The Raleigh Times — Restaurant in Raleigh

Nope! Our friends visited from out of town and we took a chance on The Raleigh Times because we were intrigued by the prospect of showing off our city with their rooftop dining. We were also encouraged by the number of positive reviews. We found a choice parking spot downtown and headed toward the restaurant. We knew it might be busy because it was a Friday night around 6:00 p.m. We knew there might be a wait or that we wouldn't be able to dine on the rooftop because they don't accept reservations. We were prepared for a variety of scenarios. What we were woefully unprepared for was the jaw-droppingly rude reactions from their staff. We entered into the expansive space that spanned 3 distinct areas with no host in sight. I asked the first staff member I saw (server/bartender) how to get to the roof. She briefly glanced at me, then gestured toward the back of the restaurant and said, "It's back there." I didn't see the stairway because it was darker toward the back of the restaurant. I asked where, she sighed, then gestured more pointedly, "Back THERE." We headed in that general direction, where a staircase revealed itself. We were met near the top of the steps by another server/bartender who said, "There aren't any tables out there" as soon as we arrived. We said we would wait at the bar. He continued, "You may be waiting 10 minutes or an hour or more," as he stepped behind the bar. We were okay to wait, but then he continued, "You can sit outside downstairs." He peered outside. "There's one table left." I'm going to skip more of the back-and-forth aimed at discouraging us from waiting. Of note, he didn't make any drinks the entire time we talked. Suffice to say, we ventured downstairs and by the time we looked outside, that table was taken by other patrons. In a last ditch effort, we spotted a table near the front window. The table was covered with the leftover food and dishes from the previous patrons and we didn't see anyone coming over to clear it. I asked the first server if it was okay if we sat there because the table needed to be cleared. She replied, "If you sit there, someone will clear it," then turned and walked away. By that point, we were fed up and frustrated, so we turned around and walked out. This review, as you can see, is based purely on the reception (or lack thereof) we had from the moment we stepped into this overrated and understaffed establishment. Food quality? We'll never know. This is a "skip" and a big NOPE! P.S. We ended up making quick reservations & leaving the downtown area. We dined at Gonzo Tacos y Tequila on Hillsborough, which had amazing food and a wonderfully attentive staff. Smiles all around!...

First off, this restaurant is only open seating, first problem there. Luckily I circled through the multiple rooms enough times I was able to find a seat. It was a good at least 10 minutes before somebody finally came by my table and dropped off a water, at least it was plenty of time to decide what I wanted. I ordered the Times Nachos and opted out of the meat and beans option and just requested the cheese and fixings on top. Somebody needs to show this place how to make nachos, it’s such a waste when an entire layer of chips have no cheese on them and that the chips were too hard, almost stale. I waited a good while before receiving my next item which was the Raleigh Times Burger. I had asked for this burger bun-less and medium cook. I was not asked what I wanted as my side and French fries were brought out alongside my burger. The burger patty was VERY overcooked and choke me dry, luckily condiments were provided upon request after receiving the burger. The patty was better on the inside, but the patty was really crumbly and just fell apart. The French fries were equally overdone and had a hint of burnt taste to them. The server was not friendly by any standard, didn’t even get a “you’re welcome” anytime I said “thank you” and she never asked how anything was or came to check up on me, her name is Julia. This was my first and last time at this establishment, bad reviews across the board from my experience. Also, there was this weird guy who was dressed up and seemed to know all the workers, he just hung out near the server’s area at the bar and was on his phone the entire time, not professional if he’s a worker and did nothing to help anyone. Pictures below show the weird guy and the plate of nachos after eating the top layer which was the only layer of chips...

Decided to go downtown Raleigh while our daughter and friends went to the Pierce The Veil concert last weekend. My wife and I figured we do a little date night and find a nice place to eat. At first we were very apprehensive with the area. We happen to see a rooftop dining area while we were walking the main strip. We figured it out to be The Raleigh times. We did a Google search to see their menu. The food looked fantastic. So we figured we'd give it a try. This restaurant did not disappoint. Actually was the highlight of being in downtown Raleigh. We did sit in the rooftop dining area being it was a beautiful fall night. Our waitress Jess was absolutely amazing. Being our first time there she actually made us feel very comfortable like as if we were almost family. Well family she liked. LoL. Her recommendations were OnPoint, her smile was amazing, her personality was just awesome and the level of service was outstanding. Please forgive me for not remembering the bartender's name. But he had long hair and an attitude of a rockstar. Very nice and professional and really knew how to make a good drink that wasn't overpowering with alcohol actually tasted great. I ordered a Long Island Ice Teas. And he's probably made it the best since I've been down here. The sum up our adventure. I would definitely go back to this restaurant visit Jess and the Rockstar bartender just to go eat and not even really care about downtown. Thank you for the great food, service and atmosphere. Highly...