Located in historic downtown Clayton this restaurant is near a public parking lot with ample parking. Upon entering the restaurant you'll see a dining area off on one side and a full bar on the other side. We were brought to an upstairs table which also doubles as a private banquet room. The upstairs leads out to a rooftop dining area which is not covered. Arriving at 5:00 on a Saturday evening we were quickly seated. Adjacent to us was a 12 person party and luckily we were able to order before they did. The first order of crab cakes on top of fried Green tomatoes was questionable. One crab cake was lukewarm the other was chilled. We mentioned this to our waiter who brought us a replacement dish which was piping hot. The shaved ribeye egg rolls were very tasty and unique. The primary reason that this received three stars versus four stars was the ambient noise. The upstairs was very loud full of echoes and noises. My dining partner and I were unable to communicate to each other given how loud the sounds were. I would consider returning midweek when the crowd should be smaller and perhaps the noise a little bit less. read more

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Love this place. Great food quality and selections, nice atmosphere, and excellent customer service. I discovered it not too long ago because I am new to the area, but I have been back again and again. I highly recommend it! Make a reservation unless you're okay with waiting. It's worth the wait. read more

My first experience at Mannings was tonight! I will be back! Excellent service, delicious food! I got the shrimp & grits, spinach salad & ribeye egg rolls. (Don't judge lol) everything was sooooo good! read more

After debating on a dinner option while at Deep River Brewing, Mom and I decided to check out Manning's. The restaurant looked packed but we were able to snag a table at the bar. They had a good selection of local craft beers but I went with a New Belgium Citradelic. After taking a look at the menu we decided to split the Carolina Crab Cakes, Spinach Salad (half portion) and Pork Tenderloin. The salad was my favorite, it was so tasty. The crab cakes and pork tenderloin were good as well. My only complaint was that the grits served with the pork were not seasoned well but salt and pepper fixed that issue. We were able to meet the owner, Howie, and he was very engaging with his customers which I always like. Overall, a good experience. read more

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Food is pretty good. The service is fine. Fish was over cooked but the rest of the food was good

Lovely spot. Great food, even better service. The menu is more upscale than one would expect in a tiny little town. I LOVED the spinach salad. Add shrimp to that-you won't be sorry. Can't wait to go back! read more

Manning's Restaurant - Ribeye egg rolls. My husband chose this place based on reviews of these. The casing was a tad tough but a good dish, nonetheless. - American Near Me - Clayton, North Carolina

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We were here Saturday January 20th to celebrate a birthday. Our reservation was for 7:30 upstairs- perfect. Our waitress was Bri. Started off good and went downhill from there. Miss Bri obviously had alot of tables- and let us know- she took one person' appetizer request and walked away. There were 5 of us at the table. She came back about 7 minutes later to sternly let us know " she has several tables she has to attend to and were we ready to order?" How freaking rude! If our table was less important than " your other tables" perhaps you should have had some one else to take our order. Very poor customer service Miss Bri- read more

Food was good. Service was good. A little over-priced for the total package. Ambiance is okay.

We had dinner here tonight and the food, service and experience were outstanding! We ordered the Malibu burger and the spinach salad with chicken. It was excellent. They carried great local beer on tap. Our server was efficient and friendly. Quick service, and very clean. I believe the owner was walking around and making sure everything was up to his standards. He was never idle and the staff was phenomenal. I can't say enough good things about this place. Update! Pork tenderloin was phenomenal! Food was fast and service was friendly. Love this place. Try it out!!! read more

Manning's Restaurant - Banana spring roll - American Near Me - Clayton, North Carolina

Went to Mannings for a drink and dinner! I was just going to ask a question to the hostess, due to the noise there. As soon as I was going to ask her a question. She told me to step back. I forgot, she's a GenZ . But over then that. Gilbert was good, he took care of my order. Still No Angel's Envy! Though the Low Rider bourbon is very good. Going to Revival 1869 ! read more

They sucked! Fries were cold. Server didn't believe me when I told her they were cold. Had 2 servers and neither checked in us after serving us our food (which was not good). We ordered Shrimp n grits, crab cakes. They checked on everyone around us except US! I wonder why. The wine was old, my husband's drink was lackluster( tequila sunrise). Waiter told me the would comp the cold fries I received. However, they did not! I mentioned it on my way out and told her not to worry about it. Still left nice tip, but only because they expected me not to! Will NEVER go back to this place. It's shocking that I see these great reviews, which is why I went!!! OUR Food was terrible, and customer service was worse!!! read more

Great for a date night or family gathering. The shrimp and grits are delicious and the spinach salad with cranberries and pecans is so good. Definitely need a reservation on weekends. read more

On point Blackened Mahi!! Polite staff and a nice quiet atmosphere. Owner came to our table to greet us.

Food 4/5 Service 3/5 Ambiance 3/5 Drinks 4/5 Vegetarian friends 3/5 The spinach artichoke dip is amazing. Needs more vegetarian options read more

Food is always great, staff is friendly and helpful! The food is always delicious and hot when it arrives at the table.

One of my favorite places to eat in Johnston County. The owner, the servers, everyone there is amazing! The steak egg rolls are my favorite and The Clayton cocktail is delicious. Say hey to Erin if she is working at the bar. The salads are so good too. Delicious food with great people! read more

Chef's kiss. Every dish. I've tried them all. Haven't had bad food or service here EVER, just consistently spectacular every time I go. Great for date night or any occasion, had a group dinner here a few times with no issues. The roof patio is darling with the edison lights, murals, metal sculptures, and gas fire pit. Literally no complaints. read more

Wow, wow, wow!!! First time visit tonight with my wife. We started with the Spinach Artichoke dip, which was so creamy and full of flavor. It comes with fried Parmesan pita bread to dip with and is fantastic. Then my wife had the Avocado Chicken sandwich with Bacon and Garlic, Parmesan fries!! She said it was wonderful but I didn't try it because I had the Pork Tenderloin with Charleston Grits. Oh My Goodness this thing was Phenomenal. It was so tender and so flavorful, I was blown away. When you first take a bit you get an immediate slight sweet/tartness of the GrannySmith apples, then the amazing pork flavor followed by a smooth bite of the garlic, jalapeño, like marinade. I can't adequately describe how well these flavors go together. It is an experience in and of itself. As much as we wanted to eat everything we asked for to go boxes so we could also try a dessert. We shared the Granny's Apple Tart. It's foundation is a Belgian Waffle, then Caramelized Apples, then Vanilla Ice cream, drizzled with Chocolate and Caramel Sauce, and Strawberries as garnish. Holy Cow, it was worth the trip all by itself. Our waitress, Alyssa, was super friendly and attentive, and guided us through our evening with fantastic suggestions and information. The owner, Howard, checked on us a few times also. We had a wonderful time and are already planning a return trip. We took a "tour" before leaving to checkout their rooftop dining area. A bit cool tonight but they have several outdoor heaters at the ready for anyone that wants to eat outside. It's a really nice space. read more

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This is a great place for dinner and a cocktail. Great atmosphere and some of the dishes are good. I am not a meat eater.

I went here for the first time on a Saturday with with my son and his fiance. It was very busy. We sat outside on their second floor rooftop. I ordered a salad. It was fine. My son got the chicken sandwich and his fiance had the swordfish tacos. There were a bunch of flies that were bothering us. The service was ok. Not sure I would go back. read more

The place is rocking at 4:30pm on a Wednesday evening. Very late lunch had a pimento burger that was delish. Bride had a chicken Sammie no bun. They did give the wrong cheese but not a huge issue she just pulled it off. We would recommend read more

The food is always delicious and the service is great. I usually ask to be seated in Hendrick's section if possible. He's the best server, so friendly and warm. read more

Love Manning's. Food is always great and the staff wonderful. Only place around that I've found that makes a correctly seasoned gumbo. Way too many restaurants think that Cajun means dump as much cayenne in as possible. Not Manning's- they do it the way you'll find if a native Louisianan would make it. One of the great things about the owner is how much he gives back to the community. It's nice knowing that I'm supporting a business that supports their community. read more

Solid spot for downtown Clayton. Good food and cocktail menu. They had gluten-free buns so you can get GF burgers and sandwiches. The barbecue sauce has gluten-free in it so steer clear. I really enjoyed their cocktails. The Kentucky Mule and the seasonal tropical drink we're rather tasty. This location has a great rooftop space for bigger groups & special events! read more

Manning's Restaurant - American Near Me - Clayton, North Carolina

Excellent food and service. Good kids menu. If the weather is good the rooftop is a must! I've been several times and will keep coming back. Today my kids had Mac and cheese and a burger with added candied bacon. The kids burger is the same quality as the adult burger just a smaller size. I had the adult burger and added candied bacon. It was good, but huge at 1/2 pound! Next time I might get the kid sized! read more

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Food was tasty although a big expensive. Service was fine. The restaurant does not require employees to be vaccinated and no one was wearing a mask, so won't be back. Rooftop dining was pleasant, music was too loud. read more

Had a really awesome meal here as we moved to NC. Tristan was our waiter. He was awesome, had a great attitude and made really good recommendations for food/drink. We really enjoyed our time there and can't wait to go back! read more

so good. must try the spinach artichoke dip. service was quick and attentive, not too expensive either. read more

Manning's Restaurant - American Near Me - Clayton, North Carolina

Staff was rude and very dismissive. When I asked why they didn't require masks the young lady at the front said, "It's a free country and shitty of the government to try and force us to do anything we don't want to." This is a restaurant that requires sanitation guidelines. This is so disheartening. I will NOT eat here and suggest you not support a business that is unwilling to protect their community. Furthermore, a business owner that doesn't respect our country enough to require sensible measures should think about retirement. Not one person sanitizing, not one person cleaning, just disgusting to even imagine. Lastly, to take advantage of a rule put in place for individuals with medical issues to me says you have ZERO respect for valid medical issues or disabilities. read more

Manning's Restaurant - American Near Me - Clayton, North Carolina

Great food and atmosphere! My wife is always happy with their food. I have to write 18 more characters to post this review, so I am adding this useless sentence here. read more

The food is great. The staff is very friendly the wait times are very short. There ribs are amazing right along with the chicken wings

I remember when Clayton had no real restaurants -- just a diner and a handful of fast food places. There was, literally, almost nothing to eat besides burgers, fries, and chicken in a bag. That's why I was so thrilled to get around to trying Manning's on Main the last time I was in town. Imagine a real, legit restaurant serving chef-quality meals in the middle of C-town! Because of the pandemic, I only ordered takeout. But my pasta primavera dish was -- chef's kiss -- delish! Piping hot, and perfectly seasoned and portioned. Placing an online order was super easy through their website, and curbside pick-up was fast and friendly. I will definitely keep this place on my short list to visit whenever I'm in town. I look forward to trying even more items on the menu. read more

The first time ever visiting this restaurant and was not disappointed! The food was delicious, one of the best Caesar Salads I've had in a very long time! read more

We had heard a lot of good things about this restaurant, so we placed a to go order. The food we were given appeared as though it had been thrown into the takeout container and was a complete mess. It was also stone cold. Just not impressed at all. read more

Great food great service. Not sure how I feel about the plantation family archives but the food and service was excellent.

Great food and service... crab cakes are a must have. Didn't try anything else, but will be back.

Best food in Clayton, period. Menu, presentation, and service are all top notch. When we have visitors from out of town, this is where we take them! read more

I enjoyed the atmosphere of the outdoor deck. The libations were good. The food was tasty.

We've been to Manning's in Clayton a few times over the past couple of years. We love the food, atmosphere and service. Spinach salad is great, I get it every time I visit. During our last visit, we split the Henry's Hand Cut Ribeye. I'm disappointed to see some one-star reviews based on mask enforcement. I think a rational person would realize that since all diners in restaurants need to go maskless during dining, the following of the governor's mask rules are mostly a show of obedience, not a real safety benefit. I would also think that since these people seem to feel this is a life or death issue, they would not spend time at an establishment that is unsafe. Thank you Manning's, for allowing adults to make their own decisions. read more

Food is always amazing! Fresh, quality ingredients! Steak is always cooked perfectly! Howie is amazing and personable. Cheesecake variety and taste always hits the spot! I have been a fan since Manning's opened. My daughter is 9 years old now. Our first visit to Manning's, she was barely one year old and Howie made her a special meal, just for her. That type of service is what makes the difference! read more