I'd love to give more stars, but that would involve being able to order. I walked in just before 8pm on Saturday night prepared to order wine and a steak at the bar. There was no one at the hostess stand, so I seated myself at the bar. After about 5 min a waiter came and told me that the bartender had to leave due to an emergency . I said okay, I understand . Can I still sit here and order dinner? The waiter said "YOU COULD....... But it's going to be a very long wait" there were probably 6 seated tables in the entire restaurant. So, I stood up , said thank you, and left . I was very surprised that they wouldn't be eager to serve a meal on a relatively slow night. What's the difference if I wanted to sit at the bar as opposed to one of their many open tables? As a single woman, sitting at the bar alone is much more comfortable than sitting at a table alone. Not sure I'll go back, but it certainly smelled good, read more

There were a lot of positives about Meridian! Our server was super friendly and gave great recommendations. The appetizers were delicious and I love the fact that the menu rotates and has the date printed on the top. My favorite dish was my husband's, he ordered the antelope which was a very unique but flavorful dish. I also really enjoyed their approach to calamari- it was light and fresh and truly delicious. I was a bit disappointed in the risotto because the rice was hard, however, the scallops were perfectly cooked and the flavor was amazing. The crème brûlée for dessert was another big highlight! Overall, I really enjoyed the quiet atmosphere of the restaurant and the high class service! read more

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Made it back to Meridian for another delicious meal. It always shocks me that there's not many people when we go in because the food is spot on and always incredible. The staff is great and very attentive. I can't recommend this spot enough. read more

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Food was great! Everything we had, steak cooked perfectly, friendly service. Mussels were a must try and nice to see a place that still offers complementary bread service. read more

First time at Meridian. They seemed a bit on the short staffed side but never the less Morgan was very attentive and professional. Beyond that we were very disappointed by the food. The grouper with tomato sauce and large shrimp was very strange tasting. Too many flavors that didn't pair well. The snapper was average. It was slightly better than the grouper but it was also a bit gamey. The homemade focaccia bread.was very good and they didn't skimp on the alcohol. The atmosphere was quiet and it was v clean. We just weren't impressed. read more

Meridian Restaurant - Grouper - New American Near Me - Winston Salem, North Carolina

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Folks! You're going to have to do better! The schnitzel was greasy and the scallop dinner included THREE scallops with orzo (it looked like an appetizer portion at full dinner price). However, the pasta with shrimp wasn't bad. They were short staffed when we went on a Friday night therefore the service was sub par. We wondered why it was so empty on a Friday night and didn't take us long to figure it out. read more

We had a wonderful dinner. The fried oysters, calamari, and the charcuterie plate were great appetizers. The Antelope was amazing! Service was great throughout our dinner. read more

I was house/dog sitting in the area, so I walked into town to find something light to eat for supper. The smell of the restaurant is what pulled me in! My bartender hooked me up with the main menu and Tapas menu. After much deliberation, the lady in the booth next to me said to go with the pizza. So glad I did! It was perfect! I was full, but not uncomfortable! And, I did not have to carry leftovers back to the house. I must point out, the very first thing my bartender Matthew did, while he was greeting me, was hand me a glass of cold ice water!!! He knew every detail of the Menu! He really was a Class Act!!! A true Diamond among bartenders!! read more

Meridian Restaurant - Tomato, mozzarella, and basil. Light crust! Tons of flavor! - New American Near Me - Winston Salem, North Carolina

Love this place. The food is amazing, the desserts are fabulous and the bartender Matt is the icing on the cake. This is a must try!

Visiting Winston-Salem and was taken here by locals. One of the better meals I've enjoyed in a long time. Started with the Stinkin Filthy Martini - delish! Table shared fried oysters, spinach salad and Bibb salad - all had wonderful flavors, good portions and arrived at a perfectly staggered pace. For entrees - our group covered land & sea: Lobster Risotto, NY Strip, Duck and dry rubbed Antelope - OMG. Each one of us LOVED the food. Specifically I enjoyed the duck prepared three ways paired with sweet potatoes to die for! You will go once and definitely keep it in your bi-weekly options. A must try! read more

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Every now and then I will eat out and ask myself, why don't I eat at this place more often and why have I not reviewed this place before? Meridian Restaurant definitely fits this bill. My wife and I had a lovely meal at this sadly empty restaurant last Thursday. We began with two very good cocktails, a Boulevardier and a Nor'Easter. Although the appetizer list looked delicious, we wanted to be sure to save room for dessert so I just had the bibb salad. I don't generally like to have my salads dressed for me, but in this case it worked out well. For our entrees we got two favorites. My wife had shrimp and grits upgraded with some NC grouper. Everything was cooked perfectly. I had the NY strip steak au poivre with mashed potatoes and roasted vegetables. I prefer a creamy au poivre, but the cognac sauce on this one was just fine. Steak was thick, peppery, and a perfect medium rare. Dessert was a great way to conclude our meal. My wife had a pots de creme and I had the bread pudding. These are two of our favorite desserts and Meridian's version did not disappoint. The bread pudding avoided the sins of dryness and excessive sweetness that I find in many restaurants. The bread pudding had just a hint of anisette which was revelatory. Chef/Owner Mark Grohman definitely knows what he is doing in the kitchen. The reduced staff was attentive but not overbearing. The atmosphere in the restaurant is great, semi-open kitchen with plenty of windows and muted lighting inside. I have neglected Meridian in the past, but I am definitely looking forward to going back sooner rather than later. read more

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What a great spot! They would've gotten a 5 star but they were out of two items for two dishes. But let me tell you, MATT the bartender, GIVE HIM A RAISE! He was very welcoming and he recommended everything and they were top tier. All the items were delicious & delivered! Service was great & the food/drinks were amazing. It was a quiet night here but it was perfect for me to just enjoy the night and listen to the music and speak with Matt. Short review but I will definitely be back. read more

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Place was wonderful, food was 10/10, Matt the bartender was great and had amazing customer service. Highly recommend the Duck and Yellowfin tuna salad read more

I dislike the trendy reclaimed yet economically practical atmosphere (or lack of) for eating, but I love the service and like the food.

Visting from Austin for a medical procedure, based at the Kimpton for 11 days. They have an excellent restaurant but we ventured out to the Meridian. It was Saturday night and they had some kind of medical reception booked so it was packed. Our server Jason made it seem like we were the only folks dining there giving us perfect service and recommendations . Menu was so amazing and all the ingredients super fresh and creative. My husband had the antelope and I had the homemade pasta with clams. We had soups for appetizers both delicious. Austin is a food centric town and we only wish we could get this type of food there. We will host some friends this coming Tuesday to share the experience. Locals need to support this place. Thank you and keep up the great food. Lastly, I am a retired chef so very picky if that means anything. read more

Another great experience at Meridian. The food is always on point and our server attentive.

One of the more higher end restaurants in Winston, Meridian is in the downtown area not far from the main drag. Excited to finally try this place. Again with COVID not as busy as it probably would be in a Thursday night, but that gave us full range of where to sit. We chose the bar as no one else was there. A great drinks and wine menu. Not just 2 Pinot noirs but 7 to pick from ! I got the Tempranillo and my friend got one of the Pinot noirs. Great full bodied reds. We tried the chorizo & patatas with aioli as an appetizer. The chorizo was awesome, great Smokey taste, great combo with the potatoes, nice seasoning, not too much paprika . Loved this. Oh and they give you some of the best bread I've ever had , had to get a second round! We split the seared sea scallops entree, which they will plate separately also for you, comes with risotto which had in it spinach, house made pancetta , pumpkin and shaved manchego . This came out looking beautifully plated. And the perfect amount . It was a great dish, the scallops were seared well, the risotto was so good too, loved all the components, the spinach, pumpkin, there was some sun dried tomato too. Complemented the scallops perfectly. Risotto had a little sauce so wasn't dry either. Great entree, makes me want to come back for more. Rounded off the meal with the French apple cake, with caramel and chantilly. Again great presentation . The cake was delicious, moist, good chunks of apple, the caramel went well with it and the chantilly was good and creamy. Great to share too. Meridian did not disappoint. Nice classy place, good service, nice setting and location. Highly recommended a visit here. Soon! On my favorites list . read more

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Where do I begin? I have had dinner at Meridian at least have a dozen times over the last few years. Food and service historically were excellent. Dinner tonight was problematic. Food was excellent. Service on the other hand was slow and inattentive. The server got my order wrong, plates were not cleared quickly once we finished eating, and he was even slower preparing the checks for our table. read more

What a disappointment! Both of us were really looking to this big night at a splashy restaurant but it turned out to be all wet. I'll have to say my daughter's antelope was ok if a little chewy and nothing in the way of a flavor profile to recommend it. The cook has obviously never had risotto since what he served was a flavorless plate of boiled rice with a few chopped up bits of what may have been lobster. I think the forgot the cheese altogether. To top it all off the earnest waiter moved at a glacial pace so this unpleasant experience lasted a lot longer than it needed to. $250 for two with two drinks, two glasses of wine and dessert. read more

This place feels like a place that might have been nice in the early 2000s. Everything is plated in that corny early 2000s master chef kind of way where they put a lil line of balsamic drizzle on the side of your plate for razzle dazzle and dramatic effect. We show up on Saturday night during High Point market, we thought we needed a reservation, the place is dead, that should have been our clue to run. We order the charcuterie and the calamari for appetizers. The calamari was so bad, felt like slimy wet worms slathered in bruschetta and mayonnaise. The charcuterie looked like it had pre sliced mozzarella like from a supermarket, some folded pieces of baloney. A couple olives that might as well have been from a can. Truly sad stuff. Our waitress was inattentive, we had the pleasure of sitting in front of this sad little appetizer spread for like 30 minutes. I ordered the mushroom and scallop risotto for my entree. There was 1 mushroom in the whole dish. The scallops were cut in half to make it look like there were 4, but there were actually 2. It was movie magic risotto. It was not really risotto, it was giving uncle bens cheesy rice with a fine dining price. Everyone dining in the restaurant was wearing khakis, which I think speaks to the general like of character and seasoning in the establishment. Ambiance 2/10. Food 1/10. Recommend this place to people you don't like because it is both expensive and bad. read more

Feelin fancy? Meridian is a great dinner choice for a special occasion! The French onion soup was delish and the NY strip steak was amazing. I usually am a filet girl but glad I went with this. The spice seasoning was perfect and that little potato waffle thing crispy and tasty. I also got pumpkin spice bread pudding for dessert and it is Not pictured because it was so dang perfect! Full disclosure I was here for a meeting and we had a set menu. I had a good experience with service and was pleased with the options we could choose from read more

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We had a wedding rehearsal dinner here and we are so glad we did! We already knew the food was delicious, and we were so pleased with how the staff was great to work with when planning our event. The evening was wonderful, the staff attentive, and the meals prepared perfectly! read more

i don't understand the 3.5 stars. This is one of best restaurants in North Carolina, and over the years the best in Winston Salem. The menu is relatively short but varies from day to day. The soup of the day is always masterful, the salads fresh and abundant, the other appetizers (including the never over cooked calamari) just right. The beef is all sustainably sourced. The Italian inspired dishes are like those in Tuscany. And the service is attentive, never too heavy or too light. As for the not-too-sweet desserts: one is always just right for two. How this adds up to 3.5 is beyond me read more

Meridian Restaurant - Artistry of squad soup at Meridian - New American Near Me - Winston Salem, North Carolina

Dinner here tonight was expensive, which I expected, and very disappointing, which I did not expect. This is a nicely decorated, well lit restaurant in a multifunctional building, and the signage is not clearly visible from the street at night, so if it is a first trip, beware. The bar is large, and beautiful - I could definitely see this as an attractive watering hole, but perhaps too quiet for some tastes. The dining area is a open rectangle, with just adequate spacing between the tables, so there is little feeling of intimacy here. We were greeted and seated promptly, and our cocktail order quickly taken by our charming and knowledgeable wait person, JJ - this was looking good. We were brought some slices of a very soft, white bread along with a small bowl of olive oil. The bread was not the the best textured for dipping in seasoned olive oil, it cries out for some crusty bread with some heft. This restaurant posts its menu on its website daily, so we already were familiar with what was being offered, and rather oddly there were no additions. We had decided on appetizers that are not on every restaurant's menu, Steak Tartare and Duck Foie Gras, followed by entrees of Sauteed Veal Scaloppini and a Whole Roasted NC Flounder, accompanied by a bottle of Fog Dog Pinot Noir. The Steak Tartare was in a molded form, almost gelatinous in nature, different than any presentation I had encountered before. Any mustard, capers, onions, sauces, or egg yolk where either already in the mixture, or were not present. The wafer-like gaufrettes which accompanied the Tartare were not substantial enough for this dish. All in all, not something I would reorder or recommend. The Peppered Seared Duck Foie Gras was perfectly cooked and the taste was heavenly. It was plated on top of wafer thin slices of pear, which were difficult to marry with the Foie Gras because of the thinness. Great taste, how accompanied may need some work. The Veal Scaloppinni was served with Parmigiano polenta, spinach, and mushrooms with a Madeira pan sauce. The entire dish was just food messed about with the polenta being the only redeeming item. The spinach tasted overwhelmingly of garlic, the veal became lost in the sauce. Again no reorder or recommendation here. The Whole NC Flounder was pretty on the plate, but was absolutely not fresh, and was overcooked - the fish simply had no hint of moisture - this was just a bad dish to serve. The same spinach was part of this dish as well - two orders of a bad dish does not help. Obviously, no reorder or recommendation, again. Undaunted, we pushed on, endeavoring to persevere - we ordered the Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee and the Rum Raisin Bread Pudding, hoping to salvage some aspect of the meal, not looking for a tie, but perhaps a moral victory. The Creme Brulee was perfect, simply among the best of this dish I've tasted at a restaurant in this area since the Gate City Chop House closed. The Bread Pudding was dry, lacked flavor, and was under-sauced. The checked weighted in at $163, before tip. This was an expensive mistake, not to be repeated. Sometimes you can concluded that a meal went south because the wrong dishes were chosen, but when the lack of freshness, taste, and poor preparation are this pervasive, a different choice isn't likely to change the outcome. read more

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Table was not ready for 30 minutes after our arrival. We were offered complimentary beverages by the manager for our trouble, but they never arrived! Service by waitress was good but food was poor. Spinach salad was very small. Snapper entree was overcooked and tasteless. They also got my wife's wine order wrong. We had high hopes, but I dont think we will return here, unfortunately. read more

Don't know what I like best about this well established restaurant over in the historic mill section of Salem: its location (I do like the historic environment although this place is modern); the food (consistently creative, especially fish) or the bar's ability to mix tasty classic cocktails. The most recent visits came on a slow Thursday and then happy hour on. Friday. Great both times. I had the halibut set in a shrimp and grits backdrop. Sounds crazy I know but it worked. When in doubt always go for the fish at the Meridian. (The scallops risotto sounded wonderful that night too but no one in my group tried it--too bad! Along for the ride was an excellent Makers Old Fashioned. That set the bar for cocktails. Went real Old school with a cosmo and a gimlet. Thought only the Big Easy knew how to make a decent gimlet: WRONG. The Meridian pulled it off gracefully as well as dealing professionally with a chaotic bar scene. Impressive! read more

Wife and I decided to try Meridian. We were seated in the bar booth. Bartender was great, drinks on point, service was fine. Food well that's another issue. We ordered Onion soup to start. Cheese melted, soup cold to warm and not very good to say the least. Dinner I ordered Scallop's risotto. Scallops I had 3 that were sliced in half to make it look like there was 3 when actually there's 1 1/2 . Wife ordered Pasta with the ricotta meatball. Was dry with hardly any sauce. Wife aske for grated cheese for the pasta like most people do. We received a charge of $1.50 for the grated cheese. LMAO Never in my life has any restaurant charged for a little sprinkle of cheese. Place is a rip off,only good thing was the bartender. Spend you money elswhere read more

wy wife & I just had dinner here. She had a wonderful Halibut dish with French Onion Soup and Martini. i had the pasta diavolo with shrimp - excellent. i could tell the pasta was fresh, and the marina sauce as well - spicy, but not too hot with tasty large shrimp. The white bean soup also quite flavorful. We were greeted warmly by friendly and attentive staff in a quiet & inviting atmosphere. We will definitely return. read more

Came for the date. Heard it's pretty good restaurant. High priced. Service is good. Food just okay. Not a fan of onion soup read more

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Food was extremely tasteless. I was expecting so much more. Service was great, but the food had no seasoning or flavor.

Had a great time here! The food is so fresh and they have different protein options. From antelope to scallops. It was a great ambience with a sprig of rosemary for decoration. My scallops were cooked perfectly; you could taste the freshness. Our waitress was amazing; she was attentive and very soft spoken. But she recommended the creme brûlée and she was sooo right. The creme brûlée was creamy and rich. This was my first time going and I will be back. read more

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Delicious, and great service! I went here with my sister for a special occasion dinner and had a great experience. She ordered the spinach as a first course, which was well-seasoned with a nice vinaigrette. I had the cheese plate with dried fig. Both portion sizes were nice, and the service was impeccable. Attentive without being annoying and very friendly. For our main courses, I had the NC Snowy Grouper with sausage and shrimp, while she had the tuna. The Snowy Grouper was very flavorful and the shrimp and sausage were smoky and delicious. The grits underneath added texture and mildness. Her tuna was not as good, but still tasty. The cream didn't add much to the flavor of the rice but the tuna was well cooked, as was my fish. Dessert was good but not great. The lemon coconut cake with chantilly and lavender ice cream was better than the bananas foster creme brûlée. The cake was too dense to break with a spoon, but the gelato was delicious. I wish I had just had a bowl of that for less than the $7 it cost! For 2 first courses, 2 main courses, 1 glass of Sauvignon blanc, and 2 desserts, our tab came out to $108 (before tip). It was very pricey but the service and food were worth the expense for an occasional visit. read more

I'm writing this while at the bar. I just sent back undercooked calamari. Perhaps I shouldn't be surprised since it was delivered within 3 minutes of placing my order? I like fast service, but this was suspiciously fast. Next I ordered the asparagus. Once again it was delivered within 3-4 minutes. Five pieces or thin asparagus with a tablespoon of what I can only describe as Thousand Island dressing on top of them. Needless to say it was an extremely poor combination. I thought about coming here for over a year and this was my first experience. The service was good however. I will revisit and try the entrees given there are several patrons here. T read more

I gave Meridian 2 stars because at least their drinks were good. Nothing special on their menu but also nothing good. I wish we had gone to The Katharine because at least their French Onion soup is good! read more

We went a couple weeks ago. Service was excellent, they had great suggestions about the menu and were totally attentive. We had a great experience and look forward to going again. read more

Cocktails and calimari were really good. Unfortunately those were the only highlights of the night. Service was poor and that's an understatement. The steak came in two flavors: raw or more than well done. If you want anything in between good luck. read more

Service was exceptionally poor! Despite expensive food and an empty restaurant, our server made us feel like we were an imposition the entire evening. No knowledge of what menu items were or could be made gluten free and acted very put out to even have to ask the chef. I would have expected more from this level of restaurant. The service was equivalent to what I would except at Chili's or Red Robin. Completely fine for their prices but not for what Meridian claims to be or charges. Plenty of other options in Winston-Salem for this type of menu so we won't be back. read more

My husband and I decided to try Meridian for restaurant week. Service was great. We really enjoyed our meal. I decided to go with the regular menu and my husband got the three course meal for 30. I had the french onion soup and rabbit dish. The soup was very good but could have used a touch more salt. I liked the bread and gooey cheese on top. The rabbit was amazing and really enjoyed the beans served with it. I tried some of my husband's items and they were delicious. The antelope chili was hearty and had an interesting flavor. I stole a few french fries from his steak dish and they were excellent. The steak looked perfectly cooked. The dessert was ok but I am not a big cherry person. I would come here again for a special occasion because of the delicious food and wonderful service. read more

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Food and service was not bad, but nothing out of the ordinary. Had fried oyster for appetizer. This was good. The aioli that came with it had great flavors. Scallop risotto for the main course. Thought it was little skimpy on the scallop. It looked like there were 4 pieces of scallop but was actually 2 pieces of scallop sliced in half to look like 4. So that was disappointing. Scallop was seared well not over cooked. read more

Meridian Restaurant - Fried oysters. Very good. - New American Near Me - Winston Salem, North Carolina

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Decent, high-end meal on the Winston fine-dining circuit. Good wine list. Good food. Good service. Good for a date or business dinner. Not cheap. Wish I could say more, but the meal was nicely presented and tasted good. I just wonder how it would fare in a more food-sophisticated city? It's probably deserving of 4-stars, but when i'm dropping $60 a head for dinner, my expectations go up. I'm just sayin. Note: The food is better than Christopher's, even though I gave them a similar 3-star rating. For the money, I prefer Milner's... read more