City Beverage

I visited City Beverage for the first and last time tonight. Upon arrival I was told they had no menus left, but the waitress would bring menus ASAP. After at least twenty minutes I inquired about a menu again and was told by the same waitress there were still no menus. If a restaurant is busy I have no problem waiting, however there were extra menus sitting on almost every table and the staff made zero effort to wait on our table. I waited an additional 15 minutes before leaving the restaurant. I can not see any reason a patron would need to wait at a table for 35 minutes and not even receive a menu or a glass of water. Don't waste your time visiting this establishment. Cons: Service more

This place has pretty good food but you have to have the patience of a saint to find that out because this place has the worst service of any place we've ever eaten! Frankly it doesn't seem that they're even trying. The last time we were there it took us 45 minutes to get a bowl of soup and another 40 after that to get our main courses. The time before that I didn't get my entree until my wife was totally finished with hers. We weren't even offered an apology; but the waitress did insist repeatedly that it was not her fault. When they expanded the seating area here they should have made the kitchen bigger too, because they can't handle the business. We even had one of the better servers here tell us that we shouldn't come here on a Friday or Saturday because the kitchen can't come close to handling the crowds! Restaurants that give terrible service to regulars in order to seat parties that are too large for the kitchen to handle usually don't stay in business very long and based on our experiences here, I don't think this place will either. When patrons take the time to complain to the owner of a business and all they get for their trouble is a bunch of lame excuses and more rude service it's time to move on and we will be dining elsewhere in the future. Pros: decent food Cons: the worst service ever, rude owner, can't get near it on weekends more

One of our favorite places to eat out. Casual, good service, good food, good beer selection. Great to sit outside on the not so hot days! Pros: parking Cons: loud inside more

From the get-go I liked this place. I still would rather do the Lava Lounge than sit in the expanded dining room. more

First and foremost I'd like to say I've been enjoying City Beverage for some time now. I have just encountered their new expansion and I must say it's great! The colors and decor, like the original, are quirky and unique. The staff as always, was friendly and quick to serve. The majority of them remember you as a ""regular"" after just a few encounters. While there seems to be a lot of new faces around, the quality of the product remains high. To the comment suggesting the two sides having seperate menus makes no sense, when food is coming from two SEPERATE kitchens- AND IT IS- it's impossible to allow for cross-ordering. Logistically that would be a nightmare! Anyone can see that. Also, there IS a burger option on the ""dinner menu"" so I'm not sure what it is that may be on one side you couldn't get. Add to that, the bartender GLADLY walked to the other side to bring me my favorite beer from the Lava Burger Lounge. As for children, I don't have any myself, but I don't think that City Beverage is a place I'd suggest taking kids anyway. I'm not sure 4 year olds are their target market, if you know what I mean. Plus, some of the decor is a bit ""risque"" so some may find it inappropriate for really young kids. Overall this place's strengths are its bar, its bartenders/staff and the food- maybe not in that order. The fact it may take a bit to get your food, or that they'd rather serve Tuna Steaks than Peanut Butter & Jelly sandwiches might make this place imperfect, but City Beverage is sure closer to perfect than its local competition. Just don't make the mistake of trying to place them in the Nana's category and you'll be sure to have a pleasant experience. Good food, in a CASUAL atmosphere, with friendly people is what City Beverage is to me! Now, if we could just get one a little closer to Chapel Hill:) Pros: Cuisine, Staff, Patio, Inviting Expansion for Large Groups Cons: Low Light Conditions on Patio, Kids Unwelcome? more

This place should not be listed as ""kid friendly"" as the staff there tends to behave as though they may catch something unpleasant from your children. There is no children's menu (at least none that we were offered) and the regular menu is rife with overpriced yuppie delights that are highly unpractical for kids. AVOID. AVOID. AVOID. more

City Bev has great atmosphere and pretty good food. Pros: Atmosphere, outdoor seating, decent food Cons: Slooooow service and food more

I am an admitted City Beverage junkie. My friends tease me because everytime we go out, my first choice is City Beverage. I have always been thrilled with my experience. Sure...things happen slowly there. but good things are worth waiting for. Anyone can tell you that the service is slow, but as long as you know that ahead of time you should be prepared for a bit of a wait, and wonderful food! Pros: Decor, large patio for outdoor dining, personable wait staff Cons: new menu, no cross-ordering, slow service more

How could anyone rave about the food at City Beverage? We visited for the first time last night, just interested in having some drinks and tasty bites to compliment out conversation. Honestly, a half way decent pizza would have done the trick. Pros: Very cute space, friendly wait staff, good drinks Cons: The ""cuisine"" is an overpriced bad joke more

This is such a fun little restaurant. They have a great menu that leaves plenty of options for everyone. The decor is cute without being too kitschy. The only drawback is the lack of a waiting area. I have come with a group of people before, and we waited in the tiny ""lounge"" area for a LONG time. The hostess felt bad and bent their rule of not allowing appetizers in the lounge, so at least we were allowed to munch while we waited. Needless to say they have a great staff. There is an outdoor area to sit. If nothing else, go for their retro funky drink menu. Lots of fruity fun drinks. Pros: huge drink menu, wonderful food Cons: no waiting area more

""City Beverage"" is a gem amoung the countless chain restaurants of the Triangle. Its unique retro style makes for an entirely unusual dining experience. What surprised me most though was the diversity and quality of the food. From appetizers to entrees, soups and salads to sandwiches, every menu item features truly gourmet ingredients in refreshing combinations. Sandwiches feature freshly sliced buffalo mozarella or other exotic cheeses, along with generously thick, high-quality cold cuts or other unique ingredients. Salads feature hearty mixed greens and fresh veggies (no iceberg lettuce here). City Beverage even fries up its own homemade potato chips, which are deliciously seasoned to perfection! For $8 you can get a truly gourmet sandwich and chips, the likes of which rival any Fosters' or Fowlers' fare. You can also choose from several great dinner entrees like steak or pork tenderloin. The turkey burger topped with sliced granny smith apples and brie is delightful, and the coffee-bar selections are of quite high quality and taste. And with so many beers on tap, a full bar with many martini choices, and a great coffee-bar, there's a beverage offering for everyone (hence the restaurant's name). Pros: gourmet food, very affordable considering the quality, unique menu, great retro styling Cons: small restaurant footprint, no real waiting area more

We've made many trips to City Beverage over the last year because the positives of this restaurant are so appealing: A innovative menu of good food, a comfortable, entertaining environment and decor and their patio seating has been a big draw. Pros: innovative menu selections, alternative to southpoint mall chains Cons: long waits for food, service staff lacking in many ways... more

Love, love, love City Beverage! Pros: Food, Beer list, Servers Cons: Sometimes crowded, sometimes loud more

Horrible customer service. I really want to support this place, because the atmosphere and food are good, and the location is convenient for me ... but rude service every time. I just don't have pleasant experiences there. They ignore you, starting with the moment you walk in the door. If the wait staff were nice, I would be a big fan. It's easy to be 'armchair quarterback', but the owners really need to think about this (this is hardly the first review to comment on poor service). You go out to dinner for good food that isn't cheap, you want to be treated nicely. period. more

City Beverage has a little bit of everything. I've had almost all of the appetizers at some point, and they've all been good. I particularly like the beef satay, as well as the queso, but the homemade chips are always served warm and are a steal at that price. The salads and burgers are all reasonably priced, and they all go well beyond typical bar fare. The grilled chicken salad is a personal favorite; the greens have always been top-quality, the salsa and vinaigrette are fantastic, and it's topped with a very generous amount of chicken and served in a HUGE bowl. As for the entrees, they are a little more expensive, but they're far from overpriced. The stuffed pork chop is great, and diners in my party have been very pleased with the pasta and seafood entrees they've ordered. The desserts don't change often enough for my tastes, but they've always been satisfying- try the key lime pie if it's available. Pros: Food, drink menu, ambience Cons: Gets VERY busy on Wednesday nights more

I don't know how this place stays in business. When my family arrived and asked for a table outside, the hostess looked utterly confused. She then went outside and hasseled the people who were joining us for dinner who had already sat down at our table. After we were seated, it took 20 minutes for the one waitress to come to our table. After we ordered an adult meal for our 3 year old, she informed us that they had a kids menu that the clueless hostess did not bother to give us. Be sure to order 2 drinks at a time as it takes about an hour to get anything from the bar. After my husband asked for the check, it took the waitress twenty minutes to bring it to our table. Pros: Nice patio (major insect problem) Cons: Rude staff, bad service, kid haters more

My wife and I just had dinner outside with our two children. My turkey burger was outstanding. I swapped the homemade chips for a side salad and found the salad to also go well beyond my expectations. When I got a chance to sample my daughter's homemade chips I found them to be among the best I've ever had at a restaurant. My wife gave the thumbs up to her fish taco (I think that's the official name) as well. We'll be back. The only two complaints we had were flies attacking our food and the use of processed cheese on the kids ham and cheese sandwiches. I'm not sure what can be done about the flies but we'd love to see an upgrade to the kids meal for our highly discerning children. Oh... Try the pear cider. It's a very nice summer alternative to beer but there are many good beers on the list to sample as well. more

I love City Beverage. It's one of my newest favorite ""neighborhood"" spots. I love the menu - it's really rather eclectic and I've never had a bad meal there. The service leaves a lot to be desired. It seems as if they are always either shortstaffed or those that they have waiting tables are a bit preoccupied and/or just not that great at the juggling demands of being a service staff. The bar is great and the drink specials are cool too. Again, it's one of my favorite watering holes, restaurants, places to surf the net - all of the above. Hopefully, the chef's good qualities will rub off on more of the waistaff and make it a totally worthwhile dining experience! Pros: Food is great, Ambiance is tres cool Cons: service is slow, service is slow, service is slow more

One of our favorite places in town - a cool funky atmosphere and tasty food. Try the homemade chips with gorgonzola sauce. They have very reasonably priced sandwiches and salads and well as a few more pricey entrees. Something for everyone! The outdoor patio is great when it is nice out. You may have to wait for a table, so get there a bit early and have a drink at the bar! more

City Beverage doesn't always hit the target, but they do often. Plus, I love, love the atmosphere. The red and purple walls, the lamps made from bowling pins, the hurricane glasses hanging from the humongous polka dots on the ceiling. Enjoy the bucket seats that pull you in and keep you feeling trendy and comfy. I' can't really recommend the calamari. There wasnt enough batter and what was there was too lightly fried, resulting in a limp presentation and texture. The accompanying cucumber and garlic dip was a bit tangy, but overly flavorless. The drinks are fabulous. Especially the key lime martini. It tasted just right without any actual lime juice. For dessert, we had the chocolate creme brulee. I was expecting a warm dish, but found one lightly touched by heat yet cold at its core. It was a great combination and made every bite interesting. Pros: decor, drinks, purple haze Cons: calamari, presentation more