Humble Pie

Humble Pie (HP) leaves the most opinionated foodie…..humbled. This place has won my blue ribbon for favorite restaurant in Raleigh. I have visited HP twice now and both times has been superior culinary experiences. Their plates are visually and tastefully brilliant.\r \r My first visit was a late week night during the “brown bag” period of alcohol licensure. Some may be dissuaded from entering, but I felt the way the HP folks handled this set-back was charming. They actually gave a dinner-mate a complimentary local beer. For starts we all shared: Caesar Salad: cliché but good, “Broiled Tetilla Cheese” Tasty cheese/honey/grape spread and the popular hummus which 3 out of 3 diners disliked. Entrees ordered: Shrimp&Grits: safe and good, Oven Mahi Mahi: fish that’s not fishy: yes, please and the Grilled Andouille Sausage: cowboy-esque robust dish, tasty! Dessert: Peanut Butter & Jelly Bread Pudding: sounds silly – but was well worth the try.\r \r Round two was just as unique & flavorsome. Starters included the Fried Green Tomatoes & Bruschetta: both seem cliché’ but HP’s versions are uniquely delicious. Entrees included: Black Bean Crepe: inventive concept that works – the table’s favorite. The sesame ahi tuna: must like spice to enjoy this treat, and lastly, chicken penne: which looked like a lean cuisine, so I passed.\r \r I really enjoy this restaurant – I’d avoid the hummus & chicken penne – but the entire menu is a safe (but delectable) bet you’re going to have a great meal. I’m looking forward to warmer temperatures to try the patio space & beverages. more

Ate here on a Saturday night around 8:30 with some friends, and even though we didn't have a reservation, we got a booth right away. Great start... From there, things only got better. The food was INCREDIBLE. Simply divine. Walk, run, sprint, fly....do whatever it takes to get to this restaurant; you won't be disappointed. more

Parents in FL; Kids live in NC where they will be married; Rehearsal dinner to plan long distance. Kids picked out 10 possible restaurants - parents visited NC in February and ate at 4 top-notch restaurants and picked the one they wanted - which was a planning disaster - famous restaurant with incredibly difficult staff and unfriendly atmosphere. So, we reluctantly went with Humble Pie - which offered great food, reasonable prices, fabulous staff, however, we were concerned about suitability of the location for an 'intimate' dinner for about 50 people. Silly us! We neglected to factor in the fabulous Jim Beriau - one incredible guy who makes things happen! Many of our guests had never visited a tapas restaurant, some of us had dietary restrictions, and some additional guests arrived after we thought everyone was seated. Not a fret - Jim and his top-notch wait staff (headed by Juan Carlos that night) made everything look effortless. The food was delectable- one taste treat after another. We had crab cakes that were called the best one of our guests every had; fried green tomatoes that even the most naive guest pronounced tasty; sauteed green beans that popped with flavor; lettuce wrapped chicken for our guests who did not eat fish; mahi-mahi with scalloped potatoes that melted in our mouths; all completed with a sampler desert plate that disappeared faster than a $10 bill at the betting track - and everyone said they were too full! Best yet, everything fit in our budget and we were showered with compliments all wedding weekend, even from those who had never visited a tapas restaurant in the past. One guest was a chef who requested the Humble Pie menu to take with him! Trust me, there's nothing to be Humble about at this restaurant and it is one that we will visit every time we are in Raleigh - we have been spreading the word high and low about the fabulous food, incredibly moderate pricing, professional staff, and the best: Jim Beriau! Thank you Humble Pie for such a memorable event for our family!! more

I knew Jim from when he did time behind the bar at Margaux's in North Raleigh and was totally bummed when I heard he left to start a new venture. Yeah, that was years ago. Tracked him down and checked out his new digs at Humble Pie. Great decor. Fantastic eats. And, of course, pretty much every beverage you could ever want...except for that $1,000 bottle of cabernet. (Jim: You hearing me? I need some top shelf reds on that list!) Pros: Jim Cons: Can't think of a one more

Took a friend who has Celiac Disease (wheat gluten) to Humble Pie restaurant with the kids. The kids got the usual - pasta with parmesan. The great news is that my friend had several delicious choices without gluten. She confirmed ingredients with the chef. It was excellent. Pros: chef knows his ingredients more

This place is awesome. My wife and I go to dinner or Sunday brunch almost twice a month. The menu is great and has items you won't find anywhere else. Try the mahi with gouda potatoes. The host (who I think is the owner) is professional and always helping out the servers. When friends or clients ask where to go, I always tell them Humble Pie! Pros: service, food, patio,prices more

This is the 3rd -- and absolute LAST time -- we've gone/will go to Humble Pie. Restaurant was mostly empty tonight, so we got prompt service from the regular waitstaff. Food was decent, but in comparison to other places in the area (The Pit, Zely & Ritz, Tasca Brava, etc), food was mediocre and definitely not worth the price, particularly since the owner was really rude to our group. We will definitely not go back. I do not recommend taking your guests here either. We had out-of-town guests, and they now have a horrible opinion of Raleigh dining. Pros: not crowded Cons: mediocre food, rude owner more

Food was great. This is a wonderful place for a group with varied tastes or wanting to sample plenty of dishes. Our group had no fewer than 6 or 7 apps. and tapas and ALL of them were delicious. We were disappointed the cheese plate and banana dessert we wanted to order was not available, but the chef personally came to our table and made us a ""make up"" dessert for the birthday girl. Super berries and cream. \r For the selections we had, we were pleasantly surprised the food bill was reasonable. A great place for dates, girl's night, a large group, or a light pre-party dinner/drinks. Would highly recommend for all of them. Atmosphere is nice and open inside and patio looks romantic and cool at night. Pros: Service can get fragmented on busy nights Cons: Make reservations (especially for patio on weekend nights) more

The food and atmosphere work together to create a perfect dining experience. The restaurant was large and spacious with a warm, inviting feel. For two people, we had four dishes which was more than enough. Three dishes to share would probably be the best combination. The shrimp and grits and ahi tuna were absolutely to die for! The shrimp broth really was ""of the gods"" with such a rich, but yet refreshing flavor. The grits were in the form of crispy cakes that melted in the broth to create a most satisfying texture. The ahi tuna was perfectly seared on the outside and a deep red in the middle. Their food was so delicious and I plan on going back many times more. Pros: Great food and atmosphere Cons: Parking more

Jim and Joe's Place: If you had asked Joe when he was having convulsions on-stage at State's Sigma-Nu Fraternity at a Johnny Quest show, that years and years ( and years) later he would be paired up with one of Raleigh's famous bartenders (Jim, dummy) and together own one of Raleigh's top speak-easy hipster joints...he'd have said, ""Probably."" This place is the Viper Room for Raleigh. If you don't know what that is, ask your mom or dad. \r \r The food is gold plated extacy and the service staff is more educated than you are. Love it.\r -Whitey more

Wonderful. My boyfriend and i went and got a total of 4 dishes, and EACH were wonderful and filling. People were friendly and its the best food i've had since moving to the triangle 3 years ago (from chicago....so i was a little spoiled with wonderful cuisine before). We'll definitely go there again Pros: Delicious food, good service Cons: I live 40 min away more

I went to this restaurant with a couple of friends recently, and I have to say it was a lot of fun. The food was delicious, and not too skimpy for tapas like a previous reviewer mentioned. The drinks were incredibly reasonably priced when we got the bill, compared with most places in town that will charge you $10 or more for a high-end vodka martini.\r \r Our server was very laid-back and knowledgeable (we had the little blond girl, I didn't catch her name), and was able to steer us in the right direction on some menu choices. The stuffed shells were amazing, and we had a mushroom dish that was really good too at her reccommendation. Overall, service was wonderful, friendly, and efficient.\r \r The table we sat at was out on the patio, which I have to say is one of the best in town, and it's much less loud than inside. People had a dog out there, which is good to know, because I have a dog and a lot of places won't let you sit with your dog on the patio. The one bad thing is that the flies out there get pretty annoying before dark, but once the sun went down they went away. \r \r Pros: food, service, cheap drinks, good patio, allows dogs Cons: flies, the music playng wasn't very good more

My wife and I have always loved Humble Pie for brunch, so we decided to check it out for dinner last weekend. We took another couple and had a fantastic time. We shared wine, desserts, and at least 10 dishes. The saltimbocca and the mushroom napoleon were great. Our bill was very reasonable for the huge spread. Our waitress was attentive and answered all questions. We plan on going back for Valentine's Day! Pros: great value for food and wine more

I enjoy TAPAS style restaurants but stay away from the Bacon Wrapped Shrimp. Unless you like paying $9 for 3 small pieces of shrimp (and nothing else with it).\r \r The waiters were very good - the salad was good and the atmosphere was nice. Pros: Waiters and staff Cons: Very small portions - even for TAPAs more

My husband and I have been to Humble Pie several times since it's been reopened as a tapas restaurant, and we've never been disappointed. We've even taken our baby there for Sunday brunch a couple of times, and we had a good experience every time (even though I see other reviewers say it's not a good place for kids... we haven't tried bringing our child there for dinner). My husband helped coordinate a reunion gathering back in their lounge, and they were very accommodating coming up with a variety of heavy appetizers to please the crowd. I also went before going to ""A Christmas Carol"" a few weeks ago, and I was surprised that there weren't more pre-theater diners there (the staff were very attentive to ensure we made it to the show on time). Love the crab cakes and the chicken saltimbocca in particular; the bread pudding is fantastic! Wine list is varied and very reasonably priced, too. In warmer weather, we like to eat outside. Only downside is that there isn't a designated parking area, but we've been pretty lucky finding parking on the street whenever we've gone. more

I have been to Humble Pie four times now and never been disappointed. The only menu item we repeated is the shrimp and grits because my husband just loves the ""broth of the gods"" that comes with it... but other than that, we are working our way through the entire menu! The restaurant has a casual, relaxed atmosphere and is open LATE, which can be really nice in a town where many of the restaurants shut their kitchens at 10! \r The portion sizes for the tapas are on the large side, so order a couple and see if you want more. Service is attentive but not overbearing, and quite interesting to look at (one waitress has pink hair and a giant butterfly tattoo on her chest).\r Pros: food, ambience, service Cons: parking more

We dined at Humble Pie just this past weekend and had a wonderful experience. Plenty of tapas to choose from, most were reasonably priced, and service was great! Only drawbacks were that their Tortilla Espanola is not a TRUE Tortilla Espanola and some tapas were a little too small to share. The other tapas we tried were excellent--try the black bean crepe or the chicken enchiladas--both were VERY good! I will visit again when in the tapas mood! Pros: service, location, NOT A SMOKE-FILLED PLACE! :) Cons: tortilla espanola more

I've been going to Humble Pie for years, still it's one of my favorite restaurants/bars in Raleigh. Eddie is the best bartender in town, hands down! Also a word of advice: if you've never had tapas, start a dialogue with your waiter/waitress, ask them about the menu, admit that you may not know exactly what you're ordering and they'll totally help you out! It's a great way to learn about the entrees, and that way you won't leave disappointed. Pros: Get the Quick Spinach! It's the best. Cons: It can get a little toasty inside during the summer. more

My girlfriend had her birthday party at Humble Pie last week. There were 9 of us and everybody had so much fun. The food, especially the spinach tart and the pork tenderloin, were amazing. We had dessert and a lot of wine and our bill was cheaper than most ""nice"" places I have been to downtown. Service was helpful and our table on the patio was perfect. Thank you Humble Pie for a great 35th birthday party. We will all be back soon!!! Pros: Patio, fairly priced menu and wine more

A few things about Humble Pie: It's trendy, which makes for a cool atmosphere but you pay for it. The food IS yummy, but incredibly overpriced. I ordered paella, which at about $15 should have contained more than 4 tablespoons of food. I know tapas; I've been to Spain and other restaurants that serve them. This is far too much money for the food. All of my friends in our large party enjoyed what they'd ordered, but we ALL felt like we should go to another restaurant to eat afterwards ... we'd all spent at least $20 and were still hungry. Also, I witnessed our server pushing his finger into my friend's steak - I assume to see which is was: the one ordered more rare or the one ordered well done - which is inexcusable. The owner did personally apologize but EWW. Pros: trendy, nice atmosphere Cons: incredibly overpriced, fingers in the food more