Clayton Steakhouse — Restaurant in Clayton

We moved to Durham NC in March after a long wait for my husband to get transferred down here to be closer to his only child. I returned to Vt in June for almost five months as I have a huge family ! When I returned at the end of October it was to a Condo in Raleigh that my husband purchased. I still haven't made any friends as of yet. When I found out there was a couple (from the same County in Vt that I was from) who owned the Clayton Steakhouse in Clayton I knew I wanted to go eat there. We both checked out their website and reviews. Holding a Managers Position at a Fast Paced Family Pub in Vt for over ten years I was excited to go ! We finally made it there for lunch this past Tuesday ! A beautiful ride on roads that made me feel like I was back home and the city itself did the same ! As we approached I could see that they were packed full. I opened the door to a bench full of people waiting to grab a table or seat at their unique small bar area. We decided to go home and try another day. Before we left I went in and introduced myself to the very busy couple. The atmosphere is totally welcoming as are the couple who own it ! I can't wait to go back and actually eat ! For a Restaurant to be that busy for lunch tells me we are going to love the Clayton Steakhouse ! Stay Tuned !!! 😃 We finally made it last Wednesday night for dinner. We made a reservation for 5p.m. ! And it was so worth the wait !! I'm very particular when it comes to my food. Beef isn't a favorite but pork is it for me ! My husband ordered steak and I had the pork chop. I'm guilty of sending many back to the cooks over the years ! It was the Best pork chop I've ever tasted at a restaurant !! PERFECT in every way ! My husband loved his steak that was cooked to perfection. We had drinks, salad bar, our meal and the Best of the Best Carrot Cake for Desert ! I can honestly say I've never eaten everything in front of me . We both cleaned our plates and loved every morsel !! From start to finish it was a great experience ! Every single staff member said Good Night to us with sincerity and a Smile ! We will definitely be going back for more !!! 💞

Not only is Clayton Steakhouse a Great Place to Eat !! They Care About Their Community !! I just saw a post about a FUNDRAISER LUNCH !! TO BENEFIT PARTNERSHIP FOR CHILDREN OF JOHNSTON COUNTY !! They are usually closed on Monday but not March 4th. They are serving Lunch !! GO TO THEIR WEBSITE AND ALL THE INFORMATION IS THERE !! I'VE ALREADY RESERVED 2 TICKETS !! If you can't make Lunch maybe a Donation !! This Is AWESOME !!! 💞

Someone wanted to ask me a question about the Steakhouse today, Feb. 8th. I wasn't able to respond as I was at Verizon having my phone repaired. I do apologize and hope you will ask...

I went to Clayton Steakhouse on Friday with my husband, our infant, and my parents; we had a GREAT experience!

The restaurant setting is casual but cozy, very warm and welcoming. I called at 4:30 to make a reservation for 5:00 and they were able to accommodate us without hesitation. It did, however, get busy a bit later! I can see why!

We were seated instantly and Lisa, our wonderful waitress greeted us. We ordered wine as they have quite a few great options, and she provided us with water. She then told us about the features and how the menu works.

We started with Shrimp Diablo, a featured appetizer. This dish was amazing! A flavorful and buttery order of pan seared shrimp, with the perfect amount of spice! This was served with toast, perfect for dipping! On to the entrées! My dad and I ordered a steak, and my husband and mom the tilapia. All of the entrées came with Texas toast, a side, and unlimited salad bar. The salad bar was SO good; it was fresh and the homemade ranch dressing was 10/10! I tried some of the tilapia and it was delicious, fresh and flavorful, perfectly cooked! The side of green beans that my husband ordered = also delicious! Saving the best review for last: my steak. I ordered the 8 oz filet and for me this was a risk. I have bad luck with steaks at restaurants. Order it medium, get it medium rare or well done. Order it medium rare, get it close to rare. FINALLY! I order a steak (medium rare) and it was cooked PERFECTLY. So tender, flavorful, and delicious. It was so nice to not have to send a steak back. The menu even states exactly the temperature and what that will look like. I ordered a baked potato with mine, and it was great; served with butter and sour cream. I was holding my daughter, so I asked my mom to get me some shredded cheese off the salad bar for my potato. Out of nowhere, one of the magical waitresses just popped up and said “I can grab it for you!” Lastly, we tried a few desserts, and they were, surprise, delicious! The chocolate cake was moist and amazing. I got the coconut pecan pie to go, and I will try that tonight!

I would highly recommend the Clayton steakhouse! The atmosphere is no frills yet cozy, and the service and food was five stars! I can’t wait to go back, and...

I want to start off by saying the bartenders were wonderful, as was our server, and the establishment is cute, if a bit small and cramped. Though my wife had to explain what a "black & blue" steak was (our waitress was more familiar with the term "Pittsburgh" style), the filet mignon she ordered was cooked to absolute perfection and the two pieces she was generous enough to share with me were delicious! Our green bean appetizer was also pretty tasty.

The two star review comes from the other 3 steaks we ordered. All 3 were ribeyes, ordered medium rare, medium, and medium-well. Each of them were cooked to at least the next doneness level. I was the only one who sent their steak back, however. They gladly cooked me another one, but this one came out blue, which is a cool blue center. Obviously, I wasn't going to send another one back.

If you're familiar with ribeyes, you know that the fat and marbling means that anything below medium rare will cause it to still be quite tough. Sadly, this didn't make for a very enjoyable meal as a number of mouthfuls of my steak needed to be discreetly placed into napkins because I couldn't chew them. Also of note, the seasoning on my first steak was very good, while the second one seemed lacking, perhaps due to the short time it was cooking for.

Finally, I want to mention that I was surprised by how thin the ribeye cuts were at a steakhouse. Having grilled countless steaks at home, I feel that was the direct cause of the overcooking. Simply put, it's extremely difficult to cook a thin steak properly because it cooks so quickly.

Had this been a $25 steak, I'd have been more forgiving, but at $37 it's completely...