15 Coolest Restaurants In North Carolina That Locals Say You Have To Try
North Carolina’s food scene offers a blend of tradition and innovation that captivates both locals and visitors.
From coastal seafood shacks to mountain bistros, the Tar Heel State serves up unforgettable dining experiences that showcase Southern hospitality at its finest.
Having explored countless eateries across the state, I’ve gathered the absolute must-visit spots that North Carolinians themselves can’t stop raving about.
1. Kindred: Davidson’s Family-Run Treasure
The moment you bite into Kindred’s famous milk bread, you’ll understand why locals make regular pilgrimages to this Davidson gem. The restaurant occupies a restored 1920s building, creating an atmosphere that feels both elegant and homey.
Husband-and-wife team Joe and Katy Kindred transform locally-sourced ingredients into culinary magic. Their handmade pastas deserve special attention – the squid ink conchiglie with sea urchin butter had me dreaming about it for weeks!
Everything here tells a story, from the century-old hardwood floors to the seasonal menu that celebrates North Carolina’s agricultural bounty. Don’t leave without trying their crispy oysters with calabrian chili aioli.
2. Crawford & Son: Raleigh’s Neighborhood Masterpiece
Walking into Crawford & Son feels like being welcomed into chef Scott Crawford’s personal dining room. The restaurant’s understated elegance masks the culinary fireworks happening in the kitchen.
I watched a couple next to me close their eyes in bliss while tasting the brown butter sweet potato agnolotti. That’s the Crawford effect – food that demands your full attention.
The menu changes with the seasons, but always features what locals call “honest food” – dishes that respect ingredients without unnecessary flourishes. Their perfectly seared NC scallops with charred corn emulsion exemplify why Raleigh residents guard reservations here like precious gems.
3. Lantern: Chapel Hill’s Asian-Southern Fusion Pioneer
Chef Andrea Reusing performs culinary alchemy at Lantern, where North Carolina ingredients meet Asian techniques in perfect harmony. The soft glow of paper lanterns creates an intimate atmosphere that enhances every bite.
My favorite dish? The tea-smoked chicken with sticky rice – a masterpiece that showcases Reusing’s James Beard Award-winning talents. Local farmers deliver ingredients daily, ensuring everything from the salt-and-pepper shrimp to the pork belly buns tastes impossibly fresh.
The hidden garden patio out back transforms summer evenings into magical experiences. Sipping their house-made ginger drinks while fireflies dance nearby remains one of my most cherished Chapel Hill memories.
4. Saltbox Seafood Joint: Durham’s Fresh Catch Heaven
Chef Ricky Moore’s tiny seafood shack transforms the day’s catch into coastal magic that has Durham residents lining up regardless of weather. The chalkboard menu changes daily, depending on what North Carolina fishermen have hauled in that morning.
I’ve never tasted hushpuppies as light and crispy as Saltbox’s cornmeal-and-green-onion beauties. Their signature “Hush-Honeys” – drizzled with local honey – create the perfect sweet-savory complement to perfectly fried spot fish or flounder.
What makes this place special isn’t fancy décor (there’s barely room to stand). It’s Moore’s commitment to celebrating North Carolina’s maritime heritage through simple, respectful preparation of the Atlantic’s bounty.
5. Angus Barn: Raleigh’s Legendary Steakhouse Palace
Stepping into Angus Barn feels like entering a magnificent rustic cathedral dedicated to the art of steak. The massive red barn structure has welcomed generations of North Carolinians celebrating life’s biggest moments since 1960.
My aunt still talks about how owner Van Eure personally helped plan my cousin’s surprise engagement here, hiding the ring in a dessert. That level of service explains why locals consider this more than just a restaurant.
While the 42-day dry-aged ribeye deservedly steals the spotlight, insiders know to save room for their famous chocolate chess pie. The cellar, housing over 25,000 bottles, has earned Spectator’s Grand Award every year since 1989.
6. Tupelo Honey Café: Asheville’s Southern Comfort Innovator
Honey flows freely at this Asheville institution, where traditional Southern recipes get thoughtful, creative updates. Their famous biscuits arrive glistening with honey and accompanied by blueberry jam that tastes like summer in a jar.
I once brought my Northern relatives here, watching their skepticism about “elevated Southern food” vanish with their first bite of fried green tomatoes atop goat cheese grits. The restaurant sources ingredients from over 25 local farms, creating a menu that tells Appalachia’s story through flavor.
Servers wearing “Nurture Through Food” t-shirts embody the restaurant’s philosophy. Their sweet potato pancakes with spiced pecans and apple cider bacon have fueled many of my Blue Ridge hiking adventures.
7. Top of the Hill: Chapel Hill’s Triple-Threat Crown Jewel
Perched above Franklin Street’s bustling energy, “TOPO” offers something rare: house-distilled spirits, and exceptional food all under one roof. The outdoor patio provides the best people-watching in town, especially after Tar Heel victories.
My first legal drink was their Blueberry Wheat Ale, paired with shrimp and grits that forever ruined me for inferior versions. Local legend claims you haven’t truly experienced Chapel Hill until you’ve watched a Carolina sunset from their deck.
Beyond the views and booze, chef Chris Cubeta’s menu elevates pub fare with local touches like their famous Carolina Burger topped with pimento cheese and Cheerwine-glazed bacon.
8. Flo’s Kitchen: Wilson’s Biscuit Paradise
Grandma Flo’s kitchen table expanded into this no-frills Eastern NC institution where biscuits rise to heavenly heights. Early birds form lines before dawn, knowing these cloud-like creations sell out fast.
Nothing about Flo’s is fancy – mismatched chairs, paper plates, plastic forks. But one bite of their cat-head biscuits (so named because they’re the size of a cat’s head) smothered in molasses or stuffed with country ham proves why simplicity often trumps sophistication.
The ladies behind the counter still use Flo Holt’s original recipe, kneading dough with hands that seem to possess biscuit-making magic. My grandfather insists these biscuits taste exactly like his mother made in 1935 – perhaps the highest compliment possible.
9. Lexington Barbecue: The Piedmont’s Pork Temple
Smoke signals rise from Lexington Barbecue’s chimneys, guiding hungry pilgrims to North Carolina’s barbecue promised land. Since 1962, the Monk family has been slow-roasting pork shoulders over hickory coals, creating meat so tender it barely needs chewing.
The chopped barbecue sandwich – served on a plain white bun with the distinctive reddish-brown Lexington-style sauce (vinegar, ketchup, pepper) – represents barbecue in its purest form. Red slaw, made with the same sauce instead of mayonnaise, provides the perfect tangy counterpoint.
Wayne Monk once told me the secret is patience – their pork cooks for ten hours, supervised by pit masters who judge doneness by feel rather than thermometers. This isn’t fast food; it’s heritage on a plate.
10. Red Bridges Barbecue Lodge: Shelby’s Smoky Time Capsule
Red and Lyttle Bridges opened this barbecue sanctuary in 1946, and remarkably little has changed since then. The wood-paneled walls hold decades of smoke and stories, while third-generation family members still tend the pits.
Their barbecue follows Eastern Carolina tradition – whole hog, vinegar-pepper sauce – but with a distinctive Bridges touch. The meat spends 12 hours over hickory and oak, developing a pink smoke ring that barbecue aficionados recognize as the mark of mastery.
My favorite ritual here involves their homemade slaw, which creates barbecue alchemy when mixed with the chopped pork. Locals know to save room for Mrs. Bridges’ banana pudding, still made using her original recipe with layers of vanilla wafers that soften perfectly in the creamy custard.
11. Beaufort Grocery Co.: Coastal Carolina’s Charming Bistro
Housed in a former grocery store just blocks from Beaufort’s waterfront, this bistro blends Coastal Carolina ingredients with French techniques. The blue and white awning signals a dining experience that’s upscale yet unpretentious – much like Beaufort itself.
Owners Charles and Wendy Park create magic with local seafood. Their shrimp and grits – featuring Geechie Boy grits topped with jumbo shrimp, country ham, and tomato-bacon gravy – had me scraping my plate clean while trying to maintain some semblance of dignity.
The tiny market section up front sells house-made pimento cheese and pickles that make perfect souvenirs. Every summer, I plan my Outer Banks trip around lunch here, sitting on their patio watching sailboats drift by while savoring their legendary crab cakes.
12. The Rhum Bar at Front Street Grill: Beaufort’s Waterfront Wonder
Pelicans swoop past as boats glide by – that’s the backdrop for dinner at this dockside gem in historic Beaufort. The second-floor Rhum Bar offers panoramic views of Taylor’s Creek and Carrot Island, where wild horses occasionally make appearances during sunset hour.
Caribbean influences infuse the menu, creating what locals call “Coastal Carolina cuisine with island flair.” Their blackened mahi-mahi tacos with mango salsa pair perfectly with their signature Painkiller drink.
Captain Otway Burns, whose historic home houses the restaurant, would surely approve of how they honor the region’s maritime heritage. My standing order: the seafood pot – a glorious medley of local shellfish steamed in garlic and herbs.
13. Nana’s: Durham’s Culinary Time Machine
Chef Scott Howell’s Durham institution feels like dining in a sophisticated friend’s home – if that friend happened to be a culinary genius. The renovated house creates intimate dining spaces where conversations flow as smoothly as their house-infused olive oils.
Seasonal ingredients drive the Mediterranean-influenced Southern menu. Their pan-seared scallops with parsnip puree and brown butter showcases Howell’s talent for highlighting natural flavors without unnecessary complexity.
A Duke professor once told me he’s celebrated every major life event here since 1992. That loyalty speaks volumes about Nana’s consistency. Their warm chocolate cake with house-made vanilla bean ice cream has comforted me through breakups and celebrated promotions – proving great restaurants nourish more than just our bodies.
14. Theodosia: Outer Banks’ Hidden Coastal Jewel
Tucked away in Duck, Theodosia captures the Outer Banks’ essence – unpretentious yet extraordinary. Named after a shipwreck visible at low tide, the restaurant honors the area’s maritime heritage through both décor and menu.
Floor-to-ceiling windows frame breathtaking sound views, but Chef Michael’s seafood creations steal your attention right back. His signature dish – pan-roasted local flounder with lump crab, brown butter, and preserved lemon – tastes like the Outer Banks distilled into a single perfect bite.
During a summer thunderstorm, I watched lightning dance across the Currituck Sound while savoring their she-crab soup. The bartender shared tales of the restaurant’s namesake ship, completing an experience that fed both body and imagination.
15. Oakleaf: Carrboro’s Farm-to-Table Pioneer
Chef Brendan Cox transforms Carrboro’s agricultural bounty into edible art at Oakleaf. The restaurant’s soaring ceilings and massive windows create a space that feels both grand and intimate, much like Cox’s cooking style.
Farmers deliver ingredients throughout the day – I once watched a local grower arrive with just-picked mushrooms that appeared on my plate hours later. Their house-made charcuterie board features nduja and coppa that rival anything I’ve tasted in Italy, paired with pickles fermented in-house.
The wood-fired oven infuses dishes with subtle smokiness, especially evident in their heritage pork chop with apple mostarda. What keeps locals coming back isn’t just the food but the genuine warmth – servers remember your preferences and make everyone feel like a regular.