Amazing Restaurant, But Not For Dog owners!

If I were to rate this just as a restaurant, it would definitely get 5 stars. It’s an amazing place with amazing food. But in terms of a dog-friendly place, it is not the place to go.

I was an out-of-towner staying alone in a nearby hotel for a funeral. I had my pooch with me and he couldn’t be left alone in the room because he barks, so I checked out “BringFido” for somewhere nearby to grab a quick bite to eat. When I came across the Angus Barn on the app, it seemed to be a casual dog-friendly place. I was wrong on both accounts

The restaurant was beautiful. It is huge, with expansive grounds and twinkling white lights everywhere. I have since learned that it is a famous venue in Raleigh. I parked and put my pooch on his leash and approached, hoping the dog-friendly area would be obvious to find. It was not. I found an outdoor bartender and asked him about the dog-friendly area and he knew nothing about it. He directed me to the main door and instructed me to go inside to ask. I hesitated and told him I didn’t want to bring my dog inside and he assured me it would be ok. I then walked past probably 75 well dressed patrons on the huge patio with their cocktails, several who seemed to look at me with disdain, as I walked up the steps to the main door. When I got to the door, I poked my head in and gestured to a hostess, (who looked just as confused as the outdoor bartender) and she hesitantly waved me inside. As I walked in with my tiny 11 pound dog, one female guest took the opportunity to sneer and loudly state “oh my God, she’s actually bringing it in here.”

I got to the stand and told the still confused hostess that I’d made a mistake and would be leaving. At that moment, a male employee appeared and said to me matter-of-factly, that dogs are “always welcome at the Angus Barn” and to please follow him through the kitchen to the dog-seating area. I jokingly asked him if that was allowed by the health department (I was smiling and clearly kidding) and he responded humorlessly “if you prefer, we will walk around the building rather than through it,” and took off through the front door that I had just come through...

We walked a long ways around the building and the man said nothing to me during this time. It was very awkward. We got to a back patio and he gestured to the seating area and took off - No one greeted me and so I sat myself and waited forever for waitstaff to acknowledge me. I was the only person with a dog.

When I was finally greeted by my waiter, about twelve minutes later, he was wonderful and attentive. The food was among the best I’ve ever had. I have no complaints, only praise, for the chefs and the servers.

Bottom line is, this is an amazingly beautiful place with exceptional food. It is one of those places you should go to celebrate a special moment in life, not to grab a meal with your dog. I really think they shouldn’t advertise on ‘bringfido.com’ at all, or if they’re going to, they should educate their staff on their so-called dog-friendly policy. I will admit, I am a bit thin-skinned to begin with, but my experience that night seemed unnecessarily humiliating.

Mar. 15, 2020

Pleasantly Surprised!

I stayed here for 6 days while having some home improvements done. I was a bit nervous because of the reviews saying the hotel was dirty. I booked it though, because its pet policy wasn’t too bad ($50 total, no matter how many nights) and it had a bar for me and an indoor pool for my kids (they came and went between the hotel and their father’s house). Overall, I was very pleased with my choice. The staff was wonderful, Amy at the front desk was super attentive and the folks in the restaurant/bar went above and beyond. The pool area is bright and cheerful, as is the gym. The restaurant and bar is large with good food. Parking is free and there is a very lovely park like area behind the hotel with a small lake. There is an Applebee’s in the parking lot if you tire of the hotel restaurant and want to get out and stumble back home without driving.

My room (211) was not dirty (as I feared) whatsoever and the bed was amazing - very plush and comfy (my kids said the other one was as well - we had two queens).

A few things they could improve upon: I did experience a bit of the issue mentioned in another post, of water getting all over the floor from the shower, but I just put a large towel down and problem solved - I think their shower curtains are just too wispy. The room itself was a bit narrow, I had brought along some board games to play with my kids at night, but there really was no open space with a table or room to do so. There’s a desk and chair for personal work though, so if you are an individual traveler, this probably won’t be an issue. The two biggest issues for me were the lighting and the lack of drawers. The lighting is very dim, even though there are several lamps in the room. The hotel uses low wattage, white (not a soft yellow) bulbs and it’s a bit depressing. Fortunately, I was able to grab a few warm light lightbulbs (same wattage) from my home and that helped. If you stay here and are able - grab a pack of soft yellow bulbs from the nearby target, it makes a huge difference. Now for the drawers - I had packed two large storage tubs thinking we could just unload into a chest of drawers, but the room had none (only a small drawer between the beds). It was a bit frustrating living out of bins for 6 days, but if you are only staying for a night or two, the lack of drawers may not be an issue.

The last note to my very long post is about room location. Since I was staying close to a week, Amy at the front desk was kind enough to show me a few room options in person. The pet rooms are on floor two, and if you opt for a room facing the lake in the back, you’ll want to get a room on the right side of the hotel (right, if you are looking at the hotel). If you stay on the back left, your view is the gravel covered roof of the pool and not much else. I opted for the street side, as I found it a more entertaining view.

Overall, this was a very enjoyable stay and I recommended it!

Mar. 04, 2020