Daniel's Restaurant & Catering

I've read some of the reviews for this restaurant and some diners had good experiences and some not so good. That's typical of some restaurants, but when I take the time and spend the money to go out to a restaurant I want the experience to be good (if not great) every time, so consistency means a lot. I was with the table of 9 that have already written some reviews about our experience there. My dish was the amberjack fish special and it was very good. The salad I had before dinner was good and the appetizer (brie) was also very good. But, the service was not very good and I can understand that when, as in this case, the waiter is new or there is a situation that causes a problem (not in this case), but the reaction we received by the manager when we told him that the service was poor and very slow was very disappointing. Others at my table weren't so fortunate with their choice of dishes (one was extremely ill the following day) and others were just not terribly impressed with the quality of the food. The key to addressing the slow service when we spoke to the manager would have been for him to simply acknowledge that the waiter was new and that he might have been a little slow, to get some of the other members of the wait staff to help the waiter so we could finish the meal in a reasonable time, and to offer a few desserts for the table. As it was , we were never even asked if we wanted dessert or coffee after our main dishes. The manager was more interested in disagreeing with us and making excuses than simply working with us a little and being a little understanding. I since was told that the manager was also new at the restaurant, but if that's the case, then he needs more training. A few words of apology and a simple gesture to make up for the inconvenience would have gone a long way. There are other Italian restaurants in the Triangle that are consistently much better than Daniels and I will more likely frequent them than return to Daniels. more

This was the first time my wife and I had visited this restaurant after reading the reviews on CitySearch. I was going to just leave a review of our bad experience, but we were actually seated near the large group of 9 that posted the negative review. We got to the restaurant after them and left the restaurant shortly after they received their food. My wife couldn't really hear what was going on with the table, but she mentioned that she had noticed several interactions with the hostess and manager. We had the same waiter as the table, and the guy was was pretty slow. He didn't refill our waters either, and I had to nag him several times. The restaurant was crowded and the atmosphere was not quite the romantic setting that I was hoping for. Overall, I would say that the food quality would not be my idea of outstanding fine cuisine but rather mediocre at best. I would definitely not recommend the Seafood fra Diavlo which had chewy mussels and overcooked shrimp. My wife wasn't in love with her meal either. If you want a really classy place with some authentic cuisine, I wouldn't recommend this place. We'll be sticking with our favorite place off of Six Forks for special occasions. more

This was my first time at this restaurant and the service was extremely slow. When you are spending this kind of money on a dinner you would expect to have your glass refilled, and receive your dinner in a timely manor, but this was not the case. My husband ordered a beer when we sat down and received it about the same time dinner arrived, almost 2 hours later. The waiter did not check up on us to see if we needed anything and in fact had to be hunted down. When we went to the manager with the complaint he was uncaring and made excuses. To top if off the food was just ok. The lauzana had little to no meat. The pasta was wattery. I will not be returning to this restaurant again. Cons: poor service uncaring managment more

I have been to Daniel's many times and have always had a nice experience and great food. This past time, however, was an exception. Our waiter was extremely slow and inattentive, we were never asked if we wanted more drinks, nor were our water glasses refilled and we were there from 7:30-10pm. We did speak to the manager and this is the reason for my low rating. The manager was completely unsympathetic, and rather than making sure that we had drinks, refilled water, correct checks, and that the remainder of our visit was enjoyable, he just made up excuses....which were completely insufficient because in the meantime tables around us had come and gone, one of them was a group of 7, so our group of 9 was not the issue. At the end of the night upon speaking to the manager again his response was simply that ""I have no response for you anymore"" and not in a nice way. In the end, it was not about getting anything out of the restaurant or getting the waiter in trouble (he was young and probably new for the summer, it happens); all we wanted was to let the manager know that we had some concerns and have him make sure that the rest of our experience was up to what I thought were Daniel's standards. And to top it off, in the end my food was not good at all this time around; I had the calamari in spicy red sauce and was very disappointed at the small amount of calamari on the pasta. There are other Italian restaurants in the area that give you so much calamari you can barely see the pasta at first, and at comparable prices. Not to mention it did not come with the whole wheat linguine I had requested. I am hesitant to post this because I have always had a great experience at Daniel's, but now I am even more hesitant to either go there again myself or recommend this restaurant to anyone again because I was diasappointed in the food, and I do not want to support a restaurant that feels that uncaring, disinterested, and rude behavior by the manager is acceptable. more

I hate to write a good review because then everyone will go to Daniel's and I won't be able to get a table!! But I figure the word is already out, so I guess I'll put my two cents in. The interior is a bit dark for my liking and not very fancy, but the food is delicious!! They have great interesting dishes and the specials that I have had were excellent. One evening I asked the waitress about the sauce that was served on one of the dinner specials - it seemed like it might be too strong. She went off to the kitchen, only to return with a bit of the sauce that the chef made up for me to taste!! (it was made fresh for each diner) I absolutey LOVED it. The breadsticks aren't that great, but everything else I've had were excellent, as were the deserts. It can get crowded, so be careful when you go. I highly recommend it. Pros: Great food, decent service, fair prices, Cons: looks a bit haggard from the outside. too dark inside more

I was pleasantly surprised to find Daniel?s restaurant in Apex. I dined there on a Tuesday night, and the first good sign was that many tables were full. If it is this busy on a weeknight I would guess reservations are necessary over the weekend. We asked for a table outside, in a little patio area with tables, umbrellas, a fountain and flowering plants. Our server was very friendly and gave us recommendations upon learning this was our first visit. The wine list is very extensive, including many wines by the glass. After ordering drinks we quickly got a basket of warm slices of focaccia, not served with plain old olive oil but rather a bowl of warm marinara for dipping. I ordered Lobster Ravioli which was excellent, the best part being the cream sauce which was bursting with flavor. I also got to taste a Veal Cannoli dish which was equally good. Everything was very rich and decadent, the menu is heavy on pastas and pizza. Not a place for dieters, but definitely a place for good food when you want to be spoiled. Prices were very reasonable as well. I can see this restaurant becoming a regular for me when I want good Italian. Pros: flavorful rich food, reasonable prices, great wine list, family owned more

Depending on when you go you may need reservations. It will be worth your wait! Great lobster ravioli. Pros: great food Cons: expensive more

Friends of ours are Daniel's nuts, so somebody thinks this place is great. With that said, made the drive from N. Raleigh and quite frankly could not understand what the big deal was. The atmosphere was family oriented, seemed a bit outdated (this was awhile back, sorry if there have been updates), loud and bustling. The menu was huge, lots of choices but almost too many if that's possible. Pricey for a family-style restaurant. DEFINITELY not romantic, skip this if you're looking for chic, trendy or quiet and romantic. Didn't try the pizza, if they have great pizza I can find great pizza in tons of places without driving to Apex (The Point at Five Points is great)... pasta I had was average, nothing earth shattering. I have only been once mind you, but this was my first impression. If it were in my neighborhood I might give it a second shot, but not worth a drive. If you're in Apex and want somewhere to take the kids for pizza, probably a reasonably good choice. more

This is probably the only Italian restaurant in town that has a family owned feel and flavor to their menu. The food is prepared perfectly and is more than fairly priced. Service is great and the management genuinely cares that you have a great dining experience. Try it this weekend! They also have great lunch with no wait. Pros: Great Fresh Homemade Tasting Italian Food Cons: Sometimes ya gotta wait.... more

Was a first time visitor to Daniels today. Was for a Birthday celebration. The atmosphere was warms and cozy. The fuchotcha bread and warmed marinara sauce was a perfect starter. The En tree was good and filling, pleasant wait staff ~ will return for Supper one night soon. Good portions for such a meager price. more

We love Daniel's. For all the reviews whining about people not having had real Italian food... I have never had better in the triangle. If I got on a plane and flew to Italy, or some place in New York, sure it might be better. But Wednesday night after church, that's not happening. Stick with what's local guys. I have never had a dish I didn't like, and their wine list is excellent. Prices are wonderful, especially considering the portions. You can easily get a delicious special (with no shrimp or anything) for $10. I think that's great. The servers are nice, and the people at the front door seem nice. Sometimes, they do get a little snotty, but I think it's mostly when people complain about the wait even though the line is obviously out the door. Reservations are a must, but they take same day reservations before 5:00. Although, Thursday nights and sometimes Tuesdays seem less crowded. The last few times we went these nights without reservations, we were seated immediately. Pros: food, staff Cons: parking more

Try anything with the vodka (pink) sauce on it! Amazing!! Semicasual. Good date place, but you'll fill up very quickly! You WILL be bringing home a doggie bag! Pros: Everything!! Cons: Gets crowded very quickly more

Beautiful atmosphere, excellent food, romantic, WINE. Matter of fact, largest wine selection in North Carolina. What more can you expect? Daniels brings all of that to your dinner table. My personal favorites in this eatery is the Calamari and Penne Al La Vodka. Don't pass it up! Pros: Excellent wine list, excellent food and service more

We went here for a birthday dinner on a weekday evening. Seating was prompt because it was later in the evening but the hostess wasn't very friendly and seemed a little snobby. Our waitress, however, was cheery and attentive. Ordering went normally, menu is extensive and it was hard to pick just one! We went with an app of crab cakes, for main courses he had the eggplant parmesan and I had the penne alla norma. The waitress brought cold bread to our table which was disappointing because it looked great (melted cheese and herbs). The crab cakes were okay. They were a undercooked so the breading was a little doughy/soggy. Lot's of crab in there though! If they had been crisp they would have been superb, but they weren't... Pros: parking, location Cons: medicore food more

I have been to Daniel's on many occasions and after going to other Italian restaurants in the area (and there are many) I have decided that Daniels is the absolute best! All of the hostesses and wait people are friendly and knowledgeable as well as attentive to the table. I have never had a bad meal or a negative server experience. In addition, the wine list is extensive and the wait people either are knowledgeable or will send someone to your table who can give you the information you desired. I do not know why anyone would go to any chain Italian restaurants when Daniel's is available. more

I recently discovered Daniel's during the E Coli weekend that closed down so many of the restaurants in the area. There was a wait to get in the door, which I thought was reasonable considering how many displaced diners were filing in to eat. After we got a table, I thought it was well worth the wait. The calamari was superb, not an over-cooked rubberband like so many places serve. My main course was their House pasta which is TO DIE FOR!! I made sure to save room for dessert when I saw they had a fresh strawberry shortcake. That alone might have made me a customer for life. On another note, the service was wonderful even though the staff was extremely busy. Our server and the manager made sure we were well taken care of and that made a big difference since we did have to wait a while. Pros: Food made fresh!! Wonderful wait staff Cons: Small parking lot more

This restaurant is highly overrated. Judging from all the reviews I would assume that none of these people have ever had ""real italian food"" The waiting is rediculuous for the quality. The pasta I had was watery (there was a small pool on my plate.) My daughter had the franchaise and it was quite salty, and the ginger ale I ordered was most certainly not ginger ale. more

What more can I add to the other reviews?! One night there was a special pasts dish with gorgonzola cheese sauce. I wasn't sure if the sauce would be too strong for me. The Chef actually took the time to whip up a sample for me! It was devine, and so was the past dish! I only wish it was bigger and a bit brigher inside. Pros: Food! Cons: Seating is not all that comfortable and it's a bit small and dark inside, but those are small things which would never keep me from going to eat there! more

Daniel's is the best Italian in the area by far!!! I used to work there and absolutely loved every aspect of it!! I have moved out of the state and miss it tenderly!! There is hardly anything on the menu you won't adore! Some of my favorites include: Penne Ala Casa, Chicken Parm, Southwest Pizza, Penne Goat Cheese with Shrimp and so many more! The desserts are all homemade and to die for! You should try a different one each time you dine there. I can't seem to find another place quite like it. Thank goodness my parents live in the area, so when my husband and I visit, we are able to grab a taste of greatness!!! Pros: great service, great food more

Daniel's is great. I love eating there and the catering is awesome too. Simply put: You gotta go! more