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How we pick our listings: Here, Raleigh Magazine’s highly curated list of locally owned fast-casual eateries. Think of a restaurant we missed? Click here.
CAPITAL DISTRICT
Libations 317
Local restaurateur Greg Hamm (of Sanford’s Libations 139 and Cafe 121 fame) delivers a chef-inspired bistro-style menu at Libations 317, along with libations (naturally) such as seasonal craft cocktails, local beer and boutique wines. 317 W. Morgan St., Ste. 117, 919.774.1888, chefhamm.com
The Roast Grill
“Good friends, good dogs, good times” are on order at this famed hole-in-the-wall 13-seat Raleigh staple “burnin’ ’em for you” since 1940. 7 S. West St., 919.832, facebook.com/theroastgrillhotweiners
State of Beer
Beer is a state of mind at this DTR bottle and sandwich shop that plays home to “good, rad and funky” craft beer and chef-crafted sandwiches—with delish salads to boot. 401 Hillsborough St., 919.546.9116, stateof.beer
SMOKY HOLLOW
The Cardinal Bar
“Spirits & everybody” is the name of the game at Jason Howard’s (think The Atlantic Lounge, Pink Boot) West Street drinking den and hot dog haven. The Cardinal’s infused liquor makes for some of the best—and cheapest—shots in town. Chase them with one of the lowkey bar’s famous beer-braised hot dogs, which are also available as veggie dogs. 713 N. West St., facebook.com/thecardinalbar
Dose Elixir Bar
Whether you just namaste’d a Dose class or you’re passing through the Hollow, grab your daily “dose” at Dose Yoga’s in-house smoothie bar concept and walk-up window to elevate your mood and stay balanced. Pick your potion, from adaptogenic and plant-based protein smoothies, smoothie bowls and wellness lattes—positive side effects, guaranteed. 415 N. Harrington St., 919.917.7032, doseyogaraleigh.com
Layered Croissanterie
Ooh, la, la! Whether for breakfast or just a mid-afternoon pick-me-up, Layered’s “blankets of buttery goodness” are always a good idea. Pro tip: Peep the website for rotating monthly flavors! 911 N. West St., Ste. 107, 984.200.1200, layeredcroissanterie.com
SEABOARD + PERSON STREET DISTRICT
(Ish) Delicatessen
Not quite Jewish, a little Italian and maybe Southern, this sandwich shop boasts “weird sandwiches from weird people” for breakfast and lunch. 702 N. Person St., 984.200.8189, ishdelicatessen.com
Longleaf Swine
Go hog wild at Marc Russel and Adam Cunningham’s long-awaited Q joint, which serves up Texas-meets-Carolina-style ’cue that’s also influenced by Russel’s Puerto Rican background. Get your meat by the pound or on a sando, then load up on sides. 300 E. Edenton St., 984.200.9649, longleafswine.com
Oakwood Pizza Box
Owner Anthony Guerra channels the pizza he grew up eating on Long Island in this intimate family atmosphere—meaning, no matter the base (red or white sauce), the Neapolitan-style pizza is creative and delish. 610 N. Person St., 919.594.1605, oakwoodpizzabox.com
Seaboard Café
With wall-to-wall windows, natural light and pops of color from hanging plants and vegetation, this bright lunch-only eatery offers new specials Mon.–Sat., with everything from homemade muffins to fresh salads to sandwiches. 707 Semart Drive, 919.821.7553, seaboardcafe.com
Standard Beer + Food
There’s nothing standard about this fab fam-friendly sip and sup spot with prime patio seating for throwing back brews and bites with your besties, SO—or even solo. 205 E. Franklin St., 919.322.1499, standardbeerandfood.com
Tacos El Patron 323
Taco ’bout a great selection. Tacos El Patron 323 offers an array of tacos, natch, including breakfast tacos and Tijuana-style birria tacos (the birria ramen is also a hit!); quesadillas; mulitas (like a taco but in quesadilla form); and more. 122 Seaboard Ave., 919.896.7075, elpatron323.com
MOORE SQUARE DISTRICT
Transfer Co. Food Hall
Located in the historic Carolina Coach Garage and Shop, this hip food hall houses local seafood, burritos, bagels, housemade meats and pastas, burgers, Asian fare, and more—plus a bar. 500 E. Davie St., 984.232.8122, transfercofoodhall.com
FAYETTEVILLE STREET DISTRICT
Happy + Hale
Fuel happiness and your body at this go-to healthy sup spot offering colorful salads and bowls, smoothies, and an all-day brekkie menu that you don’t even have to wake up early for. Oh hale yeah! 443 Fayetteville St., 919.307.4148, happyandhale.com
lucettegrace
Start your day at this contemporary patisserie with croissants and coffee; escape midday with the box lunch (your choice of sandwich, salad or soup, and a treat) or reward yourself post-work with those legendary macarons. 235 S. Salisbury St., 919.307.4950, lucettegrace.com
Manhattan Cafe
Grilled cheese is for grown-ups! … And lunch is a vibe at this super-fresh local cafe by three brothers serving brekkie and lunch since 2009. 320 S. Wilmington St., 919.833.6015, manhattancafenc.com
Union Special
A rotating menu of sweet and savory pastries, breads and cookies is enough to make you wanna stop by this full-service bakeshop and cafe on the daily, but don’t skip out on the delectable breakfast, brunch and lunch fare either. 401 Fayetteville St., Ste. 103, 984.200.3094, unionspecialbread.com
WAREHOUSE DISTRICT
Morgan Street Food Hall
An oasis for some of Raleigh’s best food and drink ops, this new-age food hall serves up everything from wood-fired pizza, tacos and burgers to lobster rolls, ice cream and more—not to mention cocktails at its indoor/outdoor bar. 411 W. Morgan St., 919.307.4481, morganfoodhall.com
A Place at the Table
Having quickly gained local love and national acclaim, Raleigh’s first pay-what-you can cafe offers breakfast ops like quiche and waffles, and such lunch classics as salads, sandwiches and paninis. 300 W. Hargett St., 919.307.8914, tableraleigh.org
Sam Jones BBQ
Prominent NC pitmaster Sam Jones brings his family’s signature Eastern North Carolina chopped whole-hog Q to Raleigh at Sam Jones BBQ, where trays and sandos are best served with the Skylight Inn-style cornbread. 502 W. Lenoir St., 984.206.2555, samjonesbbq.com
HILLSBOROUGH STREET CORRIDOR
Bul Box
BYO Asian eating experience via Bul Box’s customizable boxes (choose your own base, protein, toppings and garnishes/sauces). Think an elevated bento box with a worldly flair. 2526 Hillsborough St., Ste. 100, 984.200.8359, bul-box.com
Meat & Bite
Whether you’re craving wings, quesadillas, sandwiches, wraps or pretty much anything in between (the menu also boasts burgers, salads, kofta kabobs and more), there’s surely something on the menu you can take a bite out of when hunger strikes. 2908 Hillsborough St., 919.803.0025, meatnbite.com
Tacos El Patron 323
Taco ’bout a great selection. Tacos El Patron 323 offers an array of tacos, natch, including breakfast tacos and Tijuana-style birria tacos (the birria ramen is also a hit!); quesadillas; mulitas (like a taco but in quesadilla form); and more. 2873 Hillsborough St., 919.896.6661, elpatron323.com
VILLAGE DISTRICT
Cafe Carolina and Bakery
A “warm welcome” is served in the form of fresh and delicious breakfast items, grilled paninis, flatbreads, soups, salads and pastries (save room for a cupcake!) at this Village District mainstay. 2130 Clark Ave., 919.821.7117, cafecarolina.com
Rise Biscuits Chicken
Move over Bojangles. Rise, well, rises to the occasion with best-in-class “biscuits above & beyond” for a truly scrumptious Southern experience that smacks for breakfast and lunch. 530 Daniels St., 984.200.6966, risebiscuitschicken.com
Village Deli & Grill
You could eat every meal of the day at Village Deli, starting with breakfast selects like omelets, hash plates and wraps. For lunch, you can’t go wrong with any of the grilled or deli sandwiches, paninis or subs; and the dinner plates are just what you need to seal the deal. 500 Daniels St., 919.828.1428, villagedeli.net
GLENWOOD SOUTH
Armadillo Grill
Whether for late-night eats or a casz meal, “Dillo” is a Raleigh staple, making authentic Tex Mex for over a quarter-century—with a full bar to boot. Fun fact: They make their own tortillas, which you can watch them press for each order. 439 Glenwood Ave., 919.546.0555, armadillogrill.com
DeMo’s Pizzeria & Deli
Um, you’re def on a knead-to-know basis when it comes to this local pizzeria and deli dishing homemade eats with fresh local ingredients that’ll steal another lil slice of your heart with every, well, slice (or salad, or sub…). Insider tip: Don’t sleep on the delivery service. 222 Glenwood Ave., 919.754.050, demospizzeriadeli.com
FIVE POINTS
Lilly’s Pizza
In 1993, four musicians started this slice of heaven in a former biker bar, and the popular pizza place with its palatable pies is still going strong today. 1813 Glenwood Ave., 919.833.0226, lillyspizza.com
IRON DISTRICT
Wilson’s Eatery
This hip open indoor-outdoor warehouse space at Dock 1053 is famed for its locally sourced scratch-made fare with Southern flair—not to mention the beer garden shared with sister company Lynnwood Brewing Concern. 1053 E. Whitaker Mill Road, 919.977.5442, wilsonseatery.com
WEST RALEIGH
Gym Tacos
We’re all about fitness. Fitness taco into our mouths! Get your daily workout—er lunch/dinner!—via Gym Tacos, which offers tacos, natch… plus loaded burritos, quesadillas and tortas. 3701 Hillsborough St., gym-tacos.com
Earth To Us
Your fave comfort foods (think nachos, wings, burgers, etc.) get a vegan and Latin twist at this family-owned and -operated eatery. 2893 Jones Franklin Road, 919.809.8622, shopearthtous.com
Neomonde
A Raleigh market and restaurant staple since 1977, this cafe dishes a wide range of Lebanese and Mediterranean fare and groceries, including kabob platters, shawarma sandwiches, and fresh-made pita bread and hummus. 3817 Beryl Road, 919.828.1628, neomonde.com
NORTHWEST RALEIGH
Arepa Culture
Arepa Culture’s first brick-and-mortar location serves the same handcrafted Venezulean arepas their food truck made famous, along with additional Latin American fare. 6274 Glenwood Ave., Ste. 100, arepaculturenc.com
Rise Biscuits Chicken
Move over Bojangles. Rise, well, rises to the occasion with best-in-class “biscuits above & beyond” for a truly scrumptious Southern experience that smacks for breakfast and lunch. 8301 Brier Creek Parkway, Ste. 101, 984.244.7218, risebiscuitschicken.com
Village Deli & Grill
Come for the breakfast sandwiches, omelets, wraps and more, and stay for the lunch paninis, deli sandwiches and dinner plates at this all-day restaurant. 2500 Wycliff Road, 919.803.1245, villagedeli.net
NORTH RALEIGH
Bongiorno & Son
Say bongiorno to elevated sammies (feat. high-quality hard-to-find Italian meats and cheeses) and prepared foods inspired by the owners’ passed-down family recipes and visits to Italy and around the world. 8450 Honeycutt Road, Ste. 106, 919.594.1544, bongiornoandson.com
Cheeni Indian Food Emporium
You won’t find any tikka masala on the menu at Cheeni, but what you will find is delish tiffin (aka small snacks like veg puffs, street-style toast and masala fries), small plates and larger dishes for dinner. Make sure to hit up the bazaar on your way out! 1141 Falls River Ave., Ste. 124, 919.438.1468, cheeniraleigh.com
Heyday Brewing
From the teams behind Louisiana-born Tin Roof Beer and Carrboro’s Acme comes this resto and brewery with equal parts Louisiana and North Carolina flair. Bring on the beer, wings, pizza, ice cream and more! 5301 Tin Roof Way, 919.351.6668, heydaybrewing.com
Lechon Latin BBQ
In NC, there’s Eastern-style barbecue and then there’s Lexington-style barbecue—now, meet Lechon Latin BBQ, serving up Puerto Rican-style lechon with cuero (roasted suckling pig with crispy skin). And don’t sleep on the empanadas, sandwiches, tacos and more either! 5959 Triangle Town Blvd., 919.793.9913, lechonlatinbbq.com
Poppyseed Market Cafe & Wine Bar
By day, the gourmet deli dishes made-to-order sammies and fresh counter-service offerings. By night, the upscale cafe serves elevated comfort dishes and vino—plus a handtossed pizza program, best enjoyed with microbrews. 8801 Lead Mine Road, Ste. 107, 919.870.4997, poppyseedmkt.com
Pure Vegan Cafe
Time to veg out! You don’t need to be a vegan to enjoy Pure Vegan Cafe’s clean and healthy—and colorful!—eats, from breakfast sandwiches and toasts to burgers and “chick’n” sandwiches to salad bowls. Don’t sleep on the cold-pressed juices. Nom nom. 8369 Creedmoor Road, 919.917.7369, purevegancafe.com
Rise Biscuits Chicken
Move over Bojangles. Rise, well, rises to the occasion with best-in-class “biscuits above & beyond” for a truly scrumptious Southern experience that smacks for breakfast and lunch. 6325 Falls of Neuse Road, Ste. 33, 984.200.5751, risebiscuitschicken.com
Sassool Mediterranean Cafe
Born as a family bakery in 1977, this Mediterranean concept has since been rebranded as a resto specializing in delish authentic Lebanese & Mediterranean cuisine crafted from high-quality ingredients and authentic recipes. 9650 Strickland Road, 919.847.2700, sassool.com
Southern Craft Sandwiches
Are you bready for it? Bringing small shop vibes and delish sandwiches together, find this delish sup spot stacking up hot and cold sammies, melts, salads, and more. Meat us in the club? southern-craft-butchers.square.site
Zanyu Asian Noodles
Slurp up flavors of Malaysia, Thailand and Japan via oodles of noodle dishes and other authentic Asian fare. 8450 Honeycutt Road, Ste. 112, 919.803.1340, zanyunoodles.com
Zest Cafe
Locally grown produce and products collide in this contemporary cafe-meets-art boutique brimming with innovative fare (check out that Don’t Stop Be-Leafing Brunch), whimsical gifts, furnishings and more—with a patio worth perching on to boot. 8831 Six Forks Road, 919.848.4792, zestcafehomeart.com
MIDTOWN
The BBQ Lab
This highly regarded ’cue spot dropped “redneck” from its name for its Raleigh debut location, but the same smokin’ BBQ made famous in its Jo Co flagship remains—which, yes, includes those bangin’ burnt ends. 4321 Lassiter at North Hills St., theredneckbbqlab.com
Bul Box
BYO Asian eating experience via Bul Box’s customizable boxes (choose your own base, protein, toppings and garnishes/sauces). Think an elevated bento box with a worldly flair. 4421 Six Forks Road, Ste. 116A, 984.200.3654, bul-box.com
Happy + Hale
Fuel happiness and your body at this go-to healthy sup spot offering colorful salads and bowls, smoothies, and an all-day brekkie menu that you don’t even have to wake up early for. Oh hale yeah! 200 Park at North Hills St., Ste. 101, 984.200.3802, happyandhale.com
MIDTOWN EAST
BB’s Crispy Chicken
This isn’t your basic fast food restaurant-quality chicken sandwich. AC’s signature “shatteringly” crispy chicken sandos and plethora of housemade sauces deliver on both flavor and crunch. 2920 Sherman Oak Place, Ste. 140, 984.272.3300, bbscrispychicken.com
Chido Taco
What doesn’t tequila makes you stronger. Sip back and relax with solid margs and damn good tacos at this mercado-style taqueria that’ll have you hooked with one bite. McNeill Pointe, 2330 Bale St., 919.594.1930, chidotaco.com
Torchy’s Tacos
Get a taste of Austin’s spec-taco-lar taco scene via “damn good” elevated tacos (breakfast tacos included!), chips and queso, sides, scratchmade churros, and more. 1110 Mercantile Drive, Ste. 120, 919.439.1177, torchystacos.com
Union Special
A rotating menu of sweet and savory pastries, breads and cookies is enough to make you wanna stop by this full-service bakeshop and cafe on the daily, but don’t skip out on the delectable breakfast, brunch and lunch fare either. 2409 Crabtree Blvd., Ste. 102, 984.200.3094, unionspecialbread.com
Venture Pizza
Get a slice of this family-run, female-owned eatery specializing in customizable pizzas, salads and pastas. McNeil Pointe, 2320 Bale St., 919.803.3015, venturepizza.com
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