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If you’re looking to impress a date, take them to Cortez, a seafood hot spot that serves gambas al ajillo, North Carolina snapper ceviche, and shrimp criollo tacos with charred sweet peppers. The drink menu also features standouts like the Dreamcatcher cocktail with cachaca, gin, pineapple, hibiscus, and mint, and a great South America-heavy wine list. The vine-covered patio out front, which feels like somewhere you might see celebrities in LA, only adds to the romantic atmosphere.

After years of working at some of Raleigh’s most iconic restaurants (The Rockford, Wye Hill, MOFU Shoppe, Cortez)—and recently scoring a second-place nod on Chopped to boot—chef Kevin Ruiz is putting his name on the map with Bendito (literally translating to “blessed”), which opened in May at McNeil Pointe to a plethora of fanfare. An homage to his grandma and the food he grew up eating in Puerto Rico, the menu features traditional dishes with a tasty modern twist based on Ruiz’s experiences—think pork belly empanadas, shrimp ceviche and branzino for dinner, and eggs Benedict with chorizo, and pernil and grits for brunch. Bless your dining experience even further with a refreshing cocktail that’ll transport you straight to the islands.

Oscar Diaz, a 2019 James Beard nominee for Best Chef: Southeast, helped open The Cortez in 2017, a fresh seafood and cocktail restaurant housed in a gorgeous space in downtown Raleigh's Glenwood South district. The Cortez features freshly prepared seafood with a globalized pantry, working with local purveyors and fisherman to source responsibly caught and raised products and offer a rotating selection of fresh oysters obtained both locally and nationally.

Full of vibrant colors and flavors, Cortez is the perfect spot for your next insta post!. Snap a pic by the greenery wall or under the twinkling lights on the patio; either way you can’t go wrong. The menu at Cortez is updated daily, but the one thing that will never change: the bread and weed butter and we cannot stress this enough, order it.

Cortez is a great Mexican-American restaurant in Raleigh where you’ll find fresh seafood, plates to share, and tropical-inspired cocktails. Oscar Diaz, the executive chef at Cortez, scours local markets for local seafood each week for top-tier ceviche. At Cortez, you’ll always know that the food is fresh.

oysters on the half-shell, super-fresh ceviches punched up with citrus and spice, and plenty of plates starring N.C.-caught fish, including seared big-eye tuna, grilled swordfish, and whole red snapper. Don’t miss the gambas al ajillo, shell-on shrimp sauteed in a garlicky lemon-butter sauce.

The Cortezis a fresh seafood and small plates experience with a freshly kept selection of tropical cocktails that draw on their food travels through the years and Mexican-American heritage. "The Cortez isn’t an ordinary seafood restaurant. It surprises and delights at every turn." ~ The N&O

There is a Mexican flavor to many of the dishes on the menu at Cortez Seafood and Cocktail. The Mexican theme also extends to the cocktails on the drinks list. Each of the dishes on the menu is created using food sourced from the local farmer’s market and local seafood suppliers.

Experience the taste of the coast at The Cortez Seafood + Cocktail. This trendy restaurant offers a menu of coastal-inspired flavors with a modern twist. From their fresh oysters to their creative ceviche, The Cortez Seafood + Cocktail is a culinary playground for seafood lovers.

Open for patio dining, vibrant Cortez on Glenwood South boasts oysters and other seafood dishes made of local North Carolina fish like Grilled Whole N.C. Mackerel and N.C. Snapper Ceviche-the ultimate food group to enjoy outside. 413 Glenwood Ave, Raleigh| cortezraleigh.com

My current favorite restaurant for a date night/friend in from out of town, let's have a great meal, is Cortez on Glenwood. Seafood forward, Mexican tinted, really high quality stuff.

413 Glenwood Ave, Raleigh, NC 27603Phone: 919-342-8227 Visit Website. View this post on Instagram. A post shared by The Cortez Seafood + Cocktail (@cortezraleigh)