Angus Barn in Raleigh

I had been to the Angus Barn twice before, and in neither visit did I really understand the rave reviews that so many people have for this Raleigh landmark.  It had been more than four years since I last visited, though, and since Jessica and I are moving through the top restaurants list (on which Angus Barn resides), we thought it'd be a good try to give it another try.  Luckily for us, we had reservations, as even on a Tuesday night around 6:30 PM, the restaurant was packed both at the tables and in the lounge areas (from what I could tell).

The atmosphere at the Angus Barn certainly sets it apart from other high-end steakhouses; instead of the modern, trendy or old school classy looks that most have, the Angus Barn is homey, with a general store in the front and wooden tables with checkered table clothes.  The dining area is HUGE, and there are several other areas to see (such as the wine cellar and the Turkey Lounge, neither of which we visited) on the grounds.  If you're used to a feel of elegance at steakhouses, you'll need to adjust to the more casual, country setting here. 

Instead of the traditional bread and butter served by most other restaurants, the Angus Barn serves homemade crackers with two separate cheese spreads and Texas toast.  The cheese spreads were fantastic; one was a white cheddar that tasted very similar to white cheddar Cheeze-Its (but fresher) and the other was a traditional orange cheddar.  Both were so good that Jessica and I finished our whole basket of crackers (maybe best described as extremely thin pita chips) without much trouble.  The Texas toast was equally good; served warm and toasted on the edges with just the right amount of butter already applied.

For appetizer, Jessica and I couldn't really decide on one thing, so we used their "create your own" feature to sample the ribs, a crabcake, and an enormous king crab claw.  The ribs fell off the bone and had a sweet, smokey, meaty flavor.  I'd put them with any ribs I've had in Raleigh as some of the best.  The crabcake may have been even better; while it wasn't just pure crab, the crab certainly was the greatest component, particularly in flavor, and the other items (peppers, breading) worked well to compliment.  The king crab claw was served chilled and contained probably 3-4 ounces of meat.  The meat was firm and flavorful, but I'd prefer it to be served steamed and with butter, so I'd request that the next time.

We also both had soups, which came with our dinners.  Jessica had the baked potato soup, which had cheese and bacon as well, and it was delicious.  The consistency was almost a very thin mashed potato, and the additional flavors worked perfectly.  I had the French onion soup, which was the best I've ever had.  The cheese and crouton were able to make it into every bite, and the onion flavor was sweet without there being too many actual onions to deal with (something I don't like).

Steak au poivre

By the time dinner rolled around, both Jessica and I were probably full enough to not require anything else, but that didn't stop us from eating more!  Jessica ordered the sea bass, which was highly recommended by the waitress (who was terrific all night) and it did not disappoint.  I ordered the ribeye cooked medium rare with au poivre sauce and thin fries.  For the simple stuff first; the fries were solid but nothing spectacular.  Coupled with the fact that I was already basically full, I didn't eat too many although they weren't bad.  And onto the highlight... the steak was cooked absolutely perfectly; seared on top and bottom but tender and bright pink throughout.  Ribeyes are my favorite cut, as they offer the most marbling and fat, and this did not disappoint.  My favorite part is the piece of almost pure fat (with just enough meat) that sits in the middle of the ribeye, and thankfully I saved this for the final bite as it was amazing!  The au poivre sauce was good, and coupled well with the peppercorns seared into the steak.  I would have preferred either a slightly sweeter sauce or a few fewer peppercorns, as I felt the balance was slightly off, but this is a minor complaint as everything really tasted great and I finished all thirteen ounces without any issue.

Jessica ordered a chess pie for dessert, which she loved, but I was too full to even venture in for a bite!

After two misses, I am finally onboard with the Angus Barn and its reputation in Raleigh.  It takes a second or two to get used to the setting and the differences between here and other well-known steakhouses, but once you do, you'll enjoy amazing food, huge quantities of it, and a unique atmosphere that captures both the South and fine dining in a way most places can't.