This summer, we’re opting to stick around and take a staycation in the City of Oaks’ own backyard. We’ve got some tips on six of the best places to stay all around Raleigh, plus suggestions of where to eat, drink and shop and how best to explore our home city. So ditch the travel time and the hefty price tag; join us for a trip through Raleigh’s most spectacular spots.
Stephenson’s Barbecue
Willow Springs
Hog farmer Paul Stephenson opened this treasured barbecue joint in 1958 and it’s been serving some of the most juicy, slow-cooked barbecue in the area ever since. Not to be missed is Stephenson’s fried chicken, which is so popular you need to order it ahead of time, and the Brunswick Stew, a scratch-made classic consisting of a flavorful tomato base, hearty vegetables and pulled meat.
Grady’s Barbecue
Dudley
Although it’s a bit off the beaten path, Grady’s down-home barbecue joint is not one to pass on. Grady’s is known for its chopped pork (not pulled), which has a smokey flavor and somewhat crunchy texture, as well as golden fried chicken and perfectly crispy hushpuppies. Be sure to bring cash.
Skylight Inn
Ayden
The hour-and-a-half trek is worth it for Skylight Inn’s old-fashioned whole hog, wood smoked barbecue, a tradition in the Jones family passed down for three generations. Since 1947, the Inn has been serving up barbecue in its “purest form,” with sides of buttery cornbread and coleslaw.
Bum’s Restaurant
Ayden
Established in the 1960s, Bum’s Restaurant is still one of the only barbecue places in Eastern North Carolina to feature a buffet table of freshly made vegetable sides, including classics such as stewed rutabaga, black-eyed peas and finely chopped collard greens, all of which are grown in owner Latham “Bum” Dennis’s personal garden. Don’t miss out on the perfectly moist barbecue or warm banana pudding, either.
B’s Barbecue and Grill
Greenville
B’s is about as no-frills as it gets when it comes to barbecue, as it’s been perfected since the family-owned business opened in the 1970s. Staying close to it’s Eastern North Carolina roots, the barbecue comes with a tangy vinegar sauce, great for dipping the signature crispy cornbread sticks in. Get there early (B’s closes when the hog runs out) and bring cash.
Downtown’s Parkside keeps it (hyper) local.
It’s 3 p.m. on a Friday afternoon and Jenessa Mitchell and Todd Henderson are cozied up together in a corner booth in downtown’s Parkside, brightly lit by the restaurant’s giant, sunny windows. The afternoon rush has slowed down to a couple enjoying a late lunch and a pair of regulars posted up at the bar, who Mitchell and Henderson greet warmly on their way in.
Behind Mitchell and Henderson—Parkside’s co-owners and co-founders—the wall is decorated with distinctive panels of barn wood. The wood, the couple explains, was sourced by friend Billy Keck, owner of Raleigh Reclaimed, from a Cary barn house he took down while the couple was renovating the erstwhile Brewmaster’s Bar and Grill space in 2016.
It’s just one example of how the new and the retro, but always the hyperlocal, come together to create the buzzing atmosphere of the restaurant located just across the street from Nash Square Park.
Whether or not you’ve ever stepped inside, you’re likely familiar with the neon red-and-green “restaurant” sign hanging over Parkside’s entrance, greeting visitors. It’s the longest-glowing neon restaurant sign in North Carolina, in fact, and these days, it serves as a beacon for the entrance to the Warehouse District.
Mitchell and Henderson are proud of their location on Martin Street, of the burgeoning District and of Raleigh itself. Henderson, a Raleigh native, grew up going to lunch with his mother at Joe’s Place, a diner that occupied the Parkside space for nearly three decades starting in 1979. This is why, when the couple first started conceptualizing Parkside, they took care to try and capture that love for locality the best they could.
“I’m proud of everything we do here [in Raleigh],” Henderson says. “So, I really wanted to source things hyperlocally.”
Besides the barn wood-paneled walls, all of Parkside’s tables are made from the same enormous North Carolina poplar tree. Keck crafted these tables, too, and if you could somehow manage to line them up in a row, you’d be able to make out the wood vein in the center of the tree that runs through them all. Mitchell and Henderson decided to leave the table edges raw, a design decision Mitchell says was intended to showcase the natural, caramel-colored wood. The final hyperlocal piece to come together for the restaurant’s furniture was the 37-foot bar top, sourced from a local walnut tree.
Everything else in the restaurant comes, if not from Raleigh itself, from elsewhere in North Carolina, a nod to the state that the pair now calls home after relocating here from Austin, Texas shortly before opening Parkside. The stone behind Parkside’s bar is sourced from the Smoky Mountains; the booths come from Carolina Custom Booths in High Point; the cabinets behind the bar are from a local craftsman at the Raleigh Flea Market and the couple upcycled their chairs themselves, using the old ones from Brewmaster’s.
The overall effect of the furniture and decor is a homey, inviting space that feels more neighborhood eatery than high-turnover trendy, though Parkside is undoubtedly popular and thriving.
“We wanted somewhere that felt diner-esque and local,” Mitchell says. “Somewhere you could come in a couple of days a week and the bartender knows your name.”
Parkside’s food, a collection of classic Southern comfort dishes done up in a contemporary cooking style, is also very much local. Ingredients are sourced from Locals Seafood, Yellow Dog Bread, Fox Farm and Forage and the State Farmers Market, to name just a few places.
For Henderson and Mitchell, menu items are reminiscent of the dishes they grew up eating themselves, ones that aren’t uncommon in the South. The Braised Short Rib Stroganoff expands on a Mitchell family favorite; Joe’s Meat and Three is an ode to Joe Sciolino, the owner of Joe’s Place (and now Henderson’s very good friend), and the Auntie Nessa, a gooey grilled cheese sandwich made with cheddar, provolone and brie on grilled sourdough, is Mitchell’s go-to.
“We tried to combine those comfort foods and still pay homage to what I grew up on in this building,” Henderson says as folks begin to trickle in for dinner. “It’s really just an eclectic place that’s representative of exactly where we are, and exactly where we should be, at the exact time we’re supposed to be here.”
It’s been nearly two years and $12.6 million in the making but it’s finally here: the new and improved Moore Square. The renovated historic park makes its official debut August 3. If you’re anything like us, you’ve been peeking through the fencing along South Blount, East Martin, South Person and East Hargett Streets to try to catch a glimpse. But now, wonder no more; here’s our guide to the 4-acre space.
Setup
Renovations honor Moore Square Park’s historic heritage, including its proximity to Raleigh’s traditionally African American neighborhoods, the city’s “Black Main Street” and City Market. A modern, urban design entices visitors in through four entryway plazas; stone-paved pathways connect from one end to the other. Benches and heritage oak trees offer comfort and shade.
Lawns
The Central Lawn will host concerts, festivals, movies, book readings, games and workshops. The Tilted Lawn in the center of the park gives visitors an elevated view of Moore Square and the surrounding downtown.
Natural Play Areas
The Treehouse and a splash pad-like water feature allow children’s imaginations to run wild. Kids can climb on rocks and mounds, play in sand and grove terraces and explore native plant species.
Grove Rooms
Two Grove Rooms offer space with a casual classroom feel. The Community Table’s two granite tables seat 40, while The Hargett Room features a swirling-seat wall as its border.
Visitors Center
The Visitors Center orients park guests. A gift shop sells souvenirs and the Moore Square History Exhibit teaches the park’s past.
Café Kiosk
Empire Eats will run a quick-service café called Square Burger, serving family-friendly fare including burgers, hot dogs, salads, shakes and beer/wine. A grove terrace offers tables and movable chairs; the kiosk provides water fountains and public restrooms are nearby.
Programs
The Moore Square Market, a 20-week farmers’ market, runs every Wednesday through mid-October. Vendors sell produce and artisan goods. Enjoy entertainers and kids activities.
Move Moore! features wellness programs including yoga and Shape Up! classes.
Moore Kids! hosts game nights, vendor fairs, story times and more.
Moore Square Live! hosts fun events on the Central Plaza and Lawn. The Raleigh Rockers breakdancers will hold weekly demonstrations while the Busker Series showcases street musicians, singers, magicians, artists and jugglers. Expect music festivals, lawn parties and outdoor movies, too.
Create Moore! is a collection of arts and cultural programs, including pop-ups and the Handmade Holiday Market.
Education component Tell Me Moore! features lectures series, history tours and the Raleigh Roots History Festival.
For more information visit Raleighnc.gov/MooreSquare.
The Sir Walter Miler makes watching track fun.
For Sandy Roberts, what began as an impromptu attempt to run a mile in less than four minutes turned into a nationally celebrated track event held annually here in Raleigh. Six years ago, the post-collegiate runner was finding it difficult to get into big-name track meets, so Roberts decided to create his own at Cardinal Gibbons High School.
The plan was to make a night of his attempt to run a sub-four minute mile. He recruited his friend, Pat Price, to emcee the event and his brother, college track coach Logan Roberts, to pace him. The trio invited a handful of friends to come watch but more than 500 people showed up. In the spur of the moment, it was Price who decided to have the spectators cheer Roberts on from the track itself rather than from the stands. That way, he figured, fans could get closer to the action and feel like they were a part of the race.
Roberts didn’t clock in under four minutes that night but he saw big potential in the event, which he, Logan and Price dubbed the “Sandman Mile.” “It was a really special night,” Roberts says. “We tapped into something that makes track, and the mile itself, feel relevant.”
Now, the Sir Walter Miler happens each year in August at Meredith College, with qualifying pop-up mile runs held throughout June. In addition to men’s and women’s elite mile runs, the Sir Walter Miler features run club relays which bring local running clubs together to compete in relay races against one another, as well as a fun, gimmicky race that’s unique to the Sir Walter Miler event—in 2017, in the Raleigh Denim Mile, runners had to compete wearing blue jeans.
The elite races are the Sir Walter Miler’s main focus but the founders’ goal is to help runners get under the four minute mile mark, a feat that only around 550 Americans have achieved; more people have successfully climbed Mount Everest than broken sub-four. “We try to help those younger people hit that dream because that’s the whole reason we started this,” Price says. And today, spectators still cheer on runners from the track. “Track is a boring thing but we try to narrate it well and invite people into the moment so that they know who the runners are and what their goals are,” Roberts says. “It makes track seem special. The electricity of this event, I’ve never experienced anything like it.”
The Sir Walter Miler has garnered its share of accolades and it’s on the radars of world-famous track stars, running publications and running hobbyists alike. Last year, Lopez Lomong, the flag bearer for the 2012 U.S. Olympic team, won the race in 3:53.86, setting a meet record, and, during the Raleigh Denim mile, a woman ran a sub-five minute mile, setting a women’s world record that year. Three years ago, an autistic male runner finished seventh in the elite race in under four minutes, setting a Paralympic world record that has yet to be beaten. “We’ve had a pretty good run so far,” Price says. “Pun intended.”