Here’s an inside look at the new Poole’s Diner, a Raleigh classic in a new space
Poole’s Diner got its glow up, but its soul remains the same.
The flagship restaurant of Raleigh chef Ashley Christensen has moved next door from the space where it’s been for nearly two decades.
The new Poole’s Diner opens Friday, Nov. 1, in the former Poole’side Pies space at 428 S. McDowell St., looking brighter and taller, with windows that open out onto the street to let in the warm autumn air.
We got a Halloween sneak peek at the new space, which will serve the familiar Poole’s dishes, including classics like Macaroni Au Gratin and the roasted half chicken.
Since it opened in an old pie shop and luncheonette, Poole’s has been tied to its space. That has meant the tin ceiling and iconic double horseshoe bar, but also a famously cramped kitchen and booming dining room.
“A great deal of the physical space inspired people’s experience for so many years,” Christensen said in response to emailed questions. “That’s something that now has a life of its own — next door, we didn’t try to just replicate Poole’s; we tried to create a complementary space that has a lot of interesting touches and connections to the original space.”
Starting back in 2007, Poole’s Diner helped kick off a new era of dining in Raleigh and through refined and seasonal comfort food dishes, helped define the modern Southern restaurant. With Poole’s, Christensen earned two James Beard awards, including 2019’s Outstanding Chef in the country honor.
So how do you move a classic? You start with its patron saints:
- Since it would be impossible to move a double horseshoe bar, Poole’s did the next best thing.
- The giant photo of long-ago servers Dot and Frieda made the move, getting an even more prominent spot.
The new Poole’s also added clear light bulbs to the ceiling and toned down the brightness of the old Poole’side walls with some dark gray paint and brown banquettes.
“Poole’side was such a bright space. We added in the gray from Poole’s to what used to be a light, bright, white rafter ceiling,” Christensen said.
”We relocated the portrait by Bill Bamberger of Frieda and Dot so that their spirits can usher us through the transition. Once we finish renovating next door, we’ll likely move them back, but they’re keeping a watchful eye on everything. We re-did all the banquettes to a richer, deep leather; behind the bar, we have a giant close-up photo by Johnny Autry of the keys from the original cash register. I also brought that register from home and it sits on display at the bar.”
More space for diners
Diners will likely feel the biggest changes above their head and at their elbows. The new Poole’s has much more space, which feels even larger with a ceiling almost entirely made of glass.
“The expanded space has a lot of comforts built into it — sound dampening in the ceilings, the way the air circulates, the speaker system — and it’s a building that we built out to the highest quality,” Christensen said. “We’ve always gone for consistency, and we think this expanded space will help us lean into more creativity. We’ll spend less time figuring out where to store things and how to order in the smallest possible volume, and more time creating beautiful new dishes.”
When Poole’side opened, the wood-burning pizza oven was lifted into the restaurant through the ceiling by a crane. That oven lives on, but it won’t be cranking out pizzas. Instead Christensen says Poole’s will embrace wood-fired cooking, which is already a major piece of her fine dining restaurant Death & Taxes.
“While we loved making pizza, the footprint required to do that in the oven didn’t allow us to do anything else. I’m excited to get into wood-fired cooking that isn’t pizza,” Christensen said.
The old Poole’s space will be closed for a few months for renovations. Eventually, a hole is going to be knocked out of the wall between the restaurants, connecting them and bringing back the double horseshoe. When it reopens, the old Poole’s space will be used mostly for private events, with room for up to 40 people.
Though Poole’s has been transplanted into a new space, Christensen said it’s always existed in ways beyond its original walls by the diners who have helped build its lore. Now the Poole’s legacy grows with a little more room to breathe
“There are so many regulars here, all of whom have become its storytellers, and they’ve become a huge part of what connects this place,” Christensen said.
This story was originally published November 1, 2024 at 3:10 PM with the headline "Here’s an inside look at the new Poole’s Diner, a Raleigh classic in a new space."
