Excellent menu and food..wonderful and friendly staff (Leslie was great,but no corn dogs lol )...Sat at the observation bar and watched the whole process. Visited with Vivian who was humble ,engaging and pretty.. a little out of the way but WORTH the visit.
So exciting to see the restaurant and people we have seen on tv.
Actual food is better than what the descriptions sound like! No appetizer or salad menu. Instead you get "Shared plates" (appetizers) and small plates (salad replacement which includes veggie dishes)
Having watched a Chef's Life for some time, we were unexpectedly able to get in for dinner late last week and what a treat it was! Sitting and watching the chef's prepare and prep each meal was even more of a treat. The team there could not have been more pleasant and helpful and seeing Ben working behind the scenes reminded us of all that goes into a making a restaurant successful. Our food was amazing - the shrimp and grits were a favorite and our server O.J. was awesome. The icing on the cake, was meeting and visiting for a short while with Vivian - she was both humble and gracious. We will most definitely be back! Thank you for a memorable experience!!!
The service (our waiter was attentive without being intrusive) and ambience were superior! The food not so much. If you don't like strawberries - don't go! More than half the dishes had some kind of strawberry something attached. Portions were very small and some dishes were barely warm. The ribeye steak had so much fat on it my daughter got about three bites out of it. The rock cornish hen was served in a not so great broth that was room temperature. The soft shell crab had a greasy batter and was not edible. The salmon was very good, tender and flavorful, but again very skimpy serving. Desserts were delicious, which was great because all five of us were still hungry after dinner. Food is overrated and way over priced. All the wonderful publicity much driven the prices up. A shame.
Absolutely great place to enjoy a night out! Food, service, service, and atmosphere are the best!
From soup to nuts. It was all very good. Service was outstanding as well.
Country food kicked up! Taste and service were excellent
This is my second visit to Chef & Farmer, in the last 12 months. My first visit went great but this visit I and my cohorts experienced some issues with our main entree the Spice Rub Catfish. The entree included catfish, fennel aioli, Hoppin John, ham hock jus, parsely. I asked them not to add the aioli to mine. When we received the entree the presentation was nice, the cat fish was seasoned however the Hoppin John (peas w/rice) was not edible....it was actually dangerous! My peers and I took our first bites and we all looked up at each other with confusion. I requested the waiter to inform him of the issue. The waiter was very courteous and immediately informed the cook. The waiter returned to inform us that each dish is sampled before plated and that the rice was suppose to be "crispy". I informed the waiter that the rice was not crispy and that it was in fact VERY hard seasoned dried out rice! To avoid a dental bill, the 3 of us chose to just focus on the catfish which was prepared beautifully.
On another note: The shared plates of Flash Fried Collards, Sweet Potato Tostones, Butterbean hummus/crackers were tasty. My Jedd's Lettuce salad was delicious and my Pecan Streusel dessert was heavenly! The wait staff were very courteous and attentive.
Fresh combos of local foods. Fun mash-ups of classics.
Our first visit about 2 years ago was everything we talked about until we planned our next reservation this past Thursday. We could not get a table before 8:15 so decided to visit the bar and have an appetizer about an hour early. The bar staff were awesome but the Rabbit pizza would have been much better without the Rabbit. We were finally seated and had the same waitress from 2 years ago so were excited about the night's meal. Cornbread was amazing, but we should have realized something was wrong because our waitress brought this without us asking for it and sure enough, almost 70 minutes later we were served. Our Trout was over done and the beef special was flank steak that was tough to chew. Shinny star of the table was the Shrimp and Grits.
Hate to be too critical, but maybe the Chef is spreading herself too thin and should mind the store a little better.
Saturday 2 November 2019
Last year we celebrated my Mother's birthday at the Chef and the Farmer. Everyone had such a great meal and so much fun that my Mother asked to celebrate her 90th birthday dinner at the Chef and the Farmer. We did that on Saturday. This year great grandchildren, grandchildren and her children all joined in the celebration. There were 12 adults and 3 very active and engaging children for dinner. The entire Chef and the Farmer team were incredible and easily supported my Mother's wheelchair access needs. Carlos was very attentive and timely with covering the Family's requests.
The food was as incredible for this year's celebration as it was for last year's celebration. The selection of locally sourced foods were beautifully prepared and presented. My Mother has requested to have her 91st birthday celebration at the Chef and the Farmer!
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Friday 2 November 2018
Food and service was incredible for a seating of 7.3 people...for my mother's birthday. Even the pickiest of eaters in our group found the food to their liking. We ate early and when we left it was very busy but the staff were just as courteous and cheerful. Definitely book a reservation and enjoy!
Our hour and half drive was worth it. All dishes so finely prepared with touches of flavors the burst, tantilize, or linger in the tongue. A bit confused with 3 groups of 1. Shared, 2. Small, and 3. Large plates. But, makes sense, kind of downeast sense. My wife surprised bar tender with request of margarita with Patron XO. Now named the Magdarita for my wife, Magda Other guests tried it.
If I could give them 6 stars I would! Absolutely delicious food and amazing beer and wine selection. Highly recommend.
A wonderful experience. Service was impeccable. Food was amazing. Traveled from Vermont to dine there and Vivian Howard s food was beyond what I expected to experience. Wish I lived closer so I could spend more time there.
Perfect place for Anniversaries. Be sure and make reservations well in advance.
CTF is a four drive one way. Made the trip last Saturday. Once again, the experience was worth the trip. Awesome food and a fantastic staff!! Thanks Vivian!
We are huge fans of the PBS show, A Chef's Life. So, we wanted to visit Chef and the Farmer. We weren't disappointed. It was an amazing experience. The food was delicious, and the service was top notch. If we're ever in the area again, we will be back. The flash fried collards, okra and ranch ice cream, pimento cheese grits, blt pizza, frogmore stew, tomato pie, s'more sandwich, sweet tea ice cream, and cheese plate cheesecake were all amazing. It's well worth the trip.
Went for Valentine's. We found new and refreshing food combinations. The steelhead trout salad could be a main dish. It was wonderful. The pork chop had an overpowering smoky flavor. The chairs are uncomfortable. The drinks are divine. Sit at the bar and eat appetizers, soups and salads. Wonderful ambiance.
Some of the best shrimp and grits I've ever had but a friend's fish was undercooked and my husband's drink was barely drinkable. I think they may have been understaffed at the bar. I'd still go back based on my meal alone.
We stopped in on the way to Wilmington after a long drive from NYC...having seen the show, we were super excited about coming to Chef & the Farmer.
I cannot wait to come back!
One of the finest places in Kinston for a relaxing craft beer and good vibes. Love this place
I really love this place. The food has always been great if you're ok with a smaller seasonal menu that has one foot in southern tradition while allowing the other to step forward and be innovative. The staff and chef(s) have always been kind, accomodating, attentive, and super hospitable. Do not go here for a quick bite, come here to enjoy food, drink, and life with family and good friends. Get reservations.
One of the best meals ever! Service superb! Worth the two hour drive to celebrate our anniversary!!!!
Celebrated our anniversary. Amazing food. Friendly and attentive service. Wonderful experience. Hope to visit again soon.
Extremely disappointed considering the number of people who recommended this place. The entire experience was very disappointing. Service was average at best. Especially since I ordered a drink that I still have not received. At least they provided plenty of tap water. The food was not worth the price tag they put on it. I ordered a steak and for the $40 they charged me for it I could go to Outback spend half that and get a steak that's twice as good.
Ive noticed on your show while cooking she keeps touching her hair and hands back to the food please wear something over your head you cooking for the public going back and forth touching your hair is so not cool
My wife and I arrived at the Chef and the Farmer for our 5:30PM seating. The bar was full, but the dining area was about 50%. The physical room and setup is impressive.
The alcohol selection is impressive, with flights for both bourbon and scotch.
The menu is divided into three parts: Share Plates, a second course and the main course. We ordered fried collards ($6) for the share plate. My wife ordered trout finished with pureed parsnips and I ordered snapper.
The fried collards were warm to the touch, just out of the deep fat fryer. They were very oily (no surprise), but the salt was overwhelming about two times what a normal person might consider. We ate less than 25% of the dish. Our wait person noted that we must not like collards and we responded with the excessive salt issue. She said she would convey to the kitchen. There was no apology for a bad start.
The good news is that my wife s trout was excellent and her dessert, the strawberry shortcake was very good. The bad news is that my snapper was close to a blackened preparation, meaning lots of pepper. I had the not carrot cake (which was sweet potato cake). Too bad carrot cake was not available.
The meals plus two glasses of house chardonnay ($13 each) totaled $116 plus tip.
We drove 2+ hours for our meal and were disappointed. We will not return.
I enjoy going to Chef and the Farmer. The staff is friendly, attentive, and accurate with the service. They are knowledgeable and professional. The food is presented very well, and tastes great. There is a large selection if drinks, and they will make specialty non listed drinks on request. The menu continually changes based on availability and seasons.
39th Wedding anniversary, we had great service and great food. Looking forward to coming back. Great big thank you to Hannah for attending to us during the wine tasting.
We were having diner on 21 of May 2014, we ordered shelved crab and trout, meal arrived after 10 minutes. looks like came from refrigerator to microwave to our table.
Both plates were definitely too cold, and tasted mediocre. When we complained, management offered us ice cream, frozen to death, not very good. Did I mentioned vine, very average and too expensive taking quality under consideration. This restaurant is absolutely overrated, and it wasn't worth 70 miles round trip from Triangle.
Don't go there, in Durham- Raleigh- Cary and Chapel Hill there are a lot of good restaurants. Better food, better price, less hype.
Jacek Obrapalski
Cary, NC
Amazing food, but not uptight about the dress code. Best steak I've ever had.
My husband, 6 year old and I came in January 2016 as a response to the television show with high expectations. And they were exceeded, which is no small feat. We returned last night bringing 6 of our family members, again with high expectations (surely it couldn't be as good as the first time?) And the experience was an absolute delight. At one point, my moderately picky Brother-in-law (and hard to impress foodie) took a bite of his pork/smoked carrot puree/sweet raisin dish and said, 'This may be the best dish I've ever had.' We loved the collards an the grits from the appetizer menu, my cabbage/pork ragu dish which was a riff on spaghetti everyone raved about. My sister got a farro and mushroom dish that was so complex in flavors and yet a pure delight, maybe my favorite. The last time we visited, the only disappointment was the desserts, and they obviously changed the dessert menu because we ordered a 3 dessert flight and enjoyed each one. We also happened to get the table next to the kitchen and the bonus of watching the chefs prepare the food put the entire experience over the top. We celebrated my mom's 78th bday and I think it's safe to say, it's will be one we always remember. Can't wait to return.
Menu is designed by seasonal harvests. Southern traditional food with a twist. No, it's not Cracker Barrel.
Amazing food. My wife and I spent our 19 year Anniversary with them. They made our night special.
Thank you
Great place, they are heavy on the salt but I'm sure if you ask them to go light they would
What to say about a restaurant with it's own cooking show?
Actually, there's very much to deeply savor here, and very little to whine about - it was immediately apparent that these folks 'cook to flavor' and aren't bound to formula, rote, or recipe.
This is a difficult and exacting cooking style - which pushes skill and knowledge upstream placing a premium on an experienced and aggressive prep staff to create ingredient decks that the line can readily meld into finished dishes.
Someone here really, really understands vegetables, especially the humble roots, legumes, and tubers that most folks just sling into the blank spots in their cuisine.
Be brave - order the butternut squash casserole - you will be different...
Spend a moment to admire a Harvard Beet with sufficient moral authority (and just enough citrus & ginger) to slap a Hog Jowl out of it's baconesque sloth and set it firmly on the path to being something much more sublime.
On many levels, this is brilliantly obsessive food, the staff is well-trained, professional, and pleased to be working, and the experience is well worth the money spent.
I've one whinge though - tall, acoustically bright rooms need to be slightly damped - not muffled into despairing tranquility, but kill just enough of the flutter echoes to mute the roar - our ears and your dessert chief will thank you.
Top quality place, the food was amazing and worth the price. Would definitely return for special occasions
Service was super friendly. Very interesting combinations of traditional dishes and seasoning and sauces
Food was tasty bartender and staff/waters waitresses were nice and atmosphere was inviting. My friend and I sat at the bar where the chefs cook and prepare. It was our first time at the restaurant. The waitress jess we had up sold the 97$ new years menu and gave input on the items that had peanuts to avoid my allergies I had mentioned when I made the reservations. My friends 3rd course menu item was returned due to the way it was cooked. When he received the steak back I had to use my napkin to catch a running roach from his plate to the counter top. Not a water bug. Not a big brown/black bug you see around dumpsters. This was a light tan cockroach the ones that can cause you to be ill. On the plate I trapped on the counter removed my napkin from my lap picked it up and took it the manager as discretely as I could. At that point I wanted to go. We asked for the check and boxes and when we spoke to the manager as she was apoligizing she told us she removed our drinks from the bill for the cockroach I caught that was on my friends plate and tried to run off the counter.
Not only did I have to catch a roach and did not make a scene while doing so... the waitress upselling the 97$ new years menu did not specify that it was 97$ per person.
I paid 220$ to catch a roach leaving with our skin crawling with 3 free drinks... for catching a roach and not announcing it to staff employees and customers.
I love eating there. But this is not how you treat customers. NO ONE SHOULD PAY 220$AND HIDE THE FACT THAT YOU HAVE ROACHES ON YOUR CUSTOMERS FOOD.. AND THEN TAKING DRINKS OFF THE BILL THAT WAS NOT EXPLAINED 97$ PER PERSON.
We had an amazing experience here. Food was delicious and unique, the restaurant itself was beautiful, the prices were reasonable, and the staff was absolutely incredible. Everyone was so kind and friendly. I would recommend this place to anyone!
We traveled from Virginia Beach on 4/7/2018 to have dinner at Chef & the farmer. We had a great experience! Our server Jessica was awesome and the food was good. We went to the Boiler room on Sunday morning and had a couple appetizers before our drive home. And we also tried Kings BBQ pig in a pup!! Great weekend in Kinston!!
Probably best for me not to rate it since I got sick after eating there
UPDATE: After this review the manager contacted me immediately and was more than helpful and apologetic about our visit and went out of his way to make things as right as possible. I would be more than happy to try again when time permits.
Service was first rate, but food was a bit disappointing. My wife and I shared the beef tartar as an appetizer and it was good, although the soft boiled egg on top was over done. We then both ordered the NY Strip which came with bok char and potato croquettes. The croquettes were delicious, but the bok char was too bitter for my taste. The strip was cooked perfect for both of us, but mine was an extremely tough cut....no way it was angus or anything close. At $48, I would expect a much better quality cut of beef.
Planned a weekend getaway around a meal at Chef & the Farmer. Ordered the grits, pizza, pork shoulder and stake. Great food, lot of flavors, it would have been a memorable meal had it not been for extreme over saltiness. Was not able to finish the meal, even after drinking lots and lots of water!
Why??
From a suggestion of one of our friends, a group of us decided to make a weekend of this trip. Six of us made reservations for a Saturday night. After checking in at the Mother Earth Motor lodge, we made our way to eat. We started with our daily bread, flash fried collards, peach pizza, and fried okra with fried ranch ice cream. Next we tried the street corn, oysters, and watermelon salad. Daily bread tomatoes with the smoke corn aioli were genius. The flavors are a perfect match. Fried collards are a good pairing with beer. The peach pizza, while I have no idea where the peaches are, was delicious! Don't be scared of the jalapenos. They only add flavor to the mix.
The main course was the yard bird with fried okra and squash casserole, and the catch of the day which was AmberJack with cucumbers and compressed zucchini.
The sweet bbq highlighted with blueberries on the chicken was perfectly cooked. I find myself using my hands to get most of the meat because I didn't want to leave any. I wish the okra was larger, only before i love okra. The squash was also delicious with the perfect amount of crunchy crumbles
The fish was also delicious. Very thick cut and cooked perfectly. The compote paired deliciously with it.
With two bottles of wine, we totally enjoyed our stay and look forward to the new seasonal menu on our return.
One of the most impressive restaurants I've been to! The food is creative and delicious, the staff extremely friendly and just plain happy, and the ambiance is perfect for a special night!! We lucked out with a seat right next to a glass window to the kitchen so we got to watch all the action. I recommend everything we tried: fried okra with ranch ice cream, flash fried kale, beef tartare, cheese puffs, mahi mahi, pork chop, and tiramasu cake. The cocktails were also yummy but needed a little garnish or fresh herbs accompaniment to set it over the top, in my opinion.
Great summer menu and attentive staff. They made a event for a child extra special. Well worth the travel to visit.
Excellent service. Food was adventuresome without going over the top. My only criticism was that I was unaware that the watermelon associated with my pork chop had been marinated in red curry and I'm sensitive to curry (it wasn't noted on the menu). Thankfully my hubby switched dinners with me (even though our server offered to bring me something else). It all worked out.
We've been here dozens of time and it never disappoints.
We ate at the chef and the farmer when it first opened and found it delightful and ate there about a year later for our anniversary and it was pricey but good, it has several a few years since we have eaten there so when we had company from out of town that wanted to try this resturant because of the pbs series and hype they had heard we got reversations for 6-3-16 at 845pm. While you definitely don't feel like you are in Kinston, we all found the atmosphere to be too loud and the food over priced. We had reservations and still had to wait about 20 minutes to be seated, then we ordered and we got our food at 1010 pm. We were among the last leaving, and not because of lingering. Our guest made the comment that they were glad to have eaten there once so they can say that they have but would have no desire to ever eat there again. Our server was nice and knowledgeable about the food and drinks so that was a plus. Let me also mention that while we were waiting, there was young family ahead of us that also had reservations and had been waiting a long time and they were not happy, the staff did try to appease them (except the male host at the entrance he didn't seem to really care) but I'm not sure it worked. Our guest has eaten at many fine restaurants throughout the United States as they travel extensively and they mentioned other resturants within driving range that they felt were more worth the money and provided the same level of ambiance. Fortunately for this restaurant there are many that will give it "raves" by word of mouth sadly our quest will not. I have to wonder how many ,if honest with themselves , truly love the food or just the idea of eating at a local "celebrity" resturant they saw on t.v.? I wish them continued success as Kinston needs more positive publicity but we will continue to go out of town when we want ambiance, good food and plan to spend over $100.00 (our bill was over $150.00 at the chef and the farmer).
The mark of true quality is the food quality, presentation, and taste are above what is expected. The same can be said of the service. Vivian Howard wasn't there, but the restaurant provides the best food experience whether she is in house or not.
It was good, not great. I was expecting more. Food had a little too much smoke and salt - overwhelmed the food.
Always something interesting and different on the menu. I suggest you try something a little out of your comfort zone and slow down to appreciate the thought and planning that went into the dish. Also, the kitchen bar has the best seats in the house. Reservations are a must and it's a little pricey to be a regular thing, but worth every penny.
The food is always wonderful, great customer service. This place never disappoints!!!
A little disappointing
Nothing could live up to the hype of a full television series, and this restaurant falls short.
Nothing bad, but not inspired or memorable.
A trout main course reminds you why not to order trout-it's a white meat that has little fish taste.
Salmon tartine was just that-salmon meat on toast. Steak is unremarkable and a pile of sweet potato slices is too much.
Pork does better, a roasted pepper appetizer is competent (and I've never seen sorghum on any menu, anywhere, before). A beignets dessert is well done, though not very original. Pumpkin soup with, I believe, pork, is very good.
Again, nothing bad, service is good. Very noisy, prices as expected.
I would go back, but not out of my way again.
The food-indescribable
The service-impeccable
So often when one goes through a highly anticipated experience it is met with a less than anticipated reality. Not so here. Truly memorable dining.
Thank you.
We were there as a group and we had to ask to get drinks refilled every time, you shouldn't have to constantly ask for refills(Alcohol). They were out of several regular beers also. We were about 15 of us. the Appetizers were awrsome, the Steaks on the other hand.. Had to send mine the first time because it was well done and the 2nd time because it was too tough...several others had the same issue, some chose to eat it, some didn't.
The last couple times I've been it was off on something or another... If we are gonna pay premium prices we should expect premium products.. I realize that we were a big group but we were not rushing anybody by no means...We just expected better.
I have been wanting to try this place for ages but can't ever find a reservation for the time slot I need. Anyway, after reading the reviews I have decided not to visit. From what I have read from other reviewers is that it is overpriced and overrated. I notice Vivian only comments on the good reviews she receives but not on the bad ones. If someone wrote a bad review about my business I would reach out to them and find out more about their experience, especially since some people travel from far away to eat there. Also, I would address the problem and rectify it so it doesn't happen again. Word of mouth goes a long way.
My husband treated me with a trip to Chef & the Farmer for my birthday. Food & service was wonderful. We shared the bread with spreads, the wood roasted mushrooms & kale. Joe had the braised pork shoulder & I had the Cornish game hen. For More
Food is always good, pricey but you get what you paid for, made sure you have reservation.
Excellent chef. The dishes are original, beautiful and delicious. The reservation is necessary ...
Impeccable in atmosphere decor menu..dinner was perfect in presentation. Friendly staff cordial attentive..A++
An absolutely amazing experience! The food and atmosphere were top-notch. Our server, Joanna, was spectacular and helped to make the evening even more spectacular.
Good food, could really tell each item is farm fresh. good service, or waitress was kind and knowledgeable. Good atmosphere, had a true country feel but with class and elegance. Need I say more...
Great biscuits and good food. While I expected a bit more for the price, it has a great ambiance and wine list.
Celebrated my birthday with my daughter and daughter in law it was fabulous!! We did have a wait but place was packed standing room only packed. Lovely atmosphere and staff but the FOOD!! Well, worth the wait. We started with "flash fried collard greens" seem like you could smell the pork meat they were DELICIOUS. Now for our meals the server, Don suggested to me a "beef and sweet potato hand pie with basil aoli" it was GREAT so great the other lovely ladies ordered one as well ! My daughter ordered rabbit and pastry and it smelled really good. My daught in law had fish of the day. Presentation was beautiful on all plates. At end of meal because it was my birthday i was served this awesome marshmallow icecream in a dish surrounded by toasted marshmallow cream with crushed cookies on top and a candle!!!!!
BEST RESTAURANT EXPERIENCE EVER
My husband and I had a wonderful anniversary dinner here. Every single dish was amazing. The staff was great as well. Even though it's a four hour round trip, I will be visiting again soon.
Excellent restaurant and staff with fantastic food.
Delicious food. Great wait staff who anticipated your every need. Amazing
Over rated. Food was pretty good, but not great. Long wait. Atmosphere is very nice. Loved kinston!
Great food as usual. Had some grits with ham,cheese and chow chow that was out of this world!!!!
Spectacular!!!
Fantastic food with great service. Definitely lived up to the hype. Very pleased with everything, including the sommelier service.
As soon as I walked in, I was in love. It was my 13th birthday and I had watched the show all the time. First we had the daily bread. It had tomatoes and some kind of seasoned bread. I never had it before but it was soooo delicious. Then, my sister and I had the Flounder, Oysters, and Shrimp Stew. My mom and grandma ordered the Pan Roasted Cornish Game Hen. It was seasoned perfectly. We all loved the main course and the dessert made it all even better... Blueberry & Blackberry cobbler, Peach Upside Down cornmeal cake and ice cream of the day, a watermelon-like sherbert. If the cornbread was more like a cake... then it would have been even better! All the way from Jacksonville Florida... and very satisfied!!!! The hostess and waiters were so nice. I'm waiting on my cookbook to be delivered!
amazing. beautiful concept. we drove two hours from Durham to enjoy the restaurant. everything was to our liking. excellent service.
First time visiting this restaurant..excellent. My husband and I watch the series "A Chef's Life" and decided to visit Miss Howard's restaurant as part of a vacation getaway...marvelous service, delicious food in an unexpected location. We visited during the Christmas holiday season...a wonderful adjunct to our travels. Thanks to Miss Howard and staff at "The Chef & the Farmer".
Showed up for Porch Plates. Closed, no sign, no notice, website not updated. So sad.
