Hummingbird Foodie Review
Hummingbird is a small kitchen and craft cocktail bar located in Dock 1053 warehouse in Raleigh. The restaurant focuses on New Orleans cuisine. Chef Coleen studied under famed chef Emeril Lagasse (IYKYK) and other notorious New Orleans restaurants. You can find out more about who they are at their website. My wife and I chose this place randomly for brunch on a Saturday. The menu called out to us so we said hey, why not.
Let’s get into it.
What we ordered
Paloma ($13)
Chai Latte ($5.50)
Chicken and Waffle ($18)
Shrimp and Grits ($23)
The Review
Paloma ($13)
This was a great drink. Kudos to the bartender. I’m not a grapefruit fan but could order three of these if I wasn’t the DD. The grapefruit kills any alcohol aftertaste but there’s enough tequila that you feel it. Please drink responsibly. I rate this a 9.5 out of 10.
Chai Latte ($5.50)
The Chai Latte itself is $5. My wife had it made hot with Oat milk and vanilla flavoring ($0.50). She rates it a 8.4 out of 10. She says it was good and would taste better “dirty” (espresso shot). Hummingbird does offer this for an additional $2.
Chicken and Waffle ($18)
I’m going to do this in two parts. I don’t eat my Chicken and Waffles together — I separate them on different plates. Don’t be a weirdo (I kid, eat your food however you like it 😉).
The waffle was great, it was a “Curry from deep… BANG!!!” moment. It had a slight crisp but soft. I could’ve used more syrup as they pre-add the syrup to the waffle. I’m not a fan when restaurants do that. Given the New Orleans background, the waffle reminded me of a beignet. I rate the waffle a 9.6 out of 10.
The chicken was… okay. My first few bites I enjoyed it. As I kept eating it, my impressed feeling kept going down and down. It was fried well but didn’t hold up its own like the waffle. I rate it a 7.9 out of 10.
Shrimp and Grits ($23)
I want to preface this review that my wife is a shrimp and grits connoisseur. Meaning, if it’s on the menu, there’s a 85% chance she’ll order it. Not many Shrimp and Grits stand up to her taste palate.
She said it had a lot of depth and flavor. The grit’s consistency was just right. The gravy added a creamy feel. She rates it a 9.4 out of 10. The negative, they left the tails on the shrimp… WHY… WHY…WHY. Any who, with a rating this high, from the Shrimp and Grits Queen, you know what that means, you GOTTA TRY IT.
I did eat the Shrimp and Grits next day for breakfast and it was really good. The flavor held up well. My second-day rating is a 8.5 out of 10.
Final Thoughts
Hummingbird doesn’t lie when they say they’re a small kitchen and cocktail bar. Most of the seating is in a covered, outdoor patio. There is indoor seating with a small, tight bar. However, the vibe is cute and cozy, and makes nice for a date. The service was friendly and we witnessed regulars come and go. I noticed solo-diners too.
We didn’t make a reservation before going and they didn’t have any availability so we sat at the bar. Keep that in mind if you’re planning a date.
My overall rating is a 9.1 out of 10. I definitely recommend Hummingbird and I will likely go back sooner than later.
Far sooner than later!