Serena Restaurant & Bar

Owner is dishonest, and takes advantage of good people. Overcharges for venue, and adds additional charges the day of event. Good food, but underhanded management. more

I am in the RTP for business on a regular basis and Serena's is the only place I go. The menu is authentic Italian/Sicilian and the food is outstanding. A full line of local brews on tap, along with a good bottle selection and top shelf liquor. Very good deserts as well and even fresh espresso to accompany them. This restaurant is privately owned by a very nice couple....just trying to make a name for themselves. Always very accommodating, with a staff that's great as well. So I'm not sure what provoked the last two reviewers situations.....Possibly the reviewers? All I can say is that I've always had a great experience at Serena whenever I'm in town. One word of warning....If you are looking for the Olive Garden or similar, then don't go to Serena. You will be totally bummed because the food has much, much more flavor than that!!! Trust me, you won't be disappointed. So if you live in Durham or visiting the RTP, then be sure to give Serena a try and tell them that KY Jeff sent you! more

Apparently this establishment has not taken the Sept. 25 2011 criticism from resident r below seriously. We were in the area to attend the CASL Soccer Tournament and went to this restaurant the evening of Saturday December 3. We arrived a few minutes after the rest of our party (4 other people) had already ordered, and ordered a microbrew for me and a soda for my son, and our dinners. The rest of our party got their meals a few minutes later. We assumed our meals woud soon follow. Meanwhile a large party ordered about 10 minutes after we did. When that party started to get their meals 30 minutes later I respectfully asked the waiter about the status of our meals. A few minutes later the manager came out and said that they had ""a computer glitch"" and that our meals would be out in a few minutes. I was fine with that and accepted his offer of a beer on the house. Then he kept talking and said that there was a mistake with the order and that they had to re-enter it. So which was it, a glitch or a mistake? Then he said ""look me in the eye sir and tell me you have not made a mistake?"" and just kept being rude and making excuses. What??!!! I guess that answered what had really happened to our order! If he had just kept his mouth shut all would have been fine. The waiter then said that it would be 20 minutes for our order to arrive. Since our party had already finished their meals and we had been sitting for over 40 minutes at that point, and our meals were still 20 minutes out, I cancelled our order. When I did, I received more rude behavior from the manager. At that point I told him ""look, I'm done here, please go away. We will go to the McDonalds down the street"". A few minutes later the waiter presented me with the bill for $4.95 for my beer! Outrageous! Good beer though. more

Serena's is the worst restaurant I have encountered in the RTP area thus far. I am new to the area and I felt the food tasted plain, music was too loud and obnoxious for a dining setting, and the ambiance was overall poor. Nothing special or exciting about this place. A waste of gas! Most importantly the staff and the restaurant owner are rude, insulting with terrible customer service skills. To the owner "" Don't become irate with your customer's when your establishment is not up to par with your competition"" I also went for a special event and Serena's owner falsely advertised the start time then started an hour late! No apologies from the owner just attitude about his mistake! Final thoughts 1 star!! thumbs down!!! more

If you haven't been to Serena's or stood in line waiting to get in than you're definitely missing out! This place has amazing food from scratch and a variety to choose from that will fit anyone's palate! I would recommend making a reservation of parties 8 or more! They have subs, sandwiches, pastas, and baked dishes to please!!!! more

The food was excellent. We ordered four tapas and ended up ordering two more! Everything tasted great! And the house merlot was great as well. Pros: Food, Service more

My fiancee and I visited Serena last Friday. We'd never been there before, but were interested in trying someplace new, instead of visiting one of the places we go to again and again. We arrived around 7:30pm. I was nervous about going there at that time, figuring that was prime time for dinner, especially on a weekend, and I was expecting it to be crowded. We were surprised to find that it wasn't crowded at all. There was one table with a party of maybe ten seated at it, and then a few guys at the bar. Other than that, it was empty. I saw that other comments noted that Serena can get very busy, so I guess it was just a weird night when we were there. My fiancee and I both ordered a cocktail. He got a jack and coke, and I got one of their signature cocktails. I don't remember what exactly it was called, but it involved fresh strawberries, lychee, and vodka, and it was one of the best cocktails I've ever had. It was also a huge glass. It was a $9 drink, but considering how large the glass was, it was well worth it to me. For our meal, we split several tapas. I enjoyed everything. We had the proscuitto and fontina cheese croquettes, which I thought was delicious. My fiancee is more of a foodie than I am though, and he said that he thought that the croquettes had been frozen previously and simply heated before being served to us. Either way, I loved them. He wasn't as keen on them as I was. We also had the grilled asparagus with chipotle vinigrette (a bit on the spicy side), roasted red peppers with fontina cheese and mushrooms (I love anything that involves cheese), and a side of french fries. The amount of food was perfect for us to split, and we even had room for dessert. For dessert we had that night's special, which was an apple tart with ice cream. It tasted home made and was a great autumn treat. We will probably go back to Serena sometime soon to try out some of the other tapas. I'm so happy there is a tapa place close by now, instead of having to drive all the way to Raleigh just for a decent small plates menu. I definitely recommend Serena! Pros: convenient location, friendly bartender more

Serena is a wonderful place to eat. Great menu and great food prepared with care and pride. The service is very good but not too stuffy or fake. We have been here several times and are never disappointed. The only downside is that Serena can become very crowded and loud, but that goes hand in hand with a popular place. Pros: food and service Cons: too loud more

I've been to Serena's several times, both for lunch and after work for drinks and appetizers. Good service, nice drink variety and good food. The decor is kind of sparse, with both high and low tables, and I would consider this first to be a bar over a restaurant, but the food is good and not the standard far you would find at a bar. Good sandwiches and soups. Pros: Good food, TVs around the bar area Cons: Tough to park at lunch more

Great menu and great food. A perfect place to meet for lunch if you want something just a little different than the usual! more

This is my favorite after work restaurant and bar. I have been coming here with colleagues for almost 2 years now and the Serena staff have taken us under their wing. The bonus is that they have good food that is reasonably priced. My favorites include the grilled asparagus salad with salmon and apple sherry vinagrette, the gourmet humus, the chicken cordon bleu sandwhich, the pinchos, the meatballs, the Serena burger, the mac and cheese, the warm flourless chocolate cake, did I mention the onion rings, the fries. Okay, the dusted goat discs is a funny name, but the cheeses are good! I am also very fond of the simple yet modern decor. My favorite thing is a nice evening, a table near the little beach tree out on the patio, a glass of wine and friends. The wait staff is great and are very flexible with the menu choices. It was the perfect touch! Pros: Good service, good food, reasonably priced more

From my first outing to Serena's almost two years ago, I've enjoyed the great food and attentive, friendly service. Whether stopping by for lunch or hanging out after work, I've been met by a staff that goes out of its way to provide high quality service and create a neighborhood-like atmosphere. Favorites on the menu include the creamy tomato soup, the grilled asparagus and salmon salad (best with apple sherry dressing!) and the flourless chocolate cake. Managers Elizabeth and Maxwell strive to develop innovative dishes and incorporate feedback from customers regarding menu and beverage offerings. And their outdoor patio is a perfect place to wind down after a busy day. Serena's has been a great addition to the RTP restaurant collection! Pros: Friendly service, great food more

This place has become my fave lunch spot over the last couple of months. Really good sandwiches, salads and eclectic entrees. I had the salmon yesterday, and it was fantastic. Pros: Great staff, great food. Cons: Too far from home. more

Great place to get away from the office for lunch and avoid the usual fast food option in RTP. Offering not only soup, burgers, sandwiches and wide variety of unusual salads (to which one can add meat) but also branching out into hot entrees at fairly reasonable price range of 8 1-13 dollars. Had a delicious hot gnocchi entree recently that included wilted spinach, bacon, freshly-grated cheese and dried cherries, all tossed in spanish olive oil - different and interesting flavor combination! Wait staff and management are very pleasant, welcoming and accomodating. You order at the register and wait staff delivers your food to your table so the lunch experience does not take a great deal longer than eating in at fast food, unless you go at peak time and the dining room is very crowded. Convenient hours - open for late lunchers. Nice place for after work drink and appetizers too. more

I'm so happy to have discovered this restaurant. Lunch choices around RTP range from the mundane, to the downright inedible for the most part.This place is miles above the competition... Serena has excellent food, a friendly atmosphere, and very reasonable prices. I highly recommend the salads, and their chicken cordon bleu is one of the best I've ever had. Pros: Great food, Great service, Nice airy atmosphere. Cons: Parking can be a little tough, but not bad. more

I live less than a mile from Serena but hadn't tried it out yet. I definitely put it on the spot - I placed a reservation for Valentines dinner site unseen. We were thrilled with the staff, the atmosphere, and the food. We were able to watch the NC State game, sample the awesome drink specials, and really enjoy a nice evening out. I got a salad with my meal that was fantastic. My main course was the paella - as spicy as I've ever had but very enjoyable. The dessert was recommended to us by our friendly server and she nailed it. Still working out the kinks I think, but we will be back over and over again. Pros: Great drinks, dessert, setup. Friendly wait staff. Cons: Entrees maybe a bit on the pricy side, parking is tight more

We came here for dinner, and left with mixed opinions. I hope that the owners, etc. will read this because I think the place has potential to be a nice place for dinner. Pros: Layout of restaurant, prices, drink menu, nice servers Cons: Food is not refined quite yet, servers need a little more training more

My friend and I ordered two appetizers and split an entree. The goat cheese discs and veggie stuffed potato skins were nothing special. Neither tasty or completely objectionable. The crab and lobster ravioli, however, were laughable. The ravioli were orange and black striped discs resting on a bed of lemon cream sauce. Orange, black, and yellow! The colors were garish and unappetizing, but the taste, the taste is another story! The filling tasted more like tuna than anything else. I was very disappointed. A complete waste of money. Pros: roomy, seated quickly, good location Cons: terrible food more

Good, efficient place to have lunch, as many people already know. Very clean and spacious, you don't feel crammed in. I haven't tried it for dinner yet, but they are open for dinner and I will go back and get the salmon. I just really love the chicken sandwich with carmelized onions, even the bread is great, so I get that every time at lunch. Everything is made to order. It's a semi-service place, and the girls really move to get you your lunch quickly. There is nothing else like it that I have seen in the Triangle. Pros: Food is fresh and quick Cons: Parking can be tight, but a little walk is good for you more

From the contemporary decor to the convenient RTP location, Serena Restaurant and Bar was a very pleasant dining experience. I ate there this week for lunch with a friend. It was my first dinning Pros: Absolutely delicious meals, professional yet casual atmosphere, and wall mounted plasma TV?s. Cons: None really, probably would be parking if I had to pick something. more