Perry's Steakhouse & Grille - Raleigh — Restaurant in Raleigh

Ok this is my honest review of the Valentine's day experience from the moment of reservation which was easy enough online. My partner and I made the reservations over a month ago and chose an early time slot of 5pm and wanted to hit a movie afterwards. Also the fixed price menu was slightly cheaper before 5:45 pm, only bar seating was available which was fine we both like to make our choices beforehand and share our meals so we can enjoy a few things, we don’t spend hours dining we are normally a get in eat and leave type of people. From the moment we approached the restaurant it was chaos. The valet parking was backed up and I needed to be dropped off a few car lengths away so I could go claim our reservation, I hate being late. When I opened the door to step inside it was wall to wall people standing room only and I needed to wade through a sea of people to check in, which was on time at about 2 minutes before 5. I was not given an estimate of time but I could tell it was going to be a bit. For a good 5-10 minutes I huddled in the corner waiting to see how many people were there for the same time slot, or were just walk-in’s or big parties perhaps, no they were just incredibly behind and overbooked it was crazy. People were upset and there was nowhere to stand or sit it was uncomfortable. We struck up a conversation with the couple next to us and their reservation was at 4:45 and at 5:25 they were still standing and waiting. It was at that point I started to worry about our movie plans. 15 minutes later, I shuffled over to the hostess area just to see where they were at with seating I was told that there was 9 tables ahead of us. A movie would not be an option luckily we were able to refund that thanks fandango. We finally were called at 5:54 and shown to our table in the bar which was nice. We made our choices quickly off the fixed menu and added an appetizer to it as well, we didn’t wait long for our drinks and then appetizer to arrive. The stuffed mushrooms were good and it left me with high hopes that the food would make up for the wait. That proved to be wrong. We both ordered the lobster bisque soup which came out in a timely fashion but was cold not just not hot but mine was actually cold. I dunked a piece of bread in it and used it as more of a dip then soup. In the mean time management was at the table next to us for the second time apologizing for the wait. The family had been there since 4 and were still waiting on 2 of the main meals and it was well after 6 pm, I overheard them say it would be another 10 minutes. This worried me how could their food be this delayed when there was literally one small menu with limited choices…the kitchen should be cranking out the food. We also heard the waitstaff complaining about not making any money tonight, uggh really???About 7:15 our main meals arrived they weren’t bad but not great either my chicken Oscar was dry and did not contain asparagus. The vegetable had a strange smoky flavor to it almost reminded me of cigarettes. My partner’s filet was good but we both were getting full at this point and opted to take our leftovers and dessert home. When the bill arrived we were charged incorrectly and had to bring it to the attention of the waitstaff that our reservation was for 5 so we should have been billed the lower rate, it was corrected after some discussion. The valet was better upon leaving at 8 pm and eagerly fetched our vehicle. Once home we discovered they had given me the wrong dessert packed in the bag but oh well it was just another strike in a series of unfortunate events of the evening. I’m not sure if they had never done a valentine's event before but it was horribly planned and executed even the police were on hand so we won’t be going back but the other couple from the lobby area enjoyed their food as we met them waiting in valet line on the way home and discussed our experiences. I wished I had better comments I wanted to love it but it just wasn’t a good experience tonight Perry’s it kinda ruined...

When entering the restaurant one can be greeted by premier cuts of meat in a display case, although this was empty and in a bit of disrepair when I visited. The hostess was amiable, inquired about our reservation, and guided my dining group to our table positioned in the middle of the dining room floor. If there is a coat check available, we were not offered the service. We waited for approximately 10 minutes before anyone greeted the table, but when our server Allan did show up it was evident that he was quite busy. An initial round of libations took another 10 minutes, and one of our party was not awarded the opportunity to order. For appetizers I was prepared to enjoy the blue point oysters on the shell, but after inquiring with the kitchen Allan informed us that they were not available. We ordered Ahi Tuna Tatare, Escargot, and the Perry’s Famous Pork Chop. The pork chop was brought table side and carved from the bone as the different regions were indicated, such as the more marbled portion known as the “eye lash.” .All the steaks were ordered at a medium temperature with the exception of the tomahawk ribeye which was ordered at medium-rare. It seemed that once we ordered entrees Allan began to give us more attention. While waiting on the entrees I ordered a specialty soda from the menu but was told they were out of this as well and I resigned myself to a different selection. Eventually our table decided to share a bottle of Perry’s Cabernet. Although the bottle did have a label that said “Sample. Not for resell”, which is not the most reassuring thing to read when enjoying a bottle of wine. When the entrees arrived, the appearance was lack-luster and the plates were almost cold to the touch. Only when cutting close to the bone were thin lines of pink visible within the steaks, indicating the cuts were overcooked to a medium-well temperature or more considering the remainder of the cut exhibited a consistent light brown interior. The creamed spinach was almost entirely spinach and had a rubbery consistency. It remained practically untouched. The sweet siracha brussels sprouts were incredibly salty and were also left undisturbed. The macaroni and cheese is one of the sides I can actually recommend, and the penne held the cheesy mixture quite well. The whipped potatoes resonated heavily with the bitterness of sour cream, and appeared to be pipetted into a large bowl to gain additional fluffy texture. Lastly, the truffle steak fries were a grandiose presentation of 6 or so large steak fries stacked like a crude log cabin. These were topped with a heap of very thin fried string potatoes with a cream and green garnish. These were tasty, although a bit dense in the center. The streak fries cut into large wedges probably struggled to cook all the way through. We decided to attempt dessert and some coffee beverages. Almost expected at this point, the crème brûlée caramelized sugar was carbonized to black for almost a third of the topping, and the custard was loose and runny. The bread pudding was a gigantic serving with almost equal parts marshmallow block on top. The interior was lukewarm but had a great flavor, including the pool of caramel sauce in which it swam. The Mont Blanc a la Frisc was flambéed table side and the best dessert out of the 3 three ordered. Espressos and coffee were ordered and seemed fine, until the bill indicated a decaf espresso instead of the regular ordered. Not a big deal, not a health issue, perhaps the incorrect push of a button, but still another frustrating aspect to the meal. At the conclusion of the meal, Allan informed us that individual items could not be allocated to multiple bills. If 4 people were to share a bottle of wine, a common occurrence, only one tab at the table would reflect the charge for the wine. When exiting the restaurant, the interface for the servers was visible and was of the Aloha variety. A quick google search indicated that Allan was not correct, and the system is specifically designed to handle these types of...

When we heard about Perry’s Steakhouse & Grille being open, we got ourselves a reservation just a few days after their grand opening. Traffic to the restaurant was unexpectedly light, so we arrived at Perry’s about a half-hour prior to our reservation. The hostess greeted us with a beaming smile that was plain to see, even with her sequined mask firmly in place. We explained our situation to her, and she offered to either direct us to Bar 79 for some drinks, or to have us seated immediately. We chose the latter, and were led to a cozy corner in Perry’s Signature Room. This is a glass-enclosed room that is surrounded by the restaurant’s wine cellar. It made for a striking atmosphere, allowing us a look at all the bottles surrounding us, with the occasional wine steward striding through the cellar behind the glass to find a customer’s preferred vintage. Moments after we were seated, our server—Matthew—came to introduce himself, and to take our drink and appetizer order. My wife chose one of the bar’s signature cocktails, called “The Godfather Returns.” It’s a delicious concoction made with Scotch whisky, Amaretto, just a bit of black walnut bitters, and served with a slice of dried orange. Deciding to have my drink at the end of the meal, I instead ordered a bottle of Perry’s Reserve Cabernet; just the thing for the steak to come. Don’t let the name fool you; I found the bottle to be a cut above the typical “house red” in most other restaurants. But first, the appetizers. We decided on two: the Cherry Pepper Calamari, and a classic shrimp cocktail. The calamari was lightly breaded and fried to perfection, with a variety of peppers included to bring some (but not too much) heat to the party. The shrimp cocktail was the Platonic ideal of this widely-loved appetizer, with five mammoth shrimp served on ice, accompanied by cocktail sauce with a generous dollop of horseradish on top to give it some kick. As we enjoyed the treats set before us, we studied the dinner menu loaded onto our phones via a handy QR code posted on each table (paper menus are also available, if you prefer.) My wife selected a filet with a lobster tail on the side; I went with a 22oz bone-in ribeye accompanied with bacon-wrapped scallops. Our server, Matthew, who was never intrusive, but always there at just the right moment, appeared to take our order and whisk it away to the kitchen. Waiting for our entrees, we chatted and sipped. In what seemed like no time at all, our meals arrived. My wife found her filet and lobster tail perfectly cooked to her liking. My large ribeye was flawless—a perfectly-cooked rare on the inside, with a flawless sear on the outside. Between the steak, the wine, and the scallops, I was in heaven! All too soon, we found our plates empty. Matthew again came from out of nowhere, and helped us navigate the dessert menu. My wife chose the flaming Nutty d’Angelo, a rich melding of pecans in a brown sugar and brandy sauce drizzled over vanilla ice cream, and topped with white chocolate and toasted almonds. Even better, as one of Perry’s Signature Flaming Desserts, it was constructed at table side; After watching the fiery “show” I noticed several of the other diners around us ordering flaming finales of their own. My own dessert choice—Creme Brûlée—was a bit more subdued in comparison, but it was a custardy delight, from the crunchy sugar crust to the fresh berries that top this confection. At the end, my wife ordered hot tea, and I decided on an after-dinner Scotch. The generous pour of Oban 14 certainly didn’t strain the bar-staff’s skills in the least, but it was a fitting end to a wonderful meal, even though I was a little disappointed that their offerings in this area were as meager as they were. All in all, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, and will place Perry’s at the top of our list for family celebrations...