After walking through several homes in Hope Springs area we were really hungry. The drive time from Raleigh and walking around properties going up and down stairs we worked up an appetite. While driving home my wife found an Italian restaurant in Bailey, NC. A short little detour and we found this incredible restaurant. There were two disabled parking spots right by the front door and across the street at a church. We were greeted as we entered and promptly seated in the main area at a corner table. As we entered the dining area there was a young gentleman playing a piano and singing some great songs. Our server, Luigi, arrived and introduced himself. After receiving our water and bread with olive oil and vinaigrette he provided the specials for the day. When he was finished he said there was no need to look at the menu because the specials are delicious. After a few minutes he returned and we went with the specials. Wife chose the shrimp pasta with vodka sauce. I chose the 18oz (estimated) steak and vegetables. Wife also had a glass of red wine that she said was great. When our meals arrived, we were pleased with the presentation. Wife really enjoyed her pasta and wine. The steak was pure excellence and bliss. The first bite had me hooked. It perfectly cooked at medium rare. The flavor and tenderness were perfect. I ate the whole steak and vegetables slowly so I could savor it. The vegetables were very flavorful. At one point I told my wife that I was so happy and I could probably cry. Lol. The atmosphere, the music, the weather, the meal, and my beautiful wife made this a memorable moment. As we finished our meal, we had a conversation with Luigi. He said that he would show us the garden area. He also said to follow them on facebook so we can see the events they host. This weekend was going to be a live band in the garden with the large bar open and you can order pizza as well as from the menu. Once we settled and provided a tip to the talented musician, Luigi took us to the garden area. What an incredible place. We never expected to find anything like this in the small town of Bailey. This was an unexpected and incredible experience. We highly recommend dining here. We will definitely return here. read more

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I Was Expecting Better Leaning Tree is a good Italian Restaurant - just not the great Italian Restaurant you would expect for the prices. The place itself is beautifully decorated and very welcoming. The wait staff is professional, friendly and prompt. The food would be acceptable if it were being served at an Olive Garden or Carrabbas but not at a Maggiona's or Farina Neighbor Italian - or Leaning Tree. The Pastas are the same dried noodles you or I buy at the grocery store. They lack that tender texture, rich flavor and sauce-grabbing ability. The sauces are good - but not memorable - not something you would rave about. The only actually bad item I have had here are the Meatballs. I love Meatballs - Italian, Greek, Swedish, Polish, Japanese, Mom's country - they're all go-to comfort food for me. The ones at Leaning Tree were certainly big enough (probably there best value on there menu), with a nice texture, but the flavor was not right. I can't describe it, but they simply did not taste good. I struggled with the right overall rating for Leaning Tree. It finally cane down to the question of whether or not I plan on going back - I do not. Therefore i felt that something below average was called for - but definitely not the lowest. read more

Went to Italy in October. This place brings back memories. I can't wait for the weekend so I can return.

We had a fabulous experience at The Leaning Tree for a birthday celebration. It felt like we were transported to Italy. The food was delicious and the service was wonderful! Go check it out, you won't be sorry! read more

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Wonderful food and people. Good service nice portions and wine list. Delightful atmosphere

Amazing food, and outstanding service. Great food and wine recommendations. The outdoor area is also so beautiful. Wish this was in Los Angeles, but if it was, it would lose its beauty. Will absolutely be back again when I come to visit read more

First time visiting The Leaning Tree. Excellent food, service, and atmosphere! Dishes were prepared and presented perfectly. Will definitely return. An instant favorite restaurant! read more

The Leaning Tree offers Great service; 4 sure great food & a wonderful staff that's always available @ the leaning tree!

Drove from Dunn to have dinner with a friend, well worth it. I had the lasagna, she had the special and both were delicious. Definitely coming back again! read more

Great food and service. Bison steak was amazing and juicy. Crab ravioli was delicious. Bread wasn't that great but main courses with it. Atmosphere spot on. Definitely will come back read more

Unique house style restaurant in the small town of Bailey NC. Pleasant, friendly, relaxing, and tasty. Always have had great food and drinks here, have come here multiple times for business dinners with out-of-town guests and they've always been impressed. Great selection of delicious meals and very attentive staff. My boss from out of state always asks if we are booking the Leaning Tree for team dinners. It is well known far and wide. read more

The Leaning Tree - Leaning Tree interior. - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Bailey, North Carolina

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Horrible! Used to be a very good restaurant but we went a few weeks ago for a VERY special birthday with our large family. All of our food was subpar & awful!! DO NOT waste your money! read more

Service, food and atmosphere were all perfect. Truly authentic Italian food, homemade pasta, many imported items. Live music and outstanding staff. read more

Went here with a friend and didn't have a reservation. They luckily had one table open (make sure you call ahead and reserve bc it's starting to get popular!). We both had the weekly specials: seafood risotto and wild mushroom ravioli, along with the pear Gorgonzola salad and tiramisu for dessert. They split the app for us. The service is incredible, the atmosphere charming, and the food spectacular. I was also impressed by the pricing, especially since the food was far better than that of Italian restaurants I've had in downtown Raleigh with much higher pricing. The restaurant is in the middle of nowhere and in a renovated house, but it is a gem! So worth it! read more

The Leaning Tree - Tiramisu - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Bailey, North Carolina

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Very friendly staff. I enjoyed the shrimp scampi, red wine, and creme brulee. Highly recommended.

Used to be one of the best restaurants around but we had a horrible experience one night there and probably will never go back. The tables were so packed in you could barely walk around other guests. It was also so loud, you couldn't even talk with the other people at your table. They seemed very short staffed and rushed but we didn't get the usual excellent service. But the main reason we won't return is that the food was sub-par. It almost seemed like it was processed and not the usual home cooked food. Very disappointing. read more

Plan on spending the evening. The food was fabulous. The service spectacular. After dinner plan on relaxing in the garden. This is a hidden gem. It's a special place! read more

Cute spot in Bailey of all places. Wine list pairs well. Fa venire l'acquolina in bocca! read more

The Leaning Tree - Delizioso! - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Bailey, North Carolina

It has all the stuff that can make it great, it just isn't unfortunately. Friends referred it to us so we decided to see for ourselves. There's no parking spots exception two that is the "homes" driveway. See, it's an old southern historical home in a neighborhood , kinda. It's been converted into a restaurant which seems pretty nice but it wasn't. Parking is across the road at a bank. The owner a nice lady greeted us as we stepped up onto the front porch where she was sitting back , smoking and enjoying the night air. We walked into a small parlor area where a little booth was for greeters. We sat down and ordered two glasses of sweet tea and my tea had a bug in it. I told the waitress and she chalked it up to bugs liking sweet things and brought me another one. Asked specifically if they used fresh fish and when was it delivered? Was it frozen? Etc. I was reassured it was "fresh" and never frozen. Since we live inland I expected this to be a lie. See, we lived minutes off the coast of Florida and are used to fish being caught just five or six hours earlier. So I got frozen fish which was loaded with large chunks of half cooked garlic. Very potent to the senses. The food was not good, the plate was sloppy and the ambiance of the place was loud and uneasy. If a chef hand delivers your food then it's either because you are very respected and well known or because they messed it up and talked out what to do and the choice was to check and see. Maybe they'll like it spite the ten cloves of raw garlic chunks in it? Not sure but it was a let down when one thing after another happens. Overall we had two dinners and two glasses of tea minus a bug, and they charged us $72 before tip. My tip should've been, leave the garlic and the bugs out of our dinner but the only half way decent thing that night was the one staffer and honestly she couldn't do much. Overall a disappointing night but the drive there was nice. The ceiling had food on it and it was in grungy shape. The table adjacent to ours had several drunken and obnoxiously loud folks loading up on liquor a la owners friends I guess. The sitting area is in a narrow and long room and the tables and chairs were rather cheap camping type of chairs. House is great on the outside with a nice picturesque back yard with fountain and stone paths. Small but well designed. I get the feeling they are just going through the day to day paces and have long since given up on above and beyond with everything being lackluster and semi sad. The fires long since extinguished in the employees hearts and it reflects abysmally in the final product as well as the atmosphere. read more

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Great, authentic Italian food...just lika momma made! Desserts (limoncello/tiramisu/chocolate) were to die for!

Family owned business where the owners are present and there to make sure you're taken care of. Cool atmosphere in an old house I think. Anyway. Good authentic Italian restaurant. read more

Outstanding food! The menu offers great Italian dishes prepared perfectly. Beautiful dining area with outdoor seating, weather permitting. My wife grew up in an Italian home and her mom's a great cook as well, she was impressed. read more

I love everything about this restaurant. The owners are lovely, kind, interesting Italians who cook in the northern Italian way. This is a chance to experience what Italian food is REALLY like! The wine list is wonderful, the desserts and coffee are perfecto! If I were getting married or hosting a party I'd want to have the event here. You don't need a passport to enjoy the flavors and hospitality of Italy, just go to the Leaning Tree. read more

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The food, service and atmosphere were absolutely wonderful. The prices were very reasonable. We will definitely be back. Parking it is not at the facility, but at the bank behind the Mexican restaurant across the street. read more

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My mother decided to treat my sister and I to dinner and she decided to give this place a try based on wonderful reviews from other diners. We were greeted immediately upon entering the restaurant and shown directly to our seat. Our server was extremely knowledgeable about the days specials as well as the regular menu options. We took our server's suggestion from the wine list and ordered a bottle of Moscato. A basket of bread with olive oil and minced red peppers were brought to the table while we waited for our appetizer. We decided to try the prosciutto wrapped mozeralla with balsamic vinegar. The prosciutto was cooked just enough to have a slight crispness. The balsamic vinegar was just tart enough to add a wonderful tang. All the flavors were wonderfully balanced. Our entrees were a sheer delight. Upon our servers recommendation we ordered the Chicken Francese with grilled vegetables, Cavatelli con Zucchine e Broccoli in Vodka Sauce, and Ziti Al Forno with meat sauce. We all sampled a little from each plate and decided we had to come back and try more dishes! Everything was cooked to perfection. My mom's chicken was sautéed perfectly and had just the right about if sauce. The flavors of all our dishes were such a delight that's all we could talk about. PLEASE SAVE ROOM FOR DESSERT. We tried the crème brûlée and the limoncello cake. Everything was fresh and wonderful. The amazing balance of flavor is evident in the desserts as well. The atmosphere and decor of the restaurant made us feel like we were dining in someone's home rather than a restaurant. This created excellent dinner conversation and a relaxed atmosphere. After our meal, the owner came out and talked to us for a little while. She is a delightful Italian lady who is passionate about her food and that her customers have a great experience. She informed us that she only uses locally grown produce. She also told us that the pasta she uses is directly from Italy as well as the olive oil and wine. My family and I enjoyed the entire experience and cannot wait to return. read more

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Nice place in a small burg half hour from Raleigh. Hidden gem. Good food, service and atmosphere

We had our company's annual Christmas party here. There was minimal parking. Being in a historical part of town, I can understand the issues with parking but there were only four spots and no street parking. Most of our party parked at a bank a couple of blocks away which was fairly inconvenient for dress shoes at night in 35-degree weather. When we arrived, we found another party was taking place so we waited outside in a small room in the garden until it was time for our dinner (until the other party left- supposedly 6:30 but actually 7:30). Our party was scheduled for 7 so we sipped wine and beer and had appetizers (the grilled pimiento cheese sandwiches were great) in the small room which was partially renovated with a fireplace. The room was cozy but there was a bathtub with a chandelier and boxes in one corner taking up a lot of space behind the fire place that could have been utilized for guests. The furniture was nice but some of the wicker chairs were falling apart. Not a good place to wear a sweater that picks. We made our unlighted trek across very rickety bricks to the main house for dinner. There are two rooms in the main building for eating separated only by a hall way, no doors or dividers for privacy. It took some time for the food to come. The silverware and plates were very nice. The food was served buffet style on a small table. It was presented very nicely but could have been set up on both sides for efficiency. We told the owner to expect 20-25 people but she assumed that there would only be 20. We ran out of food before the line went through once and repeatedly asked wait staff to bring out more. The owner remarked that she "never got a definite number" and "must have guessed wrong." When we approached her about getting more food, she told us that they had to "scrape some plates" to get enough. We had only 20 people. It seems to me like it would have been appropriate with our estimate to prepare for 25 people, & we were willing to pay for all of them! Remarking about scraping plates is not an appropriate joke for an eating establishment. After a half hour when many were finished eating, the other food came out and the rest of our party was able to get full plates. The wait staff had the tables ready with ice water but only asked people if they wanted sweet tea, despite the other party being served more than just sweet tea. They were good about refilling the drinks. The owner insisted on mobilizing herself in the already crowded dining room and took up silverware before people were finished eating. She offered us rolls when it would have been appropriate to let the wait staff do so. She accidentally injured one guest's foot while the guest had been on the way to the restroom. The food was mostly good. The pork loin and chicken cordon bleu were good but had a lot of seasoning, including whole peppercorns. The broccoli casserole was tasty and the green beans were well seasoned. The rolls were good but small. The mashed potatoes were fantastic but ran out quickly. The owner insisted on taking all 20 of our dessert orders herself. She had two desserts: a vanilla pound cake (pound cake layers) with a very bitter, thick chocolate frosting and carrot cake. The pound cake was interesting. The carrot cake was good. The owner sliced and served the cake herself. One of our guests asked for a taste of both cakes and was told that there may not be enough, but she said she would bring both, anyways. She did not. She got the orders wrong. Also, she was still concerned with having enough dessert even when several guests abstained from dessert entirely. The owner brought out a slice of carrot cake to one guest that looked like it had been dropped on the floor. I have attached a picture. Here is the owner's remark about the appearance of the cake : "It won't make a bit of difference scrambled." I've never had a "scrambled" cake from an eating establishment in my life, and I hope I never have to see such again. Dessert could have been served buffet which would have been more efficient. Coffee was served after dessert when it is typically served with dessert. The coffee looked like water with a brown tinge. It was not good. The sweet tea was darker in color. There was only one creamer and sugar dish available for 20 people at 4-5 tables and no artificial sweeteners. The grounds seemed to be nice, but it was hard to tell in the nighttime without lights. The inside where the dining rooms were was very nice. There was a gorgeous Christmas tree and only two individual bathrooms. If you are considering this establishment, I recommend visiting beforehand and reviewing the grounds and talking directly with the owner about all nuances. read more

The Leaning Tree - Scrambled carrot cake - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Bailey, North Carolina

I'm giving them 2 stars only because the food was good and waiter was very friendly. HOWEVER, my friend and I will never go back. While we knew there would be an extra charge to split a salad, we should have read the tiny print on the menu more carefully. They actually charged us 20% to split a check. It was added to both of our checks. Now, what exactly does it cost a restaurant to write up 2 checks? It's not like there were 10 people at the table that wanted their own checks. There were 2 of us . When we questioned it, another waitress quite rudely pointed to where it said in the small print about splitting a check. I've eaten all over the world and am mew to NC. This is a crappy way of treating customers and I will share this miserable experience with as many people as are willing to listen. BTW, my friend and I BOTH tipped the waiter nicely because he was pleasant. Like I said, I cannot say the same for the rude waitress who treated us like we were 12 years old. With so many restaurants struggling to stay open these days, I'm still sitting here SMH. Maybe she thinks she's working at the Learning Tree and her customers are stupid. read more

The Leaning Tree - Check from The Leaning Tree - Venues & Event Spaces Near Me - Bailey, North Carolina

This is an off the beaten path old Southern manor in the tiny town of Bailey NC, about 40 miles east of Raleigh. It has been beautifully restored. The delightful older couple who own and run the venue prepare all the catering, serve, and share genuine Southern hospitality. The catered meal I chose was grilled salmon. It was paired with the butteriest potatoes and tastiest asparagus ever. The tiny biscuits were delicious. We had 3 baskets brought to our table of four. Dessert, the sweet lady told us, she couldn't decide what to serve so she made homemade short cake topped with strawberries and a true southern banana pudding. Then she berated her husband for forgetting to top off with ice cream. A delightful visit and hope to be able to attend another gathering here someday soon. read more

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How wonderful to have such a lovely restaurant near home. It's a beautiful restaurant with rich and warm decor and the staff could not have been more friendly and welcoming. Every detail of our dining experience was fantastic. 100% recommend the white wine mussels appetizer. Such a lavish portion and the sauce was delicious. We followed with a Caesar salad split between the two of us and the serving sizes were perfect. Their wine list consists of all Italian wines and we chose a bottle of Pinot Grigio which was crisp and delightful. Our entrees were excellent (spaghetti with meat sauce and a pasta/zucchini/broccoli with vodka sauce) and I'm already looking forward to visiting again to try another menu item. So happy to know about this beautiful new restaurant in Bailey and looking forward to many returns. And from talking with the owner it sounds like she has some creative ideas for their future. Will be anticipating all good things to come. Thank you for such a lovely space! read more

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Interesting restaurant in the small town of Bailey. (Parking is across the main road from the restaurant so be aware of this). My wife had the meatballs followed by the chicken parmigiana. The meatballs were a generous portion for a starter and were strongly flavoured with garlic. Likewise the chicken parmigiana was a large portion. I had the frittata mozzarella as a starter which though a decent portion was lacking seasoning. It would have been better to reduce the portion and perhaps add a couple of slices of prosciutto to complement the mozzarella. I had the chicken Marsala as my entree which came with a generous portion of mushrooms and was tasty. Overall I would say that the food was good and the price was reasonable. I would have liked to seen some more antipasti choices as starters. read more

This might be the absolute best Italian cuisine I've ever had, and I've had it in major cities. The owners are SO involved in their business... it's refreshing, when the owner comes over herself to see how your food is and offer her thoughts on the specials:) read more

Beautiful Home and Lovely atmosphere! Delicious food,all around wonderful and beautiful evening! Hidden gem! Highly recommended!

Do not waste your time or money. We are new to the area so we are trying new places. The website recommends calling for a reservation which we did however it really didn't matter because our table was not ready with half of the restaurant empty and dirty. Let me also add they had a magnolia scented candle burning in the reception area that clashed with the smell of the food Let's get to the food and service . They have a lot of weight staff running around looking like a chicken with their heads cut off nice but not knowledgeable. My husbands sweet tea had a bug floating in it and the restaurants answers was you live in the south now we have bugs that like sweet tea here. They did replace the tea 20 minutes later. We asked questions about the menu our wait staff had to go find the manager. We asked if the fish was frozen or fresh and we were told fresh driven in from coast that day . We are from Florida was frozen fish I guess we paid to be lied to. There is soooooo much garlic it's awful. I have a 100% Italian in my family and this is not what Italian food should taste like. The manager was extremely loud with an obnoxious drunk table and that is the only table that was getting any attention. Needless to say we paid our bill (even charged for sweet tea and bug) and left we will not not be back or recommending this establishment to anyone SAVE your MONEY and time over priced awful food inadequate management and service Only positive very pretty old house with beautiful what looks like original wood floors etc. read more

Insipid food ~ bad service. Wine dinner with the chintziest pours. Lots of potatoes and bland beef. Won't be back.

Food is excellent. Authentic Italian food. Nice atmosphere. Owners are very involved and walk around. Will be back.

Came here with some friends who live in the area. The first thing I noticed would be the old fashioned (and slightly uncomfortable) dining room furniture. I would tell you the highlight of our evening here would be tue service. From the owner coming over because she saw new faces and wanted to come say hi, the waiter who kept the wine and beer glasses full, and then the owner coming back over to make sure we enjoyed everything. The downside for us was the food. Or perhaps I should say the sauces. Chicken and veal parm were good, minus the salty red sauce. Gnocchi was mediocre in a very salty "vodka sauce", and a plate of chicken Alfredo that had a very bitter burnt flavor. I will give them credit when we mentioned the Alfredo, they took it off the bill and quickly brought us something else. I'll definitely try this place again in hopes the food improves a little but it's all in all not horrible. Just not by far the best Italian I've ever had. Unless of course you're only comparing it to Olive Garden. read more

Beautiful little spot with superb food and staff! We had salmon that was soooo good. Great spot for weddings, showers, or just a nice family dinner. read more