Pool’s no doubt still has high quality food, a great atmosphere, etc. However, it just isn’t a great an experience as it once was. The appetizers were at bit too adventurous for the usual diner, though we did LOVE the pimento cheese. It was the safe play. The server was great, but which one? Too many people coming to the table. Lastly, when you only have three red wines by the glass, if one if them is chilled, you should alert the diner. No one assumes a red will be chilled. And you can’t undo a chilled wine (unless you’re willing wait…) Overall a great restaurant for the newcomer. For the faithful, we’re left wanting what it was.
Karen Clark
Popped in after a concert, sat at the bar, our server/bartender was so kind and fun.
Sarah Lee
Vibes were great and food was VERY good but didn't wow. I'd take my parents, grandparents or a picky friend here if they visited from out of town, but not my foodie best friend - if that makes sense. I think it has its place. The food was good and prepared well, but it was lacking that something special that leaves you with a wow of surprise and excitement.
Richard Gantt
I highly recommend Poole's Dinner! We took our Gantt Family Law team there, and we had an amazing time. The food was wonderful, with delicious dishes that everyone loved. From the appetizers to the desserts, everything was tasty and made with care. The staff was also fantastic! They were friendly and made sure we had everything we needed. Their great service really added to our experience and made us feel welcome. It was a perfect place for our team to relax and enjoy each other's company. If you’re looking for a great meal and a fun atmosphere, Poole's is the place to go!
Brett Allan
We recently dined here as a group of five. The food was decent, but compared to our visit two years ago, the prices have gone way up — $400 for five people felt excessive for what we got. That alone would have been tolerable, but the final straw was the quiet addition of a 3% credit card surcharge.
This new trend of passing credit card fees onto customers without clearly disclosing it upfront is frustrating — especially from a business that appears to be doing well (the recent renovation looks great). Let’s be honest: almost no one carries cash anymore. Most businesses just factor processing fees into their pricing or absorb it as a cost of doing business.
To make a point, we reduced our tip by 4% to offset your 3% credit card fee. So if your staff felt shorted, you might consider refunding that fee directly to them.
And while we’re on the subject: it’s becoming harder to justify 20% tips when restaurants are relying on customers to effectively subsidize wages. It’s time more owners stepped up and paid their staff fairly, instead of treating them like the customers’ responsibility.
We really wanted to enjoy the experience, but between the inflated prices and hidden fees, it left a bad taste.
Wells Crandall
Food is good, service poor. We waited 20 minutes for our reserved time, 15 minutes after they said they were just cleaning it up. Then the server took ten minutes to come by, said she would give us a “few minutes” to look at the menu. Nearly twenty minutes later (we tried to get her attention many times) she came to take our order. The attitude presented was as if I was bothering someone. We are simple sit down, order, eat, and pay people. We ended up being some of the last people in the restaurant because it took so long and we didn’t even order dessert. We used to come here for amazing nights out and really enjoyed the wine list. But I felt so bad this time I will just try the recipes from the cookbook. We come from the other side of the triangle. The service used to be amazing. The current hostess used to be our server and it was incredible. Maybe it was a fluke.
JASON LORNE MARTIN
The chef's creativity really shines in every dish.
Alain Loiselle
Great food and overall dining experience. The Mac & cheese to share is out of this world.
Jamie Merritt
Service is exquisite & food is perfection! Every single time(:
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I AM Lonnda Nicole
Ok Soooooo…I had to come again to celebrate my 42nd birthday! Send the hallelujah choir, a tambourine, and a drum roll please to…Poole’s. Wanna know what the drink and other dish is? 1. Take the pic with you 2. Show it to the bar 3. Enjoy!
Parking: Parking can be a little tricky but what do you expect! It’s downtown! Just park and eat!
For over a decade, I have enjoyed my finest celebrations in life with Poole's Dinner. The ambiance is energetic and like a step back in time with the 40s decore. Thank you to the staff for never disappointing, always being kind, and exceeding expectations.
My partner and I headed out to Raleigh to celebrate my new job. An especially trying year sent packing with one exquisite meal.
To start, we had the tuna tartar. The NC tuna was beyond the quality you'd expect at a sushi bar. The tuna was perfectly chopped but not to a paste. It was wonderfully dressed with cider aioli and topped with ripe, creamy avocado. The tobiko provided a delightful pop and brininess. The chicken liver pate is my favorite starter Poole's serves. The mustards are fantastic, and the compote is a perfect pairing with the smooth and luscious pate. All this was served with seasoned cucumber slices to accommodate my partners gluten allergy. Again, kindness prevails at Poole's.
Our main was simply the best tenderloin I've ever tasted. I'm not a tenderloin fan, but this blew me away by the endless flavor. Usually lacking in a tenderloin, in my opinion, but not on this occasion. The meat was velvet on the tongue and melted into an amazing bite with the garlic and spicy carrot top chimmichurri that it was paired with. Served with brown butter carrots, fingerling potatoes, crunchy spiced pine nuts, and finished with a bed of tangy whipped feta. The final exquisite touch was a perfectly salty and savory sauce.
My partner had the triple smoked au jus roasted chicken. She refuses to get anything else and has said it is her final meal request. LoL the chicken was paired with the lightest, creamiest whipped potatoes. Worth another mention is the amazingly deep and rich au jus.
For our "Nexts" we had to order the house specialty, Mac and cheese. As my company couldn't partake due to gluten, the waitress was so kind as to ask for a half portion for myself. Again, kindness. We also enjoyed the cauliflower with oyster mushrooms, sherry, and cream. Surprisingly, this side was one of the stars of the show, and I am definitely making this side for the holidays. A new tradition begins.
We didn't have room for dessert this go-a-round, but the creme de pot is always a win no matter the variation, and the chefs cobblers are devine. I so desired the banana and chocolate pie, but alas, my waistline pleaded to stop.
Please treat yourself if you are in town, or celebrating, or just want to experience amazingly crafted food. They are expanding this week, which is great news for us faithful. More seats for us all to enjoy Ashley Christensen's creative southern cooking, served by talented and helpful staff. Thank you, Poole's dinner, for once again, making a special night more memorable and with... kindness.
Vegetarian options: They will accommodate preferences within reason, and some dishes are naturally vegetarian. The menu is meat centric.
Parking: Poole's validates the parking lot across the street.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chicken Liver Pate with Twomustards and Pickles, Half Chicken with Whipped Potatoes, Mac N Cheese, Avocado
Thomas Anderson
Food is excellent but pricey. Atmosphere is loud but entertaining. Service is excellent as well. If you are looking for a relaxing meal I would look somewhere else. However if you want an experience this is the place. Everyone should eat at Poole's at least once and that is now possible because of reservations!
Parking: Validated parking on lot across the street. See direction on website for details so that you go to the correct lot.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Salad
Don Gerdts
Interesting restored diner with a "modern Southern" menu and a little bit of a Bohemian flair.
Excellent, attentive service.
We enjoyed the chicken, the corn meal breaded fish and watermelon salad finishing with blueberry ice cream sandwich and a peanut butter banana pie.
They were very aware of any dietary restrictions and preferences, and they worked well to accommodate.
The owner actually owns the adjacent building and plans to expand into that space in 2024. That will help a lot with the somewhat limited seating.
Definitely not inexpensive, and we felt that it was a nice experience overall.
We'll be back. ??
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Bernie Mansfield
One of the best restaurants I've been to in my life. The service and atmosphere was good but the food was on a whole other level. The Mac and cheese and sweet corn were great. There scallops and steak were amazing. You definitely won't regret coming here.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Mac and Cheese to Share, Pimento Cheese with Fried Saltines
K Vaughn
WOW!! Super impressed with our experience here, I can’t stop thinking about it. Not only was the food incredible (get the beef tenderloin, trust me) but the service was probably the best I’ve ever had. After we finished our salads, they cleared our plates, wiped the table and provided fresh plates and silverware before the main course came out. I don’t think anyone has ever done that before unless you ask for it. I can’t wait to come back next time we are in town!
Pool’s no doubt still has high quality food, a great atmosphere, etc. However, it just isn’t a great an experience as it once was. The appetizers were at bit too adventurous for the usual diner, though we did LOVE the pimento cheese. It was the safe play. The server was great, but which one? Too many people coming to the table. Lastly, when you only have three red wines by the glass, if one if them is chilled, you should alert the diner. No one assumes a red will be chilled. And you can’t undo a chilled wine (unless you’re willing wait…) Overall a great restaurant for the newcomer. For the faithful, we’re left wanting what it was.
Popped in after a concert, sat at the bar, our server/bartender was so kind and fun.
Vibes were great and food was VERY good but didn't wow. I'd take my parents, grandparents or a picky friend here if they visited from out of town, but not my foodie best friend - if that makes sense. I think it has its place. The food was good and prepared well, but it was lacking that something special that leaves you with a wow of surprise and excitement.
I highly recommend Poole's Dinner! We took our Gantt Family Law team there, and we had an amazing time. The food was wonderful, with delicious dishes that everyone loved. From the appetizers to the desserts, everything was tasty and made with care. The staff was also fantastic! They were friendly and made sure we had everything we needed. Their great service really added to our experience and made us feel welcome. It was a perfect place for our team to relax and enjoy each other's company. If you’re looking for a great meal and a fun atmosphere, Poole's is the place to go!
We recently dined here as a group of five. The food was decent, but compared to our visit two years ago, the prices have gone way up — $400 for five people felt excessive for what we got. That alone would have been tolerable, but the final straw was the quiet addition of a 3% credit card surcharge.
This new trend of passing credit card fees onto customers without clearly disclosing it upfront is frustrating — especially from a business that appears to be doing well (the recent renovation looks great). Let’s be honest: almost no one carries cash anymore. Most businesses just factor processing fees into their pricing or absorb it as a cost of doing business.
To make a point, we reduced our tip by 4% to offset your 3% credit card fee. So if your staff felt shorted, you might consider refunding that fee directly to them.
And while we’re on the subject: it’s becoming harder to justify 20% tips when restaurants are relying on customers to effectively subsidize wages. It’s time more owners stepped up and paid their staff fairly, instead of treating them like the customers’ responsibility.
We really wanted to enjoy the experience, but between the inflated prices and hidden fees, it left a bad taste.
Food is good, service poor. We waited 20 minutes for our reserved time, 15 minutes after they said they were just cleaning it up. Then the server took ten minutes to come by, said she would give us a “few minutes” to look at the menu. Nearly twenty minutes later (we tried to get her attention many times) she came to take our order. The attitude presented was as if I was bothering someone. We are simple sit down, order, eat, and pay people. We ended up being some of the last people in the restaurant because it took so long and we didn’t even order dessert. We used to come here for amazing nights out and really enjoyed the wine list. But I felt so bad this time I will just try the recipes from the cookbook. We come from the other side of the triangle. The service used to be amazing. The current hostess used to be our server and it was incredible. Maybe it was a fluke.
The chef's creativity really shines in every dish.
Great food and overall dining experience. The Mac & cheese to share is out of this world.
Service is exquisite & food is perfection! Every single time(:
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ok Soooooo…I had to come again to celebrate my 42nd birthday! Send the hallelujah choir, a tambourine, and a drum roll please to…Poole’s. Wanna know what the drink and other dish is? 1. Take the pic with you 2. Show it to the bar 3. Enjoy!
Parking: Parking can be a little tricky but what do you expect! It’s downtown! Just park and eat!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Mac and Cheese to Share
Restaurantji Recommends
For over a decade, I have enjoyed my finest celebrations in life with Poole's Dinner. The ambiance is energetic and like a step back in time with the 40s decore. Thank you to the staff for never disappointing, always being kind, and exceeding expectations.
My partner and I headed out to Raleigh to celebrate my new job. An especially trying year sent packing with one exquisite meal.
To start, we had the tuna tartar. The NC tuna was beyond the quality you'd expect at a sushi bar. The tuna was perfectly chopped but not to a paste. It was wonderfully dressed with cider aioli and topped with ripe, creamy avocado. The tobiko provided a delightful pop and brininess. The chicken liver pate is my favorite starter Poole's serves. The mustards are fantastic, and the compote is a perfect pairing with the smooth and luscious pate. All this was served with seasoned cucumber slices to accommodate my partners gluten allergy. Again, kindness prevails at Poole's.
Our main was simply the best tenderloin I've ever tasted. I'm not a tenderloin fan, but this blew me away by the endless flavor. Usually lacking in a tenderloin, in my opinion, but not on this occasion. The meat was velvet on the tongue and melted into an amazing bite with the garlic and spicy carrot top chimmichurri that it was paired with. Served with brown butter carrots, fingerling potatoes, crunchy spiced pine nuts, and finished with a bed of tangy whipped feta. The final exquisite touch was a perfectly salty and savory sauce.
My partner had the triple smoked au jus roasted chicken. She refuses to get anything else and has said it is her final meal request. LoL the chicken was paired with the lightest, creamiest whipped potatoes. Worth another mention is the amazingly deep and rich au jus.
For our "Nexts" we had to order the house specialty, Mac and cheese. As my company couldn't partake due to gluten, the waitress was so kind as to ask for a half portion for myself. Again, kindness. We also enjoyed the cauliflower with oyster mushrooms, sherry, and cream. Surprisingly, this side was one of the stars of the show, and I am definitely making this side for the holidays. A new tradition begins.
We didn't have room for dessert this go-a-round, but the creme de pot is always a win no matter the variation, and the chefs cobblers are devine. I so desired the banana and chocolate pie, but alas, my waistline pleaded to stop.
Please treat yourself if you are in town, or celebrating, or just want to experience amazingly crafted food. They are expanding this week, which is great news for us faithful. More seats for us all to enjoy Ashley Christensen's creative southern cooking, served by talented and helpful staff. Thank you, Poole's dinner, for once again, making a special night more memorable and with... kindness.
Vegetarian options: They will accommodate preferences within reason, and some dishes are naturally vegetarian. The menu is meat centric.
Parking: Poole's validates the parking lot across the street.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chicken Liver Pate with Twomustards and Pickles, Half Chicken with Whipped Potatoes, Mac N Cheese, Avocado
Food is excellent but pricey. Atmosphere is loud but entertaining. Service is excellent as well. If you are looking for a relaxing meal I would look somewhere else. However if you want an experience this is the place. Everyone should eat at Poole's at least once and that is now possible because of reservations!
Parking: Validated parking on lot across the street. See direction on website for details so that you go to the correct lot.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Salad
Interesting restored diner with a "modern Southern" menu and a little bit of a Bohemian flair.
Excellent, attentive service.
We enjoyed the chicken, the corn meal breaded fish and watermelon salad finishing with blueberry ice cream sandwich and a peanut butter banana pie.
They were very aware of any dietary restrictions and preferences, and they worked well to accommodate.
The owner actually owns the adjacent building and plans to expand into that space in 2024. That will help a lot with the somewhat limited seating.
Definitely not inexpensive, and we felt that it was a nice experience overall.
We'll be back. ??
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
One of the best restaurants I've been to in my life. The service and atmosphere was good but the food was on a whole other level. The Mac and cheese and sweet corn were great. There scallops and steak were amazing. You definitely won't regret coming here.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Mac and Cheese to Share, Pimento Cheese with Fried Saltines
WOW!! Super impressed with our experience here, I can’t stop thinking about it. Not only was the food incredible (get the beef tenderloin, trust me) but the service was probably the best I’ve ever had. After we finished our salads, they cleared our plates, wiped the table and provided fresh plates and silverware before the main course came out. I don’t think anyone has ever done that before unless you ask for it. I can’t wait to come back next time we are in town!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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