't the best cut of meat, but it was cooked correctly. The parking situation is awful - not enough of it.

We had an excellent time at Hank's. We'd been in a time before just for drinks (the Aperol Spritz is stellar) but this was our first time eating. Started with a white negroni, still bitter but less sweet than a classic negroni but had a herbal flavor. Great when cold but a bit too herbal when it warmed up. Tried the mushroom toast and while it was good, we probably would not get again. The oysters were great and we loved Hank's hot sauce enough to buy a bottle to take home. Both tacos we had were excellent but the shrimp one was OMG great and I hope they opt to keep that as a normal item. The brisket one was still quite delicious. The fried chicken came with fries and a small salad. Fries were really good. The chicken was perfect. So crispy, great flavor, very moist. Liked adding some of that hot sauce on it, too. Wonderful waitress handling multiple tables did great. Enjoyed talking with Matt, too.

What an amazing restaurant! I took clients there for a business dinner and Hank’s did not disappoint. We stared with Crispy Cauliflower, Mushroom Toast and Roasted Oysters. All amazing! I gotta say that the Roasted Oysters are to die for. The menu has them listed in a pineapple sesame butter, to me it was a sweet buttery broth with a little garlic hint to it. Just pick up an oyster and slurp it down. Yummmmy!

Everyone of my guest ordered the Ribeye. When it came out, we were all surprised that the presentation is sliced! I have never had sliced Ribeye, strange….. I am here to report, it was fabulous. Melt in your mouth tenderness, with a flavor explosion of the awesome blue cheese (ask for extra, just sayin’) and creamy horsey sauce. I snapped a pic, but it doesn’t do justice to the wonderful presentation.

Service was on point, very attentive and friendly with great recommendations. I found the cocktail menu to have a good mix of traditional cocktails as well as some craft ones. We tried several and they has great flavor, served with a nice amount of alcohol. Overall this place is really awesome and I cannot wait to go back to try the fried chicken.

Such a wonderful new dining experience to downtown Cary. The atmosphere is welcoming and unique, the staff while new were helpful and attentive. I look forward to the rotation of fresh local foods.

If you are new to the area remember street parking and the parking lot at the restaurant can be difficult. Plan on using one of the nearby city lots and its a pleasurable walk of one or two blocks.

WOW! I got the fried chicken on more of a whim and it was the best decision I made all week. First off, I couldn't believe how much food came out, it was probably the whole chicken coup. The sauce and chicken was so well cooked. Our server, Will, did excellent as well and I'll definitely make it a point to come back on my next trip up here.

Glad to stumble upon Hank's in downtown Cary. Little skeptical when walking in. Couldn't figure out what type of restaurant it was. Music was noticeably different. Was this a hippy joint? They were out of the first thing I ordered. Not a good sign. But... keep reading! Notice the 5 stars. Hank's won us over. The food was amazing. The service was great. New things and change can be intimidating at first. So glad we stuck with it. Glad we know now to expect fresh, different, and fun. It was also a great value. Can't wait to go back to Hank's!

Where to start, amazing!!! My daughter ( she's 22) has celiacs so eating out can be a challenge and rather basic. We were told about Hank's from another parent with a celiac child and were so excited to try it. Almost everything on the menu is gluten free!!!!! Which is not usual for us. We ordered the fried chicken, steak, heirloom tomatoes and crispy cauliflower. Everything was great!!!! I am so full. She was bouncing in her seat eating, thank you!!! We can't wait to go back, I'll be trying something new (just to try it all) but she's going to stick with the fried chicken because "where else can I get it?" Service was also superb!!!

Had a lovely dinner for 6 at Hank's last night. Great vibe indoors and nice outdoor dining section (with heaters). First, drinks. Loved the cocktail choices! Table favorite was gin, gin mule. We ordered a selection of small plates (we also got the popular fried chicken and were not disappointed!). Here's a selection of what we had: cauliflower (personal favorite!), almonds and olives (in a nice citrus oil), octopus (presented beautifully), smoked beets (they happily subbed out the blue cheese), tuna tartare (good, but least favorite among the group), brisket taco (smelled delish), fingerlings (with an excellent dipping sauce), and a large portion of roasted broccoli. Service was fantastic from everyone we came in contact with. The staff worked well as a team and were very knowledgeable. We regret not ordering the mushroom toast but definitely will on our next visit (because we can't wait to go back!).

HONORED to be Hank’s first review 🤩🤩🤩
KILLER ceviche and brisket tacos (do not order just one taco - I’d love if they came with 3 per order because I want MORE!)
Wings are also huge with great flavor.
SO IMPRESSIVE - I am sold.
Tried these just last night when they delivered to sidebar!
Can’t wait to dine in at their new place.
- Mars

Incredible food and very crisp rose wine! The ceviche was absolutely amazing, heirloom tomatoes were seasonally amazing and the steak was perfect in every way

I wish I had taken pictures, but the food was so delicious I couldn't even get to my phone before digging in. We had a bottle of wine for a date night out, served with the seasonal appetizers of collards & egg, as well as birriadilla. My husband and I could not stop ooing and ahhing over how much we enjoyed the unique and elevated dining, just a few minutes from home!

After apps, we shared a main plate of pork loin (though my description could never do justice to the treatment applied) and a side of broccoli rabe. Y'all. I can NOT overstate how wonderful our meal was. My husband commented that the most basic portion of our dinner was dessert, but I still LOVED it: the chocolate brownie ice cream served with chocolate torte *crisp*? Delightful. Even though he said it was the most basic, he still appreciated the thoughtfulness in textures and presentation.

Do yourself a favor and reserve a table in advance. Additionally, use the parking deck on the other side of Downtown Cary Park and walk over: the amble back through the park after an amazing meal was worth doing all over again!!

The food is delicious snd unique and the margaritas are wonderful. We had the white asparagus with white bean and coconut purée. The mushroom toast w ricotta is incredible. The balsamic sets off the richness nicely.