Recently I visited Raleigh, North Carolina. One of our Twitter followers, @jbphebus, suggested I stop at Poole’s Diner in Downtown Raleigh. I drove straight over as soon as I got off the plane. I arrived about 6:00pm and the city was empty. That was until I went inside Poole’s and found that all of Raleigh was here. It’s a fun little diner. They have a large bar that seats about 25 people. In addition, there are about 20 tables. I was lucky enough to snag a seat at the bar.
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| Buttermilk Fried Chicken |
The best way to describe their menu is Southern-style diner food, dressed up and spectacular. I tried three items. First, was the chef’s special, Buttermilk Fried Chicken with Yukon Gold Mashed Potatoes. I know what you are thinking, what is so special about fried chicken and mashed potatoes? The chicken was amazing, crunchy, tender, had awesome seasoning and full of flavor. The potatoes were silky smooth creaminess. You have to try these.
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| Macaroni Au Gratin |
I had to try their Macaroni Au Gratin. This is fresh mac and cheese on steroids. There was a crust on top of cheese. The noodles were cooked al dente. It was buttery and cheesy and absolutely amazing. If you are a macaroni and cheese fan you should really try this.
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| Warm Peach and Blueberry Cobbler topped with Crème Anglaise |
For dessert I tried their Warm Peach and Blueberry Cobbler topped with Crème Anglaise. WOW, a ton of fresh peaches and blueberries with a creamy vanilla sauce that just danced in my mouth. The pie topping was a perfect compliment as it locked in the warmth and goodness but added texture and flavor.
The only negative things about my experience were how hot it was in the restaurant and how long it took to get the food. Being from Southern California, the humidity was killing me and Poole’s doesn’t seem to have air conditioning, or doesn’t choose to use it. That was hard for me but it seemed I was the only person melting in there. As far as the time it took for the food, I waited about 25 minutes for my dinner. Considering how busy they were I wasn’t too surprised. So when you go there, do what I did to pass the time, choose something from their extensive bar selection and enjoy yourself!
I am very glad I went here. Next time I am in the area I will be sure to return. Thank you @jbphebus for the suggestion!
Why would a restaurant plop fresh, crunchy chicken down on wet, soggy potatoes? BTW, those potatoes have a TON of whole cream in them, as does the Mac & Cheese.
ReplyDeleteYou failed to mention that the restaurant offers only 5, tiny nightly entrees. One of them is an open faced cheeseburger that is been injected with duck fat. Another entree we had was a pork belly consisting of 80% solid fat swimming in 3/4" of liquid fat - no sauce, just a few diced potatoes drowned in that very fat. The one good entree we have had was the shrimp and grits, but the grits tasted more like whole cream than anything else.
I thought the okra and tomatoes were fantastic, but they were served 20 minutes after ordering, and 20 minutes before the entree arrived. Some think that this format is refreshing, but I call it sloppy. There is an art to getting a full, hot meal on the table at once, and Poole's isn't even trying to get that right.
Yes, the restaurant is quite popular. I have been two times, and knew at least 10 other people in there each time. When I considered its popularity, I thought of each of my 20 friends' situations: they ALL have mothers who can't cook. No wonder the classic structure of a fine restaurant isn't on their radar.
Thank you for the comment. I thought the wait thing was just that night. Seems you are right about them not working to correct that. As for the menu items, I saw a bunch on the black boards but did not recall how many. They also had 5 specials but that included all courses.
ReplyDeleteThe mac and cheese was very rich so there had to be a ton of cream. I am okay with that. To me the potatoes were more of a prop for the chicken. It was and attractive plate. Have you tried their cobbler?
Where do you suggest we should go next time we are in the area? It always seems like a challenge, but there has to be other stuff around.