Recommended dishes: Traditional Creme Brulee, Duck Breast
Erik S.
I've been sitting on writing this review for awhile, probably longer than I should, but I still remember the evening pretty well and recently came across the photos that I had yet to post, so here goes nothing! But that is kind of the point, a restaurant like Marisol should leave you anxious to go home and tell others about what a great eating experience you had. In my case, while the food overall was good, I wasn't taken aback by anything, and at this price point, I feel that I should have been. Things started off really well, the server was eager to explain the restaurant and menu, and stayed very attentive throughout. Honestly, for my taste, overly attentive. But it's not a big place, and also wasn't very busy, so it makes sense he would have stayed vigilant with us. After ordering drinks, we received a small starter of goat cheese on crostini with some bruschetta, a nice way to kick things off. Then, one of the highlights, the basket of incredible breads was presented to us. If he had left the basket at the table, we probably would have run through it all, but we did have a few pieces with butter, that were beyond excellent. The appetizer course was fantastic. Flash fried buttermilk shrimp, house made gravlax, tomato pie, cavatelli, and a duck special. The tomato pie, I honestly wish i could have ordered a larger slice for my entrée, because I could eat that every day. The gravlax was kind of like eating lox, and I dug the texture with the crispy bread and shmear. The shrimp were plump, but given the price, nothing about them set them apart from fried shrimp elsewhere. The duck.. I said earlier about the tomato pie, maybe just give me the duck and tomato pie for an entrée, I would have been happy. For my main, i got the blackened NC mountain trout, and like others at my table, this is where the meal started to fall flat. The trout just didn't set itself apart in any way, other than the fish being clearly fresh. The blackening didn't add much flavor, nor did the sauce that it came with. For this being the supposed centerpiece of our experience, it was disappointing. I found myself wishing I got the duck breast that someone else had. For dessert, we shared the vanilla bean creme brulee and the bread pudding. The crème brûlée was well executed, which is no ordinary feat, so big props for that. The bread pudding however was the total opposite. I have never really encountered dry bread pudding before, but this was it. Even though it was covered in chocolate sauce (would have just liked a dish of that) and ice cream, still somehow dry to the bone. I was surprised the waiter didn't ask about it, given it was barely touched by all of us, and he had been so attentive to everything else. In the end, for the money, I don't know that I would return. As I said earlier, at this price point, it kind of needs to be great from top to bottom. Some of it was, but the most important part was kind of pedestrian. I could definitely see myself coming back for drinks and apps though!
Caryl Cheeseman
Fantastic experience. Not cheap but as good if not better than large cities well known for their cuisine. Spectacular wait staff. Beautiful cocktails. Wonderful for a quiet celebration.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Heather Bowden
We love the intimacy of the restaurant. The food was absolutely delicious. Amazing and creative dishes! We unfortunately were not as impressed with the wine (by the glass) list or cocktails, rather pricey for this subpar part of our meal.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Travis Smith
Nice spot for dinner, relaxed atmosphere with friendly staff and unique menu options. Picture is of Blackened Wild Striped Bass. I would highly recommend the House made Cavatelli with roasted lobster, delicious ?. Nice wine and cocktail selection. Call for reservations and leave a voicemail, otherwise tough to get a table on some nights.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Alex Heitlinger
Really enjoyed this place! To me, it feels like an “old school” fine dining experience but not stuffy at all. It doesn’t try to be hip/trendy and you won’t find super exotic flavors, heavy spices, tiny portions, or unusual culinary combinations. Instead, it’s just really good food, perfectly cooked, and perfectly seasoned. Service was also outstanding, warm, and friendly.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Christian Ross
We had a FANTASTIC dinner with our group from NC State. Amazing service and memorable experience for our private party. A must-visit.
Patty C.
Fine dining at its best. Wine menu is superb. Service unparalleled. Menu is highly unexpected. Please use this for special occasions and important events.
Shanice
My boyfriend made us reservations for my birthday. The food and presentation was absolutely amazing! Our waiter was very knowledgeable of very dish and gave descriptive details of the menu and the nightly specials. I had the sautéed Trout and my boyfriend had the blackened salmon, we got the crab cake and cavatelli lobster dish for our appetizers, and we also split the fried goat cheese salad. Highly recommend the salad. The goat cheese, candied walnuts and apples meshed well for the perfect salad. The host came across a bit stand offish and the entranced of the restaurant seemed a little dated (a table with all the menus just tossed on the table). Reservations are required but I’d say this place is worth every penny.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Gabe Greenberg
I am a food blogger and actually posted a pretty nice video of this place from my first night/experience at the restaurant. I went on a Friday, sat at the bar and had a superb dinner.I mentioned to the bartender I’d be back the next night because it was so good (and for those wondering I tipped very well so that’s not the issue). I even showed at up at 5:45 as they opened to be sure I’d not have an issue. At no point did she say you may want to reserve a seat or that she was full. Market is happening but ppl are notoriously late at market and the place was empty…I showed up to be told “I’m full”… I had to take a call and was there another :35 in my car and nobody else showed up to sit at the bar. I was alone and would not have been more than :30-45 mins based on previous night but rather than earning a loyal customer (who comes to HP several times a year), they have instead earned a poor review for their lack of hospitality and poor customer service. It’s really a shame they treat customers or potential customers this way when their food was so good.Honestly they should have had something that said reservations required at the bar on their site or at least the bartender should have told me when I told her I’d be back tonight so I did not waste my time..
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 1
Recommended dishes: Traditional Creme Brulee, Duck Breast
This place deserves a 10!!! The food is absolutely delicious!!! I had the lambchops and my friend had the duck. We also had appetizers. The shrimp and some type of pasta, which were both amazing. There was a soup that was absolutely delicious!!! The service was great and the server described everything in detail. We wanted to try everything! It's really nice in the inside. It's worth every penny! We will be back! O yea dessert and the Lemon drop was great too!
Amazing culinary experience! Highly recommended!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Traditional Creme Brulee, Duck Breast
I've been sitting on writing this review for awhile, probably longer than I should, but I still remember the evening pretty well and recently came across the photos that I had yet to post, so here goes nothing! But that is kind of the point, a restaurant like Marisol should leave you anxious to go home and tell others about what a great eating experience you had. In my case, while the food overall was good, I wasn't taken aback by anything, and at this price point, I feel that I should have been. Things started off really well, the server was eager to explain the restaurant and menu, and stayed very attentive throughout. Honestly, for my taste, overly attentive. But it's not a big place, and also wasn't very busy, so it makes sense he would have stayed vigilant with us. After ordering drinks, we received a small starter of goat cheese on crostini with some bruschetta, a nice way to kick things off. Then, one of the highlights, the basket of incredible breads was presented to us. If he had left the basket at the table, we probably would have run through it all, but we did have a few pieces with butter, that were beyond excellent. The appetizer course was fantastic. Flash fried buttermilk shrimp, house made gravlax, tomato pie, cavatelli, and a duck special. The tomato pie, I honestly wish i could have ordered a larger slice for my entrée, because I could eat that every day. The gravlax was kind of like eating lox, and I dug the texture with the crispy bread and shmear. The shrimp were plump, but given the price, nothing about them set them apart from fried shrimp elsewhere. The duck.. I said earlier about the tomato pie, maybe just give me the duck and tomato pie for an entrée, I would have been happy. For my main, i got the blackened NC mountain trout, and like others at my table, this is where the meal started to fall flat. The trout just didn't set itself apart in any way, other than the fish being clearly fresh. The blackening didn't add much flavor, nor did the sauce that it came with. For this being the supposed centerpiece of our experience, it was disappointing. I found myself wishing I got the duck breast that someone else had. For dessert, we shared the vanilla bean creme brulee and the bread pudding. The crème brûlée was well executed, which is no ordinary feat, so big props for that. The bread pudding however was the total opposite. I have never really encountered dry bread pudding before, but this was it. Even though it was covered in chocolate sauce (would have just liked a dish of that) and ice cream, still somehow dry to the bone. I was surprised the waiter didn't ask about it, given it was barely touched by all of us, and he had been so attentive to everything else. In the end, for the money, I don't know that I would return. As I said earlier, at this price point, it kind of needs to be great from top to bottom. Some of it was, but the most important part was kind of pedestrian. I could definitely see myself coming back for drinks and apps though!
Fantastic experience. Not cheap but as good if not better than large cities well known for their cuisine. Spectacular wait staff. Beautiful cocktails. Wonderful for a quiet celebration.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We love the intimacy of the restaurant. The food was absolutely delicious. Amazing and creative dishes! We unfortunately were not as impressed with the wine (by the glass) list or cocktails, rather pricey for this subpar part of our meal.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Nice spot for dinner, relaxed atmosphere with friendly staff and unique menu options. Picture is of Blackened Wild Striped Bass. I would highly recommend the House made Cavatelli with roasted lobster, delicious ?. Nice wine and cocktail selection. Call for reservations and leave a voicemail, otherwise tough to get a table on some nights.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Really enjoyed this place! To me, it feels like an “old school” fine dining experience but not stuffy at all. It doesn’t try to be hip/trendy and you won’t find super exotic flavors, heavy spices, tiny portions, or unusual culinary combinations. Instead, it’s just really good food, perfectly cooked, and perfectly seasoned. Service was also outstanding, warm, and friendly.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
We had a FANTASTIC dinner with our group from NC State. Amazing service and memorable experience for our private party. A must-visit.
Fine dining at its best. Wine menu is superb. Service unparalleled. Menu is highly unexpected. Please use this for special occasions and important events.
My boyfriend made us reservations for my birthday. The food and presentation was absolutely amazing! Our waiter was very knowledgeable of very dish and gave descriptive details of the menu and the nightly specials. I had the sautéed Trout and my boyfriend had the blackened salmon, we got the crab cake and cavatelli lobster dish for our appetizers, and we also split the fried goat cheese salad. Highly recommend the salad. The goat cheese, candied walnuts and apples meshed well for the perfect salad. The host came across a bit stand offish and the entranced of the restaurant seemed a little dated (a table with all the menus just tossed on the table). Reservations are required but I’d say this place is worth every penny.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
I am a food blogger and actually posted a pretty nice video of this place from my first night/experience at the restaurant. I went on a Friday, sat at the bar and had a superb dinner.I mentioned to the bartender I’d be back the next night because it was so good (and for those wondering I tipped very well so that’s not the issue). I even showed at up at 5:45 as they opened to be sure I’d not have an issue. At no point did she say you may want to reserve a seat or that she was full. Market is happening but ppl are notoriously late at market and the place was empty…I showed up to be told “I’m full”… I had to take a call and was there another :35 in my car and nobody else showed up to sit at the bar. I was alone and would not have been more than :30-45 mins based on previous night but rather than earning a loyal customer (who comes to HP several times a year), they have instead earned a poor review for their lack of hospitality and poor customer service. It’s really a shame they treat customers or potential customers this way when their food was so good.Honestly they should have had something that said reservations required at the bar on their site or at least the bartender should have told me when I told her I’d be back tonight so I did not waste my time..
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 1
Recommended dishes: Traditional Creme Brulee, Duck Breast
Restaurantji Recommends
Very nice, clean, good
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This place deserves a 10!!! The food is absolutely delicious!!! I had the lambchops and my friend had the duck. We also had appetizers. The shrimp and some type of pasta, which were both amazing. There was a soup that was absolutely delicious!!! The service was great and the server described everything in detail. We wanted to try everything! It's really nice in the inside. It's worth every penny! We will be back! O yea dessert and the Lemon drop was great too!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Fried Shrimp Appetizer, Lamb Chops, Scharffen Berger Liquid Center Chocolate Cake
Laughed the whole time as the experience was truly unique. Food was okay, service was okay and ambiance was zero.
Food was overcooked and expensive. Not at all what I expected.I would not go back or recommend. Very disappointed. Service was subpar.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 2
Food was overcooked and expensive. Service was subpar - she was not warm and friendly. Very disappointed. Would not go back or recommend.