Rustic Italian in Downtown Raleigh. (I would make reservations, as it's not a huge place. Loved the private room downstairs (especially because it was so loud upstairs), the bread, the Kale salad, the Eggplant parm/pie. Others loved the spaghetti and meatballs and the lazanga. Didn't love the waitress we had that told us she was going home a little early b/c she was feeling sick, after we had started to eat our food... other than that, I'd recommend. read more

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My wife and I made dinner reservations 2.5 weeks in advance. We indicated that this dinner was a special event for us (our wedding anniversary) and requested a booth. When we arrived at the restaurant and gave the hostess our name, we were surprised that we didn't receive a "Happy anniversary!" in return. Instead, we were quickly ushered past the booths to a small wobbly non-booth table in the back. Our server didn't seem to have any knowledge that it was our anniversary either, and was relatively hurried and unfriendly. When we ordered drinks, one of the drinks we were brought was an incorrect order. Our appetizer (the risotto balls) was great. But our pasta dishes were absolutely terrible. My wife's meatballs were overcooked and hard. It was as if they had been made days ago, left to dry out and age, then nuked in the microwave. Her spaghetti was completely underdone, with some pieces even crunching as she bit into them. My dish, the Tagliatelle Bolognese, was also undercooked, with huge clumps of pasta that completely stuck together. I actually had to get out my knife to cut through the huge chunks of stuck together, undercooked pasta. Our server never stopped by to ask how the food was until we asked for the check. We conveyed our concerns about the food, and his only response was whether we'd like to order dessert. The service and the food left a lot to be desired. My wife and I are extremely low maintenance diners- but we expected more. This was the worst restaurant experience I've personally had in 5+ years. It pains me to say this because we live less than two blocks away, but we won't be back to Gravy. read more

The waiting is incredibly long. We arrived at 745 we didn't even have our entrée at 9:00 PM ET. We got our appetizer the glorious. The wine selection was great. The service....was so much to be desired. They ended up coming out food as well as apologizing. What I wanted is them to understand that it's not about free. I'll come bk again but service has to be better read more

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Cute little spot. Loved the drink menu. The raspberry cello martini and fresco were small but delicious! Tagliatelle Bolognese was phenomenal and huge! 10/10. Spaghetti and Meatballs was also great. Absolutely tore up the warm garlic knots they gave us when we arrived. Even my kiddo destroyed his! Only reason it wasn't 5 stars was the so-so service. The service seemed slow, and lacking personality for being a mostly empty building. We had dirty dishes on our table the whole time, which isn't the biggest deal, but kind of annoying when you are at a tiny 2 top. The food was worth going back for though. read more

Gravy - Tagliatelle Bolognese* - Italian Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Gravy is a downtown staple! In an ever changing downtown landscape Gravy has seen it all. I recently went in for a friends birthday dinner, she was able to score a reservation for a group pretty last minute which was great. The hostess and waitress were all very friendly. Some of the group were late and the waitress didn't seem annoyed by it at all. I ordered the calamari as an app and unfortunately it never arrived. I thought the kitchen was just behind but then our dinner plates came out and I realized it was just forgotten. For dinner I shared the butternut squash ravioli and eggplant pie. I'm a sucker for butternut squash ravioli and in general if I see it on a menu I order it. Theirs was quite delicious! The sauce was super flavorful as was the fillings in the ravioli. The eggplant pie was good, but I felt it could have used more seasoning. They brought over an apple cake for my friend's birthday dessert and it was pretty tasty. Not something I would normally order so I was happy I was able to give it a try. read more

I really enjoyed Gravy. Hippie was our sever and we just felt so well taken care of, great recommendations and just fantastic (would return just for Hippie). The food during lunch was so good, I will say it took some time BUT it was well worth it. The Caesar salad was fantastic, the dressing was very good. Recommend adding the fried chicken on top. my friends also got the calamari, the chicken alfredo, and the chicken parm and NO ONE was disappointed. Great portion sizes and super tasty. Service was great and food was great too! read more

The SINGLE worst dining experience I've ever had in my entire life. Our server was clearly high or intoxicated , and it seems the manager was too. Took 45 minutes to receive my drink, which is ridiculous considering there were only 2 tables in the entire restaurant. Then when we finally complained because our server couldn't split the check correctly, the manager also split it incorrectly. After 5 tries we paid under 1 card because we were far too frustrated to continue trying. I will never in my entire life set foot back in this establishment and I recommend no one else does either. read more

What can I say about this restaurant... the name doesn't match the type of food they served. Gravy to me sounds like a brunch place. It's an Italian restaurant. The interior was very nice. I ordered the gnocchi and my husband ordered he chicken piccata. We had the fried risotto balls as an appetizer. They were ok... the rice wasn't flavored it was basically just cheesy rice fried topped with marinara sauce. The gnocchi was good I chose it because other Yelpers recommended it. The gnocchi was very soft and not as chewy as others I've had. I loved it! The chicken piccata was cooked very well. Not dry! Good food but would I come again maybe not ... I'd rather try a different place out. Not let's get to the things that brought the rating down. We were sat downstairs in the basement dining area. People going up and down the stairs could be heard in the basement dining area as well as people walking around upstairs. Our waiter was horrible! Our waiter Kelly walked by our table 2 times and I know he looked and saw my empty glass of water but didn't fill it. Also other helpers who brought our appetizer and meal also didn't fill our empty glasses. We waited for service but the wait on the food was surprisingly quick. My husband made a reservation online. It asks what is the reason for the visit. He reserved it for my birthday. Not one person said anything. Not the hostess or server. I don't even know why they ask if you are celebrating something if they don't do anything. I mean even Some places will sing you happy birthday. If you want a restaurant that goes above and beyond for birthdays and anniversaries go to Fleming's steakhouse. They take your picture and print it. Give you a $25 gift card for your next visit. And they also give you truffles on the house for your birthday with a candle to blow out. read more

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We stopped in here for lunch and was very happy with the service, the food and the relaxing atmosphere. We ordered the Shrimp Speghetti and the Tagliatelle Bolognese. They we're both delicious and the ingredients we're very fresh. On top of that the prices were very affordable ($9.95) each. Overall, I would highly suggest grabbing a plate of pasta here. You won't be disappointed. read more

Gravy - Shrimp Speghetti - Italian Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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Already spoke to a manager about our bartender's behavior, but arguing with a guest is a huge "no no". When there's an up charge, you disclose it to the guest. Nobody wants to see an unknown charge on the bill. Lastly, facial hair should NEVER be played with before running somebody's food. It's disgusting. 3 total stars only because the manager apologized with sincerity, but food was mediocre. Been here before, and it's been 10x better. read more

My parents and I made reservations here after a Christmas concert at the symphony. We had the Traditional Bruschetta appetizer. Dad and I liked it, my mom thought there was too much garlic. Main meals - I had the Cranberry goat cheese salad with grilled chicken. Very good but wish I had asked for the dressing on the side. My parents had lasagna and spaghetti alla carbonara. They both enjoyed it. My mom loved the sangria. I had the warm Gravy toddy and it was great to drink on a cold night. read more

This was a last minute decision as we were walking around downtown Raleigh and turned out to be a good decision!! First they start you off with some delicious garlic knots. And then the dishes we got were both delicious. The care was good but server and hostess not seeming too happy to be there that night which is why less stars. Thankfully our food was good! Good prices for what you get too for a nice Italian restaurant. read more

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This was my first time eating at Gravy. I love the free garlic rolls that they give. The food was really good but I probably won't be back. It's just a little expensive for my blood. Hint hint-try the moscato wine!!! It's sooooo GREAT!!! read more

We reserved the wine cellar for a birthday party. Danielle was super helpful in making all the arrangements. We used their AV equipment to run a slide show of pictures that was a hit with everyone who attended. Missy was our server and did such a wonderful job. She went above and beyond to make sure we all had a wonderful evening. The food was amazing and was only surpassed by the outstanding service! I highly recommend Gravy if you're looking for a special and memorable experience. We will be back!! read more

The hostess was so rude. They did not offer a seat at the bar or standby. It was just a "we are booked." Don't have to worry about me coming back. read more

I came here absolutely starving after getting off a flight in early November, and left incredibly satisfied. Our waitress could tell we were really hungry and was so attentive and quick to take our order or answer any questions. My boyfriend is lactose intolerant and everything came with the cheese on the side. We started with a round of cocktails: my mom got the sangria, my boyfriend got the caramel apple mule, and I ordered the apple pie old fashioned. They were all excellent great Fall cocktails with a warm palette for the cold weather outside. They were also perfect with the garlic knot bread. My mom ordered the gnocchi with prawns and my boyfriend and I both got the chicken marsala. I tried both dishes and thought they were wonderful. The chicken was well seasoned and tender, the umami sauce paired great with the sautéed mushrooms, and the pasta was perfectly al dente. The interior is also stylish and pleasantly lit, perfect for a date night or dinner with friends. Would absolutely come back again. read more

Amazing food and atmosphere. Very authentic and well planned out menu, amazing service, fast and prompt, and very elegant for a date or a family get together. read more

Before you read my review you should know I was exhausted and starving. I usually order the spaghetti and meatballs but this time I decided to try their eggplant pie, every bite had my mind blown. I expected it to be a little soggy and fall apart at some point but it maintained it's structure, personally impressed. My friend ordered their ravioli, ooh that was a plate of creamy wonderland. I like to add a few chili flakes for a little kick but even without that, the dishes were to die for. The service and the ambiance were definitely complementing the whole dinner experience. read more

Gravy - Ravioli - Italian Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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Love this place! Soooo good! Chicken piccatta and tomato basil soup for me! My love had chicken parm and soup as well! Wes is the bartender....that made the best margarita ever and jessie was our outstanding server!!! Thanks so much guys!!:) read more

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Wonderful food! Lovely server who made great recommendations. We were a large party and we all loved our meals.

I love Gravy! I came here for my birthday dinner and everyone loved it. Their bolognese and fried risotto balls are amazing. A little pricy, but worth it! Also got this free cheesecake for my bday! read more

Gravy - Red velvet cheesecake - Italian Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

On a weekday, my mom was in town and I was in town until 9pm. She chose Gravy and went ahead and got a table. The restaurant was nearly empty which called for quick service. We both had a salad and decided to split the scallop risotto (I believe on special that evening). Garlic knotts were also served complimentary to the table. I am gluten-free but my mom said they were average. The salads were AWESOME. Honestly, I crave the kale salad because of the spicy and flavor. The scallop risotto was the perfect portion for this time of night and absolutely fabulous. I can not wait to go back! Give this local Italian restaurant a try if you are in Raleigh. I will say that the restaurant is small and I would suggest making a reservation if you are going at a normal dinner time. read more

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Fabulous pasta, appetizers, drinks. Fantastic ambience, great courtyard dining. Great menu, food, and service.

Nice Italian with reasonable prices! I am out of town and stumbled upon this restaurant and was happy they took reservations. My friend and I split the pumpkin ravioli and scallops with butternut squash. Both felt like the epitome of fall. The scallops were buttery with a nice sear on the outside and the risotto is gooey with a bit of sweetness from the butternut squash. The pumpkin ravioli had a creamy sauce, with kale and figs to add a hint of sweetness. How can I forget the garlic knots served at the beginning of the meal which were warm, buttery/garlicky which I knew we had made the right decision for dinner. read more

Gravy - Pumpkin Ravioli - Italian Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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This spot is okay. We went for dinner so I thought the prices were a little high for what the food was. The $10 lunch prices seem a little more reasonable. The watermelon cocktail was good. The traditional bruschetta as an appetizer was good. My mom had the Chicken Piccatta which was probably the best thing we had. Recommend that. I had the spaghetti and meatballs, the meatballs were good but the pasta tasted undercooked which really surprised me. Cute atmosphere and a fun place to try but probably wouldn't recommend it for friends to go out of their way to go to. We had excellent service though and waitstaff was very friendly. read more

My husband and I found this place online and drove 45 minutes and let me tell you.. it was worth it! The food did not disappoint!! read more

Gravy - Bolognese - Italian Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Visiting Raleigh for the week and wanted something other than BBQ. Menu was appealing. Ordered takeout and got the Shrimp Fra Diavolo with some meatballs also and a side salad. Pasta and sauce were decent. Shrimp and meatballs on the small side. Meatballs were very bland. Salad and garlic knot bread were good. They failed to pay attention to the note for the order. I requested red pepper flake and Parmesan cheese. read more

We loved Gravy. We were looking for a good Italian restaurant while in town for the weekend and the reviews convinced us to give it a shot. Our server Wes was personable and quick with the drinks even though we were upstairs and it was clear the only open bar was downstairs. We got started with the risotto balls (a heightened version of mozzarella sticks-yumm) and the autumn panzanella salad-- so refreshing and light. The croutons were "cornbread" but almost tasted like a bites of a thanksgiving stuffing which was a welcome surprise. For entrees we split the short ribs and the gnocchi. The short ribs reminded us of a classic slow cooked pot roast while the gnocchi was solid but not the star of the show. The star of the show y'all was the dessert. The lemon ricotta cake with blueberry purée and vanilla ice cream. It was on special. It was delicious. I will be dreaming about it for nights to come. I can't wait to return to Gravy to explore more options considering we had to deeply strategize for what to order as everything looked delicious! Bellissimo! read more

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At the last minute my hubby and I decided to have lunch on Valentine's Day at Gravy in downtown Raleigh. This was the first time for both of us and despite the cold patio (they really tried to create a warm space) we enjoyed it. My husband ordered the meatball sub with a Kale Caesar (which was really tasty) and I ordered the Chicken Parmigiana. It was pretty delicious and the best I've had in the Triangle so far. The crusty garlic bread was so yummy. Kudos to the waiter who gave me an extra read more

Gravy - Meatball Sub & Kale Salad - Italian Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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Food was good. To go orders were on the small side. ***But the prices online were less than the check presented. Ask before you order online for to go orders. It was $20 more for me. The manager couldn't do anything about it. read more

The gnocchi with shrimp....WOW. So yummy! The sauce was so delicious with it, as well. My family went for my birthday and they gave a free dessert--we picked the tiramisu. Delicious! Loved that it wasn't dried out. Enjoyed the bruschetta. Would love to try the risotto balls and the bolognese tagliatelle in the future. Waitress had a wonderful personality and was very quick and personable. Definitely will be going back! read more

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My friend and I came here for Raleigh Restaurant Week. We made a reservation, so we were able to be sat right away. Overall, it was a good experience and we enjoyed most of the food. I normally probably wouldn't have come here to eat, but since it was Restaurant Week we decided to take advantage and try something new. I enjoyed my food, but my friend wasn't as pleased with his. The restaurant is located downtown so street parking is limited, but there is a parking deck that you can pay to use that is less than a block from the restaurant. The inside of the restaurant is small, but charming. Definitely make a reservation if you can because it gets busy and space is limited because of the size. I didn't order a cocktail, but my friend ordered the Caramel Apple Mule from the featured cocktail list and it was amazing! The flavors were great and worked well together. Perfect winter cocktail. After ordering food we received complimentary garlic knots for the table. They were good! For our starters I ordered the Baked Apple & Prosciutto and my friend ordered the Seasonal Bruschetta and they were both very tasty! The flavors were great and everything worked so well together. For our entrees I ordered the Butternut Squash Ravioli and my friend ordered the Short Ribs. My Butternut Squash Ravioli was delicious! It was an interesting combination, but it worked! My friend was not as pleased with his short rib entree selection. I had a taste and the ribs weren't really seasoned and the polenta was also quite bland. The dish overall was underwhelming. For our dessert I ordered the Chocolate Torte and my friend ordered the Tiramisu Cheesecake. I am a fan of chocolate, but not dark chocolate and the torte was dark chocolate so I did not enjoy it at all. It wouldn't be fair to say it wasn't a good dessert because I just don't like dark chocolate, but my friend does and he said it was good. I also don't like tiramisu so I didn't try the cheesecake, but he said it was good. I'm glad I got a chance to try some food here, because I will definitely want to return and try some other things on their menu. The 3 courses for Restaurant Week were $30 per person, but you can easily come here and split some appetizers (larger portions) and grab a salad and be just as full as you would with the portions from the special menu for Restaurant Week. I definitely suggest trying it out! read more

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We came here for Mother's Day and this place was just okay in my opinion. I got the chicken Parmesan and it didn't have a lot of flavor. There was a lot of pasta sauce. My dad got the lasagne which was pretty good. My mom got a scallop entree with risotto which was also just okay. If you're looking for a good Italian place, this is worth trying but there are many other places as well. read more

Six months after my first visit to Gravy I'm back for another whirl! And yeah, things are going much better now at this little Italian restaurant. The place was jammed on Friday night, it's a smaller space for Empire Eats so we just plopped ourselves down at the bar. We started off with some arancini, fried risotto balls.... OMG, these were good! Fried bread crumbs on the outside, melty cheese on the inside, and served with some wonderful marinara gravy, nommy goodness! I could have eaten a plate of these for my main meal. My dinner entree was orecchiette pasta with sausage, broccoli rabe and a heavy sprinkle of sea salt. Take it easy on the salt next time, Tony! Good but not as great as the ARANCINI! And I finished things off with a very nice tiramisu with a cool sugar candy crown, nice. But again, I wish I had more of those ARANCINI! Yep, I've got a one-track mind... Service was fine although the crew looked a bit stressed out. I'm really glad I came back for a return visit but next time I'm getting something with the red sauce because it was amazingly good. And yeah, I'm getting another plate of you know what! I just want to make sure y'all order a side of those deep-fried risotto balls, because they were that good! read more

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We went to Gravy on a weekday night. It was not super crowded; Looked like lot of people sat outside as they have nice outdoor heated seating. Complementary garlic bread was fresh and very good. Husband ordered Shrimp Fra diavalo and I ordered their special artichoke ravioli. Both of them were very flavorful. I loved the ravilio! We had Calamari which was pretty ordinary. Overall nice place for a descent Italian food. We would go back again! read more

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I have only been to Gravy 2 times, but both times found the staff, restaurant itself, and menu inviting and warm. Fresh baked rolls that seemed right out of the oven. We bypassed the salads and wanted to get an appetizer but weren't hungry enough to justify it. Hubby enjoyed FAMILY GRAVY - $15.95 Pennette pasta, meatball, house-made spicy sausage, house-made sweet sausage, braised boneless beef short rib, Gravy, house-made ricotta. His only complaint was that the red sauce was a little on the bland side. I enjoyed the SAUTÉED POTATO GNOCCHI - $13.95 House-made gnocchi, truffle shallot cream, portobello mushrooms, chives. I also ordered a side of their homemade meatballs as well (3 meatballs were $3.95). No complaints with my meal (except who doesn't want more!). Flavorful and tender the way it should be. Again skipping dessert although tempted, we left happy and satisfied. I wouldn't hesitate to visit again and look forward to our next time! read more

Gravy - Italian Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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This review is for Sunday brunch, and I would say it is a good downtown-Sunday brunch option. They do take reservations, so you don't have to worry about whether you can get in or not. Love the nice variety on the menu of breakfast items, sandwiches and dinner-type plates. Husband & I both got the lasagna, which was very meaty and cheesy. I am a saucy girl and would have liked more sauce which might have cut down the richness of the dish. But it had a good flavor. Others in our group of six got Buttermilk Pancakes with Peaches and Mascarpone. (said it was good). Another got the Eggplant Pie and liked it. I got to taste the eggplant and thought it was very good, and much lighter than I thought it would be since it was described as breaded and fried. If it was breaded, it was lightly done. And the sauce was very fresh and not heavy at all. TIP: If two would share the lasagna and the eggplant I think the two would compliment each other really well. Two others in our group got the Fried Farm Egg and Cheese Sandwich with House-Made Local Bacon. Menu said it had pickled green tomato, but it was simply a plain red tomato slice. You get your choice of side with it. Sis had the arugula salad and really liked it. Bro got wheat toast with house-made jam (yes, he really got more bread as a side to a sandwich...to each his own!). Both liked the sandwich but said it was messy and fell a bit apart on them. They loved the bacon. For dessert, we shared an order of the Cinnamon Cake Donut holes with brown sugar glaze. You get five of them, and there were six of us, but only Sis and I are doughnut-aholics, so we did just fine. LOVED these! (large reason for 4-star rating). read more

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Didn't get to taste the food. We ordered a bottle of wine which needed to be decanted (per their own server recommendations), but we were told they only have one decanter and it is chipped. Fine. Not a big deal. I got my first dish, a kale salad which I was really excited about because I heard was very tasty. In the salad there was this long piece of hair which was embedded all the way in. Told the waiter and off course he offered to exchange it. The issue for me is not even the hair was in the food which while as disgusting as it is, it can happen. My issue is that the manager/owner, waiter, cook and this other guy broke into some intense conversations in the kitchen (which I had direct view towards). One of them pulls their hair and starts comparing with the one on the plate. Manager doesn't head over to say anything. Totally awkward as they knew I was looking at them. They bring me the new salad while leaving out the dressing. Which overall shows the lack of attention to detail and desire to fix things. Left that place and will never come back. I literally had a quarter of garlic knot and some wine. Left with the bottle of wine in a bag. Disaster of a dinner and will never come back. UPDATE: The general manager reached out to us to apologize. She handled the conversation very well, but as I mentioned to her I can pay for my own meals and genuinely just want to have a good time. I am not looking for compensation or free meal. What happened was disgusting and poorly handled and we will not return to their place. read more

Gravy - Italian Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

I expected a little more from the sauce since the name is "Gravy", but it wasn't really anything special to me. The chicken parm was delicious though! read more

Gravy - Wine - Italian Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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First time at Gravy. I had a fantastic experience. Even though it was busy, the hostess was calm and welcoming. She found me a seat at the bar where I met Samantha behind the bar. She had solid knowledge of the menu items and gave great recommendations. I had the tomato basil soup and the the gnocchi. Both were incredible. They have a full bar and several great beers on tap; including some locals. When I travel to Raleigh, Gravy will be on the list of eats. read more