Two friends, one dream — and a full menu of chef-inspired meals.
Edwin Hoyt IV and Nathan Roby are the owners of TerraFin Station in Garner, which in August celebrated its first anniversary. The restaurant’s creative name reflects its land-and-sea themed menu.
“Everything on the menu here is food I enjoy eating,” said chef Roby. “It’s comfort food, with a twist. Selection and variety are what people are looking for, and we’ve got something for everybody.”
With more than a dozen new dishes added to the menu in recent months, Roby’s not exaggerating. TerraFin’s menu extends from Classic Cheeseburgers to gourmet Lobster-Shrimp Mac-n-Cheese, featuring pan-seared seafood in a five-cheese cream sauce over penne pasta.
Ahi Tuna Salad combines grilled ahi tuna with sweet peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers and fried wontons, with sesame wasabi vinaigrette, made in-house.
“It’s a fan favorite,” said Hoyt, who operates the front of the house. “The name downplays how good it really is.”
The house specialty is steak — hand cut, Certified Angus Beef. Merlot and Garlic Ribeye is the restaurant’s biggest steak seller, born of a marinade recipe Roby developed years ago.
Other popular dishes include seafood jambalaya and baby back ribs. Wings are big here too, literally.
“We buy the biggest I can get my hands on,” Roby said. Added Hoyt, “People actually from Buffalo (N.Y.) come here, saying they’re the best they’ve had.”
Roby creates all dishes from scratch, including salad dressings, sauces, soups and even fries. He’s also intent on using North Carolina-sourced foods, including all-natural Ayden catfish and organically grown local produce.
“First, there’s all that North Carolina has to offer. Then, we live here, so we want to help support the local economy and farmers,” he said. “That’s important to me.”
TerraFin Station serves lunch and dinner daily, complete with kids’ menu, and hosts a late-night bar crowd, plus Sunday brunch and ballgame showings.
Roby, an Ohio native, and Hoyt, of New York, met as co-workers at the Bahama Breeze restaurant chain, where Roby was executive chef. Both have worked in restaurants since their teens.
Seeing a need for fine dining in Garner, they chose the Old Drugstore building on the corner of NC 42 and Cleveland School Road as home to their dream. Built in 1936, it’s among the area’s oldest buildings in operation, serving over the years as a gas station and general store. 
Now, with an understated décor, the restaurant offers ample dining space and a brick-walled bar, one of two full-service, ground floor bars.
It also boasts three meeting areas for banquets up to 100 people; upstairs features its own bar and private party room.
“We love the restaurant business, and love interacting with people,” Roby said. “When people leave here, we want them to feel they’ve just had a great meal at a great price — a great dining experience.”
WHERE TO GO
TerraFin Station, Garner
(919) 773-2220
www.terrafinstation.com
