When it comes to restaurants in Charlotte with innovative fun food, The Cowfish Sushi Burger Bar takes the cake. This extraordinarily popular Southpark restaurant where a 90 minutes wait for a table is nothing, serves up burgers, sushi, burgers in sushi form, and sushi in burger form. It’s one crazy place. You may think it sounds a little gimmicky, but the food really works and it’s truly a food lovers paradise. Recently my son was given the choice of any restaurant in Charlotte for his birthday dinner. And you guessed it, he chose The Cowfish. My boy knows his food!

The menu reads like an encyclopedia, page after page of delicious temptations. There’s much more to choose from than burgers and sushi – wonderful appetizers, tantalizing salads, hand spun milkshakes, and sandwiches. You might want to study the menu at home to lessen your ordering anxiety. Even better, designate different people in your party to order off of different parts of the menu so you can sample a wide variety of things. Yeah, I like to be bossy like that.

Just in the burger category, there are approximately 16 specialty burgers to choose from, each one sounding better than the last.

But I’m getting ahead of myself because at The Cowfish you will not want to skip the appetizers. There are some excellent choices and the portion sizes are very sharable.

Birthday Boy

Coconut Martini (NOT for the birthday boy)

The Crab Rangoon Dip ($10) is always a favorite with wonton crisps and sweet chili sauce. The dramatic display of Coconut Battered Onion Rings with horseradish aioli and sweet chili sauce, gorgeously piled high on a plate will cause more than a few eyes to open wide in eager anticipation.

Other good choices are the Blackened Ahi Tuna Nachos, Crinkle Cut Fried Pickles, and Sweet and Spicy Thai Cucumbers (also available as a side).

The decisions don’t get any easier when it comes to sides. Choices include sweet potato fries, house seasoned fries, bacon coleslaw, sweet and spicy Thai cucumbers, grilled vegetables, crispy onion straws, edamame, and fried pickles.

The Deliverance Roll

No trip to The Cowfish should be considered complete without trying their signature Burgushi.  The Deliverance Roll ($14) consists of tender pulled pork, tangy BBQ sauce, and tempura onion strings rolled with seaweed and rice, tempura battered and flash fried, then topped with bacon coleslaw.

If that doesn’t suit your fancy, try The Taste Explosion Roll ($14) with ground beef, applewood bacon, fresh jalapenos and spicy cream sauce inside  a sushi roll coated with tempura flakes. Topped with marinated roma tomato and pepper jack cheese blend and drizzled with cashew cilantro pesto. If that doesn’t wake your taste buds up, nothing will.

Blackened Tuna Roll

If traditional sushi is your thing, there are more than 60 rolls to choose from or you can build your own.

Ok, so you’re beginning to see why selecting 1 or 2 things from the The Cowfish menu will be one of the hardest decisions of your week.

Sushi is best eaten in large quatities.

Luckily The Cowfish offers a Bento Box, which is an excellent way a sample a variety of things when you don’t feel like pigging out and ordering enough food for 4 people.

Because, be warned- Portions are LARGE, as you can see from the pictures.

Reuben Kulakofsky Burger

From the burger menu, you can’t go wrong with Porky’s Revenge ($12), a beef burger topped with pulled pork, smoked gouda cheese, crispy onion strings, bacon coleslaw, and tangy BBQ sauce.

Also a crowd pleaser is the Stringin the Blues Burger ($12), a beef burger dusted with blackening seasoning, topped with blue cheese crumbles, crispy onion strings, and homemade gorgonzola sauce.

Stringin the Blues Burger

Pastrami lovers may not be able to resist the Reuben Kulakofsky Burger which consists of a beef burger topped with pastrami, sauerkraut, swiss cheese, and a sweet chili 1000 island dressing.

Burgers are made from a half-pound of Meyer Natural Angus Beef (100% vegetarian fed and hormone and antibiotic free). Yes, that’s a lot of meat.

Porky’s Revenge

 The Cowfish tends to attract a young, professional crowd, but it is also a great place for a family outing due to their fabulous kids menu. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches rolled and cut to look like sushi? Awesome!

They’ve recently changed their reservation policies and no longer take reservations after 6pm. To make a reservation between 11am and 6pm, you must call at least a day in advance.

Grilled Salmon Salad with Sesame encrusted Goat Cheese and Cashews

 A creative menu, fresh foods artistically presented, large portions, and a fun environment. What’s not to like about the Cowfish? (Except the wait for a table.)

 The Cowfish

704-365-1922

4310 Sharon Rd (near Crate & Barrel)

Charlotte, NC 28211