New Southern diner Beasley’s Chicken + Honey serves food just like Grandma used to make-if Grandma ran a nice restaurant.

One of chef Ashley Christensen’s latest urban Raleigh creations, Beasley’s is becoming the place to get chicken pot pie and experience the lesser-known Southern practice of drizzling honey on fried chicken. 

Modeled after the Southern atmosphere Christensen was raised in, Beasley’s brings together the city, the country and the family.

A rising star in the world of cooking who found her passion while in college, Christensen has made Raleigh her home. She opened her first restaurant here in 2007 with Poole’s Downtown Diner, bringing back one of Raleigh’s first downtown hotspots.

Then, in 2011, Christensen opened three new ventures in an old Piggly Wiggly building at the corner of Martin and Wilmington streets. There, patrons can find burgers and sandwiches at Chuck’s, a diverse selection of cocktails at Fox Liquor Bar-and then there’s Beasley’s Chicken + Honey.

Roger L. from Yelp said it best:

“It is fried chicken done the way [Christensen] had it as she grew up,” he said. “If it isn’t spicy enough or crispy enough or whatever enough, get over it cuz she can’t live her life over to suit your taste.”

“Christensen-style” Southern fare is not common in the Raleigh area, but she brings her childhood to Beasley’s specifically through honey, commemorating her father’s bee keeping hobby. Fried chicken with honey is a staple of the menu, as is chicken and waffles.

“[It’s a] very Southern, comfort food type of thing,” Lindsey Harding, bartender and recent Meredith College graduate, said.

Beasley’s uses about 10 gallons of honey each week, according to manager Derek Ryoti . After trying a dozen different varieties of honey, the restaurant finally settled on local gallberry honey from Bee Blessed Pure Honey. Its taste and aroma is stronger than that of clover honey, one of the most common-and bland-varieties on the market.

The service was fast and my quarter chicken came on a tin platter with just enough honey to flavor the meat, without creating a messy scene.

And don’t forget the sides. Beasley’s has seasonal Southern sides including classic chicken pairings like bacon potato salad, sweet potatoes and biscuits.

But despite the wonderful, country tastes, I still knew I was downtown.

“I think that we offer food that I feel like is traditionally Southern but with more of an upscale twist to it,” said Jan Tate, waitress and UNC-Chapel Hill graduate.

The décor keeps that tradition.

Old-time metal stools and light hardwood floors bring in elements from industrial farming, according to Ryoti . But the blackboard-style menus on the wall and a well-stocked bar bring a decidedly urban feel to the corner diner.

The most striking feature, however, is the 24-seat table down the middle of the restaurant, meant to signify the sense of community and shared family meals, Ryoti said.

“Ashley Christensen is an amazing chef,” Ryoti said. “Her recipes are awesome….It’s delicious, it’s quick, it’s laid back, it’s fun.”

The portion sizes are a little small for the price, especially for dessert. Water and tea are also the only drinks with free refills as “soda pop” comes in classic bottles. But if you drink water and avoid dessert, a meal is usually less than $15.

The bar is also reasonably priced for downtown and has a number of local beers on tap.

“I was raised in the South on a farm, and so my mom and my grandmother did all the home-cooked Southern food out of the garden,” Tate said. “This is the closest I’ve found to what that really tasted like.”

One thing is for sure: Beasley’s is not Cracker Barrel. I, for one, am glad Christensen brought Grandma’s upscale Southern to Raleigh’s burgeoning city center.

 ”It’s the New South,” Ryoti said.