I would give dinner 3.5 stars and brunch 4.5 stars. I've only had one dinner at Tandem and while the food was generally good, the portions were much too small for the price. Brunch (which is only on Sunday), is another story. The fried chicken Benedict I had is still one of my favorite brunch items. So delicious!! The French toast was good but not a typical eggy/moist French toast -- more dry. I would go back for brunch but probably not dinner. read more

Tandem - Fried chicken Benedict - New American Near Me - Carrboro, North Carolina

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Tandem has a great menu and great cocktails. It's a great place to go for a special date night or a celebration. The 72 hr braised short ribs are particularly delicious and I think about them at least once a month. I've also been there for Mother's Day brunch and it was enjoyed by all. read more

Tandem was fabulous. Food was fresh, delicious, and presented and paired uniquely. We started with mussels, crab stuffed deviled eggs, and the greens salad for appetizers. All were terrific. If I could, I would jump into a pool full of the broth that the mussels were in and dive into that sauce and rub it all over my face. Just kidding, but the broth was pretty awesome. We shared shrimp and grits for our entree and they were bomb diggity, and were a unique take on a southern classic. All the staff were super friendly and gave me high fives (no actual high fives, but I could tell by their smiles that they wanted to high five me). The 10% discount for first check in was sweeeeeettt!! read more

Tandem - Shrimp and Grits - New American Near Me - Carrboro, North Carolina

Food & service are great! I especially like oyster & martini Wednesdays at the bar- yum!

Great food, service and ambiance... split the steak and lamb chop for 2! Was a hefty meal but great flavors, fall of the bone chop, and smashing sides! read more

Walked in solo and near the tail end of service. Host took care of me with a seat at the bar and would check in with me throughout my meal which I appreciated. Bartender Chase was excellent. Gave stellar recommendations which I followed. Was glad I did. Started with the gazpacho soup that had bacon and crispy kale. Excellent! Followed that with the beef short rib which was a ten. All pared with a great old fashioned made by Chase. Definitely will be back. read more

Since moving to Chapel Hill a few months back, Tandem has been, hands down, the best restaurant we've tried around town. Unbeatable service, bold and exciting menu, and a lively atmosphere. I had the Shrimp and Grits (a Friday special) and my fiancé had the short ribs. I also highly recommend the stuffed calamari--seriously one of the best things I've had in a long long time! We are happy happy customers and will most definitely be back and bring guests! If you're looking for a special night out-this is the spot! read more

Tandem - Short ribs and shrimp and grits - New American Near Me - Carrboro, North Carolina

I hosted a Birthday Brunch for a friend of mine here and boy oh boy did they roll out the red carpet. I made reservations on Open Table for 9 and they thoughtfully sat us at the Chiefs Table. Service was on point, two managers came around to check on us and we wanted for nothing the entire time. I had Shakshouka and felt it could use some feta cheese and mint but only because that is how I make it at home. No one in the party had dined here before and everyone was commenting on the beautiful atmosphere and delicious food. Highly recommend these folks for hosting a group. Several large tables and even a side room for more privacy. Thanks Tandem for making me look good! read more

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Its OK but not great. We have made two visits. The first time was mostly small plates; this time we had entrees. I had the lamb shanks. My shank was not all that meaty and was sort of fatty. It was not what I expect; my wife prepares these and they couldn't come near her rendition. The deviled egg appetizer is quite good. The wine special, a Cali Pinot Noir, was quite good. I don't think this place is better than Kitchen [Chapel Hill] or Glass Half Full [Carrboro]. One note about the atmosphere: when it gets crowded, the music gets turned up and it becomes quite loud. Restaurants need to learn that cranking up the music simply cranks up the decibel level. read more

Watch your commas. When I see a set of items separated by commas, I generally think "hey, that is a list of individual items!" When I see 'Biscuit with Sausage Gravy: poached egg, sausage gravy, sausage' I think "I'll get a biscuit with an egg, sausage gravy and sausage!" Not here - here, the commas mean 'yes, but we don't give you some of the things on the menu, like the clearly delineated sausage patty - we never have and are surprised that that is what you think commas mean!' They did offer to let me *buy* more sausage, which is such tone-deaf customer service that I did not take them up on their offer to spend more money on a thing that is clearly listed as a part of the item I ordered. Maybe someone, someday, will take second grade English and rewrite their menu. Until then - watch your commas. Food is fine, generally. Overpriced for quality , and drinks are remarkably expensive, but it looks fancy and has hipster waitstaff, so if you want to pay for the ambiance, you'll get that. Just be sure you get what you order. read more

Had the exact same experience as Zach W. Called for graduation weekend and was told that the prices would be the same as usual and there would be no set menu. It was interesting to see that, upon arrival, prices per plate were $10+ more than usual. I felt bad for the waitress who called over the manager (Emma) who apologized and did nothing about it. I found it to be insulting and inappropriate when I did call prior to ensure and the fact the original menu was literally under the printed one. Imagine seeing under your menu the actual prices... Felt screwed up to say the least.... Seems like other had the exact same experience. Did not want to pay $43 for subpar chicken read more

I had the best steak I have ever had. For a meat eater like me that is saying something The restaurant was busy, it was a Friday night after all. I sat at the bar. Tanner and Elizabeth were attentive. Tanner helped me choose the perfect glass of wine to go with the Ribeye I ordered I had no idea the joy of that ribeye. The presentation and preparation was 100% spot on. read more

Amazing food, esp cauliflower soup and root vegetable salad! Great service. Highly recommend!

We had a really great experience. We got oysters first from NC. I'm a little iffy on the whole NC oysters thing, but these were amazing and shucked perfectly. The smoked beet salad was awesome, but the Romain was incredible. I could tell the dressing was house made. The lamb shoulder came out in a clay pot and was delicious. The short ribs were tender and yummy. I found the puréed potatoes to be a little bland but that's not why one is there. They should work on their whiskey list read more

Great food and great atmosphere. I had the Salmon and my wife the spare ribs. Both were outstanding.

My boyfriend and I came here for valentine's day dinner, and we really liked the atmosphere, food, and drinks The food is a little bougie, but has a homemade feeling to it. 10/10 recommend. read more

Used to really enjoy this place, but tonight we had reserved an outdoor table weeks in advance and when we showed up the hostess said it had been given to someone else. Really frustrating to have dinner plans spoiled. read more

This was our first time at this restaurant... we were really excited because it had great reviews so we decided to give it a try! The food was good but the service was terrible and we had to ask at least four separate servers in order to get our drinks. In addition to this we waited forty five minutes for a burger which we asked for multiple times with little to no reaction. read more

Tandem is a cute place located in a poppin' center with a Harris Teeter, a shopping boutique, and more! Parking sucked though because we went on a Friday night. We were promptly greeted and seated. It progressively got busier as the night went on. Let me just say this spot is soooo date worthy! It is beautiful inside with both rustic and classic vibes. The entire menu sounded tasty. I settled with the salmon in curry. My boyfriend got the lamb shank. The salmon in curry was brilliantly made. The seasoning on everything was top notch. The lamb shank reminded me of a traditional Vietnamese dish just by the flavors the chef put into making the shank. I didn't particularly love the sweet potato in that dish, it just seemed out of place. We also ordered Crab Deviled Eggs as an appetizer and I have really not had anything like that before! Once again, perfectly balanced and seasoned with a tang. The presentation of all their dishes were beautiful! Our waitress was nothing but helpful. She took her time to make our experience enjoyable from recommending beers to us to checking up on us ever so often. read more

We went for prom dinner. Our waitress, Hannah, didn't even deliver our food and proceeded to yell at us (in front of other tables) when she received a five dollar tip instead of "the standard 20%". Very disappointing food, under-cooked, and terrible service. She's lucky she even got five dollars. read more

The place is really pretty and the food is post worthy but not necessarily the tastiest.

Great brunch food! Really enjoyed everything we ordered and we are looking forward to a return visit.

This place was phenomenal for brunch, will definitely be coming back. Only losing a star because I wish the grilled cheese I had gotten was less bread and more cheese. The salad also had a bit too much dressing. Staff was really friendly and seemed busy, but I enjoyed it overall. read more

Good food. Leaving a review about the serving-ware. Frustrating eating a Cesar salad off of a really odd shaped plate and I also got frustrated trying to get my fork into a crazy large bowl to get the sauce. Hope the owner reads these. The eccentric serving-ware took away from a pretty good meal. Also recommend more than 2 desserts on the menu. read more

One of my favorite places to dine, the food is spectacular-! We had a big family gathering at Tandem and there were menus for everyone! Each one of us was satisfied with the exquisite taste and service. Highly recommend this place read more

Overpriced for what it was. The food was good but not thing to brag about. It was fun to go just to say we tried a new restaurant l. The vibes were nice. The people around mentioned they use fresh ingredients. Our server was cool and very thoughtful. read more

Dinner recently. Good service except hostess not overly pleasant. Risotto was great. Burger very good. Good quality brioche bun and burger however the cheese overwhelms the burger. I would skip the cheese sauce next time. Hand cut fries very good but over salted. read more

We made a reservation for my daughter's birthday. We also brought two small desserts that are so small they cannot be cut. When we arrived, we asked for the two small desserts to be refrigerated. At that point we were told that there was $2.50 priced per person for a cutting fee. When I explained there was nothing to be cut, one of the desserts were macaroons, the fee still applies. We always support small businesses but this was completely not necessary. Unfortunately we will not visit again. read more

DO NOT EAT HERE. Food is mediocre and WAY overpriced. Terrible portion sizes, too. I ordered the BLT and vomited 20 minutes later. The fries were black and obviously cooked in dirty grease. The staff was terrible. We were sat under a leaky AC, where AC fluid dripped into my friend's drink. The server was condescending to us. Also, a different server forcefully pushed me and my chair to get by my table and did not apologize. HORRID service!!! read more

This has to be one of my favorite restaurants in the Chapel Hill / Carrboro area! The rustic styling from it being in the old Carr Mill makes the ambiance great. And to add to it, the food, be in dinner or brunch is wonderful! The Skakshuka for being is a winner (get extra break) and for dinner, tapas style small plates is the way to go read more

Tandem - New American Near Me - Carrboro, North Carolina

We have been eating at Tandom now on a weekly basis even as the Covid pandemic continues. They always adhere to the regulations imposed by the state, and make sure everyone's personal safety is ensured. Their food and service are excellent. They always have an interesting special in addition to the menu staples. Jason has been our waiter recently. He always suggests thoughtful and interesting wine pairings to go with whatever dish selected. He does a great job! Good food, good service, all in a pleasant and safe environment. A fine Carrboro restaurant! read more

I went to Tandem on a Saturday afternoon, and it was excellent. I thought the prices for lunch were very reasonable for a nicer meal, even for a college student like myself. I believe it was under $20 for my meal and appetizer, the latter of which I split with a friend. I got the grain bowl because a friend of mine recommended it, and it was SO delicious. It's a great example of a vegetarian meal done well instead of just having meat substitute. There were so many different flavors that complemented the vegetables and quinoa. We also got the potted spreads appetizer, which I was also very happy with. The outdoor seating was really nice, mainly because it was such a beautiful day. The staff was very friendly. I would definitely go back and wouldn't feel guilty at all over getting the same thing because it was so good! read more

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Very nice ambiance inside and out. The brink, dark wood, and red accent makes the place looks really comfortable. Food are sourced locally. Servers are friendly and very knowledgeable. Highly recommend the chocolate cake pudding for dessert read more

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I've been to Tandem a few times now for both food and cocktails. Super cute space and LOVE the outdoor space. Cocktails are inconsistent depending on who is bartending. That's the only reason for four instead of five stars. Last time we went, cocktails were top notch. Previous time, just okay. Food is excellent every time I've been. I've had the cheese plate, short ribs and the eggplant. All great. Short ribs in particular were awesome and I'm not a huge meat person. Mashed potatoes they're served with are also super tasty! They are following protocol during COVID and servers have always been great! read more

Went here for dinner on a Sunday night! The mushroom risotto as an appetizer was to die for! The rib eye as an entree was beautifully plated as well. We're from California and this restaurant did not disappoint! read more

Whoa...you have to go to Vegas for food of this quality. We had the cheese tray, steak for 2, and Bengais. Food and service were superior. Drinks were amazing. Don't judge until you try it yourself!!!!! read more

We stopped by Tandem for happy hour and a snack on the recommendation of a friend and we're glad we did. At 6:00 on a week night the bar wasn't even 1/2 full. The bartender greeted us warmly and provided drink and food menus. I ordered a Boulevardier, a drink not every bartender can make well. The one I received was maybe the best I've had: perfectly walking the sweet/bitter/spicy line. The wine by the glass on offer was good as well. We had two appetizers: a goat cheese dish and chick pea cakes. Both were very well made with fresh ingredients. To top it off, the service we received was laid-back and friendly. Tandem is a five-star dining experience with down-home hospitality. IOW, they take their food and drinks seriously, but not themselves. read more

Nice patio seating for brunch. Excellent and attentive server. But...$17 for one slice of French toast topped with 1/2 of a small strawberry and dried apples bits (rather than fresh) is a shocking price. There was no side dish. The iced coffee was good. I will choose a more reasonably priced brunch at other local places in the future. read more

Awesome service and such a great dinner menu. Don't sleep on the brunch menu either! I love the indoor seating and patio here. Mixed drinks are very fresh and tasty. read more

One of the more remarkable dining experiences I've had in some time. The scallop special today (July 26, 2018) is an amazing mix of flavors. Scallops cooked perfectly, paired with carrot/coffee purée, raw veggie noodles tossed in olive oil underneath finished with a tomato confit was absolutely perfect. Excellent dining experience & bartender Tanner was friendly & accommodating. I wish I lived here so I could bring my husband back. Also, lovely decor, comfy seats & great music. read more

Tandem - New American Near Me - Carrboro, North Carolina

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