The floors are Moroccan tile, lit from above with light fixtures of pale golden straw. The huge bar is a statement piece, glazed in mosaic tile arranged in a pattern of waves, all purple and blue and pink and gold. There are palm fronds and bougainvillea, and the air is lightly scented with coconuts.
Am I still in Augusta?
No — but I am in North Augusta, at Drift Raw Bar.
Drift, which reopened as a full restaurant earlier this year, is located just above Southbound Smokehouse. Its Facebook page says it’s “Aloha meets the lowcountry” — and who wouldn’t be intrigued by that vibe?
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My friend Tricia got dressed up with me to try Drift — and we weren’t the only table enjoying a girls’ night. Plus, the GreenJackets were playing a home game at their next-door ballpark, with several groups ordering shared plates and drinks and watching the game at tables and sofas on the bar’s generously sized porch.
While we weren’t drinking that night, I did look at the drinks menu, which takes up one side of the menu. There are inventive cocktails, such as a salted macadamia old fashioned and a spicy grapefruit margarita. Espresso martinis include a peanut butter mocha in Mexico, a dirty banana, or you can order a flight of three. You can also order draft beer or a can or glass from a long list of favorites (there are also canned cocktails in assorted flavors), or wine, champagne (including Veuve Clicquot) and prosecco. There are also two mocktails, and a signature shooter, the Hawaiian Tropic, with Don Q Coco rum, crème de coco and mint leaves.
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On the flip side, the food menu is made up of shareables, from raw bar dishes to small plates to dips. Like many restaurants these days, there are house deviled eggs and a charcuterie board — and Drift’s eggs have a twist, tinted with beet brine. Then there are James River oysters on the half shell, a ceviche of the day, or black lumpfish caviar with housemade potato chips. On the Southern side, there are spicy peach wings, a pimento cheese dip, and pork sliders, while on the exotic side, there are shrimp sliders, pot stickers, truffle edamame, avocado smash bites and so much more.
We decided three share plates would do and, relaxing in our comfortable chairs, ordered up the ceviche, the shrimp sliders and the peach wings as a nice variety to share for a light meal.
The ceviche, when it arrived, was gorgeous, set off with plumeria flowers. We’d neglected to ask what the fish was that day, but it was firm and white and citrusy, with dash of heat and mixed with sweet tomato, crisp onion and a touch of cilantro. To scoop it, we had plantain chips, an unusual choice that was a little sweet, a little salty and a little floral.
Five peach wings came on a long black dish with a delicious slice of caramelized grilled pineapple. Aloha, y’all. The wings had a little bit of a kick and a great sweet and sour flavor.
And best of all were the shrimp sliders — which our server had promised was out of this world. It was essentially a warm marinated shrimp salad, formed into a burger, on a sweet roll with a bit of red cabbage slaw — simple, but with all the right flavors and great plump shrimp, perfection.
Drift Raw Bar knows its clientele — groups ready to enjoy some great drinks, nosh on some tasty bites and enjoy the view. So want a taste of the islands? It’s just a short drive away.
Make Your Reservation
Drift Raw Bar
1009 Center St., North Augusta
Find them on Facebook
Entrée cost: $11 to $26 (caviar is market price)
