Restaurant in Raleigh, United States
Raleigh's go-to for occasion dinners.
The Angus Barn is Raleigh's go-to destination for a serious steakhouse dinner, with a wine list of 1,650 selections and 26,000 bottles that few restaurants in the region can match. At $$$ pricing, it earns its place for special occasions — especially if wine matters as much as the steak. Book two to three weeks out for weekend evenings; weeknights are easier.
With 9,590 Google reviews averaging 4.6 stars, The Angus Barn is not a hidden local secret — it is Raleigh's established answer to the question of where to take someone you want to impress. At $$$ pricing (expect to spend $66 or more per person before wine), this is a deliberate spend. The question worth asking is whether The Angus Barn earns it. For a special occasion dinner in Raleigh, it does — particularly if you care about wine, because few restaurants in the state match what is on offer here.
The Angus Barn has the visual presence you expect from a destination steakhouse: a large, barn-style structure on Glenwood Avenue that signals occasion before you walk through the door. This is not a downtown spot with moody lighting and tight tables , it is a sprawling, celebratory room that works for groups, milestone dinners, and business meals where the setting needs to do some of the talking.
The wine program is where The Angus Barn separates itself from most steakhouses in the region. Wine Director Henk Schuitemaker leads a team of five sommeliers, and the list reflects that depth: 1,650 selections, 26,000 bottles in inventory, with particular strength in California, Burgundy, Rhône, Bordeaux, and Tuscany. Wine pricing sits at $$ , meaning the list spans accessible bottles alongside serious options , and the corkage fee is $30 if you bring your own. For a $$$ steakhouse, that corkage rate is fair. If wine is central to why you are going out, this list justifies making a reservation here rather than elsewhere in the city.
Chef Scott James runs the kitchen under owners Van Eure and Steve Thanhauser, with General Manager Jim McGovern overseeing the floor. The kitchen focus is the steakhouse format: dinner only, built around beef. If you are looking for creative cuisine or a menu that changes with the season, this is the wrong address. If you want a steakhouse that takes its job seriously, with a wine program that most comparable restaurants cannot match, The Angus Barn holds up.
The Angus Barn is built for the dining room. A $$$ steakhouse experience , where the setting, the sommelier team, and the occasion framing are central to the value , does not travel well. Steak rests, temperatures shift, and the wine service that anchors the experience disappears entirely. If you are considering takeout, redirect your spend: the format is not designed for it, and you will not get proportional value. Book a table instead, or choose a different venue if off-premise is the priority.
Reservations at The Angus Barn are direct to secure , booking difficulty is rated Easy , but for a special occasion dinner on a Friday or Saturday, plan two to three weeks ahead to lock in your preferred time. Midweek dinners have more flexibility. Reservations: Recommended; book two to three weeks out for weekend evenings. Meals: Dinner only. Cuisine pricing: $$$ ($66+ per person before wine). Wine list: 1,650 selections, 26,000 bottles; corkage $30. Address: 9401 Glenwood Ave, Raleigh, NC 27617. Booking difficulty: Easy.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Angus Barn | WINE: Wine Strengths: California, Burgundy, Rhône, Bordeaux, Tuscany, Italy Pricing: $$ i Wine pricing: Based on the list\'s general markup and high and low price points:$ has many bottles < $50;$$ has a range of pricing;$$$ has many $100+ bottles Corkage Fee: $30 Selections: 1,650 Inventory: 26,000 CUISINE: Cuisine Types: Steak house Pricing: $$$ i Cuisine pricing: The cost of a typical two-course meal, not including tip or beverages.$ is < $40;$$ is $40–$65;$$$ is $66+. Meals: Dinner STAFF: People Wine Director: Henk Schuitemaker Sommelier: Drew Pace Ken Wyman Michael Murdoch Kiki Murphy Greg Howard Chef: Scott James General Manager: Jim McGovern Owner: Van Eure & Steve Thanhauser | Easy | — | ||
| Brewery Bhavana | Chinese | Unknown | — | ||
| Poole’s Downtown Diner | Southern | Unknown | — | ||
| Gravy | Southern American | Unknown | — | ||
| Death & Taxes | New American | Unknown | — | ||
| Fairview Dining Room | Southern American | Unknown | — |
Side-by-side comparison to help you decide where to book.
Dress up more than you think you need to. At $$$ per head with a six-person sommelier team and a 26,000-bottle cellar, The Angus Barn draws a dressed crowd for a reason — this is occasion dining, not a casual steakhouse drop-in. Business casual is the floor; a blazer is appropriate and common. Shorts and athletic wear will read out of place.
Yes, and it's one of the stronger group options in Raleigh for a $$$ steakhouse format. The barn-style space is large enough to handle parties without the cramped feel you get at smaller fine dining rooms. For large group bookings — especially on Friday or Saturday evenings — call ahead rather than relying solely on online reservations to confirm seating arrangements.
Death & Taxes is the closest direct comparison: serious kitchen, destination-level ambition, similarly priced. Poole's Downtown Diner is a better pick if you want a chef-driven menu without the steakhouse format. Fairview Dining Room suits occasion dining with a different register — quieter, more intimate. Brewery Bhavana and Gravy serve different purposes entirely and shouldn't be compared on like terms.
It works, but the format is optimized for two or more. At $$$, solo dining here is a considered spend — the wine list (1,650 selections, $30 corkage) gives you something to work with if you bring your own bottle. The room's scale and occasion-dinner energy can feel oversized for a solo meal compared to a counter-service or bar-seat setup at a smaller restaurant.
Yes — this is its primary use case, and it delivers on it. The combination of a $$$ steakhouse format, a sommelier team of six, and 26,000 bottles in the cellar gives an anniversary or milestone dinner real substance. Booking difficulty is rated Easy, so you won't need to plan months out, but Friday and Saturday evenings fill — book at least a week ahead for those nights.
Specific menu items aren't documented in Pearl's venue data, so we won't guess at dishes. What is documented: this is a $$$ steakhouse with a wine list strongest in California, Burgundy, Rhône, Bordeaux, and Tuscany. Ask the sommelier team — six of them are on staff, including Wine Director Henk Schuitemaker — for a pairing recommendation. That depth of service is part of what you're paying for.
Pearl's venue data doesn't include specific dietary accommodation policies for The Angus Barn. As a $$$ steakhouse, the menu is protein-forward by format — guests with vegetarian, vegan, or strict dietary needs should call ahead to confirm options rather than assume flexibility. The restaurant's scale suggests kitchen capacity to accommodate requests, but verify directly before booking.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
