Where to begin… menu: wide range of variety to please anyone, yet uniquely southern enough to show off for out of town guests. staff: very friendly and attentive, great management bar: lots of wine options, great cocktail menu, and bar staff experienced enough to meet any request with a home run

The service was incredible and inviting. The food was delicious and the portions were generous. Cocktails were delightful! Try the hummingbird cake! And the calamari salad was great.

If you're looking for a new take on comfort food, stop in for some gourmet Southern fare. The small plates change seasonally and are always interesting and delicious. Their themed dinners are a lot of fun and often inspired. Do make a reservation for Tuesday evening to get great discounts on their tasty entrees.

Came for the tomato plate and was lucky enough to get one of the last two! The menu is a fresh (and local!) take on Southern home traditions, the servers are friendly and helpful, and the atmosphere is fancy but comfortable.

Good food and great place for our family to get together.

+6

Excellent food. Probably one of the best eggs Benedict we’ve had. Good ingredients and great flavor. The service was questionable. I think we just wound up with the slow waiter. The other service staff seemed to be working harder. It took about 10 minutes for the waiter to first stop by our table. We were actually tempted to leave, as the restaurant was not busy and had many open tables. But once our food was ordered it came out relatively fast. Finally, we had to wait a while again for our waiter to get the check and pay. Other than the slow waiter, it was a great experience.

This is a great place for a relaxing meal in a pleasant atmosphere with great service. There's a very nice covered patio in the rear. 20+ years in this location says a lot about the quality.

I’m editing my review to five stars because I spoke with a manager that kindly explained that there was a glitch with the system that caused my reservation to appear incorrectly. It was a very unfortunate misunderstanding but the manager addressed it thoroughly and courteously and I’m looking forward to returning to this restaurant! ***** I had dinner and a cocktail and both were fabulous. Great portion sizes and reasonable drink and food prices. I enjoyed the ambience and the servers were really nice. The red-haired hostess, however, was rude and refused to seat me in the dining area even though I’d made a reservation for a table. She said something vague about the system “messing up” but I think she just didn’t want to seat me in that area, even though I saw a couple of tables that remained empty while I was there.

Great ambiance and some of the best food and cocktails in the area. A really nice outdoor seating area if the weather is nice.

First time eating at this hidden gem. Called on a Friday night expecting a long wait and the fit us in within 30 minutes. The host on the phones were super friendly and although we arrived 15 min early for our reservation they sat us quickly. Atmosphere is very warm and welcoming. Room noise not bad at all . Our waitress Laurel was patient and super in helping us pick out our “ first time “ selections and was very informative on going over the Menu and she was great with our kids. The blackened Salmon , Lobster Mac and cheese , the cornbread , the Brussel sprouts were all amazing. Finished up with some strawberry shortcake. Quite delicious! Prices very reasonable for Chapel Hill ! Will be going back for sure. You can tell the business takes care Of there employees . They all seemed very happy !

Oh my goodness!!! Best food ever! I can't wait to go back. Way too full to eat dessert but they sounded amazing. Chocolate fudge cake with toasted marshmallow ice cream and maple popcorn sundae. Pics are of our appetizers: Heirloom tomato plate with fresh mozzarella and basil pesto with deviled eggs and homemade bread and butter pickles. House made 🌽 🍞 with roasted jalapeno butter. So good!

Went for brunch on the patio with our Frenchie. Ordered the Empanadas and Fried Green Tomato Benedict. Food was excellent; portions pretty big. Strawberry mimosa was a perfect balance, not too sweet. The patio is beautiful with a great vibe. Service was great. Highly recommend.

Went on a whim and both of us thought every single thing was beyond delicious. The ingredients were superb and so fresh. We both loved how the chef combined flavors, unique and artful. The cornbread is to die for. We also had the deviled eggs, friend green tomatoes, the pork dish and salmon. Great wine, beers on tap and cocktails... although we didn’t try them. Went on a Tuesday night and it was pretty packed. Nice outside patio that would be great when it’s warmer. We are definitely going back and you should most definitely try Acme Food & Bev!!!!

I grew up in Carrboro but never really had the opportunity to eat here. My better half was bored of the same old food we eat in Durham but we wanted to celebrate. I suggested Acme & I’m so glad I did. We got the cornbread first. Delicious. Perfect portion for the two of us. For our entrees I got the Braised Beef Short Rib with carrot puree & chow chow. I added on a side of Mac. I’m not normally a huge fan of carrot purée but this was unlike anything I’ve ever had. And the crust on that mac & cheese? Unbelievable. I think it was the best meal I’ve ever had. My partner said the same of his— he got the blackened salmon with cheese grits & black beans. We finished our meal with the Key Lime Tart. The sherbet was AMAZING, but we agreed the tart was too tart to finish. I appreciated our wait staff so much. They made sure we had everything we needed without being overbearing. I cant wait to come back.

There are so many good restaurants in the area that while I wanted to try this based on recommendations from the Chapel Hill Carrboro Foode FB group I kept returning to known favorites. Until today - Mondays are tough to find open places and so I said let’s finally give this a try. I soooo sorry we waited so long! Absolutely delicious! I had the blackened salmon and my husband the Mahi Mahi special and we practically licked both the plates! We will be back! So much more to try. No pics… was too busy eating :-)

It was one of the best experiences we have had dining out in many years! The service, atmosphere & food was impeccable! We dined on the patio & could not have asked for a better evening. The 4 of us shared the Wedge salad appetizer. Each of us selected a different entree & raved about each & then ended with a dessert- 3 different ones that we ended taste testing. The peach cobbler with BlackBerry icecream won!

This is our third visit to Acme and find the food consistent: excellent, fresh, delicious, hearty portions, a menu that accommodates both vegetarians and meat eaters. Atmosphere is casual and convivial, though it did get too loud for us after 7:30 on a Saturday night. Our waitress was friendly, efficient and in very good spirits. Strongly recommend. We will be back.

Acme has been a Carrboro stalwart for decades and is always a good time. Over the pandemic they totally revamped their back patio and it’s stunning. I love to get wedge salad and the fried chicken but have been known to dabble with the ribeye special whenever they have it. The tomato fest in the summer can’t be missed either. My wife routinely gets the salmon entree as well. All great stuff at dinner and the brunch is really damn good too

We were here to celebrate new years with one of our great friends. The place was selected by our friends (wine and food connoisseurs). The place is very cozy, modern and offers great selection of wine and food. Their food on their regular menu and weekend specials were both excellent. Must try: Crab cakes, deviled eggs and Fried Cod - entree, and mac and cheese. Service is excellent. Staff is very attentive. Music is mellow and not too loud. A great place to Wine and Dine!

WOW! We had dinner last weekend for my husband's birthday and EVERYTHING we ordered was OUTSTANDING. They had a pasture raised Ribeye special that was seriously the best steak I've ever eaten. I would love it if they would put this on the menu as a regular item. (PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE ACME) We also got the cornbread special (caramelized onion and goat cheese) and the Oysters Rockefeller and they were both fantastic as well. We had such a wonderful experience and can't wait to make it back to Carrboro for dinner! It's our new favorite restaurant! Bob was our waiter and he was awesome!

Absolutely delicious food, great atmosphere, and excellent service. Wouldn't expect anything less, however pricey. Still great.

The service was excellent! The food was pretty good but not all of our three dishes were equally good. I loved my pulled pork and mac and cheese and coleslaw, but for some unfathomable reason, they used a dark midwestern style bbq sauce like you would slather over a rack of ribs. So look out if you're expecting Carolina bbq! My wife said her salmon was unremarkable but was fine. The plating was nicely done and the cocktails were good. We always love the vibe here and we will definitely be back!

Excellent, excellent food. One of the best dining choices in Carrboro and Chapel Hill. Small, so getting a table can be a challenge. Reservations are accepted.

Creative menu and high quality food with complex and yummy flavors.

Oysters and scallops were phenomenal :) kind and accommodating staff.

We hosted a private event for 50 people with Acme on the back patio. Throughout the planning process and during the event the Acme team was communicative, flexible, and made us feel incredibly well taken care of. The food and drinks provided were stand outs to all of our guests and Acme was able to provide accommodations to a range of dietary needs ensuring that nobody left hungry. The patio provided such a special place for our event, and we cannot recommend Acme highly enough for a private event; excellent food, service, and atmosphere all in one place! We look forward to sharing future special occasions with Acme.

Delicious food and great service! Always an excellent experience!

This review is a week late, but had to share the fantastic meal, service, and customer experience! First the food: First course, had an excellent French 75, evening appetizer special, pan-seared sea scallops w/gruyere and cauliflower puree, wild mushroom ragu, and chive oil; and a house must, hushpuppies w/tupelo honey butter. Everything about this meal was perfection....Scallops fresh and perfectly seared, however the hightlight of the dish is the gruyere and cauliflower puree! The puree was so delish, when ordering the pecan fried chicken, inquired if I could substitute the puree vs potatos. There was an upcharge, but not a worry, as so worth the subsititution price. It actually enhanced the flavor of the chicken. And the Hushpuppies, they too were perfection, and a true to form southern delight! As for the service, sat at the bar and the bartender the eve I visited, 4/3/25 was exceptional! Making my experience one to remember!

Great ambiance and friendly staff. Food is good and generous. Highly recommend.

+1

Sunday brunch was absolutely delicious. I had the Texas Border Breakfast Bowl and a French 75. The bowl is a great blend of flavors. And plentiful enough for leftovers. We sat out back on their covered patio. It's like an oasis. Our server was attentive and friendly.

Cheryl Bauman Bock

Brunch was amazing. Our server Rob was very warm and welcoming. We throughly enjoyed Brunch which is only offered on Sundays.

noelle pflum

Literally made with love. This restaurant is creative and yummy! Feeding large groups is hard but this owner/chef takes time to craft the perfect menus. And adds such perfect flavors. You cannot go wrong with anything they serve. And I have not even been there for brunch yet. Which I hear is to die for!

Kasia Reeder

We must of got there at the right time (6.30pm - Saturday) as we didn't have to wait for a table. We got promptly sat down and drinks ordered. I ordered a espresso martini and my boyfriend got the mint julip. Both great! We ordered the tuna crudo and devilled eggs to start and the tuna appetizer was one of the best apps we have had in a long time! Deviled eggs were the only disappointment of the night. They tasted like nothing - not even eggs haha. Honestly we didn't care because the rest was so great. My boyfriend got the rice and beans and he was blown away by how the flavors all came together so well. The chow chow made it. I ordered the gumbo - it was incredible. The cornbread was the star of the show - its sweet and decedant and slightly savory. Order it - you won't regret it.

+1

Dylan Karach

We’d passed by this place several times not assuming much from the outside. We finally gave it a shot and got an amazing spot on the back patio. Every dish was fantastic, but the deviled eggs and hush puppies will keep us coming back. The cocktails were also fantastic. The back patio area is insanely cool. The staff is very friendly. The brownie sundae dessert was the absolute cherry on top of the whole meal. Carrboro has yet to disappoint for restaurants.

Ian Stroszeck

Fantastic southern food restaurant with succulent classics, including pulled pork, honey glazed cornbread, and fried chicken. The food is served sort of tapas-style, which is great for sharing. Although individual meals is what we ended up doing. Loved every bite!

Casey Braun

First time visiting and was very happy! Great cocktails to start, followed by delicious Brussel sprouts. The fried chicken is to die for and the pulled pork dish is really yummy!

Local Reviewer

The good: Food is really good and consistent. The patio is one of our favorite spots. (With so much good weather here, I wish more restaurants had shady, covered patios.) We order the pig, fried chicken and gumbo most times. All wonderful! I wish there were more vegetarian options, but you can order sides to make a plate. Tiny fried green tomatoes are heaven and in the summer, the BLT plate. Could be better: service is always kind of meh? They usually don’t clean plates off the table or bring a check in a timely manner. It’s not enough to keep me away though. Would love more cocktail selections and for them to change seasonally. (More vodka drinks please) Also, and this is the only big one- while the mains are phenomenal, the desserts are lacking. Tried key lime pie twice and it is not good. Super bitter and that crust is not giving enough. Where’s the flaky crust desserts? Their strawberry shortcake is good in summer though. Overall, give it a try! Brunch is a favorite and LOVING their current $10 selections. It’s a regular for us for a reason.

Jeremy Emerman

High quality, hyper local modern take on southern classics! Highlighting seasonal ingredients that will make you coming back for more. Was fortunate to come in the high of tomato season. Had a wonderful appetizer showcasing the best of NC produce, paired with fantastic local cheese and a house made pesto. Mains were wonderful as well! The fried chicken is a must and the smoked hog is a true masterpiece. Only frustration of the evening was being full from the app and main course so i cant tell you how amazing the desserts would had been! Oh and also highlight a great NA drink menu as well as a ton of creative cocktails. One of the top spots I've tried in the triangle.

Agatha Donkar Lund

Great local place with a rotating menu featuring local specialities based on the season, plus plenty of menu staples that stay on year round. The wedge salad is innovative and big enough to serve four. The pecan crusted fried chicken is an all time winner. And the Forever Roasted Pig - pulled pork with mac and cheese, fried green tomatoes, and slaw - is one of my favorite dishes of all time.

Sarahs Backstage Pass (Sarah Knight Adamson)

Acme Food & Beverage uses the best fresh ingredients to create their offerings. Chef Kevin Callaghan made our Film Fest 919 crew my favorite dish, Shrimp & Grits, (arranged ahead of time). Hands down...THE BEST I've ever tasted. Beautiful decor, excellent service, creative choices, fun place and outstanding food. The State Fair Menu was fun as well, who knew Frito Pie would taste so great. Can't rave enough about this amazing dining experience.

+3

Lucy R

GET THE TOMATO PLATE! Or anything with tomatoes, it’s tomato season after all and Acme knows how to pick ‘em. So… tomato plate, tomato pie, tomato risotto, tomato peach salad, you name it. We also loved the cornbread but make sure to her extra butter. Other highlights were the Brussels sprouts and the Mac and cheese (unfortunately you can’t get it on its own… Acme should fix this). The patio is lovely! Great ambiance. Can’t wait to try brunch here when they start serving it again.

William Pate

We could not get a reservation for a Friday night so we took a chance and stopped by and were able to get seats at the bar. Bartender was very good with drink and food recommendations. We had the beef tip special and the gumbo along with an appetizer. Food is local sourced and was prepared well. The place was busy but did not seem over crowded. Service was excellent and they included a working wage tip on the bill. We will come back when in the area.

Great atmosphere and service. Fun and cozy place. We really appreciated Eleanor, who was fantastic. The drinks and desserts were interesting and delicious. Unfortunately I can’t say the same for the blackened salmon. The salmon was not fresh. It had a distinct old smell. My husband’s pig dish was also sub par. Others in our party enjoyed several appetizers , which is the what I’ll do next time.

Decent food, but somewhat expensive for what it's worth.

+1

Food service and atmosphere was all amazing, love that they had more than two GF items on the menu, would definitely be back

This place has some of best bbq I have ever tried. Ordering food took a while and would of been nice for my waitress to at least acknowledge she would be with me shortly, but was attentive after the fact. Cocktails where also really good. I recommend getting the apricot and beets starter. Seems like it's often missed and maybe one of their best side dishes.

We ordered the Thanksgiving Feast to go. We loved the food. Delicious, all! And plenty! We suggest that more information be provided to the customer upon ordering. I wasn't aware we would have to heat up the food in advance. It all worked out fine, but I spent more time in the kitchen heating up the food than I had anticipated. Maybe even provide the instructions online prior to pick up?

Service was phenomenal (Kim). A few (six) local brews on tap with a surprising amount of variety. Cocktails are creative and tasty. Kim was fun and informative when it came to helping us navigate the menu. Lots of apparently great choices, but we started with a shared salad. The dressing was well-emulsified, and the cheese (Chapel Hill's Farmers Cheese) tasted like butter on the salad - it was amazing - maybe even the highlight of our meal! I had the pan seared duck with greens, chutney, and pureed cauliflower. The cauliflower nearly stole the show on this one, the duck was cooked nicely and the pan sear was awfully nice. The greens were too salty and worked to overpower the rest of the dish. My wife had the blackened salmon. It tasted like they were going for a sort of Latin flair with it. It came with black beans, grits, and a spicy salsa verde. Like the greens, the black beans were over-salted. And like the cauliflower, the grits stole the show on this one.

I've had good experiences here in the past, and went tonight with a large group of people to whom I had recommended the restaurant. The drinks were excellent, and I also had the oysters on half shell which were very fresh. Unfortunately it took a very long time to get our main dishes, and my steak was very overcooked. The waitress never asked us how our food was, so by the time I caught her to let her know, everyone else was halfway through their meals. I asked to send the steak back and they kindly obliged, but I had to get it to-go since everyone else was done eating. There was no discount for the error and there was a mandatory 20% tip due to our group size. I would rate three stars, but I feel like maybe this was an off night for them. I might not recommend going there unless you have the extra money to spend.

The food and service 5 stars. The tomato pie, scallops, brussel sprouts, grilled lettuce Caesar salad were all very tasty. The waiter was informative and had good explanation of the menu. However, we were seated next to a closed window and there were at least 12 flies ( I counted them) zooming over food constantly. We raised the issue and the waiter said the obvious that you are seated next to window - instead of offering a different table or a soothing answer.

A bit slow service because the volume of people at lunch. My fried green tomato sandwich was cooked well. The orange juice was freshly squeezed and tasted fabulous.

Food was good, drinks were okay. Service was kind of slow, but not bad at all. Patio is GORGEOUS, inside is lackluster. Hours are confusing. This is the 3rd or 4th time we've tried to go, they were closed for a bit for some reason. Then I thought their hours on Google were wrong because the hours on their doors are different. But I think Google is right and the doors are wrong..? Not sure.

The pecan crusted fried chicken was not one of my favorites sadly -would not order again nor would I recommend

SA Cinpinski

Came in on a Friday afternoon for a dinner date. Nice atmosphere and parking is relatively easy to find if it’s after 6pm- just park behind the buildings. Short ribs were fork tender and chimichurri was on point. We also ordered the pulled pork plate that came with slaw, Mac n cheese and some fried green tomato croutons. Serving size was generous. Food was delicious. Service was slow- took about 10 minutes to even get drink service, but server was very friendly- for 2 dinners and no apps, took 1.5 hours, which seemed excessive. I will still come back.

Sarah Chittenden

We went here for a dinner with friends. Our food was good however based upon the other restaurants in the vacinity the food is priced about 20% too high. Our server was nice and our plates were cleared promptly however we all only had one drink as our waiter never asked if we wanted another. Overall based upon the price and the other good food options close by Acme likely will not enter our regular meal rotation.

Kevin Estep

The food was very good, but a bit pricier than I expected. Not expensive, necessarily. There were a lot of tables in the space, and that rendered it noisy and cramped. Our waitress was friendly, but a bit boisterous. We ordered a Key Lime tart. It was excellent, and enough for three!

I feel as if sometimes the food can be inconsistent, sometimes it's good sometimes its not. But what really bothers me is how little they witch up their brunch and dinner menu, which is a problem Glass Half Full has as well. Although I have had very pleasant experiences with the waiters in the past and the atmosphere is very pleasant.

The food was hot and fresh. The service was good.

+6

Staff was friendly and welcoming. Waited about 50-60 minutes for entrees. I ordered the salmon which came out almost completely raw. I notified the waiter who acknowledged the issue and took my plate away. They re-fired my salmon (which I honestly prefer, to not be wasteful). Waiter returned with the re-plated/re-fired fish. He asked if it was “more to my liking,” which I found to be an odd comment. Check came with no apology or reduction in cost. Had to ask the waiter if they would want to comp anything, which they ultimately did (the entree was comped). Asked me if “that would do it for me?” When returning the bill. He didn’t say it in a rude way, just an odd comment to what I thought was a reasonable request. Food was fine. Very nice outdoor environment. Likely not going back.

Very disappointed experience. Got seated at 6:45 and wasn’t served our meal until 8:30 pm. Decided to get the soft crab special which basically tasted like breading. For $36 definitely not worth it. Hardly any crab meat. And because the wait for food was so long ended up spending over $50 on drinks. Don’t get the soft crab special- just nothing special. And our guest ordered the bbq pig which he said was “ok”. Unacceptable wait time. Also special strawberry margarita was not worth it either. Very small glass with tons of ice and no flavor. Cornbread is always good. Should’ve stuck with the salmon. Won’t be back for a while. Also outdoor patio didn’t have heated anymore so it was chilly and very noisy. We chose to bring our out of town guest here and was embarrassed by the mediocre food, long exit time and cold patio.

Don’t order the pear salad. The pears were hard and green. The pears should have been blanched. It only takes 2 minutes and they would have been softer to cut and chew. The lettuce and dressing were fine.

I've been coming to Acme for 20 years. It's usually slammed on a Friday night, but last Friday night it was strangely kind of half full. Don't know what's going on. Maybe it's this: Unreasonable prices. I was not impressed by the service either. When you're paying this much for dinner, you expect to get good service, but frankly our waiter was an idiot. The fried flounder with Hoppin' John was OK, but for $25? I mean come on. You can't really get out of there for less than $100 for 2 people, with tip. This is not elaborately prepared food. The smash burger with fries is $18. A beer costs $7. This place is resting on it's laurels. Ridiculous. Won't be back. There are many more interesting restaurants in Chapel Hill.

Southern food with a modern twist, the menu has some good offerings, but is definitely weighted towards the fried and heavy food options. The butter beans in Rosemary cream are amazing, the deviled eggs pretty good, the quickbread was dense- which would be fine if it wasn't also dripping in oil. Overall, the food was decent, but the service at the bar left a lot to be desired. No greeting, no effort to check on how our meal was, and a few staff members behind the bar who had their backs to us more often than towards us. We waited so long for a bartender to come back to order dessert & drinks that we just decided not to order any and closed out instead. Granted, this was our first visit so maybe it was an off night but it was disappointing on this first visit to this local spot.

It’s not as I remember it a few years ago. The menu was complicated, meaning it’s not a place for a picky eater or a place to get a straight up nice cut of nicely cooked steak. But I can see why people love the food. It’s definitely upscale. I went hoping they had the bone-in-marrow

Food was okay..ordered a medium rare steak, was over cooked which made it extremely dry and difficult to eat..didn't like the cocktails either..too much cinnamon in the drinks even after requesting not to make it that way..good dessert though..

+1

The food was good, but overpriced. it's not anywhere near close to real southern food. It's What Northern people think Southern food is. The food was not seasoned adequately, and the portions were not worth their price. The service was great and the Waiter was fantastic.

I've only gotten take out food. I wish they had all the choices that are in the restaurant available online to order. Service is great they're very kind. The atmosphere looks amazing when I go to pick up my food.

Ness G

Brunch was good, not sure if I would come back. I had the tomatoe pie and chicken with waffles. The tomatoe pie’s serving was smaller sized, with a side of greens. Taste was good - nothing more. Price was a bit high on items too.

maxine

We ordered thanksgiving to go. The food is not bad but also not five star good. The amount of food is less than we expected for the price. Probably won’t try again.

Patricia Porter

I had the Etouffe. It had no taste at all. It was watery. While I know it is their interpretation, there was no butter, cream, milk. The dish was simply a water consistency.

Leslie Terrell

We’ve always loved Acme Food and Beverage, but unfortunately I can’t give more than 3 stars this time. I sent an email on 8/26/25 about a not-so-good experience we had, hoping to hear back, but never received a response. It’s disappointing because we genuinely enjoy this place and want to keep supporting it. A little acknowledgment would have gone a long way.

The service was very slow taking well over an hour to get our food. I ordered the summer gumbo which was described on the menu as having okra, duck confit and crab. It did not have any of these ingredients in it - no okra, the duck confit was pulled pork, and the crab was replaced by a single crawfish. The dish itself was also off with a somewhat sour taste. Other entrees in the group - blackened salmon, fried chicken, tomato salad - were relatively bland and underseasoned.

The etouffe and corn bread were great, the scallop appetizer was delicious (though just two small scallops for $17...), the gumbo was so-so (nice, authentic flavor, but no noticeable crab, only a couple of tiny pieces of andouille, and inedible duck), and the stroganoff was absolutely disgusting -- the "beef" was a single chunk of fat and gristle with almost no meat on it whatsoever... and the server disappeared on us after dropping off the food, never to be seen again til she came to clear the plates. We waited almost 20min to try to send the stroganoff back before giving up and eating just the noodles, and not even a glimpse of the server the whole time... they comped us a dessert, bit still charged for the inedible stroganoff. Won't be returning.

First off our waiter was on it. Attentive and quick. Food at the Mother’s Day brunch ($25+pp) left a lot to be desired. The eggs didn’t look or taste fresh (on par with local buffet chains) the bacon was burnt to the point that our seven year old niece noticed. French Toast was French mush. The shrimp Mac and cheese was basic with three smedium shrimps buried in a cup of okay Mac and cheese. The salmon and deviled eggs were the only well received dishes on our table. We also had to pay a deposit on the reservation which was fine in itself however the restaurant was half full the whole time we were there. I came here seven years ago and it was great. This time not so much. Hope things get better.

The gumbo was very tasty, but half of the proteins promised on the menu were missing. The beef stroganoff would more aptly be called fat and gristle stroganoff. I would be ashamed to serve that.

Atmosphere was pretty good. Waitress was nice. Wait time to get food was horrible-over 1 1/2 hours. Food was good but not good enough to wait that long. They did comp dessert so that was a little helpful but we will not be returning.

After 3 months of having no food from ANY restaurant, I finally decided to get carry-out from Acme, due to the large number of great reviews it has. I've never been more disappointed in my life. I got several veggies, the "Angel" biscuits and the coconut pound cake. First, the biscuits were burned solid and hard as rocks (see photo). I literally threw them away immediately (you could smell the burned bread in my car). The asparagus soup was 95% cream and cheese (with large chunks that were not incorporated into the soup) and about 5% asparagus. You couldn't even taste the asparagus. And, finally, the pound cake was dry and hard. I had 2 bites and threw it away also. So I sadly threw away $16 worth of food. The collards and grits were okay, but nothing special. And this after waiting 3 months for a yummy restaurant meal. I'll never go there again, regardless of whether they are open for guests or still only doing takeout. They are extremely over-priced for what you get and the food was unbelievably disappointing.

This could have been an off night as we are regulars at Acme? The meals were very disappointing. My wife ordered the steak which was extremely tough. Her butter beans were cooked in an off tasting cream sauce. I had the carrots. For $13.00. I expected more than 7 small carrots and parsnips. The carrots were barely cooked but the parsnips were tender. My gumbo was great. I always order an after dinner cognac. For some absurd reason they always insist in serving it in a whisky glass instead of a brandy snifter. I decided to ask the barmaid why on the way out. She was rather huffy and informed me they didn’t have any brandy glasses. I mean come on Acme. They’re about $4,50 a glass on Amazon. All in all. $147.00 for a very disappointing meal is a bit much. Hopefully on our next visit things have improved

Decided to give another try after a bad experience years ago where the waiter chased me and my date out the door demanding to know why I didn't leave a larger tip. Unfortunately 10 years later I can't say the service has changed much. Seated at 5:30 midweek, maybe 3 other people eating, still took forever just to get any sort of order in. I get it, its a "fine dining" place or whatever so maybe not a place for kids., We had our 5 and 1 yr old with us. Server looked at me like I was speaking another language when I asked for a cup with straw and lid on it. (which btw they don't have). Host was equally confused when I asked for a high chair. Steak was mostly a pile of gristle. Several items on the menu were "out". I don't know my overall impression, I'd say it tries really hard to be more than it actually is.

Absolutely ridiculous. Took 20 minutes to be greeted. We placed a drink order and our full meal, appetizers and main courses. During that time the table beside us was sat greeted and received the same appetizer before us. When we asked our server she said “that’s an appetizer” and what was ours? “That’s an appetizer.” She said the kitchen was backed up. 5 minutes later our main entrees came out. We walked out. Will never go back. They didn’t apologize or offer any condolences. Completely appalling the service and experience. Would give it 0/5 stars if I could.

Could not complain to the waiter about this because I was being treated by friends on my birthday. But ... I ordered the crab cakes and neither my wife nor I could detect the slightest taste of crab.just a mush. Rather outrageous for the price. And for a reputable restaurant. Hope they get the message.

My husband and I had reservations for Valentine’s Day. My husband tested positive for Covid the day of, so I called to cancel. We were still charged a $50 fee for cancelling, even though it was a circumstance out of our control. The manager wouldn’t do anything since that’s their policy. We will never eat here again, and I would urge others not to, either. The management would rather that their customers get Covid than gracefully allow a sick customer to cancel a reservation. Oh, and we’ve eaten there before and had bad service. Never again.

Just neglected start to finish. I assume busy Saturday night is the explanation, but the couple behind us seemed to hit it off with our server, Charles, sounded like they were well looked after. Ordered the deviled eggs with the drinks, gently reminded Charles twice more, they never came. Each round of service involved shuffling drinks or plates to the right owners. Was assured the pilsner delivered was the ipa I ordered, an “i’m not sure” would have been better since it obviously wasn’t . Literally every app and entree and side came cold (except the mac and cheese side with the bbq for some unknown reason). Undercooked strip steak but close enough to eat. So disappointing. The auto -gratuity was just insult to injury. I do hate to criticize and would have preferred to share with a manager, but his stop to bus app plates did not include asking after dinner, or anything else for that matter. I really never say I won’t go back, but this was just an exceptionally bad experience.

There are very few vegetarian or vegan options and the prices are ridiculous considering what you are actually getting. These criticisms aren’t even the tip of the iceberg; the way the business has chosen to respond to many SA allegations directed at the creep that runs the place and their lack of compliance to any worker demands is disgusting. Giving a 15$ an hour wage doesn’t excuse this behavior. Go across the street to spotted dog for a delicious, locally focused, more affordable menu with much larger portions and options to satisfy everyone in your party (they also treat their workers extremely well<3)

Had to, pay $20 a person on Easter for reservations. Which was fine but was told the menu would be the same with a few things added. When we arrived was a completely different. The sausage tasted spoiled. The butter beans was lima beans and was not cooked enough, they were hard. The waiter was not knowledgeable about the menu. Then a 20% tip was added since a party of 5. Left unsatisfied. But on the brighter side, the deviled eggs, cinnamon rolls was good and the biscuit. Wouldn't eat there again for $210. From a Virginian.

If there was an option lower than one star, I would have chosen it. The experience at this establishment was by far one of the worst I have ever had. The food was mediocre at best and was overpriced for the quality. The chicken was overcooked and food was under seasoned. We ordered the Jambalaya and it arrived in a tiny bowl and tasted like what I imagine Uncle Ben's instant boxed rice to taste like. Again the quality of the food was poor and the menu makes it seem as if the dishes are really exquisite. In addition to the mediocrity of the food, the service was also horrendous. Our server continuously forgot that we were there and other servers had to come by to check on us and refill our water. To say the least I have never had a dining experience as terrible as this one. I would absolutely not recommend this overpriced, bland, and basic food served at Acme in Carrboro/Chapel Hill. PS - I also filled out the comment and suggestion card provided at the end of the visit with my constructive criticism, leaving my email as requested and was not contacted by management in regards to this terrible experience.

We always leave a tip whenever we go and we like the food we order, but on our last visit we were greeted with a shocking attitude. There were three of us and each of us ordered dessert in addition to the main course. When we asked for the bill, they asked us for the service fee, which is normally applied to 5 people and above, even though we were 3 people. We called the waiter and asked, he said he would call his manager. After 15 minutes, the manager told us that we had to pay 20 percent because we had a bad tipping history. We were shocked because we have left tips many times before. It is not like we should tolerate this treatment, these prices and attitudes. If you are reading this review, do not go, there are many better places. Of course, if you do not care about disrespect, go.

The food was not great, especially for the price. Bacon and lobster chowder- no bacon, no corn, a ton of zucchini (not mentioned in menu) very bland. Should have been called zucchini chowder. It was like they ran out of ingredients and threw in zucchini…poor show. Blackened Salmon- 30.00 dish. No option offered for cooked preference. Came very well done/dry. Cheese grits were cold, yes cold. Not a good meal The meal as a while was very expensive, which I am fine with, so long as the quality of the food matches the price. We were very unsatisfied tonight, it was like eating cheap buffet food.

I use to love this restaurant, it had great food, a great vibe and great drinks. Now it’s just bland and honestly not good. I’ve gone 3 times recently and ordered different dishes and this will be the last time I go. My dish tonight was part of the Mardi Gras menu. Anyone who knows anything about New Orleans, knows those dishes are bold and full of flavor. This dish, etouffe, tasted like something that would be served at a nursing home. Come on! Use some flavor and spices. The drink was so watered down, I think it had a thimble of whiskey in it. What a bummer to have a great restaurant just turn into such a bland, boring place.

Sophie Gifford-Whitehead

Food was bad & overpriced. Paid $21 for a BLT that was served deconstructed on a lunch-like tray with a tomato that still had the stem in. The bread was soggy and barely toasted, sauces were flavorless, overall the dish construction was just odd and poorly executed. The southern tomato pie was okay some bites, and aggressively over salted others. Crust was also soggy. Not sure if the pie was meant to be completely liquid inside? Anyways, somebody should probably consider doing some quality control.