Forks up, Raleigh. Your 25 best dishes are here. We vetted top industry foodies and ate our way through town (tough job but someone has to do it) to deliver your top 25. The question we asked ourselves? What’s the Raleigh dish you’d tell someone they just hadto have? We thought (and asked) less about celebratory meals and more about what makes us want to put on pants and even drive across town—excluding handhelds (think tacos, burgers, pizza… see our bonus coverage at the end of the feature for top fast-casual eats).
What we found? Some upscale dishes obviously remain in the ranks. But more and more elevated affordable and accessible plates have joined the ranks as well. That, and people love shareables (hey, sharing is caring!). So, dive in. And, caution: Read hungry at your own risk.
Cheers to 30 years! This Raleigh staple just celebrated three decades of fab food (and spirits!). While you can’t go wrong at Dos Taquitos, its iteration of the “Mexican flag” enchiladas smacks with tricolored green, white and red corn tortillas stuffed with chicken, black beans and steak, and topped with tomatillo, Mexican cream and chipotle sauce, respectively. If you’re feeling spicy, pair it with the Picante marg—our fave.
Hummingbird no doubt faces a host of tough chicken & waffle competition in Raleigh (lucky us!)—but it’s chef/owner Coleen Speaks’ sweet and savory combo of a pillowy waffle with maple syrup and hot honey herb butter topped with a tender chicken breast buttermilk brined for two days (with lemon and garlic) that’ll have you saying Beasley’s who?
A French culinary term that means “with almonds,” this technique spruces up a cut of trout with almonds (obv), along with brown butter, Carolina rice and fennel for a dish that’s pleasing to both the eyes and mouth.
We can’t write a Raleigh’s 25 best dishes list without naming AC’s iconic macaroni au gratin (a decadent mixture of noodles, heavy cream, three different cheeses and salt)—easily one of the most sought-after (and raved about) meals in town.
Decorated chef Cheetie Kumar’s Indian roots shine in this uber-popular cauliflower dish with a kick (chiles, curry leaves, lime, cilantro and a turmeric-yogurt sauce)… delivering your taste buds way more than 65 mouthwatering reasons why it landed a spot on Raleigh’s top 25 dishes.
You haven’t had quiche until you’ve had Coquette’s Quiche Lorraine (ham, bacon, caramelized onion, Gruyere). There’s a reason this sky-high, fluffy quiche is so coveted—both a fan-fave and a perennial mainstay on Raleigh’s top dish lists. If you’re feeling frisky, trade up the staple Quiche Lorraine for the Quiche Du Jour.
Ordering at Mulino is always a challenge, given how amazing everything on the menu is. Our go-to, however, is the seafood pasta (choice of squid ink or linguini) loaded with clams, shrimp, scallops and seafood bisque—but you most definitely should make your dinner date order the gnocchi to sneak a few bites of.
These scrumptious rosé-steamed mussels in a bath of shallot and herbs (with baguette to boot) will have you fighting the urge to exclaim “ooh, la, la” while booking your next rez on the spot.
We know—Cantina 18 is a taco titan. But we dare you not to fall for these farm-fresh vegetarian seasonal sweet potato enchiladas with roasted sweet potatoes, corn, bell peppers, cheddar cheese and guajillo sauce, served up with a side of crack (ahem, red) rice. You can thank us later.
I mean, it’s called the Screaming O—need we say more? This trademark Sono roll of spicy tuna, tempura shrimp, seared tuna, tobiko, “O” sauce, sweet soy and green onion will leave you, well, satisfied and coming back for more.
Everyone knows salads are better with cheese, so it’s no wonder that The Rockford’s greens are so popular, what with the gooey glob of burrata it stars—plus prosciutto and blueberry-serrano jam.
With Iron Chefwinner Walter J. Royal at the helm and “Angus” in the name, you can’t go wrong with any of the in-house aged steaks the iconic Barn serves up. But that bacon-wrapped pan-seared buttery filet ordered Oscar-style (crabmeat, asparagus, hollandaise sauce) is next-level.
Chef/owner Sunny Gerhart zhuzhes up the week’s oyster catch by roasting them and serving them “Pimento’d,“ “BBQ’d“ and “Andouille’d”—a flavor-packed trio that’ll have you coming back for more again and again… and again.
Bring your crew along to devour this whole, barbecued, free-range duck (which serves three to four people), plated with steamed bao buns (another Bhavana speciality we can’t get enough of), cucumber, scallions and hoisin-honey sauce.
Break through the flaky cornmeal pastry crust in Ashley Christensen’s chicken potpie and you’ll be met with a steamy bowl of pulled chicken and veggies in a slurpable milk gravy—aka comfort by the spoonful.
This isn’t your basic grocery store rotisserie chicken. Winston’s cooks whole chickens in its dedicated rotisserie oven every day, then bastes them with homemade BBQ sauce to serve with a side of Southern comfort via mac and cheese and collards.
Chef/owner Scott Crawford is a five-time James Beard Award best chef Southeast semifinalist for a reason. Foodies and fans of food alike are gonna want to reserve a seat at his DTR spot. While the entire menu is to-die-for, the current iteration of Crawford’s yellowtail crudo in all its watermelon aguachile, cilantro and sorrel ice glory is legendary.
The best thing about ordering Stanbury’s bone marrow, besides, of course, spooning the soft and melty marrow onto a piece of Boulted Bread toast? Using the bone as a luge afterward to shoot back some bourbon or sherry.
OK so it’s not just one catch, but we’re willing to go on the line and say you can’t go wrong no matter which of the dozen-ish different NC species Mandolin serves up throughout the year. With a seasonally changing set, it’s always the perfect catch.
This ain’t your mama’s meatloaf. Trust us—you just didn’t know it could be this good. The monstrous(ly delicious) droolworthy serving is in a word: incredible—the mighty meaty serving only made more succulent with mashies, gravy and veggies. Pro tip: Save room for cake—or bring it home with you.
Aw, shucks—you just can’t have a top 25 dish list in Raleigh without any number of delish dishes from this iconic OG oyster bar (serving us since 1931!). Our rec: Go baked with the Rockefeller variety (spinach, bacon, Parmesan cream)… but you should def splurge on a raw half-shell selection while you’re at it. When in Rome…
We’ve told you before—and we’ll tell you again. If it’s shrimp and grits you’re after, NOFO is your answer. The local-fave flavorful combo of sauteed shrimp, smoked bacon, sliced mushrooms, garlic and scallions over pepper jack grits—served up with doughy biscuits—oozes Southern comfort in a can’t-miss dish.
Everything Brussels
Wye Hill Kitchen & Brewing Warehouse District wyehill.com
Everything But the Bagel seasoning is everywhere, including sprinkled atop Wye Hill’s fried Brussels sprouts. The trendy salty seasoning rounds out the dish, while a creamy fromage blanc will make you want to lick the plate clean.
When given the chance to eat a meal prepared by the 2021 NCRLA chef of the year (Vidrio executive chef Saif Rahman), you grab it. Take a sensory trip to Tuscany with this melt-in-your mouth salmon dish swimming in a sundried tomato cream (don’t be shy; ask for a spoon—no judgment) and topped with spinach and citrus salad.
Chef/owner John Korzekwinski’s German and Polish heritage shone through in his pierogies (aka pockets of perfection). From the cheese and potato filled staple appetizer to the rotating variety on offer, these dreamy dumplings are an always-made-from-scratch thing of the past—for now. The owner plans to open a new spot at Highpark Village with a different take on his cuisine via modernized small plates in a vibrant location, says Korzekwinski. Fingers crossed for pierogies on the menu. Stay tuned to J. Betski’s website.
Fast-Casual Faves
We could do a whole issue on handheld foods (burgers and tacos and pizzas—oh, my!) we’d stand in line for… but we narrowed it down to these fast-casual faves around town. If these are wrong, we don’t want to be right…
We dish local Instagram foodie influencers’ fave dishes around Raleigh. Be warned… this will make you hungry.
Food porn is all over the ’Gram these days, and nothing will make you hungrier than scrolling through pics of greasy cheese pulls, spirals of saucy pasta, and over-the-top ice cream creations. Our stomachs are growling just thinking about all that… Here, we tapped local Instagram foodie influencers for their favorite dishes around town. Follow their Instagram handles for more droolworthy content! PSA: Do not lick these pages.
The September issue of Raleigh Magazine will be on stands around town and delivered to your doors and mailboxes in just a few days! If you can’t wait until then, here’s a quick look at some of the stories we have in store.
25 Best Dishes
Rosewater Mussels
We vetted some of Raleigh’s top industry foodies and ate our way through the town (it’s a tough job, but someone had to do it…) to give you the top 25 dishes in the City of Oaks. On the list, you’ll find popular plates you’ve most likely tried yourself a time or two, plus some best-kept secrets that you’re definitely going to want to get your hands on ASAP. Fork up, Raleigh!
History Meets Hip at the Hollow
Photo by Susan Holt
What is it? Where is it? Who’s inside? Raleigh Magazine gets the exclusive on who’s coming to Smoky Hollow, a multiphase revitalization project at the northern gateway of Downtown Raleigh. Fronted by the uber-popular Publix, Smoky Hollow consists of Peace Raleigh Apartments, The Line apartments and 421 N. Harrington St. office building campus, with a plethora of ground-floor restaurants and retail opening soon—and we give you the scoop!
RPD’s New Leader
Photo by Joshua Steadman
We sat down with Chief Estella D. Patterson, who was sworn in as Raleigh’s 30th police chief Aug. 12, to ask her about her vision for Raleigh as “the safest city,” community-based policing, her first impression of our City of Oaks and more.
Leafy Love
Houseplant Hippie
Plants certainly grew on us over the past year—an innate response to surrounding ourselves with life when chaos, sickness and what felt like end times was all around—and to keep our safe sanctuaries filled with beauty, clean energy and vibrancy. In this plant-tastic plant feature, we round up sprouted shops, apps, names and more.
Cultural Comeback
NC Opera | Photo by Curtis Brown Photography
Despite the hardships of the last year for live productions and the arts, local production organizations both large and small pivoted and adapted their operations, putting the “show must go on” sentiment to the ultimate test—from streaming to shifting (think literal move) to airing live shows and more. Now, the arts are back, and there’s tons of great shows to add to your calendar.
Seafood so fresh, you’d think you’re at the beach. Down-home dishes that’d make any Southern granny proud. Vegetarian delights and international influences…we’ve got it all in our comprehensive list of Raleigh’s 25 Best Dishes (plus 10 standout starters). For our annual Best Restaurants issue, let us assure you, the competition was fierce; a sheer abundance of local culinary talent, not to mention restaurants whose menus are subject to change daily, made it especially hard for us to choose from among our many, many, many standard menu faves. It was a tough job but you know we had to do it. Now it’s your turn—try them all this fall.
An exceptional vegetarian dish at an otherwise meat-focused eatery, Capital Club 16’s flavorful Farmer’s Bowl is laden with seasonal roasted vegetables, basmati rice and a basted egg.
A classic burger with a sophisticated French twist, the ever popular Royale Burger is embellished with melty gruyere cheese and au poivre aioli in a toasted Michael’s English Muffin.
Quiche
Coquette Brasserie 4351 The Circle At North Hills Street coquetteraleigh.com
Whether you choose the traditional quiche lorraine, cheesy spinach and chevre or the always tempting quiche du jour, Coquette’s sky high egg dish does not disappoint.
Sweet plantains, a fried egg and tangy guac top a hearty plate of rice and beans. Calentado is only available on Centro’s Saturday brunch menu, making it extra special.
The Mac ‘n Cheese over at Poole’s Diner is iconic. Its rich, melted cheese and crispy caramelized crust is a hit among out-of-towners and dedicated regulars alike.
Pork Schnitzel
J. Betski’s 10 W Franklin Street, Suite 120 jbetskis.com
Crispy and fried to golden perfection, the pork schnitzel at J Betski’s could be served at a Viennese Gasthaus. Austrian potato and dill-cucumber salad round out the dish.
It takes skill to get the flesh from the bones of this perfectly flaky fish served with grilled lemon and seasonal vegetables. You’ll be glad you made the effort.
Decadent crispy chunks of chicken are served tableside with a mouthwatering caramelized ginger soy sauce—stir the two together for a tasty punch of flavors.
Chicken Parm Ramen
Papa Shogun 111 Seaboard Avenue, Suite 118 papashogun.com
Chef Tom Cuomo shook up the Raleigh food world when he released his Chicken Parm Ramen, a surprising combination of tomato tori paitan, arugula, chicken katsu and mozzarella.
This Tomahawk (bone-in) pork chop is tender and packed with flavor. Served with corn and apple succotash, zucchini, butter beans and tomato vinaigrette, it’s the queso fresco that adds the perfect finishing touch.
A decadent take on the traditional duo with juicy fried chicken breasts, buckwheat waffles, braised greens, sautéed mushrooms and an innovative bacon-mushroom emulsion.
Chef Scott Crawford’s take on traditional Southern fried chicken is made sophisticated—and delicious—with a flavorful herb crust, velvety creamed corn and charred pepper au jus.
A colorful dish of shredded green papaya, tomatoes, nuts and spicy tamarind cradled in red cabbage and topped with your choice of meat, vegetables or fish.
This show-stopping dish features a thick crust, heaps of creamy mashed potatoes, peas, chicken and an addictive pot pie filling, complete with star-shaped crust cutouts.
This tantalizing dish is made for bold foodies. A base of corona beans and arugula add color and texture to perfectly charred octopus tentacles, finished with a tangy chorizo vinaigrette.
Perhaps not the healthiest option, but definitely worth it! Driftwood’s Chicken Fried Chicken is made utterly delectable with creamy mashed potatoes and savory sausage gravy.
This delicious French delicacy features tender, melt-in-your-mouth beef short ribs served with flavorful bacon mushrooms, creamy mashed potatoes and local vegetables.
If you’re dining at Sono, it’s wise to entrust yourself to the chef. Keep it deliciously simple with thin slices of the freshest fish served over pressed rice.
For comforting shrimp and grits that oozes Southern charm, look no further than NOFO; it’s a flavorful combo of bacon, mushrooms, garlic butter, green onions and pepperjack grits.
A large, thick tenderloin sliced into brilliantly juicy pieces, Angus Barn’s Chateaubriand is a dish worth celebrating. Served with seasonal vegetables and a selection of chef’s sauces.
A juicy cut of beef, some say it’s the best ribeye in town. Served with bruschetta, Sophia cheese, salsa verde, tomatoes, basil shallots, sherry vinaigrette, it’s definitely among the most unique.
Mexican Flag
Gonza Tacos y Tequila 7713 Lead Mine Road, Suite 39; 2100 Hillsborough Street gonzatacosytequila.com
This festive dish consists of a trio of chicken, steak and pinto bean enchiladas, individually topped with green tomatillo salsa, chile de arbol sauce and Mexican cream.
10 Best Starters
These tasty small plates of hot cheese, crispy veggies and yes, even more seafood, had us hankering for more.
