Review Crawford & Son - Raleigh

So first time here and I have to say it was very good. I had the smoked sturgeon chowder, hanger steak and chocolate pie. All three were out of this world. Very well done. Parking was not ideal so we ended up 1.5 blocks away and had to walk in. Still beside that it was a 5-star dining experience.

My partner and I enjoyed ourselves a lot! We ended up getting multiple appetizers instead of any entrees and I think that was the right choice. The biscuits are as good as other reviewers have mentioned, and the cocktails are okay but nothing special. The earl grey tea ice cream that comes with the lemon dessert is AMAZING! great ambiance, but one star knocked down for how cramped the tables are. Contrary to some other reviews, I wish the wallpaper in the bathrooms was more vulgar and satanic

Small intimate eatery with good food. We went there with a group of 6 ladies, all ordering different food for different courses plus drinks. Our server was on top of it all, although our 2nd wine orders took a bit to get to the table. Not her fault, the bar area looked crazy busy. The biscuits were good, some at the table found them meh (a bit dry), the flaky salt in the middle made them for me! The Caesar salad was very good, although maybe too indulgent. I would suggest sharing this. I also personally had the crab, which was light and flavorful. Definitely will be back for the squash rings and cauliflower soup that my table mates had - there were rave reviews!

Crawford and Son offers a remarkable dining experience with its dark and intimate interior. The well-crafted and unique cocktails perfectly complement the ambiance. While the menu may be limited in choices, every dish we tried was delicious, and the must-try biscuits left us craving for more. The dessert selection is simply fabulous and shouldn't be missed. Overall, Crawford and Son is a fantastic dining destination, delivering a memorable culinary journey in a cozy setting.

We thoroughly enjoyed dishes from the raw menu and some of the appetizers. From the drink menu, I found it interesting their wine list was $58+. We were a bit underwhelmed with the hangar steak and pork chop entrees as the hangar steak just tasted of an odd barbecue smoke more than seasoned and the pork chop was overly fatty and slightly undercooked. I’d say for a restaurant of this caliber we were expecting more but still enjoyed our time.

The heirloom tomato salad and manchego herb biscuits were amazing. Would highly recommend. Great service from the staff very friendly. The entrees were good but the highlights were the appetizers.

I celebrated my birthday at Crawford and Son. Originally, I had planned to go to Stanbury, a place on my list for ages. However, Stanbury doesn't take reservations and the wait at 8:30 p.m. was 1.5 hours long. Faced with that, we decided to stroll over to Crawford and Son, which had also been on my list for years. Upon arrival, we were seated promptly. Our server, Caroline was fantastic, offering great recommendations. The word was that the biscuits were a must-try, and after tasting them, I wholeheartedly agree – they were incredibly delicious! We ordered the beef tartare served on bone marrow and boulted bread. Our server informed us that they always feature a type of tartare, but it's changed up regularly. Surprisingly tender with a bit of a kick, the spicy jerk octopus impressed us. The grilled fennel sausage on a bed of polenta, accompanied by country ham marmalade, provided a well-balanced medley of flavors. For our main courses, we chose the roasted halibut, which turned out both tender and crispy on the outside. The infused flavor was exceptional, and Caroline shared the secret – they brine it! The pork chop was equally amazing as our main course. Dessert was a delight – the sweet corn trifle with its intricate texture profile surprised us with the blend of blackberries, popcorn, ice cream, and umami from the miso caramel. Caroline was incredibly informative throughout the meal. I can't believe I waited so long to finally experience this place. Highly recommended!

Great until the salty steak! Cocktails were delicious and spot on. Manchego biscuits melted in your mouth. Rigatoni was pretty good, though lobster was a bit tough and not sure I’d order again. But I was so disappointed in the main dish though, the hanger steak. Would have been great but they way over salted. I like salt on my steak, but I was literally scraping off the flakes. Unfortunately our server did not check in with us until we were done. I told her and she said she’d tell the chef. Took home the rest of the steak, which I might actually feed to the dog, though I worry about the salt for her! Videri Chocolate Mousse was fantastic. Atmosphere is great if you want a hip, bustling vibe.

Crawford and Son is obviously one of Raleigh’s best restaurants. The two times I have eaten here the food and service have been excellent. Most recently I sat at the bar and my wine questions were answered with sips of wine to try to ensure I liked the wine recommendation. The house cocktail list was disappointingly short and did not include a whiskey/bourbon drink. But the vodka drink, Crawford Cup #5, my wife ordered was well balanced and delicious. I ordered an Elijah Craig old fashioned that was prepared perfectly, boozy with just a hint of sweetness. For dinner we had the Heirloom Tomato Salad which was super seasonal and yummy. We also had the Butter Crunch Lettuce, another salad that listed Shropshire Blue as an ingredient, I had no idea it was a blue cheese and I’m glad I didn’t because I don’t tend to like a strong blue cheese flavor but this particular type of blue cheese is more salty than funky and was the subtle star of this refreshing salad. The Yellowtail Tuna Crudo was salty crispy goodness and the thick cut double bone Grilled Pork Chop was cooked near perfection maybe just a tiny bit over medium and well brined so it was juicy and seasoned all the way through it had a western NC style Bbq inspired sauce and the corn mushroom chard that accompanied the chop went well with it and elevated the dish. We also had the Market Corn Pudding which was great and better than the delicious corn side that came with the pork chop but I probably didn’t need both :). Full disclosure I like Crawford and Sons neighboring sister restaurant Jolie more than I like C&S but both are in the Raleigh top 10 and both are great restaurants.

Everything was very solid. Nothing mind blowing but an absolutely solid meal across the board. We particularly liked the cocktails, the crudo, and the chowder.

We celebrated my fiancés birthday here after hearing it was quite acclaimed in Raleigh. The atmosphere was lovely, very dark and moody, with background music. My expectations for the food were a little high I feel. The menu was small as expected but I hate to say the food was mediocre. The chicken skin was quite tough to cut through and honestly nothing special. The dessert tarte was a bit too sweet and jammy but tasted good. Service was wonderful and you can tell the team there enjoys working together. I plan to return and perhaps try something different that blows me away.

Fantastic first experience here and will return for seasonal menu changes. Ambience and service was 10/10. Food was delicious and memorable. The biscuits on their current menu are outrageously good. Basically a better quality & flawlessly executed Red Lobster biscuit. Must-order. Broccoli soup was good- fun presentation and good taste. Husband raved about the goat ragout appetizer- he liked it so much he went back the next day and ate it at the bar. 🤭

Came with a party of 5 for a birthday. Incredible food, beautiful presentation, such amazing flavors and good service. The Ahi Crudo is something I've had twice now and highly recommend. Side note: I learned during the booking process that if you book online, you may only book up to a party of 4. You have to call in order to make a reservation for a party of 4+. I ended up booking online for 4, then calling to update it to 5. Since I originally booked it for 4, they booked reservations around me, expecting a 4 person party. So my party of 5 was told that we could stay for 2 hours with an extremely hard stop after 2 hrs because that's what parties of 4 are allotted. If I had booked originally (on the phone, since can't online) for a party of 5, I would've gotten 2 1/2 hours. I'm not mad and this makes sense to me; I just wish I didn't know so much and one could simply always book online but hopefully someone can learn from my mistake and missteps :)

Had a shared Birthday Dinner. Perfect table in a corner to help with 2 people with hearing problems. Lovely servers. Keri went out of her way to make our dinner experience wonderful. Food was Fabulous!!! Duck oh WOW!! Dessert was very special ( not on main menu yet) Thank you Matt Melvin!! Can’t wait for next special occasion or not!

Our first time here. The service was absolutely amazing! The waitress was very helpful and knowledgeable. We had everything from appetizers to dessert. The ricotta appetizer was delicious. The monk fish was out of this world. The steak ... Whoa! How about we settle down a little bit on the salt situation. Entirely too salty, and the meat was chewy. Totally expected a better experience with this dish. The biscuits were divine, the cauliflower was delicious. Topped it off with delicious desserts and yummy decaf coffee. Just wish that steak would have been better.

Wow - First impression did not upset. Gabagool was STUNNING! I would drink it by the pitcher if I could... For free, of course. Manchego-Herb Biscuits are a must as a basic starter. Squid Ink Rigatoni was the most popular among the table. Beef Tartare was among the top tartare experiences I've had - can't go wrong with Bolted Bread. Grilled Fennel Sausage was nice. Grilled Pork Chop was the best I've had in a long, long while. So tender. Perfectly cooked. The marinade was fantastic. Great portion. So good, down to the bone. Market Corn Pudding was okay; the sorghum was fun, though. Definitely a Raleigh gem💎

The first time I came to Crawford and Son was a few months before this review. I happened to pop in for a cocktail and a light appetizer. Despite the restaurant being swamped, the hostess was kind enough to find me a seat at the bar. Jordan, the bartender, made such amazing cocktails. I also partook in the beef tartare appetizer, which was so good that I decided I needed to return. About two months later I made my way back down here and the staff were just as friendly. Jordan happened to be the bartender again, and Sydney his barback. Both of whom were a delight. Crawford and Son has a fantastic staff and a phenomenal chef. The food is on point with creativity and a dynamic menu. The specials are fantastic and there wasn't a single item I didn't like. I got the beef tartare, Rabbit special with spätzle, creme fraiche Panna Cotta, and affogato Sunday. All of which were fantastic! The tartare is served with a creamy bone marrow making it somehow both rich and light at the same time. The Panna Cotta was layered with a blueberry puree which added a light sweetness without being too sugary. Overall a fantastic experience worth the trip that I'd definitely recommend.

Enjoyed a celebratory dinner at Crawford and Son tonight, as usual the food absolutely blew us away! The food and service never ceases to amaze. Caroline, our server, took fantastic care of us and made us feel like the VIPs of the evening. Crawford is our favorite restaurant in all of downtown Raleigh!

My first visit but I was disappointed. The restaurant is small and loud. Food was inconsistent. Salads were ok, yeast rolls were good. My entree was flounder and it was nothing special. I don’t think it was completely fresh. The best entree was the venison meatloaf which was very good. The squash entree seemed underdone. Desserts were all good although the olive oil cake was a little odd. My biggest complaint was the service which was poor. Water glasses were not filled like they should have been. I had to ask for a second glass of wine and finally told the waitress to forget it since I had finished my entree. Even though I cancelled the glass of wine, it was brought to the table. The waitress said we wouldn’t be charged for it. We were two couples but she didn’t realize we would want separate checks. When she finally gave us the separate checks , we were still charged for the glass of wine that was supposed to be taken off the check. I had to point this out to her. The excuse for the bad service we were given was that they were short staffed. Considering this is an expensive place to dine, I don’t think this is an acceptable excuse. I win’t be in any hurry to go back.

My partner and I had 30 hours in Raleigh and made a point to dine at Crawford and Son. Nothing was left to be desired. We started with the hazelnut and manchego salad, duck croquettes, and the steak tartare. All three were delicious with the duck being the stand out for us. We had the chicken and roasted carrots for our entree. The chicken with creamy rice and mushrooms was one of our best bites this year! We finished with the carrot cake which was incredible. The wine and cocktails were great. Kudos to the entire team, the service was impeccable from start to finish. It's always a pleasure to dine in an environment where the staff works so well together and all clearly have sincere pride in what they produce. Thanks for a great evening!

Amazing dinner for our Son's 40th birthday. Chef Crawford prepared a 3 course meal with Fullsteam Brewery beer pairings. The Braised Beef Cheeks with Mushroom Ragout and Campo Cheese Grits were the best I have ever had. The Pumpkin Cheesecake with Toasted Meringue, Hazelnut Praline and Caramel finished the meal in style. We are lucky to have a chef of this caliber in our area.

Enjoyed an evening with friends. Service was exceptional, atmosphere charming and very comfortable, food was over the top delicious, and the best Manhatten I have ever had in the world. No doubt I will visit again when in town. Lucky are those who live in the neighborhood and can walk to dinner there.

Celebrated our 25th at Crawford and Son. Our experience was absolutely wonderful. Our server was so helpful and spot on with all his recommendaitons and the food was the best we have had in years!

Had the pleasure of eating at Crawford and Son over the Memorial Day weekend. It was truly a culinary experience. I thought I had experienced some great food in my life but I was very impressed. The mushroom bread pudding was phenomenal and the grilled octopus was a step above any I have eaten. I had the tilefish for my entree and it just melted in my mouth. The desserts were well thought out and delicious. The staff was attentive and friendly. It was high end dining but in a very relaxed atmosphere. Try Crawford and Son, it is a gem!

Beautiful restaurant, food was amazing ,amazing presentation, but the best I think was our desert probably number one.That was our second time coming there and the menu was totally different, so don’t count to have a favorite dish , And all good.

Fantastic from top to bottom. Walked in and sat at the bar and the bartender was wonderful. Great service and great drinks. The food was fantastic. From apps to entrees delicious. Some of the best cornbread I have ever had

Amazing dinner -- sat at the bar, had the best bartender who had perfect food recommendations and could pick the best wine based on a description of what we wanted in terms of body/taste. So glad we decided to celebrate at Crawford & Son!!

From perfectly seared octopus, delicate tilefish and the best short ribs I've ever had the pleasure of eating, Crawford delivers on every point – great cocktails, great atmosphere.

The service was amazing, team effort and everyone very professional. The food was really good, great taste and presentation. Also I found the portion sizes to be larger than most restaurants, you could have an appetizer as a meal with a side item and be satisfied. I'll return for sure.

Food was wonderful, our service was methodical due to my wife’s Gluten sensitivity and caused us to order more mixed drinks than usual. 😀 But their ability to accommodate most anything on the menu for gluten intolerance is appreciated and great. Server was great and food was top notch. Good to have this type of restaurant in Raleigh.

Never disappointed with Crawford. First time here. Loved the casual atmosphere and the staff was incredible. Food and drinks were amazing. Omg that bread pudding. Next time i am ordering all apps so I have room for desert.

I had a great experience here. Laid back but fancy and the decor is great. Service was also wonderful. Wine was good and food was amazing. I'll be back and I highly recommend.