Central North Carolina Restaurants

We’ve compiled the best of the best in Central North Carolina - browse our top choices for Restaurants during your stay.

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  • 1. Krankies Coffee

    $ | Downtown

    Winston's hippest coffee joint is known for its biscuits and burgers as much as its espresso. A warehouselike interior offers plenty of room to spread out, and ample outdoor tables fill with locals relaxing or working on sunny days.

    211 E. 3rd St., Winston-Salem, North Carolina, 27101, USA
    336-722--3016

    Known For

    • A chicken biscuit marinated in honey and Texas Pete
    • Miel iced coffee lattes, flavored with spices and honey
    • Full bar to get your midday drink on

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Mon.
  • 2. Stamey's

    $ | Coliseum

    This Greensboro staple (for nearly a century) is a pilgrimage spot for barbecue lovers from across the state. The chopped, Eastern-style pork is mostly shoulder meat already sauced in the kitchen, though there's also plenty of vinegary Stamey's Secret Sauce at your table. If you're looking for something other than straight pulled pork, try the Brunswick stew, a traditional Southeastern, thick, tomato-based stew. There's a second location on Battleground Avenue north of town.

    2206 W. Gate City Blvd., Greensboro, North Carolina, 27403, USA
    336-299–9888

    Known For

    • Wood-smoked vinegar-based barbecue
    • Traditional Brunswick stew
    • Homemade peach cobbler

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun.
  • 3. Transfer Co. Food Hall

    $ | Oakwood Historic District

    The city's best food hall has a soaring ceiling with giant skylights, filling the room and its many stalls with natural light. Grab a hearty burrito, an empanada, or a sandwich from Benchwarmers Bagels, where heirloom grains and a wood-fired oven result in one of the Southeast's best.

    500 E. Davis St., Raleigh, North Carolina, 27601, USA
    984-232--8122

    Known For

    • Outpost for Asheville's Burial Beer Co.
    • An A-plus bagel shop
    • A fun raw oyster bar
  • 4. Beasley's Chicken + Honey

    $ | Downtown

    James Beard Award--winning chef Ashley Christensen (also behind Poole's Diner) opened this hip fried chicken spot, which serves the namesake dish as well as modern takes on Southern classics. Sit at the bar and wash down the restaurant's hearty cuisine with a craft cocktail or glass of champagne. Brunch is also a hit on the weekends.

    237 S. Wilmington St., Raleigh, North Carolina, 27601, USA
    919-322–0127

    Known For

    • Elevated Southern classics
    • Fried chicken and honey, duh
    • Hip atmosphere

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Tues.
  • 5. Brandwein's Bagels

    $ | Downtown

    North Carolina--grown and --milled flour, boiled and baked in the New York style, make these perfect bagels both local and authentic. Toasted and smothered with pimento cheese, bacon, and avocado, they're perfection.

    505 W. Rosemary St., Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27516, USA
    919-240--7071

    Known For

    • House-made sweet and savory bagel spreads, including vegan options
    • Hefty bagel lunch sandwiches like the Hot Honey Turkey
    • Gluten-free bagel options
  • Recommended Fodor’s Video

  • 6. Bullock's BBQ

    $ | West Metro

    Durham's oldest restaurant sticks to the finely chopped vinegar barbecue that made it an institution. Pair a sandwich or platter with a bowl of beans or mac and cheese and you'll be in hog heaven. It's cash only, so head to an ATM before you arrive.

    3330 Quebec Dr., Durham, North Carolina, 27705, USA
    919-383--3211

    Known For

    • A tradition since 1952
    • Hearty Brunswick stew
    • Photos of former presidents and celebrities dining here line the walls

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon.
  • 7. Cheesecakes by Alex

    $ | Downtown

    Swing by this local favorite for a café au lait and a chocolate croissant in the morning, and then visit again after dark for the decadent desserts.

    315 S. Elm St., Greensboro, North Carolina, 27401, USA
    336-273--0970

    Known For

    • Two dozen cheesecake flavors, from sweet potato to chocolate chip mint
    • Coffee and pastries in the morning
    • Rich cupcakes and muffins
  • 8. Durham Food Hall

    $ | Five Points

    This repurposed warehouse includes 10 counter-serve restaurants, offering pizza, raw oysters, and gourmet coffee. The soaring ceilings and industrial-mod decor make it a pleasant place to explore and dine.

    530 Foster St., Durham, North Carolina, 27701, USA
    919-908--9339

    Known For

    • Bowerbird Flowers & Apothecary brightens the room with scores of flowers
    • Single-origin coffee from Liturgy
    • Tempting desserts from Afters
  • 9. Grecian Corner

    $ | Downtown

    In an austere building underneath the highway, this out-of-the-way eatery has dished up gyros and souvlaki since 1970. Patrons, including workers at the nearby hospital and local families, enjoy the friendly service and ample portions of moussaka, spanakopita, and salads, plus more familiar fare like hamburgers and pizza. The wine list includes Greek reds and whites.

    101 Eden Terr., Winston-Salem, North Carolina, 27103, USA
    336-722–6937

    Known For

    • Classic Greek dishes and wines
    • Family-friendly service
    • The best gyro in the city

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun., No credit cards
  • 10. Hops Burger Bar

    $ | North Metro

    This Greensboro mainstay (now with two locations in town, plus a third in Winston-Salem) was early to the gourmet burger bandwagon. They keep up their sterling reputation with a commitment to well-sourced ingredients and inviting offerings like the North Carolinian (bacon, fried green tomato, pimento cheese, and a fried egg). There's a quality selection of local beers to wash down the caloric overload.

    2138 Lawndale Dr., Greensboro, North Carolina, 27408, USA
    336-663--0537

    Known For

    • The "wall of fries," including a hearty mound of poutine fries
    • Fried goat cheese balls with fig jelly
    • Packed house on weekends
  • 11. Lexington Barbecue

    $

    The town of Lexington is the base for Carolina's sweet, red-sauce style of barbecue. At this mainstay where locals line up daily for takeout, meat is pulled from smoked pork shoulders and served up as a sandwich in a soft bun topped with red slaw. Finish with a traditional fruit cobbler.

    100 Smokehouse La., Lexington, North Carolina, 27295, USA
    336-249–9814

    Known For

    • Pulled pork smoked over hickory wood
    • Fruit cobblers for dessert
    • Old-school barbecue-joint atmosphere

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Sun.
  • 12. Monuts

    $ | West Metro

    Whether you opt for a hearty avocado-stuffed breakfast burrito, go healthy with a granola bowl, or just stop in for a drip coffee, you'd be remiss to leave without one of the signature house doughnuts. Don't even try to fool yourself into just eating half.

    1002 Ninth St., Durham, North Carolina, 27705, USA
    919-286--2642

    Known For

    • Sea salt dark chocolate glazed doughnuts
    • Seasonal coffee like iced mint lattes
    • Build-your-own biscuit sandwiches
  • 13. Sam Jones BBQ

    $ | Downtown

    The Jones family have been smoking whole hogs in the Carolina Piedmont for three generations, so Raleigh urbanites greeted Sam's chopped pork and slow-cooked ribs with open arms. Order a platter and a craft cocktail and grab a seat in the light-filled dining room or at a picnic table in the yard.

    502 W. Lenoir St., Raleigh, North Carolina, 27601, USA
    984-206--2555

    Known For

    • Slow-smoked pulled pork, eastern North Carolina style
    • Local fried catfish
    • Laid-back bar scene
  • 14. Sweet Old Bill's

    $

    "SOB" dishes out a mean pulled-pork sandwich, but it's not your typical barbecue joint—the varied menu also includes grilled salmon with chimichurri and an array of gourmet burgers. Tables out front fill up on weekends—it doesn't hurt that it shares a wall with Brown Truck Brewery, whose fresh IPAs and lagers are a perfect accompaniment to the elevated pub grub.

    1232 N. Main St., High Point, North Carolina, 27262, USA
    336-807--1476

    Known For

    • St. Louis--style racks of ribs on weekends
    • Smoked meat loaf sandwich on Texas toast
    • Weekend gathering place
  • 15. The Parlour

    $ | Downtown

    It's worth the line down the sidewalk for the house-made ice cream with seasonal flavors at this boutique spot with a dozen daily flavors.

    117 Market St., Durham, North Carolina, 27701, USA
    919-564--7999

    Known For

    • Fun flavors like guava cheesecake
    • The chocolate habanero float, with spicy cold brew over vanilla ice cream
    • Vegan baked treats

    Restaurant Details

    Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Tues.
  • 16. Winkler Bakery

    $ | Bakery

    No trip to the Old Salem Museum & Gardens is complete without a stop at the Winkler Bakery, where you can buy bread and their pillowy, best-selling sugar cakes, baked in traditional brick ovens. Moravian ginger cookies, paper-thin and dense with spice, are a classic treat. You can also try them dipped in chocolate.

    521 S. Main St., Winston-Salem, North Carolina, 27101, USA
    336-721–7302

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