Bask On Seaboard

I had the most bizarre experience today at brunch. Bask’s website says they open at 10:00 am on Sundays. Open Table starts accepting reservations at 10:00 am on Sundays. We made a reservation for 10:15 a.m., and when we showed up, there were only two cars in the back parking lot, and the main (?) door was locked. Odd. We tried a second door, which was unlocked, and when we opened it, the alarm started going off. We saw inside just long enough to notice that the lights were off and no one was inside, but we hightailed it out of there before the cops showed up.

We hit this place for a quick dinner before a show near the fountain there at the Music Factory. I got a turkey blt and my guy got the veggie pita. They were okay but I can make better at home. Might be a good lunch place.

We ended up here on a weeknight because of an event at VBGB and were going to get burgers at another bar in the music factory but didn’t want to pay cover, so the bouncer sent us to Bask… glad he did.
First, the drink selection was adequate. I had a bell’s two hearted and my friends had a mixed drink made with rosemary; it was pretty tasty.
The food was moderately priced. I wasn’t too hungry, so I went for the mid-​size plate section of the menu. I got the fried turkey sandwich with cranberry aioli; it was really tasty, but what really tied the meal together was the side of mac and cheese. It was a huge portion of mac and cheese and was obviously made with several different types of cheese (I think I tasted bleu cheese in there). The meal was only $ 10; I am definitely coming back.

First time here. Found them this morning through one of their tweets. I must say the squash soup was fantastic, my omelette was great, the side of spinach sautéed in garlic was to die for, the French press pitcher of coffee was great too. We will be back! Atmosphere was amazing and service was great and price was just right
For the quality of food we
Ate. thanks

Apparently all the positive reviews were written by friends and family,
Hopelfully blunt honesty will make the owners make the right changes before its too late.
OK this isn’t going to be pretty. I’ll start by stating I did have a
coupon for $ 50 and had to spend $ 100, call me cheap, so what. Let’s get to the facts most really good restaurants don’t use coupons, there is a few exceptions to the rules every now and then.
I’ll start on the seating, we were seated at the table near the bathroom entrance. I requested to be moved to another of the many empty tables, of course they were not available They remained empty for the first hour, we had a 7:30 reservation. Seriously on a Saturday night?
The waitress finally showed up to take our drink order after 10 minutes of waiting. The place was dead only about 5 tables in the whole place and at least 6 waitstaff wandering around.
The order
Appetizers
1. SPICY GRILLED SHRIMP fried green tomatoes, sweet and spicy chili sauce…9
Shrimp typical grilled shrimp, nothing special. Fried green tomatoes, someone please tell me why? Tasteless vegetable, covered in cornmeal with no seasoning…
2. DEEP SOUTH SAMOSAS crawfish, chipotle cream…8
Must of ran out and went to the nearby China Wok and got some crab Rangoon, wait it would of been a larger portion. This was bad its basically fried won tons stuffed with about a half a teaspoon of cream cheese filling completely devoid of crawfish flavor.
3. CRAB CAKE mango butter sauce, pineapple relish…12
This was the best of the whole meal, basic simple recipe, however it came out room temperature, it was very bland but good crab flavor.
Main Course
4. FILET pan roasted Yukon potatoes, patty pan squash, Coca-​Cola demi…27
High hopes on this one, let me state this was cooked perfectly. I must of missed the Coca-​Cola demi glaze. I actually thought it was covered in sweet teriyaki sauce, not a fan too sweet.
5. SURF AND TURF lamb porterhouse, diver sea scallops, vanilla risotto, red wine reduction…29
Lamb cooked well flavor once again fair.
Scallops, 2 total about the size of a quarter and completely raw (see picture) We sent it back and it took 15 minutes to get them back and barely any better.
SERVER TIP:
If you see plates of food and nobodys eating, you should ask is every thing is OK
Oh wait she didn’t care see was getting 20% regardless of we enjoyed are meal.
6. APPLE TURNOVERS roasted apple wrapped in phyllo, cinnamon and rum ice cream, chocolate, caramel sauce…6
Go to Arbys you’ll get better flavor crust filling etc…
7. ESPRESSO CRÈME BRULEE chocolate cigar…6
Really? you didn’t see the top was burnt when you torched the top too much!
8. BLONDE BROWNIE Dirty Girl Scout ice cream…6
Pass again
Final
The restaurant is beautiful and has lots of potential
If you have an open kitchen your team should look professional, 2 guys had Chicago bulls hat and one a doo rag? Just didn’t look professional.
Special of the Day? More wait staff training?

Alright… I have been to Bask too many times to count. My first opportunity was like love a first sight and bite!!! The ambience was incredible. I went for lunch with my one of my #1 foodie partners and we could not believe the incredible food. Chuck, the master chef was very anxious for us to try dessert before appetizers… we did not hesitate! The chef-​made chocolate ice cream was great to sample. It was so good… I went back the next day to get some to go… with cooler and ice in tow!
I am tempted to copy the ENTIRE menu here, but will only say that everything I have had on the menu, from scotch eggs, to fried turkey spinach salad was great.
I have enjoyed Bask so much that is often my first choice for a business partner lunch.
We have even had one of our «KB After Dark — Crew» Get Togethers at Bask and Chuck and staff did not miss a beat. A+ service!!!
Alex, Chuck and Craig are outstanding owners and everytime I have gone have had an opportunity to speak with one or all of them.
Bask is a great place to go if you are looking for great wines and appetizers or a full dinner before a concert at the NC Music Factory venues.
So…what are you waiting for… you MUST go!!! Today… tonight!!!

This will make two trips to Bask in recent weeks. I do have to say that this is a must try. It’s in a bit of an odd spot for this menu but we are local so completely good with it.
The pork chop is a must try. I commented to the chef that it’s one of the best I have had and i’m not that big on pork. This compares closely with that which I’ve had at Peninsula Grill in Charleston, SC. Just so happens he has culinary influence from the area. My wife enjoyed one of the largest crab cakes I have seen. It was excellent and fully of crab. Soups are excellent!
We also went for Brunch on Easter. I ordered the Steak Poached Eggs and one egg was far over cooked and the steak was cooked a little over as well. The bloody mary was excellent though so I wasn’t totally bummed with it. My wife had a mexican influenced dish with a mimosa and loved it.
We do look forward to returning!

I was really hoping to love Bask — as I’ve been reading quite a few good reviews. See, it wasn’t that Bask was horrible per se, but it was that it just failed to have any «mmmm» factor. Let me explain, «mmmm» factor is when something is so tasty you literally moan outloud in pleasure. Yes, I do this on occasion.
We started with the scallop raviolis. They were um, small (3 half dollar sized pockets)…and FRIED. What the heck — we didn’t want fried «ravioli” — we wanted pasta. I felt that the menu should have distinguished this, as were really disappointed — this dish was simply NOT worth $ 10. Another person I was dining with had some crab dip that was well crabless tasting and dry — but we did like the homemade pita very much.
For my meal I had a small plate recommendation and went with the spicy grilled shrimp. The shrimp were ok but a bit cool temp-​wise. The fried green tomatoes were tasteless.
Lastly I had the apple turnovers as I remember reading they were good. They must have ran out of caramel sauce as they used chocolate syrup — and the apples were non-​existent. We were expecting big slices but instead got a babies-​handful of chopped apple.
My $ 12 citrus fizz drink wasn’t anything special and was overly-​limey. I wish I had listened to Nicole W. and skipped it!
Overall it was just a let-down…and for two apps/​dessert plus one special drink and one beer (with a $ 25 groupon in there somewhere) — my portion was just about $ 40 with tax.
Most likely I won’t be back. Two stars was being kind.

Have to send a quick update on Bask from a recent visit. Met some friends for drinks here and stayed for some dinner at the bar. Ordered the scotch eggs, which were awesome. Lightly battered and cut into quarters. The mustard sauce was a perfect side to the egg! Also went with the mac & cheese which was so creamy… big fan! Finished with the hanger steak, which was good… a tad on the salty side, but so tender and flavorful otherwise.
Chef & owner said they’re changing the menu around soon to add some new seasonal items. Look forward to checking the new menu out in a month or so.

I’m only reviewing this based on my social visit, not dinner. I didn’t eat there so I can’t really comment. I loved the feel of this place, with the copper metal accents and the open kitchen layout along with the exposed brick, it gives the space great character. The service at the bar was really good and a very friendly wait staff in general.
This was my first visit here and to this general area. It’s located in and around the NC Music Factory off Seaboard Lane/​Road? Anyway, they have weekly events here and from what I could tell, if you get here early enough, the patio at Bask would make a perfect spot to enjoy it all.
Here’s something I learned last night as well. The weekly events that are held at the NC Music Factory normally have a 10 – 15 $ cover, BUT, if you make reservations at Bask, it takes care of any cover charge for the events. So make a reservation, have some drinks and an appetizer on the patio and stick around to enjoy the show!

I want to like Bask. It’s over in the NC Music Factory, (which is a great spot if you haven’t checked it out yet,) and sits in a cool space that has a very industrial feel to it, with brick walls and nice lighting. I had high hopes. But in all honesty, aside from the company we were with, it wasn’t the greatest experience.
*Disclaimer*: this review is based off of my experience dining with a 35-​girl bachelorette party, which of course is going to be different than getting a table for two, for, or even six. For this reason, I will probably try it again. But if you are thinking about going with a large group, read on…
The PLUSes:
*when we sat down we noticed that they had put together a menu specifically for our party, with the bachelorette’s name on top. We all thought this was a nice personal touch (both on the bridesmaids side as well as the restaurant’s.)
*we had our very own waiter dedicated to our party. Having waitressed for many years, I thought this was strange to only have one person taking care of a party of 35, but I thought hey, he must be THAT good.
*they put up with our crazy bachelorette games the bridesmaids had planned. (My apologies if you were part of the nice party of four behind us trying to enjoy a quiet «couples night out» — we really didn’t mean to interrupt your dinner with flying «Weener Cleaner Soaps», and we hope we didn’t accidentally sprinkle your salads with «horny goat weed». Yup, all grown up, I know.)
*they did not rush us in the least.
The MINUSes:
*the menu, although it was a nice thought, didn’t go over too well. It took our food forever to come out (yes, even taking into consideration the large party), and some of the orders still came out wrong.
*about 30 minutes after placing our drink orders, we looked over to see if our waiter was on his way back — turned out he was still taking drink orders on the other end of the table. Not. Good. Thank god the bridesmaids were prepared with those games.
*from start to finish, it took us a very long time to get our checks and get out of there to continue on with our night. We sat down at 8:30, and it was 11:30 by the time we were able to pay our bills and get to Butter.
Overall, the food was okay — the caesar salad was pricey and a bit overrated, and the salmon was very salty and dry. But I do want to give this place another try with a table of two or four. I want to also add that they did make it right for us: after someone in our group spoke to the manager, they followed us over to Butter and got us all a table with free drinks. What more could a bachelorette party ask for? The timing even worked out for us, since we still had plenty of time to party, but just an FYI for large groups — be prepared to stay for a while. Hopefully a better update will follow…

Bask is one of those new restaurants that has been on my radar for a while. When I saw the Living Social deal, I jumped at the opportunity!
My first impression was, wow, this is going to be excellent. The space is open and inviting. It reminded me a bit of Southern Rail, a restaurant in Chapel Hill, modeled after a railroad car. The wood, ceiling, lighting – are all very sleek without being overly modern.
The two of us began with the Low County Crab Dip and the Tomato Bruschetta. Let me tell you that the crab dip was out of this world. It has a crunchy Parmesan crust on top served with those thick hand-​cut style potato chips. SOLD. So good that we could not stop eating it. The bruschetta was also great. The bread was a bit thinner than what I am used to and you could really taste the flavors. Definitely some dill in there.
I had the Vegetable Lasagna, which is noodle-​less. It was INSANELY good. They must put some kind addictive substance in there, and I am OK with that. I also tasted the NC trout. It was good, but it couldn’t quite compare to the lasagna. I want to try the Chicken 3 Ways next time.
We were so pleased with our meals so far that we each got our own dessert! I had the bread pudding. It wasn’t so much of a traditional bread pudding. It was a cross between a scone and banana bread slice type of thing. It was really good, but not what I typically would call bread pudding. The caramel sauce was excellent. We also ordered the apple turnovers. I couldn’t even snag a bite, so they must have been that good!
Our service was great. The drink I ordered could have been a bit stronger. I am not a fan of weak drinks, especially for what you pay. That’s the only thing I can really say that disappointed me about the whole experience. I can’t wait to go back!

We hit Bask the other night for a Unilocaly Hour, along with a few other folks. Even long-​lost Bill F. and our favorite Norcal Nutjob Crazy Hazy came by to see what was happening.
What they found was a great atmosphere. The interior of Bask is awesome. It even has a sort of log cabin aroma. The long, narrow room almost gives it a Scandanavian feel. If there was a raging fire and we had access to some horned helmets, it would have definitely been like a Viking longhouse. A really nice Viking longhouse, but still.
The menu sounded interesting, but we decided against the suggestions of the server and went with the samosas. Short rib wontons if you need to ask. Really tasty. I would highly suggest these myself. The only downside? Really pricey for what you get (three relatively small wontons — not bad for one person, and even okay as an appetizer for two, but how do you split three among two people and it is way too small for three).
As to the Unilocaly Hour? The black bean dip was tasty, but that could be attributed to the fact that they deep fried the pita chips. Deep fry anything and it is likely to be good. Like my man Will says, the chicken sandwiches totally missed the mark, and I cannot say that the jalapeño poppers were worth the trouble.
I actually thought they could have been crab cakes. I did not taste jalapeño or cheese or anything else you usually associate with a popper. For that matter, I really missed crab or anything else, and was just reaching, but I felt it closer than jalapeño. Still, it was nice of them to put something out for us, and the place is very nice looking, so when you have a nice place and free food, how bad can it be?

Stopped in for a Unilocal Happy Hour and I liked what I saw, for the most part. First off, the interior is super nice, with exposed brick on the wall and modern fixtures throughout– both in lighting and seating– creating a nice, chic ambiance that was sophisticated without being stuffy. Kitchen is partially open and you can see all the prep going into the meals. Off to the side is a small but adequate bar with a full range of offerings.
Importantly, the drink menu is worth a gander as the offerings go far beyond the usual well drinks and mixers. Divided between Vodka, Gin, Bourbon and Champagne (made with cava), there are multiple delights here that show flairs of originality and playfulness. For example, how about a Champagne Julep?
During our visit, the special was a gin drink with ginger and pomegranate liquor. Now I know what you’re thinking, Gin = taste of pine tress, but no dice at Bask! They use Bluecoat American Gin, which is mild but still complex. The mix of flavors in this drink were seriously good and both the wife and I thought it was a highlight of the night. Sadly, nothing on the drink menu comes in at under $ 10, but at least there is some artistry at work here.
We did not get the full dinner treatment here, but did sample a variety of apps. I did enjoy the black bean and garlic hummus with pita. The jalapeño poppers were a little messy and lacking for meaningful flavor, kinda like they were made elsewhere, frozen and popped in a fryer. The other option wasn’t one the menu and I hope it stays off– mini chicken a-​la-​king. The mini breads this item was served on did not have a good mouth feel and again tasted as if they were made elsewhere and brought back from a frozen state.
The menu, however, did look more promising. Mostly meat based, with plenty of steaks and burgers along with a couple fish options and a pork dish. There was a veggie lasagna features as a main dish and a veggie burger that, based on the description, may just have been a lot of veggies. There is enough here, though, that I’m intrigued to come back and try some things.
Bravo to these guys for putting something new on the restaurant scene and for creating options you can’t find at most other moderate to upscale places around town. It’s worth you time to stop in and find your own favorites here.

How did I not know about Bask? Apparently, I’m not the only one seeing the crowd that was there on Thursday night, I don’t think many people know about Bask so they possibly need to up the ante in that department. I checked this jewel of a place out at the Unilocaly Hour and can’t wait to go back for a real meal! Unilocalers took over the bar area while there a few booths and seats occupied in the place by others. They have a seating area that looks right over the kitchen so you can watch them cook your meal while enjoying a drink along with booths lining the walls with tables in the middle of the restaurant. The setting is very chic and modern — no overwhelming or obscure artwork, music, what have you, it was just perfect. We had some nice drink specials offered to us plus an appetizer spread with delectable bites such as jalapeño poppers and black bean hummus.
If you’re looking for a menu the size of the Cheesecake Factory, Bask isn’t the place for you. They offer simple, classic dishes with a mix of comfort at affordable rates. Not like Denny’s rates or anything but reasonably priced for the quality of ingredients they offer. I also found out they offer Sunday brunch so this could be an awesome place to stop at when you’re looking to mix it up from the regular brunch establishments in the QC. They have a few parking spots in the front and parking in the back or you can park off the street. I imagine their patio would be a sweet place to plop down at while a concert is going on. All in all, a solid place that I look forward to trying again!

Food was excellent! Portion sizes were appropriate (vs. a plate full of stuff). No dogie bag necessary. Our meal was the Valentine 4-​course meal @ 2 for $ 80. Service was prompt and courteous and the owners stopped by our table. We arrived before the crowd so there was no wait. Restaurant had been open 1 – 2 weeks. Great ambiance. Beautiful setting and excellent light — low but you can see the menu without eye strain.

Clearly Bask is keeping the new lunch hours on the low low:-) I mean with food this good, how can my fellow foodie and I be the only folk there during lunch? Hey, your lost not mine… I love what the owners have done with this small space, it’s quite intimate and cozy. Following the recommendation of Alex, we started off with the Scotch Eggs (boiled eggs wrapped in sausage dipped in panko and fried)…ummm very different but not bad at all. The crab cake sandwich with fennel slaw was simply awesome! Chef Chuck made several spreads for me to try with it and they were all great… ahhh the luxuries of being the only one there for lunch:-) The mac n cheese was very rich and saucy but definitely a winner. We wrapped up our lunch with the homemade peanut butter chocolate ice cream… yummy! I can’t wait to go back to use my
certificate…fyi!

3.5 stars… bumping to 4 stars for service.
I’ve been wanting to try Bask for a while now & I had the perfect opportunity to do so last week. Hubs & I rolled into Bask at 6:30 on a Friday night… we wanted to grab a tasty dinner before heading to a show at Ovens. Inside Bask is pretty cool — high ceilings with exposed duct work, slick floors & tables and an overall smooth vibe. At 6:30 pm, the place was pretty dead on a Friday, but no worries.
Staff were all very kind and laid back and were happy to make suggestions and walk us through the menu. The chef, Chuck, also came out mid meal to ask us how everything was and requested honest feedback. This is huge to me, especially with a newer restaurant. Chuck also gave some great suggestions on tailoring the meal…
Once seated we took a look at their very creative and cool cocktail menu, complete with varying & creative drinks — gin, vodka, champagne — you name it! On to the meal!
A couple things I ordered…
Citrus Fizz: ³⁄₅: I love champagne, so this citrus, champagne concoction looked interesting. It tasted just fine, but $ 12 for what seemed like a lemondrop shot in a champagne flute seemed a bit steep. The portions, however, were fairly generous for a champagne cocktail.
Low country crab dip: ⁴⁄₅: Delicious steamy crab dip with fabulous homemade kettle chips. Great flavor and a perfect starter. My only complaint? I wish the chips were just a bit more crispy.
Fried turkey BLTA: ³⁄₅: This could be a total stunner if a few tweaks are made. We asked for the red pepper aioli on the side (suggested by chef Chuck) which was perfect with the flavors of the turkey. My gripe? I bit through a handful of fat & gristle from the fried turkey.
Surf and turf: 3.5÷5: Delicious but heavy dish. The lobster saffron risotto was über creamy and super tasty and the short rib was well cooked. This was our last plate of the meal (so I was already pretty full) and thus had a hard time shoveling down this rich plate of food!
Overall it was a solid experience and I’m looking forward to trying Bask again!

Bask on Seaboard is a welcome addition to the Charlotte restaurant scene. When my husband first heard about it from the Music Factory developer, he asked what sort of food it was, expecting Basque cuisine. Instead Noah said «Gourmet». Thanks, that’s descriptive. But after eating there I don’t know that I could have done much better– it is gourmet, nouveau cuisine with some comfort foods in there, but not so 15 Northish comfortable. Hmm. Get on with it Jules.
Indeed the upfit of the space is gorgeous– loved the hammered copper accents, wide opening to the pristine kitchen and beautiful wood floors (which unfortunately still smelled of fresh lacquer which I hope wears off soon)! It reminded me a lot of Michael’s Genuine (Miami, Grand Cayman) in both décor and in ingenuity of menu items. Great start.
We ordered the french onion soup (4.5÷5) — this was a more savory version of the soup than Crêpe Cellar’s sweeter version but it’s heavy on the cheese.
We also had the blue crab cake (singular, unlike what the menu said) and it was delicious, though a bit cold in the middle. I loved that it wasn’t stuffed with breadcrumbs, just pure delicious crab. 4.5÷5
We also had the vegetarian lasagna upon recommendation of one of the lovely owners from England. It was indeed delightful and unusual and made with local vegetables. It uses zucchini instead of pasta, so it is much lighter and sweeter than you might expect. Perfect for a summer dinner in fact. Fantastic dish, could have been a bit hotter, but definitely would order it again though not if we’ve reached the «red zone» of hunger. ⁴⁄₅
To finish, we had the Guinness Chocolate ice cream which was another «must have» because the chef loves to concoct alcoholic ice creams. Just coming off my no sugar, no starches, no dairy 3 week cleanse, I said «don’t mind if I do!» It was absolutely divine and I detected a little coffee in there. It came with 2 chocolate dipped pretzels leaving us wanting more. We never just order ice cream as a dessert but we were not disappointed. ⁵⁄₅!
The bill for those things came to $ 45. The service was great, attentive and friendly and we thought so much of the place that we bought a gift certificate for my brother and sister in law. Great location near uptown, great food and great interior!
I really wish I could give it 4.5 stars, and I feel bad only giving it 4 but I only give 5 stars if it’s perfect. The heat issues and smell prevented the 5 star. I look forward to going back, trying more things and having a glass of wine! Maybe NYE?

I was extremely impressed with Bask. I went to one of the soft openings with a few friends and everything was amazing. The rugged, mixed textiles and clean whites make for a modern, classy setting. The restaurant and bar are just the right size to accommodate parties or dates and feel personal.

We shared some appetizers, which included the Scotch Eggs (must have), the Mixed Nuts, and the Jalapeño Poppers. The Scotch Eggs were hard-​boiled then crusted in sausage and fried! And the poppers were a nice twist, Jalapenos stuffed with pimento cheese, red peppers and then fried. I think we all had different entrees, which were all great. The Grilled Hanger Steak was cooked perfectly. The menu is set up in sections of appetizers, soups and salads, medium entrees, large entrees, and desserts. It was really nice if you know you can’t eat a ton. The best part was the dessert. We shared different ice-​creams along with bread pudding. The ladies had Guinness and chocolate ice cream! and the guys had Jack and coke ice cream, both of which were amazing. They also had a very impressive cocktail list.

All together I thoroughly enjoyed the meal and the atmosphere. I can’t wait to go back. I think its a great place to try for somewhere new and fun that you’ll end up making a regular date night spot.