The Station

I like this place as a bar but the food is horrible. Have eaten here several times and always disappointed. I keep trying to give it more chances bc it’s close to my house and convenient, but the food is just not good.

The new waitress they have outside is awesome-​she makes up for all the crap service I’ve had in the past. Do have to say that there are still some pretty awful servers working here though. Overall much better, however. And it still has a great patio!

The Station is VERY consistent. Great food. Horrible service.
I usually judge a restaurant only on their food as I’d rather have good food than good service.
If I was judging the station on food alone, I would rank them a four or five. We love the bacon pimento cheese dip, sloppy joe, and the Station burger. They have good wings and crispy battered chicken fingers. The food is always good.
The service however is always terrible. The first time we went there we thought it was just an off night, times 2 – 6 we started to see a pattern. We’ve been probably 20 times and the service is always terrible, but the location is convenient and the food is good so we keep going.
Just know if you’re going here, it won’t be quick, you probably won’t get any drink refills, if you ask for extra sauce it probably won’t show up, but the food will be good when you get it.

This place is honestly such a constant disappointment to me. I was so excited for it to open 2 or so years ago because it was within walking distance for us. We’ve been a handful of times. Each time we’ve waited enough time between visits for our last experience to have faded away, hoping that time would have improved both the food and the service. But alas, our hopes have been met with recurring disappointment.
What we love about The Station is, of course, the outdoor bar and seating area. The food, on the whole, is just so underwhelming. The best thing I’ve had their was the Trio of Dips Sampler. If you’re willing to forgo having an actual meal, or just stopped in for drinks, that’s a winner. I’ve tried so many things, hopeful that I would find a few «go-to’s» that I can count on. The Cuban Sandwich is the second worst Cuban I’ve ever had. The Roasted Vegetable Salad is just not good. I suppose it didn’t help that, on that particular day, mine came out missing the cheese as well as the dressing. And far be it for me to have asked what may have been the surliest waitress ever to correct the absence of my dressing. That really just barely touches the surface of how infinitely unpleasant she was. To be fair, I don’t think they set the bar high on service because it’s always pretty sub par. But this particular server clearly had an axe to grind and was choosing her tables on which to work out those issues.
Sadly, we won’t be back here unless we hear from our neighbors and friends that things have improved.

Yum!
One of our favorite spots in the entire Triangle.
The pink peppercorn vinaigrette is the best salad dressing I’ve ever had. Hands down!

The Station has a great outdoor space, but unfortunately despite the heaters and the fireplaces it was too cold to sit outside, so we opted for the indoor brunch that starts at 11am on Sundays.
There are only a few brunch items and they all look good, but I decided to go with my all time favorite corned beef. Although beautifully served in a cast iron skillet alongside a toasted biscuit and jam, I was disappointed with the taste.
The beef itself was extremely salty, tough and hard to chew, the potatoes underdone. Even the cheddar on top could not help the taste, and in fact, was unnecessary (I never thought I’d say cheese was unnecessary, but the overly salty beef was overwhelming and didn’t need more help). The over easy eggs, I must say, were prepared perfectly and almost saved the dish.
My boyfriend’s biscuit and sausage gravy were tasty, just savory and sweet enough. I liked the cheesy grits as well, and the toasted biscuit was heavenly — warm and golden crunchy on the outside, soft and flaky on the inside — perfection.
We didn’t stay long enough to try the Bloody Marys (amazingly good, I was told), but I’ll be sure to try them next time.

I’ve heard that the burgers are pretty good here so I decided to try on Halloween. I ended up ordering the chicken parmesean w/​the house made potato chips. I really was not wowed by the meal. There was more breading and not enough chicken plus a very little amount of marinara. Service was pretty good and sitting outdoors near the fire was cozy. We noticed a woman slip her dog into the bathroom with her. Not a service dog either. Not sure how that slipped by the employees working indoors of the restaurant. I love dogs, but this a big no no. For this alone, I’m not sure I’ll hurry back.

A beautiful fall day to sit outside at The Station. Great outdoor seating and friendly service. The food… looks delicious and great presentation… but…it was just ok. It was average. The mac & cheese needed salt and the sloppy joe tasted ok, very tomatoey. It had wilted potato chips underneath the meat which kinda freaked me out because I thought I was eating paper. The spinach artichoke appetizer was soupy and not hot. Ate it but won’t order it again. Overall, eh, again average. Expensive for average.

Don’t waste your time. Their service is not just awful but offensive.
We walked up to the bar and asked if they were playing the baseball game, a game in the playoffs. The bartender scuffed at us and said, «Hell no! We are Giants fans here.» Then a guy at the bar laughed at us and gave us a dirty look. After that he ignored us and offered us nothing. Without responding we just got up and left. We were confused as to why he was so rude.
If he would have said, «Sorry, someone is already watching this game.» It would be no problem. But there are two TVs and no one on one side of the bar that faces one. So I think that this guy just wanted to be a jerk.
We got up and left. I’ve had other under-​par experiences here, but now I won’t be going back.

The Station is one of my favorite places for patio dining. They have a great open-​air layout outside, complete with a bar in the middle with 2 TVs for the sports-​watching crowd. Fire pits keep you warm during the colder months and an overhead, clear cover blocks out some of the brutal summer heat.
The food is really good! The grind their own meat, so their burgers can be ordered medium-​rare and always get rave reviews. I am a sucker for the Station Salad with quinoa, blueberries, and goat cheese (because goat cheese!). And their homemade chips and fries are always tasty.
The downside to this place is often the wait for food and service, though I have never had bad service other than it being slow. Also, the inside is not nearly as atmospheric as the outside.
This area of Raleigh is becoming more and more popular and is a fun place to visit in general.
For the wine lovers, I would recommend pairing a trip to the Station for some simple food with a wine tasting at Wine Authorities nearby. If the weather is nice and you have time, take a stroll through the Oakwood neighborhood to check out some of the beautiful historic homes.

I’ve been meaning to review this spot for a while, and today’s stop for a late lunch just put me right over the edge: review time!
I’m a huge sucker for the ambiance here — the patio is a fantastic spot to soak up some sunshine (or bask under the Edison lights) and, on colder days and nights, warm yourself under heaters or by the fire. The staff has always been jovial and friendly, and our server this time was no exception.
Ryan was attentive and friendly, *and* made an excellent recommendation when he told us about their award-​winning Bahn Mi. Their take on this Korean sandwich was ridiculously delectable and deserving of its accolades — I’m not much of a pork girl, but after one bite, I was more than a little jealous of Jeff’s lunch :)
After a rather unhealthy dinner last night of cookie dough bites and Baked Lays, I decided a salad was in order. My beet and goat cheese salad was delicious *and* beautifully presented, with the beets folded into a rose in the middle of the plate. Not exactly what you might expect from the corner bar playing the big game on their televisions, but such a pleasant surprise.
The Station is a great addition to the neighborhood — one we hit up frequently before moving along down the street to Person Street Bar. Talk about a match made in heaven… er… Oakwood! :)

I feel like I have come here enough to saw the best item on the menu is The Bahi Mi as well as The Mac and cheese service is in need of serious reform and everything else could also use a face lift food wise however their patio is perfection especially in the spring.

Had a great burger here for lunch today and took advantage of the $ 5 they have running for them all day long.
Sometimes when places have deals the expectations are low but this was an awesome patty style juice burger that will definitely bring me back here to try other stuff on the menu.
I heard the brunch is really good here so that will likely be my next visit. Keep in mind that they dont have a parking lot so you can expect it to be difficult to find a spot if you come during peak times.

I live a mile from this place so my husband I have been up here a few times for dinner and like the vibe.
On Friday we walked here with our dog (they are always super friendly to pets) and had a few drinks at the bar and some really good (and only $ 5) hummus!
On Saturday some friends asked us to meet there and we had the dip sampler. I was not a huge fan of this but my hubby seemed to like it.
They have decent prices for drinks and the bartender and servers are always friendly. Glad to have this neighborhood bar. :)

Once, The Station was a gas station. Then, it became one of the cooler bars in the area. The Station offers a great combination of indoor and outdoor seating. Everything about the space is cool.
Food selections are limited, but all under $ 10. There are several vegetarian friendly options. All sandwiches come with chips or fries. Drinks selections feature typical beers at typical prices. On Mondays, the Station Burger — two patties with LTO and American cheese — is only $ 5. You can’t argue with that price. And wait LTO? It stands for lettuce, tomato, and onion, duh. I may or may not have stared at that for a second before figuring it out.
I inquired whether or not they can do a perfect well done on a burger, and I was rather unimpressed with the server’s answer. Ideally, I wouldn’t eat a $ 5 burger at any temperature other than well done, but I settled for medium well.
Prior to bringing the burger out, the server brought out a bottle of ketchup, mustard, and sriracha. YAY. Sriracha makes the world go round. Sriracha makes everything taste good. Did I mention that I love sriracha? The burger came out in a reasonable amount of time.
The biggest highlight of the burger was the cheese. I don’t recall a single other time that I’ve actually liked American cheeseee… Okay, I’m back. Had to fight off the ghost of Joseph McCarthy and the House Un-​American Activities Committee. Great cheese, great sriracha, and a great price made the burger good.
The biggest negative of this place is the service. I’ll probably sit at the bar next time. Our server could not handle the rush, and he very often had to return to our table multiple times to satisfy a single round of requests.
I enjoyed my burger and would recommend it to anybody who is dining at The Station. I’ll probably be back for another burger.
***Update***
So, my delightfully untalented server gave himself an extra tip. I actually tipped him over 20% in spite of the bad service. I can only hope that he mixed up receipts and wasn’t careful. I returned to The Station to let them know, and they credited back the difference without argument.
I won’t down them a star for this. Accidents do happen, and I should’ve noticed it quicker. That said, I’m certainly in even less of a hurry than I was before to return.

I ventured here due to the hype about it’s Bahn Mi sandwich. Lament it say, but it was below par by all standards. As someone who has traveled and eaten all over Vietnam, there wasn’t a thing good about this. Even when considering the fusion attempt that this was going for, it fell short of being appetizing. I can only gather that it won the award because it’s unique and a play on a very common and increasingly popular Vietnamese dish.
I still give this place four stars because the other food was great, the drinks were local, and the layout was excellent. More than that, The Station is a key business that is helping expand and anchor the area. I would love to see this part of downtown boom, and The Station helps.

I’ve driven by this place a few times and was intrigued by the outdoor bar. Decided to stop by here for a late lunch today.
The place was empty due to the lull between the lunch and dinner rushes. I was told to pick any seat and the waiter came to check on me as soon as I sat down. Decided to give the Banh Mi with a side of mac and cheese a try. I also ordered the Bacon Habanero Pimento Cheese Dip as an appetizer.
The cheese dip was on the bland side with no spice to it at all. After a few bites I decided to move on.
The mac and cheese was topped with bread crumbs and on while it didn’t taste as cheesy as I would like it was good and I finished it off.
The Banh Mi isn’t a real traditional banh mi. If that’s what you’re expecting, you’ll be disappointed. What it is, though, is an amazingly well done pork belly sandwich with flavors that will remind you of the traditional vietnamese sandwich. I tried a piece of the pork belly by itself and it was perfectly cooked and full of flavor. Definitely the highlight of my meal and I would order it again.
Overall, service was good and the waiter checked on me frequently. There are a lot of items on the menu that I’d like to try. The outdoor bar seems like it’d have a great vibe on a summer night. They also offer daily specials ($ 5 burgers, etc) but I’d be hard pressed to not order the pork belly sandwich again. I’ll be back.

My experience at the Station was very mediocre.
Pros:
–Service. We sat at the bar, and both bartenders were very attentive and friendly.
–Huge outdoor patio. Unfortunately we didn’t get a chance to take advantage of it due to the weather.
–Reasonably priced menu. Menu is small and mostly consists of appetizers, basic salads and sandwiches. Prices average around $ 10.
Cons:
–Very loud. We sat inside and had to yell to hear each other.
–Mediocre food. I had the Station Salad with chicken. It was fine, but nothing impressive. Tasted like something I could get at Panera. My husband had the Jerk Chicken (a special). Also fine, but something I could’ve easily made in my own kitchen. The rice was very salty and overseasoned. The spinach artichoke dip we started with was just okay.
I’d probably only go back for a drink on the patio. Definitely not worth the $ 50 we paid for our meal, mostly because of the food.

The Station has one of my favorite outside patios in Raleigh. Great space to enjoy nice weather, a ballgame, and bring your dog.
The prices at The Station really can’t be beat — they are very reasonable. On Wednesdays they have half-​priced glasses and bottles of wine.
The Station Salad, beer grilled cheese, and pork
Bahn mi are my favorite things. The food is good, not oh my god this is the best meal of my life good, but tasty.
The atmosphere at The Station really can’t be beat for a nice night outside!

A lot of my friends have told me all about this place so when we found ourselves in the neighborhood, we knew we have to try it.
Atmosphere: There is extensive outdoor seating with heaters and a pretty amazing outdoor bar. We decided to eat inside due to the weather. We ate at the indoor bar with was decorated with various witty signs. They were playing 90s music on the Saturday afternoon we went in and I definitely cannot complain about that.
Service: Great! Our bartender was very attentive with our drinks and food. I noticed several other members of the wait staff killing it with amazing service as well.
Food/​drinks: good beer selection and they have Pepsi products (which I prefer). We ordered the pimento cheese dip. It is served warm and they did not skimp on the bacon (thank goodness). It does have a little spice but nothing too strong. Served with warm pita and they even refilled our pita free of charge! We got an order of their homemade chips with ranch as well. The chips are thin and crunch and are not served hot but are still good. We also got the station salad with chicken. The chicken is roasted, not grilled (I prefer grilled but it was still good) and the quinoa on the salad is a little overpowering (I’ll order it next time without), but the peppercorn dressing was very good.
Overall we will definitely be back!