Normally, The Provincial is great. It's probably the best restaurant in Apex. Tonight's food was great, but the rest of our experience was horrible. We had made a reservation to celebrate our anniversary and got put at a table adjacent to a party of 25 who were upstairs, and according to a team member, did not have to rent that space as a private room because it was the holiday week and they needed the business. Even with the weather, they certainly did not need the reservation, as they were quite busy. Instead, they took the opportunity to cash in on a big party at the expense of others who had to suffer through their meal with them. We asked upon our arrival and then again as we ordered, to be moved, but were told that not be accommodated, as the tables downstairs were for reservations. The group was so loud and obnoxious that the couple next to us, another "2 top," got up and left. the group's children were yelling and running around, the adults were being loud, and some were even giving pantomime golf lessons next to our table with no care or concern for us and the other couple who got stuck next to them. We were in and out within a half hour. We never got our appetizer, but thankfully got our food before the party of 25 put their order in. It got so bad during our meal that we asked for a box to take the rest of our food home asked for our check, paid it and left. Didn't even get asked if we wanted to order dessert, even to go, Not the romantic anniversary dinner we had hoped for, but it was quite pricey. This was very atypical and unprofessional of The Provincial to crap all over couples in order to make the big bucks from a large group that should've been told they had to rent the room upstairs for their festivities instead of making others sit and suffer next to them. The only people who ever even spoke to us, were the hostesses and the gentleman who took our order. We repeatedly shared our frustration and dissatisfaction with all of them to no avail. read more

Had reservations for 6:00pm - 4 people on a Friday evening and was seated on time. We ordered drinks and it took 30 minutes before they were brought to our table. They only had one bartender, who is also taking food orders for people sitting at the bar. Not sure why they wouldn't have additional bartender helping to get drinks to the patrons. The tables are VERY close together and it's also very loud. The food was good. Won't be going back. read more

I had a 745 reservation and wasn't seated until 820. Another couple there had a reservation at the same time and had the same issue. They never offered an apology. They were out of most of their main entrées so I ordered a salad when I asked if I could have some grilled chicken on the salad, they told me I had to order the full $32 chicken entrée. read more

This is one of my favorite restaurants. It's located downtown Apex. I always find parking and there's a lot in the back. It is very clean and uncluttered. It is relatively small with a few large booths, tables and a bar. It is on the quiet side so there's no problem hearing one another. The waiter and waitress that I've had are very nice and attentive. It is a little bit pricey but most food is farm to table, fresh and they have grass fed beef etc... More recently they have gotten gluten free buns. Otherwise the servers know what is gluten feee and are good guides. I've had salads with and without fish and a burger. All was very delicious. The burger was tops. Everything I've had there is good and my daughter and husband feel the same. The ides tea is good and I have it mixed with a lemonade that the wait staff mixed themselves. I had a gluten free dessert once and it was awesome. I do recommend Provencial. read more

The Provincial - Salad with blackened amber jack (new to me) and grass fed burger. Mmmm - New American Near Me - Apex, North Carolina

I give this place FIVE STARS! We went on a Thursday night and didn't have a reservation. Without skipping a beat, we asked if we could eat at the bar upstairs and I'm so glad we did! We met Joe, the bartender, and proceeded to have the friendliest banter and the best comeback meal & unique cocktails I've had since before Covid-19 started! Even the burger is phenomenal. Warning: One bite of the Onion Straws appetizer will have you addicted to this place! read more

I am from Seattle. My Bro and his wife brought me here to celebrate my birthday. Chelea, our server, welcomed our family warmly and was attentive to our needs. We sat at a cozy booth. Met Chef Wayne, who creates delicious meals. He served up scrumptious blue fin poke, ceviche and mouth watering pork chops. My brother preordered a whole carrot cake to bring home. It was the very best carrot cake I have ever tasted. read more

To be honest, I would give the food 2 stars, but the service was so outstanding, I'm adding a star. This cute place is in the center of downtown Apex. There's outdoor seating and a bar inside the small restaurant. My husband and I were super hungry and excited to try this restaurant with friends. We ordered: a platter of fried onion strings (the best thing we had!), a burger with fries ($14, meh), Poké tacos that my husband has been grumbling about for the past 3 days. He said the taco shell was cold and chewy and the pokè was extremely salty. He should have sent it back but was so hungry, he just ate it. I ordered my burger medium rare and it came medium well. Our friends were happy with their order of grilled strip steak ($27) and a well-done burger. We had coffee and dessert. Coffee was mediocre but we did like the peanut butter brownie. For $75, we could've had an awesome dinner somewhere else. Sorry, but we won't be back. read more

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Excellent burger prepared exactly how I wanted it! New to Apex and this will definitely be a "go to" restaurant in my new list! Staff was super friendly and welcoming to the new resident! read more

Excellent Food great atmosphere and friendly service will go there again was very impressed

There aren't enough stars!! We've been wanting to eat here for a year, but always get there too late when we think about going. We made it tonight and so very glad we did. We shared the grilled chicken breast, truffle fingerling potatoes, and show peas. Every bite was incredible! We followed it with sharing a spice of the old fashioned Carrot Cake...heavenly! Jared is one the the finest mixologists we've encountered, with a great attitude . Our drinks were perfectly mixed and delicious! We will definitely be back! Thank you Provincial! read more

Stopped in for dinner with a colleague after a long day of meetings! Our server was awesome and quick with recommendations when asked! HOUSE SMOKED FISH SPREAD is awesome! The picked veggies served with the dish were some of the best I've had. The snapper was great and paired perfectly with the perfectly ripe tomatoes summer veggie medley sauté. You can tell the owners are very particular on how the food is prepared and presented to guests. Hands down this is one of the best restaurants in Apex/Cary. Go check them out and if you already have...go back to show these folks how much this place means to us being in downtown Apex! read more

10 out of 10 recommend!! Love this place. Dine in or to-go you can't go wrong. The tuna tacos are some of the best and their Brussels sprouts side dish are INCREDIBLE!!! read more

Excellent restaurant! Great food with nice selection of entrees. Very good appetizers. Cozy atmosphere but can get a little loud if restaurant is full. Excellent bar staff and full selection of cocktails, beer and wine. read more

The atmosphere was very active and the food was ok. The Asian chicken wings stole the show. The other items were lacking in flavor.

I love Salem Street in Apex! A cozy, down home, Main Street of shops and restaurants, and The Provincial serves up worthy food w positive energy. As you know, I am most always a bar diner, and the locals opened up a seat for me. Excellent service from Jarrett, who crafted me a fine Manhattan and supported my dining options. I had a burger (med-rare) w a side of brussel sprouts. Very good! I also had the opportunity to spy my seat neighbor's salmon entree (my fav) that I will enjoy on a near-future visit. Dining at The Provincial was a great dining option, and I shall return! read more

We hosted out rehearsal dinner here (in their upstairs event space) & everything was absolutely fabulous! Exceeded all expectations--the space, the food, the service, truly could not have been better & all of our guests loved it! Even some of our extended family who dined downstairs on their own dime raved about how delicious the food was. Highly recommend for both events or just a weekend date night! Big thanks to Kristyna & Kevin specifically for helping our night turn out so well! read more

Yummy food! Great drinks. Love seeing locals here. Great bartenders too. Their appetizers are delicious. We went in late one night just before the kitchen closed and they were so kind... made everything we wanted and fast!! We didn't feel like an inconvenience or rushed! read more

I finally came in to check out Provincial and I have to say the service is amazing! Jared was my waiter/Bartender! He made me feel right at home. He suggested everything I tasted on the menu starting with tuna taco and the scallops with risotto. Seared scallops cooked to perfection, lightly brown and just melted in my mouth! That night I asked Jared if they would have the lamb, choose on Friday and he said no but he would check to see if they had and left and he would save them for me on Friday! And they did, I was over the moon! The restaurant changes the menu from time to time, so I was worried that I wasn't going to be able to taste them but I did on Friday! They were really good and cooked just how I like them medium rare. I order the mussels for an app and they were delicious. I definitely will be back when I am in town! Oh, and I can not forget Wayne's the owner's wife, her carrot cake was out of this world! Definitely will hold a special place in my heart! Thank you so much!!!!! Happy Holidays and a prosperous new year!!!! read more

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Smoked fish dip is a must and their dry rub wings are delicious. Pork Chop, Poke Tacos, etc. yet to have anything I did not enjoy on the menu. read more

I have been here twice and everything has been absolutely delicious. I had some dietary concerns which our waitress went back and asked the chef about right away. They had my favorite bourbon and I was in heaven! I had two different chicken entrees which made my eyes roll back in my head it was SO good. Husband had the carrot cake and said it was divine. Can't wait to go back! read more

This is definitely one of Downtown Apex's special treasures. The restaurant is top notch. We've had two excellent meals there and we really liked it a lot both times. read more

New place, been open just a few weeks. The old bar had more of a divey feel to it, but this is clearly a restaurant going for nigh high-end faire. I'm not sure they're hitting that exact mark but I do like what I'm seeing. And eating. Definitely reeking gentrification here, but Apex has been going through that phase off and on for years. I'm not averse to it. I moved here from Prospect Heights, Brooklyn where I lived down the street from a gourmet mayonnaise shop. A goddam mayonnaise shop. So I'm used to this scene and I appreciate it. Nothing bad to say about the atmosphere. Or the service, which was impeccable. These people care about your experience and are knowledgeable about what they offer. My server filled me in on their product, which comes as locally as possible except for the salmon, and I can understand why. I ordered the Vietnamese Meatballs and a ginger ale. The plate came with grated carrots, four lettuce leaves and white rice noodles. It was cumbersome, but tasty. The stiff noodles were challenging my fork and it's hard to scoop up grated carrots. I felt like it would come off better as a fish sauce rice noodle salad or a bahn mi sandwich, but I'm no chef. The meatballs tasted fine. In my opinion though, this was an $11 meal going for a couple bucks too much. The excellent server recommended the Raspberry Chocolate Bread Pudding with whipped cream, made in-house. When I hear that you bake your own desserts, I'll immediately try them. Though I'm partial to chocolate, I went with his suggestion anyway, bypassing the brownie (next time). It was softer than I normally like my bread pudding, but I can't really complain. It was delicious. Despite the excruciatingly painful 93.5 health score (OUCH!) I gave them the benefit of the doubt and chalked it up to freshman mistakes and hoped that they learned a few things and fixed the problems. They didn't have espresso, which is meant for bread pudding as far as I'm concerned, but I hear their coffee is great. I'll surely see them again. read more

The Provincial - They really shortened up the bar for table space. I like it. - New American Near Me - Apex, North Carolina

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Too expensive for a lunch option. Mom and I decided to give this place a shot on a Sunday afternoon. Draft beers are a bit steep, in my opinion, at $5.75/each. So, we both opted for a bottled beer. I ordered a Blue Moon and Mom went with a Dos Equis which they were out of so she got a Corona. Entrees, I went with the Two Tuna Poke Tacos and Mom went with the Grilled Burger with Fries. Two tacos for $15 is a bit steep for the size and the fact that they were not served with a side option.. I recommend at least a tiny simple salad on the side. The burger was just okay, I did not like the flavor but the fries were good. Service was okay.. Would I return? Yes, I would like to try this place out for dinner. But, if I am looking for a lunch option on Salem Street I would opt for Salem Street Pub. read more

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Yes!! Crammed in like a sardine where it's hard to hear your partner, let alone the server, but yes! This place is super fresh, bustling with a delicious happy. An interesting take on smoked whitefish, accompanied by pickled this and that, rather too much all together for just two people. Swordfish and pork chop cooked to perfection. Carrot cake to take home, delightful and not overly sweet. Not a single photo was taken as we just enjoyed the moment. read more

We had a really lovely evening at the Provincial last week. We had intended to dine at another local restaurant that night, but the wait at the other restaurant was way too long and the outdoor seating at Provincial just looked so cozy and inviting that we had to pop over there instead. We had only intended to have a quick bite, so did not order a starter or dessert. I ordered the grilled salmon as my entree, and it was perfectly prepared! My husband had the poke tacos, and raved and raved about how good they were! I would like to go back to The Provincial when we have more time to make a real evening out of it. The cheese plate sounds amazing, and I this is the kind of restaurant I would love to enjoy with friends. read more

Food is consistent, fresh, prepared with personal care, and service is top notch...particularly at the bar with Jarrett or Joe. Vibe is fun!

Cool historic feel... on a block that feels like small town living. Very charming. Interesting interesting but limited menu but nice variety. Appetizers were very good. Service was good, desserts were enjoyable. ;) good find read more

The food, service and atmosphere at The Provincial are amazing! We've dined here a few times, upstairs, downstairs and outside. Everything has always been consistent and fresh, we've loved all the dishes we've tried. Definitely recommend! read more

Excellent food an attentive service. Quiet ambiance evening for a Friday night. Would definitely recommend

So far this is the best dining experience I've had in Apex. Worth the money and great service.

Cool little restaurant in the heart of Apex that serves wonderful food and great drinks. Make sure you make a reservation!

Bottom line: The Provincial gave a nice small plates and entree experience. It definitely works to enjoy a glass of wine with small plates or go full out meal, both. Good service, nice menu selections, tasty entrees, and great overall package makes me say I'm a fan. The Deets: This past weekend I met up with a couple of friends at The Provincial in downtown Apex (I need to get down to this area more). Although they did not have any seats available inside without a reservation, we nabbed an outside table along the sidewalk which was perfect for this autumn night. Settling in, I opted for a glass of prosecco that was very good while looking over the menu. Our server was very helpful, positive and attentive during the whole experience here. It was decided on first to share a cheese plate while we spent more time going over the menu and enjoying drinks. I enjoyed the cheese plate with a soft, medium, and hard cheese included with some crisp crackers, grapes, and fig jam...it fit nicely with a glass of wine. Our next choice was another small plate, their chicken, mushroom, herb, and cheese croquettes served with cucumber ranch. These little guys were OK, a bit mushy/creamy in the middle of course but not bad...ours came out pretty hot temperature wise so be aware! For my entree, I chose the grilled Angus skirt steak with cream potatoes, vegetables, and red wine shallot butter. Wow, I really liked this one, great taste, the flavors came together very well (really tasty carrots). I really could have used more on the meat portion but other than that I enjoyed it and would definitely choose it again. Topping off the night with some chocolate and peanut butter brownie sundae action (mmmm, mmm), I'd have to say my first visit to The Provincial was pretty good and makes me want to come back for another visit soon. read more

The Provincial - Grilled Angus Skirt Steak, with whipped potatoes, vegetables, and red wine shallot butter. - New American Near Me - Apex, North Carolina

This is our go-to place for a great meal! Sat at the bar and had great conversation with another couple, as well as terrific cocktails. Meal, as usual, was excellent, had the pork chop that was moist and well seasoned! Really enjoyed our evening! read more

I've tried The Provincial on 3 occasions now, twice dining there myself, and once with friends and family. Each time I've been very happy with the small but excellent little menu, the great cocktails, and the conversation with other patrons and Jarrett, the bartender, when I've dined solo. Jarrett recognizes repeat patrons, and he'll ask you for your name, likely. Happy to meet him, he obviously cares about making sure customers enjoy a great experience. Apex is a quaint little town that I'd like to spend more time in. This is a place you'll want to try, and I think you'll get back there again, when you're in the Raleigh/Cary area. If you see the salmon with Brussels sprouts and mashed potatoes on the menu, ORDER IT. What a great combination! read more

Delightful! Highly recommend this quaint little spot in downtown Apex. We were enticed by their pasture raised burger so went to check it out. It was fantastic. They had a cheese plate with a 2 Spanish, and one German cheese. We then tried the house cured fish Rillette. Absolute delicious. And finished it all off with the lovely grass fed burger with bacon (bun-less for me). The burger was perfectly cooked, moist, juicy with a nice crisp outside and lovely char. Comes with salad or home made chips. Also to my delight they offer french press coffee (and for beer lovers a nice selection on tap). Highly recommend this cafe. Excellent quality food, nicely prepared and delicious. read more

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I've eaten here before and really liked it. I was seated this evening for an anniversary dinner with my wife but left after finding out that the online menu didn't match the actual menu, which was limited to a burger, steak, three fish dishes and a fried chicken entree. Very nice drink menu though. read more

We had a wonderful meal and great dirty martinis! Fun girls night out in Apex be sure to make a reservation

Can't say enough about this place. Always superb and deserts you must leave room for! read more

The Provincial - Trigger fish on the menu tonight - New American Near Me - Apex, North Carolina

Love this farm to table restaurant in downtown Apex. You'll want to call ahead for reservations as they have limited seating. The food is delicious and the service friendly. One of our favorite places. read more

The food is always fabulous and cooked to perfection. We have tried to order takeout on several occasions, but they do not seem to accept takeout orders often. We finally were able to get takeout last night. However when my husband picked up the order, no one was wearing masks. If you are trying to be COVID conscious, this is not the place for you. They do not seem to be at all concerned with public health, unfortunately. Highly recommend supporting the businesses in Cary and Raleigh who are doing the right thing and following the mask mandates that those towns have in place. We love the food at The Provincial, but will only consider returning once the pandemic is over or if they decide to start requiring masks and reduce the risk to their customers. read more