Poole's

windsor thompson 2 months ago

After a long day at a conference here in downtown Raleigh i elected to reward myself by flying solo for my dinner at Poole's. I used to live right around the corner before I moved to Nashville. I arrived after nine p m and was promptly seated and immediately received by the wait staff. I love this place, and yet.I wish they had more gin varieties to choose from. My gyn and tonic was perfect. My yellow fin tuna was perfect and my side of caramelized carrots, were fantastic. After being amongst so many people today at this conference, I was grateful for an efficient table service that was never intrusive and always top notch in terms of support and care. So if you haven't been and you just want to grab a meal by yourself, this is a wonderful place to do just that. It's also a fantastic place where you can take a group or enjoy an intimate evening with someone special. You can easily carry on a conversation here. It's got a warm vibe to it. So much so that I'm reminded of the Danish word, hygge....cozy.

cindy morgan 5 months ago

Highly recommend, one of the best dining experiences, service and food outstanding. The salad was incredible super fresh and I loved the finely shaved cheese like a pillowy covering. Crusty bread is maybe the best bread in Raleigh. The gnocchi was super light and savory. My friend had the salmon and said it was fantastic. Oh and the fennel tarte was exquisite and something I wouldn't have ordered if our server hadn't provided such great recommendations, so glad we listened to her. We are planning our next visit.

Jonathan Frontado 2 months ago

This is one of those spaces that does half the work before the food even hits the table. It used to be an old-school diner, and a lot of that DNA is still there. The bones feel nostalgic, but the overall vibe is current and lively. It’s the kind of place that feels familiar but still cool. Service Service is where things really clicked. Our server knew the menu inside out and guided us through it with confidence. Every recommendation landed. It also felt like one of those menus where it would be hard to order poorly. The Food The menu leans comfort food with a modern edge, and it’s done really well across the board. We started with a Caesar salad with dill pickle dressing, which sounds like it shouldn’t work but absolutely does. Bright, fresh, and just different enough to be interesting without trying too hard. The beet salad was also excellent, clean flavors and well balanced. Then came the pimento cheese with fried crackers. This might have been the sleeper hit. The crackers are dangerously good. Simple idea, executed perfectly, and hard to stop eating. For mains, the fried chicken was solid but didn’t stand out the same way the starters did. The short rib pot pie, on the other hand, was exactly what you want from a dish like that. Rich, flaky, and deeply comforting. Overall Poole’s is the kind of place where everything feels considered, from the space to the service to the food. It’s approachable, well executed, and very easy to enjoy.

Calvin Tran 7 months ago

Overall a nice dinner experience. Staff was super attentive, great atmosphere, very nostalgic decorations. Dessert was star of the show with the Pear Tartin. Not too sweet, nice crisp on the tartin, ice cream was smooth, perfect amount of crunch. The Wagyu Royale was an oversold meatball. The Au Jus was nice, but couldn’t make up for the dryness. Lacking in salt and overall flavor. Not really enough cheese topped to complement the entire dish. Disappointing for what was expected, but not by any means bad. Pickle Juice cesar was awesome! Perfect addition of something new that added a little salt and tang to a well done cesar. Mac and Cheese was phenomenal! Depth of cheese flavors and melty underneath, with a crispy almost parmesan crisp on top. Wish the noodles were the larger mac style as to not give it a kraft mac and cheese feel. Great flavors and salt levels overall.

Andrea Martin 7 months ago

The chicken was for sure the best part of this meal and the only thing that was seasoned properly. After all the speak of the “Mac and Cheese” here, I was highly disappointed in the lack of actual cheese. Reheating leftovers the next day showed the insane amount of butter and lack of… cheese. The oysters were bland and the dish didn’t seem to go together. The server discussing the North Carolina Salmon had me cringing a bit. Overall nothing makes me want to go back here. I feel there is much better food in the area.