Chef & the Farmer. - Kinston

After enjoying some great meals in the past, this visit to the restaurant was disappointing. The appetizers and desserts were delicious, as was the wine. However, the main course was not up to par. My $40+ steak was tough and full of gristle, as were the pork chops. The vegetables were overcooked. We waited a long time for our food, and the lack of air conditioning made the experience uncomfortable. Despite mentioning a birthday celebration, there was no acknowledgment from the staff. The waitress was competent, but something seems to be changing from our previous experiences. Perhaps the restaurant needs some old-fashioned management to improve. Where is Vivian?

My first visit to Chef and The Farmer was last Thursday, and I was extremely impressed with the food and service. The wine selection was outstanding and I appreciated the use of local North Carolina produce and cheese. I plan on returning as it was as good as Farrington House near Chapel Hill. The chefs at Chef and The Farmer also deserve high praise.

To begin, I adore Chef and the Farmer experience from the moment I walk in the door to the sad moment I leave. Your staff is excellent (last time our server was the pretty lady with glasses, long pony tail, thank you who ever you are) and she took such care of us. The time before we sat at the counter watching the line. Lots of fun. Josh or Jason, big guy with beard, was a lot of fun, also! I brought 5 friends, some of whom were afraid of some of the menu items like Tom Tom and left a BIG FAN OF TOM TOM!!! Thank you for your creative inspiring food and atmosphere. If I could change anything, it would to relocate you closer to Clayton, where I live. Please..... open CF 2 closer to me! I have cooked my way through half of Deep Roots, loved every minute of it, and my friends love eating it. As Zac Brown Band says..... You Got What Ever It Is ! ps. screw the bad reviews......they don 't know what the hell they 're talking about! Be well, Sarah Tuccelli

Made the mistake of waiting until 10 days before a promised event for my daughter and husband for a holiday weekend. Received a 10PM reservation. We were driving in from Asheville- NC, a 5-6 hour drive. Hotel reservations were not available for Kinston. Made reservations for Goldsboro, which is a thirty minute drive to Kinston. Happily, we left Goldsboro 9PM. Our NAV program in our 2016 Cadillac went dark coming into Kinston. A quick call to the restaurant gave us good turn-by-turn instructions to the restaurant. We were seated at a great table with views of the open kitchen and wood-burning oven. Service was impeccable, menu options were still fully available at that late hour. We had a delicious and memorable meal. We plan to bring friends from out-of-state to visit despite the lengthy drive. We COULD NOT BE HAPPIER with our experience Chef and the Farmer.

Great meal for a dining experience. Great experience for a different dining experience.