Mitch's Tavern — Restaurant in Raleigh

I had a disappointing experience at this tavern. The food quality was poor, with excessive mayonnaise, old frozen cucumber, watery cold hotdog and a smell of rotten Cuban sandwich! The beer came with too much foam, and even top-shelf liquor drinks were diluted with lower-grade alcohol. The tavern had an uncomfortable atmosphere, particularly for women, as the staff stared throughout the visit. A Thursday night visit was regrettable, with men staring at patrons near the entrance. The door staff displayed toxic masculinity, adding to the discomfort. New owners exploited the tavern's Mitch’s name and its history and falsified their Instagram followers (90% fake followers , seriously). These unethical practices extended to fake accounts targeting my friends accounts . Given these concerns, I can't recommend this place due to its questionable ethics, poor quality, and unwelcoming environment. Felt the need to address these issues to warn others! Also, it’s annoying to see that they abuse college girls to promote drinking among college students and we’ve been told by the bartender that ALE undercover agents are friends with the owners and they always come to chill and have free drinks! Very Interesting & discouraging atmosphere. As a teacher across the street, I will advice all my colleagues to go to players retreat instead without any hesitation.

Reply to owner’s reply:

I must respectfully disagree with your perspective, as my observations during that time were different. There were no ALE agents at the door that night, that is a straight up lie, as the bar was not particularly busy, and I did notice a couple of young underage individuals present.

I also felt that the management or bartender did not seem equally attentive to everyone, as the focus appeared to be on serving the girls who most likely had underage friends in their group!

Additionally, my ID was not checked as the guy on the door was busy talking to other 2 guys who made us feel uncomfortable by just staring at us! We wish they asked for IDs…which is something I believe should be noted.

I also want to mention that my review was posted at 5 am after being discharged from the hospital due to food poisoning, an experience that I believe may have been linked to my visit to your establishment!

My intention is to share my honest observations and experiences as I became concerned about my health!

Finally, I wanted to share this publicly because this is a genuine review! You can’t force others to email you just because they don’t agree with you!

Thank you for your time and consideration.

11/2024 update : I received a notification that the owner responded to my review. Unfortunately, the response came across as unprofessional. I stand by my earlier comments: this establishment feels far from the Mitch’s we used to know and love. It seems like something has fundamentally changed, and not for the better. The atmosphere and management don’t reflect the quality and warmth that Mitch’s was once known for. It’s extremely toxic environment with college kids border line 21 years old. It would be great to see the original spirit of Mitch’s restored, perhaps under the leadership of the previous team. The current owners/management feels disconnected and out of touch with what made Mitch’s special! Real Mitch and Shannon did a big mistake by giving the business to a couple moron clowns to run it! This establishment raises serious concerns that warrant attention. Unfortunately, it seems that in Raleigh, those with questionable practices often prevail, leaving little accountability for maintaining...

Smoked chicken wings without googling how to cook them is a true fail. Waitress asked, I said honestly the worst wings I ever had. The response was on well, maybe they will be better next week. First time doing wing night without a fryer!!!!!! She knew the sucked, at no time did she offer a comp. She said, come back next week, MAYBE they will be better! I took that as a NO by her face, and I don't blame her! Management says( as I play it in my head) take these out with a smile, gaslight them!! 🤣🤣🤣. This experience was comical. From the time we walked in to the time we walked out. SO BAD. We expressed our dismay., we got no comp,!! So we said, I guess we will take them home and air fry them, and the waitress agreed. AGAIN, agreed they sucked. Since no comp to saying worst wings EVER. We took them home and made them magical! After spending over 30 bucks for a miserable experience with the wings, we still tipped. All waiters and waitresses all over the place, asking if everything is ok, but no feels in the question. We had to flag people down. They really didn't care if we liked it or not. They knew!!!! They knew!!!! Took them home, spent another 10.00 to add corn starch, honey, garlic, soy, salt, pepper, olive oil, etc for the 30 wings we couldnt stomach. Sad!!! Just sad. Can't wait how they respond and make this like I did something wrong!!!!!! 🤣 Yes!!! I fixed y'all's fail! If y'all need a taste tester, I'm...

This place has stood the test of time and is immortalized in Bull Durham. The charm and spirit surround you the second you head up the stairs and see the unique decorations. It is surprisingly not a college bar despite its proximity to campus and you will find a nice mix of locals, students, professors and professionals here no matter when you go. The food is all fantastic and I can honestly say I have ordered most of the menu and still don't have a favorite, though the gazpacho is amazing when it is in season. It is all incredibly affordable and fresh and the drinks are affordable too. They are quick as well, very easy to eat lunch there and get back to work on time with no worries. They don't have a fryer so don't expect anything fried except chips as a side, and they do try to stay fresh when ever they can.

Seasonal tips: in the warm months the chicken salad and tomato or gazpacho can't be beat. On a cold day their hot apple cider and gumbo is worth the trip, it's magical to be in that warm wooden interior and cheery atmosphere with that...