Angus Barn

Oh my goodness, readers! Last night I had what may very well be the best meal of my life! To celebrate my in-laws' anniversary, we took a trip to the Angus Barn. I had always heard the food there was delicious and the service was legendary (the servers go through a month-long training and are required to commit to a two-year contract and in some dining rooms are also required to be a Level One sommelier) but absolutely nothing prepared me for what I experienced at the Angus Barn.


There are only two ways I can think of to describe this restaurant (if you can even call it that, it's more like a complex. Or Heaven.) the first is "no matter who you walk in as, you walk out a Republican," as described by my friend Justin Cody or in more precise terms: Parks and Recreation's character Ron Swanson personified.


Eating here is not only eating dinner, it's an experience to not be forgotten. The experience begins the moment you turn into the parking lot and immediately your eyes sparkle with what appears to be thousands of Christmas lights. There are large balls of light hanging from trees and bulbs strung up on the main barn, their water tower and their open-air pavilions. It immediately transports you to your childhood when you would drive around looking at Christmas lights with eyes full of wonder and excitement.


Angus Barn is located at 9401 Glenwood Ave, Raleigh, NC 27617. It is only open during dinner hours and I highly recommend a reservation.


Décor: excellent. Your experience continues when you walk into their beautiful main barn. The décor is western-themed (which makes sense because it's a barn) but in the most upscale way possible. What could easily turn into a chuck-wagon type kitschy restaurant is instead classy and chic. They were decorated for Christmas and walking through each of their several dining rooms almost felt like walking through your grandmother's house at Christmas (well, if your grandmother lived in a fancy barn.) There are subtle nods to western-motifs around the building but nothing feels like you're in a remake of Gone With The Wind. The bathrooms are located in old stables and there is an indoor outhouse located near the Meat Locker dining room.


Service: excellent. The attention to the service is impeccable. Depending on which dining room you are dining in, you are directed from one Hostess stand to the next and you are addressed by name (Mr. and Mrs. Hart for example). After arriving to your table you are greeted by your server who thoroughly explains the evening's specials with wine and beer pairings and treats you as if you were royalty. Our server was excellent. I wish I could remember her name to thank her properly but she was fantastic! Water glasses were always filled, table was always cleared of plates immediately, she was friendly and personable and when a problem arose she remedied it immediately. I can honestly say that Angus Barn definitely has some of the best servers in Raleigh, NC.


Food appearance: excellent. The best part about Angus Barn is it's no fuss or frills. Food is presented to you in the most simplistic but scrumptious way possible. Despite the fact they have an Iron Chef in the kitchen (Walter Royal) the star is the way the food tastes in it's almost purest form: grilled with seasonings.


Food taste: excellent. There was not one thing I ate last night that I didn't fall in love with at first bite. The tables are set with crackers and a pairing of cheese spreads: sharp cheddar and Roquefort-blue cheese. Both are sublime and a perfect beginning to your meal. Next were oysters both on the half-shell and Rockefeller. I must admit that I do not like oysters on the half-shell but Nate and Mama Hart devoured all six while my father-in-law and I shared the Rockefellers. Everything tasted fresh and succulent. Next we ordered our entrees. Nate and his dad shared the 42 oz tomahawk steak. Yeah, you read that right, two men shared a 42 oz steak, each got a soup or salad and each got a side. To say this was a lot of food was an understatement. The steak itself looked like a damn dinosaur leg! We elicited a lot of stares around the dining room when it was delivered to our table but I will say despite the enormous portion the steak didn't lose any of it's flavor or tenderness. It was a beautiful medium-rare and had the most fantastic pure beef-iness you can imagine! I ordered their 7 oz fillet mignon and 9 oz lobster tail combo. The fillet was juicy, tender and perfect. The lobster on the other hand needed some work.


Allow me to digress for just a moment here, I have not eaten a lobster since I was 5 years old. I am now 23. When I was young I traveled the country with my Great Aunt and late Uncle in their motor home. During one of these excursions, I was taken to a fresh-fish market and told to pick a lobster. As a young 5-year-old child I was under the impression that this lobster was going to be my pet. However, as a young 5-year-old child my attention span wasn't very long and I quickly forgot all about my pet lobster. Later that evening while I was munching away at my dinner, my Aunt Bev asked me "how do you like your dinner?" I answered. She then elaborated, "that's the lobster you picked out! Isn't that neat?" I was mortified. I was currently crunching down on what I thought would be my best friend. I had not eaten lobster until last night.


Unfortunately, my lobster at Angus Barn was tough and leather-y. It was cooked far too long. But my skilled server immediately remedied the situation and I was brought a fresh lobster before I could even blink. The fresh lobster was sweet and tender and succulent. I now see what I have been missing for the last 18 years of my life! The clarified butter and the acidic lemon. Gosh I'm salivating just thinking about it.


Each entrée includes soup or salad and a side. I chose the side wedge salad which was everything a wedge salad should be. Crisp iceberg, juicy tomatoes, sharp blue cheese, crunchy bacon and creamy blue cheese. Theirs also included the addition of crunchy pecans. To try to pretend that I was not over-indulging myself, I chose steamed broccoli as my side.


Nate chose French Onion Soup and garlic mashed potatoes for his soup and side. The soup came in a huge bowl and was the cheesiest thing I've ever seen in my life! Literally, it was gobs of gooey cheese and there's nothing wrong with that. His mashed potatoes were smooth and creamy with a great punch of garlic.


Nate's dad chose the soup-of-the-day, which happened to be a seafood chowder. The chowder was tomato-based and contained giant chunks of fresh seafood. It was utterly delicious. He chose sautéed mushrooms as his side and I must admit I didn't try them.


Mama Hart got the 10 oz prime rib cooked rare with creamed spinach and sautéed asparagus. The prime rib was a beautiful pink and juicy served with the traditional fixings. I wish I would've grabbed a bite of it before devouring my steak and lobster. I didn't try her sides either! I'm kicking myself!


Dessert was brought to you on a tray and each dish was described in length. Everything even their 4 flavors of ice cream are made in house. Who can resist fresh made food?! We ordered the Caramel-Bourbon hot fudge sundae. It was a goblet of caramel-bourbon ice cream topped with fresh whipped cream, sprinkles and a cherry and engulfed in melt-y hot fudge. Dear God it was sublime! I would return for this alone!


Cleanliness: excellent. Everything was absolutely spotless! Even the bathrooms were beautiful! I actually considered eating in there because it was so beautiful and clean.


Total: 15/15


Everything about the Angus Barn screams decadence. There are several dining rooms, a wine cellar stocked with 27,000 wines. No, that's not a typo. There are 27,000 wines stored in their cellar the most expensive being a $15,000 vintage. The wine list is expansive and contains wines from all around the world in prices ranging from $38-$15,000 with tastes for just about everyone. The restaurant hosts two chef's tables -- one in the main kitchen and one in the kitchen serving the two private dining rooms downstairs. Each private room downstairs has it's own full bar and servers who are "white glove and silent" and are also minimum Level One sommeliers.


The restaurant has a wall of Level One and Level Two sommeliers on staff as well as a slew of fantastic chefs.


Annually there is a Titanic dinner during which guests are served the meal that White Star served on the night the ship sank as well as hosting weddings and other events.


I am extremely thrilled that my new employer is hosting their annual Christmas party there and I will get to enjoy their phenomenal food in just a few short weeks!