If I could give this place 0 stars I would.. I sat down for 45 minutes to a hour and never even gotten a drink. Everybody around was getting accommodated except for me. She sat me downstairs and there was already a waitress down there, she walked passed me a couple times with no acknowledgement till I saw they sent a waiter from the upstairs to serve me (he was African American and so am i) when the woman (of the opposite race) was already dish there serving and was no where near busy. My whole order was nothing but a cocktail and a salad, and I was there for 45 minutes and only Recieved plastic utensils. I’m new to the town and was trying to find a nice place to eat and came across this one as it was top rated, but I was totally ignored and can’t help but to feel profiled. What an unfortunate situation because I enjoy fine dining and would’ve been supporting the business a couple times per week, but just from this experience I will NEVER go back. I’ve washed my whole lunch being un acknowledged & now I don’t even have time to eat, sucks for me. I would love to know who the owner is.
Jane Barber
Overall, this was a lovely dining experience. Wait staff were friendly, efficient and accommodating. Our party of 8 got a real feel for the restaurant. We enjoyed cocktails, appetizers, soup, salad, entrees and dessert. There were no long waits for courses, the food was perfection and portions generous. Our dinner group will definitely be returning.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Duck Confit, Barrister's House Salad, Pie
Christine
We were a party of eight tonight and every single one of us loved every item we ordered from wine flight, cocktails and micktails to the pear sorbet, chocolate chess pie and impossibly light cornbread, pecan and cranberry bread pudding. It was just their regular Saturday night, wonderful food and attentive, friendly service. I don’t know what the bill came to, but it was worth every penny. Can’t wait to go back!
Food: 5
Service: 5
We had an excellent experience at Barristers. Our dinner group consisted of 4 couples and everyone ordered something different. The food was delicious, the ambiance was perfect, and our server Hailee provided great service. We'll definitely be returning soon!
GeorgeC
The atmosphere was nice. Soft, warm lighting with a feel of being outside due to the sconces, large cathedral type windows and stucco walls. A beautiful bar nestled in the rear of the restaurant. The party beside of us was a little louder than we would have liked, but we were still able to carry on a conversation without raising our voices. Our meal was very tasteful. We started with the duck empanadas, which were a little spicy until you added the pickled cabbage which made them wonderful. The Mrs. chose the roasted squash, mushrooms and carrots over butternut squash grits and she was more than impressed. I had the New York strip with crunch white potatoes. I am extremely particular with how my steak is cooked and this one was perfect. Seared crunch on the outside and warm pink medium on the inside. I absolutely loved every bite. We did not have drinks and the bill was what I consider to be average for such a nice meal and environment. Overall I would tate this as a 4.5 out of 5. We will definitely be going back again.
HelenaS
We arrived about 30 mins before our reservation and were seated immediately. The restaurant is small and intimate with marble flooring and ambient lighting. Our server was nice and knowledgeable about the history of the building. We started with the duck empanadas which my husband enjoyed and fried squash which were a winery in my book. For our entree I enjoyed the gorgonzola pasta, while my husband had the market fish which was the mahi this evening. My pasta was a bit too salty , but overall both dishes were enjoyable and the staff was nice and attentive throughout the evening. This restaurant would be perfect for a special occasion or date night. I definitely plan to return during the warm weather months and utilize the beautiful outdoor seating area.
Charles Edling
Decidedly okay.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 2
Raleighcuisinediner
The ribeye with sherry cream sauce and potatoes was incredible! Brussels were the perfect accompaniment and the bacon Gorgonzola started it all off nicely. The chocolate chess pie finished the meal. Would highly recommend! Jordon was knowledgeable and amazing. The entire staff was gracious and accommodating. Would go out of my way to come back next time I'm in the area!
The Esquire hotel's beauty really encompasses the history of Gastonia. For being a boutique hotel, unfortunately the food and service did not match up. The waitress did not look happy to be there and barely said 2 words to us. We ordered grits and coffee. The food took a while to come out and both food and coffee were cold. It's such a shame because I was really looking forward to having an experience to remember in such a quaint building. Would not be going back as it really left something to be desired!
Pitons
Three of us went for dinner on the last day of Queen's Feast. My husband ordered the bone-in porkchop with soup as first course, my friend the Duck Casio E Pepe with crispy Brussels Sprouts, and I ordered the vegetarian option of the grilled chicken entree with beets & arugula salad. The Brussels sprouts were very yummy, salad fine and soup ok but portion was tiny. I would be upset if portion of the soup off regular menu is also so tiny for $9. When our entrees arrived, I was informed they used portobello mushrooms instead of the advertised shiitake mushrooms for the vegetarian entree which was a little disappointing because I ate portobello on a regular basis but not shiitake mushrooms. My husband asked for the porkchop to be cooked medium but it was well done and dry. The most glaring issue was the Duck Casio E Pepe. The menu description is confit leg of duck served with pasta which led you to believe the duck would be the star accompanied by some pasta when in fact my friend got a huge plate of pasta with a paltry amount of duck (like 3-4 small shreds). We thought there might be more duck buried under the pasta but nope. I see that there is a confit duck entree on the regular menu priced the same as the bone-in porkchop, and that duck entree doesn't come with pasta. My understanding of restaurant week menus is they are designed to offer diners a small discount for ordering 3 courses (like a combo meal in fast food restaurants) as an incentive to attract customers in the slowest month of business. Cutting the portion slightly is understandable but tweaking the original entrees to the extent of filling the plate with mostly pasta is not cool. The second glaring issue was the bacon I found on my mushroom entree. The original chicken entree includes a little bacon so I guess the kitchen forgot the mushroom substitute is meant to be vegetarian. The wait staff quickly apologized and took away my plate to fix the issue. Good service overall.
The Barrister was an amazing place to eat! The food was excellently prepared and I very much plan to return. Restaurant Week was a wonderful introduction to this incredible restaurant. I'll be back for sure!
Katrina G
A gem of a restaurant! Highly recommend the pork chop with butternut grits and duck cacio e pepe dishes. The cornbread pudding dessert was so good and very generously sized. Food prices are pretty reasonable, especially for Restaurant Week Queen's Feast. Food alone was delicious.The service and staff made it an even more lovely experience. Ashley and Jennifer were awesome and so friendly!If you are doing Dry January, like we were, they were willing and enthusiastic to come up with some unique mocktail creations for us which were pretty good.We will definitely be back to try their actual cocktails and to try their other menu items.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Anonymous One
The food and service by Angela was phenomenal!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Grits
CeciliaD
First visit and expected a better experience. The building is beautiful. The dining room has a great ambience but the acoustics make sounds echo throughout. Three of us ordered the same pork chop and it was very good. My husband ordered duck. It was clearly misrepresented on the menu. Listed on the menu was confit leg of duck with pasta. What he received was a large bowl of macaroni type pasta mixed with a few pieces of duck. He was looking forward to a duck dish not a pasta dish and he said it had minimal pieces of duck that didn't have a lot of flavor. Our server was delightful but we wish we could have received our drinks quicker. We were almost through our entree before the wine arrived. Everything being said we will give it another try as I will always give a slightly off night a second chance. It is a unique experience and worth another go
vdrummer
A very unique restaurant that is well worth checking out. The food and service were both excellent. The ambiance is classic and memorable. Cocktails were original and delicious. Perfect for date night, special occasion, or a lovely evening out. Adding to my list of favorites and looking forward to coming back again.
If I could give this place 0 stars I would.. I sat down for 45 minutes to a hour and never even gotten a drink. Everybody around was getting accommodated except for me. She sat me downstairs and there was already a waitress down there, she walked passed me a couple times with no acknowledgement till I saw they sent a waiter from the upstairs to serve me (he was African American and so am i) when the woman (of the opposite race) was already dish there serving and was no where near busy. My whole order was nothing but a cocktail and a salad, and I was there for 45 minutes and only Recieved plastic utensils. I’m new to the town and was trying to find a nice place to eat and came across this one as it was top rated, but I was totally ignored and can’t help but to feel profiled. What an unfortunate situation because I enjoy fine dining and would’ve been supporting the business a couple times per week, but just from this experience I will NEVER go back. I’ve washed my whole lunch being un acknowledged & now I don’t even have time to eat, sucks for me. I would love to know who the owner is.
Overall, this was a lovely dining experience. Wait staff were friendly, efficient and accommodating. Our party of 8 got a real feel for the restaurant. We enjoyed cocktails, appetizers, soup, salad, entrees and dessert. There were no long waits for courses, the food was perfection and portions generous. Our dinner group will definitely be returning.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Duck Confit, Barrister's House Salad, Pie
We were a party of eight tonight and every single one of us loved every item we ordered from wine flight, cocktails and micktails to the pear sorbet, chocolate chess pie and impossibly light cornbread, pecan and cranberry bread pudding. It was just their regular Saturday night, wonderful food and attentive, friendly service. I don’t know what the bill came to, but it was worth every penny. Can’t wait to go back!
Food: 5
Service: 5
We had an excellent experience at Barristers. Our dinner group consisted of 4 couples and everyone ordered something different. The food was delicious, the ambiance was perfect, and our server Hailee provided great service. We'll definitely be returning soon!
The atmosphere was nice. Soft, warm lighting with a feel of being outside due to the sconces, large cathedral type windows and stucco walls. A beautiful bar nestled in the rear of the restaurant. The party beside of us was a little louder than we would have liked, but we were still able to carry on a conversation without raising our voices. Our meal was very tasteful. We started with the duck empanadas, which were a little spicy until you added the pickled cabbage which made them wonderful. The Mrs. chose the roasted squash, mushrooms and carrots over butternut squash grits and she was more than impressed. I had the New York strip with crunch white potatoes. I am extremely particular with how my steak is cooked and this one was perfect. Seared crunch on the outside and warm pink medium on the inside. I absolutely loved every bite. We did not have drinks and the bill was what I consider to be average for such a nice meal and environment. Overall I would tate this as a 4.5 out of 5. We will definitely be going back again.
We arrived about 30 mins before our reservation and were seated immediately. The restaurant is small and intimate with marble flooring and ambient lighting. Our server was nice and knowledgeable about the history of the building. We started with the duck empanadas which my husband enjoyed and fried squash which were a winery in my book. For our entree I enjoyed the gorgonzola pasta, while my husband had the market fish which was the mahi this evening. My pasta was a bit too salty , but overall both dishes were enjoyable and the staff was nice and attentive throughout the evening. This restaurant would be perfect for a special occasion or date night. I definitely plan to return during the warm weather months and utilize the beautiful outdoor seating area.
Decidedly okay.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 2
The ribeye with sherry cream sauce and potatoes was incredible! Brussels were the perfect accompaniment and the bacon Gorgonzola started it all off nicely. The chocolate chess pie finished the meal. Would highly recommend! Jordon was knowledgeable and amazing. The entire staff was gracious and accommodating. Would go out of my way to come back next time I'm in the area!
The Esquire hotel's beauty really encompasses the history of Gastonia. For being a boutique hotel, unfortunately the food and service did not match up. The waitress did not look happy to be there and barely said 2 words to us. We ordered grits and coffee. The food took a while to come out and both food and coffee were cold. It's such a shame because I was really looking forward to having an experience to remember in such a quaint building. Would not be going back as it really left something to be desired!
Three of us went for dinner on the last day of Queen's Feast. My husband ordered the bone-in porkchop with soup as first course, my friend the Duck Casio E Pepe with crispy Brussels Sprouts, and I ordered the vegetarian option of the grilled chicken entree with beets & arugula salad. The Brussels sprouts were very yummy, salad fine and soup ok but portion was tiny. I would be upset if portion of the soup off regular menu is also so tiny for $9. When our entrees arrived, I was informed they used portobello mushrooms instead of the advertised shiitake mushrooms for the vegetarian entree which was a little disappointing because I ate portobello on a regular basis but not shiitake mushrooms. My husband asked for the porkchop to be cooked medium but it was well done and dry. The most glaring issue was the Duck Casio E Pepe. The menu description is confit leg of duck served with pasta which led you to believe the duck would be the star accompanied by some pasta when in fact my friend got a huge plate of pasta with a paltry amount of duck (like 3-4 small shreds). We thought there might be more duck buried under the pasta but nope. I see that there is a confit duck entree on the regular menu priced the same as the bone-in porkchop, and that duck entree doesn't come with pasta. My understanding of restaurant week menus is they are designed to offer diners a small discount for ordering 3 courses (like a combo meal in fast food restaurants) as an incentive to attract customers in the slowest month of business. Cutting the portion slightly is understandable but tweaking the original entrees to the extent of filling the plate with mostly pasta is not cool. The second glaring issue was the bacon I found on my mushroom entree. The original chicken entree includes a little bacon so I guess the kitchen forgot the mushroom substitute is meant to be vegetarian. The wait staff quickly apologized and took away my plate to fix the issue. Good service overall.
Restaurantji Recommends
The Barrister was an amazing place to eat! The food was excellently prepared and I very much plan to return. Restaurant Week was a wonderful introduction to this incredible restaurant. I'll be back for sure!
A gem of a restaurant! Highly recommend the pork chop with butternut grits and duck cacio e pepe dishes. The cornbread pudding dessert was so good and very generously sized. Food prices are pretty reasonable, especially for Restaurant Week Queen's Feast. Food alone was delicious.The service and staff made it an even more lovely experience. Ashley and Jennifer were awesome and so friendly!If you are doing Dry January, like we were, they were willing and enthusiastic to come up with some unique mocktail creations for us which were pretty good.We will definitely be back to try their actual cocktails and to try their other menu items.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The food and service by Angela was phenomenal!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Grits
First visit and expected a better experience. The building is beautiful. The dining room has a great ambience but the acoustics make sounds echo throughout. Three of us ordered the same pork chop and it was very good. My husband ordered duck. It was clearly misrepresented on the menu. Listed on the menu was confit leg of duck with pasta. What he received was a large bowl of macaroni type pasta mixed with a few pieces of duck. He was looking forward to a duck dish not a pasta dish and he said it had minimal pieces of duck that didn't have a lot of flavor. Our server was delightful but we wish we could have received our drinks quicker. We were almost through our entree before the wine arrived. Everything being said we will give it another try as I will always give a slightly off night a second chance. It is a unique experience and worth another go
A very unique restaurant that is well worth checking out. The food and service were both excellent. The ambiance is classic and memorable. Cocktails were original and delicious. Perfect for date night, special occasion, or a lovely evening out. Adding to my list of favorites and looking forward to coming back again.