The Crunkleton — Restaurant in Raleigh

My wife and I visited The Crunkleton last night after seeing instagram ads featuring the 42oz. bone-in tomahawk ribeye steak. I’m not one to visit a restaurant based on social media ads due to the tourist trap effect, but we decided to give it a try anyway. As steak lovers, we have made it a tradition to visit high end restaurants in larger cities to experience the best steaks they have to offer. Naturally, we ordered the 42 oz. tomahawk ribeye, medium rare, along with charred oysters and Brussel sprouts. My wife ordered the elderberry sour as well. The sour and the oysters came out in a timely manner and were phenomenal!

Our experience quickly took a turn for the worse when the main course came out. On a large piece of wood laid our ribeye, pre-sliced as advertised, along with the sides that come with it: potatoes, bread, and roasted vegetables. The presentation was on point, though I noticed it was very red almost purplish like a raw piece of meat. We each went for a slice. I cut into my first piece and was immediately met with resistance. It was very hard to cut and full of gristle. Still being optimistic of it, I took a bite. Very cold! Not room temperature or a “cool center” as some would describe a rare steak. It was refrigerator cold. Like 40 something degrees. Completely raw. My wife’s piece was the same way. We both looked at each other in disbelief. I felt each piece on the table and they were just as cold. We informed the waiter of the situation (he was awesome btw… I feel bad for him working here). Right away he offered to take the meat back and have it cooked for longer which we agreed to.

It came back with the end pieces and the 2 slabs that were on our plates missing. The manager brought it with a dismissive tone asking if it was now to our liking. As I felt it, he asked “what temperature do you think it should be?” I responded “the correct temperature of a medium rare steak, with a pink warm center.” I told him we’ll try it and see. He walked away. I noticed it was barely warm but hoping for the best, we dove back in and took a bite. It was still cold inside away from the edges. Also, it was very tough like what you would expect of a Select Cut sirloin, not a $180 bone in ribeye. For that price, I expected a Prime cut of meat, aged for at least 30 days. We flagged down the staff and told them there’s no way we could finish it. I suggested we send it back and instead pay for a $60 14OZ. New York strip for each of us. They agreed and said they would make up for the dissatisfaction with really good strips.

As we waited, the manager came by again with a condescending tone and tried to explain that because of the thickness of the steak, it should be red and appear uncooked inside, not acknowledging the fact that it was completely raw. I reassured him that for one, I’ve never sent steak back in my life for being red, and for two, I am a steak connoisseur and am well aware of the different levels of doneness for steak. According to some of the most reputable steak suppliers in the nation such as Snake River Farms and Porter Road, a rare steak has a center temperature of 120 degrees, not 40. Regardless, he did promise to make it right and even promised a free desert.

Our replacement steak came out and instead of a New York strip for each of us, it was just one. It was a very thin and pre-sliced contrary to how it is advertised, and smothered in a brown gravy which is not something I would expect of a $60 NY strip. Yet again, it was completely raw in the center as shown in the second picture. I was shocked. We ate it anyway, decided not to tell the manager how awful it was, and accepted the “free” desert which, we were later charged for. Due to the awkwardness of the whole situation, we decided to pay and just get out of there. The only thing they removed from the bill was the ribeye. We will never return. For being literally the most expensive steak in the state of North Carolina (you can look it up), our expectations were met with a very...

I had been looking forward to trying this spot in Raleigh for a while with my friend, and we finally made it out there on a Saturday night around 9ish. The vibe was right—ambient lighting, not too crowded, lovely open kitchen, and a gorgeous, ceiling-high bar that immediately caught my eye. I really liked the menu. It’s thoughtfully curated, with just the right number of options and really cool backstories and descriptions for the cocktails. That part definitely set the tone for a good night.

Now, a heads-up: if you’re coming as a party of two, I highly recommend sitting at the bar. The booths are HUGE—clearly meant for groups of six or more—so it felt like a lot of space for just the two of us. The music was loud enough that deep conversation wasn’t really an option. It’s more of a “laugh over drinks and get tipsy” spot than a place to have meaningful convos.

As for the food and service… that’s where things went a bit downhill.

I hadn’t had a steak in years and decided to break my red meat streak with their hanger steak and truffle fries. My friend ordered the same, plus the Mexican-style corn (I don’t recall the exact name on the menu). It took about 35 minutes for our food to arrive, which seemed long for how not-busy the restaurant was.

The steak was decent but not great. I ordered it medium, but it came out more on the medium-well side—chewy and not as flavorful as I’d hoped. It came with chimichurri sauce, which I was excited about, but there was barely any on the plate. I asked for extra, only to be told they had run out and would have to make more. I passed on other sauces because chimichurri was really what the steak needed. The sauce eventually came—20 minutes later. By then, my steak was cold, and I had already eaten most of my fries, which had been only lukewarm to begin with. The truffle aioli that came with the fries was amazing, but unfortunately, it became the highlight of the meal. For $38, I expected more in terms of flavor, texture, and overall execution. Honestly, it felt like a $20 steak at best. I also expected more than fries for dinner lol

Service was just okay. Once we were waiting on the chimichurri, no one checked in on us—not even a “Hey, the sauce is still coming!”—despite servers walking past us constantly. The place isn’t big, so a bit more attentiveness would’ve gone a long way. A manager finally stopped by at the end as we were waiting for our check, told us to “have a good night,” but it felt a little late and not very sincere. By the time we got the sauce, our excitement for dessert had disappeared.

Overall, it was a bit of a letdown, especially for the price point. If it had been a packed house, I might’ve understood the slow service and wait time, but given how chill the night was, I expected better. I’d maybe go back for drinks at the bar (because they looked amazing) …but probably only if someone else is...

High Hopes, Disappointing Reality at The Crunkleton

Our anticipation was high after seeing The Crunketon's sensational social media, especially their alluring tomahawk platter. Unfortunately, the experience at the restaurant struggled to deliver on that promise.

Upon arrival, we were promptly seated, but the initial four-top felt cramped for our party of four. While they accommodated our request to move to a booth, the small table size was an immediate concern. Our server, who also seemed to be handling bartending duties, appeared inexperienced in table service. This became evident when he steered my wife's cocktail choice based on price ( the poor assumption of affordability) , rather than her preference for a different spirit—a subtle but sour note to start.

Service and Culinary Missteps

Our order for oysters, calamari, a wedge salad, the tomahawk platter, and two sides was taken, but issues quickly arose. After the salad and oysters, the calamari was missing. What appeared to be the manager assured us it was "on the board" and later seemed to instruct the kitchen to prepare it. While things can be overlooked, transparency would have been appreciated.

The calamari, oysters, and wedge were tasty, building anticipation for the tomahawk. However, the steak arrived visibly overcooked (more medium than medium-rare) and, surprisingly, without steak knives. The manager brought them over, after I requested them, but his subsequent comment—"you should put on an apron and come in the back. You've got a great eye for detail. Have you worked in the restaurant business?"—felt condescending given the circumstances. I simply expected proper cutlery for the dish.

The platter itself was incomplete. Despite ordering mac and cheese and Brussels sprouts, the advertised potatoes and hearth vegetables were missing. When we requested the potatoes, the manager seemed annoyed, bringing out unseasoned, oily potatoes that bore no resemblance to the promotional video. The mac and cheese was equally disappointing—runny and bland, a far cry from the baked version showcased online.

A Disconnect from Expectations

As a well-traveled diner, I have varied expectations based on the establishment. While not expecting the Michelin experience we enjoyed at Quadri Venice, or the attention to detail imparted during a kaiseki meal in Shinjuku, the experience at The Crunkleton fell short of even an "upscale" classification suggested by their Instagram. It felt more like a step up from a bar, which contradicts the image they project. The inconsistencies in service, incomplete dishes, and poor execution of key elements ultimately left us underwhelmed and our expectations unmet.

Compared to the Durham restaurant scene, Raleigh feels like it has this veneer that's quickly shed once you experience the options. And I primarily come to Raleigh for the...