Angus Barn Restaurant Review

Flashback to Fall 2017 and I had just started college at my incredible Alma mater Meredith College. I had ALSO moved down to Raleigh, North Carolina for the beginning of 4 years living in the South (see more of my Raleigh, North Carolina dining experiences here!). During those Fall 2017 months, I had learned about the ultra-popular and nationally well-known “fine Southern dining” restaurant: Angus Barn Steakhouse. Since learning about Angus Barn, I had been DYINNGGGG to try it myself but had yet to make it! HOWEVER, I luckily had the chance to fulfill my Angus Barn Raleigh dining experience dreams this past March 2024 with my best friend Alanna who also was eager to try too!!! Today, I am sharing my Angus Barn Restaurant review.

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Angus Barn in Raleigh, North Carolina Review

About Angus Barn:

Angus Barn Restaurant also widely known as “Angus Barn” is a fine Southern dining restaurant located in Raleigh, North Carolina serving American-style cuisine ranging from fresh seafood, upscale Southern comfort foods, and well-made in-house steaks (their notorious food!!). Angus Barn also has a vast list of wines and delicious desserts. Every Christmas season (November-January), Angus Barn decks out for the season and becomes a Christmas wonderland for all to enjoy! Angus Barn also has a first-come, first-served wine bar known as The Wild Turkey Lounge. Angus Barn also has an adorable gift shop aka their Country Store filled with North Carolina-made goods, including barbecue sauces and honey and hand-painted wine glasses dazzling with state flowers and birds. Guests over the years include Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and North Carolina-based politicians and pageant queens. Through it all, think: rustic elegance!

Dining there:

Angus Barn Restaurant in HIGH in-demand and a popular destination for North Carolinians from all across the state and out-of-state visitors, alike! That ALL being said, it is tricky to get a reserve ration especially during peak dining seasons (think warmer months and Christmas time for the notable decorations). It is recommended for ALL to get a reservation as soon as you know you would LOVE to dine there and when you know you can/are able to. Christmas reservations fill up MONTHS in advance. I booked Alanna and I’s reservation in January 2024 for March 2024.

Getting there:

CONGRATS! You’ve made your Angus Barn Restaurant reservation!!! Angus Barn is easy to reach as it’s located on Glenwood Avenue and easily reached off of I-40 with signs directing you once off the highway. There are tons of parking options, too!

Dress code:

It is important to note that Angus Barn Restaurant has a strict dress code of business casual with no tank tops, hoodies, revealing clothing, baseball caps, no offensive language, etc.

The interior design of Angus Barn Raleigh is known as rustic elegance with handmade quilts for sale on display AND taxidermy, too! There is an HUGEEE wall off of its staircase upstairs showcasing all of the notable guests who have dined there over the years. And, on the exterior, Angus Barn is LITERALLY a massive barn complete with a fireplace. One of my FAVORITE parts was simply sitting at our table and admiring the rustically elegant ambience that Angus Barn has to offer.

Alanna and I were treated like the QUEENs that we are (!!!!!) while dining at Angus Barn Raleigh. We got to sample some of their many wines on their vast list (I went with a delicious red wine!) and Alanna enjoyed a cocktail. Coming with our entrees, we got a complimentary cheese and crackers platter to share. Alanna and I both went with the steak of our choice entree combination that came with a choice of soup/salad, potato choice, and side. I ended up getting a short rib and Alanna got a roast (I think?!). All in all, the food and our server were extremely kind and took GREAT care of us!

Wrap-up:

After YEARS of wanting to try Angus Barn Restaurant, I am SO SO glad that I finally got to with my best friend who had the same desires to dine there as well. I was truly blown away by the service, interiors, and cuisines at Angus Barn. I hope to dine back at Angus Barn in the future with loved ones as many have done in generations’ past and will do for generations to come!

XOXO – Katie <3

April 23, 2024January 28, 2026

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Peak Bloom 2024

Flowers for Spring?!?! GROUNDBREAKING. On February 29, 2024, the Washington, DC area celebrated leap day with the announcement of the National Park Service’s Cherry Blossom Peak Bloom prediction for the upcoming Spring season. Peak bloom lasts approximately 7-10 days on a typical year. HOWEVER, little did we allll know, peak bloom lasted around 2 WEEKS (!!!!). Rarely does peak bloom happen for ~2 weeks and it was such an exciting time in the Washington, DC area. While the National Cherry Blossom Festival ended in Washington, DC on April 14 for 2024, the excitement of Spring and the blooms everywhere is still in the air!

Please note that this content is apart of my exploring the Washington, DC area series. For more information on planning your own trip to Washington DC (here), Northern Virginia (here), the Virginia Wine Country (here), Maryland (here), and beyond (here), please use the corresponding links for some recommendations and inspiration.

Personally, I never like to travel extensively during peak bloom/the National Cherry Blossom Festival, as it is such an EXCITING time of year here in my hometown. My best friends Haley and Shivani and I visited the blooms on the Tidal Basin this 2024 year AND have made it a tradition to do so in the future! Shivani and I went to see the cherry blossoms in 2022 (here) AND my influencer bestie Lindsay came with me last year (here). Also in 2022, Shivani and I attended the National Cherry Blossom Festival’s free opening ceremony at Warner Theater which was a CORE memory for us. Needless to say, cherry blossom peak bloom does nothing short of igniting incredible traditions and memories for me and my loved ones right in our own backyards.

Since the well-known beloved hollow cherry tree “Stumpy” is to be cut down as apart of a Tidal Basin restoration project, both Shivani and Haley and I on our two separate occasions to the Tidal Basin *HAD* to go pay him our respects. Stumpy is located just past the Tidal Basin further away from the Washington Monument and entrance to the Tidal Basin via coming in from the Smithsonian and Metro. We walked allll the way through and past the Jefferson Memorial – something that I had yet to do when visiting the Tidal Basin at peak bloom. I am someone who gets SOOOO triggered by crowds, however, over time, I have realized that seeing the cherry blossoms with all of their peak bloom glory is worth waiting in a packed group of people to see them. There is simply SO MUCH beauty in seeing the cherry blossoms in peak bloom alongside ALLL of the iconic Washington, DC monuments.

Washington Monument with Shivani

Tidal Basin with Shivani

Tidal Basin with Haley

The traditions made during peak bloom year after year are SO special. At the same time, I LOVE seeing ALLLL of the magic that is the National Cherry Blossom Festival here in my own backyard.

XOXO – Katie <3

April 17, 2024December 29, 2025

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The Life of Katie – March 2024

March 2024 started off as somewhat of a peaceful month and simply ramped up as the month evolved! After recovering from COVID in early 2024, I am OH SO HAPPY that March 2024 came and brought *none other than* Spring to the Washington, DC area (!!!!!). While a pretty busy month overall, it was also a pretty great month filled with lots of joy, memories made, and personal and professional accolades.

*Disclaimer: Please note that this post contains affiliate links, which means that if you purchase through one of my links, then I will receive a small commission. This commission is at no extra cost to you. Additionally, this post is not sponsored, and all opinions are my own.*

My Favorite Buys:

The first weekend of March after a brunch, I came home to some … Black Capped Chickadee Holiday hand towels gifted by my Mom. It was SUCH A SWEET gesture of hers and such a meaningful way to celebrate my platform with y’all since *of course* this blog is named after the Black Capped Chickadee!
I have been recently working with an incredible women-owned t-shirt brand: Mountain Moverz! Mountain Moverz’s focus is pretty incredible too – celebrating life’s peaks and uplifting during life’s valleys. The best part?! I will be continuing to share MORE about Mountain Moverz, including my exclusive discount code: KATIET20 (!!!!).
In March 2024, I got a bit into skincare. Through my Ipsy subscription (I talk more about that here) and some PR packages, I had some products on hand that happened to WORK (!!!!) for me. Those products in my skincare routine include: cleanser, SPF daily sunscreen, moisturizer, toner, and hydraulic acid serum. Moving forward, I am striving to keep my skin in good company!
I have been LOVING J Crew Factory’s Spring 2024 collection, SO I did a little splurge in early March and snagged *just* a few pieces that I have been LOVING, including this scalloped shift, a gorgeous midi dress (skirt here), and a pink ruffle neck suit dress!

Highs:

Papa celebrated another trip around the sun on March 11! The weekend before, I hosted a Birthday celebration for him with family at my apartment complete with taco salad, sheet pan nachos, margaritas, and ALLL things deer-themed (!!!!). About a week before Papa’s Birthday celebrations, my Aunt Amy and I enjoyed an amazing dinner with Papa at Ozzie’s Good Eats aka a favorite of ours. If you don’t know Papa personally, Papa is a HUGE deer lover and proud deer hunter. On Papa’s actual birthday, I treated him to dinner at a Northern Virginia restaurant staple and favorite of ours: Mike’s American. I had an amazing time showering Papa with SO MUCH love and celebrating him.

To enjoy the start of Spring in the Washington, DC area, my best friend Liz and I went to the gorgeous Meadowlark Botanical Gardens located in Vienna, Virginia. Liz used to work at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens, so she gave me the grand tour, which was AMAZING! We saw geese literally walking in our way – LOLLL! – coy fish, and a wide array of stunning flowers. Afterwards, Liz and I enjoyed an incredible meal at Westwood Country Club overlooking the golf course as we wined and dined. All in all, it was a very special day with a very special friend of mine!

Meadowlark Botanical Gardens:

Westwood Country Club:

My best friend Briana and I enjoyed an AMAZING brunch at a place we have been eager to try ever since it opened right on the waterfront at Washington, DC’s The Wharf … Limani! We had an incredible bottomless brunch 4-5 courses of small plates to be exact (!!!!) for a fixed price of $60 of delicious Greek fares. I LOVED the lamb, hummus and pita spread, baklava, and salmon egg scramble. I also ordered a delicious Spritz. Above all else, our experience was NOT rushed (!!!!!!!) aka a major bonus for Briana and I both and oh so nice to just simply enjoy one another’s company. The Sunday we dined was such a BEAUTIFUL day at The Wharf and around town, too! After our much needed time catching up with one another and devouring bottomless brunch, we headed up to the Penthouse which is used for private events AND will open up the public in the warmer months as a rooftop bar … HOW EXCITING!!!! All in all, an AMAZING afternoon with a great friend!

Cherry blossoms peaked again *just* before my trip to Ireland here in the Washington, DC area. My best friend Shivani came to town for a long weekend and I got to see the cherry blossoms at the Tidal Basin not once, but TWICE. I, then, hit the road for Raleigh, North Carolina for an incredible day of outreach at my Alma mater Meredith College. More on both in future posts! But, for now, I will share some photos below about my adventure to the Enid A. Haupt Garden near the Smithsonian Castle to see the gorgeous Magnolia trees before a celebratory birthday dinner for my best friend Haley. I wore a super fun PINK dress from Amazon (here) and got soooo many compliments on it, yet was also obsessed with this dress, myself!

After a basic search on the Visit Alexandria travel website, I found information on Old Town Alexandria’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade and sent it to some of my friends. My friend Haley and I decided to go and we had an INCREDIBLE TIME! We enjoyed getting to enjoy and see and learn more about the Irish culture and heritage that is preserved in Alexandria, Virginia and beyond. We also ran into a family friend of mine, Kelly, and had an amazing time getting in the St. Patrick’s Day spirit (!!!!!). With it being an overcast day, the crowds were not as crazy as we had expected which was super nice and we even got a great spot to catch ALL of the action, too. Afterwards, we took a stroll down to the waterfront via Captain’s Row’s stunning cobblestone streets to brunch at my favorite restaurant … Ada’s On The River (!!!!). With an amazing lunch, great memories made, and an immersive local cultural experience, Haley and I enjoyed one another’s company and getting in LOTS of steps!

The start of Spring arrived in the Washington, DC area this March 2024. The smell of Spring in the air, the flowers (and cherry blossoms!!!!) blooming everywhere, and *of course* the Spring fashion brings me SOOOO much joy. Being transparent over here that Winter 2024 was not the easiest for me after getting COVID and then a case of lingering COVID and having to spend a bit of the early months of 2024 in isolation, so Spring 2024 has been such a fresh start. To commemorate Spring 2024 and the then-upcoming Easter holiday, I put together an Easter tablescape to enjoy the season!

During the month of March, I discovered a brand-new happy hour spot in my favorite spot of Old Town Alexandria, Virginia: Mia’s Italian! At Mia’s, happy hour is primarily served at the bar and with pretty good deals, too. I came here once on my own and then again with my best friend Shivani when she came to visit and we did an Old Town Alexandria stroll. I spend LOTS of time in Old Town Alexandria especially to get my steps in via quick Metro ride and am SO SO SO happy that I was able to find a new spot that I LOVE there!

Happy hours + networking highs + office days galore as usual – LOL! My work can bring me joy, as I always strive to find the joy in my 9-5 life. I have become someone who LOVES networking (I plan to share more on that on this platform, too!). To kick off March, I shared a bit about the Women in Data Community of Practice that I co-lead at my company for a company-led symposium showcase. I had a booth and brought some chocolates, tons of props, and LOTS of information to share. It was a GREAT time to connect with my coworkers in-person, too! The next week, my Ignite Young Professionals class had a super fun happy hour at the Museum of Contemporary Art Arlington’s Innovation Studio Space in Arlington’s Pentagon City neighborhood where we had the pleasure of collaging over wine and beer together. I also attended a super fun Causes & Cocktails happy hour at Crystal City’s Water Bar which is a GORGEOUS space (!!!!) and got to connect with some incredible minds in the Arlington, Virginia community. And, last but not least, I got … UPDATED HEAD SHOTS at work!!! All in all, a great time!

Lows:

Seasonal allergies are ALWAYS a constant with the Spring months, in all of their glory. When the pollen count is high, many of us struggle with seasonal allergies including myself. Fun times *cough cough*!
Burnout was REAL for me during the month of March. As I was running around A TON throughout the month from showcase to class to happy hours to an outreach trip in Raleigh, North Carolina and everything in between, the burnout for sure gets REAL. To top it all off with additional fatigue via seasonal allergies can be tough, too. Needless to say, I am oh so glad that I kicked off April 2024 with a trip where I deleted *none other than* Teams, Outlook, and LinkedIn off of my phone to completely take a pause.
In my family life, we have had some stressful times that make me SO grateful for those that I love. While thankfully nobody is sick or hurt, the times have been a bit stressful during the month of March, which makes me SO thankful for my loved ones and that we are all in good health. Remember to tell those you love that you love them <3

ANDDDD onwards to April 2024 and beyond!!!

XOXO – Katie <3

April 16, 2024December 29, 2025

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What I Wore to Work – March 2024

From a symposium to multiple happy hours to class to an outreach trip in Raleigh, North Carolina, March 2024 was nothing short of a busy work month! I have been running around A TON in a shorter than usual work month, however, March 2024 has been one of THE MOST rewarding months for me professionally. Although I did encounter a bit of burnout, I am oh so glad about the impact that I was able to make throughout the month (and for a few days off towards the end of the month, too!).

Alongside a busy work month of March, I ALSO enjoyed my first full month of breaking out Spring 2024 fashion. Spring fashion ALWAYS feels like such a breath of fresh air after months of Winter. I get SO SO SO excited (just like most of y’all do!) for the pastels and bright colors of Spring! And, *of course* cheers to many more Spring/Summer fashion months to come both personally and professionally (!!!).

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