I am really surprised to see the high accolades given by reviewers. Pros: Cocktail, Service, Dessert Cons: Food I went here for my birthday which is in the middle of January. So, keeping with the local focus I understand that supplies of fruits and veggies might be limited. We started with a cheese plate. It was really a travesty. All the cheese were the exact same texture and drowning in various jams that were applied directly to the cheese. It's really a travesty because there are an abundance of really fantastic local cheese makers and that was not represented in this cheese plate. One cheese had a grapefruit jam that completely over powered the cheese. The bread on the cheese plate was tasty, but slathered in olive oil that also overpowered the cheese. I would not order this again. For dinner, I had a difficult time deciding. My choices were pork, chicken livers, pork, mackerel, pork, and pumpkin mezza luna. Guess what, I wasn't in the mood for pork. I went with the pumpkin mezza luna. Oh, this looked beautiful and I wanted it to taste beautiful. It would have, but for the salt and the pasta. I like a well seasoned entree, but it became unbearable and I could not finish. Half of my pasta was tender/al dente, the other half was either under-cooked or just tough. The pepitas were a nice touch, as were the crushed macaroons. The chard was very good and not bitter. Since the dish was already salty the addition of cheese made it even more so. I should note that my p.i.c. ordered the pork shank and it was very tasty and not too salty, but the accompanying risotto was on the salty side. I definitely got the impression that they have a set group of local suppliers that they are comfortable with and they could possibly benefit from trying some of (the plentiful) new local suppliers, especially with the cheese. Now, let's end on the high notes. Killer Whiskey Sour! Nice balance and made with simple syrup and lime juice with fancy preserved cherries. Yum! Next, dessert. We ordered both because why not. The chocolate polenta cake was, well, it was gone. I ate it all with the help of my p.i.c. It was bittersweet and warm and covered in ganache with ice cream and peanut brittle. The texture was great and different. The other dessert was Bonet custard. Also, yum, but sweeter than the polenta cake. This one was served cold and tasted completely different from the other dessert. It was a nice that they were wildly different. The custard had great texture and flavor (lots of cinnamon). The service was exceptional. The time between the cheese plate (our starter) and the entrees was good. (I hate it when they come out back to back.) Our server was friendly and just chatty enough.The hostess was friendly. She promptly greeted and seated us and said farewell when we left. Also, the bathroom was spotless. I would give it another try, but I am not rushing back. read more

Very solid dining experience in Hillsborough. All the dishes served were delish and wait staff is very friendly and make the experience wonderful. read more

Panciuto continues to be an amazing dining experience! We enjoyed delicious appetizers and fresh homemade pasta in a quaint and socially distanced environment. My son has celiac disease and the GF pasta at Panciuto is the best we've ever had. read more

As a serious lover of food and someone immersed in food culture, I can definitively say that this is the best restaurant in the Southeastern US and one of the best I've eaten at anywhere in the world - and I've eaten my way around the planet more than once... As for the Southeastern US, I've eaten at Sean Brock's restaurants as well as those of the other "break-out" chefs in the southeast and Aaron Vandermark, owner and chef of Panciuto, trumps them all. His dedication to seasonal, local sourcing and his craft approach to everything that goes on in the kitchen results in pure magic on the plate and palate. Vandermark should be awarded some Michelin Stars - plain and simple. read more

I love the farm-to-table movement, and was pleasantly surprised by the great quality of the food at Pancuito. For our starters, we had the oysters with kimchi and fried chicken, cabbage pancake with garlic aoli, and some kind of smoked fish (can't remember what kind!) with a cracker flavored with caraway. I was impressed right off the bat because I normally don't love raw oysters, but these were so fresh and the kimchi flavor complimented the oyster without overwhelming it. The other starters were all excellent; the flavors were delicious and balanced. For my main entree, I had the butternut squash ravioli with kale and goat cheese. DELICIOUS. There were also crunchy nuts on top for texture; all the elements went together so well. Do note that the menu changes daily since it is farm-to-table and they cook depending on what ingredients are available. I took away one star because I felt that our waitress was not the most welcoming, with the one slight at the end where she placed the menus back in front of us without saying a word. Obviously, it was so we could see the dessert options, but she didn't take the time to say anything at all. The manager was very friendly though. read more

Great food and wonderful atmosphere hidden away in Hillsborough! A little pricey but well worth it!

This is one of my favorite restaurants in this whole damn country. Everything here is just SO incredibly delicious.... definitely, oh definitely order their homemade pasta. Their squid ink pasta as well as the ragu one were incredible when they were on the menu but the butternut squash ravioli was unforgettable. A scoop of autumn in your mouth. Their service is top-notch, and the ambience is perfect for a date night. Truly a special place in my heart. read more

I had a good dinner - my wife was less than impressed with the duck dish she ordered. The atmosphere is excellent. Service was good. Price is a little high. Great Wine Selection. We will probably give it a second chance over the Christmas/New Year's holidays. read more

I ate here last night for the first time. the food was really great. the waitstaff were very accommodating to our veggie needs. they removed bacon from two appetizers and also from one of our entrees. i had a great acorn squash filled ravioli, topped with field peas, ground espresso, and parmesan. the best dish of the night was the blueberry-raspberry cobbler. it was made with a fresh biscuit and cream cheese ice milk. YUM! the prices can get a bit high but nothing too different from the piedmont (entrees low to high 20s). mix it up sometime, leave durham for a night, and have dinner in hillsborough read more

We had a lovely meal last night. The vegetable board was a fun starter to share with a side of grilled ciabatta. It was a board with lots of different marinated vegetables like beets, fennel, sweet potato, gailan, radish, etc....good for sharing. We loved the Garganelli with pulled pork with crisp breadcrumbs; the mustard butter is a brilliant way to contrast the rich dish in the background. The gnocchi were pillowy and tender. The entrees were so good we expected a better dessert menu. The offerings were potted chocolate, apple cake and biscotti which were unimpressive. We will definitely return for a special pasta meal in the future. read more

One question - why did it take me so long to hear about this place!? Dining at Panciuto is a real pleasure. As the name implies, it's Italian. The menu changes and much of the food is sourced from local farms, so it's really fresh. The menu was creative, the service friendly, and the space beautiful. Our table ordered gnocchi with oyster mushrooms, scallops, steak carpaccio, and a farmer's salad to start and then moved on to pork shoulder, rabbit, and 2 different pasta dishes for entrees. Entrees were in the $25ish range. Definitely recommended! read more

I know the chef/owner and his family personally. Simple, flavorful food! Dedicated to serving quality local food by visiting farms and talking to farmers. Lots of thought in the menu. Built entire restaurant from ground up in historic Hillsborough. Beautiful, intimate restaurant setting with exposed brick. Back of restaurant is clean and organized. read more

Truly divine every single time. One of my favorite restaurants in the US. No need to go anywhere else locally!. Was there last night, and the dinner was memorable. You are missing something very special if you have not experienced the quality of the food. Excellent service and farm to table menu. Freshness in every bite! Thank you Panciuto! read more

OMG! Second time here - Braised Pork Shank was delicious the first time and had Pan Seared Ribeye, noodle hashbrown, fried oysters, horseradish aioli, mustard greens this time. The appetizers, deserts and paired wine was just amazing! read more

Wonderful food!!! The servers are attentive. The food is fresh and seasonally inspired. I went with my family for Mother's Day and everything was delicious the cocktail, appetizer, and entrees. I will definitely return. You do pay for this amazing food, it is a little pricey. read more

This is by far the best restaurant in the triangle area. The Chef is simply fantastic. He is imaginative and creative. My wife and I have been several times since we discovered this establishment. I honestly think we ahve had the same things more than once a couple of times. The pasta is always great. The salads are very fresh and use lots of local ingredients. Fish has been really good. We do not eat meat, so can't help there (sorry!) The decor of the restaurant is interesting and welcoming. My only real complaint is that they closed for a week over the fourth of July! I am so used to there excellent food that everything else is a disappointment! read more

O.K. Maybe this was an off-night, but our pastas were pretty bad: black pappardelle and chestnut tagliatelle were both as tough as shoe leather. This is unforgivable for a restaurant that is billed as offering Italian-inspired cuisine. Sauces were fine, but the texture of the pasta made the dishes nearly unpalatable. Everything else was very good: grilled ciabatta, beef carpaccio, paw paw cake. Our server was about the worst we've ever had: supercilious and inattentive. read more

Off and on There is always something interesting on the menu however the success of the dish varies widely. Have been there three times, once it was poor, once average, and once excellent. You pay your money and take your chance. read more

I second every one of the reviews here with 5 star ratings. The experience started with when I called the restaurant to reserve a table and Adam went out of his way to fit us in - to the amazing food. Great experience all around. read more

Panciuto - Southern Near Me - Hillsborough, North Carolina

I write this review with a heavy heart. I wanted to like this place. We had heard nothing but good things. My husband surprised me with reservations to Panciuto on our anniversary a few months ago, after hearing amazing things from a number of people. A quick background on us: we are gluten-free and mostly grain-free as well. I stay away from wheat because it hurts my stomach, and after a few bad experiences, would rather stay away from it at all costs. That being said, every restaurant I've chosen to go to in the Triangle has accommodated this, or at least confirmed or denied if something was made with wheat. Anyway, to the review. We get to Panciuto and really like the ambiance. After being seated by the hostess and being provided menus, the waitress comes over and says "So are you going to order drinks?" Strike one. I don't even think I got her name until halfway through our time there. We saw one meat dish and two pasta dishes listed as entrees on the menu (it's a small menu and changes very often), so my husband politely asked if there were any additional options for the night (specials, etc). The waitress replied "No, we have three. What, do you not like pasta?" Awkward & Strike two. I responded by letting her know I did not eat wheat and it hurt my stomach, so we were just asking prior to making our food choices. Her response again was "Our chef makes everything from scratch, so people usually react less to our food since everything is homemade, as opposed to processed food that you eat elsewhere." Strike three......hello? Thankfully I don't have celiacs or a very serious food allergy, but I can assure you I would have walked out then and there if I did. I brushed it off and we proceeded to order one main dish and a few appetizers. I noticed most of the appetizers we liked had fried green tomatoes (breaded), so I just asked if we could have the dish but with no tomatoes. "I'll have to see if the chef will do that. The fried green tomatoes are pivotal to the meal." Strike four. Did you really tell me that you wouldn't just leave an ingredient off of the plate? We got the appetizers, fried green tomatoes and all. We picked them off of the plate. The appetizers were fresh and flavorful, but my feelings were soured over the waitstaff. Our entree was a pork dish and rather good. While eating our food, we overheard the same waitress at the next table asking how much of a tip they were going to leave. Unprofessional to the max. As we received our check, the waitress said "Next time you make a reservation, you should contact us beforehand and let us know about your preferences. Maybe our chef would prepare a different meal for that night to accommodate you." This was kind and I could see she was trying to smooth things over before we left a tip, but her saying this was beyond the pojnt. I appreciate the chef's seasonal menu and interesting food, but due to our experience with this waitress and the restaurant's inability to accommodate us (by literally removing an ingredient from the plate), we will not be back. read more

Finally tried out Panciuto, which has been on our "to-eat" list for some time. The food did not disappoint - everything we tried was amazing. My only gripe is that the menu is quite limited for vegetarians. There was one entree and that was it. I wanted an appetizer with my entree and ended up ordering an $11 swordfish salad which, without the swordfish, was just greens and radishes. Other than that, we really enjoyed our meal immensely. read more

To start - the main course is/has always been good. But, not as good as it should be for $18 for a few filled pastas in a half order at least maybe throw in 2 more to help fill me up and / or a slice of bread for the sauce so I can sop it up instead of using a spoon. Mediocre service tonight and last couple times there. I'm a 40 week per year traveler in 26 states from coast to coast- I know what decent service should be like let alone when prices are this high. Heck I get better attention at the Waffle House. Admittedly I do not look like the high class guy that should be eating at this high class place. I work for a living but I was in my work 'uniform' of a company shirt, jeans and steel toed boots sitting alone at the bar. Several quick passes from the bartender, a few with a 'how is it' but no time to ask for anything else before he was off to other folks dressed more nicely than me and sipping wine. I've been coming here for a couple years. First time hooked me because they were able to make me a Gibson martini which is rare and the pork chop was about the best thing I've ever put in my month. Next trip was pork belly on steamed buns. Couple trips in between that good but not memorable enough to catalog in my limited brain space. Tonight some goat cheese filled pasta which again was very good; nice sauce with some grilled veggies strings. Very good. Ordered a normal gin martini because they didn't have the makings for a Gibson. Average at best and airport price of $10. For 'desert' I thought I would order was some of the country bread with butter. I like to end on some carbs and fat... But I guess I'm an idiot and missed where it said it was grilled. So it came grilled and very heavily buttered, maybe some oil on it not sure but just eaten the way served it was way too heavy even as an appetize in my opinion. I tried one with butter and no better. When I mentioned I didn't know it came grilled, he cocked his head to the side like a puzzled dog and fairly condescendingly stated (twice) that it was on the menu as grilled. BTW this was after my martini sat empty for seven minutes. Probably would have had one more if it had been offered about 5 minutes before it was empty. I need to come back in three months for a follow up. I will be going across the street to Antonio's (I've reviewed at least twice if you are interested) where you get better service, more and almost as good food plus occasionally a nice jazz band - with cheaper martini's. I'll put up with really good food over great food if I can get better service and better value. At this price, I would think they would take AMEX read more

Eight years......it's certainly a case of foodie malpractice that it took me this long to visit Panciuto, my new favorite kitchen in the Triangle. The food, the service and the atmosphere were all infused, ladeled, flambéed, seeped, and seared with inspiration and passion. I am thinking about heading back there again tonight - it is seriously that good. It's a bit pointless to delve too deeply into the menu since it changes frequently. What doesn't change is their commitment to local sourcing and amazing attention to flavor profiles and texture combinations. Last night we feasted on an amazing butternut ravioli, goat cheese flatbread, sliced ribeye atop rutabaga hash browns, and wonderful pecan cookies. Our server answered every question we asked, and we never had to wait long after ordering anything. The only disappointment in Panciuto is the simple fact that people weren't lined up around the block to eat there - I suppose I'm not the only Triangle foodie guilty of malpractice. I asked Aaron, the chef, and he kinda shrugged while we both pondered that mystery for a moment. In the restaurant business, there are few grinds harder than local sourcing due to the simple fact that your ingredients are always changing...there's no opportunity to coast. If Aaron and his team can consistently put meals on a table even half as good as last night, then Panciuto should ALWAYS be mentioned on everyone's short list of our 2-3 best restaurants in the Triangle.....it's that good. read more

Next level dining. Amazing food. Knowledgeable servers. Great wine pairings. There are no bad choices on the menu. Best restaurant in NC.

One of the best restaurants I've eaten at anywhere. I travel a lot for work and have the luxury of company paid meals at fine restaurants around the world. I have trouble finding many in San Fran or Las Vegas that are at the same level as this. It is obvious that the owner is the chef and that he works there every night. The pride and attention to detail is truly amazing. Add that to the fact that the majority of the foods a locally sourced and not only is meal excellent, but you feel like you are "doing it right". For the quality of the food, I think it's hard to beat. That being said, it is a little pricey so I don't go every week. Make sure your first visit is on the weekend however. The weekdays are more tapas style which is not my preference. read more

I agree-Panciuto is my favorite in the area, and I'm always looking for an excuse to go there. We went on a Saturday night, and the only reservation available was at 5:30, which was fine with us. My dining companion had (I believe) goat cheese tortellini, served with a poached egg, which she pronounced wonderful. I had striped bass, which was served on butter/hazelnut risotto with pea sprouts on top. The hazelnuts made a very rich accompaniment that I wouldn't have thought of, but were a great complement to the bass, which was done just right. We couldn't decide which of two desserts to order (we usually share a dessert), so we ordered both. One was a caramel mousse with a granita layer and topped with a pizzelle, the other a molten chocolate/ricotta treat. We gravitated to the caramel. My dining companion said the coffee was excellent. I've been to quite a few of the farms that supply Panciuto, and I love what Aaron creates with our local seasonal ingredients without being pretentious. While Panciuto is not cheap, the place is welcoming and food of this quality is well worth it. We're very fortunate to have Pancuito in Hillsborough. read more

Panciuto is excellent. I chose it for my wife's birthday and it did not disappoint. The setting is perfect and the service was great. If there was miss, the wine menu leaves a lot to be desired. The highlight of the experience was easily the spring board. I ate things I could not recognize, nor believed to be tasty, and they were completely delicious and memorable. A sort of garlic mousse stood out. I opted for the pork entree, which was cooked beautifully and combined superbly with the creative accompaniments, while my wife enjoyed the drum and clams. read more

Hands down some of the best food I've had in my life. This coming from a former chef of 8 years who has traveled many places and eaten some of the better fare available in every place I've visited. You can't beat the locally sourced ingredients combined with the love that's put into each and every dish they serve. This place would get 5 stars from me all day long if the dining area offered the guests a little more elbow room. Take this concept to a place like NYC or LA and you'd easily pay $50-$60 per person on an entree. My girlfriend & I have eaten like king & queen here for $80 including apps, beer, wine, and dessert. If you're ever in the Hillsborough area looking for a good dinner spot this is it. read more

Panciuto is one of our favorite restaurants in the area. It is a bit out of the way, but well worth a drive from Cary. The restaurant prepares high quality food in a comfortable setting, making it suitable for a special occasion or just a nice night out. While the menu changes regularly, we have always enjoyed the food. The dishes are all thoughtfully prepared with creative use of ingredients, well-balanced flavors and variety of textures. Some of our favorite dishes include the cheese plate, any pasta dish and a surprisingly good ribeye dish (thought I was getting a steak, but got so much more). The servers really add to the experience. They are friendly, engaging and really knowledgeable about the food. They do a great job of explaining the menu and helping with recommendations. It is clear that they take a lot of pride in the food that they serve. All in all, we've had great experiences at Panciuto and always look forward to going back. read more

By far our favorite sit down place in the triangle area. Their menu really emphasizes the farm-to-table aspect of the restaurant and everything we've had there has been exceptionally fresh and delicious. We've been there a good 4 times now and we have never been disappointed, particularly by the pasta dishes which they make fresh. All the dishes seem to have flavors layered on and every bite just brings new flavors. If you're looking for an intimate date night with delicious, innovative food, go here! read more

By far the best restaurant in the triangle. Well paced meal, where you don't feel rushed and you can actually linger but you aren't eyeing down the waitress for the next course. The food is suburb and service is excellent. Make sure you go hungry - portions are plentiful. Highly recommend! read more

First I will say that Panciuto deserves 5 stars for food and service. Everything we had for dinner was delicious--and the portion size is very generous. We started with the salad (him) and the fried chicken (me) -- and I was pretty full just after eating the 3 pieces of fried chicken which was so juicy and savory and yummy I could have eaten this as my entree, maybe with a side of some collard greens -- it was also accompanied by a crepe with honey, making this a nice twist on chicken & waffles. Our entrees, both pasta, were also yummy. Although my husband thought the mushroom pasta with the duck meatballs was a bit too earthy, he did think that taking a bite of pasta with the duck and the greens was perfect. My own dish, pork ragu with pappardelle was AMAZING--it was so good that I wished I was a camel (get it? multiple stomachs) because after eating every bite of my fried chicken first course, I barely made a dent in the pasta. So we ended up taking our dessert home, a strawberry quark wrapped in crepes. The 4 stars has to do with the noise level, which was difficult to contend with where we were sitting, wedged between 2 other couples. I think at one point the 6 of us were trying to out-shout one another. Not so nice, especially for my birthday dinner, although I will say, to get back to the service, our waiter brought over a complimentary glass of muscato, which was delicious and which I really appreciated. Maybe I'll just try to come back on a weekday when it's not so loud. read more

I was really looking forward to dinner at Panciuto. We made reservations---arrived on time, but waited 15 minutes for our table. No big deal, had a drink at the bar while we waited. Complimentary sparkling wine at the table was a nice touch. Everything on the menu sounded amazing--it was hard to pick just a few things. Our first course was delicious--ricotta gnocchi. Our entrees, however, were suboptimal. Both my fish dish and my husband's pasta were so heavily coated in butter/oil that it ruined all of the amazing ingredients that had been incorporated. All of the vegetables tasted so heavy--it was really disappointing. Rather than light and fresh, everything was really weighed down. I'm not ready to write off Panciuto yet---but if the next visit is like this one, we won't be back. read more

Omg... superb. The place looks so much fancier than it should for a place in Hillsborough (not that the Hboro isn't a great town -- I love it, been here 14yrs). The staff is very attentive without being annoying. The decor is simple yet elegant. The menu was prepared for TODAY only (wow). The food was so good I nearly licked my plate but the atmosphere was too darn fancy for me to do that without looking like an idiot. It was expensive, but I feel every penny was well spent. I'll be back! read more

best pasta i have ever had. splurge but worth it. simply superb. bread was fresh, crispy, and tender. pasta was clearly very fresh.

Amazing. Quite honestly, I had one of the best meals in my life on Saturday. I will rant, rave, and tell all of my friends and family to make it a priority to stop in Panciuto. The food was out-of-this world good. My only complaint - and a minor one - the server seemed to take a 10-15 minute break once our food arrived. He returned to the table after both my wife and I had finished. Just a minor blip on an otherwise fantastic experience. read more

I have eaten here several times over the years. First the bad, the menu changes and you never know what you're going to get until you show up, or call them. They have a sample menu online but it doesn't reflect what they are currently serving. Usually the wait staff is descent but lately forgetful. The food is pretty good, but can be on the rich side. So if you are usually a light fare eater you might feel a little sick after eating such buttery/salty food here. I recently ate the pork shoulder and it was very fatty, the squash that came with it was very tasty but also very buttery and salty so much so I could not eat but a bite or two. I am a guy and I love my meat and potatoes but this was too salty/buttery for me and I grew up with a salt shaker in my hand. Prices are above average I'd say. Dinner for the two of us was around $125. Now the good. The location is nice, its right on churton street in Hillsborough, which has a lot of flowers/trees in bloom this time of year, the restaurant is a nice atmosphere and quaint. The wait staff was nice and knew a lot about the menu. I dont know if I would go back. I have been several times over the years, and in general the food is good, but a little too rich in taste for me and pricey. read more

So far not impressed-had reservation for 7 people on bday with another in party with same bday and so far 25 min later still waiting for our table we had booked Update:45 minutes before we were seated vs our reservation time. After all the positive reviews from friends not sure I can even enjoy dinner. Not sure I will ever return or recommend. Manager didn't even come over to apologize. Update: manager finally came over to apologize at around 9:30pm (2 hours after our original reservation), but I requested twice to speak with her. They promised a cheese plate immediately when we sat down and I ended up having to order one as I had planned to do anyway because they didn't do it and they comped us two desserts they just brought out but we hadn't ordered because we were going home for birthday cake. The desserts were delicious but the whole experience means we will probably never make the effort to go back. It was also clear from how the manager spoke that they clearly valued the people who had overstayed (and we were told they had come late for their reservation and were still seated) over us. There are too many other excellent restaurants in the Triangle (Second Empire, Piedmont, Lantern, Fearrington, the Durham Hotel) to suffer one that didn't place an equal value on our business to that of the customers who overstayed. I have seen managers handle overstaying customers much better and have never had to tolerate a wait like this before when I have a reservation, especially when it is for a special occasion. In addition looking back I should have known that there would be problems when I had to call them back to confirm a reservation on a Thursday after they didn't contact me on Wednesday as per their phone message after leaving a request on Tuesday. read more

Why do I give 3 stars, when the food is excellent? It is because the prices and portions do not match. Maybe I am not the food extraordinaire like the other people who left a review, but when I pay $100 for two people (without any wine!), I should not leave the restaurant hungry. Was the food awesome? Absolutely! It was like being the food taster on an iron chef show. Is it great to have a restaurant buy all food locally and support local farmers? Absolutely! But you can increase the portions 20% and have guests leave your establishment full. read more

Great little place, relaxed and fun. You must try the home-made pasta. Great food and great staff.