North Carolina · best-of list
The 22 Best Restaurants in North Carolina
All 22 restaurants our route editors picked in North Carolina, across 10 destinations, gathered in one list. 2 spots on this list appear on more than one of our routes.
Our curated picks
22 restaurants in North Carolina, grouped by destination. Destinations with the most picks come first; this is not a ranking.
Downtown Raleigh 4 picks
Angus Barn
Downtown Raleigh · On our Raleigh New Year's Eve route
Big red-barn steakhouse by the airport since 1960, with a deep wine cellar and a famously busy New Year's Eve.
Tip: Reserve months ahead and leave by 11 p.m. if you want to be downtown for the drop.
Photo: Johnson524 · CC0Bida Manda
Downtown Raleigh · On our Raleigh New Year's Eve route
Laotian restaurant run by a brother and sister since 2012, known for crispy pork belly soup and lemongrass dishes.
Tip: Book ahead; walk-ins can wait at Brewery Bhavana next door.
Poole's Diner
Downtown Raleigh · On our Raleigh New Year's Eve route
Ashley Christensen's diner in a 1945 luncheonette, known for macaroni au gratin and a chalkboard menu.
Tip: It takes limited reservations; go early and expect a short wait.
Second Empire Restaurant and Tavern
Downtown Raleigh · On our Raleigh New Year's Eve route
Fine dining in the restored 1879 Dodd-Hinsdale House, with a formal upstairs dining room and a cozier tavern below.
Tip: The tavern menu is a less formal way in on a busy night.
Asheville 2 picks
Curaté
Asheville · On our Blue Ridge Parkway Slow Drive route + 1 more
Chef Katie Button's Spanish tapas bar downtown.
Tip: Book well ahead; bar seats open some walk-ins.
Photo: Cúrate Bar de Tapas · Google
12 Bones Smokehouse
Asheville · On our Blue Ridge Parkway Slow Drive route
Barbecue joint in the River Arts District, lunch only.
Tip: Weekdays only; come early before sides sell out.
Photo: 12 Bones Smokehouse · Google
Blowing Rock 2 picks
Dan'l Boone Inn
Blowing Rock · On our Asheville, Blowing Rock & Boone route
Family-style restaurant in an old Boone hospital building, serving fried chicken, country ham and biscuits since 1959.
Tip: No reservations; go early on weekends.
The Speckled Trout
Blowing Rock · On our Asheville, Blowing Rock & Boone route
Main Street restaurant and bottle shop in Blowing Rock serving local trout and Southern plates.
Cherokee 2 picks
Peter's Pancakes & Waffles
Cherokee · On our Blue Ridge Parkway Slow Drive route + 1 more
Cherokee breakfast spot by the river, a local standby.
Tip: Expect a line on weekends.
Photo: num1lsufan · Google
Granny's Kitchen
Cherokee · On our Smokies Weekend route
Southern buffet of fried chicken, vegetables and cobbler in Cherokee.
Tip: Seasonal hours; come hungry.
Photo: Granny's Kitchen · Google
Corolla 2 picks
Duck Donuts
Corolla · On our Outer Banks Beach Road route
Original made-to-order warm donut shop, opened in Duck in 2007.
Photo: Jeff Coolbaugh · Google
Mike Dianna's Grill Room
Corolla · On our Outer Banks Beach Road route
Long-running Corolla steak and seafood spot.
Tip: Seasonal: opens about April 1, dinner from 4pm; closed in winter.
Photo: Mike Dianna's Grill Room · Google
Dix Park & West Raleigh 2 picks
Irregardless Cafe
Dix Park & West Raleigh · On our Raleigh New Year's Eve route
Vegetarian-leaning cafe on Morgan Street since 1975, known for weekend brunch and live music.
Tip: Book brunch for late morning on Jan 1.
Morgan Street Food Hall
Dix Park & West Raleigh · On our Raleigh New Year's Eve route
Warehouse District food hall with about 20 counters, from biscuits and ramen to tacos and a central bar.
Tip: An easy lunch stop between brunch and the park if hours on Jan 1 allow.
Nags Head 2 picks
Basnight's Lone Cedar Cafe
Nags Head · On our Outer Banks Beach Road route
Seafood house on the Nags Head-Manteo causeway with sound views from every seat and NC-caught fish.
Tip: No reservations; arrive near 4:30pm opening for a sunset table.
Photo: Andrei Paval · Google
Sam & Omie's
Nags Head · On our Outer Banks Beach Road route
Fishing-shack restaurant since 1937 serving seafood and breakfast.
Photo: Bill Norris · Google
NoDa 2 picks
Haberdish
NoDa · On our Charlotte New Year's Eve route
Southern kitchen on North Davidson Street known for fried chicken, house pickles and weekend brunch.
Tip: Holiday hours vary; check before going on Jan 1.
Photo: City Dweller 2 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Optimist Hall
NoDa · On our Charlotte New Year's Eve route
Food hall in a restored brick textile mill on North Brevard Street, with dozens of counters under one roof.
Tip: A good Jan 1 fallback when restaurants are closed.
Photo: City Dweller 2 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Ocracoke 2 picks
Back Porch Restaurant
Ocracoke · On our Outer Banks Beach Road route
Long-running Ocracoke dinner spot: local seafood and hand-cut steaks on a screened porch.
Tip: Dinner only, Wed-Sat; call ahead in off-season.
Photo: Back Porch Restaurant · Google
SMacNally's Raw Bar & Grill
Ocracoke · On our Outer Banks Beach Road route
Dockside raw bar on Silver Lake for shrimp, oysters and fish tacos.
Photo: SmacNally’s Waterfront Bar & Grill · Google
Uptown Charlotte 2 picks
Aria Tuscan Grill
Uptown Charlotte · On our Charlotte New Year's Eve route
Northern Italian restaurant at the base of the Bank of America Corporate Center on Tryon Street.
The Capital Grille
Uptown Charlotte · On our Charlotte New Year's Eve route
Dry-aged steakhouse on North Tryon Street, one of Uptown's long-running rooms for a special night out.
Tip: Book an early seating on Dec 31 to make the ballpark gates.
How we picked these
Every entry is a stop on at least one of TripsCircle's hand-curated routes, chosen by our route editors, who wrote the reason to go shown with each place. These are our curated picks, not a scored ranking: we haven't rated or reviewed them against each other. The list is grouped by destination, and within each destination places that appear on more routes come first.
Prices ($ to $$$$) and visit lengths are rough guides from our route notes, not quotes. Check opening hours before you go.
About this list
How did you choose the restaurants in North Carolina?
Each one is a stop on a TripsCircle route that our editors built by hand, and each comes with a written reason to go. This page shows all 22 of them. They are curated picks, not a ranked score.
Which part of North Carolina has the most restaurants on this list?
Downtown Raleigh has the most (4 of 22), followed by Asheville (2) and Blowing Rock (2).
More lists for North Carolina
Best restaurants nearby
Destinations on this list
- Downtown Raleigh 4 on this list
- Asheville 2 on this list
- Blowing Rock 2 on this list
- Cherokee 2 on this list
- Corolla 2 on this list
- Dix Park & West Raleigh 2 on this list
- Nags Head 2 on this list
- NoDa 2 on this list
Turn this list into a plan
Open a curated route in TripsCircle, add the spots your crew wants, vote with polls and keep everyone on one shared itinerary.