Took my parents to a celebratory dinner last night and had the BEST night. Our server, Sierra, was so sweet and accommodating. After telling her our preferences, she recommended the short ribs and shrimp Hemingway (DELICIOUS), and my dad is still talking about how good the short ribs were today. Great food, better service, can't wait to go back! read more

Amazing service. We were seated right away. Server "Alex" was very attentive. Plenty of drink options available. Very casual ambiance. A great spot for groups and couples. My wagyu steak was perfectly cooked. A perfect dinner spot if ever in Raleigh. read more

Village Tavern - Spirits - New American Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Oversized Menu Hitting Everyone's Taste Buds with Subpar Execution Restaurant Review - Village Tavern, Raleigh NC Located in the growing and developing North Hills-Raleigh area, this indoor/outdoor mid-scale restaurant serves a broad range of foods across all major cuisines, aiming to satisfy all taste buds, making it perfect for families, kids, friends, business partners, couples and groups. The outdoor space, with a beautifully designed lawn area, makes this a cozy place to eat even when it's outside! __ Both times I visited this restaurant for lunch, the service was on point; the wait staff was knowledgeable about the menu and offered guidance on different dishes that aligned with the flavor profile and taste preferences of the table. __ The fundamental issue with this restaurant is the menu. You can't create great dishes when you have 68 options on the menu. Sure, you can make sure everyone has something to eat, but serving a bunch of subpar dishes rather than executing a smaller menu well lowers the restaurant's standards, which falls short in an area rich with great restaurants. __ Tuna Tartare #1 -- sushi-grade ahi tuna with spicy soy, avocado, cucumbers, and crispy wontons. While this dish seemed to have the right components to make it an excellent dish, the execution fell short. For starters, the presentation was off. It turned into a leaning tower of Tuna rather than a well-structured one. While the layers seemed separated, the excessive use of avocado and the sauce-to-fish ratio made the dish seem a bit wet and saucy, detracting from the Tuna. Ultimately, the fish seemed fresh and tasted OK, but the dish's composition made it underwhelming. __ The Bacon-Wrapped Scallops (unfortunately not pictured in my review) were a bit of perfection! Sea scallops, applewood-smoked Bacon, and teriyaki glazed. The scallops were cooked perfectly - tender, buttery, with a well-created sear. The mix of the Bacon and teriyaki created the perfect complement to the scallops, with a smoky, savory flavor, and the sweetness blended perfectly with the fresh flavors of the scallops __ French Onion Soup was another star of my meals. It is VERY rare to find a restaurant that knows how to create the perfect traditional French onion soup. Most chefs use a heavier beef broth when creating French onion soup, which takes away from the true flavors of the onions. This restaurant used a clear broth, which truly let the onions be the star of the show. Every spoonful of soup had a heavy concentration of onions, creating the perfect flavors in every bite. __ The grilled chicken spinach salad with Bacon, tomatoes, apples, cranberries, candied pecans, sliced egg, Blue cheese and poppy seed dressing. I truly loved the flavor profile of this dish. Each ingredient brought a very specific compliment to the grilled chicken protein, including spinach adding earthiness, Bacon adding smokiness and saltiness, the sweetness of apples and cranberries, a creamy contrast from the sliced egg, the acidity of the tomatoes, and the sweet richness of the candied pecans. Every bite really delivered the perfect flavor profile, turning a simple salad into a true entrée. The only complaint was the overuse of the candied pecans, which sometimes overpowered the other flavors __ The most disappointing dish was the Certified Angus Beef® meatloaf with Madeira-Cremini Mushroom Sauce, mashed potatoes, and green beans was truly disappointing. First, the presentation was OK; however, the picture online showed two pieces of meatloaf, rather than one. The meatloaf itself was over-compacted, which is where the cook presses and packs the meatloaf too tightly into a pan, causing the protein to compress and resulting in a dense, rubbery texture. It was also overmixed, resulting in a springy, tight consistency. The mushroom sauce added richness and flavor, but it didn't compensate for the meat's flawed execution. The mashed potatoes were seasoned perfectly, but were a bit firm and dry, and the green beans lacked any seasoning or flavor. The entrée was truly a disappointment, leaving you missing the moist, flavorful home-cooked meatloaf mom made for you when you were a kid. __ Overall, I wouldn't call this restaurant anything special. I would say that if you are looking for a more reasonably priced restaurant with a huge menu that can meet everyone's meal choices, it can definitely serve you well. However, it definitely isn't an elevated culinary experience, lacking the care a chef would take with a smaller menu. read more

See all

Came here for dinner with family, we had a great time! The inside is huge- plenty of seating with a nice atmosphere. Our server was very nice as well. For appetizers we had the crab dip, nachos, and calamari, all of which are delicious. For our mains, we had the black pepper and honey pizzas (one of our favorites, yum), the grilled chicken sandwich with sweet potato fries (the sandwich and fries are delish!!) and the steak tacos (bad- steak was cold and way over cooked). Everyone enjoyed their food except for the steak tacos, they were not tasty. Everything else was great. For dessert you have to get the chocolate torte- it was amazing!! 10/10. We will be back to try more! read more

See all

The food was kinda average? It was SO crowded even at 9:30pm so I had high expectations. But it felt like glorified Cheesecake Factory. The vibes were spectacular like it would a perfect place for big group dinner and our waitress Ryan was SOO GOOD - I just wish the food was SLIGHTLY better. Still good food!! Just nothing crazy. read more

See all

Village Tavern was easy to find and free parking is plentiful. We received a warm welcome for a 1pm reservation. The service here is impeccable. I enjoyed the three amigos margarita, the Korean cauliflower and a Greek salad with salmon. The salmon was a perfect medium well, as I requested and it had the best balance of texture and flavor. The Greek salad paired well with the salmon which was so aromatic, herby and delicious. I tasted the food network featured hot crab dip and that was really good. The restaurant played nice R&B music that I enjoyed. Our waiter was pheasant and attentive. I do feel the pace can be slowed down a bit but I do understand the restaurant was super busy for a holiday Monday. read more

See all

This spot is popping for Brunch! Every single plate was deliciously made. Same goes for the cocktails, refreshing. Staff were attentive and timely. Our particular server was polite and helpful. The space was nicely put together and busy during brunch time. read more

See all

We were seated fairly quickly without reservations. Food was okay. I've always like the Greensboro location better. read more

Village Tavern - Huevos Rancheros - New American Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

One of our go to spots. Have had meatloaf, burgers, tar- tar, salads, egg benedict, cauliflour bites, etc. And everything has always been A+. Crowd is always good. Staff is friendly. Wish they had HH or weekly specials. Porch is nice and so is the inside dining. We love it here. read more

See all

This was my second attempt at coming in without a reservation. No tables but I was able to snatch a seat at the bar. It was a Thursday evening probably about an hour before closing, it was lively and chatty in all directions, a good mix of people with a 30+ crowd. It took a little while before order was taken, so be prepared to wait some. The crab cake was good, I wish it would have been cooked a little longer but it had a good amount of real crab meat. The Korean cauliflower was just okay. It had a nice crispness to it but the sauce tasted like it was from a sweet and sour jar. read more

See all

Mixed reviews in our group of six. The Firecracker Shrimp tacos were excellent, Short Ribs very good, Bacon cheddar chicken sandwich very good but two other dishes were greasy according to our group. Server was attentive, dining area was very loud. Nice selection of wine and beer. read more

See all

The restaurant is in a really good location. They estimated a 30 minute wait and it was exactly 30 minutes. The server took awhile to get to the table for the first time and then came by and said she will be back and needed to go put things down. She took the drink order but didn't ask for apps. So had to wait for her to come back. The calamari was amazing, wish it had less jalapeño and more calamari. The burger was eh, I wouldn't order again. Overall the experience was fine. read more

Village Tavern - Calamari - New American Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

See all

First time here and it was amazing! The environment was very warm and welcoming as soon as we stepped in. The hostess was very polite and even moved up our reservation because he has arrived ~45 minutes early. Our server Ronnie was very nice and explained the menu to us since it was our first time here. We got sat right next to the kitchen and it was really neat to be able to see them prepare all the food. Speaking of food, the she crab soup is absolutely amazing. The Grouper Hemingway, absolutely amazing. I have nothing to complain about with this experience. The bill was a bit pricey but just expect that going into a restaurant of this caliber. Would be great for a special occasion such as a birthday. Cannot wait to come back!!! read more

See all

Pleasantly surprised with this unplanned stop. We did not have reservations so it was a long wait. I recommend making them. I loved the relaxed, cozy feel. I was a little hesitant to sit outside, because of the cold weather, but it was not a problem at all. The covered patio has heaters all around. Our server was amazing. I ordered the nachos to start. It's a very generous portion. My friend ordered a burger and I had the special, salmon. He thought it was perfect. I also ordered a margarita. The restaurant also has a very nice bar area. I absolutely loved the outside patio area. read more

See all

I came here after a work event with some colleagues. I got the fried cauliflower & the butter cake which were both delicious & reasonably priced! It was a popping place even past dinner time. But they sat us within 10 minutes. read more

I had always loved village tavern back in Winston -Salem. I don't particularly cared for the in Greensboro. But since I heard they opened in Raleigh - I can't wait to try it. Finally was making it on Friday. I made reservation the week before because I noticed no spots open on fridays if you book the day before. All the dishes were great. Crab dip - yummy and cheesy. Calamari- seasoning is a bit heavy but I like the light battering which still preserve the freshness Mountain trout was good. It has always been my hubby's fav. Fish taco was good as well.will definitely had to come back and try something new. read more

Village Tavern - New American Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Very extensive menu. Salads looked amazing. I ordered fried oyster appetizer which was good and onion soup which was ok. I thought it was a little salty. My friend ordered the she crab soup which had a lot of crab and was like a bisque. It was really good. Very pretty on the inside - looks like an atrium. read more

Absolutely wonderful atmosphere and food was great too. Old school history. Just beautiful!!! Will go back

Came here for lunch on a weekday and was very surprised to find I really enjoyed the entire experience. I wasn't expecting more than a basic burger and fries and ended up with some of the most delicious sweet potato fries I've ever had that were not chewy and well seasoned. The bacon jam burger was awesome and cook cooked quite well and exactly as I ordered it. Our waitress who I believe his name was Emma did a wonderful job making sure that we got our food quickly and also got water refills as we needed them and the check quickly as well. Overall, the ambience was a very clean, trendy, but not hipster. The bathrooms were also quite clean and very posh and trendy. I think my only complaint was that for a burger and fries it was about $18 not including any tips or taxes so a bit expensive but it was delicious and I probably would go back with my boyfriend for him to try the bacon jam burger!! read more

Village Tavern - New American Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Love this place. Great area for shopping also. So, they have a large bar with many drink options. You can usually find a seat at the bar. Great menu. Go here people read more

See all

Our group had reservations and we were seated immediately upon checkin. The restaurant can not accommodate groups bigger then 7 so we had to split into separate groups. It was fine. The service from our waiter was decent, we did have to ask for silverware and more water glasses a few times, but he finally got it together. The food was tasty and seasoned very well. The highlight was the desserts we smashed. This is a nice place for small groups, couples and families to dine. They have plenty of parking read more

See all

We went out for dinner and it was all so good we had ahi tuna cauliflower and French onion soup for starters Then fish and chips fish and ahi tuna salad. All was delicious. Service was excellent and drinks were delicious. Ambience was great. 5 stars read more

See all

Delicious! The she crab soup was amazing!!! The short rib was pretty good too and I appreciate being able to swap out my side for something other than carrots. My partner had the grouper linguini and that was great as well! Service and ambiance was okay, but the kitchen window is awesome. I have full confidence everything leaving the kitchen is so fresh. Overall, a lovely experience! read more

Village Tavern - Short rib - New American Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

I've been here multiple times now and I can't say enough good things about it!! The food is always good and the last time I went my server Brown was phenomenal!!!! I've come for date night and girls night and have enjoyed myself! The Mac and cheese is my personal favorite. read more

See all

Food is good but the past 6 times we've ordered takeout, our order has been incorrect 4 of those times. The past 3 times we've eaten in the restaurant, I've heard several patrons around me complain that their order was not correct. It's not the first few months of opening & I was hoping they would have nipped stuff like this in the bud with management by now. Just pretty disappointed knowing I've been eating at the Greensboro & Charlotte location for 20+ years. read more

This was our second time heading to the village Tavern. First time we got there around 5:30. The wait was over an hour so we decided to come back with a reservation. Inside was nicely decorated and elegant. Our waitress was amazing and very attentive. Both of our entrées came out and were Really good. I would've liked a little more seasoning on the rice peel off. My husband really liked his bacon jam burger. read more

See all

My friend has been raving about this spot so we came here for lunch/brunch today, and you can add me to the list of fans. We came right at 11am just the two of us with a reservation so no wait. (Can't say the same for everyone who arrived after us, so take note - a reservation is encouraged.) We were seated on the patio and it was just perfect for the weather and the relaxed brunch vibe we wanted. I started off with the espresso chiller because I still needed some coffee to wake up. I got the shrimp and grits, which were delicious. And I finished it off with the champagne sangria. Total was $59 (plus tax and tip). A reasonable price for the quality of food, drink, service, and ambiance you get here. Definitely recommend to everyone and I will be back. read more

See all

Two of us came for a Saturday mid-afternoon lunch/early dinner around 3:15. We were told there was a 20-30 min wait. But when we inquired, were told the bar was first come-first serve, so in we went and plopped down on some of the most comfortable bar stools of all time. Off to a great start! Were given ice water right away as well. Also appreciated. Then we sat for quite a long time, while staff was chaotically everywhere. For instance, a Gal appeared before us, not to take our order, but to complain about having to do olives and then proceeded to grab a rag and wipe and wipe and wipe her vest. Then threw the rag down and stomped away. And she wasn't the only one who seemed unhappy. Finally, our order was taken. We asked for the Spring Rolls to start, with the lunch Shrimp Hemingway for my Entree, Pimiento Cheese Burger for Husband. Wine for me and an Oak Manhattan for him. Drinks were fairly quick after finally ordering them. Husband did note his drink was not garnished like the pic on the menu. We then waited awhile for our food. Finally a Gal appeared behind us with our Entrees. When I said, "oh, we haven't gotten our appetizer yet", she said, "that's coming", and then it was there. Which was a real shame because Spring Rolls don't go with Shrimp Hemingway or the Burger. Spring Rolls were a bit mushy and oily, but loved that they came with three dipping sauces. Also loved the salad with miso dressing that came with it. My shrimp/angel hair pasta was good, nothing thrilling. Took a lot of it home and doctored it up with extra seasoning and more spinach. Husband took a bite of his burger, and got a to-go box for it, because something really bothered him about it. Something too sweet that he wasn't expecting. Later when he ate it leftover discovered their bacon is what is sweet! No warning. Just says on the menu that it's "their signature bacon". He did very much like their fries. The whole time we were eating, it continued to be a chaotic staff experience. They seemed to have tons of folks working, but it just felt incredibly unorganized. I will say at one point a Bartender did apologize to us that the entrees and appetizer were at the same time, and did keep our waters replenished. Overall though, we couldn't help but feel we could have spent that $100 much better elsewhere. read more

See all

My friend's son chose Village Tavern for our lunch date, and we're glad he did! They originally wanted to meet at 1:00 PM, but the only reservation available was for 1:30 PM. I called ahead to ask if we could arrive a bit early, and the person on the phone assured me it wouldn't be a problem. When we arrived, the restaurant was busy as usual, and we ended up waiting about 15 minutes before being seated at 1:15 PM. Our server, Carly, was kind, attentive, and very knowledgeable about the menu. Since we had already looked at the menu beforehand, we had a good idea of what we wanted to order. She took our drink and food orders promptly. The food took a little while to come out, but everything tasted great. The only downside was that my dish arrived at room temperature, I would've preferred it a bit hotter. Overall, the restaurant was clean, well-maintained, and had a welcoming atmosphere. Carly provided excellent service, and we're definitely looking forward to returning soon! read more

We went here for lunch and had a nice table out on the patio. I enjoyed being able to look out through the large windows. I ordered black coffee and rare tuna win a salad- it was quite good. a the service however was not. It took more than 22 minutes to get our food delivered to our table. This is really was not acceptable to me but I was with a group of business women. and I left it alone. It sid dampen my thoughts about this place. One colleague asked for the gluten free menu and wasn't that impressed- she ended up getting a garden salad with chicken. It is quite a large place with a nice wine cellar as well. I did like the pictures all around the restrooms as well. But they need to do better with the kitchen turnaround. read more

See all

The ambiance and aesthetic of the restaurant is so beautiful. It's very lively, urban chic, and luxe while being accessible. You can dress up or still wear nice jeans and be comfortable. There is no signal in the restaurant though so using your phone is challenging. You also want to be sure you have a reservation if you can, I walked in and since I was alone, i was able to snag a bar seat fairly quickly but it was packed on a Saturday night. Service was good at the bar and they were attentive. I enjoyed the pear martini, trout, and carrot cake as my meal. I wish the trout has a bit more flavor, I felt like the glaze really carried the dish. The carrot cake could have been warmer. The drink was delicious. Overall it was a good meal and I'll be back. read more

Village Tavern - Carrot cake - New American Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

See all

New favorite spot unlocked after having lunch here. The inside is beautiful with a massive bar area. Past the bar is what seems like a private dining area that is separated by frosted glass. The kitchen can be seen through a wall of glass but your eyes will be on their food. All of their food is made in house. The Grouper Hemingway was amazing. I could have drank the juice. Realizing that I'm in a nice restaurant and not at home, decided to use their sourdough bread to capture the dish's juice. The server was great and was very attentive with a smile on her face. I want to come back to try their extensive menu. Till next time.... read more

Village Tavern - Grouper Hemingway - New American Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

This place was cool. Food is good. A little pricey but the portions are huge so it makes sense. The menu is very extensive which makes it a little harder to decide on what to order. We ended up starting off with the calamari (basically that and the buffalo cauliflower confirmed by our server that it has the same sauce as well as any of the other Asian type apps). It was good but too saucy for our taste. The calamari itself was nice quality but the sauce killed it for us. Just tastes like it was drenched in sweet chili oil. We had asked the hostess who seated us as well as our server Rachel for their recommendations on apps and dishes in general. They provided very different recommendations but were in agreement when it came to the cauliflower appetizer which is their most popular apparently. Rachel also recommended the crab dip, bacon wrapped scallops, spring rolls as far as starters and the brick chicken, bacon jam burger, blt pimento cheese, meat loaf for the mains. The hostess recommended the Baja fish tacos. The kids meal was SPECTACULAR. My 3 year old ordered the same with fries and Granny Smith apples and let me tell you, the salmon was cooked to PERFECTION. It was incredibly tender and juicy which is surprisingly rare to find when ordering fish anywhere let alone from a kids menu. We were thoroughly impressed and liked her salmon more than either of our two dishes. It was a lot of food and all for like, 8 bucks. Super reasonable. My husband ordered the brick chicken which was pretty good, had a lovely color but was a little dry. Thankfully it had plenty of mashed potatoes and gravy to balance it out. The big asparagus was decent but underdone and they forgot to remove one of the bottoms of them. Not a huge deal but just another reason it wasn't as good. The dish comes with two generous chicken breast portions with drumsticks still attached (helped with the dryness). I ordered the Cajun seafood and andouille pasta which was nice, so so big and full of perfectly cooked seafood (large shrimp and scallops) and tasty andouille sausage. I found the Cajun cream sauce to be on the thinner side but my husband thought it was perfect. We didn't get any dessert because we were stuffed to the gills but they recommended the butter cake (which is also massive btw from what we saw of dishes passing our booth). I'd like to return to try the brunch. read more

See all

Village Tavern is a big, beautiful space. We were seated in a very comfy & classic booth by the bar. Rachel, our server, was pleasant and efficient. The main issue was with timing. We ordered drinks & they came within 5 minutes. Then the spinach dip, which wasn't quite creamy enough to spread, but the flatbread it came with was dang good. While we waited on our app, she took our entree orders. We had 1 bite of the dip and entrees arrived so we ended up not eating much of it. Husband loved the short rib but the carrots they came it were way undercooked and hard. My chicken sandwich was yummy but the fries were cold as ice! If they had been fresh, probably would have been some of the best I'd had. I'll definitely go back because the menu is huge with lots of options. You do need a reservation as even the seat yourself bar was slammed on a Wednesday at 7pm. read more

See all

We were hanging out at North Hills and decided to have dinner at Village Tavern after hearing great things about their food. We were luckily seated right away on the outside patio during a busy Friday evening around 7. Our server was awesome, I believe her name was Ameena. She was so passionate and knowledgeable about the menu, everything sounded delicious. We started out with refreshing cocktails, prepared perfectly. We then had appetizers. We had the crab dip (no taste to me at all), the spring rolls were delicious and the brussel sprouts were ok. We ordered the filet mignon tacos to share. The filet was made perfectly to order, the rice and beans on the side were seasoned well too. There were a bit too many caramelized onions for me. Lastly we had the warm butter cake for dessert, delicious. I'd definitely go back to Village Tavern. It's beautiful inside and out, very spacious. The staff is great, very attentive and knowledgeable. The food is fresh and worth the price. read more

A great time! I brought my boyfriend here for his birthday and we had a wonderful experience. We started with the spinach dip, not as creamy as we wouldv'e liked but thats ok! He had the Delmonico steak, spinach and macaroni. 10s across the board. I had the Brick Chicken with green beans and mashed potatoes and it was STELLAR. Will be back. The location was a gorgeous, open concept. The service was great and FAST. Thanks VT! read more

See all

Delish! The hubs and I cozied up to the bar for bites and a round of drinks! Village Tavern delivered. The tiki hour and espresso chiller were tasty as well as all the apps we offered. The sauces for each (tartare, salad, and spring rolls) were incredibly good. The service at the bar was slow but the food came out quickly -- if that makes sense. All in all, we enjoyed our first trip to VT! read more

See all

I came to this restaurant for the first time last night. My husband and I decided on an impromptu date night. We had to wait about 45 minutes for a table which was not bad on a Saturday night. The waitress was knowledgeable about the menu. Here is where things got a little shaky: first I ordered an appetizer salad I ate it. The empty plate sat on the table for a while along with the empty glass I had from a refill on my drink. Then my husband ordered a steak medium well, it comes back bloody. It took the waitress a while to come back when she did she says "I could have sworn you said medium are you sure". Ma'am yes he is sure what he said now take this bloody mess back. When she brought it back it was still a bit red but he ate it. And for the price it was really not that good. I had chicken Alfredo it was alright. The waitress just became very inattentive and it almost felt like we were bothering her. We were getting ready to leave and both had to go to the bathroom. We leave our food at the table I was gone literally two mins because the bathroom was full so I turned around. She had taken our food already and was about to throw it away. I am trying to catch her before the manager was able to get her attention. It was not the worst experience just not the best and I don't think I will go back. read more

Food, service, and ambiance were immaculate. My crab cake dinner was delicious, as well as my mocktail. The chef even brought out my spinach that was cooked incorrectly the first time. Prices are on the higher end. Highly recommend making reservations because there was a wait on Wednesday night. read more

See all

The food was perfect. We got the grouper pasta and the shrimp Hemingway followed with the huge cheescake and butter cake. Keshaun took the pick up order and was friendly and got the order 100% correct, right down to the extra capers. Glad we chose this place while in Raleigh read more