Kitchen

Been here over 15 times and had most things on the menu and I haven’t had anything that wasn’t delicious yet. Highly recommend.

Kitchen is a charming, small restaurant with a french bistro inspired menu. It’s owned by a nice couple — he’s the chef and she runs the front of the house. The pricing is moderate — not too high and not inexpensive. Can’t say that I’ve ever had a bad meal here.
Little cons:
They only serve wine and beer. And since they don’t take reservations you often have to wait — unfortunately you can’t wait at the bar and there is no lobby area, so you either stand in the doorway or walk over to the bookstore.

We’ve eaten here twice now and had a terrific experience both times. Service was polite and prompt. Had the Sancerre white wine which paired perfectly with our oysters. Love how they offer a handful of daily specials in addition to their regular menu. Will definitely be back!

This little gem of a place is easily passed since it blends in unassumingly to its humble surroundings. One of my favorite places in Chapel Hill.
The mussels and fries are a fixture on their ever changing menu, and unless you hate mussels, are amazing. I’ve tried two of the broth flavors and both were good. Lots of broth (good for taking home and reusing to flavor another dish… if you’re into that kind of thing).
Other dishes are pretty pricey but delicious. I’ve only ordered off the small plates section because I’m a student and am usually low on money (note taking the broth home for seconds above). This place is always a treat for me.
It’s a small space, very intimate feeling, got a decent bar with more wine than anything I’m guessing (haven’t looked too closely). Great service.

bless this establishment. Going here feels like escaping from the small bubble of chapel hill and into a cute authentic and crafted restaurant you would find in a metropolis. Great ambience and tasty food. Salmon with lentils is amazing, still gotta try those mussels. keep doing u

Cute bistro ambiance. They don’t take reservation for less than 6 and the person on the phone was not the friendliest when I asked if there were walk-in’s, he responded with «ah… I guess, you could try.» But, when we got there on a Friday night, it wasn’t that busy and had no wait so I don’t know why they were like that… Our server wasn’t the warmest either after finding out we weren’t ordering a drink or dessert.
For the food… it was ok. The escargot was my favorite dish of the night but I’ve had better. It was drenched with garlic which is probably why I liked it because I am obsessed with garlic.
My friend ordered the seafood pasta which from the bite I tried, it was good but nothing outstanding.
I also ordered the gnocchi which was good but again, not great.

We took my mother out to eat here for her birthday. We ordered a small plate of smoked fish, which was enjoyed by all, especially the smoked white fish salad (though I’m not sure what species «white fish» is…). My mother enjoyed the flounder special, though the sauce was a little on the heavy side. My wife ordered duck leg confit, which was delicious, but so heavy that she could barely move afterwards. I got the Provençal mussels and fries, a huge pile of mussels in a fragrant tomato sauce and a huge pile of fries. The mussels and sauce were outstanding, with some delicious anise overtones from Pernod liqueur; the fries were nothing special. We were too stuffed to try dessert. Service was quick and attentive. The atmosphere is trendy — very loud, so difficult to have a conversation here, especially for older folks like my mother. Well worth checking out if you’re in the area!

You might never think to try this unassuming little strip mall joint (right next to – no fooling – «Laundry»), but don’t miss it! Teeny but terrific, with creative dishes daily, each with a distinct style that allows all the ingredients to shine though. And the homemade bread is to die for!

Went again with a group of friends two weeks ago. The Thai mussel is a big plate and very delicious. I had the lamb belly, great! dessert is crème brûlée, a big surface of crust!!! I love it!

Came here for dinner on a rainy Saturday night. They don’t take reservations for small groups but I didn’t mind waiting for them to call at the nearby bookstore. My friend and I split the raw oysters, baked feta, and thai mussels. The baked feta was more cooked vegetables than I traditionally like but I soaked up every drop with the provided bread. The mussels were very well flavored and quite filling; we had to take left-​overs. The atmosphere was pleasant, would be a great date spot!

Been in ch for 4 years and this is my favorite restaurant– and not the most expensive.
Tried Mussels and NY Strip– Both are great. Make sure you order the mussels though.

Loving all things French I was excited to finally try Kitchen. We arrived just after the lunch rush so the service provided by Stewart was fantastique. We found two empty seats at the bar overlooking the kitchen and ordered two glasses of house red ($ 6.75) to start. Surveying their lunch menu I settled on the Mariniere Mussels and Fries ($ 15). Nice portion and the mussels were cooked well but the sauce fell flat and the fries were overcooked. My husband went with the Lunch Steak and Frites ($ 15) and thought even though the portion size was good the meal was Meh. We couldn’t help but compare Kitchen to our beloved Vin Rouge and because of that Kitchen missed the mark. With its lackluster atmosphere and food we will not be returning. I hate to give them 2 stars but the description is spot on with Meh. I’ve experienced better.

Terrific food in a casual bistro setting with a fun-​family feeling. Don’t bee off-​put by the strip-​mall setting, outside the chic boulevard of Franklin Street and downtown Chapel Hill. This small French country restaurant is simple but delightful.
We went at 8:30 on a rainy weeknight, since we heard there were no reservations and no real place to wait. The setting is admittedly unprepossessing, next to a laundromat, behind another restaurant which looks like a converted gas station. But once you’re inside, where we were warmly welcomed and seated immediately, all was well.
The bread was heaven, the roast tomato soup was divine. Oysters were nicely chosen and deliciously briny fresh. I had the hangar steak, perfectly cooked and with yummy pommes frites. I try try try to avoid French fries, but these were super-​scrummy, so I ate all of them. Wines were nicely chosen and reasonably priced.
A lovely meal for a rainy night.

Meh. Kind of pricey for the ambiance it offers. It’s like the menu of a fancy restaurant with the storefront of a french Chipotle.

Who would have thought that a restaurant in a small mall near a laundry mat would be this good? Oh man, you are in for a treat. Came here with my family for dinner and it was absolutely lovely. The place is small but quite cosy. We ended up sitting by the bar but it was comfortable. Started the meal ordering two glasses of wine, they have great options by glass.
As for food, my aunt ordered the seafood sausage it was definitely the best choice. Never had anything like it in my life. I had the Gnocchi with cauliflower, which was nice but not outstanding. And my uncle had pan sired Scallops, a day special and it was perfectly cooked.
For desert we ordered polenta poundcake (a bit plain) and the crème brûlée, which was nicely done with a perfect crust on the outside and deliciously creamy inside.
I would say this place is perfect for a first date, not too expensive and very charming. You can see the chef cooking inside the kitchen while you sip your drink — I think of this as a big perk.
Certainly will come back many more times.

I was passing through chapel hill and found this restaurant on Unilocal.
It definitely lived up to its high rating. I had the duck confit with greens and a potato latke. The duck was delicious and the latke was one of the best I’ve ever had – and it was in North Carolina! I’ve eaten latkes in New York and south Florida. But NC?
For dessert I had a chocolate pot de crème it fancy chocolate pudding. It was fantastic!
These guys know what they’re doing. Big city food in Chapel Hill.

Kitchen is a hidden gem in Chapel Hill. If it had not been for my sister’s recommendation I would not have known about this place.
Wow. Everything was fantastic. Even the bread and butter. In fact I am still dreaming about the bread– truly homemade with the most excellent crust and chewy bite. I came with my teenage son who ordered several small plates as well as the duck confit leg. Soups were outstanding. All of the small plates were delicious, especially the items on the daily mirror. Wonderful restaurant not to be missed! If I lived in this area I would be here at least one a week!

Kitchen was a Unilocal find that we had to try out. We’ve been to Kitchen three times so far, and I think I feel comfortable at this point to write my review. The restaurant’s front and interior are simple and relatively unremarkable… no flashy signs or interior decorations. It’s a fairly small space, housing roughly roughly 11 parties with room at the bar for additional customers. There are chef’s aprons, signed, around the interior, which is a very unique decorative piece in itself. Specials for beer, wine, appetizers, and entrées are written in white on mirrors; cool, but can be difficult to read. Overall the restaurant has a ‘casual elegance’ feel without being overbearing or off-​putting to more casual customers.
The menu has a good variety of options. The specials are changing constantly, which is nice to see, but sad when you find something amazing and want it a month later. This is true for a NY Sirloin they had one time — quite literally the best steak I’ve had in my life. We come back a month later and sadly it was no longer an offered special. The pork loin was also well presented, lots of flavor accompanying the dish, but the pork itself lacked flavor. This is also a personal preference; my husband had ordered the steak cooked medium, but it was a bit dry to me. Great wine and beer selections, very knowledgeable staff and very friendly.
I would advise you to come early or be prepared to wait (again, seating is limited in the small venue, and there isn’t much — or any — waiting area. We were excited to see what Kitchen had to offer, trying something new each time, but sadly I feel like my excitement for this place has fizzled out. This still receives four stars from me for great atmosphere, great staff, the warm, intimate feel while dining, and the best steak I’ve ever had.

A fairly unassuming entrance that opens into a wonderful little space. Kitchen is relatively spartan compared to its flanked restaurants and stores but it has a warm charm and feeling of time slowing down when you enter. Perfect conditions for a lazy and late Saturday lunch.
Actually, my boyfriend and I came here after discovering disappointedly that Lucha Tigre (next door) was closed, but I’d heard some great things about Kitchen before as well. I was a little worried the prices would be steep, but they were really quite reasonable and fair. Kind of a small menu (not sure if it’s rotating or not) but after receiving our food I understood why. They take great pains to make flavors shine and each dish unique, delicious, and memorable. I ordered the crab and avocado salad, which was not only plated beautifully (see my picture!) but also simultaneously rich with flavor and still light and playful on the palate. My boyfriend got the garlic sausage with warm potato salad (which looked more like … just potatoes to me) and he raved about its unusual and delectable taste.
I think this was a very pleasant and spontaneous lunch and I’ll keep an eye out for menu updates/​dinner offerings for the future. Delicious!

I came here with my boyfriend for dinner one night and we were both pleasantly surprised by how good the food was for such reasonable prices. Kitchen is located (as many Unilocalers have pointed out) in kind of a weird strip mall area near UNC campus, but once you walk in, it’s a cozy restaurant decorated thoughtfully with dim lighting. There aren’t very many tables and they are shoved kind of close together, but overall it’s a nice date spot and the bar looked great for after-​work drinks.
Our waiter was very knowledgeable and presented us with detailed descriptions of all the specials (believe me, there were a lot!). We decided to order the heirloom salad to share as a starter. The salad was absolutely delicious and tasted super fresh (gotta appreciate their use of local ingredients!). It was seasoned lightly with pesto and featured slices of juicy heirloom tomatoes, as well as some fresh greens. I especially liked the chunks of fresh goat cheese — mm… so good. I would definitely recommend ordering it!
For entrees, we ordered the hanger steak and Thai mussels. The steak was perfectly cooked to medium rare and the onion sauce accompanying it was really yummy, not too salty and enhanced the flavors of the beef. The Thai mussels were super delicious as well — the broth was SO GOOD. It didn’t overpower the taste of the mussels, but provided an interesting and flavorful twist to the dish. I wish we had gotten more bread so I could’ve mopped up all the broth.
The fries were just okay. I wasn’t a huge fan of them, but I may be biased because I’m just not a fries person.
We opted to skip dessert because we were both super full, and the check came out to be about 45 bucks not including tip, which I thought was more than reasonable. Would definitely come back for the fresh, local ingredients and high-​quality cooking.