Expand your palate with these local picks during Triangle Restaurant Week.
Hey, foodies… we hope you’re hungry! While Raleigh no doubt has a slew of restaurants worth raving about, the Triangle is teeming with tasty spots worth checking out—and what better time to give them a try than during Triangle Restaurant Week? From Jan. 23–29, popular local sup spots are featuring special 2- and 3-course menu ops for lunch and dinner—no rez required. Here, a few of our picks to nosh on some fab fare outside Raleigh. Time to dig in!
Calling all ramen-tics! For some “Far East funk” and mouthwatering fare, snag a seat at this vibrant, colorful spot serving up Asian dishes with flair. At the helm, find executive chef Jason Lawless whipping up noodle dishes, bao buns and other amazing entrees—NTM going wild on the wok.
Come, see, conquer, eat at this traditional authentic Italian resto feat. pastas and breads made in-house daily—best enjoyed with a glass (or bottle—we aren’t judging!) of vino. Mamma mia!
“I don’t know about you, but we’re feeling (local) 22!” … This Downtown Durham delight will have you feelin’ peckish with its all-American classic comfort food—think burgers, pizza, mac ’n’ cheese, fries and the like. And we do like.
Highlighting divine dumplings, comforting curries and an extensive fresh raw bar, this gorgeous upscale resto touts a range of Southeast Asian dishes, plus stunning desserts that look almost too perfect to eat. Keyword: almost.
A nod to the birds and park within view, this modern American resto inside The Mayton offers Southern comfort foods in a chic atmosphere. Whether patrons want to “peck” on plates with friends or celebrate with a big dinner, this nosh spot has the chops. Waddle this way…
Serving up dishes using the best seasonal ingredients from local farmers, fishers and purveyors, Market and Moss features fare as colorful as its atmosphere (see: the teal blue walls/chairs and overall cute + cozy vibe). Taste the rainbow!
Light the way… to this loveable Asian restaurant that marries flavors from the East with local ingredients (and who doesn’t love a good collab?!). Behind the scenes, find renowned chef/owner Andrea Reusing cooking up delish dishes—and advocating for food policy change to boot. Essentially: A dining experience that’s all that and dim sum!
This Research Triangle sup spot stays serving up seasonal, well-executed eats all year long—and the same rings true for its TRW menu. Pro tip: The food is just as ’Grammable as the restaurant’s beautiful interior. Get your cameras ready!
Sassool invites the city’s foodies to pick up a Triangle Food Passport and discover the joy of “traveling” to new local restaurants throughout the year.
Grab your passport (and my hand). … Sassool’s latest venture will take you on an international culinary journey—sans the long flight. Enter the North Raleigh Mediterranean market and resto’s recently launched Triangle Food Passport, a collaborative effort with 12 area restaurants, cafes and grocers designed to inspire diners to branch out and boost local small businesses.
Sassool co-owner Noelle Saleh says a lightbulb went off while gathering with fellow restaurateurs during one of their family dinners last year. “We were trying to think of ways that we could support each other as restaurateurs other than giving advice or lending an ear,” she says. “We wanted to find a way to cross-promote each other and get our customers to try out restaurants that we love but maybe haven’t tried yet.”
Together they launched the Triangle Food Passport, which boasts exclusive offers from local businesses including Sassool, Raleigh Rolls, Big League Waffles, Cheeni Indian Food Emporium, Bitten Bakery, Alpaca Peruvian Charcoal Chicken and more. Diners who purchase the $25 passport can visit each participating restaurant to redeem the offer in exchange for a “stamp,” making any midday coffee break or meal with friends suddenly feel like a jet-setting adventure.
“The passport came from the fact that many of our businesses offer food from around the world,” says Saleh. “We wanted to give people an opportunity to travel the world without leaving the Triangle.” Best of all, the new program further bolsters the food and beverage community by donating a portion of all proceeds to the Wake Tech Foundation to assist a full-time second-year student at Wake Tech with a culinary scholarship. What’s not to love?
Ultimately, the initiative offers a chance to have fun and explore by playing tourist in your own hood for a change. “Our greatest hope is that Raleigh diners discover their new favorite restaurant, bakery or food establishment,” says Saleh. “The Triangle is ripe with talent and hosts a super passionate restaurant community. We want you to experience our passion through our food.” Get ready for takeoff!
Bourbon and barbecue go together. And as if The BBQ Lab hadn’t already made Raleigh go hog wild, what’s next is, well, kind of a pig deal.
Releasing next Wednesday, Jan. 18, expect the addition of shareable selects like brisket poutine with white brisket gravy garlic cheese curds, smoked fried wings (exclusive to the Raleigh location), made-in-house BBQ chips with Maytag blue cheese sauce, and so much more.
And of course, if there’s bourbon, there’s booze. Bourbon mules and bourbon crush complement other unique spins on traditional drinks like Coladas with Dole whip (they slap). Look for a pastrami beef rib no one else doing it in Raleigh—and what owner Jerry Stephenson says is hands-down his best dish (!).
Pro tip: Order eats on DoorDash starting Wednesday, Jan. 11. … And stay tuned for brunch coming soon. The anticipation begins!
More of Our Fave Menu Selects
BBQ Lab Brisket Tacos:Slow-smoked in a blend of spices put into hot corn tortillas topped with a cheddar cheese, pickled onion and a housemade smoked jalapeno green goddess salsa
Brisket Mac:Our signature pasta dish with our chopped prime beef brisket, white queso sauce, tomatoes, chiles and onions covered in a blend of melted cheeses
Bacon Cinnamon Ice Cream Waffle: Homemade bacon jam covering cinnamon ice cream on top of a waffle
What you need to know when voting for your fave Raleigh bars/bartender in our Best Bars Awards
So you’re voting your favorite bars and bartender in our annual Best Bars Awards… but you’re tripping up on a certain question (or questions). Have no fear! We’re gonna spell it alllll out for ya, including what a bar even is—yes, really. Keep in mind that you don’t have to answer every question (so if you don’t have a fave dive bar, just skip it!), but you cannot repeat the same bar in your answers more than three times. Voting closes at midnight on Dec. 15, 2022. Read our simplified guide below then cast your votes here!
What constitutes a bar?
Alright, this may seem obvious but we’ve gotten plenty of questions on what constitutes a bar—so we’re here for you. A bar is any place that serves alcoholic beverages, whether wine, beer, cocktails, spirits or all of the above. Most likely, your favorite local restaurant has a bar program—which would be a great answer for our Best Restaurant Bar question!
What is a dive bar?
Different people have different definitions of dive bars—or may think a certain bar is a dive while someone else may not. Sure, it can be relative. But when we say dive bars we mean those typically small, casual, dimly lit, no-frills watering holes that serve inexpensive drinks (mostly beer or basic mixed drinks). Think The Goat, Lucky B’s, Slim’s, The Cardinal and Pink Boot to name just a few local ones.
What is the difference between the Best Bar for Craft Beer and Best Brewery categories?
To be fair, yes, you drink beer at both of these types of establishments. But while they both serve beer, only a brewery makes its own beer. So, for example, Raleigh Beer Garden has 300-some beers on tap, but none of them are made by RBG. Meanwhile, Trophy Brewing is a brewery that makes its own brews in-house.
What is a suburb?
Given this is Raleigh’s best bars, when we say suburbs we mean the smaller cities located outside of our own in Wake County. Some popular suburbs of Raleigh include Apex, Clayton, Knightdale and Garner. Note: While we love our neighboring cities Durham and Chapel Hill (and, ahem, their bars!), these larger cities do not count as suburbs of Raleigh—and obv aren’t in Wake County.
What is the difference between the Best Bar Grub and Best Restaurant Bar categories?
For Best Restaurant Bar, think restaurants with elevated cocktail programs or cool spots to cop a squat… the restaurant you might go to just to chill at the bar and have a drink (some recent winners include Vidrio and Angus Barn’s Wild Turkey Lounge). Best Bar Grub is just that—that bar whose nachos and wings, etc., call your name just as much as the pints they pour.
What are the requirements for Best New Bar?
By our definition, a “new” bar must’ve opened during 2022 past year—so Jan. 1, 2022, through now.
Slurp up these 7 soups around town to keep warm this season.
“Gorgeous, gorgeous girls (and guys) love soup…” After temps in Raleigh officially dropped down to 30 degrees (brrr!), we can officially declare that it’s #SoupSzn. And nothing makes miso happy on a cold day than a big ol’ bowl of hot soup. Here, we roundup some of the most delicious soups in town to keep you warm even when the degrees drop below freezing.
Nothing takes you back to your childhood like a tomato soup and grilled cheese combo, which gets an adult upgrade at Union Special. And, yes, dipping is encouraged.
Everything you love about a baked potato is put into soup form via Wye Hill’s loaded sweet potato soup, a cozy soup starring fried sweet potato skins, country ham crumbles, smoked gouda and creme. Served on Wye Hill’s heated and covered patio, it’s a sure way to cure the winter blues.
Cold-weather comfort—New Orleans style. St. Roch’s hearty gumbo stars andouille, chicken, red potato salad and trout roe—and is guaranteed to warm you up, no matter how cold your heart may be.
Comfort meets kindness with a cup or bowl of Carroll’s Kitchen’s chicken velvet soup—made with a creamy chicken broth, grilled chicken and fresh herbs—makes for a soup-erb lunch, not only because it’s delicious, but also because it helps support the nonprofit’s mission of providing employment for women overcoming traumas like addiction, homelessness, incarceration and domestic violence.
Noodle Boulevard’s ramens are pure comfort in a bowl. Our current fave is the chicken curry ramen, which combines everything you love about curry with a big, hot bowl of noodle soup. Ahh, we’re feeling warmer already!
The best surprise is one that involves soup. My Way Tavern keeps things interesting with a rotating soup of the week—the broccoli cheddar is a hit (just look at how gooey and cheesy!), but loaded potato soup and clam chowder have also been known to grace the menu.
