The Triangle's 30 best restaurants, right now
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Stanbury. Photo: Lucille Sherman/Axios
The Triangle's restaurant industry has felt like it's been in a constant state of change coming out of the pandemic, with old favorites closing and new spots opening at a fast clip.
Why it matters: Our vibrant culinary scene is one of our strongest assets, providing rich experiences for locals and shining a spotlight on the Triangle as our chefs rack up national awards.
The bottom line: Keeping up with the countless openings can be overwhelming. Our goal is to help you find great places to eat.
- We dined across the Triangle, consulted industry leaders and got feedback from hundreds of readers in a mission to bring you a guide to the area's best restaurants.
No. 30: Cheeni Food Emporium
Located inside a nondescript shopping center in North Raleigh, Preeti Waas' all-day Indian cafe Cheeni is anything but plain.
- Part-cafe, part-retail and part-teaching kitchen, Cheeni is one of the Triangle's most distinctive dining spots, operating not just as a spot to grab lunch but a gathering place for the community as well.
- Standouts from the menu include the hariyali whole fish, lamb vindaloo and its collection of tiffin (think light-breakfast items).
Location: 1141 Falls River Ave., Raleigh
Hours: 10am-9:30pm every day but Sunday.
No. 29: Wilson's Eatery
Wilson's is the place to be most nights of the week — as evidenced by how packed the parking lot usually is — and serves pizza, burgers, beers and some of the best fries (and aioli sauce) in town.
Location: 1053 E. Whitaker Mill Rd., Raleigh
Hours: 11am-9pm daily
No. 28: Poole's Diner
The upscale Southern diner is at the heart of chef Ashley Christensen's food empire in downtown Raleigh. Poole's is known for its menu of upscale comfort food, especially its mouth-watering macaroni au gratin.
Be smart: To this day, Christensen is the only North Carolina chef to win the James Beard Award for Outstanding Chef, considered its highest honor for chefs.
Location: 426 S. McDowell St., Raleigh
Hours: 5-10pm daily. Closed Tuesdays.
Go deeper: Read our Local Limelight interview with Christensen.
No. 27: Hawthorne & Wood
Run by acclaimed chef Brandon Sharp, Chapel Hill's Hawthorne & Wood serves dishes that intricately combine ingredients from across the globe, like North Carolina shrimp served with tamarind and a miso mayonnaise.
Be smart: Sharp opened a French bistro in Chapel Hill called Bluebird last year that has also become well-regarded in its short history.
Location: 3140 Environ Way, Chapel Hill
Hours: 5-9pm daily.
No. 26: Banh's Cuisine
Banh's is a staple of Durham's 9th Street and a purveyor of great Vietnamese and Chinese food.
- It is a hole in the wall in the best sense of the term. It still doesn't have a website and its daily specials are scrawled onto a white board.
- Be smart: Go on a Wednesday or Saturday when Banh's offers a more extensive Vietnamese menu, including its heavenly vegetable plate.
Location: 750 9th St., Durham
Hours: 11am-8pm daily. Closed Sundays.
Go deeper: Indy Week recently wrote a great profile of the restaurant's owner Chi Banh and her family.
No. 25: Pizzeria Mercato
A Neapolitan pizzeria in downtown Carrboro from chef Gabe Barker that hues close to its name. It utilizes local vegetables and meat from farmers markets to make its delightful pies and salads.
- The standout here is the soft and flaky crust that will have you reaching back for another slice.
Location: 408 W. Weaver St., Carrboro
Hours: 11am-2pm and 5-8:30pm, Thursday through Sunday.
No. 24: Sam Jones BBQ
Sam Jones is as close to barbecue royalty as you can get. His grandfather was the founder of the legendary Skylight Inn BBQ in Ayden, and the apple has not fallen far from the tree.
- If you want classic eastern-style barbecue in Raleigh, you might not find better than Sam Jones, where the hogs are still whole and smoked for nearly an entire day.
Location: 502 W. Lenoir St., Raleigh
Hours: 11am-9pm daily.
No. 23: Guglhupf
A German bakery during the day and a biergarten at night, Guglhupf brings a unique atmosphere with its primarily-outdoor cafe space.
- Guglhupf has built a large following for its German pastries and is one of the most sought after brunch venues in Durham.
Location: 2706 Durham-Chapel Hill Blvd., Durham
Hours:
- 8am-9pm Tuesday through Saturday.
- 9am-3pm on Sunday.
No. 22: Vin Rouge
Vin Rouge, a traditional French bistro with an intimate feel, excellent service and sizable wine list, is a go-to spot for date nights and celebrations.
Location: 2010 Hillsborough Road, Durham
Hours: 5-9pm Tuesday through Sunday, plus additional Sunday brunch hours of 10:30am-2pm.
No. 21: Mateo Bar de Tapas
It was the first restaurant opened by acclaimed chef Matt Kelly in Durham, and since its opening in 2012, it's been one of downtown Durham's favorite eateries.
- Mateo serves Spanish-style tapas dishes that often highlight Southern ingredients, like a Spanish deviled egg.
Location: 109 W. Chapel Hill St., Durham
Hours: 5-10pm Tuesday through Saturday.
No. 20: Standard Beer + Food
Tucked between Person and Blount Streets near Raleigh's Mordecai neighborhood, Standard is a spot where you can take the whole family, including the dog, and kick back with a local craft beer, some tater tots and tacos.
Location: 205 E. Franklin St., Raleigh
Hours:
- 4-10pm Monday-Thursday
- 11:30 am–11pm Friday
- 11am–11pm Saturday and 11am–8pm Sunday.
No. 19: Mandolin
Mandolin is another of the Triangle's most intimate restaurants, and another top-tier spot for raw oysters. With its Southern roots, Mandolin serves seasonal dishes sourced locally and straight from the chef Sean Fowler's garden.
Location: 2519 Fairview Road, Raleigh
Hours:
- 5:30-9pm Sunday-Thursday
- 5:30-9:30pm Friday and Saturday
- Sunday brunch 10:30am-2:30pm
No. 18: East End Bistrot
Part of a wave of new openings by restaurateur Giorgios Bakatsias, East End Bistrot brought a new, French-inspired fine-dining experience to Raleigh.
- It's not the first French offering from Bakatsias, whose Vin Rouge has long been a beloved institution in Durham.
- But East End finds him and chef William D'Auvray playing with a more expansive and upscale canvas, offering more cuts of steak, including a 32-ounce porterhouse, and seafood, like Dover sole and a lobster roll, and a creative cocktail menu.
Location: 2020 Progress Ct., suite 110, Raleigh
Hours: 5-9pm, Tuesday through Saturday.
No. 17: Mothers & Sons Trattoria
An Italian eatery that's made its name off the back of its homemade pasta and excellent cocktail and wine menu. Mothers & Sons' squid ink pasta is a standout.
Location: 107 W. Chapel Hill St., Durham
Hours: 5-10pm every day except Sunday.
No. 16: Death & Taxes
Death & Taxes has cemented itself as one of downtown Raleigh's go-to fine-dining experiences since it opened in 2015.
- The restaurant's menu is built around a wood-fired grill that is used expertly not just on fine cuts of steak or pork shoulder but also to give vegetables a pleasant blister.
Location: 105 W. Hargett St., Raleigh
Hours: 5-9pm Monday through Saturday.
No. 15: Viceroy
In part born from an Indian food truck called Tan-Durm, the British-Indian gastropub Viceroy's culture-mixing menu is captivating.
- It toggles back and forth between excellent Indian dishes and new takes on British staples, like a curried sausage roll.
Location: 335 W. Main St., Durham
Hours: 5-10pm daily. Closed on Tuesday.
No. 14: Second Empire Restaurant & Tavern
Second Empire is where Raleighites have gone to celebrate anniversaries, birthdays and special occasions for decades.
- Based in the historic Dodd-Hinsdale House in downtown, Second Empire is one of the city's premier white-tablecloth experiences, with superb servers and a tried-and-trusted Australian rack of lamb.
Location: 330 Hillsborough St., Raleigh
Hours: 5-10pm Tuesday through Saturday.
No. 13: Players' Retreat
The well-worn homebase for many of Raleigh's Wolfpack faithful, the Players' Retreat is a sports bar par excellence known as much for its company as its burgers and drinks.
- Just pick any one of its many wooden booths for an N.C. State football game or Hurricanes Hockey game and feel the history of an institution more than 70 years old.
Location: 105 Oberlin Road, Raleigh
Hours: 11:30am-midnight, Sunday through Thursday; 11am-1am on Friday and Saturday.
No. 12: MoJoe's Burger Joint
Located at the northern end of Raleigh's Glenwood South nightlife district, MoJoe's serves the type of food that can fortify you for a night out or revive you at the end of one.
- It's a simple spot but one where many Raleighites claim as their favorite hamburger joint.
Location: 620 Glenwood Ave., Raleigh
Hours: 11am-10pm daily.
No. 11: Cortez Seafood and Cocktail
A vibrant space within Raleigh's Glenwood South district, Cortez' Mexican-inspired seafood brought chef Oscar Diaz a James Beard nomination.
- Come for the ceviche and its remarkable craft cocktails.
- Of note: Diaz recently opened a new restaurant in Durham called Little Bull.
Location: 413 Glenwood Ave., Raleigh
Hours:
- 5–9pm Sunday and Tuesday-Thursday.
- 5-10pm Friday and Saturday.
No. 10: Angus Barn
The grandfather of the local dining scene, the Angus Barn built its loyal following over more than 60 years of finely grilled steaks and serving rare bottles from its Wild Turkey lounge and wine cellar.
- To this day, getting a table at the Angus Barn during the Christmas season is one of the most sought after reservations in the state.
- Go deeper: Read The News & Observer's obituary of Walter Royal, the Angus Barn's pioneering chef who died earlier this year.
Location: 9401 Glenwood Ave., Raleigh
Hours: 5pm-10pm Saturday through Monday; 4pm-9pm on Sunday
No. 9: Saltbox Seafood Joint
It would be hard to name a restaurant in the Triangle that has gotten more acclaim per square foot than the kitchen of James Beard award-winning chef Ricky Moore.
- Moore's kitchen has won legions of fans for its celebration of the North Carolina coast since it opened in a shack in Durham in 2012.
- The fried fish and hushpuppies flowing forth from Moore's kitchen are among the best you'll find in the country.
Go deeper: Saltbox doesn't disappoint
Location: 2637 Durham-Chapel Hill Blvd., Durham
Hours: 11am-8pm Tuesday-Saturday.
No. 8: Longleaf Swine
One of Raleigh's newest barbecue spots, Longleaf Swine almost instantly became a crowd favorite in the Historic Oakwood neighborhood when it opened last year. It's known for its whole hog barbecue, but its offerings run the gamut from brisket to pork spare ribs.
- Longleaf really shines in the accompaniments, though, with killer collards, pimento mac and cheese and esquites.
- Show up at lunch time and you'll run into a bevy of politicos leaving the General Assembly.
Location: 300 E. Edenton St., Raleigh
Hours:
- Wednesday-Friday: 11am-2pm and 4-10pm or until sold out
- Saturday-Sunday: Lunch 11am-4pm and 4-10pm or until sold out
No. 7: Brewery Bhavana
A light and airy space with books galore, Brewery Bhavana's great beer and delicious dim sum has continually made it one downtown's most popular spots.
- Its acclaim has come with its controversy, too, as the restaurant's leadership resigned in 2020 due to allegations of sexual harassment.
Location: 218 S. Blount St., Raleigh
Hours:
- 4-10pm Tuesday
- 11:30am-10pm Wednesday and Thursday
- 11:30am-11pm Friday and Saturday
- 11:30am-9pm Sunday
No. 6: Hummingbird
Hummingbird's relaxed vibe, along with its mix of classic and creative dishes, unique cocktails and great service, landed this New Orleans-inspired eatery a spot in our top 10.
- Strong recommendation: Get the charbroiled oysters and ricotta fritters.
Location: 1053 E. Whitaker Mill Road, Suite 111, Raleigh
Hours:
- Dinner on Wednesdays–Saturdays from 5-10pm
- Brunch Saturday from 10am-2:45pm and Sunday from 10am-3pm.
No. 5: Littler
An intimate dining room with intricately crafted seasonal meals featuring local fish and vegetables — all backed by a carefully curated soundtrack playing on a turntable.
- After closing during the pandemic, Littler's re-emergence last year was led by chef Elizabeth Murray, who relocated to Durham from the Sierra Mar restaurant in Big Sur, California.
Location: 110 E. Parrish St., Durham
Hours: 5-10pm Tuesday-Saturday.
No. 4: Crawford & Son
A small neighborhood restaurant with big ambitions and an ever-changing menu of unique dishes, Crawford & Son has been the center of some of the Triangle's best cooking since renowned chef Scott Crawford opened it in 2016.
Location: 618 N. Person St., Raleigh
Hours: 5-10pm Tuesday-Saturday.
No. 3: St. Roch Fine Oysters + Bar
This downtown Raleigh gem spotlights a variety of cajun-inspired seafood dishes and brings an atmosphere that transports you straight to New Orleans.
- Led by chef Sunny Gerhart, a New Orleans native, the theme is not a gimmick but a delicious love letter.
Location: 223 S. Wilmington St., Raleigh
Hours:
- 4-9pm Monday-Thursday
- 4-10pm Friday
- 11am-10pm Saturday
- 11am-9pm Sunday
No. 2: M Sushi
The crown jewel of M Restaurants, a major player in the local food scene.
- The sushi is of the highest quality, with much of it arriving from Japan and Korea, and each bite is an explosive adventure of taste and texture.
- Owner Michael Lee has used the success of M Sushi as a springboard to opening six restaurants that take on different varieties of Japanese and Korean cuisines.
Locations:
Durham hours:
- 11:30am-2pm Tuesday-Friday
- 5-9:30pm Tuesday-Thursday
- 5pm-10pm Friday-Saturday
Cary hours:
- 11:30am-2pm and 5-9:30pm Monday-Thursday
- 11:30am-2pm and 5-10pm Friday and Saturday
- 11am-3pm Sunday
No. 1: Stanbury
Eating at the Stanbury is a community experience: It’s backyard dinner party with old friends meets fine dining.
- Every dish, every beverage — from the bread and butter with a glass of wine to the seasonal dessert — is crafted and delivered with intention and care, and there’s a good chance you’ll get up from your table wondering if you should come back tomorrow.
Location: 938 N. Blount St., Raleigh
Hours:
- 5-10pm Tuesday-Thursday
- 5-11pm Friday and Saturday
