Review of the Raleigh Times, Raleigh

            This weekend, Megan and I met some friends at The Raleigh Times for dinner.  While this was our first meal here, we have eaten at other restaurants run by the Empire Eats Restaurants and enjoyed our experience.  I understand that The Raleigh Times is in a historic building, but it looks more run-down on the inside than I would have liked.  I’m sure some people would call that “character”, but too much chipped paint and too many cracked ceilings make character a questionable call.  We arrived at about 5:20 on Saturday and immediately realized that The Raleigh Times had free-for-all seating.  So, we put two tables together to fit the six of us.  Unfortunately, other larger groups tried to fit in ten people at the neighboring table, so we were boxed in, with three added chairs in the small space between our table and theirs.  Having a hostess sit groups to avoid seating problems like this would have been a huge plus. 

            Megan and I shared the Bar BQ Pork Egg Rolls.  They are a fried egg roll stuffed with pork that was braised in beer, cabbage, and roasted red peppers.  They came out presented minimally with two egg rolls presented on three strands of what I assume was lemongrass with a sweet and spicy chili sauce in a cup.  However, they were right out of the fryer and were very good.  The homemade chili sauce was the star of the dish though, I couldn’t get enough of it on the roll. 

            I ordered the Black and Blue Burger, medium-well, with a side of their house-made chips.  My burger was supposed to be blackened, and topped with blue cheese slaw.  The blackening seasoning was either omitted or was so light that I couldn’t discern its inclusion.  The slaw was creamy, rough-cut slaw with blue cheese crumbles.  While the slaw was good, it could have used much more blue cheese, as this was the only cheese on the burger.  Overall though, my burger was cooked as ordered and made for a great combination of flavor and texture.  I would gladly order it again.  My chips were thinly cut and fried to brown perfection, then salted and seasoned perfectly. 

            Megan ordered the Prime-Rib French Dip with a small, loaded fries.  Typically, it comes with balsamic onions, melted provolone, and au jus, but Megan nixed the onions.  It was an average sandwich.  While there is nothing to criticize, there is also nothing that makes it stick out as memorable.  The house-cut loaded fries were another story.  They were spectacular.  They were perfectly browned, crispy, and loaded with cheddar cheese and chunks of bacon.  The scallions were a little heavy, but the fries, when dipped into their roasted garlic ranch, were sheer perfection. 

            I know the Raleigh Times is a bar, but it was very crowded and incredibly loud.  We had to leave as soon as we finished eating so that we could hear each other speak.  Also, please update your online menu.  While it is similar, there are changes between what you claim to offer online and what you actually offer in restaurant.  In fact, both the egg rolls and my burger are not on your online menu.  Our waitress, which according to the ticket was called The Wiz, would have been better had she refilled our drinks within twenty minutes of when they ran dry.  We will definitely come back at some time, but we plan on eating during a weekday or during earlier hours, so that the crowd and chaos will be at a level more akin to enjoying our meals. 

Category	Scale 1-5 stars
Food Quality
Food Creativity
Service
Atmosphere
Value for the price