Cafe Rule & Wine Bar
Fresh, sensational flavors and exquisite wine pairings are yours to enjoy as your palette is spoiled by our culinary team. There is simply no comparison to the array of dishes, the extensive wine selection or the fabulous ambiance that Cafe Rule invites you to savor. We offer a variety of private dining options for parties, business meetings and special events (up to 35), as well as an inviting outdoor patio with fountains, sculptures, and beautifully manicured gardens.
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Great menu and very chic atmosphere!
Great food, service was amazing!
Amazing meal, as always! Love the staff, the food and the atmosphere.
Driving home to Charlotte from a weekend in Blowing Rock and looked for somewhere to stop for brunch on the way - Cafe Rule was a great recommendation! We had an excellent meal there; we were a larger-sized group (13 total - 6 adults, 7 children); they were very accommodating by splitting us up at a few tables due to COVID restrictions. Great choices both with breakfast and lunch options depending on what everyone was in the mood for. Would highly recommend and hope that we get the chance to go back there again!
Celebrating a birthday. Very good food and waiter was wonderful
Pitiful. Food was cold. Sent steak back, got replacement full of FAT. Sent back again. Wife's meal was very good.
Manager NEVER asked what the issue was. Meal was removed from billing, though I left hungry and ate at Wendy's on the way home. Was my 39th Wedding Anniversary. Not very memorable.
Requested booth, advised NONE available. There were 7 open booths the whole time we were there. There were 5 open booths when we left.
POOR management.
Staff was friendly and attentive
Dined at Cafe Rule and Wine Bar for New Years Eve and had a wonderful dinner experience. This four course meal started with a brilliant Brie and cranberry jam, followed by a delectable salad/soup course, and then the entrees. The petite filet was buttery, melted in your mouth, and one of the best steaks we’ve ever had. The salmon was cooked to perfection and loved the homemade pesto sauce. The dinner was so good we had to take the desserts home, but they were just as good (if not better) the next day. All in all, it was a brilliant end to the year 2020.
We had a great time dining for New Years celebration. We were seated in the covered outdoor area. The ambiance was fabulous and the food superb. Loved every minute.
The staff was great the food was perfect and we’ll definitely be back to eat.
It was an outstanding experience and the food & drinks were incredible!
We love this restaurant- food and cocktails are always excellent. Staff do a wonderful job ensuring guests are well taken care of. We go here for all special occasions
Highly recommend
The second time my lady and I have dated for dinner, it has been excellent both times. Also, on a personal note, a very good friend of mine's son worked there two years ago and passed due to an accident. The ownership, as I have heard, allowed folks off for his funeral and was very supportive of his family. That, along with knowing the place is an excellent dinner destination every time, will keep me going back.
My favorite place to eat around Hickory
Food is great , service awesome would recommend to everyone to try
We don't live in Hickory but were there for something and decided to find a Sunday brunch spot. We found Cafe Rule and what a treat it was. It looks great online but that is not always the case. With Cafe Rule, it exceeded our expectations. Even with Covid protocols (which were clearly being adhered to), it was a delightful experience. We look forward to returning, particularly when the weather is nice and we can enjoy their beautiful patio. Great vibe and service and food were top notch.
Had an issue, but Manager resolved it...very nice.
$10 coupon for next time + Free appetizer.
Server was Campbell...outstanding & tried very hard to make our Anniv. dinner nice after a difficult start concerning our reservation.
Order the mashed potatoes instead of the goat cheese polenta--could only taste the polenta, and I love goat cheese. :)
Delicious dinner - Would recommend to anyone! A little pricey but, overall worth it.
The food at Cafe Rule is AMAZINGLY good. I had the filet with mashed potatoes and grilled asparagus. All were delicious, and the steak was cooked exactly to my standards. Their signature dessert, the pecan cheesecake, is absolutely decadent. Perfect!
Excellent food, great atmosphere. Nashville hot oysters were amazing.
Had a hard time finding our waitress. She came by to get our drink order and then waited about 30 minutes before being able to order. We also had a hard time finding her for our check.
For dessert, I ordered the Chocolate Pot De Creme. It was highly disappointing. The description said “cocoa nib brittle, orange curd, raspberry sauce”. It was a chocolate pudding with lemon, cut up strawberries. There was no brittle, orange, nor raspberry sauce.
Everything was fine. I didn’t like the fact they let a man bring in a dog that was not a service dog into the restaurant.
Really good food, great drinks. The Dirtbike is my new fave. Only thing I could say negative, is we had a reservation (made almost a week ahead), and they didn’t have a table available for us when we arrived. It happens.
One of the best blackened ribeyes ever and the creamy mushrooms were terrific. Glad they have their A game on in the face of strong CoVid headwinds. Support your locally owned restaurants please!
Excellent food snd service! Jeremy was a great waiter. Broccoli appetizer was insanely tasty. Only feedback is the broccoli was a bit too oily but was probably because oil wasn’t hot enough. But it still tasted SO GREAT! Can’t wait to visit again
Food was good as always. However three people ordered burgers, we were not asked for the temperature we would like them cooked at. We received med-rare, medium well and well. Over all great and of course amazing drinks!
We chose to start out our Anniversary here for brunch, and we were not disappointed. The staff were super nice and wished us Happy Anniversary when we arrived and when taking our order. The food was great, but my favorite was the popcorn ice cream with salted caramel drizzle that was offered to us to celebrate our special day. I know it sounds weird but it is so good and worth trying. Will definitely be coming back, highly recommend for special occasions, girls/guys night out, or date night.
Incredible food and very knowledgeable curtious wait staff
Our group felt very safe and comfortable at Cafe Rule.
Excellent service and quality of food. I appreciate the choice of lower-priced + higher-priced options.
Wonderful ambiance and seasonal fall decorations, fabulous farm to table fresh foods with exquisite flavor and appreciable portion sizes. Attentive wait staff.
Had a wonderful dinner on Friday evening. The cocktails were great! The service was fantastic. The dining room assistant manager was so kind and thoughtful!!
I am writing this review based on my last couple of visits. I have gone to Cafe Rule for years, way before it was Cafe Rule. We held our wedding reception here 5 years ago (small second wedding) on the patio. We have always loved it and continue to return for the food and service, until recently. September 16, 2020 we came for my daughters 21st birthday, with reservations for 4. We waited 35 min for someone to take our drink order, a manager finally came over and apologized for our wait and brought back the fried broccoli I assume to appease us, I would rather have just been able to order some drinks. We sat for about 20 min longer before someone else came and promised great service, we never got that. We were there over two hours with most of the time being wait. We went back for brunch one Sunday and the service was awesome as was the food, so I told my husband I was taking him this past Sunday, again TERRIBLE service! We sat for another 20 min at the high tops without being served..again here comes a manager to drop off water, service is everything and it has been lacking. We paid over $85 with a tip for two people brunch, I had to ask to take my drinks from the bar as they just kept sitting there.. I had to get up and get a napkin, I asked for tabasco and they brought some house hot sauce, i asked someone else if they had tabasco and they said they did and brought that..I had to spice my bloody mary , I ordered it spicy but there was no spice. We had to get up and find our waitress in order to place an order.. It has not been a good experience here lately and I am hoping someone who actually cares about this place see's this and makes a change..oh, I get that you have some regulars who like to sit at the bar on Sunday and stay all day, that is great, doesn't mean the bartender, and the manager need to hang out with them also while other patrons are ignored.
I got the stuffed French toast with fruit..delicious!
We were traveling through Hickory and stayed the night. Brunch was excellent!
Always a favorite go-to place. Food consistently great!
Very good menu with changes and specials that make you want to keep coming back. Sure, the steak in great—I get it often, but the different salads and sides and specials of the day keep me coming. And, the service is great with outdoor seating in the garden area. Thanks,
We asked for lime with the water. After about 30 minutes, my friend went to the bar to get it herself. She was charged a $1 on the bill. Our server was MIA for quite awhile.
The Garden is WONDERFUL! Sooo relaxing. We will definitely return, but we were disappointed in this "small" thing.
Ate during Happy Hour.
Great deals & as usual, amazing food.
Pizzas are best in town!!!!
Visiting Hickory to have dinner with a long time friend. Everything was great! The food, our server, Campbell and the beautiful outdoor setting!
Food and ambiance are always great.....service is always slow.
FAQs
Cafe Rule & Wine Bar offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (828) 324-2005.
Cafe Rule & Wine Bar is rated 4.7 stars by 1018 OpenTable diners.
Cafe Rule & Wine Bar does offer gift cards which you can purchase here https://onelink.quickgifts.com/merchant/cafe-rule-and-wine-bar-hickory/.
Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable. Due to local restrictions, this restaurant may not be accepting reservations at the moment.