The food here is so beautiful and creative! I truly think it's more of an experience than a meal, but I think I just chose a bad day to come in. I made a reservation for my parents' wedding anniversary and while they said they'd make arrangements, they didn't. The orders were forgotten and served late, and the fish they served me was raw and pungent. I have a feeling they freeze the meat and microwave it before serving, and I think since they forgot my order they rushed the cooking process. Quite honestly I would give the place once star but the Halo Halo dessert made up for most of the night. I would definitely be hesitant to come in for a meal due to the service, but definitely come in for dessert if you're thinking about
failtenc
Delicious small plates from various parts of our world from Polish pierogis to Moroccan meatballs and everything in between. All fresh and satisfying. Excellent waiters! Great bar. Had paper on all the windows last I passed by it?
L G.
They've CLOSED this restaurant. Not sure if the one they are opening in Cary (est Spring 2019) will continue the fantastic Sundae brunch buffet or not.
Lela Dinakaran
Great food, friendly staff!
Julie S.
Updated 12/2018: the queso I spoke of earlier is no more, but the food and drinks are still delicious. Really enjoyed the edamame, sangria, peorgi and empanadas. Chocolate soufflé takes 20 minutes, but trust me. It is WORTH it. ORIGINAL: Absolutely delicious! I went with 3 friends on a Friday night and Megan, our waitress, took great care of us. They have Friday wine flights that focus on one region and desire 3 half-pours of wines. We opted to share a pitcher of sangria instead, full of cinnamon and spice. Yum! For good 3 of us split several small plates. Highly recommend the queso- it's not like hot melted cheese like at a Mexican place, it's like a cheese doughnut. So yummy!
Jenna M.
I think Buku tries to be pretentious in the description of their food. Indian Naan- Cucumber raita. Asked the server out right was raita was, she had to think what is it, and could barely answer. It basically is a Indian version of a yogurt dish containing cucumber very much like tzatziki yogurt sauce. Also order some type of chicken on skewers, the meat look disgusting. I will post a picture, I have never ever seen a piece of chicken look like this. Server never came back to ask how everything was, no asking if we wanted our drinks refilled. Server came back to clear plates, chicken skewers were untouched. She asked if I would like to bring them home, nope and never asked if there was a problem. I do not see what all the hype is about Buku. The restaurant space might be nice, but I do not have a desire to ever eat here again.
Angela B.
I came to Buku for an early dinner with a friend, and I was pleasantly surprised! The food was great, cocktails were delish, and the server was really nice and helpful. We got there as soon as it opened at 4PM, and got seated right away. The sweet potato pierogi was sooo good. The texture was a bit crunchier than a traditional pierogi, but the crunch gave it a really nice texture paired with the sweet potato filling. I also got the chipolte chicken empanada and my friend go the ahi tuna poke. Both really good, although the poke seemed a little small for the price. With the option of small plates and full sized entrees, there's something for everyone.
Marin J.
This Restaurant has been here for a very long time, before Raleigh became fully clothed in a hipster-ish vibe. There was Buku...rocking a wall of cascading water and a floor plan filled with elegant lighting and enough sophistication to bring a date or a friend or business associate through the doors any time day or night. Last time I was here was after the women's march and we were all sitting there with our foam core signs munching away and everybody was cool. Oh yeah, the food. Like they say in their name...they represent street food...sorta an eclectic mash-up of flavors. Just go.
Brittany M.
BI ordered the hot pot dish and it was amazing!! It really reminded me of a red curry dish but a little soupier. The dish came with rice but I substituted it for noodles since the dish had more liquid than I expected. For the appetizer, I ordered the chicken steamed buns. That Chinese steamed buns were delicious too and the pork was flavorful and tender. Apparently, the menu changes frequently so hopefully you can try some of the delicious dishes out! Also, this place is a great place to celebrate a birthday. For your birthday, they give you a birthday cake vodka shooter topped with whipped cream..yummy!!
Sujung S.
I have heard so many great things about Buku so I was excited to get $25 offer from Offline Premium. Unfortunately, I was very disappointed with my visit. One of the biggest reason I was disappointed was the service. I went in on a Sunday for brunch right when they opened (They only have buffet option for brunches, which I find inconvenient). They were not busy at all so I don't understand why our server was terrible. Not attentive at all. We were there about 1.5 hours and we saw our server twice. Once when we asked him to get us water after an hr into eating and after asking another server to get our server to get us our check. He only refilled our water once the whole time we were there. I also didn't enjoy having their employees hovering over the food. It's a buffet, they don't need to be standing behind the food. Instead of having that many people in the food area, they could definitely use them in the dining area. Let's talk about food. There are a lot of options but not really if that makes sense. The way they have the buffet area set up is a little inconvenient as well... it gets really crowded. As crowded as it was, I don't understand why they had to have almost 10 employees hovering over food. When all they were doing was talking. Considering how much their brunch buffet is, it's not worth it at all. Maybe dinner is better but it's very overpriced. Between 3 people, no alcohol, just the buffet, we spent about $85. Food and service both were not worth the money. I've had much better experience at soca.
My husband and I enjoyed an amazing dinner last night at Buku. The restuarant is low lite and beautiful. We enjoyed Hawaiian Ahi Poke and Vietnamese spring rolls as appetizers; both were wonderful. I selected the Vietnamese Pho. It was by far the best I have ever eaten. To top it off, my husband raved about the filet he ordered. The service was just as amazing as the meal.
Kati Cutshall
Eclectic and tasty! Nice atmosphere, I would call semi-formal, with lots of healthy options! Highly recommend!
juanpwhite
Great brunch an good Customer services. Plenty of space an tables are not on top of one another. In downtown Raleigh
ApexMagpie
This restaurant has an interesting twist on street food with generous services that have a lot of variety
Krystal C.
I went to BuKu on a Monday night at 630 with my family visiting from out of town for an early birthday dinner. The restaurant was not busy at all. I loved our waitress. She was very nice and knew a lot about the menu. The atmosphere was just okay for me.... Gave kind of an outdated chain vibe. The food and service make up for that. We started with drinks... reasonably priced and very tasty... get the popular lemon one. Appetizer included naan and hummus. I really like both. A common theme for this restaurant is beautiful food presentation. I got the pear salad and eggplant appts for my meal. The salad was really good.... eggplant I would pass. My mom got the lobster and mussels. Mussels are a huge portion and the amount of lobster you get is crazy! Get for sure My brother had the ramen. Very very good. Finally the old man had the crispy spring rolls, empanadas, bao.... all are very good and recommended. For dessert they brought me a super cute very tasty flourless chocolate cake! We also got a very delicious chocolate dish with avocado ice cream. Must get!!! Overall, everyone loved the food and service! They do it validate parking ps
The food here is so beautiful and creative! I truly think it's more of an experience than a meal, but I think I just chose a bad day to come in. I made a reservation for my parents' wedding anniversary and while they said they'd make arrangements, they didn't. The orders were forgotten and served late, and the fish they served me was raw and pungent. I have a feeling they freeze the meat and microwave it before serving, and I think since they forgot my order they rushed the cooking process. Quite honestly I would give the place once star but the Halo Halo dessert made up for most of the night. I would definitely be hesitant to come in for a meal due to the service, but definitely come in for dessert if you're thinking about
Delicious small plates from various parts of our world from Polish pierogis to Moroccan meatballs and everything in between. All fresh and satisfying. Excellent waiters! Great bar. Had paper on all the windows last I passed by it?
They've CLOSED this restaurant. Not sure if the one they are opening in Cary (est Spring 2019) will continue the fantastic Sundae brunch buffet or not.
Great food, friendly staff!
Updated 12/2018: the queso I spoke of earlier is no more, but the food and drinks are still delicious. Really enjoyed the edamame, sangria, peorgi and empanadas. Chocolate soufflé takes 20 minutes, but trust me. It is WORTH it. ORIGINAL: Absolutely delicious! I went with 3 friends on a Friday night and Megan, our waitress, took great care of us. They have Friday wine flights that focus on one region and desire 3 half-pours of wines. We opted to share a pitcher of sangria instead, full of cinnamon and spice. Yum! For good 3 of us split several small plates. Highly recommend the queso- it's not like hot melted cheese like at a Mexican place, it's like a cheese doughnut. So yummy!
I think Buku tries to be pretentious in the description of their food. Indian Naan- Cucumber raita. Asked the server out right was raita was, she had to think what is it, and could barely answer. It basically is a Indian version of a yogurt dish containing cucumber very much like tzatziki yogurt sauce. Also order some type of chicken on skewers, the meat look disgusting. I will post a picture, I have never ever seen a piece of chicken look like this. Server never came back to ask how everything was, no asking if we wanted our drinks refilled. Server came back to clear plates, chicken skewers were untouched. She asked if I would like to bring them home, nope and never asked if there was a problem. I do not see what all the hype is about Buku. The restaurant space might be nice, but I do not have a desire to ever eat here again.
I came to Buku for an early dinner with a friend, and I was pleasantly surprised! The food was great, cocktails were delish, and the server was really nice and helpful. We got there as soon as it opened at 4PM, and got seated right away. The sweet potato pierogi was sooo good. The texture was a bit crunchier than a traditional pierogi, but the crunch gave it a really nice texture paired with the sweet potato filling. I also got the chipolte chicken empanada and my friend go the ahi tuna poke. Both really good, although the poke seemed a little small for the price. With the option of small plates and full sized entrees, there's something for everyone.
This Restaurant has been here for a very long time, before Raleigh became fully clothed in a hipster-ish vibe. There was Buku...rocking a wall of cascading water and a floor plan filled with elegant lighting and enough sophistication to bring a date or a friend or business associate through the doors any time day or night. Last time I was here was after the women's march and we were all sitting there with our foam core signs munching away and everybody was cool. Oh yeah, the food. Like they say in their name...they represent street food...sorta an eclectic mash-up of flavors. Just go.
BI ordered the hot pot dish and it was amazing!! It really reminded me of a red curry dish but a little soupier. The dish came with rice but I substituted it for noodles since the dish had more liquid than I expected. For the appetizer, I ordered the chicken steamed buns. That Chinese steamed buns were delicious too and the pork was flavorful and tender. Apparently, the menu changes frequently so hopefully you can try some of the delicious dishes out! Also, this place is a great place to celebrate a birthday. For your birthday, they give you a birthday cake vodka shooter topped with whipped cream..yummy!!
I have heard so many great things about Buku so I was excited to get $25 offer from Offline Premium. Unfortunately, I was very disappointed with my visit. One of the biggest reason I was disappointed was the service. I went in on a Sunday for brunch right when they opened (They only have buffet option for brunches, which I find inconvenient). They were not busy at all so I don't understand why our server was terrible. Not attentive at all. We were there about 1.5 hours and we saw our server twice. Once when we asked him to get us water after an hr into eating and after asking another server to get our server to get us our check. He only refilled our water once the whole time we were there. I also didn't enjoy having their employees hovering over the food. It's a buffet, they don't need to be standing behind the food. Instead of having that many people in the food area, they could definitely use them in the dining area. Let's talk about food. There are a lot of options but not really if that makes sense. The way they have the buffet area set up is a little inconvenient as well... it gets really crowded. As crowded as it was, I don't understand why they had to have almost 10 employees hovering over food. When all they were doing was talking. Considering how much their brunch buffet is, it's not worth it at all. Maybe dinner is better but it's very overpriced. Between 3 people, no alcohol, just the buffet, we spent about $85. Food and service both were not worth the money. I've had much better experience at soca.
Restaurantji Recommends
My husband and I enjoyed an amazing dinner last night at Buku. The restuarant is low lite and beautiful. We enjoyed Hawaiian Ahi Poke and Vietnamese spring rolls as appetizers; both were wonderful. I selected the Vietnamese Pho. It was by far the best I have ever eaten. To top it off, my husband raved about the filet he ordered. The service was just as amazing as the meal.
Eclectic and tasty! Nice atmosphere, I would call semi-formal, with lots of healthy options! Highly recommend!
Great brunch an good Customer services. Plenty of space an tables are not on top of one another. In downtown Raleigh
This restaurant has an interesting twist on street food with generous services that have a lot of variety
I went to BuKu on a Monday night at 630 with my family visiting from out of town for an early birthday dinner. The restaurant was not busy at all. I loved our waitress. She was very nice and knew a lot about the menu. The atmosphere was just okay for me.... Gave kind of an outdated chain vibe. The food and service make up for that. We started with drinks... reasonably priced and very tasty... get the popular lemon one. Appetizer included naan and hummus. I really like both. A common theme for this restaurant is beautiful food presentation. I got the pear salad and eggplant appts for my meal. The salad was really good.... eggplant I would pass. My mom got the lobster and mussels. Mussels are a huge portion and the amount of lobster you get is crazy! Get for sure My brother had the ramen. Very very good. Finally the old man had the crispy spring rolls, empanadas, bao.... all are very good and recommended. For dessert they brought me a super cute very tasty flourless chocolate cake! We also got a very delicious chocolate dish with avocado ice cream. Must get!!! Overall, everyone loved the food and service! They do it validate parking ps