NC Triangle Dining Food Blog

The Best Restaurants and Bars in Raleigh, Durham, Cary, and Chapel Hill

  • NC Triangle Dining Food Blog
  • Home
    • Blog
  • Best Restaurants and Bars
    • The Best Restaurants in Raleigh, NC
    • The Best Restaurants in Durham, NC
    • The Best Restaurants in Cary – Apex, NC
    • The Best Restaurants in Chapel Hill – Carrboro, NC
    • Best Food Specials and Deals in Raleigh, Durham, Cary, and Chapel Hill
    • The Best Bars and Lounges in Raleigh, NC
  • News
    • Coming Soon to the Triangle – New Restaurants and Bars
    • New Restaurants and Bars in Cary and Morrisville
    • New Restaurants and Bars in Chapel Hill and Carrboro
    • New Restaurants and Bars in Durham
    • New Restaurants and Bars in Raleigh
    • New Restaurants and Bars of the Triangle, 2021
  • Index of Reviews
    • Cary – Restaurant and Bar Reviews
    • Chapel Hill and Carrboro – Restaurant and Bar Reviews
    • Durham Restaurant and Bar Reviews
    • Raleigh Restaurant and Bar Reviews
    • NC Video Reviews
    • Travel Reviews
  • Food Photos
    • Food Event Photos
  • About
    • NCTD Blogger- Ron Wen
    • NC Triangle Dining Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
    • NC Triangle Dining Blog Policy
    • Working with NC Triangle Dining
    • NC Triangle Dining Blog and Social Media Statistics
Restaurant & Bar Reviews » Raleigh » Poole’side Pies, Raleigh- A Stylish and Southern Spin on Neapolitan-style Pizza

December 15, 2019 by Ron Wen

Poole’side Pies, Raleigh- A Stylish and Southern Spin on Neapolitan-style Pizza

Poole'side Pies in Raleigh - nctriangledining.com
Poole’side Pies in Raleigh – nctriangledining.com

When it comes to Neapolitan pizza, I’m a huge fan! And with all the good Neapolitan pizza in the Triangle, I was curious to see what Chef Ashley Christensen was going to do with her new restaurant, Poole’side Pies. With five restaruants in her culinary orbit, Poole’side represented a bit of a pivot away from her usual Southern-New American cuisine to a more European bent. And given its key location next door to the heart of her restaurant empire, Poole’side Pies would have some big shoes to fill. As construction moved forward on the space at 208 S. Saunders, there was a ton of build-up and hype for the opening of Poole’side Pies. Would that anticipation and those expectations be met? Yes and no in my opinion! Read on for the details, my friend!

Front dining area at Poole'side Pies in Raleigh - nctriangledining.com
Front dining area at Poole’side Pies in Raleigh – nctriangledining.com

Given all the build-up to Poole’side Pies, I can tell you for sure that getting a seat in this hot spot is not easy. Now open 7 days a week, things have gotten a bit easier so I was able to sneak in for a dinner, early on a quiet Monday. Approaching Poole’side Pies you’ll be greeted with a large, aquamarine presence that defines the main color palette of the restaurant. With large plate glass windows up front and a glass skylight above, the space is very light, bright and airy. There’s a hostess kiosk and seating area up front with a flower mural and touch of orange in the bench seating. Overall there’s a lot of white tile, offset by turquoise and chrome giving the space a 70’s feel. Like most of the AC Restaurants, your party will not be seated until everyone is there.

Bar at Poole'side Pies in Raleigh - nctriangledining.com
Bar at Poole’side Pies in Raleigh – nctriangledining.com
Beer at Poole'side Pies in Raleigh - nctriangledining.com
Beer at Poole’side Pies in Raleigh – nctriangledining.com

Poole’Side Pies has a short selection of cocktails (aperol spritzes are featured), beers along with a more substantial wine list by the glass and bottle. One note, the draft beer I ordered came in a diminutive pilsner glass at maybe 12 oz?  Don’t expect a full pint glass for your draft beer here. Behind the bar is a beautiful back-lit scene of a diver underwater, very apropos. Once you’re seated, you get your usual efficient service that you’ll find at AC Restaurants.

Appetizers at Poole'side Pies in Raleigh - nctriangledining.com
Appetizers at Poole’side Pies in Raleigh – nctriangledining.com
Main dining room at Poole'side Pies in Raleigh - nctriangledining.com
Main dining room at Poole’side Pies in Raleigh – nctriangledining.com

If you’re visiting for the first time, I’d suggest ordering up an appetizer or two. Clocking in at $7 or so, the appetizers at Pooleside Pies are excellent and affordable. On my visit, there was the mac n cheese frittatine or shrimp and grits croquettes, fried balls similar to arancini. The mac n cheese frittatine is served with a strong tomato relish, excellent. And the shrimp and grits croquettes are wonderful, perfectly fried and served with a tomato-sherry mayonnaise.

Margherita pizza at Poole'side Pies in Raleigh - nctriangledining.com
Margherita pizza at Poole’side Pies in Raleigh – nctriangledining.com
Sausage with broccoli di rabe pizza at Poole'side Pies in Raleigh - nctriangledining.com
Sausage with broccoli di rabe pizza at Poole’side Pies in Raleigh – nctriangledining.com

For pizzas, we ordered up the classic margherita and a sausage, broccoli rabe and provolone pie. With only six choices on the menu, it won’t take you long to order at Poole’side Pies but I usually always get the margherita on the first visit since it’s the standard for a Neapolitan. Given the pies are cooked in a wood-fired oven (typically 800 degrees or so), they bake really quickly and one Italian oven is used for the entire restaurant, pretty amazing. And when the pies show up, they look solid. Some charring on the edges and leopard spotting underneath, the tops are garnished with what appears to be freshly shredded parmesan. The sauce looks pretty dark so I suspect the tomatoes are cooked a bit for a deeper flavor but Neapolitan pies are supposed to use just crushed San Marzano tomatoes. Both pizzas are decent for visit #1 and I was initially concerned but a second visit (two months later) showed a much improved crust. The crust on my second visit was nicely rolled and displayed the light, airy texture of a good Neapolitan pizza dough. Glad to see the improvement because the crust is the pizza IMO.

Neon diver at Poole'side Pies in Raleigh - nctriangledining.com
Neon diver at Poole’side Pies in Raleigh – nctriangledining.com

The meal wraps up and with an inexpensive bottle of wine, the tab runs about $100 before tip, so certainly expect to spend a bit during your Pooleside Pies visit. The challenge as an upscale pizzeria is that there’s SO much good pizza at lower price points. But Poole’side Pies certainly delivers when it comes to design and ambiance, it’s a truly beautiful space and the service is solid. And now that the pizza has improved, I can certainly recommend Poole’side pies from appetizers to pizza. Given the price points at Poole’side Pies and reputation of AC Restaurants, I wouldn’t expect any less…

 

Pooleside Pies

428 S McDowell Street

Raleigh, NC 27601

919.803.8660

 

Location on Google maps

Related

Filed Under: Raleigh, Restaurant & Bar Reviews Tagged With: Neapolitan Pizza

Subscribe to NC Triangle Dining

Popular Reviews

Sam Jones BBQ Arrives in Raleigh Offering Up Top-Notch Barbeque, Ribs, and Sides

Two Roosters Lands in the Bull City and is Dishing Out Great Ice Cream

Kingfisher Bar in Durham: Fanciful Ambiance and Ground to Glass Cocktails Near DPAC

Don’t Miss

  • Coming Soon to the Triangle – New Restaurants and Bars
  • New Restaurants and Bars in Cary and Morrisville, Now Open
  • New Restaurants and Bars in Chapel Hill and Carrboro, Now Open
  • New Restaurants and Bars in Durham, Now Open
  • New Restaurants and Bars in Raleigh, Now Open
  • New Restaurants and Bars of the Triangle, 2021 Edition

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube

New Reviews!

  • The Willard Rooftop Lounge in Raleigh for Cocktails and the Golden Hour
  • A’Verde Cocina and Tequila Library Offering Up Fruity Cocktails and Fanciful Food Presentation
  • PrimoHoagies in Raleigh for Stuffed Sandwiches with a South Philly Flair!
  • CowBar Burgers & Fries in Raleigh for Beefy Perfection at North Hills

Connect with NCTD

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

NCTD Email Subscription


Handcrafted with on the Genesis Framework