Daniel B.
Yelp
It was a comedy of errors for us at STIR Raleigh. We came here for after-dinner drinks and sat in the dining room. Here's what happened:
1. Our friend ordered her go-to drink, an Aperol spritz. She instead was served a Tito's Vodka & Tonic ($20), a drink which looks and tastes completely different. She told our server and our server said the drink was indeed an Aperol spritz. Lol. We laughed and joked that our friend was being gaslit by the staff at STIR.
Photo (see drink in back): https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/stir-raleigh?select=XHtB2ucQcPWweimjzTDQEw&userid=j14WgRoU_-2ZE1aw1dXrJg
She sent the drink back and eventually did receive a correctly-prepared Aperol spritz. We believe that our server truly didn't know what an Aperol spritz was and just trusted the bar staff to correctly fill orders.
2. My wife ordered a Field of Dreams ($12.00), made with gin, honey, lemon, lavender bitters, seltzer, and toasted lavender buds. She instead was served a Wild Moon Child ($12.50). According to STIR's drink menu, the Wild Moon Child "blends vodka, with lime cordial and STIR's housemade strawberry syrup. Aperol and fresh lemon juice ad [sic] extra vibrancy." Like our friend, my wife was served a completely different drink.
My wife told our server and sent the drink back. Later, our server returned with one of STIR's bartenders to help clear the confusion. The bartender explained the Field of Dreams was on the online menu only and that it wasn't available. Without telling us, a Wild Moon Child was substituted instead. Maybe the staff thought we wouldn't notice. Or maybe there was a miscommunication. Whatever the case, since the Field of Dreams wasn't available, my wife ended up ordering a Wild Moon Child. She liked it enough to order another (she had two total).
On the bright side, our other friend's drink order, a sangria, was correct on the first try.
3. When it came time to pay, the receipts were illegible. I think something was wrong with the receipt printer.
Photo: https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/stir-raleigh?select=WttMshF5852Wc8oLBTaPXg&userid=j14WgRoU_-2ZE1aw1dXrJg
On top of everything, service was slow. We could only laugh about what had transpired. We don't blame our server. She seemed like a nice, sweet person, who was trying her best on a busy service night. It *was* messed up how the staff tried to pass off two incorrect drinks to us and not even tell us they intentionally substituted one of the drinks.
We came here because our Aperol-spritz-loving friend had been here before for drinks and really liked it. She said her experience this time around was completely different, needless to say, for the worse.
Our visit was on a Saturday night from about 7:30 to 10:00pm. The restaurant and bar were busy when we arrived. We had reservations booked through OpenTable. I recommend booking reservations for this place because it seems popular. Also, STIR Raleigh awards OpenTable dining points. Not every restaurant does, so that's a plus.
In addition to its bar, STIR is known for oysters, seafood, and brunch. Brunch is served Saturday and Sunday, 10:00am to 2:30pm. And they're open late, until midnight or 1:00am, seven nights a week.
STIR Raleigh opened in June 2019. There are at least three other STIR locations: Chattanooga (flagship), Charlotte, and Knoxville. STIR is part of SquareOne Holding Company, headquartered in Chattanooga. The company has several bars, restaurants, and breweries in North Carolina and Tennessee (and Florida). Carolina Brewery, in Chapel Hill and Pittsboro, is one of the SquareOne brands I'm familiar with.
STIR Raleigh is located on the ground level of the Bank of America building in North Hills, next door to The Capital Grille (same building). We found free parking in the building's deck around the corner. We entered and exited the deck via Dartmouth Rd.