Mint

I went to the Mint of Friday evening for my boyfriend's birthday last evening. We were a party of 5 and we were seated promptly to our table. The decor of the restaurant is absolutely gorgeous. The bar is not as big of a ""wow"" as the main dining room is but either way the restaurant's interior was beautiful. It did take awhile for our server to greet us and our appetizers did take a bit longer, but from being a manager in a fine dining restaurant and my guests, and my boyfriend all of whom work in a fine dining restauran, we know how it goes. After the appetizers came to our table, everything went smoothingly after that. The wine the server suggested was great. The appetizers were delicious especially the Beef Tartare. That is a phenomenal dish, absolutely fantastic. My boyfriend enjoyed it immensely. I had the shrimp and grits, and it was good, not great but good. I had the NY strip listed on the menu and I have to say that it was one of the best steaks I have had in a long time. Was cooked perfectly and the sliced it in half so that you can see what temperature your steak is. We skipped dessert since we had birthday cake at home but for a restaurant that has just been opened a little under a month, the food and service is definitely there. Just a few little touch ups and that place will be more than amazing. We WILL be back. Pros: Food, Decor Cons: Table too close to the door...very cold more

We finally went to Mint the other night, and I cannot begin to tell you how underwhelming the experience was. We went early on a Friday night only to have a few drinks and appetizers in the bar, and even that was apparently too much to ask. After sitting down, it took at least 15 minutes before anyone came to our table. Then it took another 10 minutes before we got to look at any drink or food menus, and another 10 minutes to get our drinks. Over 30 minutes to get our first round of drinks!!! The slow service would have been understandable had the bar been busy, but we were surrounded by empty tables. Things only got worse when the food finally came. The shrimp and grits appetizer was exactly that - a single, lonely shrimp in a puddle of bland grits. And the place has the audacity to charge $15 for one shrimp. The crab cake appetizer wasn't any better - two tiny, bland, mushy lumps of something that kind of resembled crab. The other apps were likewise tiny, bland, and overpriced. To be fair, the atmosphere is very nice, but nothing else about the place inspires me to go back. There are several restaurants in the downtown area which could teach Mint a few things. In my opinion, you are better off heading down the street to Fins. Pros: Nice atmosphere Cons: Overpriced, slow service, bland food more

Just wanted to get on and say that once again, I had an amazing experience at The Mint. My husband and I went for an ""early"" valentine's day dinner and were very pleased we chose The Mint. I had the scallops and a ceasar salad, my husband had the strip and the crab cakes. Great experience all around! Staff is personable as well as knowledgeable. We have grown fond of this place, and will be back every chance we get!\r Pros: friendly staff, excellent food more

I live downtown and frequent most of the restaurants and bars in search of healthy food, creative cocktails, live music, and trendy people. I discovered the Mint a few weeks ago and was excited to have such a classy environment in our Capital city. I think the restaurant will be a tremendous asset for the new convention center and the Marriot Hotel, which will open this year. The Mint has only been open a couple of weeks and I've had two dinners and stopped in three or four times for a beer in the upstairs bar. The service has been attentive and polite. The food is creative and certainly impressive. I'm really looking forward to the outside dining once the weather warms up. more

Lets be clear, Im no rube when it comes to fine dining. And, I may not frequent all of the ""in"" spots in Raleigh but, Ive been around enough to know what is good & what is not. When considering The Mint, you must have an open mind: If it is your intention to be pretentious in an elegant setting devoid of any culinary imagination, then this place is for you. Personally, some of the bars down the street offer more diversity with their menu & they have Wii! I was impressed with everything about the restaurant but the food & the service. In a party of 14, it took over an hour to seat us & close to another for ""small food"" masquerading as entrees to arrive (our wait staff all but disppeared). The flatiron steak was nothing short of a poached roast without the personality. Plates of the filet mignon showed without any presentation what so ever. No greenery. No cave paintings done in a burgundy reduction...just a piece of meat in the middle of a oversized white plate - THAT WAS IT!! Was this reality TV? Where was Gordon Ramsay? We were then insulted by someone who showed up with a bottle of champagne to wash away any hard feelings - are you kidding me??! My martini cost more than that ! Again, all is forgiven if a waitress shows & apologizes for the delays; if the food were not bland renditions of so-called southern fare; if, The Mint lived up to its own hype. Some of the guest enjoyed the duck, the seared grouper & the lamb. And, I must admit the lobster appetizer was superb. The Mint is new, this is obvious. Perhaps once they hammer out a decent menu worthy of their million dollar price tag, they may garner some respect from those of us not willing to kiss them for perks. Until then, if you just need to spend insane amounts of money for food, visit other high end restaurants in the area, at least you'll be full when you leave - seriously, we had to stop at a hotdog vendor afterward. Pros: Atmosphere, Possibilities Cons: Pricey, Small Food, Poor Service, Single stall facilities more

My wife and I have dined at the Mint twice. Once in the bar area for appetizers and cocktails as well as once in the dining room for the full experience and we will be going back often! The server took great care in making sure that my wife's allergies were attended to and really took the time to explain the menu to us when we had questions. The beef they are using is free range organic beef and it it truly yummy (I had the NY Strip entree)! The wine list is very well chosen and quite unique. All in all a great experience and one we felt obliged to share with other people. \r \r I've read the negative reviews on here and have to say that not a single employee that we encountered was the slightest bit rude, in fact they all went out of their way to be extremely nice and professional. The other negative comment I read complained about portion size and I'm not sure what they ordered but our dinners and appetizers were way more then adequate (so much so that my wife took home her dinner for lunch the next day)\r \r In short, we will be going back and can say with full confidence that it is our new favorite spot in Raleigh! Kudos to the Mint staff!!! Pros: Amazing atmosphere, professional, friendly service, awesome food! Cons: mmmm....wish they were closer to our home in Durham!! more

We decided to try The Mint for dinner last evening and it was the best experience we could ever hope for. The food is incredible-I had the Scallops and my wife had the Grouper. It was definitely one of the most memorable dinners ever! The wine list is unbelievable and the service was extremely attentive, friendly, and knowledgable. I recommend the mint to everyone that is thinking about going out for dinner. Also-the atmosphere is truly spectacular. Pros: Free Valet Parking, atmosphere, service Cons: None. It was wonderful! more

I went to the mint 2 weekends ago. The service was slow, and bordering on rude, the food was overpriced and the portions were incredibly small. I was very disappointed. It is a great location for a drink, but make sure to eat something before you get there. Pros: atmosphere Cons: food and price more

restaurant is absolutely beautiful. service was great...especially for the fact the place has only been open a few weeks. I was amazed by the food, Raleigh was in great need of a new face in fine dining, and I believe they finally have it! It is all those familiar flavors we all love with a twist. You get exactly what you pay for, prices are very reasonable for the quality of food you receive. I will definitely frequent this place when I can, even if it is just to have appetizers at the bar! Go enjoy, and enter the building with an open mind! From decor to food, it is a whole new experience!\r Pros: valet parking, food, ambiance Cons: more servers in the bar area needed for tables more

What can I say it a an unbeliveable reataurant for decor but PRICE WAY TO HIGH...need to open in NY. Had a server that was very rude. will not go back..2 people 300.00 no go. Pros: Beautiful Decor Cons: TOOOOOOO PRICEY more