I took my sister to Tandem to celebrate her birthday this week. The menu had a rich variety of street food from numerous parts of the world in addition to more familiar luncheon selections. Our service was friendly and thoughtful beyond measure. We actually felt we had formed a friendship with our wait by the time we left. The setting is lovely with high ceilings, large windows and white walls. As someone with hearing issues, I appreciated that tables were spaced far enough apart that it was easy to converse and hear my sister and out wait. We felt like we experienced the warmth and excellent service that we experienced decades ago when Chapel Hill was more of a village, along with a menu giving us a variety of options that we would have been happy to see in a large city. read more

Checked out this spot in Carr Mill mall for date night with the wifey. We came on a Thursday and there were live jazz musicians, which were lovely. Dinner, drinks and dessert were all wonderful. I had the special which was a type of fish with polenta and cream and my wife had the lamb shank. For dessert, we split the cheesecake and the chocolate cake and I had a delicious cappuccino. We will definitely be back. read more

Service staff was great, no complaints on ambience either. We actually had a great table away from the noise. We ordered 2 appetizers, and we both had the ribeyes for the main course. The appetizers came out quickly which was nice, although they could have been warmer, they tasted great. Then our steaks came out. While they were served warm, they were also tough, to the point of being inedible. We asked to send them back and requested the menu again so that we could make another choice. We were told that we could order something else, but that the steaks would remain on the bill because quote "the manager feels these are quality cuts of meat". So, there was no effort to accommodate us, the customer. No offer of remaking the meal, no nothing. Instead, we were treated like we were trying to get a free meal, when we clearly wanted to try another menu item. We were trying to salvage our Valentine's meal and instead we left after less than 45mins with a $200+ bill and a pair of rubbery steaks we still cannot eat. I sincerely hope the management can see this is clearly not how you gain and keep customers. We were eager to recommend Tandem to friends, at this point we will not. read more

Went out on Thursday night to tandem what a great experience. I ordered the Japanese eggplant with quinoa, with a curry sauce. It was delicious and very tasty. With the quinoa adding a crispy crunch to the dish. Having only done lunch at tandem I was not prepared for the taste and unusual foods on the dinner menu. My wife ordered the 72 hr short ribs they were the most delicious and tasty short ribs I had ever encountered. I usually never order short ribs but I would try these out. Our dinner guest had the rib eye steak for one it was also delicious from our guests response. The service is always great with enough service but never overwhelming. For a night cap we enjoyed a Remy cognac. With there cheesecake and chocolate pudding cake. Both were delicious and very tasty. read more

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Chose this place for my FB dinner club group to usher in the new year. Honestly...wished I picked somewhere else. The food was great and the service was decent but what ruined the night at least for me is the fact they put our party of 9 on the crap end of their "chef" table. I was seated at the end of the table right next to their kitchen door. One of their incompetent servers kept hitting my chair every time he walked by, EVEN after I spoke to him about it. Our server was fine but took forever getting us drink refills, including water which served in these ridiculous small glasses. The woman who sat us should have kept us at the other end of the table, where she originally sat us. Our party was bigger than the other one, and they could've been sat at the other end. Bottom line, don't pick this place for a large group, more than 5 and you'll get sat at what I now call the crap table. What a way to ruin our New Year's celebration. read more

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Food was adequate. Burger overcooked. Fries were soggy. Worst part was the ambiance. SO noisy, I could not hear the person sitting next to me. The jazz guitarists were way too loud combined with the din of the other patrons made this a bad dining experience. read more

We had thanksgiving dinner for 4 and it was fabulous. The salads to start were great, a citrus (awesome) and a pear (very good). Then a large platter of turkey white and dark meat. The white meat was probably the best and most moist I have ever had and the dark meat was perfect. The brioche stuffing was a real surprise as I think that can make or break a t day dinner. It was awesome. Mashed potatoes and green bean casserole were great. The biscuits were also great. For dessert there was a full piece of apple and pecan pie for each of us. There were great. This was great and the staff who were all working on a holiday were pleasant and friendly. It was a tiny bit pricey but again they did this for us on a holiday instead of being with their families. read more

We came here for our anniversary and food was amazing. Their food is more about original flavor rather than heavy seasoning like some of the other restaurants. So that's quite to our liking. Risotto tastes amazing and we'll definitely get it again. read more

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We visited this restaurant looking for a place to hold our sons rehearsal dinner. We had several drinks had food and even talked to the owner about booking a room. Everything was on go as of Saturday. On Monday she informed us somebody wanted to book the entire restaurant and would get us some information by the end of the week, but we never ever heard from her again. Luckily, we found another place But as far as the follow up after this, it's obvious we were no longer important when we only wanted to book one room and not the entire venue. The food was great. The service was great, but the follow up after the fact left us lackadaisical. read more

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The waiter asked for your ID and then loudly announced your birthday, revealing private information. Very unprofessional.

As we entered, we were warmly greeted and seated quickly. Our server was at our table within a few minutes and deftly answered our questions. We both ordered the short ribs- served in a Le Crueset Dutch oven. The flavor and texture were on point - it only lacked adequate warmth (it was barely warm). I would return but will ask that the food be warmer read more

Revising my review, upgrading to a 4-star. After visiting a few more times, if been more impressed with the food and drink. I'd recommend trying it out if you're in the area. Many of their dishes have 5 star potential, but it's been a bit hit or miss. read more

We dined here on Friday while visiting UNC. It was my second visit. Last February we came for lunch and enjoyed it as well. This visit was much more impressive. We enjoyed the steak, the lentil stuffed Japanese eggplant, and the creative take on shrimp and grits (which was a special). The latter included scallops, mussels, and clams in addition to shrimp and was almost like a southern-style Italian polenta dish. The Japanese eggplant was vegan and did not lack for flavor. It was my favorite. The steak arrived on a large board and was accompanied by delicious potatoes and roasted veggies. The bone marrow dipping sauce was fantastic. Wines by the glass were impressive. We will definitely be back. read more

Visiting my daughter from out of town and she heard great things about their brunch. All true. My daughter started with the spiked ice coffee, I had an iced latte then the spritzer For our meals I had the omelette she had the salmon Benedict both were fantastic. read more

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Cute atmosphere, good parking. Everything was very good. Potato had great flavor, but consistency is weird- parboiled potato, smashed, coated in oil and seasoning, including rosemary. Went for Sunday brunch and were seated quickly when they opened at 10:30. Owner was walking around checking on tables. Good customer service. read more

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Thank you Yelp for helping us locate another incredible place to eat while traveling. The food is absolutely off the charts here, whoever is on that kitchen is creative and on point. Short rib was fork tender and just melts in your mouth. Creamy soft potatoes and the most incredible vegetable medley with some sauce that made the vegetable explode with flavor. We got their just before their early kitchen close time and thankfully so, definitely need to try more options on this eclectic menu read more

Tandem - Short rib - New American Near Me - Carrboro, North Carolina

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Had a great meal at Tandem! My friend and I treated ourselves to a nice dinner here on a Sunday night. I made a reservation for 6:30pm for 2, but I don't think it was needed since the restaurant had little people when we got there. The interior inside is very industrial, with lots of wooden features (like the floor, chairs, tabletops) and string lights hanging from the ceiling. The walls were brick, and it had great big industrial windows which provided great natural lighting. The service was fine, but nothing over the top. I ordered the 72 hour short rib, and my friend got the salmon. It was delicious. It came in a Le Creuset pot with mashed potatoes and assorted veggies on the side. Stunning presentation, and might I say, those pots are expensive, and they have multiple of them. But I guess it was worth the investment because it looked really nice. The beef was super juicy and tender. High quality melt-in-your-mouth beef. And they don't shy away from the portion. It looked like a fat square block. But it was genuinely glistening in the light. The mashed potatoes were just alright for me. They had a strong flavor that I can't pinpoint - maybe too much cheese? They also put mint on the mashed potatoes and beef, which was quite a surprise, but I don't think I prefer it. The veggies were a nice touch with the beef. Overall, great experience and amazing food. I definitely would come back for another nice dinner! read more

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We had high expectations. It was our regular date night, but now we are both home with extreme stomach aches after eating the salmon and chicken. Normally bad reviews are not my style - I'd rather say nothing and not go again, but this was an insult.... Presentations were awesome, but the food quality was extremely poor, and both meats were undercooked. The chicken so bland and tasteless that my partner could not eat more than around 30% before pushing away... we waited so long for food/service that I was hungry and ate most of mine. With regret. Serious regret. This is less to hurt people running a business and more of a warning to others - our $150 was spent and gone, but the negative effects will likely last a while for us both. Which is too bad as the place looks pretty cool. read more

Quiet cool lunch on a blazing hot Friday. Excellent wait staff. Caesar salad, freshly flaked Parmesan. Juicy cheese burger, crisp fries. read more

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We had 4 at our table, 2 ordered the salmon. Salmon on both plates was very under cooked. Entrees were brought out before we had a chance to finish our appetizers . An hour after opening, they were out of orange juice and one of the desserts. Found the restaurant too loud. Overall, I'd give them an OK but.....I will not be going back. For the price, I expect better. read more

We reserved the downstairs private room for my wife's 70th birthday. They gave us access to the HDMI projector for a slide show, allowed us to do our own unplugged entertainment. The food was outstanding. The service was excellent. I tried to add another $60 to the 20% auto gratuity but it never added to my bank debit. So I guess I will pop back in on a Sunday evening and try to give them some cash. read more

Everything we ate was as always, very delicious but one recommendation...please use a different bread when serving the mussels. Thin, toasted what looked like ciabatta crostini is not good to sop up the broth which was out of this world delicious. It didn't absorb any broth. And, if you have a special wine offering and your waitress doesn't know what that's about even though it was written on the chalkboard just don't included with the rest of the offerings read more

Service has gone downhill. Our server was brusque, curt and ruined our meal. He didn't make any attempt to be welcoming and seemed annoyed to be asked any questions about the menu. Sorry, this is not a Michelin star restaurant by any stretch. Not sure where the attitude comes from. read more

We made a reservation at Tandem for my daughter's graduation. The food and service were absolutely terrible. The staff were the rudest I have ever seen. read more

Our dinner at Tandem was fabulous! We had excellent service, drinks and appetizers came out extremely quickly. The feta dip was well portioned and had a sweet twang with the cranberries and paired perfect with the crispy crostini. The entrees were both excellent, the salmon dish was paired either curry and cauliflower and the flavors paired wonderfully. The Joyce farm chicken was moist and paired great with the sweet potato and collards for a twist on traditional southern flavors. Restaurant ambiance was unique and beautiful! read more

I visited, from out of town, on Mother's Day, as a solo traveler. I realize that Mother's Day is a bit special, but I didn't have any way to know that normal hours were suspended until I walked in and asked. Even a sign on the menu board would have been helpful. I felt embarrassed when one of the owners told me that they wouldn't be open until 5, only to see folks getting seated starting before 4:30. I ordered a drink, and one of the entrees off of the fixed/limited menu for the holiday combined with graduation pressure. Normally, a limited menu is a special thing that shows how well you can pull off the dishes on it. This menu was half very easy dishes and two more difficult dishes, and was an odd balance of kitchen stations. Unfortunately, while the cocktails were amazing, I seem to have been served a piece of short rib that did some time at a cobbler as shoe leather before it somehow made it into Tandem's pantry. I do commend the prep cooks and the kitchen for the plating and the salad. The spring roots were very well prepared and had great consistency and a variety of textures that was pleasing and was what I expected. But, somehow, on a 72 hour braise, heat got high enough in the pan to completely dry out the top of a fatty cut like short rib, leaving it tough and stringy, while completely failing to render any of the collagen in the bottom of the cut, which made it a chore to cut or chew. Short rib, for those in the audience, should be evenly cooked at a high enough temperature to render the collagen into tasty meat juice, but not so long that it completely dries out. My experience at Tandem reminds me of any number of Kitchen Nightmares episodes (especially with who I assume are the owners relaxing with alcohol during service, especially when the staff knows their drinks without cues) and the rest of the food scene in this town has been too good to tolerate overpriced mediocrity. read more

How does Tandem manage to so consistently disappoint? With its beautiful setting, good cocktails, inventive menu, and great wait staff, it shouldn't. But after Friday night, our party of four has vowed never to go back. There were 5 events - 4 rehearsal dinners inside the restaurant and an actual wedding occuring on the patio during our meal. So much for an outdoor table which was the entire reason we went there. Staff was flying but unable to keep up. Food? Meh. Everything lukewarm. Japanese eggplant was a mushy mess. And $30 for some eggplant and quinoa? Drinks, when we could get them, were quite good. It was unbelievably loud and chaotic. Toasts, drunk rehearsal dinner guests, bathroom line - no thank you. If Tandem wants to be an event space, close to regular guests on those nights. The number of negative reviews on Mother's Day, graduation, etc. suggest you need to do better if you are going to try to draw in special event crowds plus serve the public. read more

We have given Tandem a try a few times over the years. One time the oysters were served frozen. They brought us a new platter of a dozen that were better - that was 3 years ago. Lastnight, our family ate dinner there only to get sick from the muscles. 3 of us shared the muscles appetizer, which tasted great, but the three of us that ate the muscles ended up sick for a few hours later that evening and and next morning. Everyone else in the dinner party that had not eaten the muscles was fine. The service staff was over-extended. We had to ask the busing staff to get our waiter so that we could order and later in the meal to refresh our beverages. And finally, our dinner party was seated in the very furtherest back room that features an exit door with a large lit up exit sign over it. The room was not really fit to seat people at that price point. There are no sound buffers in the back room. It is akin to a large storage area with artwork on the wallks. There was no way to hear anyone talking at the table due to the roar of the sound bouncing off the walls. The room should not be used for seating at Tandem's price point. I rarely if ever give a bad review, but last night was really disappointing. My family came from Raleigh to join us and we had come over from Hillsborough. We were treating our parents out to a nice dinner - or at least that was the expectation. Otherwise the food was very good. read more

Delicious food, fantastic ambience, and the patio is great! You can enjoy a wonderful meal on their beautiful patio as well! They just added jazz on Thursday evenings! read more

Tandem - New American Near Me - Carrboro, North Carolina

Food: 10/10! I will recommend this spot to anyone traveling to the area. Everything was so flavorful and the sides paired well with each meal! *chefs kiss* I was literally looking for the chef when I was done! Service: The service was pretty good! Our server was patient and kind with us even though we were ere there right before closing Ambiance: It is nice vibe! It's a good spot for date night, girls night out or even a colleague dinner. I was on a work trip and I'm so glad my colleague made reservations here! Will def go back to try their brunch! read more

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I visited Tandem as part of a work team lunch. The menu at lunch was simple, but still had options. I really wanted to try the deviled eggs but figured we weren't doing appz and zerts (said like Tom Haverford) so I'll have to try another time. After considering grilled cheese and tomato basil soup, curry chicken salad and a Cobb salad, I went with the Cobb. Cobbs rarely let me down, this one was next level delicious! The grilled chicken was great, the avocado and other veggies fresh and the dressing so light but flavorful. The blue cheese crumbles were some of the best I've ever had. The space is so beautiful. It isn't fancy, but also not casual. Kind of a funky chic? Lovely twinkle lights line the ceiling along with beautiful dot drop light fixtures. I absolutely want to come here at night. Their cocktail menu looks very good as well so I have many incentives to return. Our server at lunch was attentive and kind. I happened to make the reservation for our team and it was easy and included text confirmation. read more

Tandem - Lovely lighting and ample wine. - New American Near Me - Carrboro, North Carolina

I went with a group of 11 here, while I enjoyed the food it was very overpriced for the quality. I got the chicken Benedict and one of my eggs was gelatinous in the middle and the other almost undercooked. My wife got the BLT and my son the Grilled cheese sandwich, which they enjoyed, but getting a drink refill was difficult. I had to ask the manager and he went in search of the waitress and only when unable to find her did he get refills for us. Strong food service managers will be aware of their customers and correct things not try to track someone down to handle it. If I'm gonna pay 18 dollars for a sandwich then I expect service to match. If I go here it will be because someone else suggest it... this area has so many good places where cost and service are more aligned. read more

You would think with such a pricey menu, we would have gotten more than just one tiny little solitary anchovy in our Caesar salad. ONE! Just one little tiny piece. read more

I can't lie to my precious little eaters, this is the best salmon I've ever had. It was prepared medium rare-ish (the perfect way to prepare salmon in my opinion). It came with black forbidden rice (spoooky), cauliflower, masala curry, coconut, and citrus & pumpkin seed relish. Oh my. This dish was so good I would eat it again for dessert. The caesar salad was classic and yummy. It had full anchovies on it which was appreciated. If I'm going to eat an anchovy I don't want it ground up in the dressing, I want to see that mofo. If I'm remembering correctly, the soup flavor was some type of creamy squash vibe ??? All I know is that it was a special for the day and it was so yum. The little grub looking things on top were little crispies that added a fun texture. ‍ read more

Tandem - New American Near Me - Carrboro, North Carolina

We had reservation so we basically did not had any wait time. Everyone was polite and happy to help with our choices, the place is cozy. The food was full of flavor and perfectly cooked, we even forgot to take pictures the cauliflower and the roasted salmon which were both exquisite read more

Tandem - Ribeye for one - New American Near Me - Carrboro, North Carolina

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Upscale southern food served in a casual atmosphere with attentive and waitstaff. Definitely recommend! read more

Tandem - Lamb Shoulder - New American Near Me - Carrboro, North Carolina

We came to Tandem after a Gopher loss to the Tar Heels so maybe we were a bit salty. Here is what I gave Tandem a 4 star instead of a 5 star... What went well...restaurant is beautiful and has a great menu. The short ribs and steak for two were prepared perfectly and priced appropriately. The wine list is strong and gives you a great opportunity to pair a great wine with your entree. A couple of struggles...my gourmet hamburger ordered medium came our extremely overcooked and flavorless my fries were severely undercooked and soggy. Kitchen execution was a complete miss. My sister ordered the root vegetables and loved them but it was a very small portion for $20...it's vegetables why not give value? Our Wait Staff employee was over the top loud and casual...too casual. Her service didn't fit the ambience and style of the restaurant. When I showed her my burger she yells "why didn't you tell me earlier" like it was my fault? I reminded her it was the first time she came back to our table to check on us. Here's my overview...this restaurant has it!! Great menu and with the right execution and service and it's easily a five star!! read more

Had dinner on the patio. Our server was good. It did take a long time to get our drinks. Started with a cheese plate that was good. Had short ribs and it was a nice presentation and very good. Others enjoyed the burger and a chicken plate. read more

Delicious food, great ambience, and kind servers. We went early for drinks and tapas and ended up staying for dinner. read more

Tandem - Short rib and mashed potatoes. Kebabs. Beet salad. - New American Near Me - Carrboro, North Carolina

We had a delightful lunch today at Tandem. The food was fabulous! I My friend had the curry chicken salad. I don't care for chicken and I loved it! My smoked beets & brussel sprouts salad was delicious! The atmosphere was casual and inviting. The staff were friendly and attentive. I will be back to try their dinner menu. read more