Posta Tuscan Grille

For the restaurant or the evening bar, this is a solid place. I travel an awful lot and while 90% of hotel bars range from bad to blah, this one was more like the other 10%. I arrived in late morning, still in time for breakfast, and even though the buffet servers and cooks were already gone to work on lunch prep they came back out to help with an omelet and some options, with a smile! Food was wonderful, especially for a buffet; fresh, well-​prepared, and very little grease.
I was back at night to watch football in the bar area and the staff was still willing to serve even though they had already done an early last call. Between the solid breakfast and the morning and evening service, I almost thought I was at a Kimpton instead of a Marriott…

Let me start by saying that the food and the wine were excellent. The service was okay. She was pleasant but over-​worked (the restaurant was under-​staffed) and it took longer than I’d like to get our wine. We were surprised to find that this is a hotel restaurant — I hadn’t read these reviews before going there. The ambiance was a definite DOWNER. The chef came out and spoke with us, we liked him a lot, the food was amazing, but the ambiance spoiled it for us and the service, while helpful, was slow. Not her fault, but still.

The food is good quality and the staff is very attentive. 4 stars are because it is definitely hotel chain restaurant style, limited menu. That said, it is very convenient when staying at the Raleigh Marriott City Center.

I almost feel guilty giving this place 4-​stars, based on all the previously not-​good reviews, and also having recently heard from friends about a recent «terrible» dinner experience.
So without letting peer pressure steer me, let me just say that four of us had a really really good Sunday brunch experience today. It is very rare for the four of us (two couples) to agree on a restaurant, as we have adventuresome eaters and not-​so-​adventuresome. This brunch buffet made all of us happy.
About 11 on Sunday morning we almost had the place to ourselves. There is nothing on-​line nor on their menu to indicate that they have a buffet, but they did. And albeit not a large one, what was on it was fresh and of excellent quality.
I went for the omelet. Every element was perfect… broccoli, peppers, onions, sausage, sun-​dried tomato, spinach… topped with avocado. Loved that they had salsa and jalapenos for it. Potatoes with peppers and onions were a tasty accompaniment. Meanwhile others were enjoying the golden scrambled eggs, very good sausage bacon, freshly made waffles, the nicely peppered sausage gravy and biscuits, and the amazing fresh fruit: giant blackberries, raspberries, slabs of pineapple, melon, even kiwi. Coffee-​drinkers drank a couple potfulls, and I enjoyed my organic breakfast tea.
Our friendly Server even offered to-​go cups for coffee or tea if we wanted them. (not needed as we were beyond full, but a nice gesture).
Price was on the high side for a breakfast buffet ($ 16.95), but not unusual for a downtown hotel in any medium-​size city. Considering most regular breakfast items are in the $ 14 range, it’s not a bad deal and the quality is there.
Look for emailed coupons as well! Dad got one this morning that saved 10%. All of us walked out saying we would be glad to go back.
Other than this breakfast experience, we have had a few other experiences at the bar here. All of which have been very pleasant (although not inexpensive). Have not had a lunch or dinner here though, so can’t speak to them.
Edited to add that I went back after this review with a friend for breakfast and we shared the broken egg sandwich with cheese, bacon and on my half I had the sundried tomato option added and it was GREAT. Hashbrowns were nothing exciting, but the sandwich was excellent. The tomato really made it. I would not have known about it had our server not suggested it.

We made Christmas dinner reservation or 6:30pm not being told that they stopped serving the buffet at 4. The manager, Ashley, was apologetic and invited us to have dinner in the bar.
Dinner was excellent.
Seared tuna. With a salad and stuffed wontons. All arranged like a Christmas tree.
Also prime rib. Very good.
Server Chris was excellent and attentive.
Will try this place again on a non holiday night. Thank you Ashley and Chris for making it a pleasant Christmas Day.

Not a food review but a bar review. The staff behind the bar on this Saturday mid-​afternoon, sucked at their job, all of them. They were more focused on restocking than making the bar money. All of the bar stools had patrons and the staff seemed irritated by this.

After thoroughly reading the very mixed reviews, I decided to dine here one evening.
It wasn’t busy on a weekday night, and it might be like that normally. The service is good, definitely average and nothing extraordinary. I wish they would train their servers to know their extensive wine menu and keep them updated as to what’s new or out of stock. Also, I would have liked if our server smiled a bit more instead of looking awkwardly uncomfortable half of the time.
For an appetizer, I started off with an arugula, fig, and poached pear salad w/​balsamic reduction. It was good, very sweet, loaded with evoo, presentation was boring, nothing I couldn’t have made myself. My friend got the calamari which was tasty. The pepperoncini and lemon aioli cuts the greasiness of the friend squid quite well. and It comes in a container lined with parchment paper, and there’s way more in there than you’d expect! The complimentary bread is delicious. It’s a very soft, moist bread with rosemary and melted Parmesan that gives it a nice crust.
I read from the previous reviews that most of their food is salty except for the spaghetti. It is so mind-​boggling true. My friend’s spaghetti sauce was bland. It tasted more like crushed tomatoes in sauce form. But I think I would’ve preferred bland over my salty pasta! Okay, so we all know you salt the pasta water when cooking, and cheese is salty, and seafood is generally on the salty side; why add more salt than necessary? I really wanted to like my food, but I definitely could whip up something more satisfying to the palate.
Of course I got dessert, and the tiramisu was good. I think it was my first time eating regular tiramisu, and I liked it. Again, nothing noteworthy.
The biggest annoyance of my experience was the parking. I read on their website that they validate parking, so I assumed that if I parked in the parking deck, that would be fine. Maybe it’s my ignorance, but they only validate valet parking, but as far as I’m concerned, you still have to pay in terms of tipping them. So what exactly is the point of saying you’ll validate parking when either way a few extra bucks will be flying out of your pocket?
Ugh, anyways my curiosity was satisfied and I received my opentable points but nothing else. I won’t be coming back here again.

A very nice restaurant hidden inside of the Raleigh Marriott Hotel. I never really even knew it was in there, considering I live waaaay too close to downtown to ever need a hotel room. The restaurant is impressive, décor-wise…Though entirely too big for the lack of a crowd… It was HUGE and pretty much empty.
My father was staying at the hotel and treated me to dinner. He told me to order what I wanted so I decided to use this opportunity to try something relatively new. I went for the veal with greens, peppers and potatoes.
First off the vegetables and potatoes were wonderfully seasoned and cooked really well… The veal… Well it was SALTY. And I love salt! Is veal always salty? I probably would have liked it better if it was less seasoned. Though the cheese on top was great.
OH and that bread severed with the meal: SO GOOD. I could have had a whole loaf!
Dessert consisted of a cannoli which was rich and yummy. I was surprised how big they were. My dad and I couldn’t even finish! Soooo rich.
Value-​wise this place was expensive… My meal was in the mid-​twenty range which is more expensive than I spend in several days of dinners usually… I probably wouldn’t come back unless it was a very nice occasion. But as a meal with my dad I had a good time!

Salt. I think I had a salt-​lick for dinner.
The chef is better described as a cook. They cooked up some moderately random ingredients (random salad toppings), threw in some bow tie pasta, canned crab and rang the pick up bell. To make sure the flavors integrated well a substantial amount of salt was added so that it all tasted exceptionally salty.
The ice water was fantastic. All of the water was in the glass, had ice in it; all the things you’d expect with a glass of ice water. This was a nice addition to cleanse my palate after each bite.
A restaurant of last resort for a late night dinner (literally and figuratively) .
Make the effort and leave the hotel for dinner. Go to Chucks or even the Raleigh Times…

I think my first 1 star review…
The expectation was that we would arrive with an hour and a half available before Les Mis to dine and we could expect a pleasant, sit-​down meal from the lunch menu on the website of nice entrees, vegetarian choices, and appetizers with our out-​of-​town friends. We had a group of 7 and were willing to split into a table of 4 and 3 if need be. We figured that as the closest restaurant to the Raleigh Memorial Auditorium and run by Marriott, they would be experienced in handling concert goers. We were wrong.
Our experience was that the advertised hours were wrong, that the menu was abbreviated to be shorter than a food truck’s menu (see image), and staff were inept & slow and the management presence non-​existent (but hey, staff was dressed well and were friendly). No real restaurant would treat concert goers as an inconvenience; on the contrary, they would be ready to serve them up a full and profitable menu as quickly as possible. Marriott is totally squandering their opportunity with zero forward thinking and zero entrepreneurial drive to serve that crowd. It is a hotel restaurant and it shows.
We arrived 12:25pm and staff told us that they will open restaurant in 10 mins. We put our name down first in the list and waited with the 25 other concert goers who showed up.
At 12:45pm (20 mins later) they seated people, but out of order and not from their list. At this time, patrons received the heretofore-​unseen abbreviated menu.
12:50pm, seated.
12:55pm, Finally took our food order. New person took 10 mins to take and enter order (see check image).
1:15 Patrons who arrived after us had been served, had eaten, and were leaving
1:32pm (30+ mins after ordering), our 4 burgers, 2 chicken sandwich, 1 chicken ceasar, 1 salad with grilled cheese arrived. BUT the chicken sandwich which we made VERY clear could not have cheese due to lactose intolerance HAD CHEESE! Waitress commented that she doesn’t speak spanish, so that must have caused the cheese problem. Burgers were mediocre, fries were below average.
1:37pm — new chicken sandwich arrives without cheese
1:37pm asked for bill
1:45 got bill & lactose intolerant patron finished wolfing down chicken sandwich.
Paid, put rain gear back on, left, barely made the 2pm show

Your cooler than average hotel bar/​restaurant. It would have gotten 4 stars, but the «hotel» prices are a little steep. Service was good and spot on. Not that crowded on a Thursday night but I am sure they do OK.

Probably more like 2 ½ stars, but the server, was really nice. First off, the place was empty on a Saturday night, at 7:30. We were one of 3 tables there, and the huge space that it occupies didn’t help the lack of clientele. It was not a concert, convention or theatre night, so I’m sure they do better then, but still a poor showing on a Saturday. The bruschetta was good, a little salty, but flavorful. I had the sea bass which was tasty, but accompanied by uninspired sides, and my fiancé had a pasta dish with lump crab meat which was good, but not great. I think the prices they charge vs. the food they serve is a bit off. But if I was a buisness traveller staying in the hotel on the company dime, it would be considered a better meal that you get in your average hotel restaurant.

I had the same experience as Bryant T. with the restaurant running out item. 4 Entrees were unavailable, 4 out of 5 desserts. The food we were able to get was good, but for the prices and the high end atmosphere, it was very disappointing.
I was in town on business and the menu and ambiance looked good, but the lack of food and lackluster service spoiled the dinner. At the end, we ordered a capachino, but they came back to tell us the machine was broken!

This spot has mixed reviews, so I thought I would write one. We hosted a brunch here after a wedding and I must say it was fantastic. It was a little on the pricier side, but they did not disappoint. The food was fantastic (piles of bacon that was crispy, not soggy) — egg sandwiches, fluffy biscuits, fresh fruit, Starbucks coffee. The staff was helpful and everything was well presented.

Went to Posta Tuscan Grille and it is a decent place, but nothing extraordinary. The food was quite good and the atmosphere is nice, but I felt something missing. I think part of the problem for me is the opening to the hotel lobby is so big, I felt like the dining area wasn’t separate enough from the hotel and was distracted by all the people running around the lobby.

During the Winterfest 2010, we decided to grab a bite to eat and I was pleasantly surprised. Great atmosphere. granted the bar area was very busy, but I was glad we had reservations. They were Very accommodating and service was good.
Outstanding:
Lombatine d’agnello «scottadito
Grilled rack of lamb marinated with Posta Tuscan rosemary extra virgin
olive oil and sautéed vegetables
My daughter had the Pizze Blanco, which looked scrumptious. And, ugh, they left a piece.

The only way to describe my dinner experience here is that it was an expensive mess.
I ordered a Caprese Salad: tomatoes were hard as nails, soggy cheese, too much olive oil and no other seasoning.
The main course was a spaghetti marinara with meatballs. This should be simple for an expensive Italian restaurant, right? Wrong! The pasta was overcooked, the sauce tasted like they poured the sauce straight out of a can and did not even bother to season it. And then there were the meatballs. Where do I start with the meatballs? They were clearly made of second grade beef, cold and tasted like shoe soles. I strongly suspect that they, too, came out of a can. This for a $ 21 pasta dish.
The panacotta desert was passable, but nothing to write home about. My recommendation: Give this place a wide berth.

Wow, I’m speechless… my first 1 star rating…
You would expect better food and service during restaurant week at the Marriott. Believe it or not, 90% of their red wine selection was not available. How does a restaurant run out on several items on their PREPARED menu during restaurant week? At least our service wasn’t bad, but not memorable. The food is not even worth mentioning. Thank god the dessert was a nice finish to the night.
You would think the point of restaurant week is to give you a taste of their culinary expertise and a reason to come back. Don’t bother.

I parked in the Marriott and Convention Center parking deck, went down a flight of stairs, and found myself in the middle of some cyber-​stuff conference. I hurried through the convention center, exited the building and then rounded the whole block to get back over to Posta Tuscan — only to discover that this restaurant actually connects to the Convention Center as well! Totally mind-​blowing!
I was there last night for a Triangle Foodie Tweetup organized by Unilocaler Johanna K and N&O food writer Andrea Weigl. It was a lot like a Unilocal event… only a much broader age range of folks. They had a great turn-​out — 50 or so? And unfortunately I only got to meet a handful. But the bar area was the perfect mingling area before the main event. There were a few tall tables to stand around with our drinks. And waiters came by with plates of meatballs and bruschetta. Didn’t try the meatballs (not my thing) but loved the crisp bruschetta and topping of salted-​just-​right tomatoes and olive oil.
We were served five tapas-​style courses. I did so much talking that I didn’t finish any of my plates — nor would I have remembered much about the meal except that I nabbed our menu on the way out. The whole staff was on point and the manager made a little announcement followed by the chef — who is Italian for the record.
We kicked things off with a salad topped extra virgin olive oil. It had shavings of freshly grated cheese on top and was the perfect summer salad. Came with a side of stuffed tomatoes that were also tasty. Unfortunately, as the meal progressed the consensus of the table seemed to be that the food was less impressive. The next dish was spinach and ricotta ravioli. I only ate about half of this. The texture seemed a little mealy. I did wolf down the sea bass and fresh veggies though. While the dish was prepared nicely, it just didn’t stand out; I enjoyed sea bass at Revolution the other night that was just so succulent. The final course had sounded intriguing: rice fritters with orange zest and a cinnamon zabaglione. I had no idea what a zabaglione was — and I still don’t. One bite and I decided it just wasn’t working for me; it was an odd mix of savory and slightly sweet that just isn’t my type of dessert order.
So, three stars for great service, great effort, and a really large space that’s perfect for groups — and conveniently opens up into the convention center (who knew?).

I have dined a Posta several times. The food never disappoints. Great, authenic Tuscan food. I recently attended a cooking class– five courses paired with wine. I learned quite a bit but took away an amazing experience… and a slight warm fuzzy from all of that wine.