At this new Raleigh steakhouse, everything has to be ‘epic’ (even the popular cheesy toast)

“Is it epic?”

That’s the million-dollar question for the managers of a new restaurant, Epic Chophouse , which is opening in Raleigh’s Brier Creek Commons shopping center this year.

Whenever there’s an idea for a new design feature or a menu addition, the managers won’t move forward unless they answer the question in the affirmative.

“Everything needs to look and taste epic,” said Rick Mack, a member manager at Epic Chophouse.

Mack, who is also the architect and general contractor of the new restaurant, said he and his business partners hope to open the Brier Creek location in late fall or early winter .

Epic Chophouse locations

This will be the fourth location for Epic Chophouse, which was founded in Mooresville, North Carolina, in 2010. Since then, the restaurant expanded to Fort Mill in South Carolina and most recently opened in Greensboro, North Carolina, in May.

Co-owner Larry “Mooch” Sponaugle is behind the name of the restaurant. Actually, his kids are, Mack said.

Sponaugle heard them often using the word “epic” to describe things, and after a few weeks of considerations, the restaurant team decided to name the restaurant “Epic.”

Ken Higgins, originally hired as a manager at the Mooresville location, and Kurt Swearingen, originally a general manager at the Fort Mill restaurant, have since become operating partners of Epic Chophouse. Mack said they are responsible for hiring and maintaining the company’s culture of hospitality.

Swearingen looks for new hires to be “dripping hospitality,” Mack said.

Epic’s popular dishes: steaks & cheesy ‘crack toast’

Epic Chophouse prioritizes steaks , which are aged for at least 35 days. The most popular order is the petite filet , Mack said, an 8-ounce cut.

But there are other meat options, including the Lowcountry pork chop , a breaded and pan-fried, 14-ounce, bone-in chop with red eye gravy, served with grits. Epic also serves chicken and seafood dishes.

But what diners really go crazy about is the chophouse cheese toast appetizer, a toasted baguette topped with a four-cheese spread.

Customers have nicknamed it “crack toast,” Mack said, because once you’ve started eating it, stopping is hard.

“People just rave about it,” Mack said.

When it comes to beverages, Epic Chophouse prides itself on its wine list , which spans a range of price points. A glass is an 8-ounce pour, so Epic typically gets three glasses per bottle, rather than four.

Not your old, stodgy steakhouse

The wine collection isn’t just for consuming. It has also become a focal point in the dining room. It’s one of the ways the restaurant hopes to incorporate contemporary design trends.

Mack said the steakhouse isn’t stodgy and dark, though it does have reclaimed wood floors, wooden frames around art and a wooden bar.

Custom blown-glass light fixtures were created by Cleod Glass + Works .

Ask the North Carolina Service Journalism Team

Have a question about your community you’d like answered? Or maybe a tip or story idea you’d like to share? The service journalism teams at The News & Observer and The Charlotte Observer want to hear from you.

• If you have a question about the Charlotte area , send The Charlotte Observer team a question by submitting questions to this form .
• If you have a question about Raleigh or a Triangle area community, send The News & Observer team a question by submitting questions to this form .

Chapel Hill’s new Chick-fil-A to hire 100+ employees & late-night mini golf spot opens

An all-day Colombian restaurant is opening soon in Raleigh. Take a sneak peek at the menu