Oakleaf - Carrboro

Our waitress appeared very irritated, which made our dining experience quite awkward. However, we couldn't help but admire the absolutely beautiful server at the table next to us who was friendly and engaging as she explained the menu. It's always disappointing when a nice dinner is marred by poor service. Make sure to ask for prices before ordering, as my date was surprised to be charged $27 for an Angels Envy Old Fashioned, which typically costs around $50 for a bottle. Overall, we were eager to try this restaurant after they received acclaim a few years ago, but the small portions, overpriced cocktails, and unfriendly waitress left us unimpressed. The pastas were tasty yet tiny, and we don't plan on returning for another date with cold service.

The restaurant is beautiful with a pleasant atmosphere. We were seated at a lovely window table adorned with fresh flowers. The service was adequate, though our server was a bit slow with check-ins and forgot some details of our order, such as flatware. However, he remained polite and friendly. The food was delicious, especially the cookies which were flaky, rich, and hearty. The other meals were good as well. The seasoning on the shrimp was perfect, but the shrimp itself was a bit overcooked. The sauce made up for it though. The duck dish didn't impress me, and the dessert was good but not to my taste. Overall, we spent about $100 for two people, which was fair considering we didn't order any alcoholic drinks. I plan to return to try other menu items as I believe the other dishes are worth trying. I will update my review after my next visit.

A neighbor recommended this restaurant to us and it was fantastic. The decor was nice and they even had an outdoor terrace. Jamie was our server and she was very friendly and attentive. The food was amazing. We started with the delicious cheese biscuits, made from the chef's grandmother's recipe. They were so good we wanted to take some home. We then had a Caesar salad that was unique but delicious. I ordered the crispy Pamlico shrimp and my partner had the grouper. We also shared a side of creamy polenta. Overall, it was a great dining experience and we left with clean plates. Excellent food!

The service is naturally perfect, and the ambiente is very beautiful. we had the cheese plate that was beautiful. my son had the ravioli and loved her. I had the softshell crab and thought it should have been crispy instead of asggy as it was unfortunately. I had the flounder and felt I could have made him home. we had the cheesecake and the chocolate for dessert and both were absolutely delicious. we're coming back.

We went to Oakleaf to celebrate our first wedding anniversary and are so glad we did! We were planning on ordering the chef’s spontaneous tasting menu. It was graduation and Mother’s Day weekend, and it turned out the chef had taken the tasting option off the dinner menu since it was going to be so busy—but he made it for us for the occasion! Very kind and not at all expected. But we are so glad he did because it was absolutely delicious. It included 5 courses and 3 mini-courses and we got to try homemade ravioli, duck, and steak, among other things. Everything was cooked perfectly and beautifully presented. They sent out a candle and a little note with dessert, which was a thoughtful touch. We will definitely be back—soon!The one thing I noticed that could be improved is the ability to make instant online reservations, like through Resy or OpenTable or a similar software. Right now you fill out a form and then they get back to you via email to let you know if they have the time you want available.