Dec

Tavola Rossa Converts to Crabtree Tavern

The owners of Tavola Rossa, the free-standing restaurant across the creek from the back of Hudson Belk, have converted the restaurant to the Crabtree Tavern . The new restaurant features a family-friendly sports bar theme with upscale food.

The chef, Aron Cremeans, comes from Restaurant Bateux in Beaufort, SC, and most recently Vines Bistro in Cary. The dinner menu (.pdf) features standard upscale tavern fare, but has enough range to be potentially a regular favorite. Prices are in the $8-$17 range, which is a price point for which this area, in this economy, is dying.

The restaurant will also host trivia each Tuesday (beginning 1/5) as well as competitions with Playstation and cornhole (Iâ€™m afraid to ask).

map it

Horatio

I wish any new establishment well, but do we need another sports bar?
http://www.raleighing.com Chris Anderson

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cornhole
- http://www.danamccall.com Dana
  
  Thanks, Chris. This game is somewhat different than the one my patients in the prison were playing.
Chris

While I don’t know that that location is ever going to work (or not at least until the Kidds Hill and other developments ever happen up on the hill over Crabtree, if ever), another sports bar?

Wow, doesn’t anyone do a market assessment of the Raleigh area and go, you know what we need, more sports bars! Like I’m going to drive past 3 other sports bars to go to that one.

In that location, you’ve got to have a destination restaurant and give me a reason to drive out of the way and deal with Crabtree traffic to go there. A sports bar won’t do it.
RaleighOrange

This disappoints me big-time. Tavola Rossa was honestly one of the top 5 dining experiences I’ve had in the Triangle, it was really fantastic. But at the same time, while I’m disappointed, I completely understand the rationale. The location is plopped in the middle of a dozen hotel chains and it’s where many, many business travelers stay and are oftentimes without a car to go to one of the other 75 sport bars within 5 miles. If you’re from out of town, want some good, unique bar food and to watch a game, it’ll be the place to go. Hotel bars tend to have crappy food and a limited number of tv’s. They’re not catering to locals, they’re catering to the substantial captivated audience.
Patti Miller

The “standard upscale tavern fare” is the point you are all missing. I will definitely make the trip past the other sports bars next time I’m in town. Looking forward to good food and a good time. Best of luck to you Chef Aron.
MikeB

Definitely will give it a go. I’ll always pay a premium for decent food, even when it comes to tavern fare. It will be nice to have a place with decent food options next time we watch the Wolfpack take down the Heels.
http://raleighspecialstonight.com Amy G

I saw this place yesterday! I’m disappointed that Tavola Rossa is no longer there, but that place was kind of hit or miss. I’m going to give it a shot, but it doesn’t look like anything really sticks at this location.
Jessie

you guys are nuts. i work at the top of creedmoor and find this new place very easy to get to. traffic at the mall is hardly anything these days and the dishes i have had i have never seen on any other menu… even at other sports bars. our server said that they make most everything in house, which is why my salad and soup were so delicious. i also had the creme brulee for dessert and it was the best creme brulee i have ever had. at drive past the other sports bars once to get to crabtree tavern. it’s worth the trip.
Kristin Clark — Michigan

If you try the food you will see that it’s not just another sports bar. It is food heaven. Maybe you should try it and then leave a comment, that’s usually more effective in a review then ASSuming that it will fail. You have obviously never tried any of Chef Aron’s food. Give it a shot…I guarantee you will like it.
Subway Scoundrel

I see how with all the Hotels there, this would be a good place. Business travelors want to drive or walk a short distance, watch a game or eat something good. This is not aimed at the DT Raleigh crowd. And why a sports bar ?? Becuase it works.

No way is a hotel going to reccomend “well, exit here and take 2 lefts and 1 right and get on the interstate and go 3 exits and go through 4 lights and turn right and there is a place to watch a game and gets some food”

Hey, go out here and turn left and there it is”

Sounds OK to me
Dana

I presume that the introduction of Brio to a neighborhood already saturated with Italian restaurants (Assagios, Casa Carbone, Casalinga, Stromboli’s, Tavola Rossa) was just too much. Someone had to go, and it was T.R., a restaurant that was good, but catered to a pretty high price point.

I agree that “sportsbar” is a theme that is really overdone, however this restaurant has a LOT of things that can make it a real success. The menu is interesting. The price point is outstanding. The facility is roomy, clean, and pretty. The restaurant is fairly close to the RBC Center.

So, if they can keep an A sanitation grade, put good food on the table fairly quickly, and do a little marketing (hint: tie in with RBC events), there is no reason it can’t be to West Raleigh what the Raleigh Times and Cameron Bar & Grill are to their areas.
Steve

We ate at Crabtree Tavern tonight. The parking lot was almost full at 6 but the restaurant wasn’t, I wonder if people were parking in the lot to walk over to Crabtree? By 7:00 the tavern had a good crowd. It’s a very nice place, for a sports bar, very clean and plenty of flat screen HDTVs. The food was good but I could tell they were still working thought their menu. I think they will change it within a few months to see what sold well and what did’nt. Bottom line, I will go back, they have a great staff and the food was good.
Lynn

I went there new years eve for dinner before a hockey game. The atmosphere is great – big TV’s everywhere, big bar and plenty of places to sit. Bar service was great! The table service was pretty bad. They had 2 waitresses for the half full restaurant. The food was only OK and it took forever to come out. Prices on beer were excellent and food was reasonable. I loved some unique items on the menu like pimento dip and fried green tomatoes which are also available as burger toppings! I’d go back to hang at the bar, drink beer & eat appetizers but I wouldn’t go back for dinner.
sydney

First time I went there, the place was pretty empty, but it was early. The food was great! I went back a second time, the place was full and the food was awful, what a disappointment. Maybe I’ll try back in a few months….
Sydney
barb

Bad experience, will not go back to eat. Owner and servers were rude, service was SLOW, 25 min for a beer, 1 hr for a burger. Food would have been better if served hot. There are several other new sports bars in the area that I will try before going back to this place.

gogoraleigh.com

Tavola Rossa Converts to Crabtree Tavern

Recent Stories