18 Seaboard

I went here with my boyfriend on the spur-of-the-moment one Saturday. Went in on our way home from Crema on Fayetteville Street to look over the menu and see if we could get a reservation for that night. They were able to seat us on the outdoor mezzanine that night at 6:30. Came in and it wasn't too crowded, but filled up pretty quickly. People were pretty dressed up; some in full suits and their Sunday best, we were in jeans and nice tops. The atmosphere was pretty upscale inside, slightly less so on the outdoor mezzanine. The view up there wasn't awesome or anything, but it was a nice night so it was pretty nice out there nonetheless. The waiter came over to get our drink orders not long after we were seated. I wanted a beer but wasn't familiar with any of the beers on their menu, so he helped me pick one out. It was pretty good. Then we ordered our entrees. I got the black eyed pea fritters and the BF got wood fired salmon with some kind of sauce, (you choose a meat and a sauce for the wood fired entrees) with cheddar grits and some kind of squash side dish. Our food was excellent. I thought it was really good for the money. We passed on dessert. The total, two entrees and three beers, came out to $45+tip. Service was pretty good without being overbearing or intrerrupting us too much.\r \r On our way out, we heard a bluegrass band playing next door at Capital City Grocery, and spent the rest of the evening drinking $2 Big Boss beers and listening to the free show over there. It was a pretty nice evening altogether. Pros: Food was well-prepared, drinks weren't too pricey considering how upscale the place is. Cons: Hard to get a reservation, not a lot of vegetarian options, kind of need to dress up to fit in. more

We were looking forward to a special dinner. We arrived on the early side on a Thursday, and the restaurant was not busy, although there did appear to be a few large parties. Our server took over 5 minutes to appear and offered no explanation. The bread and butter arrived only after our entrees and our asking if they served bread. There was no cream with the coffee, initially, and no explanation again. No one refilled our coffee. There was a long wait for the check. And overall, the server was not very friendly--dismissive. Her tip reflected all this. This was made more irritating because this was not how she seemed to be treating diners at surrounding tables.The food was very good--a shame the service didn't match. more

I ate here tonight and was very excited at the beginning of the meal;wine and bread were great. Then, came the appetizers, which were OK. #1 had the fried green tomatoes and #2 had the fried shrimp with Texas Pete aioli and slaw. Not bad. THEN, came the main courses. #1 had the flat iron- -the 24 hour marinade was disgusting. Absolutely did not mix with the strong taste of the wood fired grill. Probably should have been a 12 hour marinade. #2 had the special- -a flounder. Why do you fry one side and leave the skin on the other side? I guess that's a southern thing. Then came dessert. It was awesome. Peanut butter pie. I guess the pastry chef is pretty awesome. All in all an OK evening, but I probably wouldn't return given the price for the entrees we got. There's more to be had in Raleigh. Pros: pastries, wine, atmosphere Cons: service, food more

We've eaten here twice. Great food, great wine, some great views. Waiters are attentive. Not a bad thing to say. more

Great food, service, and drinks. We sat outside on the top patio and it was a beautiful view. The only weird part was walking up the stairs to the top patio. It felt like we were going through a part of the restaurant that was not for guests. But once at the top, it was fine. I thought the waitstaff did a great job despite it being prom night and thus many highschool kids looking for refills on their cokes and bread. Our waiters were Sam and Matt. I highly recommend the 24 hour marinated steak with the 18 seaboard worcestershire sauce, mashed potatoes, and cheese grits. I also recommend making reservations at opentable dot com because this restaurant has limited seating. Pros: Everything but the walk up the stairs Cons: The walk up the stairs more

OK experience. The atmosphere is nice but predictable. We had a relatively early reservation and were seated quickly. Our waitress was wonderful and made good suggestions. Our app's and drinks came out quickly as well as our dinner...although the rest of my dinner was delicious they seriously served INSTANT potatoes! There is no reason why any restaurant should put those on a plate-especially at those prices! Once we had been served dinner we never saw our waitress again and we waited over an hour to get our bill...and watched the guests arriving pile in around the bar while we looked around at all the empty tables around us. Not sure if it was just an off night or what but if the teenagers at any ""family fare"" restaurant can handle seating on a Sat night these guys should be able to as well! The food was good enough for a trip back but go early! Pros: Apps and Main Dish Good Cons: Served Instant Mashed Potatoes! Seating issues more

We went with a group of friends to 18 Seaboard last night. First of all, this restaurant looks fantasic inside and out. Very trendy and upscale. Our reservation was at 8:30 and we got there early (8:00) thinking that we would have some drinks at the bar. The hostess was able to sit us right away (table of 6) which was nice. The food on the menu is unusual which I think is a good thing. You definetley will be ordering something you have never had prepared this way before. We also ordered the shrimp as an appetizer and overall, they were disappointing.\r \r My she-crab soup was very good. Everyone else ordered salads which they said were ok. I ordered the special (tuna) and got it rare. It was ok. Nothing to write home about. My wife order flounder and hated it. She said it was not prepared correctly.\r \r The ambieance at this restaurant is great. However, the food is only ok. The preparation of the food and the way it is served is like no other place you have been to. I would say that if you are going to try this restaurant, you will walk out thinking it was ok but not wanting to go back. Pros: Great looking restaurant Cons: Only ok seafood more

I ate here with a group last night for the first time expecting another overproced hip restaurant and was extremely surprised. Our service was professional and everything at the table was delicious. The biggest surpise was how inexpensive it was. Every entree is under $20 and several hover the 15$ range. It was a little noisy but I was there on a Friday and it was packed. Will be back soon. Pros: Great food, excellant value Cons: Very busy more

We had a large party on a Friday night (17). My husband and I joined the party a touch late and waited a good 15-20 min for a drink order. Asked the manager for a cocktail waiter and he was very snippy with us, something about the number of folks in the party. We ended up walking up to the bar from our table. Service was extremely slow and perceived as unorganized all evening. The one waitress they assigned to our table was not experienced enough, it seemed, to handle a group our size. The final checks were botched so we ended up having to re-split, etc. Atmosphere and prices were nothing unique to the downtown scene. Trendy, warehouse-y, pricey. I can't speak for all of the food, the she-crab soup was excellent, but my appetizer (skewers) were a bit dry and below avg. The drink I had needed some obvious revisions. I didn't hear any rave review from any of our group on this place. Pros: Trendy, desirable atmosphere if you're looking for that scene. Cons: Service, organization, quality. more

It was rated 3.5 stars by the N&O so we expected a treat. That was not to be, though the asparagus salad was a definate 3 to 3.5 stars. It was downhill from there , the Flat Iron steak was average and the fish was dry, old and overcooked. The wait staff tried but looked as though they still needed training on where to be when. We would definately not try again. Pros: Salad Cons: Everthing else. more

I was really impressed with the level of customer service that I was given. The food was great and it came in a very timely manner. I think that I would consider having some business events at this place, because the setting is very relaxed but still somewhat upscale. I would urge anyone who has never been here, to go check out this place. Pros: great staff more

We started our Friday night out with a terrific experience. we had been told about 18 Seaboard for months now but being from Charlotte we hadn't had the opportunity to dine there yet. Friday November 2nd was our first time in the restaurant with a couple of friends from the triangle and it was well worth the wait. We were seated promptly on arrivel which was a pretty early reservation for a friday night but the hostess was prompt and friendly. We were seated and the decor and atmosphere was excellent. we started to look at the menu and our server came over to us and asked if we would like water because of the current water restriction. he was extremely polite. He then asked if we would like a drink and we decided it was a wine night, so he talked over the wine list and gave us great advice on white and red wine. He by no means was pompous about the wine list or his knowledge. He preceeded to tell us the special. He made it sound so tempting we all wanted it but we had been told about the wood fire grill too much to pass on it. We got our wine and it was perfect for the price. Our server (Steve) then talked to us about the menu and went over any questions we had. It turned out that he was from Seattle and my wife had recently visited the city so they talked a little about it and he was funny, bright, and polite. We ordered and got appetizers. The bread was fresh and tasty and the salads and soups were outstanding. We then promptly were cleared of our plates and the entrees came out in perfect time. The wood fire grill is amazing adding flavor to my steak and my wifes wahoo. The sauces our server recommended were absolutley divine and the whole meal was perfectly portioned and filling. We all almost cleaned our plate. We got the sticky toffee pudding on our servers words and loved it so much. We are so happy to finally experience 18 Seaboard and cant wait to go back. Thank you all of 18 Seaboard and especially the server. We will be back soon! Pros: Service, Food, Ambience, Atmosphere more

We blindly went to 18 Seaboard on an ""it's a nice place"" recommendation. We were under dressed and under prepared, but the hostesses were very kind and despite our appearance they seated us promptly. (Note: jeans should be left at home.) The menu is not what most people expect. It is not extensive; however, the offerings are smartly prepared and presented.

\r \r The Pom-tonic is divine. I suggest stopping at 2, though. I went with the filet mignon with a balsamic goat cheese glaze and side of buttermilk mashed potatoes. My dining partner had the filet with a peppercorn reduction and goat cheese smashed potatoes. We couldn't decide which was better. The steaks were perfectly prepared and even without the glaze, the flavor was superb. They were juicy and tender and everything that a good piece of meat should be. Even the mashed potatoes were a wonderful compliment to the dish.

\r \r The atmosphere is refined, but cozy. The staff was incredibly polite, professional, and very good at their jobs. The menu is priced appropriately for the quality of food. Not a restaurant I would take a child to, but that means it's perfect for a ""date night"" with your special someone. Pros: Food, service, setting more

I recently visited 18 Seaboard while in Raleigh. There were four generations at our table. The waiter was extremely patient with us and provided us with a lot of helpful information about the ingredients in the food. He also went out of his way to accommodate even the youngest at the table. The food was well prepared and delicious. It was a wonderful place for four generations to meet for lunch. There was something for everyone! The chicken salad was delicious and my favorite. more

18 Seaboard offers a great selection,and high quality food. It is also a great representation of North Carolina cuisine. There is a great drink selection at a reasonable price. I have only eaten here twice, but truly enjoyed it both times and consider it a real treat. The fried green tomatoes and cheddar grits are excellent! Our service was great and I love the atmosphere! Anyone that is dissatisfied with the amount of food is use to overly large portions!! I have left full and satisfied on both of my trips! Highly recommended for a nice night out! Great date spot! Pros: great food, decent price, good drinks more

My wife and I dined at 18 Seaboard last night for the second time and once again were most impressed. Both visits the restaurant was very busy and the service was extremely efficient. My wife's Salmon dish was cooked perfectly and my pork dish was the most interesting I have had in Raleigh. For the both of us with wine our check was less the 55$. We shared a dessert of hot chocolate cake in a coffee mug that was a great finish but very rich. We will be back. Pros: Great value for the experience Cons: Very Busy even on a week night more

My wife and I dined at 18 Seaboard last night for the second time and were once again very impressed. The food is interesting but not over the top with lots of choices and a section of the menu that even allows you to chose your own items for the dish. The service was friendly and effecient especially for how busy the restaurant was on a Tuesday night. The detail we were most impressed with was how resonable the prices are. Pros: Great value, Great food Cons: Very busy even on a week night more

After having eaten at 18 Seaboard several times, I can safely say this place is right on! The ambiance is hip and inviting and the staff welcoming. On our last visit, my fiance and I dined outside at a table that overlooked downtown. Great view with one drawback, it is non smoking, but the bar is not far. Our server was knowledgable, friendly and eager to make suggestions for food and wine. Goat cheese fondue and a wedge to start were the right pre-cursors to our choices of pork shank with blue cheese grits and house made pasta with scallops and porcini mushrooms. The food is delicious, the atmosphere hip and the staff accomodating, and courteous; 18 Seaboard is a must!\r \r \r Pros: Ambiance, flavor, staff more

I frequent 18 Seaboard due to the outstanding service I receive the moment I walk in the door. It is refreshing to be greeted with a smile and seated as quickly as possible even on a busy night. I enjoy the variety of foods offered on the menu as well as a choice of different sauces to enhance the dinner. While I am always pleased with the main entrees, I try to save room for one of the chef's great desserts. I know I will be back because I have never been disappointed in the food or the service I have received. 18 Seaboard is a great place to gather for any occasion! Pros: Sevice, ambiance and menu more

Delicious:\r I was at 18 Seaboard not long ago with a large group of women. We all found the resturant to be delightful, loved the open look, and the food was delicious. The wait staff was very helpful with our selection of dinner wines and took very good care of us. We all tried something different, with no complaints. The owner/chef visited our table to make sure our selections were to our liking. I do not live in Raleigh, but eat at 18 Seaboard whenever I am in town and will continue to do so. The food is always good, especially the shrimp appetizer and the fried green tomatoes. I have tried several different entrees and found them all to be delicious. This resturant is a great place for a group or a romantic dinner.\r KarenStar more