Review: James Pharmacy charms with eclectic seafood menu and dining room with a view
James Pharmacy doesn’t take reservations, so we decided to get there early.
Did I say early? Make that super early — as in 4:30 p.m. It was an unseasonably warm, sunny Saturday afternoon in late September, and we hoped to get one of the handful of tables on the sidewalk patio — a prime people-watching spot with a bonus view of Churton Street in historic downtown Hillsborough. We got there just in time to snag the last outdoor table.
A peek through the storefront windows revealed that nearly all the seats in the dining room were also full — a promising sign that the patio wasn’t James Pharmacy’s only attraction. Clearly, in the handful of months since the restaurant’s opening, people have discovered the charms of its eclectic, mostly seafood menu. A bar offering that includes pretty much anything you’d like, from Prosecco on tap, to a Bloody Mary bar doesn’t hurt, either.
We set sail, gastronomically speaking, with the Yacht Party, a seafood combination platter as lavish as its name: half a dozen oysters on the half shell, tuna poke (dressed for the occasion in a tweed of tuxedo sesame seeds), two kinds of ceviche (fish and shrimp), an addictive smoked bluefish dip, and Old Bay-dusted peel ’n’ eat shrimp. Most everything on the platter is available à la carte, but where else can you invite yourself to a party this posh for $29? Just saying.
The meal that followed was smooth sailing for the most part, though we did encounter choppy waters in the form of the greasy fries that came with the Coastal fried fish platter. The flounder itself, though, was clean and moist in a light, crisp seasoned breading, and served in generous portion with slaw, cocktail sauce and an herby house-made tartar sauce.
Our other main course was the fresh catch — pink snapper that night — and it was expertly seared, served over rice and a fresh-off-the cob Cajun corn maque choux. And a shared key lime pie with a pretzel crust (a refreshing change of pace, the saltiness playing counterpoint to the pie’s sweet tartness) brought us back into port in style.
We returned about a month later, again arriving early. This time we ate in the dining room, which was bustling when we got there a little before five, and packed half an hour later.
Located in the historic James Pharmacy building, the dining room is a narrow space with a bar along one wall, a row of simple wooden booths opposite, and a handful of tables in the middle. A nautical motif sets a beach-casual mood, with a few traces of the building’s heritage still visible in the background — patterned tile floors, exposed ductwork and a peeled-paint look suggesting layers of architectural history.
The address has been home to a string of restaurants over the years, most recently the Cajun/Creole eatery LaPlace. Owner Matt Fox, who also owns the popular Wooden Nickel pub next door, converted LaPlace into James Pharmacy in April. He hired Ben Braxton, a Hillsborough native whose career includes work under acclaimed chef John Currance, and most recently as sous chef at LaPlace, to take over the helm in the kitchen.
Like the dining room, the new menu retains a few vestiges of its previous incarnation, including the seafood gumbo we scored on that second visit. An exemplary rendition of a Creole gumbo, this one serves up jumbo shrimp, oysters and chunks of fresh fish in a classic okra-thickened tomatoey gumbo.
And there’s that Cajun maque choux, so good you may want to seek out other dishes that it accompanies — blackened scallops, say, or a starter of cornmeal-crusted fried green tomatoes.
Fried green tomatoes also play a leading role, along with a supporting cast of Alpine raclette cheese and local blackberry jam, in the fried green tomato grilled cheese sandwich that turned out to be the surprise hit of that second visit. A side of Old Bay fries, given a second chance, were on the money this time.
The gumbo and fried green tomato sandwich followed an eclectic trio of starters, of which mussels steamed in a Thai lemongrass coconut broth were the consensus favorite. Seafood chowder was unremarkable, mostly potatoes and precious little seafood. But crunchy-battered fried calamari, tossed with peanuts and cabbage in a glaze of spicy-sweet “crack sauce,” was a keeper.
We ended the meal with another taste of Louisiana: a rich, moist, crisp-crusty peanut butter Nutella bread pudding, garnished with sliced bananas and a dollop of whipped cream that melted as we dug into the warm deliciousness beneath.
I’m already charting our course for a return visit. I absolutely must try the fried whole fish that we glimpsed on the way to another table that second night. Scored before frying for optimal crispness, the fish curls up as it cooks and is presented on the plate to look like it’s still swimming.
I’d also like to try one or two alternatives to flounder on the Coastal fried seafood platter. The menu offers eight options, from catfish to scallops. I’m torn between the oysters and the clam strips.
But one thing I’m sure of: I’ll get there early.
James Pharmacy
111 N. Churton St., Hillsborough
919-932-0134
Cuisine: seafood
Rating: 3 1/2 stars
Prices: $
Atmosphere: beach-casual
Noise level: moderate to high
Service: friendly and attentive
Recommended: Yacht Party seafood platter, steamed mussels, fresh catch, fried seafood, fried green tomato grilled cheese, desserts
Open: daily 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., except Wednesdays, when the restaurant is closed
Reservations: not accepted
Other: full bar; accommodates children; limited vegetarian selection; patio; not wheelchair accessible; parking on street and in lot behind the restaurant
The N&O’s critic dines anonymously; the newspaper pays for all meals. We rank restaurants in five categories: 5 stars: Extraordinary. 4 stars: Excellent. 3 stars: Above average. 2 stars: Average. 1 star: Fair.
The dollar signs defined: $ Entrees average less than $10. $ Entrees $11 to $20. $$ Entrees $21 to $30. $$ Entrees more than $30.
This story was originally published November 11, 2019 at 11:06 AM.