09/14/09

One of the Top 5 restaurants in the Triangle

by John St

A wonderful old house is the setting, terrific service.

Shane Ingram and Elizabeth Woodhouse (the owners) are real pros.

The menu changes every month. Near Duke University.

Very highly recommended.

• Pros: Outstanding food - some unusual and interesting entrees
• Cons: None

05/12/09

false advertising?

by schmoo119

For Triangle Restaurant Week in Durham, participating restaurants offer a 3-course meal for $25 with a set menu. Last week, my friends and I downloaded about 10-15 menus from different restaurants around the area, finally settling on Four Square's menu because it sounded the most appealing. We had heard great things about Four Square, and we went ahead and made a reservation.

This afternoon, out of curiosity, we looked at the menu again. The one from last week was now gone, replaced by a not-so-appealing menu with fewer choices. When I called the restaurant, the man who answered the phone said that the menu "may have changed," and that "the chef may have put together something for advertisement purposes." What is the point of "putting together a menu" if you won't even stick to it? The reason we chose the restaurant was because of the menu!

However, all in all, we had a great experience, and the food is really good. Service is excellent.

04/01/09

Not worth the price tag.

by ElaineKeenan

I don't mind dropping money on a fabulous meal. I've dined in some of the better restaurants in NYC, Atlanta, Boston and Chicago and have no problem spending double per person what you will at this restaurant. My opinion is that there are better places to go in the Triangle with a similar price tag.

Bonne Soiree in Chapel Hill, in particular (they will pair courses with different wines per your request). The food here also shows a strong French influence, but it simpler and better executed.

I think Nana's has equally good food to Four Square, if a little less creative. But the atmosphere at Nana's is twice as enjoyable, and the staff more friendly and accommodating.

• Pros: Good food
• Cons: Not worth the money.

11/03/08

The best four star restaurant in durham!

by aginuwineguy

yes, the location is weird BUT it is in a beautiful Victorian house on chapel hill rd. It has to be the best kept secret of durham. I have been to NaNa's which was voted one of the top restaurants in the nation BUT I have to say FOUR SQUARE is better. The only reason it may not be NANA'S is because of the location alone. The food and wait staff is so excellent that if you give it a chance, you WILL want to come back and you forget about the location. For the first course, I has a sweet potato bisqet which was recommended by the staff, For the entree I had the lamb.. the meat was SOOOOOOOOOO tender , the greens that came with was better than my moms seasoned greens ( mind you im a born & raised country boy) and the presentation!!!!- you can tell the chef loves his job. My babes had the pork loin- delicious.. then to end I had the chocolate cake and my babes had the cheesecake. SO THE PLEASANT SURPRISE WAS.. me and my baby been together 2 years and it was our two year anniversary...so when they brought out the dessert they wrote HAPPY ANNIVERSARY in chocolate on my plate. This is important to me because every wait staff that came through were genuine and got to know us- and did I tell you we were a gay couple... didnt bother the wait staff one bit. I need not tell you I gave the waiter an excellent tip.. kinda wish I gave him more.

they change their menu every month, so me and babes going back for my birthday this month.. I m so looking forward to it... I'll NEVER forget FOUR SQUARE! if you are looking for a nice 4 star to take a love one or a business dinner LOOK NO FURTHER! I can honestly say It's worth the money.

• Pros: FOOD! FOOD! FOOD!
• Cons: nothing to look at out the window, after service & food that will not matter!

04/18/08

You can do much, much better

by Underwhelmed

The food itself was actually very good and nicely presented. That's the good news.

Location is actually quite sketchy, if you eventually find it. Passed through a few "kids lock the doors" type neighborhoods to get there. Nice view of the giant plastic cow on top of the Mexican joint across the street.

Student/waiters didn't seem to want to be there. But to be fair, the place was packed, so it's apparently pretty popular by Durham standards.

If you are looking for a lovely dinner in an old Victorian home in this price range, stick with Second Empire. I know I will.

03/04/08

Best food in the Triangle

by cotiQ

Hands down, the best meal I have eaten since I moved to the area. Nice atmosphere; polite, attentive service. Portions were perfectly sized and every item fresh and well-seasoned. Stay for dessert - banana & coconut bombe was amazing!

• Pros: food, atmosphere, wine, service
• Cons: none

01/15/08

Very good food and service

by davidmcrosby

Really good experience overall. The restaurant is in a lovely Victorian house on the outskirts of Durham. The inside has a lived-in feel that is very relaxing. Service was good -- attentive but not overbearing. The food was very good. Interesting but not overly fussy. Portion sizes were just about right. We arrived at 9.30 and they could not have been more accomodating. The wine list was good but the wines were too young. We had a 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon from Western Australia and an 05 or 04 Ridge Zinfandel with high levels of alcohol that were a bit overwhelming. Overall though it was a very positive experience and the food was very good.

• Pros: Nice atmosphere, good service, good food
• Cons: young wines

01/07/08

Fantastic Experience.

by rogerdwerner

This is arguably one of the finest restuarants in the Triangle. The service is always professional and attentive, and the wine list is quite extensive and offered at a reasonable price. While the cost is a bit high, it is worth every cent if you appreciate fine food and excellent cooking. The chef is inventive and there is a new menu every month. Do try Four Square for a special occasion, you won't be disappointed!

• Pros: Fine food, great service, beautiful old building
• Cons: None

01/05/08

An average new American cuisine, drab atmosphere

by caliko

We went to Four Square to try out their Thanksgiving Prix Fixe menu. It is housed in a historic Victorian in Durham, with an inviting porch and warm lighting glinting from the windows. We started out in the bar, where I had an underwhelming Sangriatini. The bar was cozy though lacking music, and its brown walls are luscious enough to make me reconsider completely writing off the ugly brown paint on the walls of our bathroom at home.

For the dinner, we were led to a small chilly room that would have been improved had a fire been lit in the fireplace. The walls were sparsely decorated and the house definitely shows some wear and tear, especially in the restroom.

Bread service was by the slice, which is helpful for people like us who are trying to control our portions. Their home-baked sourdough was quite good and that?s coming from a California snob.

My husband and I shared a frisee and baby red onion salad and a seafood crepe for the first course. The crepe was groovy on my palate and the salad was pleasant as well.

For the main course, my husband went traditional and chose the turkey offering. The sugar peas were not completely cooked and as a result, tasted bland. The turkey and mashed potatoes were good but nothing exceptional. I had the duck confit with expertly prepared brussel sprouts, a sweet berry sauce, and stuffing of Stove Top caliber, which is high praise from me.

For dessert, I had the Bourbon Pecan Pie. I couldn?t taste any bourbon but it was tasty and the piecrust was to die for. My husband?s Rum Raisin Bread Pudding was more like a muffin. It had a great chocolaty flavor but both rum and raisin were missing as far as we could tell.

A satisfying meal but we aren?t necessarily coming back again.

• Pros: Plenty of parking, nice price for a prix fixe meal
• Cons: The house and menu needs some updating.

11/06/07

Terrible customer service

by greengardener

I wish I had read this before I visited this restaurant. We decided to try it after seeing a profile on a UNC program. All of the negative things outlined here- cold interior, unappealling exterior, costly "interesting" food and unbelievably slow, snobbish service. I did not particularly care for the food. It was not bad, but not anything special and when the server refilled my wine she looked around over our heads as though there were someplace else she'd rather be. We were checked on frequently, almost invasively, yet when we needed things, everyone was silently, officiously avoiding our gaze, as though our limit of service had been reached. I thought it might be racism, but evidently from these reviews that is the way customers are treated! I would not recommend this place.