Second Empire Restaurant and Tavern
| Address: | 330 Hillsborough St, Raleigh, NC 27603, USA |
| Phone: | +1 919-829-3663 |
| Site: | second-empire.com |
| Rating: | 4.6 |
| Working: | Closed 5–10PM 5–10PM 5–10PM 5–10PM 5–10PM Closed |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 8
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Nadia Welsh
Was here a few weeks ago for a Birthday. I was really excited after many years of hearing about this place, but was sadly unimpressed. The biggest annoyance was waiting for drinks, a huge pet peeve of mine. Each table has a main waiter AND an additional assistant waiter, so there is really no excuse to ever have an empty glass on the table. Still, we had to keep waiting for someone to come by so we could order another round and even for water refills as well. Food was cooked well, but unnecessarily pretentious. Both men and womens bathrooms were dirty. The ladies stalls were out of toilet paper, and the trash bin was so full that trash was just thrown on the floor. This is really low standard for whats supposed to be considered a "high-end" establishment. 3 stars based on ambiance, delicious deserts, and the cocktails were pretty yum when we actually got the pleasure of being served. This place has consistently great reviews, so perhaps we were just there on an off night.. but I personally couldnt recommend this place after our experience. So many other great restaurants in the downtown Raleigh area to try instead!
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Wes Williams
We had reservations for dinner on Wed. Dec. 16th for the main dinning area and were very disappointed in the experience. We have previously dined at Second Empire in the Tavern and it was excellent so we were expecting the same kind of meal and service. The food was just so so. We could have been eating at any number of restaurants. When you make a reservation at Second Empire you expect more culinary delight! Especially for the price. The service was very poor. It was not extremely busy that evening, but there was a lot of lag time with our meal presentation. the two servers delivering the meal were borderline rude. No inquiry if anything else was needed. The main server was also not very attentive. We had to ask another server to find ours so we could order dessert. My husbands co-workers asked about the experience and they stated that they felt the same way when recently dining there. The conclusion was that Second Empire has not been living up to its reputation the last year.
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Kadey Bell
I surprised my husband for his birthday and took him to Second Empire. I requested the bay window in the main dining and that he have his own personal menu. Our reservations were at 6pm and we were seated promptly. Much to my surprise the Chef had signed my husbands menu! The house is absolutely gorgeous. We had a very quiet and intimate dinner together. The ambiance was spectacular. Our server, Storm was very attentive without being over bearing. She definitely knew the menu, which was very nice. I had the Colossal Shrimp for my first course and the New Bedford Sea Scallops for my entrée. My husband had the Avacado and Blue Crabmeat Croquette for his first course and Filet Mignon for his entrée. The presentation and flavor of each dish was outstanding. My husband could literally cut his steak with a fork. I cannot wait to return to the Second Empire. My husband wants to make it a monthly date night! Id love to try the Chefs Table for our next visit! Id give it 10 stars if I could!
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nono namen
4.5 stars out of 5 (nearly perfect, fine dining). (see explanation of ratings below) For sixteen years, Chef Daniel Schurr has been knocking it out of the park in this beautifully restored mansion in downtown Raleigh. Great wine list with a large selection of wines by the glass. Theyve expanded the tavern area (downstairs) which has a slightly less formal feel (and two television screens). Allow 60-90 minutes. About $50 per person (app, entrée and drink). Three minor service miscues in one dinner warrant a half-star deduction. About my ratings: I divide restaurants into three categories. 1) fast food and "fast-casual" (no table service). 2) casual dining (table service, average entrée price: $10-$20). 3) fine dining (linen napkins, no plastic cups, no TVs in dining room, average entrée priced at more than $20). Fine dining can earn a max of five stars. Casual dining can earn a max of four stars. Fast food can earn a max of three stars.
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A Private User
I made the mistake of ordering this classic Milanese dish (literally "hole in the bone"), expecting something made out of pork resembling what is traditionally veal-based. When the meal arrived I was surprised to see three phyllo packets of boneless meat. I thought I had been served the wrong meal but the waiter assured me that this was the chef;s version. I was surprised given that the waiter had not said anything about this idiosyncratic treatment and if the menu had disclosed it I missed it. The phyllo was greasy beyond belief. I sent the dish back as unacceptable and the restaurant responded properly. So my complaint is about communication, disclosure and common sense, all unfortunately missing in this case. On the other hand, the chocolate souffle was outstanding. Ambiance in the Atrium very nice and service friendly and, except for the osso buco issues, competent. But the next time Im in Raleigh I will try another restaurant.
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Ron Wen
Im going to have to give Second Empire five stars even though Ive only eaten their once. Known as a special occasions spot, my dinner there met all my expectations. Great service, well-plated and interesting food along with a very civilized ambiance. Theyve got two dining rooms, the more formal upstairs and the more casual greenhouse area thats part of the Tavern. Unless you want it really proper, the Tavern should meet most peoples needs and offers two different menus to order from. The upstairs version along with the Tavern menu which is a bit cheaper (but not much). I tried a pork loin with ditalini which was excellent along with a spicy egg roll as my app. Second Empire does Southern seasonal with a twist so it may take some time to figure out what you want to order. But time flies by easy here, expect to spend 2+ hours for a meal at $75/person with a drink. But Second Empire is worth the splurge...
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Lisa Sullivan
We had an absolutely unbelievable special experience there last night for our 15th Wedding Anniversary. It started off with a special greeting left on one of our menus autographed by The Chef himself and a table surrounded by 3 windows making us feel more special. My husband had the Springer Farm Chicken Ballotine Salad and I had the Crispy Herb Phyllo & House Cured Scottish SalmonNapolean for starters. Both were wonderful! For our main entrees, I had the Sauteed New Bedford Sea Scallops while he had the Grilled Stuffed Beeler Farms Pork Rib Chop. Every single dish we had was perfectly made and seasoned just right. Our only problem - we didnt have any room for desert! Next time, well plan accordingly. ;) Between the service upon arrival and during the meal and the meal itself, it was an amazing first time experience and a true celebration of our 15th Wedding Anniversary. Thank you, Second Empire. Well done!
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David Liang
Food: 3 Decor: 3 Service: 4 Came here to the downstairs tavern for dinner on a Wed night. 1. North Carolina Shrimp Ceviche* gem lettuce, roasted cauliflower & fava bean salad, grilled radicchio, israeli couscous, cilantro, mandarin orange & horseradish vinaigrette $15 ~Disappointing. The combination of ingredients didnt work, and the green shrimp was odd. Definitely should have gotten the foie special instead. 2. Pan-Roasted Five Spice Pennsylvania Duck Breast* yukon potato & wild mushroom casserole, prosciutto, garlic braised swiss chard, ratatouille, cauliflower puree, spicy caramelized prune jus $29 ~Really good. Everything was cooked perfectly, and the casserole and ratatouille were surprisingly good. One of my string beans didnt have the end taken off though, so there was some lack of attention. Service was good, and plating was quite good for both courses.
