I'm going to keep it short: literally the best meal I've ever had in a restaurant. Literally blows my favorite steakhouses like Ruth's Chris and Prime 112 (Miami hotspot) out of the water. The most tender beef tenderloin with the absolute perfectly thinnest crust. The best bread. And a beautiful dessert. Oh, and the friendliest staff! You have to try Herons. read more

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We celebrated a birthday and had an incredible experience. Our day started at One Oak farm and picked our garnishes with the farmer and learned about what was grown and used for Herons. We were then able to help with Mise en Place and played with some dry ice which was followed by a light lunch and a couples massage. Our dinner was nothing short of spectacular. Each plate was an edible piece of art and our sommelier paired each dish with an extraordinary glass of wine. BEST. MEAL. EVER! read more

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Very disappointing. Service refused because we were not staying in the hotel. Server offered food if we booked a room. None of this was advertised online, not on the phone when we called ahead of heading there. read more

This is my second time here. First time coming for wine and cocktail on a Friday afternoon with some friends. There was an musician playing harp next to us. It was an awesome experience and I was impressed by their great service. All the staff here are very professional. The price for cocktails and wines are not bad at all, about regular wine bar price or at most a couple bucks higher. Today, I came here for brunch with my husband and it was a great as well! First, the atmosphere is very nice. After a couple of dining experience at some fancy but noisy restaurants recently, we really appreciate this kind of quiet restaurants with soft music playing in the background! We can enjoy a conversation nicely without shouting to each other! The service is definitely 5 stars here as always. The price for brunch here is VERY reasonable and the quality of the food still keeps its high standard! The warm doughnuts are to definitely the taste from the heaven! Then are extremely fluffy inside and very crispy outside! I had a small bite and it MELTED in my mouth! WOW! This might be the best doughnuts I have ever had! Anyone coming here for brunch should at least try it at least once! I ordered the two farm eggs (poached) to make it easier to count calories, as I'm in the cutting stage. The eggs were made to exactly what I ordered! Very fresh! I substitute the roasted potatoes by skillet cornbread (mainly for my husband, it's my low carbs day). The cornbread are also soooo good! I only had a small bite, but I can still feel the beauty of it! It's baked and the outside is pan fried, which makes it soft and fluffy inside but crispy outside. The pork sausages are very juicy with a nice crispy skin! But it's a little salty for me. It's not a big deal, as all the sausages are salty! Then it comes to my favorite part: the smoked bacon! Once I bite into it I know immediately that it's definitely smoked! I love the wood smoking flavor from it! My husband ordered the french toast. It's not the say way as some old pictures showed. They changed it. My husband was not very crazy about the french toast and said it's only OK. But he likes everything else! This is really a nice place to go for brunch: good quality, reasonable price, and NO wait in line! A extra plus for us is that it's super close to where we work. This is our new place to go for brunch, especially when we need to work some extra hours in the weekend! We also have decided to come for afternoon tea sometime! read more

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I loved this place. I am a huge fan of surprise meals. My wife and son stayed at the resort and indulged ourselves to amazing delicious 8 course adventure. The servers and food was excellent. Be prepared to be spoiled and welcomed. read more

Herons - Wife, son and me. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Cary, North Carolina

I really enjoy Herons for two reasons: the food and the hospitality. Everyone in the restaurant is always going above and beyond to make sure you have everything that you may need. The food is always excellent. Their brunch is just delicious. We have also come for Easter, Mother's Day and each time the food(even buffet) and the service is outstanding. read more

Herons - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Cary, North Carolina

After many of the staff members saying the hotel restaurant serves good food we decided to book a brunch reservation for Sunday. They were able to accommodate us to a good time at 12:00pm. The waitress was nice and welcoming. Although this is more of an upscale restaurant and other guest there seem to look down on people of color the staff was always friendly and made sure we were well taken care of. I got the French toast with sunny side eggs and chicken apple sausage. French toast was delicate and melted in my mouth. There was nothing special about the eggs didn't have any seasoning were just regular basic eggs. The Apple sausage was average. The highlight was definitely the French toast everything else was average not five star quality. Mimosas were $12 which is a lot for a small glass that was mainly orange juice. Overall the brunch was okay. You're basically paying for the name of the restaurant not really the food because it is very overpriced for small portions. read more

We were there twice for brunch, and so far the best restaurant in my opinion. I love the fruits, super sweet and fresh. The greens are fresh and crispy. For the last visit, I had salmon, and it's the best I've ever had. Perfectly seasoned and perfectly cooked. My husband loves the crab cake Benedict. The service is great, too. Highly recommend. read more

I am shocked I have lived in the area for 16 years and just ate here. You can see what I normally post for reviews. I won't be so loquacious here. Take my advice: Put on your stylin' duds, enjoy the exemplary service, and let the best local cuisine I've ever had take you on a culinary journey. Get the wine pairings. The sommelier is a genius. Our waiters couldn't have been more accommodating. The food was the best we've had this side of Paris. It's pricey, but absolutely amazing. This isn't a 'dinner', it's an incredible experience. read more

Best. Meal. Ever. Earned its 5 star reputation and then some. Had the fennel for first, scallop for second, elk for third, and sweet potato dessert. It was all amazing, but I probably wouldnt order the elk again, because the cocoa taste felt too much like dessert to me, but again that's a personal preference. The execution and plating were something you would see on top chef, except better. I was worried that I would leave hungry, but that was not the case at all. I was stuffed. The chef makes small between course food which also was all delicious and thoughtful. It's expensive but worth every penny. Kudos to the chefs. read more

Crab Benedict was amazing. Desert was watermelon sorbet with angel food cake. The ice cream was cut to look exactly like a watermelon, with seeds and a green rine. Will definitely be back again! read more

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Beautiful atmosphere, lovely music, beautiful presentation and attentive staff are worth 5 stars. The food was bland and medium rare steak was tough. read more

Kudos to hubby for thinking to surprise me with a tremendous meal at the raved-about Herons. We had five courses, timed so perfectly, and each packed with a whole lot of "wow." Foodwise, practically nothing is overlooked here. Presentation is perfect. The servers even bring the soups and sauces in individual saucers and serve them up right in front of you. We didn't get the whole multi-server, mini-nod, plate setting equilibrium I've heard from others. But I chalk that up to the fact that it was Valentine's weekend AND a wedding weekend and they probably didn't have enough servers on hand for that kind of thing. Didn't detract from the meal at all, though the ambiance maybe did...a little. I'm definitely more of the modern mind-set, so the Marriott feel just didn't quite do it for me. Plus our table was next to a corner table, where part of the party was facing us directly and the tables were close enough that we heard them inquiring whether they thought we were truly old enough to order that bottle of wine. Ahem. Yes, ma'am, and I will drink you under the table if that's a challenge! ;) Just kidding. I behaved myself in the fancy-schmancy restaurant. I feel as though I cannot nearly adequately describe the dishes and flavor combinations we were treated with here so I don't even really want to try. You reallyreallyreally need to come experience it for yourself. I will take a moment to absolutely rave about the dessert: chocolate mousse with passionfruit sorbet in a tangy fruit glaze. OMFGggg. Thank jesus the pre-fixe route meant we each got our own, because I definitely would NOT have shared this with Phil. We concluded with a mix of minis from the pastry chef: macaroons, truffles, and other goodies. So cute. The grand finale was a grand gesture: a giant pastry from Le Farme Bakery and a long-stemmed red rose. A great first Valentine's day as an ol' married couple! =) read more

I came by for a late lunch and ordered the burger. It seemed to take a little longer than expected 35+ min and not busy. The burger and fries were barely warm, the bun tasted stale. The server never returned after dropping off the food, she was very nice though :) If I hadn't waited so long and wasn't so hungry, I would have sent the food back. Definitely not worth $19. read more

Herons is incredible. I was blown away by everything about our dining experience here just before Christmas 2009. In fact, I want to marry executive chef Scott Crawford (so what if he and I are both married to other people?). My mouth is watering as I write this review, and I can't wait to go back. We started off with an amuse-bouche, compliments of the chef. Next, I ordered the winter truffle soup with white truffle custard, while my husband had the butternut squash risotto. My soup was rich, creamy, aromatic, and divine. My husband's risotto was perfect. We both ordered fish for our main courses, mine the monkfish with polenta and his the salmon with sunchokes. I have never had fish prepared as well as this. It was tender, flaky, buttery, flavorful, and melt-in-your-mouth. My husbands salmon was just as good. Even though we were stuffed, we had to share a dessert, and chose the unique parsnip cake with butterscotch pudding and stout ice cream. The ice cream was really interesting and surprisingly, all of the flavors melded well together. During dinner, service was impeccable and the atmosphere tranquil. As mentioned, I have been talking nonstop about this place since I dined there, and cannot wait for an opportunity to return. read more

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The food is great. Other than my own missed judgement of ordering the Pine for dessert all other food were a delight. I wish I could say the same about the service staff. The hostess was blaaa.. That is the most effective way of putting it. She could care less about her clients. We had a n interesting encounter with one of the servers walking in. He acted like he owned the place and was superior above everyone else in the establishment. The Sommelier on the other hand was good. In terms of service I barely felt like I got my money's worth. It should be an experience, it wasn't an experience in its entirety except for the food. Go for the food, the service is mediocre. read more

Went for a lunch yesterday with a group of 7 (ages 18-52) and overall impressions were favorable. Elegant ambiance with incredibly friendly and knowledgeable staff! Food choices were very unique and there was sharing and taste testing amongst the people in the group. Very unique experience and perfect for special occasions. Food was beautifully prepared and presentation was impeccable. Also very delicious! I would definitely go again. read more

One word. WOW. Thank the Lord for dining room renovations. I can finally afford this place! For the summer of 2010, they have buffets due to renovations and this is a review on their BRUNCH buffet. The food was amazing. It wasn't in big metal buffet trays. It was fresh and served in small lecreuset pans. Everything was amazing. They had grits, eggs, bacon, sausages, this veggie chicken dish on grits, the BEST STICKY BUNS EVER...and a small brunch pastry, cheese, deli meats, breads selection. A made to order omelette and pancake station. Their peach gazpacho with pomegranate and yogurt..OMG HEAVENLY. I'm not going to describe and praise every single thing but OMG EVERYTHING WAS AMAZING. The service was...the best service I've ever experience. Everyone was so polite and patient. Our server even brought us an extra shot of rim and lime juice because she thought our mojito became watered down. HOLY MOLEZ. Nobody rushed us, and you KNOW how you can be rushed in a buffet. We ate until we couldn't move anymore and THEN SOME. It was too amazing. After the gut busting but yet refined buffet, we took an amazing walk around the pond behind the umstead hotel. There is a butterfly garden, turtles (supposedly), herons, and all different kinds of flowers. The overall experience left me speechless. DON'T MISS OUT!!! read more

Very nice place. Upscale I would say. Service is over the top. Food tasted great. Don't expect huge portions here. Go for the experience and taste. Don't forget the huge wine selection but be prepared to open the wallet big. read more

My husband and I ventured away from our usual comfort zone to try something new for our anniversary. Herons came highly recommended to us by close friends, so we were confidant it would be a good experience. We (and our friends) were right! We decided to do their tasting menu (changes seasonally) and added the wine pairing. Each course was better than the last, with every ingredient accompanying the others perfectly. Each dish was obviously well thought out and paired wonderfully with each wine, each of which was expertly described by the Sommelier(s). The only thing I might do differently next time is forgo the wine pairing and order a bottle (or two) of one of our favorites. Although everything paired beautifully, it was a lot of white and we are more red drinkers. read more

I went here with my husband to try the tasting menu and were very satisfied with our dinner. Their tasting menu was called the "art tour" and each dish is presented with a picture of an art piece that it is inspired by. I think it was $150/person for the tour, but they also have a 3- and 4-course option available. I thought there was a nice progression to the courses and they did a great job with their timing on firing the courses. They started the tour with a nice cup of tea and then the tour began. I enjoyed the 62degree egg and shrimp and grits, but I have to say, the pheasant corn dog with truffle ketchup was my favorite for the night. I was a little wary about getting a corn dog--I couldn't help but think of getting something like the breaded hotdogs I've had as a kid, but it was absolutely delicious. I also really enjoyed the way they put together the dessert. Both the service and food were wonderful, would definitely recommend! read more

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We came for a birthday dinner. My wife and I just moved down here from NYC. We had heard so much about Herons. See it advertised in Food & Wine frequently... Dinner was simply not good. I bet brunch is a great time. I have heard that the afternoon tea is great as well. I would not come back for dinner again. Pros: Superb service. The servers, back waiters, managers all tend to the tables and keep a close eye on the rooms. -Fairly priced wine list with all price ranges. Good bubbly options as well. -Comfortable ambiance. Super comfortable chairs. Big tables; not cramped. -dessert was good Cons: Scott Crawford is the exec. chef behind this spot. I don't think he was in the kitchen the night I was there. Thehouse made pasta was hard and gritty...not al dente and not underdone, just off. Our entrees were just mediocre too. I had a foie appetizer that was generous in the portion and tasty. When you go to a spot with herons price points (high) you are looking to be blown away on the food. it shouldn't just look pretty on the plate. The dishes should have texture, substance and character. The food really fell flat that night. Every restaurant has an off night. Herons had one that evening. I would give the bar, brunch and tea a shot. Not dinner though. read more

Honestly, I was more than a little shocked at the poor service and hospitality I experienced at a place with such a good reputation and such fantastic yelp reviews. First, the background. I arrived at the hotel with a VIP party, only to find that our rooms weren't ready. No problem we said, we'd grab a bite at the restaurant. Not a problem the hotel staff offered, never mentioning that reservations would probably be needed for our party of five. Well, we found out fast when we arrived at the hostess stand, and we were asked if we had reservations, in a tone that implied we were crazy if we thought we were getting in without them at noon on a Sunday. Eventually, the harried and obviously stressed hostess took our name and said she just had to "build" our table. At this point, just getting our name on the waiting list for seating was an unpleasant and stressful experience and certainly not what I was expecting in an otherwise serene and relaxing (and not to mention five star) hotel. After about ten minutes, the still stressed hostess called our name, and led us to a table that was right next to the hostess stand, one that had been set and "built" the whole time we were waiting. The restaurant was also only half full, so that leads me to believe that it was actually a staffing issue that morning rather than an unexpected crowd of lunch diners. At this point, I should say the food was fine and the setting is beautiful. Complimentary breads were the highlight of the meal, and my crab roll and chilled English pea soup were tasty, but honestly unremarkable. The ramps mentioned in the menu description were what prompted my menu selection, but upon presentation, no ramps were to be found. The restaurant is beautifully decorated, with a partially open kitchen and fantastic views from the balcony out onto the grounds of the Umstead. I'll close with saying that the table service was downright awkward. Given the fact that the restaurant was so empty but the hostess so stressed, I guess it's probable that they pulled busboys or bellhops into serving positions, because that's certainly what it felt like. Our large round table was also located near the servers' drink station, and we could hear them laughing loudly and goofing off (and dropping plates), while we sat with empty water and tea glasses. Overall, it was not an enjoyable meal and sadly it was a blight on an otherwise lovely stay at the Umstead. read more

I LOVE the tea service here... so much that my bridal shower was here for the tea service (awesome shower). The tea service comes with a 3 tier appetizers type food and then a 3 tier desserts with your own tea pot (you can try different teas) and they have milk and SUGAR CUBES as accessories. All the food is delicious and scrumptious. Really really good. However, tonight I had dinner at Herons and it was AMAZING!!!! At first I was really uncomfortable because the place was soooooo quiet that I felt like I had to whisper. It also seemed really snooty so I didn't know what to do with myself! Then the server came and each time he came (or a food server) he made me feel more and more comfortable! That's what I call perfect service. I felt like we were waited on by 4-5 people. The service is definitely what made tonight an experience more than just a dinner. Onto the food: (disclaimer: I don't remember the actual names for these foods.. so I'm describing them by what I remember) 1. Free appetizer: (amuse bouche? No idea how to spell this...) some kind of moussed trout? Sooo beautiful, cute, and delicious! The after taste was soo good and kept changing a little as time passed. So good. 2. Scallops: amazing. Grilled perfect without drying or overcooking, popcorn grits were delicious, lemongrass sauce and avocado mousse perfect complements. Soo yummy. 3. Corn mousse: this was so interesting. I think the menu put it as a soufflet and it was completely different from what I imagined. It was beautiful and delicious. Light, fluffy, sweet, savory- everything and soo creative looking. Served with cheese cracker biscuit type crunchy something (sorry). 4. Entree: veal. Cooked to perfection with a plum jus.. there was also plums on the dish! Also had short rib? It was just really tender, good, and so many flavors at once that married well with each other. 5. Dessert: dark chocolate. It was like a dark chocolate cake with raspberry sauce with cookie crumbles and chocolate threads and it was just the most amazing texture of sweetness and tartness together. Also came with black tea ice cream- omg this was awesome. I love black tea and this was interesting, creative, delicious and different. I have never tasted anything like it. There was also a pre dessert dish of truffle ice cream served with lemon thyme soda. Husband liked this, I don't like thyme haha. We also had coffee and it came with a ginger biscotti. Very ginger-y. Coffee was good. I have to mention some items from my husbands 4 course meal bc they were amazing. 1. His steak was sooooo good. It was cooked PERFECTLY even though it was smoked too. The smoked part of the steak made it sooo good. I think it was smoked with oak? But it added just the right amount of flavor and smoke to make it taste like the best steak ever, and it definitely helped that it was cooked to perfection. 2. His first dish (snapper? I think?) Was served in the coolest way. It was smoking and served in a glass bowlplate- yes a bowl plate. Never seen that before. 3. His dessert (yuzu) had the best tart sorbet that looked like cookies. It was soo good I ate all of it. (With permission). Almost forgot to mention 3 different breads served with 3 different kinds of butter- yummy :) This is like my fourth time editing.. I totally forgot about all the free truffles at the end. They gave us almond truffles to take home, some other kind of truffle to eat there (so good, had a chewy texture and looked strange inside but scent and taste was amazing), and a candle something cookie cakes that seriously looked and tasted like a korean traditional dessert. So good even though I was stuffed full. That's saying something. It felt like getting presents! :) Overall it was such a great experience. The service was PHENOMENAL. The food was soo creative AND delicious, which is hard to do in my opinion. I LOVED IT. read more

The "Art Tour" 8 course tasting menu is definitely worth the price. Well constructed menu and great hospitality, highly recommend.

Enough superlatives cannot describe the experience at Herons. Truly a special and unforgettable. The restaurant is located in The Umstead Hotel and Spa. Finding it for the first time is a little bit of a challenge. Consult the hotel website for directions, which tells you to use input a different address in your GPS keep it from getting you lost. The restaurant is tucked away in the corner of the lobby area behind the bar and is a little bit confusing to find unless you pay attention to the tiny direction arrows. We had 8:00PM reservations and arrived early by 10 minutes. Even though the restaurant was mostly empty, we were asked to wait before they would seat us. A little strange given how quiet it was, but probably done for the sake of kitchen timing. The restaurant is beautifully decorated and conveys a fine-dining atmosphere. Dress to impress. Women were in dresses and most men wore jackets. Their website says business casual for attire, but I'd say it's just a notch more fancy than that. There is an outside patio area that looked a bit more casual. A huge open window looks into the kitchen from the dining room. Kudos to the chef and line cooks for maintaining a calm and serene demeanor while on constant display. We opted for the tasting menu, which constantly changes according to season and presumably availability of local ingredients. This night featured salmon tartar, sunchoke soup, lobster risotto, roasted quail, and a deconstructed carrot cake. The progression of the meal and timing of the courses were perfect. Portions were appropriate for a 5-course leisurely dinner. Every table is also treated to an amuse bouche at the beginning and random sweets at the end. Each dish was a showcase in blending complex flavors and demonstrated masterful technique. The lobster risotto was one of the best dishes I have ever eaten. Service was impeccable. Our waiter was engaging without being overbearing. With each new course, food was introduced and described. Multiple runners were involved in bringing out the dishes to us. I cannot say enough good things about this meal. One of the best of my life. The price tag is hefty, but worth every savory penny. read more

I feel like a dissenter. 3 stars when everyone else is soo over the moon. Well, foremost I need to disclose that I had drinks in the lobby and appetizers. One could literally starve (reference the movie The Road) based on those appetizers. While a very lovely setting, it's far too serious and serene. It felt like a nursing home or library. Sooo quiet in there, I was afraid to laugh. I love upscale dining, but this isn't my style. Pass. Maybe I should try the full dining experience next time. I'm game, I promise. read more

Oh my gooooooooooodness! We ate our Thanksgiving dinner here and it was fabulous beyond my expectations from their menu, chefs, wait staff, etc. This is definitely a place to try for special ocassions or to indulge. Very clean, cozy, and comfortable eating atmosphere. Very knowledgeable staff who take great pride into what food they are serving. I started out that I would pace myself but was so overwhelmed with the menu even though I had read it online many times in anticipation of eating our Thanksgiving dinner here! WOW! I actually could not even eat all that I was hoping to try. In fact, even though I paced myself to eat slowly I quickly began to fill up. We had a fantastic waitress who even graciously packed up my plate so that I could try some dessert. It was a superb dining experience. I was more than pleased as it exceeded all my expectations perhaps I should have stayed overnight and come back a little later. Although the price may seem a little high, definitely worth every penny as food prep and dining experience were remarkable and this seems to be second nature to them. Kudos! read more

This is definitely the best fine dining experience in Raleigh (including Pittsboro)! I found the flavors and mixture of colors/textures pleasing to all of the senses. More importantly, it is a great value for the ingredient quality and creative artistry that you can expect with every course. However, the dry ice "event" with the oysters is a bit much in a fine dining establishment -- more of a stunt for a trendy eclectic place. The only significant negative is the multiple "how is everything?" and variations of that nagging question -- my greatest pet peeve (obviously). Diners who eat in fine dining establishments do not need to be asked incessantly if everything is okay. However, I blame this on training. If they could correct this pet peeve, Herons would be "near perfect." read more

Wow. Came here with some locally based clients for a business dinner. I was expecting something nice - but this beat my expectations. (Yeah, I live in Manhattan, and with a tad bit of NY attitude, I thought - how good could this be? It was *that* good). The presentation was superb, the food lovely, the service polite, attentive and not at all intrusive. The wine list was phenomenal. We could have spent an hour getting cozy with it! Our party of 4 ordered either 3 or 4 courses (I got two firsts, a second, and a dessert). Loved loved loved the oysters. Was amazed by the Caesar salad presentation. Not sure where Elizabeth H ate, but clearly it wasn't the same place - maybe she's used to Orlando chain restaurants? read more

I took my Wife to Heron's for her Birthday dinner last weekend. Given all the rave reviews of Heron's we had wanted to have dinner there for quite a while now. We had reservations for 7:30 (OpenTable wouldn't show anything earlier) but were surprised to see that there were quite a few empty tables at that time. Maybe they need to hold a few tables for guests of the Umstead Hotel. Dinner was outstanding! The dishes that we ate came extremely well prepared and optically appealing. I had a Duck Confit appetizer which was really good - even my wife who is not a big fan of duck liked it. I then had the Roasted Pheasant Breast for the main course which was outstanding as well. I will however say that for a main course the plate was quite empty. We only had three courses - so if you're hungry you definitely want to go for a four course dinner. Dessert again was outstanding. I had a Milk Chocolate Pecan Terrine which was simply to die for. My wife went for the Cream Cheese Doughnuts - which were good as well - but she ended up trading some of those for some of my Terrine. This is the second time in a week that we actually got black napkins to match our outfit. Good to see this practice exists in these really high end restaurants. Service was very professional and attentive - but even though the survey card has questions about "how warm was the service" it felt not very personal. Distanced would be a word that comes to mind. So compared to a few other 5 stars reviews that I have written this keeps Herons from being a 5 star restaurant in my book (which is of course subjective). Also be aware that dinner for two with a few glasses of wine (we had 4) is VERY expensive. This was probably the most expensive dinner I have had in the Triangle - and honestly for that kind of money I think I'll go elsewhere in the future. Having said that: my wife loves to go to Heron's for lunch. More reasonable prices (even though you can't be very hungry either....). read more

This was my second opportunity to go to Herons for dinner. Both have been around the holidays on the company's credit card. Unfortunately for me thats about the only way I can afford Herons. I had a 4 course dinner with their new winter menu (2 days old at the time). First course, Maine Lobster with vanilla lobster broth. Absolutely delicious, the broth is poured around the lobster tableside and is a great accompaniment. Second course, Duck Consommé was good but not my favorite, there were so many different flavors going on it was almost overwhelming, some might enjoy that though. Third course, Roasted Duck was cooked medium rare and tasted excellent. It came with a banana puree that might have been the best thing I've ever put in my mouth. Fourth course, Chestnut Cake with smoked vanilla ice cream. I'm not a big dessert person, but it was one of those "why not?" moments and was very enjoyable. Overall experience was very good. Our server was very knowledgable and steered us in the right direction. As well as I would like to note that when we ordered glasses of wine they were approximately 7-8 oz. pours. The one word that describes this restaurant is "flavors." Each dish has has quite a bit going on but they all work very well. If you are looking for a true fine dining experience in Wake County or just want to celebrate a special occasion I would highly recommend this place. Its definitely expensive so it won't be in your weekly rotation. read more

I've been treated twice for breakfast to Heron's. What can I say? Well, a lot. The service is far beyond any service I have experienced anywhere in my life. Well, there was a place in San Francisco that was pretty impeccable but that was in the 1980s and I haven't experienced anything like that since... The first visit I had the omelet with vegetables and goat cheese. Yum, yum. The goat cheese was a perfect combination with the fresh vegetables, which consisted of something I can't recall but did have eggplant and NO asparagus (I remember those because I love eggplant and hate asparagus). The second visit I stuck with a traditional breakfast of eggs, apple sausage and hash browns. The hash browns they serve is a bit unusual: a big hash brown patty. It's pretty good but "rich", if a hash brown patty can be described rich, where it just becomes too potato-y after a few bites. I like my hash browns a mix of crispy potato and soft potato; theirs is more soft because of the size of this patty (about 1/2" thick). I highly recommend having the orange juice as it is freshly squeezed -- absolutely wonderful. While breakfast prices range greater than $10, it is probably the most affordable way to eat at Herons. I heard one of the best things to have there are the crab cakes benedict and the pecan crusted french toast. I tend to like hearty breakfasts vs. sweet and I would have loved to try the crab cake benedict. I may when it's my own dollar, as I didn't want someone else to pay the $17 it cost for that dish. My friend did try the pecan crusted french toast and loved it. It looked quite delish so if you like sweet stuff, I'd recommend that by the sheer looks of it. And the big grin on my friend's face at every bite she took. read more

We had Sunday brunch at Herons last weekend. It had been a couple of years since we dined with them. The quality has not slipped a bit. As expected, service was attentive and professional. The dining room is nicely decorated. I wish it had been a bit warmer so that we could have sat on the patio which has a nice view. Several of us had their Bloody Mary. Excellent! Just the right amount of spice. Although, a bit pricey at $12, it was a great way to start a Sunday brunch. I had the Crab Cakes Benedict. Two crab cakes, poached eggs, country ham, on an English muffin with a nice hollandaise. I was bit skeptical as I'm not a huge fan of the saltiness of country ham. However, it worked very nicely with the other flavors. I thoroughly enjoyed it. My wife had Pecan Crusted French Toast. Fresh bread, spiced pecans, maple-date jam, vanilla crème fraîche and real maple syrup. A very decadent dish. My only ding would be that service was a bit slow. Despite having a reservation, our table was not ready when we arrived. Brunch took a bit over two hours. Although we enjoyed the opportunity to catch up with friends, the pace seemed a bit off. We will certainly be back tho, it was a very nice meal. read more

I'll admit I was surprised to experience this level of fine dining in Cary NC. I mean, there is nothing in the area other than a Wendy's and Chick Fil-A, and even those are 5 minute drives. Located in the Umstead, Heron's houses a head Chef that clearly knows their craft well. I went with a 3 course wine pairing, even though I had told myself it was a sober night-- there were no regrets in the slightest bit. It's not often that I have a meal paired by an Advanced Sommelier, so I knew I was in for quite the treat. With each course (which were all finely prepared with elements of molecular gastronomy and an interesting blend of flavors), the Sommelier would present his pick for the pairing and give a history of the grape, region, wine, and flavors that would compliment your chosen dish. Having enjoyed the documentary Somm, this was quite the entertainment. I kept waiting for him to describe the taste of the Chardonnay as buttery with a hint of Tennis balls and freshly cut garden hose (look it up). Hats off to him though, as the pairings were perfect. Very impressed. The service was impeccable for a table of 7. We came during a Tuesday night and it was relatively empty, so perhaps that explains why we had numerous servers ensuring prompt placing and delivery. 5 stars overall. read more

Had a recent business meeting here with about 30 people. The whole experience was exquisite except for some minor service mishaps. In general, the decor and ambience of this hotel feels like a retreat away from...life. It's wonderfully peaceful and I can't wait to go back to try out the bar area (live music? romantic? yes, please). Our meal was pre-selected for us but included: chardonnay/cabernet, a wonderful salad with roasted pear and gorgonzola, a hefty main course of seared scallops and pecan-crusted chicken with pureed white sweet potatoes...for dessert, a perfectly light whipped mousse with bitty pound cakes and berries. I've had better service in fine dining locations and I was surprised that it didn't quite meet up to par. Serving large groups of people is always challenging, so will let it slide this time. Can't wait to return! Refined! Delightful! :) read more

The brunch at Heron's. Wow. My husband surprised me with a wonderful start to my birthday with Brunch at Heron's. The setting is classic and the service is gracious. (They kindly catered to our over the top love of coffee by bringing us a carafe.) I had the macadamia-encrusted french toast which was laced with wonderful aromas of vanilla and cinnamon. My husband had the eggs benedict (his litmus test for brunch) and he reported that it was wonderful. He kept remarking that the hollandaise was perfect. The service, food and ambiance combine to make you feel as though you are not dining in the morning, but rather having a fine dining experience in the evening. (Let's face it, brunchtime feels different than dinnertime.) The prices are of course higher than you would get at most other places for brunch, but it is really worth it. Definitely a great place to treat out-of-town guests or for a special occasion. read more

I too have to chime in and give Herons a full five stars, they most definately deserve it. After a much needed day at the spa for my lovely wife I met up with her for a 6:30 reservation. I sat in the bar for 15 mins while she was getting ready and the service in the bar was amazing. It included free snacks (not bar mix) of stuffed olives, a variety of cheese and some mixed nuts....very nice touch. Once my very relaxed bride arrived they wisked us of to our table and our experience from there could only be discribed as artistic. The plates were stunning, the food was perfect and the service was as good as any place we have ever dined. At slightly more than 300 dollars for our meal one might pause but for us it was worth every penny and we will return, soon. We returned and need to unfortunately remove a star. We love this restaurant and as always the service was over the top good. The food this time around was hit and miss however. Our apps were foie gras and morels the morels were unbelievable yet the foie gras was not good at all. The balsamic foam was the saving grace but sadly could not save the dish. The caesar salads as always were amazing and artwork. The main courses of Meyer beef and Cobia were mixed. I loved my beef, it was perfectly cooked and the plate was beautiful, would have liked a few more bits of the potato but left impressed. The Cobia was again beautiful but was really salty and had so much going on with the risotto and eggplant that the fish was lost . Lastly whom ever is the pastry chef needs a raise the deserts were so good one can't describe ,just simply awesome. Still love this place but for 250 bucks all dishes should be close to perfect . Ohh and Lori is a hoot love her wit and connection with the customers. read more

OK, so I did lunch here today and here is the Str8 Scoop... - Greeting- very pleasant staff, extremely accommodating with our table seating. Well trained. - Drink order- almost 30 minutes for ice tea and lemonade! Really? - Food- This is where I was most disappointed. - Burger- billed as Waygu beef, more like Harris Teeter. The burger was completely uninspired. Dry, tough, unseasoned. Came with potato chips that were overly salty and cut way too thin. In my opinion, a lunch service can be measured by how good your burger is. They should be ashamed of themselves for what they are passing as a premium burger here. - Chicken fingers- kids ordered chicken fingers and they were defiantly frozen this AM. Dry, salty, lacking meat, just nasty...again, this is a 5 star place? Unacceptable to serve frozen entrees. - Service was friendly. Aside from drink order taking forever the food came out quickly and servers were attentive. I considered giving this place 2 stars but since they put themselves out there as a 5 star restaurant and charge 5 star prices!! They get a tougher review. Herons has everything they need not to suck and yet the food they are serving for lunch isn't even airport bar quality....a real 5 star restaurant doesn't put anything on a plate that isn't handmade and absolutely delicious and thoughtful. This includes kids menu items! While I'm sure some menhere are excellent, shrimp and grits looked great, they cut too many corners on the easy stuff. No excuse for this so shame on you Umstead, get it together. If it wasn't for your pleasant staff I wouldn't even return to review dinner! read more

Don't let the $$$$ scare you away, this restaurant is great for brunch! Meals for two with coffee comes out to around $50, which is really reasonable for the quality of food and service that you get. This place is Fancy but not snooty with a beautiful view of the surrounding greenery to boot. You could definitely take friends/family that are visiting from out of town here if you want to impress them. I've come here twice now and have really enjoyed everything that I've ordered. I've tried the crab meat eggs Benedict, omelet of the day (with chicken sausage and chives), and shrimp and grits - all of these options were really flavorful, well cooked, and delicious! Boyfriend has had the fried chicken and waffles as well, which comes with sorghum butter, and thoroughly loved his meal. Their sides are spectacular too. I got a side of fruit and it was the most beautiful fruit dish I've ever seen - filled with an array of delicious, fresh options (strawberries, grapes, blackberries, raspberries, apricot, pineapple, and kiwi). Their skillet cornbread is also to DIE for and comes out warm and well toasted. Service is outstanding. You are offered an amuse bouche of juice and a small Danish to open up the meal. Coffee and water refills were continuously offered throughout the meal. When I asked for part of my meal to be boxed up to go, I was pleasantly surprised to open up the box at home to find that several small jars of jam and extra Danishes had been thrown in as well! Can't wait to try this place for lunch and dinner. I'm sure it won't disappoint. read more