By Dathan Kazsuk
If you’ve ever had that moment—you know the one—where a restaurant manages to pull off everything it attempts without missing a beat, you’ve probably stumbled into Doc B’s. And now, lucky for Cary, we’ve got one of our own right inside Fenton.
Recently, I sat down (virtually) with Brian Wright, Vice President of Culinary for Doc B’s Fresh Kitchen, to talk about his journey, the food, and a few fun Easter eggs you won’t see on the menu.
It all started back in Chicago, where Doc B’s founder, Craig Bernstein, had a lightbulb moment after a casual basketball game with some restaurant folks sparked his interest in the industry. According to legend, Craig wasn’t your typical restaurant guy. In fact, he was inspired by his father, Dr. Robert Bernstein—a beloved OB/GYN whose values of care, connection and integrity became the soul of Doc B’s.
“I never got to meet Dr. Bernstein,” Wright told me, “but I’ve been working alongside Craig for almost 12 years now. And through him, I’ve gotten to know the family, his mother, his siblings… It’s more than just business.”
Doc B’s now has 10 locations across Illinois, Texas, Florida, Indiana—and with the Cary location, North Carolina joins the club. And while each spot shares the brand’s identity, Brian emphasized that they never copy and paste a concept.
“We always research the area,” Wright said. “I look at who the neighbors are, what other restaurants are around, what people are ordering, what they’re paying for it. But we never want to lose who we are.”
For Cary’s restaurant, that meant a little extra homework—and for the first time in Doc B’s history, they rolled out two menus: a lunch menu and a dinner menu. “We wanted to have a little more casual variety at lunch—lots of bowls, salads, sandwiches—and at night, we elevate it,” he explained. “You can come in for a wet-aged New York strip or a double-cut pork chop brined for 72 hours.”
One thing that stands out at Doc B’s is the wide range of options without falling into the trap of doing too much and doing it poorly. “Sometimes you see restaurants that just try to please everyone by throwing everything on the menu—burgers, pizza, sushi, whatever,” I told Wright. “But everything we tried at Doc B’s, it all worked. You nailed it across the board.”
I visited the night before our conversation for a sample of Doc B’s items, which included the the Killer Grilled Shrimp, Oven Roasted Chicken Wings, Chimichurri Steak, Knife and Fork Cobb, one of its many Wok Out Bowls and the Roadside Smash Burger. Yes, I was stuffed well before the plates were taken off the table!
“That’s exactly what we’re going for,” Wright says. “We don’t just add a dish because it sounds cool. Every dish has to have those ‘goodies,’ as we call them—something crunchy, something with a little zip, citrus, spice. Those little moments that make you say, ‘Wow, they thought about this.’”
When it comes to fan favorites, Wright shared that the Cary location’s Smash Burger is already stealing hearts, while the Knife and Fork Cobb salad continues its reign in Chicago and Dallas. And if you’ve had that Cobb salad—layered with applewood-smoked bacon, cornbread croutons and Danish blue cheese—you understand why it’s become iconic. “It’s a hot and cold composition,” Brian explained, practically salivating over the phone. “That cold, crisp salad paired with freshly sliced warm chicken… it just works.” That was one of my favorites during my last visit.
But Doc B’s isn’t just about the food—it’s also about subtle tributes sprinkled throughout the menu. Ever wonder why their famous chicken sandwich is called the Number Six? Turns out, that name is a nod to founder Craig Bernstein’s childhood memories of ordering a #6 at Wendy’s with his dad. “It’s simple, but there’s so much love and labor behind it,” Wright shared.
And if you see a cocktail called the Medallion 33, that’s another hidden homage: Craig’s grandfather drove a taxi in New York, and 33 was his cab number. “Craig’s very passionate about weaving these pieces of his family’s story into what we do,” Brian said.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a conversation about food in North Carolina without talking about sourcing. While Doc B’s runs a tight national ship across multiple states, Brian said they make it a point to partner with local suppliers wherever they can. “We met a great local seafood purveyor called Local Seafood, and we’re using North Carolina fish on the menu,” he said. “Our bread is baked locally too. I want to walk into our kitchen and know I’m serving the best ingredients possible.”
Even the beverage menu gives a nod to the local scene. “If you check out our beer selection, we’ve got some really cool North Carolina brews in there,” he added.
Looking ahead, Wright hinted that Asheville’s been on their radar, though nothing’s set in stone. “We’re careful with where we expand,” he said. “It has to be the right fit for us. We want it to feel welcoming, like Cary’s been.”
As for Wright himself, he’s still got his chef whites on, even after 31 years in the industry. “This isn’t a desk job,” he said. “I’m in the kitchen, in the dining room, talking to servers, plating food, watching what comes back. That’s how you stay connected.”
So next time you’re at Doc B’s in Fenton, ordering that Number Six or diving into a Knife and Fork Cobb, know that every bite has a story—a legacy that started with a doctor, was carried on by a son, and is served up daily by a chef who still believes in those little “goodies” that make a meal unforgettable.
