The good:
The service was great (except for being mildly slow int he beginning). Our waitress was patient and helpful in explaining the dishes.

The mac and cheese was above average (not the best I've ever had.) but had a nice crust and a nice unique flavor.

The baguette had an amazing crust to it and was cooked to just the right level.

The onion and gruyere tart was an interesting dish. Wasnt amazing but wasn't bad.

One of the deserts we had was strawberry hand pies with lemon ice cream. The crust was light and fluffy with a tasty strawberry filling. The lemon ice cream was also really nice and I'm not usually a fan of lemon flavored things.

The cons:
The entrees were Bad. We got The beef shank which came out pretty dry and flavorless though the onions on top were tasty. We also got the cider pork cheeks on a bed of peas. The pork cheeks were cooked to a good level of tenderness but were pretty utterly devoid of flavor as well and the peas were super bland as well. At $30-40 a pop this should not be your experience.

One of the deserts we had was the a chocolate hazelnut pudding type of dish with soft creme on top and it was just truly awful. The whole dish was bitter and earthy. Truly disappointing.

We won't be back and I think there are many better places to spend your money in the Raleigh area.

Conveniently located to the concert we were going to! The macaroni seemed to be a pre highlight and it was awesome!

Wonderful food and service. Very creative adaptation of an old fountain soda shop. Recommended very highly.

Poole's seems to always be full. We had late reservations, so many of the guests were finishing their meals and headed home. It felt like the kitchen staff had gone home, too! However, when the food arrived it was the same high quality we've experienced in the past. I always order the pimento cheese and fried saltines - a huge serving, enough for 4 people. The unpretentious menu has down East (North Carolina) items, done in unique ways, such a chicken, pork chops, fish.

Disappointing when you are a local. Make a reservation a week in advance for 730pm. And get treated so poorly that the staff and managers can’t even give an honest and humble apology. Industry folks don’t need to give other service industry the same song and dance. We get paid to read body language and make the experience better. The ‘acceptable range of wait time’ during the week and during a socially distanced staggered seating time does not take one hour for one entree and two separate vegetarian sides. And saying the same thing over and over again to the customer during the conversation still doesn’t make it better. I paid for the drinks like a respected customer should and left with no food at 9pm. Dominoes was the only thing open downtown and they at least smiled and said thank you.