11/08/09

Excellent Staff

by steeveo

I've lived in Chapel Hill for over 25 years and La Res is a staple of this community. There is a reason this establishment is one of the few that have not come and gone like so many other restaurants in the downtown area.

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While I have not eaten dinner here, I was prompted to write this simply because of the class and professional demeanor demonstrated by the staff at La Res. When I my iPhone went missing here one evening, every single member of the staff -- from the bus crew. bartenders, door attendant, night manager, and even the following day manager-- immediately came to my assistance.

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They used their personal cell phones to ring my phone, they searched behind the bar and around all the tables, and tag-teamed with other staff to ensure other sections of the restaurant were searched thoroughly. All this was done while tending to the needs of other customers in an highly efficient manner during an extremely busy time in the evening.

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When I called the next day, the day manager was just as attentive and searched the restaurant (again) for me. She passed the message on to her night counterpart who she assured me would continue the search.

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This is a highly professional, well-run business and the staff should be commended for their efforts in customer service.

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• Pros: Atmosphere that exudes "Class"
• Cons: None listed

09/23/09

Inconsistent

by missotisregrets

We'd had two really top-notch meals there in the past, but the last two times we've gone, both the service and food quality seem to be diminishing. After our last visit (incredibly bland scallops for me, overcooked lamb for him, and a cheesecake we could barely taste - for $100, this is just not acceptable), we decided, you know, we love the atmosphere, maybe we'll just go for drinks one night. This turned out to be a bit of a mistake - the evening cocktails crowd is very different from the dinner crowd, and the bar area ended up smelling like Players at 2am. We couldn't hear each other over the drunk, rude clientele. I could barely get to the bathroom for all the co-eds stumbling and dancing over one another. We were sitting on the patio - which is just a truly, truly beautiful place, the atmosphere is stunning - but eventually it became uncomfortable there, too, so we left. Don't know now if we'll ever go back.

• Pros: The most beautiful atmosphere
• Cons: Sub-par food for the $$$, "fratty" night crowd

07/22/09

OK restaurant, but there are better places

by camelguys

We just went there last night. The overall asmostphere is pretty good. Apperently there was only 2 people working as hostess/server/bartender altogether. We sat outside. The bread came out in decent time. I like the bread they served. It's kind of herbs and cheese roasted, pretty light but tasty. The menu we were offered, however, had only 4 entree items (lamb, chicken, NY strip, and some kind of pasta I forgot the name-graffy or something like that) . I was excited to see the grilled lamb, but the was informed they were out of it. Flat tire. So I went with the steak and my girlfriend decided to get 2 appertizers: the mushroom and asparagus flambee and Grilled tenderloin with salad. The food came out in decent time, not too long, not too fast. My steak was decent, avegare. It was not bad but for 30$, you could have had a better steak somewhere else (Ruth Chris has awesome steak) or you can go to TGI Friday and have the same quality steak for half the price. My girlfriend's food was better. The tenderloin was served cold (we were told this when ordered), there was about 5 slices, cooked medium rare to rare, with a Asian-like salad. You have to eat the tenderloin and the salad together to bring out the flavor. It's pretty creative. The mushroom and asperagus were a sautee mixture served over bread. It also had some pretty good flavor with it. Overall, it wasn't bad. But there are places in the triangle you can if you want to spend 60-100$ for dinner and it's much better quality food and ambiance. I recommend Sain Jaques (Wake Forrest Rd, I think) or Second Empire (downtown Raleigh) before this.

• Pros: Food is good
• Cons: service, price, lack of menu items

05/15/09

Great Dessert, Other food fine too

by lizbrig

I have been to La Rez a number of times. In the past year or so, it has shifted up in terms of desserts (excellent!!!) and a touch down in terms of entrees/appetizers. I recently went and ordered the pork loin and the chocolate tart with almond brittle for dessert. The pork loin was fine, but not great -- I think the chef was going for "interesting challenge to the palate" and achieved "fine." Perhaps my palate needs increased education. But the dessert -- what a terrific concoction! It married just plain tasty (a well made chocolate tart is always good!) with interesting touches like the almond bark that kept it fresh and original. Keep up the good work!

• Pros: Dessert is terrific!
• Cons: Entrees are fine, but not spectacular

04/24/09

Poor Ambience, Poor Service, Bad Food

by midwesterneater

My fiance and I went to La Residence for our 3 year anniversary. For slightly more money (~ $20) we could have gone to the Carolina Inn and had amazing food. Instead, we experienced the worst meal we have ever had together as a couple.

Service: We were seated immediately by the hostess. Water and bread were brought to us quickly. Our server smelled like a pack of cigarettes. He described the appetizer special as: "Tomato soup with fresh red onions and stuff." He described one of the meals as: "Delicious because it has so many interesting items in it." Our waiter did not check on us once our main course was served. After we finished eating, it took him 20 minutes to return with the dessert menu which he threw on the table. In general, the staff was exceedingly slow. However, they were very speedy around the check.

Food: The bread was very dry and the type was not discernible. I had the Soup Du Jour (Tomato Soup with red onion, & cream of some kind), Roasted Pork Chop, and bread pudding with bananas foster. The soup tasted like a store bought soup with a piece of bread thrown in and a dollop of sour cream on top. My pork chop was severely overcooked and very dry. It did have an interesting apple mix on top that was very tasty. The pork chop also came with a side of roasted potatoes. The potatoes were mealy and completely unseasoned. My fiance had a Caesar Salad, Cheddar Grits w/ Shrimp & Chorizo Sausage, and a chocolate tart. Imagine a head of lettuce with the base cut out dumped on a small plate. This is what her salad looked like, the greens had not been chopped or even picked over. Some of the greens had brown edges! The salad was poorly dressed with no dressing on the inner greens. The dressing tasted like nothing and was very grainy. The croutons were clearly from a box. The cheddar grits were very tasty. We both thought this and the tomato sauce with ham that surrounded the grits to be tasty. However, the shrimps and "chorizo" sausage were both over-cooked. Both of us are convinced that the "chorizo" sausage was plain Italian sausage. Both of our desserts were delicious. This was the one redeeming part of the meal.

We both recommend this as a nice dessert place, but nothing else!

• Pros: Desserts
• Cons: Everything else

06/02/08

Wonderful Atmosphere!

by kem1288

This was a great place for me to go with my friends. We went on a Tuesday evening, and there happened to be live music for "Tunes on Tuesdays." We sat outside on the beautiful patio, and even though it is the middle of the summer, we were quite comfortable under the fans and the tent they had set up. The music was at a perfect volume so that we could still talk at our table, and there was even a "cafe style" menu that we could order from with lighter food and cheaper prices. The servers were also extremely attentive and the food was delicious. Our dinner party couldn't have had a better experience in a more unique atmosphere.

06/02/08

Great "First French Experience"

by Linda2654

I took some of the students from my French class to La Residence to experience French fine dining at it's best, and it was definitely the right decision. The warm hospitality of the staff really went above and beyond my expectations, and I give my most sincere compliments to the chef and pastry chef. I look forward to making plans here again in the future. Everyone had a blast!

Merci beacoup, La Residence!

05/27/08

Extremely disappointing--food and service below par

by higginator

My wife and I went to La Residence to celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary expecting great service and good food. I followed positive reviews on this site and others and decided to try it out. We immediately were disappointed with the quality of the service--in a 1 hour time we had 3-4 different 'waiters' serving us. This was completely unexpected for a fine dining restaurant. The waiter seemed rushed and distracted, and forgot to respond to our requests. When the food came, we were greatly disappointed with the quality and presentation of the food. My dish, shrimp & grits, was cool and had a cheap/rubbery taste. My wife's scallop dish was OK, but not great. I would not recommend this restaurant, it would seem they make more on the wedding/bar and focus less on the restaurant customers.

01/07/08

It was a Wonderful Experience!!!

by lewiss709

My daughter Andrea chose LaRez Restaurant for her wedding ceremony and reception site. To sum it up in 5 words: It was a wonderful experience!

The quaint and intimate atmosphere was perfect for such a joyous event. 150 people were in attendance. The service and food were excellent. The transition from the wedding ceremony into a reception site was seamless. While formal pictures were taken, guests were served appetizers and wine and the skirted tables magically appeared. Food stations were set, the DJ played songs for all generations, wine and beer were served and I cannot forget the beautiful wedding cake.

The food was delicious and the service impeccable. All I can say is that the planning staff at LaRez know how ?to do? weddings! Again, I would highly recommend LaRez as a wedding and/or reception site.

11/11/07

Perfect Party Spot

by elliecook

I have been a guest at 2 La Rez affairs in the last few months and I am incredibly impressed with their staff, food, and overall ambiance. My steak came out perfectly, even though 40 of us were being served at the same time, and the waiters made me feel like a special guest in a gracious home. The dessert tray was spectacular. I especially liked the passion fruit mousse.

• Pros: Super Staff, Great Dessert
• Cons: Have to pay for parking