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The Hackney is a James Beard nominated farm to table restaurants in Washington NC serving a seasonal menu featuring wonderful local North Carolina seafood and produce sourced daily from local fishermen and farms. We also have a cocktail bar serving delicious craft cocktails and an award winning distillery that makes botanical style gins and a vodka.
Address and Contact Information
Address: 192 W Main St Suite A, Washington, NC 27889
Phone: (252) 623-2368
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THE HACKNEY | Restaurants in Washington NC | Cocktail Bar
Welcome to The Hackney Restaurant, Cocktail Bar & Distillery. Opened in 2019 we are firmly established as one of North Carolina’s top-rated restaurants.
The Hackney Restaurant – Washington, NC – OpenTable
The Hackney offers a delightful dining experience with “excellent food and service” and a “wonderful atmosphere.” The menu features locally sourced, seasonal …
The Hackney (@thehackneywashingtonnc) · Washington, NC
Chef Jamie Davis @carolinachef JBF Finalist Best Chef Southeast serves a Southern Eclectic Seafood Led Menu featuring locally sourced ingredients.
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Reviews
Joel Queen
To start, the atmosphere of an old bank is super fun, the service was great, the drinks were killer, and the food was top notch. My wife and I stopped in for lunch and were not disappointed. Got to talk to the chef right before he prepared our meal. Had the fish collars with a mango chutney for a starter, followed by the tile fish, served on a bed of creamed corn, with smoked trout roe and a Korean fried soft shell crab sandwich with hand cut, Parmesan, truffle fries. The menu changes often but can’t say enough good things.
… moreMJ Worldwide
I write a lot of reviews and eat a lot of delicious meals, however, it is rare to experience a local meal in such an innovative and welcoming location. This renovated bank and previously multi-use property is so grand and gorgeous, but still chic and impressive. Fine dining in a historic location really provides guests the opportunity to experience the grandeur of the past and the very best of the present. It’s hard to believe a restaurant like The Hackney is available in eastern North Carolina. The vibe definitely gives New York, Chicago, Los Angeles. This is such a gem. Additionally, the beautiful thing about this restaurant, it is also a distillery! Gin is distilled visibly behind the bar. The combination of farm to table dining as well as house made high-quality liquor is truly an elevated experience for anyone who comes in the door. I would recommend visiting sooner than later because Chef Jamie has already been nominated for a James Beard award so it is only up from here for The Hackney. Make your reservation today! Lastly, chef Jamie is the creator of the grit crouton so if you see it anywhere, just know this is his innovation. The grit crouton time is one of the most delicious things I’ve ever tasted in my life, order the Caesar salad salad!
… moreRenee Dunn
What a wonderful experience!! One of the best meals I’ve ever had! Great people with a community supported source for as much as they can get locally. From the servers to the owners everyone was friendly. Nick and Susanne have an outstanding place. The interior is beautiful and historic. The Gin they brew and also source locally is so good. Nick gave us a personal flight tasting educating us about gin and the process they us. Chef Jamie is a genius with his preparation of dishes!
… moreChristopher Shaw
What a true gem in Little Washington, NC. We stopped in for lunch and instantly fell in love with banking theme. As it turns out, the Hackney distills their own gin and vodka. We enjoyed two appetizers. First was the pork belly and the second was the soft shell grab. Both delicious!
… moreAli Hayn
Meats were cooked perfectly. Great environment and staff was attentive. My daughter is vegetarian and sometimes struggles but we had the grilled peach starter with the corn risotto and was also able to get an order of the truffle fries. She was quite pleased. 10/10 would highly recommend to anyone who appreciates good food and willing to pay for it!
… moreJacob Roege
Just for context: I have been to many wonderful “fine-dining” restaurants, and enjoy trying new places, new experimental flavors, experiencing amazing food cultures and experiences.
The food was perfectly cooked except for the toffee pudding, which I think was put in the broiler a little too long so part of it mostly tasted burnt, but the parts that didn’t were delicious. Nothing too experimental which you wouldn’t expect in a beautiful, little town in NC, but had delightful twists on staples. Cheesy polenta instead of croutons, swordfish paired with lobster and a pea/basil sauce, a delicious amuse bouche of a shot of apple/sweet potato bisque. Our service was very friendly but not what I would expect for the prices. We didn’t get an order taken for about 10 minutes, the waitress (again, very sweet) was mumbling so much neither my husband or I could understand often what she was asking… It was not bad service, I just think when dinner is $100/person or more, part of what you’re paying for is the service of a fine dining caliber. That all being said, I think for how delicious and well cooked the food was (besides the dessert) we might go back for a special occasion. It was our anniversary and we still enjoyed a lovely meal even if it wasn’t perfect ❤️
… moreThe food was perfectly cooked except for the toffee pudding, which I think was put in the broiler a little too long so part of it mostly tasted burnt, but the parts that didn’t were delicious. Nothing too experimental which you wouldn’t expect in a beautiful, little town in NC, but had delightful twists on staples. Cheesy polenta instead of croutons, swordfish paired with lobster and a pea/basil sauce, a delicious amuse bouche of a shot of apple/sweet potato bisque. Our service was very friendly but not what I would expect for the prices. We didn’t get an order taken for about 10 minutes, the waitress (again, very sweet) was mumbling so much neither my husband or I could understand often what she was asking… It was not bad service, I just think when dinner is $100/person or more, part of what you’re paying for is the service of a fine dining caliber. That all being said, I think for how delicious and well cooked the food was (besides the dessert) we might go back for a special occasion. It was our anniversary and we still enjoyed a lovely meal even if it wasn’t perfect ❤️
David Yamane
My wife Sandy and I first visited The Hackney the year they opened, in October 2019 (see some of my review from that visit below – edited bc Google word limit exceeded). We’ve been trying to come back since then but only just made that happen this week. I stand by everything I said in my original review, which was well before Executive Chef Jamie Davis became a James Beard Award Finalist for Best Chef Southeast. A well-deserved acknowledgment of his work here.
Sandy and I had dinner on back-to-back nights. We regret that they no longer do a Sunday brunch as they did in 2019 so we couldn’t do the trifecta. (They do serve lunch from 12-2p on Saturdays.)
Since my original review was comprehensive and still applies, let me just highlight some questions that this visit answered for us:
(1) Can you take a perfect cocktail like The Last Word or Corpse Reviver No 2 and make it a “G&T” by adding tonic to it? Yes, yes you can. I was a bit concerned about doing this, but found the drinks quite refreshing as an appetizer companion compared to the originals.
(2) Are those really collard greens? Yes, yes they are. Sandy and I kept asking ourselves that as we enjoyed the NC Collard Green Salad on day 2 (sorry, we ate before the camera). We’ve both eaten a lot of collards but nothing as crisp and refreshing as this salad.
(3) Can you put trout in shrimp bisque? Yes, yes you can, especially if you put it on a bed of rice and shrimp. I was delighted at how well the bisque complemented the trout without overwhelming it.
(4) Can you eat lionfish? Yes, yes you can. And if you serve it whole (bone in) and chicken fried you capture all of the juiciness of the meat.
Between the trout and the lionfish I would choose the trout, but in 5 visits to The Hackney over 5 years I’ve never been disappointed in a menu item I’ve chosen.
Congrats to Chef Jamie. Thanks to our server on both nights, Kayla Lilley, as well as the entire wait staff who chip in as needed. Owner Susanne worked front of house and made us feel very welcome, and we enjoyed re-connecting with owner Nick after so many years. Hope to see y’all again in fewer than 5 years!
SNIPPET OF ORIGINAL REVIEW FROM OCTOBER 2019:
This is objectively a 5 star restaurant, but compared to the other dining options in Washington, NC it is a 6 star restaurant. We stayed in 2 days we ate there 3 times (drinks/appetizers, dinner, and brunch).
After another disappointing dinner in Washington, we decided to stop in at The Hackney on a Friday night. We were going to just get some drinks but saw an option for a you-pick-3 cheese plate for $13. Hard to pass up, and it turned out to be lovely, with a delicious pear jam and house made crackers to accompany the local cheeses. The bartender, Riley, also slipped me the extensive gin menu, and there a beautiful relationship was born. The cocktail menu is also remarkable, notably the Pimms Cup with house-made Pimms.
About the food: Delicious. Although I badly wanted the Beef Wellington on the brunch menu, I was still a bit full from dinner the night before and needed to drive home so I opted for the ground filet burger. It was cooked to a perfect medium rare and well-seasoned. We even had a dessert with our brunch, the sticky toffee pudding which we enjoyed so much on two nights before on our first visit.
Hopefully I have given enough here to encourage you to give The Hackney a try. It is more expensive than the average restaurant in Washington, but well worth the added expense.
… moreSandy and I had dinner on back-to-back nights. We regret that they no longer do a Sunday brunch as they did in 2019 so we couldn’t do the trifecta. (They do serve lunch from 12-2p on Saturdays.)
Since my original review was comprehensive and still applies, let me just highlight some questions that this visit answered for us:
(1) Can you take a perfect cocktail like The Last Word or Corpse Reviver No 2 and make it a “G&T” by adding tonic to it? Yes, yes you can. I was a bit concerned about doing this, but found the drinks quite refreshing as an appetizer companion compared to the originals.
(2) Are those really collard greens? Yes, yes they are. Sandy and I kept asking ourselves that as we enjoyed the NC Collard Green Salad on day 2 (sorry, we ate before the camera). We’ve both eaten a lot of collards but nothing as crisp and refreshing as this salad.
(3) Can you put trout in shrimp bisque? Yes, yes you can, especially if you put it on a bed of rice and shrimp. I was delighted at how well the bisque complemented the trout without overwhelming it.
(4) Can you eat lionfish? Yes, yes you can. And if you serve it whole (bone in) and chicken fried you capture all of the juiciness of the meat.
Between the trout and the lionfish I would choose the trout, but in 5 visits to The Hackney over 5 years I’ve never been disappointed in a menu item I’ve chosen.
Congrats to Chef Jamie. Thanks to our server on both nights, Kayla Lilley, as well as the entire wait staff who chip in as needed. Owner Susanne worked front of house and made us feel very welcome, and we enjoyed re-connecting with owner Nick after so many years. Hope to see y’all again in fewer than 5 years!
SNIPPET OF ORIGINAL REVIEW FROM OCTOBER 2019:
This is objectively a 5 star restaurant, but compared to the other dining options in Washington, NC it is a 6 star restaurant. We stayed in 2 days we ate there 3 times (drinks/appetizers, dinner, and brunch).
After another disappointing dinner in Washington, we decided to stop in at The Hackney on a Friday night. We were going to just get some drinks but saw an option for a you-pick-3 cheese plate for $13. Hard to pass up, and it turned out to be lovely, with a delicious pear jam and house made crackers to accompany the local cheeses. The bartender, Riley, also slipped me the extensive gin menu, and there a beautiful relationship was born. The cocktail menu is also remarkable, notably the Pimms Cup with house-made Pimms.
About the food: Delicious. Although I badly wanted the Beef Wellington on the brunch menu, I was still a bit full from dinner the night before and needed to drive home so I opted for the ground filet burger. It was cooked to a perfect medium rare and well-seasoned. We even had a dessert with our brunch, the sticky toffee pudding which we enjoyed so much on two nights before on our first visit.
Hopefully I have given enough here to encourage you to give The Hackney a try. It is more expensive than the average restaurant in Washington, but well worth the added expense.
Jeremy Powers
What an all-around, wonderful experience! Lovely atmosphere; the food that Chef is cranking out is both beautiful and delicious; the wine list is broad and filled with delightful options; the cocktails are well made; and the service was very attentive. All this set in a gorgeous historic building that also houses one of the best gin distilleries in the world!
… moreAnn Spencer Bass
This restaurant checks all the boxes for a nice fine dining experience in Washington. The wait staff always does a phenomenal job and the cocktails are so good! Washington is so lucky to have a spot like The Hackney. Also- try the burger! It’s amazing.
… moreAmy Jackson
We are grateful to have this acclaimed restaurant and its James Beard finalist chef in our area of eastern North Carolina. The Hackney serves a gourmet menu featuring fresh local seafood, meat and produce. Dining there is more than a meal—it’s a special experience. For those who enjoy cocktails, the Hackney distills its own gin and vodka. Every meal there is a special occasion..
… more