Nestled in quaint downtown wake forest, this charming establishment offers an ideal atmosphere for drinks, small plates, and casual conversation. The dining room was filled with families, couples and groups who were just enjoying the atmosphere and having a good time. The group across from us even took the time to share their tapas with us, we enjoyed the atmosphere. Although they obviously offer take out, they also have socially distant seating inside and outside. It pays to make reservations, especially with the limited number of tables inside, this seems to be a popular establishment. The wine selection offers an impressive variety of both red's and white's, unfortunately due to my short attention span I passed over the rum cocktails, something I will be sure to try on my return visit. A good "old fashioned" is hard so to find! I would endorse the cheeseboard, I didn't even feel the need to shun any of the cheeses they brought out, which is rare, and the crostini was very flavorful. The Parisienne gnocchi was phenomenal, a small plate, so order two if you plan on making it a meal. We also tried the Rigatoni Mezze; I took a chance on the wild boar and was happy I did! Of course I didn't leave without desert, typically I would never pass up a cannoli, but I will pass up a "mini" cannoli! so it was a homemade Crème brulee for me. Cheers! read more

We are regulars at Bodega, great ambiance for a date night but also to hangout with friends. Excellent presentation of the dishes. My favorite here is the goat cheese dip, so yummy! As any tapas place the portions are very small so be Ready to get 2-3 per person. Great sangria. I am not as familiar with Spanish wine options but they have a red French one that is pretty good! I highly recommend to try this restaurant. read more

Bodega Tapas & Wine - Meatballs and spinach dip - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Wake Forest, North Carolina

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Their Escargot and cocktails are great. My favorite dessert there is Crème brûlée. Fun place to hang with friends

The food was amazing, the service was on point! The ambiance was perfect! Lamb Meatballs read more

Bodega Tapas & Wine - NC Wagu Ragout Rigantoni - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Wake Forest, North Carolina

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Great food and atmosphere. Almost feels like it belongs in downtown Raleigh rather than downtown Wake Forest, but I'm glad it's here. The owner came out and spoke with us - very friendly guy. Only con is that it is expensive for the amount you get. Overall great spot. read more

Cheese boards and wine. Don't expect large filling meals or you'll be disappointed. Most drink their wine with pinkies in the air.

I cannot get enough of this restaurant. The drinks are amazing, the food is outstanding, and the service is impeccable. The cheese board? The creme brûlé? Musts! read more

5 stars every time. Apparently I somehow like drinking straight rum at this place. Must get the gnocchi and meatballs. Always great service and know you'll have a great experience. read more

I know what Tapas means (small plates) and Ive had Tapas many many times but the portions were so teeny tiny. We had 5 plates between two of us and were still hungry. After 5 plates and two glass's of wine between the two of us a little over $110 not including tip of course. The restaurant was very clean and the staff was super nice. But again, portions were the smallest portions Ive ever had. We wont go back just based on the portion sizes being so measly. And if you love escargot, I wouldn't recommend. They were ok but honestly they were the size of a pencil eraser and we got 4 tiny tiny pieces of bread to go with it. read more

Bodega Tapas is a quaint hidden gem in Wake Forest. Ok so first off, yes it's definitely a loud restaurant. This isn't a place for date night due to the noise levels but I would definitely recommend for groups of 3 or more. The ambiance makes it a great place to go and socialize with friends. We ordered a few items off the menu and everything tasted great. I also recommend ordering at 3 or 4 tapas due to the portions. Overall, we were pleased with the service we received and the food! I highly recommend any of the following menu items: Caribbean Jerk ribs Rigatoni Mezze Empanadas Lamb meatballs I will definitely go back. Enjoy! read more

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What a wonderful find in the charming downtown Wake Forest area. This place is a must for an exciting date night. Love their gnocchi, shrimp, and seared tuna but you really can't go wrong with any of their small plates. The place is a bit echoey so if you're hard of hearing be prepared. The noise level is certainly a sign that it's a popular spot! read more

This is the perfect place to unwind and enjoy the best tapas around! It is where I go on Friday to simply unwind and enjoy the beauty of downtown Wake Forest, tapas (cooked phenomenally) and choice of wine. 5 stars! read more

This is the first time I've gone to a restaurant five times, loved the food every time, and given a 3 star review. The food is very good, sometimes transcendent, service reasonably good, and the restaurant is attractive and inviting. I'd particularly recommend the NC Shrimp, the Brussels Sprouts, fingerling potatoes, seared tuna... there are many. The Rum Old Fashioned is delicious! There's a good selection of wines by the glass, and about 8-10 craft cocktails, with rum as a focal point. On our most recent visit, our party of four had a round of drinks and about 8 small plates, and the bill was $115 excluding tip, which seemed very reasonable. Why 3 stars, then? The noise level at Bodega is excruciatingly high - to the point where it's practically painful. The floor is a hard surface, the walls are brick, and the ceiling is wood: there's virtually no sound absorbing material in the restaurant, and the result is like something out of Gitmo. The people who run this restaurant know they have a problem, yet have done nothing since it opened to address it. ...and for this reason, we won't be returning. My only advice is to go really early or at 9pm if you don't want to damage your hearing: from 6:00 to 9:00, it's a horror show. read more

Bodega is a hidden gem in downtown Wake Forest! It's perfect for a romantic date night, dinner with friends, or a neighborhood drink They specialize in rum cocktails, a huge wine list and tapas! I recommend ordering 2-3 plates per person to share with the table. The service was amazing - a great resource for recommending dishes Specials: Wednesday- 1/2 price Wine Thursday- 1/2 off Cocktails My favorites: - Autumn salad w Grapes, Apples & Blue Cheese - Scallop Ceviche - Fried Mediterranean Potatoes (a MUST order!) - Tender Grilled Octopus - Seared Tuna - Warm Blueberry Polenta Cake (not too sweet and SO satisfying) read more

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Bodega Tapas & Wine is located at the end of white street in downtown Wake Forest. They took over where Back fins used to be. Love the renovations they did. This was actually our plan B when Friday night on white got rained out. They quickly filled up so I'd recommend making reservations. Our server, I think his name was Benton, was fantastic and very patient with us being first timers. Four of us shared a plethora of tapas plates. I enjoyed my drink. Painkiller-need I say more? We started with a cheese board and what a great way to start. Now they are tapas so that means small plates, made for sharing. With 4 people, you basically get a few bites in. 3 types of cheese, manchego, and 2 others. One tasted like goat cheese and the other similar to gruyere with fig jam and quince, served with crostini. Needed a few more crostini as everything on this was delicious! Everything I tasted was enjoyable. The crab filled peppers were memorable but very small. It actually was quite a bit of food in total and yes, it can get pricey. With drinks, it averaged about $60 per couple, not including tip. But Hey, you deserve something different now and again. read more

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Seriously the best meal. Everything about this dinner experience was exceptional (except for an air conditioning issue - hopefully that gets resolved soon?) - even with this minor issue the food and service far outweighed any slight uncomfortably warm temperature. Our server was Bennett, he was great. Attentive, offered great recommendations and we never waited any time our glasses neared empty or we wanted to order more food. The food: oh my. Be prepared to order 2-3 plates per person. Tapas style. I guess it also depends on how hungry you are. We tried the following: the empanada, the bacon wrapped dates, the goat cheese dip, crab stuffed peppers, pork belly, corn salad. The gnocchi and a special of the evening - mussels in a tallow coconut curry. All fantastic. We (4 of us) ended up ordering 2 more orders of the dates. The crab stuffed peppers were also a personal fav. The drinks: a wonderful drink selection of craft rum cocktails, extensive wine list and maybe the best white sangria I've ever had. I ordered a floral type cocktail with elderflower liquor to start but it was a little too sweet for my taste buds so I switched to the white sangria. Very refreshing. I liked this place so much that I just want to go up there by myself and become a regular the food and atmosphere was so good. Can't wait to go back. read more

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So my #FoodieFriday shout out goes to the newly opened Bodega Tapas, Wine and Rum in Wake Forest. This restaurant is the place to go for eclectic cold and hot small plates, amazing cocktails, and delicious desserts. It is in historic downtown Wake Forest on the south end of White Street. There is parking in a lot steps away from it. Go for a date night or a girls night and unwind with a glass of wine, share some NC shrimp and save room for the white chocolate bread pudding (it was so good, I ordered one to go for the hubby at home) !! I enjoyed the creative cuisine with influences from around the world by Chef Nunzio and look forward to dining there again! Pictured Here : Brussel Sprouts | Lamb Ribs | Pork Belly | Strawberry Caipirinha | White Chocolate Bread Pudding | NC Shrimp Tip: I went on a Thursday Night and discovered it is half off cocktails! read more

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A fresh and delicious new spot in Wake Forest by the talented chef-owner Nunzio Scordo, who definitely knows his tapas and how to pair them with tasty sippables. The small plates are generously loaded, affordably priced and genuinely delicious. The octopus dish - my favorite - had a meltingly tender texture with a magnificently charred exterior. The lamb was tender and flavorful, and the bacon wrapped dates with blue cheese were a palate pleasing umami bomb of sweet, sticky, caramelized toffee-like fruit with salty crisp bacon and pungent cheese. The staff are very friendly and happy to be of service. Expect a cheerful welcome and very good care taken of your palate. Bring your friends and get the whole menu to share! read more

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Very happy to see this new restaurant in Wake Forest! The renovation of the space was done very well, and the food and atmosphere are first rate. Lamb ribs, awesome! Mild tasting lamb with a very nice sauce. Seared tuna, baked goat cheese, scallop ceviche, all delicious. The chef makes very good use of seasonings and doesn't overpower his dishes with any one flavor. They also have an extensive wine list and a number of rums and rum based drinks. Our server, Five, did a fantastic job! read more

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Fun and trendy! A great addition to downtown Wake Forest. Cocktails are excellently made and the tapas were delicious and larger than I expected. Great for sharing! Definitely a place I will take visitors and go for drinks with the girls or date night. Things I've tried and liked: Cocktails = The Empress and The Jungle Tapas = Bacon wrapped dates and fingerling potatoes read more

Bodega Tapas & Wine - Painkiller, Really Dark and Stormy, The Jungle - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Wake Forest, North Carolina

So excited to have a tapas style restaurant that we don't have to drive to Durham for! Service was fantastic (very personable) and the pace of the meal was on point. As you can see, we sampled just about everything on the menu! Everything was well prepared and had good flavor, though we had some clear front runners. Winners in order: Scallop Ceviche - sweet, sour, crunchy, smooth Pork Belly - delicious cider reduction with the charred belly fat was on point Gnocchi - creamy, toasted, ooyey, gooey Dates - filled with Spanish blue cheese and baked with crispy bacon All of these are must haves! Very uniquely flavored, complex, and delicious! We also both loved the goat cheese dip, shrimp, and crispy potatoes! We were torn on dessert. Hubby loved the rice and I loved the chocolate! The octopus was good, but Mateo still reigns supreme. We didn't care for the bed of chickpeas it was served on and think it would be better with more char and more vinaigrette. The sausage was also tasty, but we didn't love the cold "relish". Probably would skip that one next time. Drinks and wine list are of good size and variety! I loved my sparkling rose! We will be back! read more

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My husband and I dined at Bodega tonight and enjoyed our dinner very much. The servers were quite attentive and came back to refill our drinks several times. Admittedly, the service was pretty slow, but part of it may have had to do with some power issues their street was having. Not sure, since we've never dined there before. However, the food was delicious and they were quite accommodating so I would still return. I asked them what items I could have, considering I have a dairy allergy. They kindly came back with the menu, having struck out the dishes that couldn't be modified and circling what would have to be removed for some of the others. It was very much appreciated. I hope to come back and try some of their other dishes another day! read more

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One of the best tapas places in town! Place was super crowded even in covid times. We ordered variety of entries and every one of them was delicious. Best was there grilled octopus, lamb meat balls and the scallops! Did not try any of their cocktails. It was worth the long drive from Apex! We will defenitly go back. read more

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Amazing! got 7 different dishes and every one was more amazing than the next. Not only my favorite local restaurant but probably my favorite restaurant period. Get a babysitter and bring an appetite! read more

We recently had a great experience at Bodega in Wake Forest. Food was delicious and very high quality. Highly recommend this place.

Immediately when you walk into this place you're instantly relaxed. The decor is stunning. The wait staff? Friendly and knowledgeable. The food? Exquisite! A woman at a table next to ours mentioned she was on an autoimmune paleo diet ( my ears perked up as I'm on that very same protocol) Get this: THE CHEF CAME TO HER TABLE TO DISCUSS OPTIONS! No joke! How fabulous is that! I cannot wait to return. That wine list needs sampling! read more

Food and service were great but a little pricey for my tastes. Seems like they don't rotate the menu much.

This was my first visit and I was blown away! The food was a work of art and the service was so personal I would have thought I was a regular customer. What a treasure to find such a wonderful dining experience in downtown Wake Forest. I will be back for sure!! P.S. Don't forget to ask for the dessert menu when your meal is finished. You won't be sorry. read more

We had empanadas, escargot, Brussel sprouts, cheese plate, burrata, and the foie gras creme brûlée. All were super tasty and the wine pairing was also delicious. We loved the interesting dish choices and the feel of the restaurant as well. We will be back! read more

Absolutely wonderful from start to finish. It's a really lovely and inviting space and every person on the staff that we interacted with was so gracious, welcoming and helpful. The drinks were very creative and satisfying. Love the amazing variety of runs they have. We had the scallops (double order since it was just a single scallop), the chicken, olives and Brussels. Each one was prepared perfectly, was delicious and the presentation was lovely. We cannot wait to go back! read more

I would give bodega a 3.5. Maybe a 4 just because Wake Forest has no other options like this but it does fall short for me in some areas. I have been twice so far and here are my recommendations: Parisienne gnocchi (!!) Fingerling potatoes Grilled flat iron steak Cheese platter Spiced chocolate tart White chocolate bread pudding Skip- Brussel sprouts. They will try to sell them but they are cold and boring despite them telling you they are cooked. I would prefer a juicy melt in your mouth deep fried version of this personally. I like the bacon wrapped dates but I won't lie the blue cheese throws me off a little, I do not think it was the correct choice here (and I do like blue cheese). The duck pasta looked good but I didn't eat it. I will order the warm goat cheese dip and the strawberry and arugula salad (which a friend had, looked good) next time. The gnocchi was a highlight, such a lovely texture. That, the steak, and some olives to compliment with a Malbec would be a lovely meal for me. read more

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My husband and I have been to this place twice. They have excellent service. The servers are always kind friendly and quick with a smile. As far as the food goes, Absolutely delicious. I would recommend that you make a reservation at the place is kind of small and fills up quickly. Perfect for date night. read more

We stopped in today for an early dinner (4:45pm) and it was empty and clean. Everyone was wearing a mask and the waitress was very kind. We got the Gnocchi for the 4 year olds (and an order for the adults, its AMAZING). We also got the Lamb Meatballs, also tasty; Shrimp good but doesn't have a ton of flavor; Beef Empanada was good and the cilantro creme is super yummy; Peruvian Chicken was a alright but I won't be getting it again; Brussel Sprouts had good flavor but I wasn't crazy about the texture. I prefer them crispy and these were mushy in my opinion by my friend loved them. The last time I was there I had the Octopus and it was phenomenal (if you've never had it, Try it!). Cocktail: Tried the Ship Down and it was very good, so good that I never got a picture. lol. Overall great service, Clean tables, They were on top of Covid issues so they deserve 5 stars. read more

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AMAZING FOOD! This is one of my top 5 restaurants in the Raleigh area. The food is always amazing and the service is great. It can get a little loud in the restaurant, but that is the only negative! read more

This is a wonderful restaurant. Absolutely incredible food. We ordered the Arancini, Spanish Serrano Ham, and Parisienne Gnocchi to share between my wife and I. Here, it is all about quality over quantity. Very rich and extremely rewarding. I'm a big guy with a big appetite and this place very much satisfied it. I also enjoyed the meal with an Old Fashioned with Makers Mark. The service was also excellent. Our server, Bailey, was very relational and charming. She had a sweet smile and spirit that was contagious for us and the entire experience. The interior is dimly lit ideal for our date night. We absolutely loved coming here and will certainly return. read more

Very nice atmosphere. Nice staff and very involved owner. Personally greatest each table. But the food was spectacular!!! We tried 5 different small plates and each was better than the last. I HIGHLY recommend you give them a try. read more

I treated my daughter for her 20th birthday. It is a cool spot. Overpriced tapas that left us just wanting. That was the fastest $100+ I spent on food. Sadly, we left hungry and ended up getting a pizza after. Fancy menu and seasonal foods that are just meh, at best. read more

Great from beginning to end! Friendly and knowledgeable service, and amazing food! One of the best crème brûlée's I've had. Can't wait to go back for more read more

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This was a great find in the old part of Wake Forest. We got there real early on a Saturday (about 5-5:15pm) and no one was there. But then it soon started to fill up. The ambience is really nice, the service was excellent. We ordered about six tapas dishes to share. Every single one was fabulous. They have very interesting flavor profiles for the dishes--things you wouldn't think to put together. They really tickled our tongues. We will definitely be back. read more

Bodega Tapas and Wine in Downtown Wake Forest is a must visit. Their menu is fulled with delicious small plates, larger plates, desserts, special rum based cocktails and a vast wine list. The tapas we had were their cider braised pork belly, lamb ribs, lamb meatballs and the grilled octopus. Each dish was savory and delicious and full of flavor. The presentation of each dish was so picturesque. For dessert, their warm blueberry polenta cake, was the perfect sweet end to an amazing meal. The ambiance is perfect for a nice, perfectly lit, quiet dinner for you and your guest and their service is top notch. Will definitely be back to try more of their tapas! read more

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