We are in Raleigh for a softball camp at NC State and were exploring the area. Iyla's is located in…read morea "food warehouse"... basically a trendy food court. FANTASTIC FIND!! The Dukes Chicken sandwich was great. Super crispy chicken, flavorful. The tater tots were the best ever. Hot, crispy, salty perfection. The pulled pork was Carolina true, sweet sauce, great bun, tender... delicious. Definitely a spot to grab a meal!!!!

Absolutely delicious! Best chicken and waffles we've ever had! This is our new favorite NC food…read morespot.

Food was yummy providing a large serving. The service was okay. We had to ask for drinks to be…read morefilled and our check. It wasn't horrible service but I have had better for it to be our first time there. Will I return.......... definitely!

this was my first barbecue meal in the southern u.s., so i was pretty excited to try The Pit…read more we came on a tuesday night, and the dining room was surprisingly busy. i really liked the atmosphere too. the dark wood interior gave it that classic southern barbecue feel, which is exactly the kind of ambiance i enjoy. i ordered the double combo platter with brisket, fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and fried okra. the brisket was the standout for me. tender, smoky, and exactly what i was hoping for. the fried chicken was also really good, and the mashed potatoes were so creamy and flavorful that i immediately wished i had gotten two servings instead of the fried okra! the only disappointment was the hush puppies. ours were a bit overcooked, so they ended up drier than i expected. my boyfriend ordered the pit bacon cheeseburger. he said it wasn't quite as amazing as the first time he had it, but it was still really good. our server was friendly, gave great recommendations, and made the experience even better. this was a really solid first southern barbecue experience, and i'd definitely come back.

This breakfast hit all the classic comfort notes but with a little finesse. Scrambled eggs were…read morecreamy, bacon perfectly crispy, and the potatoes golden and seasoned just right. The toasted sourdough was a nice touch for sopping up bites. The fried okra was a standout--lightly battered, bright green inside, and not soggy (a minor miracle) The chicken tenders had a peppery cornmeal breading that stayed crunchy and paired well with the dipping sauce. But the most nostalgic part was the warm biscuit split open with peach jelly--sweet, sunny, and the perfect finish! Overall: Comfort food done well, generous portions, great textures, and totally worth the visit

The Service is dreadful. If I could zero stars I would. My husband and I went for lunch. Six tables…read moreoccupied, 3 servers walking around. All three passed our table multiple times while avoiding eye contact for 20 minutes. I love the food and coffee. Their target demographic is obviously not patrons that spend money. I won't be back.

If bourbon and whiskey choices were a personality trait, The Whiskey Kitchen would definitely have…read morecommitment issues...because the selection is massive. Seriously, if you can't find a pour you like here, you may just need water instead. Started with the biscuits topped with crackling and house-made preserves, and honestly, that combo alone made me question why I don't eat more biscuits in life. Sweet, salty, buttery chaos in the best way. For the main, I went with the pork chop and greens. The chop leaned a little overcooked for me personally, but the sauce helped bring things back together and added good flavor. The greens had a nice little kick of heat, but I kept waiting for that deep smoky ham hock flavor to show up like an old Southern grandma entering the kitchen... and it never quite arrived. Overall though? Still a solid meal, strong whiskey program, cool atmosphere, and definitely worth checking out if you're in Raleigh looking for a bourbon-forward dinner spot. Travelin_Broke approved with a slight side-eye from the greens.

I like the environment and the wait staff is always phenomenal, however this last time I couldn't…read moreeat my favorite thing on the menu (lamb burger) like so many other they amped the spice up. I originally thought it was the sauce which the waitress voluntarily remade but no the current chef is apparently fallen into the current dining trope of spicy is better to the point. I gave my burger to someone else at the table to eat. That said everyone else enjoyed their meals and as always, no complaints on the drinks but... I won't be the one selecting/suggesting it when we're going out to each going forward.

A sign of a good bbq place is if you can smell the food before you walk in. I could smell the bbq…read morefrom a block or so away. This is the best bbq sandwich that I've eaten in NC. The sauce was amazing and the perfect balance of vinegar and taste. The brisket has the option of fatty, mixed, or no fat. The mix had a lot of fat, I wouldn't order it again. The service was great too, I think our food was ready in less than 5 mins. The food came out before the water lol

My oldest daughter has been craving barbecue so we decided to give this restaurant a go. The…read morehostess was really nice and the decor of the restaurant was sports themed with a bit of country... we liked it. We could watch the World Cup as well as other things. Our waitress was kind and went over the menu with us. Our orders: side of fries Well-fed (4 proteins and 2 sides) 2 of us shared Burnt ends plate with 2 sides We know that NC barbecue is NOT SC barbecue but anywho, the portion size was not what we expected for the Well-Fed nor did it match previous photos we'd seen. Our food was cold but tasty except for the macaroni and cheese, my daughters hated it. We politely let our waitress know and she took our plate back and the kitchen in turn, provided us with a whole new plate of food. We were ready to dig in but this time, the barbecue lacked flavor and my daughters were so disappointed and were ready to leave. I definitely appreciated the kitchen for trying to make it right but I don't think we'll be returning on our next trip to Raleigh.

Fabulous blue skies found us walking downtown Raleigh on a Friday afternoon. Hunger struck and…read moreLongleaf Swine BBQ was within sight! What a fantastic lunch experience we had with Kelly as our server. We people-watched while we I enjoyed a smoked chicken salad sandwich that was so hefty, I brought half of it home. I chose the best side dish of roasted (and fried though they did not taste fried) sweet potatoes with a sprinkling of pepitas & goat cheese to create amazing flavors. My husband loves a great chicken pot pie, and the one at Longleaf Swine BBQ does not disappoint. Warning: The pot pie comes out steaming hot. Do not burn your tongue - poke holes in it to allow the extreme heat to escape.

I used to go to a church just down the road so Swine had been on my list of places to try for…read moremonths. I took a seat at the outdoor bar and started with some smoked wings. 5 whole wings, so really 10 wings at most places. Meat was juicy enough, maybe I was hoping for more of a dry rub though. I used the tangy BBQ sauce and sweet BBQ sauce on them, and they certainly enhanced the flavor. I usually like mustard based sauces, but theirs was little more peppery than I wanted Then, per the bartender's recommendation, I ordered the brisket melt sandwich, and it was the undisputed highlight of the meal Muenster cheese, thinly sliced white onion, pickle chips, and a good load of horseradish sauce. The brisket had an amazing flavor, and all the other toppings came together beautifully. But that Union bakery bun is just another level. It's like brioche, it was so soft, but somehow a little more substantial. For my side dish, I went with the sweet potatoes with goat cheese, pepitas, and agave. This was just ok. For me, the potatoes could have been cooked longer, a little more crispness would have really helped. I did think the goat cheese was a unique flavor with a milder ingredient like a sweet potato, but it did work with the other ingredients pretty well. Only one unisex bathroom and it's small, so be warned!

As always the food was excellent! The Campfire Steak was cooked to perfection! Pork Schnitzel and…read morethe Brick chicken was amazing! Hot, fresh, and large quantity. As always had to take home. Jessica our Server represented the restaurant in a very professional manner. Attentive, knowledgeable, and engaging. Great sense of humor. The ambiance was welcoming. Great for date night! One of our favorite go to restaurants! Will keep coming back!

Lucky 32 is a southern inspired kitchen that puts a creative spin on its food that you can't miss…read more We went for a friends birthday and started with cocktails. I had the bourbon berry crush and it was a perfect blend of bourbon and fresh berries and mint and was not overly sweet. We also had the spicy peach margarita and I highly recommend trying this spin on a classic. It was a very refreshing margarita that was freshly made and not overly sweet. The shoestring okra is an appetizer that you have to try. I honestly could have eaten two plates, it is perfectly crispy and a bit spicy with a great aioli dipping sauce. We also had the heirloom tomatoes with goat cheese and the pork rinds and pimento cheese. They were all devoured and enjoyed by all. I ordered the cornmeal crusted catfish with grits and blistered okra. I honestly can't remember the last time I enjoyed a meal so much. The catfish and the grits paired together perfectly. We also had jambalaya and pork schnitzel. I can't wait to return. The waitress was very knowledgeable and the ambiance was great for a girl's night. They even brought a cake out for the birthday we were celebrating.

This is one of those spaces that does half the work before the food even hits the table. It used to…read morebe an old-school diner, and a lot of that DNA is still there. The bones feel nostalgic, but the overall vibe is current and lively. It's the kind of place that feels familiar but still cool. Service Service is where things really clicked. Our server knew the menu inside out and guided us through it with confidence. Every recommendation landed. It also felt like one of those menus where it would be hard to order poorly. The Food The menu leans comfort food with a modern edge, and it's done really well across the board. We started with a Caesar salad with dill pickle dressing, which sounds like it shouldn't work but absolutely does. Bright, fresh, and just different enough to be interesting without trying too hard. The beet salad was also excellent, clean flavors and well balanced. Then came the pimento cheese with fried crackers. This might have been the sleeper hit. The crackers are dangerously good. Simple idea, executed perfectly, and hard to stop eating. For mains, the fried chicken was solid but didn't stand out the same way the starters did. The short rib pot pie, on the other hand, was exactly what you want from a dish like that. Rich, flaky, and deeply comforting. Overall Poole's is the kind of place where everything feels considered, from the space to the service to the food. It's approachable, well executed, and very easy to enjoy.

Our second visit for dinner at Poole's since relocating to downtown Raleigh last year. We were just…read moreas impressed on this recent visit as we were a few months ago. We opted for a reservation at the bar, and we enjoyed excellent service from Brittany and Kylie. They were attentive and very detailed with the excellent service that we have found out is the norm in every one of Ashley Christensen's restaurants. Our starter of roasted beets had an incredible blend of buttermilk blue cheese with white balsamic thyme, pickled pumpkin, and Marcona almonds. So yummy. Then my husband and I shared the Ricotta Gnocchi that we agree is the BEST gnocchi we have ever had the privilege of eating. So light in spite of a duck bolognese being the sauce. Fried rosemary sparked my home chef mind for future meals! We also shared the Brussels sprout upon Brittany's recommendation. One of the most unique preparations on Brussels sprouts ever with oyster mushrooms and a sherry cream sauce. We typically pass on dessert, but the description of their Pear Tart Tatin coupled with Kylie's verbal description hooked us and we were thrilled to enjoy every bite of the hazelnut praline ice cream that is part of this beautiful dessert.