18 Seaboard

After reading all of the fabulous reviews my daughter selected 18 Seaboard for her graduation dinner. Needless to say our expectations were high.
Upon our arrival we were offered a table outside. The weather was perfect for outside dining. On the way we were led through a storage area with cloths hung haphazardly to hide the tables and chairs. At the top of the stairs we went through a prep area that was an eyesore.
The drink order was taken and delivered timely. Next came the bread basket. One small basket for a table for 8. Normally this would be inadequate but since the bread was stale and crusty it was more than enough for the table.
I ordered the Salmon medium. I could see it touched the grill but was raw and cold. The sides (veggies) were overcooked and cold. My wife ordered the shrimp and grits special. It was the first time she has not taken left overs home. My daughter ordered the filet mignon. The filet was less than 1 inch thick ! Golden Corral does better. My son ordered the Pork Shank. The meal was very grisly and the grits were bland. The rest of the party ordered the brisket. It was ok, nothing to write home about.
The service was ok. I could see the two servers were struggling to keep up given the deck was full and the distance they has to travel to bring drinks and food. This would not be reason not to return as we were in no hurray, having good conversation with family and the weather was fantastic. The reason not to return is simply the food was bad.

Had the shrimp and grits for dinner tonight words can not express how good this was. Also got an amazing drink while waiting at the bar for my to go order.

Went there tonight with my fiancé and an old friend. Was very impressed. We sat at the bar since we didn’t make a reservation. I was surprised it was reservation only unless you wanted to sit at one of the high tops in the bar area or at the bar itself. But we had a great time, anyway. Rusty was a good bartender. I had to break him in a little to get him smiling but after that he was fun to mess with, attentive, and a great sport. You go, RUS RUS! The food was some of the best food I’ve ever eaten. I’ll be back.

My boyfriend loved the grilled wahoo and the she crab soup. Also, the Albariño wine from Spain was lovely.
I would recommend this place for great ambience and good service. The server and sommelier made fantastic suggestions.

Date night with Boyfriend, we decided to venture out to 18 Seaboard since we were craving seafood and knew that it would be tasty.
We both started off with waters and wine. I went with a white, the Riesling, while Boyfriend opted for a red, the Grenache/​Syrah/​Mouvedre. I loved the Riesling so much that I had to get a second glass to enjoy with my meal, I would describe it as mouthwatering.
For a starter, we ordered the Sneads Ferry She-​Crab Soup. The sherry reduction made this soup rich. This soup was flavorful and I would definitely recommend that you try it.
For entrees, we both decided to order from the hardwood fire section since you get your choice of seafood or meat with one Chef’s Complement and two side items.
Boyfriend ordered the Gulf Coast Swordfish with Goat Cheese Smashed Red Potatoes and Grilled Zucchini & Squash. Complement: Champagne Tarragon Butter.
I ordered the North Atlantic Salmon with Goat Cheese Smashed Red potatoes and Cheddar Grits. Complement: House Pepper Jelly.
I always say that I am going to branch out and try something new here but I don’t. I did try a new complement, the house pepper jelly! I usually opt for the Champagne Tarragon Butter but since Boyfriend got that, I decided to go with a different option so we could split them both. They both tasted delicious.
For dessert we ordered the «Larry’s Coffee» Ice Cream Sandwich! I wish the chocolate chip cookie was a bit softer, when I was cutting into the cookie with my spoon it was shooting it across the table. I did love the ice cream and toffee that it was served with though. I probably would opt for a different dessert option next time.
I love 18 Seaboard and definitely recommend that you try it out!

Always good! Great service and food. I have enjoyed several nice dinners here and love the local cuisine served in an upscale way.

I’ve been to 18 Seaboard many times and they have not failed deliver a good meal. Our last venture, a pre-​holiday dinner, went well. Everyone found something on the extensive menu which looked awesome. Our table ranged from Woodfired grilled salmon to brisket to pork loin to filet mignon. Of course we had a few desserts (Mud Cake) and drinks. For me, the Mandrin Mojito, while it was good, was a bit too dense for my liking. 18 Seaboard continues to be a nice place, for a nicer meal, near the heart of Raleigh’s downtown. Cheers.

I just never seem to order the right thing here or my taste buds just don’t agree with this place. It’s always okay, but never great.

Where to begin! Ambience was great, casual dress!
We were greeted at the door by the proprietor and he was so friendly, of course we were at his restaurant.
To start, The wait staff was amazing!
The fried cauliflower appetizer was so good as was the cheese board!
Main meal for me was the cracklin pork shank served over a bed of blue cheese grits and sautéed spinach!
My sister-​in-​law had the same, my brother-​in-​law had the special which was fried flounder over cornmeal fried eggplants, my bride had the filet, blue cheese mashed red potatoes and the grilled squash and zucchini!
Every entrée was perfectly prepared and so full of flavor!
I would recommend 18 seaboard to anyone looking for a great dinning experience!
Cannot wait to try the other restaurants in the 18 family!

Sweet Lord of all things good this was one of the best meals I have had in a while. The SheCrab soup, light, tasty with a sweet crab finish for starters. The Cracklin Pork Shank, using Heritage Farms Cheshire Pork was absolutely amazing. Do yourself a favor and order it. I’m not a grits fan, but the flavor meld is perfect. So glad we are here!

Really want to do 4 ½ stars… Took my wife here during triangle Resturant week. Funny thing, everything we wanted was on the regular menu. So we skipped the specials and went for it. I got the pork shank which is their most popular item and my wife a chicken dish. Both were very pleasing. Dessert were these scrumptious chocolate bourbon truffles. YUMM! here was a treat! I neglected to mention the brisket tacos. Bananas… The flavor was intense but ever so pleasing. We will be back

Restaurant week was our opportunity to dine here for the first time. Regrettably, it will be our only visit. While the reception, service attention and ambiance were exceptional, unfortunately, the food wasn’t. Well, there was one service hiccup, where my glass of wine appeared in timely fashion, but the sangria did not… after asking the waitress, it seemed to have been «skipped» by the bartender.
We ordered the restaurant week fare and a «chef’s» entrée of catfish — this dish had a disappointing portion. Half of the filet seemed to be missing. The grit cakes underneath were smokey from the grill, but had the one main ingredient missing for the most part of our meals = salt. Tomato soup, grits (both the grilled and creamy) were bland, bland, bland. I have a high tolerance for the stuff, but my husband has a sweet tooth, and his opinion was the same –needs salt.
For all the ambiance, plating, service, menu design — nothing took away all that effort than a basic need for proper seasoning. Nice effort, on the dessert however — that’s not worth the $ 85 we spent.

This has to be one of the first in the Triangle to care about bringing us NC products and telling us what those are. Way ahead of times, really. Truly appreciate this restaurant group for that!
Four of us wanted a quiet place for Sunday brunch so we could have no problem carrying on a conversation… well, this fit the bill perfectly! We were able to make reservations which is also a big plus. Our table was comfortable enough. Service just fine.
Best part? The food! Two of us started with the Sneads Ferry She-​Crab Soup with Sherry Reduction. Yum! Very rich and flavorful. Husband started with the Warm Ashe County Pimento Cheese with Housemade Crostini and Pickled Onion. I managed to steal a teeny bite before it was wolfed down and it was very good! We were also brought white chocolate cranberry scones. Yes. You heard right. And yes as good as they sound… thankfully small though.
For our brunch entrees, two of us went with the 18 Benedict, which was made special by the wonderful house-​made sausage and very tasty hollandaise. The fresh green salad that came with it added just the right acidic element to cut the richness of the perfectly poached eggs, sausage & rich sauce.
Meanwhile the guys were very much enjoying their Wood-​Fire Grilled Moore Brothers’ Meatloaf & Farm Egg with Old Mill of Guilford grits, sautéed spinach and house-​made Worcestershire. This came with a choice of how the egg was cooked. Husband did scrambled.
Although I was stuffed at this point, others were somehow able to order dessert. Husband chose the carrot cake with candied walnuts and buttermilk ice cream. Managed a few tiny bites and thought it was pretty good when all elements were combined. Other couple went with the Pecan Pie Crème Brulee, which came with Pistachios instead of Pecans and no explanation. They were a bit disappointed but no big deal. We were also brought complimentary bourbon chocolate truffles.
Note: Not bad prices at all… appetizers were $ 6 each. Meatloaf just $ 10, Benedict $ 12. Desserts $ 7. Very reasonable for the quality level.

My wife and I had the pleasure of visiting 18 Seaboard during the Raleigh food tour. Since we were on the tour we got to meet the executive chef, Serge. We have been on a few food tours in other cities and the chefs are always nice, but it is rare to meet one who has the enthusiasm and desire to take time to talk with his diners as much as Serge.
I was really impressed with the menu and his knowledge and passion for the food. We sampled the fried green tomatoes, which were delicious, as well as a leafy green called gold frill. It was interesting to hear how they are combining local ingredients with their flavors. We also tried the apple sangria, which I would highly recommend.
There are a few private spaces in this restaurant where you could hold a special event, and it seems the spacious bar would be a great place to hang out if you don’t have a reservation.
Given this place is tucked a bit back in a somewhat nondescript plaza, you might miss it, but that would be a mistake. Needless to say my wife and I will absolutely be returning here soon for a dinner reservation.

18 Seaboard makes it really hard to find them behind the back side of a street but when you do, you know the hard work will pay off. This cozy, romantic restaurant delivers on a quality dining experience that is unique in the area. That’s my opinion but I’m usually right about these things.
After being seated by a warm and friendly hostess, our waiter Dale appeared immediately and started his rock star service. First highlight of the evening… the chef sends out a comp bite of something. That evening we had a spoon of mushroom cream with bacon on top. You had me at bacon and boy was it amazing!
For my entrée I had the BBQ brisket with sweet potato butter and Old Mill of Guilford cheese grits. Do I need to say any more? Wildly good. I paired that with an Australian Malbec, Alta Vista. Oh, yeah, Dale can suggest wine pairings for you. Seriously full service table side.
The evening could not be complete without dessert. I choose the Sticky Toffee Pudding — a carmalized apples and whisky situation topped with homemade whip. To. Die. For. The best dessert I’ve had since moving to Raleigh.
This place isn’t cheap. This kind of quality never is. Run, don’t walk to check it out.

Five stars across the board. From service to food to the atmosphere. This place is amazing.
I was visiting Raleigh for work and this place was highly rated on Unilocal.And deservingly so. Tucked away in the back of Seaboard Station it’s almost like a secret entrance. Though they kindly have put up signs leading the way.
My meal started with a complimentary amuse bouche which tonight was their mushroom soup topped with bacon. It was the perfect bite. I didn’t know mushroom soup could be that good.
I was trying to eat healthy and this place made it easy. I ordered the Salmon with two different veggies as my side. The salmon was amazing. You could definitely taste that it was cooked over firewood. It was crispy on the outside and tender/​perfectly medium on the inside. I chose the tarragon butter for my sauce which paired perfectly with the salmon. I know not so healthy but worth every calorie. The spinach was surprisingly flavorful and I almost wish I had ordered it for both of my sides.
Not only was the food amazing but the service was just as great. The bartender had a way to make you feel like you were the only person she was waiting on even though the bar was almost full. She new exactly when I was ready to order and everything was perfectly timed.
I’m already looking forward to my next visit to Raleigh just so I can go back!

This is quite possibly my favorite restaurant in Raleigh, because I love getting some good ol Southern comfort food! (Even if it is a little fancy.) My favorite meal is the grilled meatloaf and goat cheese potatoes.
Last time I visited, I got the pork shank with greens. The meat was tender and falling apart, and the greens were perfectly seasoned.
But honestly the best part about this place is the service and people watching. One time I dropped my fork three times (I’m a huge klutz) and the server was right there to pick it up. It happened so fast that i didn’t see him come help me. The manager usually comes and asks us how everything is, which is always nice. And i liked running into local elected officials, it’s a popular spot amongst that crowd.
I’ll visit again and again, I know what I like and it’s become my default recommendation.

After four years of going to college right next door and four more years of living 10 minutes away I finally was able to enjoy 18 Seaboard! The restaurant itself is nestled in the back of one of Seaboard’s main building, just follow the signs and you’ll have no problem finding it.
Service was pretty good, we were in a private room so I wasn’t able to see how many other people were dining for lunch, but our servers were fast and kept our drinks filled. Our food took about 45 minutes to come out, but I do think part of that was a delay because of our meeting prior to eating. I did notice that the servers were very slow on getting condiments for a few of our diners (about 15 minutes after our food they got their ketchup), by the time it came half of the meal was eaten.
I ordered the shrimp and cheddar grits with a bacon jam and what I believe was grilled chard… It wad delicious! The grits were cooked perfectly and the bacon jam was to die for! For $ 15 I had about 6 shrimp which wasn’t super impressive in terms of quantity, but the quality was great! Very fresh! The only thing I wasn’t a huge fan of was the fact that the chard left a waxy feeling in my mouth. It tasted great but the weird texture was a bit off-​putting. I have the same issue with cooked spinach so it may be a personal issue so please take my complaint with a grain of salt!
Lunch was delicious and the service was good so I will definitely be back very soon! I hope to try dinner as well as i’ve heard great things about it!

They really went «overboard» with their exceptional service!
Seriously blown away by how well they handled a group of 19 during peak hours on a Saturday night.
No mishaps with checks/​entrees/​drinks or anything else I could possibly think of!
Their food was tasty as well! Filet mignon had a nice grilled flavor but was still super tender.
My swordfish was rich in flavor as well. Their mashed potatoes were yummy but their other sides (I.e. Cheddar grits and rice with sausage) were pretty bland.
Overall, great experience!
Ambience is flawless with dimly lit lights and classy décor.
A bonus is that they have plenty of parking so you never have to worry about that being an issue.
Oh but do yourself a favor and make reservations! It was completely packed the entire time we were there.

I’m always very picky when it comes to choosing a place my parents will like for their anniversary. they’re pretty old school and are even pickier than me… My dad is a bit hard of hearing so I chose this place based on reviews saying that it wasn’t too loud… And I am so happy with the choice!
We started with the she-​crab soup which was phenomenal. I dont know how someone gave that a 6÷10−− are you kidding me right now? No. The manager came by and wished my parents a happy anniversary and dropped off complementary crab cakes that were so yum!
Entrees– so the sides that came with our entrees were delicious. The goat cheese smashed potatoes, cheddar grits, polenta, and the grit cakes were So good. Unfortunately the mahi mahi and cornmeal crusted catfish were not so great (avoid the catfish you guys, please… and the mahi mahi was way too salty in my opinion)
But thankfully everything else made up for it… including dessert– The white chocolate sweet potato turnover was amazing… and we were also given a warm cake with melted white chocolate comp’d for my parents anniversary– which they loved :) Service was also fantastic. I would def recommend trying this place if you haven’t already !