Nice surprise as our concert ended earlier.enjoyed great snacks and dessert. Definitely going. Back for dinner. Great service too. Think you

Visited Poole's diner first night in town. I've been recommended this place a number of times and was excited to try! Had the baguette, beet salad, brown butter carrots and the chicken and mashed potatoes dish. Everything was good but it wasn't great, nothing to write home about. Service was excellent I will say that, the ambience and overall vibe was cool and it seemed pretty trendy in there. Hated that the menus are written in chalk all over the wall. Probably wouldn't be on my list of places to return but had a decent meal.

We have had brunch at Poole's many times and always enjoyed it. This was our first time for lunch with their full menu. This time our service was poor. Our original waiter disappeared and after flagging down another had a new one that was good. Ambiance is always nice. Food was excellent but my entree was lukewarm and the fries were way over salted for me. Prices, like all restaurants, when up and the steaks have gotten smaller. Still love all of Ashley Christensen's restaurants in Raleigh and we will continue to support her creative and tasty menu items, but our last trip was a little disappointing.

Tried the last of the AC restaurants tonight, Poole's. We were very excited to try the mac n cheese, and at least that did not disappoint. Unfortunately, like her other restaurant Death & Taxes, the timing between appetizer/salad and entree was subpar, with a 40 minute wait time in between. The food, however, was delightful. The star was the macaroni au gratin, a Poole's classic, which had that delicious crusty top and creamy, decadent white cheese interior. I love how the macaroni noodles were small in this dish. We started out with the Bibb Lettuces salad, which came out in 10 minutes, and was very refreshing - it had the perfect amount of vinaigrette and the aged parmesan melted in your mouth. One entree was the roast half chicken, which is another classic here. The chicken was roasted perfectly & retained its moisture, the potatoes were perfectly smooth though we missed the "herb scented" aspect, and the smoky chicken stock was incredibly flavorful and really lifted up the dish. However, it may have been missing a fresh element as it was all very rich. The pan-roasted trout with turmeric-coconut broth was nice & light - the broth had amazing flavor and the trout was cooked nicely, though I missed the crispy skin. We finished off our meal with the hazelnut pot de crème. This dish was just okay - the cookie was average and the pot de crème, although perfectly smooth, lacked that punch of chocolate and hazelnut flavor we were craving.

There are tons of reviews here, so I will mostly supplement or respond to them. 1. Many reviews say Poole's is loud. We found Poole's to be no more or less loud than your typical restaurant. Having said that, we were there from 5:30 to 7:15, and the restaurant was around 75% full; perhaps things get louder later in the evening. 2. The Mac and cheese comes in a huge serving: easily enough for two. 3. Many reviews complain that the food took 45 minutes or more to appear. Our first course appeared promptly (within 10 minutes), with what we considered adequate spacing between the courses. 4. One review mentioned that there is a certain way you have to place your order. We didn't find that to be the case at all. The restaurant had no issue, e.g., with bringing the Mac and cheese as an appetizer rather than a side dish to the main course. 5. It is true what reviewers say about the menus. Depending on where you are sitting, you may not be able to see a menu easily. 6. It is also true that the parking lot beside the restaurant is paid parking. Then again, you are in the middle of a downtown, so that should not come as a surprise. 7. I recommend a table rather than the counter--unless you don't mind being elbow to elbow with strangers. The stools at the counter are stationary and close together.

The food was pretty good. We came here on Valentine's Day for dinner. They had steak frites on the menu but ran out. It looked delicious though. We ended up with short rib pot pie and baked chicken. The pot pie was delicious, the chicken was just ok. The sides were delicious and the staff were super nice. It was an enjoyable experience.

I will say 4-4.5 stars for this place. This is definitely a fancy place that you need to make reservations to guarantee a seat. Luckily they do vouch for your parking and we were seated promptly for our reservation. We did like their pimento cheese appetizer, but wish they'd bring the fried saltines back instead of the crostini. The baguette and butter was alright, nothing too special. We also got a couple cocktails, as well as the half-roasted chicken and the macaroni au gratin. It's definitely worth coming for the signature macaroni. The sauce on the roasted chicken and the mashed potatoes were very tasty, but I'm unsure if half a chicken is worth $32. Overall, this is more of a fancy date night spot and the food is delicious. If we go again, we will have to try their other unique dishes like the pickle Caesar salad and the short rib pot pie.

Poole's has become an iconic institution in downtown Raleigh and doesn't disappoint. Housed in an old diner, the vibe is one of an active, high energy diner. Ashley Christensen's modern interpretation of Southern comfort food is amazing. We started with the Bibb lettuce salad which was amazing! Our entree was the Royal with cheese which is an off-menu item only offered on Sundays. Sides included Brussels sprouts and the do-not-miss mac and chess au gratin. The four of us split the salad and sides and we shared two Royals. Service was spot on. Attentive, knowledgeable, and very personable. We thoroughly enjoyed our experience.

I knew Poole's had amazing reviews, but I was honestly shocked HOW good the food was. We snagged an early reservation before a concert at Red Hat. Started with some cocktails and the bread with butter. We're from NJ and I was truly SHOOK by how good the bread was, haha. We also got the watermelon salad which was delish. For dinner, my husband had the pork tenderloin and I had the chicken. Both were absolutely amazing. My husband said that his meal was the best meal he ever had. It's decently pricey for how casual it is, but that speaks to the quality of the food. Next time, we'll definitely sit at the counter.

Had an amazing dinner here for moms birthday. The staff was very nice and explained that you have to take photos of the menu yourself and they had no paper menus. Service was excellent and the food was very very good. It was a bit loud in there but I think it was people having a good time. Fine dining with casual atmosphere! Make sure to book your table a whole week in advance Get the Panna Cotta dessert!