Cafe Rule & Wine Bar

Review summary

1. A

   Angela

   Charlotte

   2 reviews

   2.0

   2 reviews

   Dined 4 days ago

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 1
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 3

   Unfortunately we did not have the best food experience last night...... The calamari was tough, the wedge salad was too "wet" with dressing and the dessert tasted overwhelmingly like mint.
   

   Cafe Rule & Wine BarResponded today

   Thanks for the review, Angela. We're truly sorry to hear that your experience at Rule didn't meet your expectations. We pride ourselves on our food quality and it's disappointing to hear that you found our calamari tough and the wedge salad too wet. We also apologize for the taste of the dessert. Your feedback is invaluable to us and we'll definitely look into these issues. We hope to have the opportunity to serve you better in the future.
   

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2. T

   Thomas

   New York City

   1 review

   4.0

   1 review

   Dined on February 7, 2025

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 3

   Thongs have changed. Too bright lighting. Wait Staff in jeans and aprons like Cracker Barrel. Scallops tough and overpriced. Waiter was amazing and made it a better experience but overall changes not for the better.
   

   Cafe Rule & Wine BarResponded today

   Hello Thomas, thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts about your recent visit to Rule. We're glad to hear that our wait staff made a positive impression on you with their service. We are sorry to hear that you found our lighting too bright and that our scallops didn't meet your expectations. We appreciate your feedback and will certainly take it into consideration as we continually strive to improve our guest experience. We hope to have the opportunity to serve you again and provide a better overall experience.
   

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3. A

   Ann

   Charlotte

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined on February 7, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   FABULOUS!! EVERYONE WAS WONDERFUL!!! FOOD WAS MAGNIFICENT!!! THANK YOU TO EVERYONE!!
   

   Cafe Rule & Wine BarResponded today

   Thanks for the feedback, Ann! We're thrilled to hear that you had a fabulous experience with us. It's wonderful to know that our food and service met your expectations. Your kind words truly mean a lot to us. We're looking forward to welcoming you back soon for another wonderful experience!
   

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4. J

   Jessica

   Western NC

   40 reviews

   3.0

   40 reviews

   Dined on February 2, 2025

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 2
   4. Ambience 4

   We used to eat at CR quite often. Tonight we decided to stop by on a whim, &we had a pretty bad experience unfortunately. This is only the second bad experience we’ve had here. With part of the bad experience tonight being due to the menu changes, idk that it will be worth coming back. When I say I LOVED the house salad before, I mean it was one of the best salads, if not the best salad, I’ve ever had. The lemon vinaigrette was out of this world delicious. I’m not exaggerating. I was disappointed to see it wasn’t an option anymore, but figured the new house with the Italian would be fine. Meh. It was mediocre. The Italian vinaigrette wasn’t giving vinaigrette at all. It was just ok. And I don’t think there was any bruschetta on the salad as advertised. Just long pieces of jarred roasted red peppers. My husband got the Cesar salad. It literally came to the table with no dressing at all. There’s no way walking the salad out, they couldn’t tell it wasn’t dressed. I was half done with my salad before they returned with another salad for him and the croutons were not fresh. They were soggy. It was like bottom of the bowl old salad. He ate a bite and pushed it to the side. We actually had to get someone else’s attn as we didn’t really see our server too often. The server asked about the salads and I expressed that mine was just ok and I missed the old salad, and he agreed the old one was better. My husband told him his was awful and he did offer something else, but we were just ready for entrees by that point. We also order the yeast rolls. We always like them, but I will say they are kinda weird with the oil and vinegar and they were slightly more “doughy” than normal. I love oil and vinegar it just seemed like not the right type of bread for it. Our steaks were ok. For 45 it would be nice if they were cooked properly and actually came with a small arugula salad or something like The Cellar does. Sad to see one of favs is no longer something we’d consider an option…
   

   Cafe Rule & Wine BarResponded today

   Hi Jessica, thank you so much for taking the time to let us know about your experience. We are so disappointed to know we missed the mark. We are looking into your service notes and trying to determine why the service you received did not live up to our standards, and all of your feedback on the food has been sent to our kitchen. There is no reason you should have received the salads you described. We are really excited about our new menu, and we will be launching the full menu very soon. We are very confident that we have worked out the kinks and that you will enjoy some new items. I would love to connect with you directly so that I can let you know when our full menu is out - we really want you to try it! I will send you my contact privately, and hope to hear from you!
   

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5. S

   Steve

   VIP

   Charlotte

   21 reviews

   3.0

   21 reviews

   Dined on January 31, 2025

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 2
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 3

   We have been dining at Cafe Rule (aka 242) for many years. It has gone through many changes with management and staff. The current chage to an Italian restaurant is definitely not the best. We ordered bruschetta and crab cakes for an appetizer. The bruschetta was rock hard, and the crab cakes had no sauce. The crab cakes that Cafe Rule was serving were much better. We also ordered the Chopped Salad, the meat balls and the Cajun Pasta. The salad was good, but not as good as the first time we had it. The meat balls were okay. The pasta was lacking in flavor and sauce. It ws quite dry. Sorry, but this is just not a good attempt at an Italian restaurant. It is still Cafe Rule with a few semi Italian dishes.
   

   Cafe Rule & Wine BarResponded today

   Thank you so much for your feedback Steve. We still have not rolled out our full Italian inspired menu, and there are a lot of really exciting changes coming! We are so sorry that your introduction to these changes clearly missed the mark! We are confident that we have worked out the kinks and that you will be impressed with our new menu. I hope that you will come back for the experience you deserved!
   

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6. S

   Sandy

   New York City

   34 reviews

   5.0

   34 reviews

   Dined on January 25, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Our 1st time at Cafe Rule and it did not disappoint! We chose the prix fixe menu on a Saturday during Restaurant Week. The appetizers, crab cake & meatballs, had generous portions and the flavors were balanced… and served hot on cast iron. We saw a neighboring table eat them & had to add the yeast rolls appetizer; SO light & crusted with butter & kosher salt! The entree blackened chicken & fettuccine was very generous and had great flavors working well in a light sauce with plenty of fresh shaved Parmesan on top. The salmon piccata was light & lemony over garlic mashed potatoes. For dessert, we enjoyed the tiramisu and the brûlée cheesecake, both were generous portions and delicious. Our server Josh was friendly, knowledgeable about the restaurant and helpful in making food & drink recommendations. Josh was clearly busy & hustling, but made frequent stops to check that all was well and to apologize for a delay in bringing out dessert. We look forward to another dinner & to dining on the charming outdoor patio in warmer weather
   

   Cafe Rule & Wine BarResponded today

   Hi Sandy, thank you for your wonderful review! We're thrilled to hear that your first visit to Rule was a memorable one. We're especially pleased that you enjoyed our prix-fixe menu, appetizers, entrees, and desserts. We take pride in our attentive service and delicious food, so we're glad to hear that our team made your experience enjoyable. We appreciate your feedback on our yeast rolls, blackened chicken & fettuccine, salmon piccata, and tiramisu. We look forward to serving you again soon!
   

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7. R

   Robin

   Charlotte

   13 reviews

   5.0

   13 reviews

   Dined on January 25, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   The staff provided excellent service to our party of 10👏! The salmon piccata, crab cakes, sides, and dessert were quite good. The wine list has been pared down, but the bartenders still know how to make a great martini🍸! All in all, a very enjoyable evening!
   

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   Cafe Rule & Wine BarResponded today

   Thank you so much Robin! We are so delighted to know you enjoyed everything and we were able to offer you and your guests a wonderful evening! We look forward to having you back again soon!
   

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8. M

   Marsha

   Charlotte

   1 review

   1.0

   1 review

   Dined on January 24, 2025

   1. Overall 1
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 2

   Beware of alcohol prices. First drink price was within reason ( a single). After our waiter left at end of shift, we were served by bar attendants. The same drink was ordered and the price doubled. We were told that the drink was always a double. If that were the case, how did the original waiter serve and charge us the first drink at 50% off. This place seems to make prices up as more drinks are ordered. Food was mediocre at best. There are far better options around this area. I don’t recommend this place one bit abs never going back.
   

   Cafe Rule & Wine BarResponded today

   Hi Marsha, I am really not sure where the miscommunication was on your order, and I am so sorry that you were overcharged. I was able to go back to your reservation and pull up your tickets, and it does look like singles were rang into the system during dinner, and that doubles were rang into the system when our bartender took over. We pride ourselves in being honest and upright, and hate that you left feeling duped and overcharged. I have refunded your card for the amount equaling two Double Tito's. We hope you will come back to give us another shot. We are working with our staff to make sure communications are delivered clearly, and we are so sorry for the misunderstanding. Thank you for your feedback!
   

   1 person found this helpful

9. K

   Krystal

   Western NC

   1 review

   4.0

   1 review

   Dined on January 24, 2025

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 4

   We attended queens feast The choices were good The food came out all so quick and it felt rushed Otherwise quality was good and ambience
   

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   Cafe Rule & Wine BarResponded today

   Thank you so much for your feedback! We are so sorry you felt rushed, but we are so delighted to hear that you enjoyed everything! We hope to see you again soon!
   

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10. M

    Michael

    Las Vegas

    1 review

    2.0

    1 review

    Dined on January 23, 2025

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4

    Had first booking at opening time 5pm for Queens Feast Event. Waiter was great, food not so much. 1st course was meatballs for me they were normal but good meatballs, she had crab cakes that were bad and cold. 2nd for me was Salmon, small sliver and no taste, on top of a large pile of cold mashed potatoes with not broccolini but very large stalks of broccoli. She had the hanger steak, very very chewy and cold and same amount of broccoli stalks also hanger steak had greens salad that was the same with her crab cake... 3rd was dessert, mine was crème brûlée cheesecake... was pretty good, not sure what sauce was. She had Tiramisu, she surprised to see a large scoop of ice cream and it all soaking in a bath of coffee We have ate here many times before and never has it been like this
    

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    Cafe Rule & Wine BarResponded today

    Thank you so much for the feedback Michael. We are so glad that you enjoyed your service, but are terribly disappointed that we dropped the ball with your meal. We would love to have you back for the experience you deserved. Will you reach out to me directly? I will send you my email. We appreciate your joining us, and we are so grateful for your taking the time to let us know about your experience. I hope to hear from you!
    

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