Wakefield Tavern — Restaurant in Raleigh

Wakefield Tavern was the WORST restaurant experience out of the 15 yrs of living in NC.

Where do I start.?? I’ll start with why I gave a 2⭐️. I wouldn’t give it any stars, but the restaurant looked very nice and the up keep was really good. I also liked the out door area. I can’t really tell you how the atmosphere was because it wasn’t inviting for me to experience.

I had some girly maintenance in Wakeforest and was hungry. So I do what most people do. I googled places near me to eat. I saw that Wakefield Tavern has Sweetpotato Fries my ABSOLUTE favorite 😍 so I was headed to get me some deliciousness 😋 I arrived and sat outside to scope the area. I seen a lady walk in, so I was like “cool”

I go through the doors… and I’m stopped. Not greeted! STOPPED! in the foyer area. The Host is looking at me like I have five heads and a bulging eye. 3seconds felt like 30min. I’m like “hi” she tells me “can I help you”

I’m thinking…. is this not a restaurant? So, I said- YES! I’m hungry! Then another stare down session. I’m like hello! I need a menu. She hands me a menu. Then we are staring at each other again. So I’m like- where do I sit!

At this point I’m over this place. But I wanted the sweet potato fries 🥴 so I stayed. She points and looks over to the waiting area in the foyer. I didn’t even step foot in the restaurant, and wasn’t offered a seat nor a drink. I order and I say where do I wait? She’s looking confused and she’s staring at me some more. I’m like giiiirrrlll I will wait in my car.

I hate to think this way, but I can’t help to think she has never seen a black person.

Maybe this place does not serve NEGRO’s🤷🏾‍♀️

Maybe black folks don’t live in Wake forest

I know I sound naïve- I’m still waiting for someone to explain how a restaurant is seating a bar full of folks and two/three tables of people. And when a splash of color walks in I’m treated like I have no business here.

Look, if you put up a sign 🪧 no negro’s all of this would have been avoided…. Just sayin..🤷🏾‍♀️🙅🏾‍♀️

When I picked up my food the owner was at the door. And he was REALLY nice 👍🏾🤙🏾 my tongue wanted to ask if blacks are welcome here. I didn’t. I did ask if it was normal practice to not be invited to sit. He said no and offered me a seat. I was super uncomfortable and nicely declined and left.

My food: was okay, my deliciousness sweet potato fries were kinda hard and my Turkey BLT was missing some ingredients 😔 I took three bits and tossed it 🥺😫 hate wasting money 💰.

I hope other people have a better...

I wanted to treat my daughter to lunch and she suggested Wakefield Tavern. It was a Saturday, approximately 1:30 pm. Place was busy but we were seated and proceeded to order lunch. Our waitress was very pleasant and appeared to be handling several tables in our area. Food and wine arrived and we enjoyed our lunch. I gave my card to our waitress, signed the receipt, included tip and we left. Two days later I was checking my bank account and noticed two charges for Wakefield Tavern on the same day. Our charge was $72.63, and a second charge was $60.16. I called Wakefield Tavern and spoke to the manager, Ben. He said our waitress had used my card for another person's tab as well. He apologized, said he would refund me the $60.16 and the credit should appear on my account in approximately 5 days. The food amount for that tab was $48.39, tip $11.77. The food amount has been credited to my account but not the tip amount. A few days later I spoke with the assistant manager. Said she was not able to address my concern and she assured me Ben would contact me. Two weeks have passed and no call from Ben or refund of the tip amount. I know this may seen petty for $11.77 but to me it's the principal of the thing. Lesson learned -- - check your bank account after paying a tab at Wakefield Tavern -- you may have paid someone else's tab as well.

I gave one star for Wakefield Tavern for the way this has been handled. I gave two stars for the service because our server used my card for someone else's tab. Her service was quite good except for her careless error. I received a very nice text from the owner of Wakefield Tavern this afternoon after reading my review. A full refund is being credited...

Overall Rating: 3.9/10 This restaurant's visually appealing tavern-style atmosphere contrasts starkly with the subpar service and food quality experienced during the visit.

Atmosphere: 6.1/10 The setting is genuinely tavern-like, complete with a full, legitimate-looking tent and bar area that adds character to the space.

Service: 3.9/10 Service delays were significant, with over five minutes waiting for water and similar delays for food, impacting the overall dining experience. The lack of attentiveness continued throughout the meal, affecting the ability to enjoy the dishes as intended, such as not having ketchup available for fries. The charge is done by the sever at the table without giving a print out which may not show transparency.

Food:

Cowboy Skillet: 4.9/10 While specific details of the seasoning are forgotten, the presentation on a skillet initially suggested a promising dish. However, it was served cold, significantly detracting from what could have been a flavorful experience.

Kids Cheese Burger Meal: 3.3/10 The presentation of the kids' burger was lackluster, with a disproportion between the bun and the meat. A more balanced proportion could potentially improve both the appearance and the eating experience.

Cheese Pizza: 3.4/10 The pizza suffered from an underwhelming undercarriage and crust, reminiscent of lower-quality frozen pizza, which marred the overall taste and left a bad aftertaste.

Value: 4.1/10 Priced at $47 for two entrees and a kids' meal without drinks, the value perceived was low. Improvements in service speed, food warmth, and culinary quality, especially the pizza, could justify the...