There are very few places that can make something so special from what would otherwise be just dinner. Chef Crawford and his team are nothing shy of excellence. The menu offers seasonal favorites and elevated dishes that can't be accurately described here. The textures, flavors, depth of intention in how it's all put together are simply masterful. From the greeting to the time you leave, it truly is an experience. Kat and Jordan and the entire team make every detail matter. From the cocktails to dessert and everything in between, just doesn't get any better! Well done as always!

Absolutely delicious!!! We tried the sausage, short rib and summer squash. They were all 10/10. The cocktails were also amazing. The service was on point. Every person who came to our table was delightful. And the environment was cute and quaint. My husband wanted to go back two days after we left so I guess that says something lol.

Amazing food and service. All of the dishes (appetizer, entrees, side and deserts) we tried were delicious and so flavorful. Our waitress was very helpful in our food selections and attentive to our table. Ambiance was nice for a romantic or business meal. We will be back.

Food and service were very good. However, restaurant is VERY noisy; even though we asked for the drumming music to be turned down, it never was. Not a place for a quiet conversation

We had a great experience at Crawford & Son. The food, drink, and service were all excellent. This is one of the best restaurants we've been to in the Triangle. The cuisine is New American. Reservations are recommended. There were barely any left when we looked for a Saturday reservation about two weeks out. Crawford & Son is open for dinner only. Every seat in the dining room and at the bar were taken at one point during our visit. I saw walk-ins get turned away. You can book reservations through Crawford & Son's website via Tock: http://crawfordandsonrestaurant.com/ Sorry, no OpenTable points here. This restaurant has been around since November 2016. It's located in downtown Raleigh's Historic Oakwood neighborhood, in the same strip as Oakwood Pizza Box. There's no dedicated parking. Free street parking is available in the residential area around the block (e.g., Pace St, N Bloodworth St). Read the signs for parking restrictions. This isn't a big restaurant, but it's not tiny either. The dining room and bar share the same space. There are some tables in the front and then a long banquette that runs the length of the bar and more. The layout is similar to Jolie French bistro, Crawford & Son's sister restaurant next door (opened August 2019). Unlike Jolie, Crawford & Son doesn't have nearly as much outdoor patio seating (only a couple two-tops) nor rooftop seating (none). Chef-owner Scott Crawford opened a third restaurant, Crawford Cookshop in Clayton, in December 2021. The ambiance here is elevated, but not pretentious. The restaurant definitely has a hip vibe, but it's not overdone either. It's comfortable. The menu was fairly simple and straightforward. To give you an idea of the number of selections, our party of four tried one of every cocktail (4) and one of every entree (4). Below is a list of what we ordered. It'll also give you an idea of what kind of food and drink to expect, along with pricing. Cocktails * Komodo ($16) - gin, blood orange, shiso, Montenegro * Dungeon Dragon ($16) - tequila, grapefruit, lemon verbena, campari * Spiritual Gangster ($16) - Mezcal, mulled wine, falernum, cynar * BB King ($16) - bourbon, brown butter, PX sherry, bitters Appetizers * Little Gem Caesar ($17) - truffle pecorino, cured duck egg, fried garlic * Grilled Clam Toast ($16) - focaccia, nduja, chimichurri, pickled onion Raw * Yellowfin Tuna Crudo ($18) - garum vinaigrette, winter radish, ginger ice Entrees * Lion's Mane Mushroom Schnitzel ($28) - caper cream, cauliflower, lemon confit * Pan Roasted Sea Trout ($36) - blood orange beurre blanc, trout roe, root vegetables * Duck Breast ($45) - Sarladaises potato, glazed pearl onion, black currant sauce * Beef Short Rib ($37) - crispy shallot salad, hakurei turnip, sweet, sour, and savory glaze Save Room / Desserts * Vanilla Tapioca Pudding ($12) - creme fraiche, honeycrisp apple granita * Parsnip Spice Cake ($13) - ginger ice cream, maple carrot, walnuts After Dinner Drinks * Big Mac dessert drink ($16) - Macvin, hazelnut, egg cream * Special "Banana Flip" (not on menu, $17) - banana liqueur, egg cream Everything was outstanding. The presentation was absolutely beautiful. Visually stunning. The plating was some of the best I've seen in the Triangle. Probably top five in that regard (just take a look at my pictures). Thought and care was evident in each dish and cocktail. They looked like works of art. Everything was creative, well executed, and tasted as good as it looked. My wife, who's especially picky with cocktails, said the Komodo was one of the best cocktails she's had anywhere. The flavors were balanced and smooth. The color was unexpectedly clear despite being made with blood orange. That's because they filtered the cocktail using curdled milk. The Dungeon Dragon was memorable because instead of just a salt rim, citric acid was added too, to give two flavors: salty and sour. The Grilled Clam Toast popped with colors, textures, and flavors. It was savory and unique. The Yellowfin Tuna Crudo was fresh and citrusy. Both the Sea Trout and Duck Breast were perfectly cooked and delicious. The trout was the best I've had in recent memory. I love mushrooms and was impressed with the hearty and satisfying Mushroom Schnitzel. Little things like the way they cut the cauliflower and lemon - the latter into thin edible slices - really showed the kitchen staff's attention to detail. The Vanilla Tapioca Pudding was phenomenal. The consistencies were terrific with creamy and appetizingly chewy tapioca topped with delicately flaky granita. Service was fantastic. Our server was Sydney. She was kind, knowledgeable, and attentive. Everyone else we interacted with was great too, from the hostesses/managers to our food runner. One of the hostesses/managers noticed me trying to Shazam a song. She brought over an iPad and let me take a picture of the song on the restaurant's playlist. Very thoughtful of her. That kind of service is above and beyond.

We ate here for our anniversary and really enjoyed it! We made reservations for 2 at the bar because all the table reservations before 9 pm were full, but when we arrived, a table was open and offered to us, which was really nice! (LIkely, we also would have been happy at the bar, but I'm pregnant, so the comfy booth seat was welcome.) The service was superlative, both from our attentive server and others who jumped in any time they walked by and saw something that could be done. The non-alcoholic cocktail was fantastic! Both food and drink menus are curated rather than extensive. We are parents of a small child who rarely get out to restaurants, so when we do go, we love to taste a variety of options on the menu. Your ordering style may vary. For starters, we ordered the yellowfin crudo (a standout and possibly the best dish from my perspective) and crispy porcelet belly (very tasty, although the skin was more tough and chewy than crispy). The manchego-herb biscuits were amazing in taste and texture, like, how do they do that? For entrees, we had the lamb loin and bavette steak. My lamb was nice, but the flavor of the steak dish (my husband's) was unreal. (Normally, I would have ordered the seafood, but the only option was swordfish, and I had already used up my weekly serving of potentially-high-in-mercury seafood with the yellowfin crudo, worth it!) After sharing two appetizers, biscuits, and an entree each, we were really full. However, I had been anticipating the triple cheesecake with rhubarb, so we got a portion to go. It was unusual - very strong on the savory cheese flavor in the cake - but we both really liked it. (Would I have liked more rhubarb? Yes, but I love rhubarb, and not everyone agrees. Rhubarb skeptics, this is a safe dish for you.) Two starters, two entrees, a side, two drinks each, and one dessert put our total just north of $200. Not a huge consideration for us, but it's a small-ish space with dark decor and modern, minimal lighting. I've spoken with others who remembered it as a bit cramped. The music is... not quiet... with prominent bass, but we sat next to each other and were able to talk. We definitely plan to go back. Edited to add: We were also really impressed by the short ticket times! Our food came out very promptly, and we finished three courses and had our take-out dessert ready to go in just over an hour. We also didn't feel rushed, as though we could have lingered without any pressure from the server to free up the table. As folks who no longer get out much, that's a huge plus.

After visiting Crawford & Son just two times, it builds an amazing case for one of the best restaurants in Raleigh, hands down. On our last visit, we started with manchego biscuits and the beef tartare (both incredible). The beef tartare was incredibly tasty and so unique, we were not expecting the crispy rice crunch to already be incorporated in the dish. I ordered short rib and it exceeded all my expectations - perfectly tender and delicious. We also loved the pavlova and videri brownie sundae for dessert - the brûléed banana was a nice touch. Excellent service and a little noisy but absolutely worth it!

They take reservations for both the bar and the tables, but do know that at least the Tuesday night that we went, they had plenty of walk-in availability. So while this place is awesome for a planned date night, it's also terrific for after work. Parking: this is still a bit of a mystery to us. There are a couple lots nearby but we couldn't tell if any were for the restaurant. Street parking is the name of the game in front of the restaurant (which is kitty corner from Krispy Kreme near downtown) Just pay attention to signs! We parked in the neighborhood behind, but read carefully. Sis & I chose the bar and had terrific service and food. Both of us enjoyed our wine selections after the friendly Bartender helped us pick ones to our tastes. What had inspired me to come in was the pic I saw here on Yelp of their Crab Bucatini. Normally I would be happy to share everything with Sis, but I had to let her down that I would not be sharing mine, so we each ordered it. And opted to share two side dishes with it. Squash Tempura with a remoulade sauce and Brussels. Everything was cooked perfectly and super tasty. The Bucatini had a strong tarragon flavor, which was surprising but delightful. Although the Bucatini was considered a small plate, we were both too full for dessert, which was a bit of a shame cause they sounded great. Tip: Check the menu online before you go as it changes at least seasonally if not more often.

We were in and around the area for just under a week, and Crawford & Son was the culinary highlight of our trip. We're not local, and may not be in the area again for a very long time, but I would unquestionably go back given the chance. Reservations may be tough, and the items a bit pricey, but the service, food and drinks were all top notch. I've remarked about that double-cut pork chop's cook and flavor many times since our visit, and the picture honestly doesn't do us justice. The cocktails were also incredibly well balanced. Having a beer as my first drink, despite it being a good one, was a mistake considering how good the cocktails were. The only slight negatives would be that the venue is a bit tight, and the parking can be a pain. You'll probably have a less frustrating experience if you just accept ahead of time that you're likely going to have to park pretty far away. Maybe drop the rest of your party at the door first. On a side note for parents or picky eaters, the menu changes and is limited, so check it in advance.