My husband and I recently celebrated our 5-year anniversary of moving to NC (from AR), which is exciting. We really feel like it’s home here, especially with all of the amazing food options.
So, it seemed about time to release my favorite food spots across the Triangle. Though I do live and mostly eat in Raleigh, there are a few spots in Cary, Durham and other cities in the area, too. I’ve divided them by type of food or establishment, so make sure you look at the whole list to find some new spots to try!
Make sure you get your Google Map of all the spots at the end of the post!
*This list is by no means inclusive and is based on my personal food adventures in the NC Triangle.
Bakery/Coffee Shop
- Yellow Dog Bakery (Raleigh)– One of the best branded bakeries with lots of pastries, cinnamon buns, loaves, coffee and tea.
- My faves: Honey wheat or multigrain loaf, cinnamon bread, white cheddar and rosemary scone
- Union Special Bread (Raleigh)– This new bakery has quickly become one of our favorites with creative pastries, amazing loaves of sourdough and wheat, and they even have brunch and lunch options.
- My faves: Sourdough, people’s loaf, breakfast sandwich
- Boulted Bread (Raleigh)– I still think Boulted has the best croissant this side of France, or maybe in the whole world, but it’s a special spot for all things pastry and really good, unique bread made from their milled grains.
- My faves: Ham and cheese croissant, chocolate croissant, seeded levain loaf
- Lucette Grace (Raleigh)– Speaking of French, this patisserie is such a fun place to splurge on a fancy French tart, croissant or even lunch item.
- My faves: Ham and cheese sandwich, Larry Meets Escazu cake, chocolate chip cookie
- Gugelhupf (Durham)– When in Durham, you’ve got to stop by Gugelhupf for some baked goods, yummy food, or coffee or tea.
- My faves: Mulitgrain loaf, pot of tea (comes with a shortbread cookie)
- Jubala (Raleigh)– This is another great coffee shop in Raleigh with a fun vibe and lots of treats to try.
- My faves: Tumeric spritzer, lemon poppyseed loaf
BBQ
- Big Mike’s BBQ (Cary)– For the past few years, this has consistently been our favorite bbq spot with a divey feel and super good meat and sides. And you can pick up some nice craft beer bottles in the shop, too.
- My faves: Redneck nachos, burnt ends, smoked potato salad
- Longleaf Swine BBQ (Raleigh)– Although this shop is new to the DTR BBQ scene, they have some amazing ‘cue, and they’re working on an awesome location (and doing pop-ups in the meantime).
- My faves: Pulled pork, potato salad
- Ole Time BBQ (Raleigh)– If you’re looking for a step back in time and a place to get bbq to-go for a group, I recommend Ole Time.
- My faves: Chopped bbq pork, hushpuppies
- The Pit (Raleigh)– For a nice dinner out with some classic whole hog Carolina bbq and stellar sides, check out the Pit in downtown Raleigh.
Brewery
- Trophy (Raleigh)– It’s not easy to pick a favorite brewery in the area, but Trophy is at the top of my list. They have a few locations with nice outdoor and indoor seating and a great selection of beers.
- My faves: Double Death Spiral, Wit-Tea-Est series, Rose Gose
- Standard Beer Co. (Raleigh)– This has quickly become one of our favorite brewery/restaurant spots since it opened recently because of the drink and food options. Make sure to try the tacos and tots with whatever you get to drink (beer, cocktail, shrub, etc.).
- My faves: Strawberry shrub, cheese tots, fried oyster taco
- Bond Brothers (Cary)– This brewery has quickly made a name for itself in the past few years with a nice selection of beers (and creative sours).
- My faves: Sorcery series, IPA
- Haw River (Saxapahaw)– We love taking treks out to Saxapahaw, a cute little town right on the Haw River, and they have amazing beers and views at the brewery.
- My faves: Pound of Flesh sour
- Mordecai Beverage Co. (Raleigh)– This brewery gets bonus points for the lovely outdoor seating in a cool new shopping center.
- My faves: Dry cider
- Wye Hill (Raleigh)– If you’re looking for a great view of DTR (Downtown Raleigh) to enjoy with a beer, wine, cocktail and tasty food, then look no further than Wye Hill.
- My faves: Charred broccoli, Farmers burger
- Ponysaurus Brewing (Durham)– Another great spot for drinking a good beer and enjoying nice weather is Ponysaurus in Durham. Like Bond Brothers, they usually have food trucks, too.
- My faves: Don’t Be Mean to People, scotch ale
- Bull City Ciderworks (Durham)– While not a brewery per se, this cidery is full of unique flavors for cider lovers
- My faves: Off Main, Orange You a Hippie, Steep South
Brunch
- Poole’s Diner (Raleigh) – Although this is a great dinner spot (best mac and cheese ever), we really like grabbing brunch here. Whether you’re at the bar or a table, you can munch on the creamiest grits, delicious biscuits and lots of other brunch staples.
- My faves: Angel biscuits, grits, seasonal hotcake
- Capital Club 16 (Raleigh)– While Capital Club is one of my favorite dinner spots in Raleigh, they also offer a fabulous brunch.
- My faves: French toast, eggs benedict
Chinese & Thai
- Five Star (Raleigh)– I will say I would like to explore more Chinese restaurants in the area, but we always enjoy getting takeout from Five Star.
- My faves: Crispy Sesame Beef, Five Star General’s Chicken, Vegetable Lo Mein
- Taipei 101 (Cary)– I love the homestyle Chinese favorites and flavors that come from this little spot in DTC (downtown Cary).
- My faves: Eggplant with basil
- Osha Thai (Holly Springs)– This restaurant is definitely worth a visit if you’re in the area for your choice of Japanese, Thai or other Asian dishes.
- My faves: Red Thai curry
Chocolates
- Escazu (Raleigh)– We’re lucky to have two chocolate shops in Raleigh, and I just love stopping by Escazu for a creative truffle or drinking chocolate.
- My faves: France drinking chocolate, browned butter vanilla truffle, sea salt bar
- Videri (Raleigh)– For Willy Wonka lovers, you’ll enjoy stopping by this fun chocolate shop or buying one of their bars.
- My faves: Dark chocolate sea salt bar
Distillery
- Fair Game Beverage (Pittsboro)– There are plenty of distilleries popping up in our area, but we just keep going back to Fair Game, tucked in the woods of Pittsboro. Take a tour if you go.
- My faves: Apple brandy, No’Lasses, Flying Pepper vodka
Donuts
- Baker’s Dozen (Cary)– This is my favorite classic donut shop in the area, and I can’t get enough of their old fashioned donut.
- My faves: Old fashioned glazed donut
- Rise Biscuits & Donuts– For an amazing biscuit sandwich or fun and flavorful donut, head over to your closest Rise location.
- My faves: Creme brulee donut, fried green tomato biscuit sandwich
- Duck Donuts (Raleigh & Cary)– If you’re a fan of a good cake donut, then you must give Duck Donuts a try.
- My faves: Classic glazed, cinnamon sugar
German
- Capital Club 16 (Raleigh)– I mentioned this in the brunch section, but this is one of my favorite restaurants in Raleigh with German-inspired food that is fresh, seasonal and accessible.
- My faves: Pimento Cheese Crostini, Schnitzel Sandwich, daily soup
Greek/Mediterranean
- Sassool (Cary)– This restaurant/deli has some of the best fresh Mediterranean (and vegetarian/vegan) food in the area. If you love fresh salads, gyros and hummus, then this is your spot.
- My faves: Hummus, mujaddara, chicken curry (only on Wednesdays)
Ice Cream
- Porter Farms (Willow Spring)– It’s pretty awesome that my favorite produce stand also offers the best homemade ice cream made with help from local cows. There are also porch swings and picnic tables to enjoy your dessert while watching the sunset.
- My faves: Birthday cake ice cream, butter pecan ice cream, waffles cones
- Howling Cow (Raleigh)– This NC-state run gem is a treat for the eyes and the taste buds since you get to eat your ice cream right on the farm where the cows make it.
- My faves: Campfire delight
- Goodberry’s– It’s pretty likely that you’ll have a Goodberry’s near where you live, and you will certainly enjoy this classic frozen custard.
- My faves: Brownie sundae, vanilla custard
- Two Roosters– This once-just-ice-cream-truck-now-seasonal-ice-cream-shop is truly a treat with creative-as-can-be flavors.
- My faves: Thin mint ice cream, donut ice cream
Indian
- Nazara (Cary)– This is another type of food that is prevalent in the area, but we’ve got one special place that we love. Nazara has classic and more adventurous dishes made with authentic flavors.
- My faves: Punjabi samosa, chicken tikka masala, palak paneer
Italian
- Gravy (Raleigh)– This is one is a classic spot for comforting and classic Italian food.
- My faves: Lasagna, eggplant parmesan
- Oak City Meatball Shoppe (Raleigh)– For a unique spin on Italian food, check out this shop where you can customize your meatballs and side dishes.
- My faves: Classic meatballs and spaghetti, vegetarian meatballs, collared greens
Mexican & South American
- Gallo Pelon Mezcaleria (Raleigh)– With a rooftop bar, their own mezcal and amazing Mexican snacks, you can’t go wrong spending a weekday or weekend night at Gallo Pelon.
- My faves: Ignacio’s nachos, taquitos dorados
- Totopos (Cary)– For some tasty Mexico city flavors in a fun, family-friendly atmosphere, check out Totopos in Cary.
- My faves: Nachos, queso and chips, chilaquiles
- Guasaca– Whether you’ve had an arepa or not, you must check out Guasaca for delectable and quite affordable South American fare.
- My faves: Signature pork arepa, chips and guasaca
- Mami Nora’s (Raleigh)– To finish out this amazing list, you’ve got to include the place with the best Peruvian (or any kind of) rotisserie chicken, rice and beans.
- My faves: Whole chicken with beans and rice (extra green sauce if you like spicy)
Pizza
- Oakwood Pizza Box (Raleigh)– Although Oakwood has only been in business for a year or so, it has quickly become our favorite place for really good pizza (and salad and even cocktails).
- My faves: Cheese pizza, salad, spritz
- Benchwarmer’s Bagels (Raleigh)– Make sure to check out the Transfer Co. food hall for some bagels in the morning and uniquely delicious pizza in the evening.
- My faves: Cheese pizza, za’atar bagel
- Pizzeria Mercato (Carrboro)– If you’re in the area, stop by Pizzeria Mercato for a stellar pizza and starters.
- My faves: Sausage and peppers pizza, mussels
Sandwiches & Salads
- State of Beer (Raleigh)– Not only does this bottle shop/restaurant have amazing beer, but their food is also some of my favorite for a lax Friday or Saturday night.
- My faves: Pimento cheese starter, soup, grilled cheese, hamilton sandwich, local mixed greens salad
- Happy & Hale (Raleigh)– If I’m ever in downtown Raleigh for the weekday lunch hour, I have to make a stop at Happy & Hale for an incredible salad or grain bowl. They have smoothies and breakfast now, too!
- My faves: Med bowl with falafel
- Simple Twist (Garner)– We love this (close-to-us) locally inspired dive for weekend eats of burgers, sandwiches and rice bowls.
- My faves: Mexicali blues bowl, pickle chips
Seafood & Sushi
- City Market Sushi (Raleigh)– Our favorite local sushi place is this new-ish downtown spot with all of your classic sushi faves done with class and a dash of creativity.
- My faves: Garlic edamame, avocado roll, spicy tuna roll
Southern
- Beasley’s Chicken & Honey (Raleigh)– For some of the best fried chicken (and why not put it on a waffle with honey syrup?!), you’ve got to try Beasley’s.
- My faves: Fried chicken & waffles, classic chicken sandwich, Ashe Co pimento mac-and-cheese custard
- State Farmers Market Restaurant (Raleigh)– A little different and a quarter-mile away from the farmers market seafood restaurant mentioned above, this is a great spot for classically Southern mains, breakfast items and sides.
- My faves: Fried okra, biscuits
- [See BBQ]
Special Occasion
Meatballs and bread at Stanbury
- Stanbury (Raleigh)– Another one on the top of my list for a special night out is Stanbury. It’s a really fun atmosphere with amazing small plates, large plates and cocktails.
- My faves: Fried oysters, Stanbury gin & tonic, bread & butter
- Death & Taxes (Raleigh)– This is a once-a-year type of date night restaurant with a pricey but delicious menu of drinks, sides and mains, all cooked on a wood fire.
- My faves: Raw oysters, bread, fish main
- Heron’s (Cary)– Housed in the fabulous (and five-star) Umstead Hotel & Spa, this restaurant is the perfect place to celebrate a special occasion, enjoy a new take on locally sourced food and sip from a great wine selection (whether you eat at the bar or do the multi-course meal in the restaurant).
- My faves: Carolina chicken, kale salad
- Mateo (Durham)– If you’re a tapas or small plates fan, then you must try Mateo for authentic tapas filled with flair.
- My faves: Farmer’s cheese and pepper jelly
Vegetarian
- The Fiction Kitchen (Raleigh)– This is one of those vegan/vegetarian restaurants where you don’t even realize you’re eating differently because the flavors are so good.
- My faves: Butterhead lettuce wraps, BBQ pulled “pork”
- [See Greek/Mediterranean]
Wine & Cocktails
- Wine Authorities (Raleigh & Durham)– One of our favorite places to grab a glass of wine (or beer) or take a one-of-a-kind bottle home is Wine Authorities. They only work with smaller vineyards, have a range of affordable prices and they even do tastings!
- My faves: Anything from the wine dispenser, cheese plates
- Crude Bitters & Sodas (Raleigh)– If you’re into cocktails (whether a novice or professional), you must visit or take a cocktail class at Crude. Although they make bitters and shrubs, they also carry plenty of cocktail-making accessories.
- [See Special Occasions]
Wings
- Heavenly Buffaloes (Durham & Chapel Hill)– A Triangle food list couldn’t be complete without a perfect place to get wings. Heavenly Buffaloes have local wings with a range of amazing flavors,= and incredible waffle fries.
- My faves: Waffle fries, parmesan garlic wings, honey BBQ wings
Download my NC Triangle Food Map for yourself!
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Check out my other travel lists for additional maps, too!