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Second Empire Restaurant & Tavern
Rating Details »
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good for:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
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- 14 reviews
- Location:
- Raleigh, NC
"This really is a fun experience. I like consider myself a versed eater, but prior to coming upon this place with a group of friends, I…" read more »
8 reviews for Second Empire Restaurant & Tavern
This is one of the better food experiences I HAVE EVER HAD. Seriously. The food was great. It was quality, quality, quality. That was a very nice surprise, as I had no idea what the food or atmosphere was like at all, and decided to go based solely on the descriptions from the menu.
We walked in and were right away re-directed to the downstairs cafe part of the restaurant. I am told it is the more 'lively' and 'casual' section, but as I noticed upstairs seemed to be extremely bare, I was happy to end up down there. There were 2 of us, and the hostess really tried to seat us at this very small table, literally in an aisle.. which I wasn't going to be ok with, so we got another extremely small table for 2 that was at least in the main part of the dining room.
The server didn't show up for some time, which was strange, we arrived at 7 p.m. and at that point the place was pretty much empty. The bus-boy arrived about 10 minutes after we sat to pour water. I only mention that because they are known to be great for service, according to them - and the 4 diamond rating they mention on the website.
When you sit down, you essentially get 3 different menus, or we did.. one was a cheese card, another was the menu for the Tavern (where we were seated ) and then a more fine dining menu.
The server, Jared, "like the jeweler" according to him.. stopped by to get our drink order, and we decided to place a cheese order as well. Why not? The cheese showed up right away and the bread as well, which was really great.. the server showed up about 5 minutes after that with the drinks we ordered.
We ordered the "Colorado Bison Striploin Carpaccio" - described as - "butternut squash phyllo cigar, fingerling potatoes, romaine, grilled red onion, fried quail egg, red cabbage slaw, horseradish vinaigrette" ($14.95) Which was like WOW.. bad-ass and awesome. My friend had never had any kind of carpaccio before and she loved it. I was really impressed with the flavors and the presentation.. really really great starter plate.
Then we had our entrees which consisted of the "Empire Seafood Paella"- described as - "steamed mussels & scallops, seasonal fish, saffron rice, chicken, sausage, shrimp, fish fumét & herbs.." ($24.95.) .. and the "Grilled Berkshire Farm Pork Rib Chop" - described as - "creamy citrus barley, roasted cauliflower, spaghetti squash, asparagus tips, Oregon mushrooms, Newcastle brown ale reduction ($26.95)
Listen.. the Paella was great. Great flavor and great in portion.. I mean it seems to be a simple thing, but good Paella is a rare thing in my book. Sometimes it is so-so or just boring and bland. This was not. It was very good.
The Pork Rib-Chop.. was also fantastic. The flavor was excellent with the Newcastle reduction, which is what initially drew my eye to the dish, and the temperature was perfect. They did not ask for a temperature for the meat, but it seemed to be served just above medium and was very tender and flavorful.
We continued our meal, ordered a couple of glasses of the rioja on the by the glass list. It was a bit hot and higher in alcohol that I like in my rioja, but that is sometimes the case and it was my choice and was nice enough.
So about the service. The server was nice enough, and he was attentive when he was there. The problem was, the food seemed to be dropped off in a random fashion. To start, the cheese plate and carpaccio were on the table for quite awhile, as we were really enjoying them so it was no problem.. then suddenly the entrees showed up. We hadn't seen Jared (the server) for some time at that point, as the room was filling up with guests fast. The food-runner attempted to drop off the entrees but couldn't because we were still eating. She then placed the food on the next empty table and stacked our dirty plates on our table and placed THEM on the empty table next to our food, then placed our food down on our table and took off to get silver for us to eat with.
As I have already mentioned the food was excellent, I just expected more from the delivery. I would love to give the place 5 stars, but for a Triple 'A' and 4 Diamond award winning establishment... you expect more.
I will definitely go back should I ever go to Raleigh again. The room was cool and the food was really great. Check it out if you get a chance. You will enjoy the food and the atmosphere a lot! Highly recommended!
Dined at the chef's table in the kitchen of the 2nd Empire last evening - what a spectacular treat! The food and service here have always been 5-star on my previous visits both upstairs and in the tavern, but I was blown away by the chef's table.
We were a party of four on a Thursday evening that was a little slow (according to the kitchen staff). This worked out well because it translated into a lot of personal time with the Chef and his team. The table is just like the tables upstairs with the exception that you are right in the middle of the kitchen. It looks a little bit odd walking into the bright kitchen with staff moving around like a hive of bees and a white linen table set right in the middle. At anytime during our 2 1/2 hour meal we were encouraged to get up, roam the kitchen, ask questions, test foods - it was really cool. The Chef, Daniel Schurr and his staff were very personable and informative. For me, just sitting in the kitchen watching was special, but the kitchen staff went so far beyond my expectations.
Oh yeah, we had a four-course meal with wine pairings during the visit also served in the same style and finesse experienced upstairs, except the Chef was personally doing the serving. My words do not do the experience justice. I look for to coming back to spend another night at the Chef's table.
Great resturant. Unique flavors and high quality ingredients. Within walking distance to many downtown Raleigh hotels.
The resturant has three distinct areas. The formal dining room, the less formal dining room and the tavern. It was a little confusing when I was asked to choose which experience I wished to have but once I took a quick tour I chose the informal downstairs.
Great wine list, cheese plate was awesome. Wrapping up the evening with a final glass of pinot on the porch in a rocking chair was priceless.
I did not have dessert mostly because once I saw my bill following my meal I decided to not go over $100. So obviously the place is fairly pricey. I had the cheese plate appetizer, duck breast and 3 glasses of wine. With tip was roughly $95.
Perfect place for special occasion dinners.
You'll find this gem of a house near the downtown district of Raleigh, where within the Dodd-Hinsdale historic house, beholds one of Raleigh's proud and fine dining restaurants. These guys cover a lot of ground. From Weddings, hosting annual 5K races/special events, private dining, and the chef's table. I like to think of it as the Fearrington House of Raleigh (decor wise, people). A brilliant place for an anniversary dinner... don't even think about bringing your first date here. That's just setting bad standards, mate.
There are two ways to dine here; the restaurant and the tavern. Please note this; do not bother ordering off the restaurant menu if you're dining at the tavern. A bit senseless in my opinion. It's a lot more crowded/loud down there as well. For the full dining experience, it's best to have it on the main floor. I have yet to sample the Tavern menu. I believe it's about 2/3 the price of the restaurant menu. Would be interesting to try one time to see how it fares with the main menu, but for some reason I keep thinking, "I'm here, made reservations already, give it a shot on the next go, ya?"
After three visits, I don't think I can convince myself otherwise. Their menu changes periodically, and each time the food has been very pleasing. The service was great the first visit, but mediocre as for the remainder. One particular item that has stuck to my mind was their fois gras. The last thing I would expect to find such a fine example in N.C. "Is niiiice, I like". I tend to stick with their turf fares for entrees, and their duck, bison, and lamb have been superb (in some other form from the latest menu, but the variations have been great). Every meal I've had left no room for dessert, so I can't comment there. Never cared to order wine; I brought my own.
I'm blatantly notorious for being reluctant when it comes to trying out upscale restaurants that serve more hot shot of faux flare, short-lived trends, and bs, than living up to their prices. Raleigh has its share of upscale places that actually hold a reputation for $25+ items on the menu. This is one of them.
Enjoyed an important birthday celebration here 5 years back. While the table we were given was good and the attentive staff served us perfectly, the food was truly the reason for the visit. Beautiful presentation. Lovely atmosphere, although strangely and almost awkwardly quiet. From the starter to dessert the food and wine was on point. Several North Carolina politicians and the Atheletic Director for UNC Dick Baddour gave us the sense that we were dining in a spot to see and be seen, which in Raleigh, happens almost never. I had a lovely scallop starter with fresh corn and bacon. Simple yet lovely. Perfectly cooked lamb. Dining at Second Empire is an experience- an event. Save it for an anniversary, a birthday, an important moment and know that it will add momentum to your celebration through exquisite food and service.
Kun does a really nice job reviewing Second Empire, so I'll just talk about a specific experience rather than general things. It's a neat house setting that's plushly decorated, and it's one of the more expensive and impressive restaurants this area has to offer. The maitre d' was nice, but a little hard of hearing(?) He was sweet, but seemed to have no awareness as to the personal bubble of space (you know, the one-foot radius around your person) that strangers don't generally cross into. But he did get really enthusiastic about taking some (requested) photos of the two of us all gussied up for a night on the town and even led us to various photo op backdrops in the restaurant. It was in this manner that I saw the "tavern" floor of the restaurant -- which made me feel like an arse for being in a floor-length dress -- the comfort and ease of which, I must say, was a bit enviable to the sort of stuffy situation in the main dining room. I haven't had an opportunity to dine in the tavern, but it's definitely on my to-do list
Anyway, we had reservations for Valentine's Day, which made it a slightly different visit than just coming for any ol' dinner. First, they had a specific menu; and second, the waiter, knowing that we would be spending a lengthy, romantic evening at his table seemed inclined to push all of the most expensive items on the menu; and third, we were surrounded by soupy, goo-goo eyed couples holding hands and whispering. We are so not that couple, so it felt a little silly and a little like playing dress-up to be there. But we did the whole 9 yards -- bottle of wine, appetizers, entrees, and dessert. I have to say that though a few things were excellent, most were just good. The server was nice enough, but young, and didn't seem to be all that knowledgeable when we asked for wine recommendations or had questions about the menu.We also felt a little limited, I think, by the holiday menu; so I'd like to give it another shot on a non-occasion day.
This is a great restaurant ...especially for special ocassions. We ate downstairs which is a little less formal than upstairs -- but still nice none-the-less....Food is a little pricey but defintitey worth it. The ambiance is fantastic and set in a historic house downtown raleigh. High recommend second empire...
My husband and I ate at Second Empire for my birthday in February 2008. I loved the entire experience. The service was attentive and food was above par for the area.
This is a four diamond restaurant (AAA) and it deserves it. I don't remember precisely what my hubby had, but I had the fillet, it was PERFECT. Perfect fillet is hard to come by, I almost always regret ordering after I get it at restaurants. This fillet melted in my mouth, it was the best of texture and taste. I never eat everything on my plate, I finished the fillet, the sides, and also had a birthday dessert. This was wonderful, and the chef signed a menu for me to take home, it is a really nice touch.
