Poole’s Downtown Diner

I do love this James Beard award winning place in downtown Raleigh. And because it’s one such as award, it is hard to get into this place. The times we have been successful, we show up right at 5pm, have a drink at the bar and wait to get a spot when they start serving dinner at 5:30pm.
The menus are on chalkboards on the walls and it changes — not sure how frequently — and they erase items that they have run out of.
One of the best things there — the mac and cheese. The portion is huge and it is awesome. I order it basically every time (even just to be able to take it home).
Go early, go hungry. It’s good.

Very dissapointed…
My boyfriend and I got there around 6:30pm on tuesday for his bday dinner. There was no wait and we asked to be seated at a table, hostess was very nice and seated us as we requested.
The table we sat at wasn’t the best but we have been there before love the food so we didn’t care that much. Menu items weren’t their best but we love Poole’s mac and cheese and decided to order some kind of meat with it and couple appetizers.
After waiting 20 – 25 minutes, not a single waiter/​waitress came by to our table to even ask us what we would like to drink? At this point there were 4 tables came after us and got their drinks and appetizers and waiting on their main course. We tried to get someone’s attention but they just keep walking right by us. It wasn’t even busy. So we just got up and left the restaurant.
Poole’s diner been one of my favorite restaurants, I always been recommending to everyone I know but after our experience with Poole’s diner especially it was a special occasion for us. They just lost a good customer.
P. S. we end up going to More restaurant, and if you think Poole’s diner’s mac and cheese the best wait till you taste More’s mac and cheese. Hands down they have the best mac and cheese in town.

Yummy NC tilefish. Blueberry pudding was also a nice end to a great meal. My Husband got the NC crab, shrimp and cornmeal cakes which were also good. Roasted chicken was delicious per my father-​in-​law. Great meal!

One of the benefits of a downpour rain is that it clears the wait time for restaurants that are normally busy and don’t take reservations.
Such was our situation this past weekend after a temporary monsoon.
I took my best gal out for her birthday to Poole’s. We walked right in on a Saturday evening and sat at the bar.
They had Trophy on tap, and also made me a smart gin cocktail.
We started with the tomato pie app — definitely big enough to split. This was so good, I’d come back here for just this.
I followed with the scallops main and it was really, really good.
Lots of folks around us got their famous mac’n’cheese, but my lactose issues prevent me from enjoying that to the fullest. Looked great though.
It was loud here, but not so loud you couldn’t carry on a conversation.
If it’s a first date kind of occasion for you, maybe pick a place you can get a table or booth. But otherwise, I would definitely recommend Poole’s.
One last thing, our bartender/​server was top-​notch. Very attentive, professional, and definitely 5-​star material.

I’m not sure why they’re showing two dollar signs for Pooles, but it certainly is not two $‘s.
With tip the four of us got out of there at around $ 375 — and worth every single penny. We had appetizers, we had entrée, s we had sides, and we had cocktails.
This place is great, I highly recommend it, we seldom come across a place this unique. Really a weird little dinner (it’s just an old diner — but it’s not), but Mmmm’ good!
This is a very eclectic little place and I highly recommend that you have a reservation. At the table we had scallops, we had pork chops, we had field greens, we had a Groton macaroni, we had fried tomatoes, we had pimento cheese, we had beach, and we had lots of cocktails.
Every single thing we can eat at this place was amazing and perfectly prepared.
Do not go in here and thinking this is a $ 30 dinner, you can’t do it.
«What ya’ think it is, it ain’t»

It wasn’t bad and it wasn’t great. It was just kind of there.
There was no wait when we got here so we were seated quickly. The menu is on chalkboards which was kind of annoying but hey that’s just how it is.
Anyways while I was there nothing from the entrée selection popped out at me/​sounded appetizing. So I just ordered a salad and the Mac n cheese side. I also had dessert but don’t even remember what it was.
The salad tasted like a salad… nothing more and nothing less. The Mac n cheese was good but I have had better. Didn’t care for the dessert since I don’t even remember what it was.
Service was great. Food was alright.
This place was just average.

We came very early so there was no crowd. It has a hip vibe catered to lure the young-​ish crowd. The food is thoughtful having an American cuisine, generally good and delicious. My royale burger is salty and I have a high salty palate! Desserts were my favorite. Their infamous mac and cheese is classic. The guys and gals working there are nice and attentive. If loud and hopping, busy, small space, crowded, elbow room joint is your kind of thing then this is your haven. Otherwise Pooles diner is overhyped and over priced!

Came here with two friends for dinner on a Friday night. I remembered their Mac and cheese as being the ultimate death row meal and worth every calorie. I remembered correctly. My mouth is watering as I wrote this. If I lived closer I would eat it at least once a week.
We had to wait for a table but luckily not as long as the folks coming after us. We had arrived at about 6pm.
There were three desserts offered that night and we decided to get all three and split them. One was a strawberry rhubarb cobbler with buttermilk ice cream. This was the best one. They should always offer this! We also got the dark chocolate chess tart which was good and the lemon meringue pot de crème. That one was very disappointing– both the lemon and meringue were sweet. There was no lemon tartness although it looked beautiful. We returned it and it was taken off the bill.
We also were drinking a cocktail with beet juice and it was really good. I would get that again.

If you are going with friends and you don’t plan to arrive together, be prepared to wait. They have this totally non-​sense rule where they can only sit you if your entire party is at the restaurant.
So we asked for table to accommodate 5 people and we were in 4 at the restaurant but the hostress said they could only sit us when the 5^th person arrived. I asked her what was the rational for that stupid rule and she could not answer so I called the manager, which told that was the restaurant rule (again could not explain the rational).
The food ok, but I really don’t recommend this place. I had an appointment after dinner (reason why I was asking to be sitted before the fifth person arrived) and had to rush the dinner because of this stupid rule. Overall, it was a terrible experience.

We went this evening — late (8pm) on a Sunday. The dining room is small, and when it’s full, you totally understand that someone will have to be at the table near the kitchen and restrooms. However, this was not a full night. It took repeated attempts to move to more desirable table, even when a smaller party was accommodated (moving from their less than desirable table) while it took repeated requests to move our party to already open tables. First come first served? Really? It didn’t seem that way.
No question that the food was outstanding, but the service was below average. Multiple delays and not checking back with the table — not acceptable. And I’m pretty patient.
Hope the service is better should we return.

So yeah, the Mac au gratin will make you stab your dinner companions so you can eat their share. My husband is a big, big Mac fan, so I make it frequently with great care about cheese, method, etc., and this stuff makes mine look like some boxed Canadian fodder. Pretty sure there’s summer extra sharp cheddar and maybe some fontina in there. Whatever it is it’s a cheesy good marriage in your mouth.
We were brought here by local friends (we’re from Chicago) and just ordered this and tea which our waitress seemed annoyed by, but whatever, it wasn’t busy.

My Overall experience with this restaurant was not pleasant and I do NOT think I’d give it a chance when I’m back in Raleigh.
I heard about them through Unilocal and word of mouth (one person I met in a bar the night before) and I was very excited to go. When I arrived, no one at the door welcomed me and I had to wonder around till finally someone from the back told me to choose a seat by myself. I sat at the bar because I find it more entertaining to interact with the bar tender when I’m traveling alone. There were 2 – 3 other folk at the bar and a few tables were taken in the restaurant, so definitely a quiet night. The bar tender didnt appear to be friendly or attentive at all. He kept me waiting long before he approaches me and then when I asked him about the menu and his favorite food, he pointed to the wall on my back and told me I have to get off my seat and look at the wall menu (because they dont have a menu! pretty hip to begin). I had to leave my seat and hover over people who were sitting next to the wall to read the menu. A very uncomfortable experience, indeed (plus the restaurant was really dim, so hard to read). The prices were VERY high for a diner that even dont seat people or give them a menu. I decided to go with 2 sides (Mac n cheese and a dessert) and a sangria. The mac n cheese was a BIG portion ($ 16) but toooo hot that I burned my mouth. It was very bland and dry and the crust was half burned. Totally unimpressed by my huge, expensive, and tasteless appetizer, I ordered a chocolate dessert (some sort of pie in a jar). Although looked cute, this one was also very mediocre (for an $ 8 dessert).
The bartender ignored me all night and didnt even fill up my water glass. the only time he was approaching me was to ask if I want to have a drink and then he would disappear. He was cocky and upon my arrival asked me where I’m from. When I told him DC area, he said «you have an accent, where are you originally from.» really? Is that how you welcome a customer? I ended up paying $ 50 for a drink, appetizer, and dessert and didnt enjoy my time or the food.
Totally over rated and unfairly pricey.

Poole’s is a pretty big deal in Raleigh and now I know why; everything was perfect and absolutely delicious. I went with a fairly large group, but we arrived early — we had heard through the grapevine about Poole’s no-​reservation policy. The staff was super welcoming and, in no time, we were happily seated at a corner table in the back.
As for the atmosphere and general vibe, I was definitely impressed. Even though it’s one of the finer (dining) restaurants, there isn’t even a hint of pretension. It’s cute, Southern and completely charming. It wasn’t a big restaurant, but we weren’t cramped; it’s the good kind of intimate. (The bad kind of intimate, in case you were wondering, is when you’re so close to the customer next to you that when you reach for your napkin, you wind up holding their hand.) And, like I said, the staff was super sweet and very attentive.
For appetizers, we had the Pimento Cheese and Chicken Liver Pâté. The Pimento Cheese was my favorite — so flavorful and it had a great kick /​heat to it. I’d easily go back just for that. The Chicken Liver Pâté was good, but I definitely hoarded the cheese. We then split the Roasted Beet Salad and Harland Creek Salad. I don’t remember too much about the Harland Creek Salad, but I loved the Roasted Beet Salad. You can never go wrong with a beet salad, but this one was exceptional.
For my main, I had the Scallops and we split the Brussels Sprouts, Macaroni Au Gratin and Sweet Potatoes. The scallops were heavenly — great caramelization and resting on the best /​butter-​iest leeks I’ve ever had. The Brussels Sprouts were delicious, too, and swimming in buttery goodness. (This was also the only time I’ve asked for a second helping of Brussels Sprouts.) The Macaroni Au Gratin definitely lived up to the hype — so rich, so cheesy, so good. The Sweet Potatoes were equally delicious, but the Macaroni Au Gratin and Brussels Sprouts really stole the show.
For dessert, I had the Apple Pie and Cinnamon Ice Cream, and it was incredible. The Cinnamon Ice Cream was surprisingly my favorite part of the dish. I don’t usually rave about ice cream, but it was just delicious and complemented the apple pie perfectly.
All in all, an exceptional experience at Poole’s! And, as you can see, very well-​documented.

This has been my second visit to Poole’s Diner and I am still not a fan of the main courses, I definitely think this is a place for appetizers, sides and drinks.
On this most recent visit Mom and I were originally sat under a chalkboard showing the menu so we opted to sit at the bar since several people were walking up to the menu to view it.
On my first visit to Poole’s Diner we had an AMAZING Butternut Squash Bisque that I will never forget. But, on this most recent visit we went with Steak Tartare, Rutabaga, Macaroni au Gratin, Pan-​Roasted Scallops and the Baguette. For drinks I went with a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon, I was able to sample before committing to a full pour, and Mom went with a glass of Pinot Gris.
Steak Tartare = AMAZING, it was served with a fancy cut of avocado on top too
Baguette — not too much to say here besides delicious bread served with butter
Rutabaga — growing up I ate these mashed but these were sautéed and delicious
Macaroni au Gratin — you have to order this if you go to Poole’s, yums!
Pan-​Roasted Scallops — do not waste your money on four small scallops, this is part of the reason why I have said I never have cared for the main courses. for the price this is not worth the money plus I did not care for the accompaniments
Overall, service was great and food was good, minus the main course. Make sure you get there early so you do not have to wait!

While at the state history museum the lovely ladies at the front desk introduced me to pool’s and I wasn’t disappointed.
The service gets a 3.5 not exactly you would expect from a restaurant of this caliber.
The food was a five star, the salad, and the fried octopus (the octopus was the special of the day) were world class in taste she nailed it…
The short ribs was nothing special I had to ask to replace it, because the one that I got was too chewy, the replacement was much much better, I wouldn’t go out of my way for this;
With that said I haven’t tried the Mac and cheese so I’ll have to come back another time.
Ps. The cocktails were too strong and not balanced maybe it’s a thing in the south to make the drinks really strong — it’s my second experience in the south regarding cocktails — but than doesn’t that defeat the whole purpose of craft cocktails???

This James Beard award winning restaurant was full and I was the only Asian person in it that night (and there was only one other non-​white person). But still, one of the top 3 restaurant meals I’ve had in the last 6 months. We made a meal out of several sides/​starters, but the entrees looked fantastic too.
Bring your (eye)glasses. Food/​drinks info are written on wall-​mounted blackboards and you have to get up and walk around to see everything.

Great food with a trendy throwback ambiance. It is a bit pricey for the amount of food you get, but i suppose that is to be expected given the James Beard award on the wall by the entrance.
Their menu changes regularly, which is quite appealing. We had the PORK & DUMPLINGS (whey-​brined pork shoulder, ricotta gnocchi, stewed tomatoes, & butter beans) which was a uniquely wonderful blend of flavors. We also had a side of the CORNMEAL FRIED OKRA with Tabasco aioli; a delicious unique take on a southern staple.
The diner stools which line the bar cover a large portion of the seating in the restaurant. Although it adds to the ambiance, the stools are extremely uncomfortable for any length of time. I’d recommend getting a table to make your meal a bit more enjoyable.

Great beer selection and food is eclectic but well done. Had the Mother Earth dunkel lager and the heirloom tomato salad. The salad was one of the best tomato salads I’ve had– great balance of acidity, salt and sweet between the tomatoes, bleu cheese and grilled corn bread.
Tough to get a table but well worth it

We’ve lived here since January, 2014. Literally, my only regret since moving has been not coming here MUCH sooner. WHAT WERE WE THINKING??? We went last night (a Thursday around 6:30) for dinner and we were told there was a 20 – 25 minute wait. My husband went and stood in the drink line, and I went to find a spot to sit and wait. Maybe 15 minutes or so went by, and there was a table for us! I pulled my husband out of line (yes, he stood there for 15 minutes, said only two people before him got drinks) and we went to our table. We sat sort of near the bar — first table behind the opening of the bar entrance. It was intimate but not secluded and we had a fine time conversing — it wasn’t overly loud.
The menu is listed on the chalkboards, so my husband took a picture of the menu. We settled on starting with the pimento app… DEEEELICIOUS! Wow — that was excellent pimento, very flavorful, and enough for both of us to share. I decided on the crab beignets as my entrée and we shared a side of mac & cheese. The crab beignets were life changing. I can’t even describe the flavor other than to say it was one of the best meals I’ve ever had. There were 3 giant heirloom tomato slices with field beans on top — perfectly seasoned and paired so well with the crab beignets. Very fresh tasting meal, perfectly satisfying, and very well executed. I had maybe 2 bites of the mac & cheese because I was full from the appetizer + eating EVERY single bite from my entrée.
Service was excellent. Our waitress was attentive, she didn’t rush us (I’m a slow eater lately with a growing belly baby — running out of room!) and was polite and always there to refill our water glasses. Poole’s is my favorite AC restaurant at this point — love the food, love the atmosphere, loved everything!

Even when I was still living in CA I’d heard about the Mac and Cheese here. In addition, I’d also heard that they do a special burger only on Sunday nights, so I convinced a friend to come out and brave the potential wait to get into this place.
The bar at this place opens at 5PM. When you get there, you can put your name down and they’ll begin seating at 5:30. We enjoyed a few of their specialty cocktails while we waited to be seated.
Once seated, we ordered the chicken liver pâté appetizer, the Royale with Cheese, and the Macaroni Au Gratin (Mac and cheese).
Chicken Liver Pâté
— This was amazing. The combination of flavors between the pâté, the pickles, and fruit sounded weird, but tasted great! My friend looked at me skeptically, but also gave it a try and liked it as well.
Royale with Cheese
— I can’t help but chuckle at the Pulp Fiction reference when ordering this.
— This was more like a giant meatball on a slice of bread. Deliciously cooked in duck fat and came with a serving of au jus to pour over the burger as you ate it.
Macaroni Au Gratin
— This lives up to the hype, although if you are not a fan of cheeses other than the standard american/​cheddar cheeses in your mac and cheese you may not like it.
This is called a diner, but it’s a little more fancy than that. The waitresses were friendly and checked on us frequently.
I’ll have to come back to check out the watermelon entrée that a lot of other tables were ordering.
Go here if you’re looking to try creative dishes that changes with the seasons.