TRIANGLE FOOD BLOG

Featured Restaurant News

• Diced, a locally-owned, woman-owned restaurant specializing in fresh, made-to-order salads, wraps and grain bowls, has opened its newest location in the heart of downtown Raleigh at 121 Fayetteville Street (directly across the street from the recently opened Birdie’s Barroom & Kitchen). The concept was started in Cary in 2015 with their first store on Kildaire Farm Road, and this marks their fourth location. The other two locations are on Oberlin Road in Raleigh and in West Cary. Visit Diced here. Congratulations to Michelle Woodward and her team on their continued success.

Wake County Restaurant News

• And speaking of downtown Raleigh, it was shared this week that Barrio Tacos + Tequila + Whiskey will come to Smoky Hollow, marking another exciting addition to downtown Raleigh’s vibrant food scene. Known for its build-your-own tacos, creative cocktails, and bold flavors, they are set to open in early 2025 with their first Raleigh location and first in North Carolina. They have expanded across the country, offering customers the opportunity to customize their tacos with a wide range of fresh, unique ingredients, with an emphasis on fun, flavor, and a community-focused vibe. Start getting familiar with them here.

• And if that is not enough great news coming out of downtown Raleigh, Raleigh Magazine shared that the second location of  Sir Walter Coffee will open Monday, October 21st on Fayetteville Street in the former B.Good spot in Charter Square. In the morning and throughout the day, look for them to serve up the coffee and food menu you have come to love in their current location. In the evening, they will transition with the city into evening mode switching to Sir Walter Cocktail – and your favorite adult beverages. Visit them here.

• OK, one more. The Downtown Raleigh Alliance shared this week that Strada Ristobar, a restaurant that specializes in combining food and drink pairings in the style of popular European “restobars,” has opened at 301 Glenwood Avenue in the former location of Plates next to Sushi Blues. You can get familiar with them here.

• Over in West Raleigh, WRAL reported last week that The Local, the Carolina Hurricanes-owned elevated sports bar and restaurant at the old Backyard Bistro site, has opened just across Trinity Road from the Lenovo Center (1235 Hurricane Alley Way) and just in time for the NC State Fair and the Hurricanes’ hockey season. Please note that at this time, reservations are required. You can also purchase tailgate packages for events at Lenovo Center and NC State football games and the restaurant’s food truck will be at all Hurricanes’ games. Take a peek here.

• Over at North Hills, Raleigh Magazine shared that news that the newest location of Village Tavern, a scratch kitchen and cocktail bar, will open next Monday, October 21st. They are located at 4140 Lassiter Mill Road, Suite 140. This will mark the fifth North Carolina location (the original location was in Winston-Salem), and the first in the Triangle. Check them out here.

• Down in Fuquay-Varina, my buddy David McCreary notified me that My Way Tavern opened this week at 2136 Gathering Square Court at Bengal Towne Centre. He noted that his marks the third location for the popular restaurant, which also has locations in Holly Springs and Raleigh. Get to know them here.

• Over in Cary, reader Larry Rosen passed along the news that the newest location of Chipotle has opened. They are located at 3402 Kildaire Farm Road, in the old First Citizens Bank location in the Millpond Village shopping center (think Publix). Visit Chipotle here.

• And we would be remiss if we didn’t mention arguably one of the biggest food events of the year – the NC State Fair opened yesterday at the NC State Fairgrounds located at 4285 Trinity Road in Raleigh. The fair runs until Oct. 27. And most importantly, here is a listing of all the new foods at this year’s fair! (Warning: simply reading this list will add inches to your waistline!)

Durham, Orange & Chatham Restaurant News

• Over in Durham, a program note. Lela Leggett shared on the Chapel Hill Carrboro Foodies Facebook page that the El Rodeo at 3404 Westgate Drive near Sam’s is now a Mi Cancun. Visit them here.

• Carrie Brogren, founder of the Chapel Hill Carrboro Foodies Facebook page, shared the yummy news that Chapel Chill, an ice cream shop, will open in early 2025 on Weaver Dairy Road in Cedar Falls Courtyard, the same shopping center as The Pig and PiggyBack. They will offer premium ice cream made in the store. Might be best to follow along on Instagram for updates and announcements.

Closings

• Reader Katie Page shared with us that Smiths Smokehouse and Smoothies up in Wake Forest posted on their Instagram that their last day open will be October 27th. So, you’ve got some time to get by before they close. And they hinted, this is not the end…so stay tuned!

Food Trucks

• The Durham Foodie Fare returns to Durham’s Central Park tonight (October 18) from 5:30 until 8:30. The monthly foodie and art markets feature a food truck rodeo, 30+ local vendors, drinks, and more. Get all the details here.

• The final Durham Food Truck Rodeo of the season will be Sunday, November 3rd from noon until 4 p.m. at Durham Central Park. Get all the details here.

• Looking to find your favorite food truck (or stalking them and simply don’t want to have to admit it)? We understand. Find them on Street Food Finder here.

Events

• Now Serving Food + Wine, a celebration benefiting community meals will be held this Saturday, October 19th at Smoky Hollow in downtown Raleigh from 1:30 to 5:30 p.m. The events includes 30 participants, presenting leading area chefs alongside California vintners, nearby breweries and distilleries, and community partners. Your ticket purchase supports meals for The Women’s Center, New Bethel Food Pantry, Lincoln Park Pantry, Solid Rock Ministry, Wake Relief, Durham Children’s Initiative, and more. Food collaborations: Amitie Macaron, Colletta, Figulina, Flour and Barrel, Hummingbird, Julep Contemporary Kitchen, La Buena VIda, Lawrence Barbecue, Locals Seafood, Madre, Mandolin, Midwood Smokehouse, Mr. Burro, Native Fine Diner, Oak Steakhouse, O-Ku, Oro, Sweet Things and Dough Rings, St. Roch, Stanbury, Standard Beer + Food, Tepuy Donuts, The Merchant NC, Trophy on Morgan, Virgil’s, and more. Wine: Chappellet, Donelan, Rarecat, Sangiacomo, and Sojourn Cellars. Spirits: Tito’s Handmade Vodka. Beer: R&D Brewing. Coffee: Blackology and Pine State. Get all the details and purchase tickets here.

• Everybody knows what October 19th is…right? Yep, National Whole Hog Day. Yes, The Pit in Downtown Raleigh will be celebrating by serving up $5 barbecue sandwiches and $5 Clouds Brewing Baltic Porters for National Whole Hog Barbecue Day, Saturday, Oct. 19 (11am – 11pm)! They’ll be cookin’ up whole hogs on the pit and making their signature Eastern N.C. barbecue sandwiches for you to dig into. Go hang and celebrate the tradition and history of authentic whole hog barbecue. Best to visit their Facebook events page here for all the details.

• Chapel Hill’s Market and Moss will host an event each week in October to celebrate their anniversary: Wednesday, October 23: Free Gift Bags – All dinner guests will receive a free bag of goodies from the kitchen. Sunday, October 27: Benefit Brunch for Compass Center – 20% of all brunch sales will be donated to Compass Center, which helps people navigate their journey to stability, safety, and health with services that include domestic violence crisis and prevention programs, education, assistance with legal resources, and youth health programs.  Get details and reservations/tickets on all their events here.

• USA Today Food & Wine Experience is coming back again to Raleigh on Saturday October 26th at the Big Field at Dix Park. Chef Jared Bobkin coordinates this event visiting approximately 12 U.S. cities annually. Get all the details here.

• Seabird’s (Wilmington) Chef/Owner Dean Neff will team up with Preeti Waas from Cheeni in Durham for a dinner on Wednesday, November 20th specifically earmarked to benefit industry peers in Western North Carolina, in the wake of Hurricane Helene. (They are also doing a dinner in Wilmington on October 15th). Tickets are $150. Tickets for the Durham event can be purchased here.

Food Bank Corner

• Kids are back in school. And with that, the effects of hunger reach well beyond the classroom — influencing health, well-being and earning potential well into adulthood. The Food Bank operates programs like Weekend Power Pack, Youth Pantries and Kids Cafés. With the support you provide, the Food Bank is able to connect more kids and teens with the resources they need to succeed and thrive. Help kids get the nutritious support they need to be successful by donating today!

Featured Restaurant News

• Created by the talented culinary team behind Boulted Bread, Jubala Coffee, and Bright Spot Donuts, Transfer Co. Food Hall’s Benchwarmers Bagels announced this week that they will open a second, independent location on the ground floor of Rockway, one of Raleigh’s most anticipated new developments located directly beneath The Row Apartments (925 S Saunders St.). The space features ample patio seating and dual frontage on S. Saunders Street and the Rocky Branch Greenway and at the doorstep of Dorothea Dix Park. This new 4,000-square-foot space will significantly boost Benchwarmers’ production capacity allowing them to offer an expanded menu featuring bagels, sandwiches, and nightly pizzas and allow for an expanded beverage program including beer, wine, and casual cocktails. Might be best to follow along on their Instagram page.

Wake County Restaurant News

• Got word from Felicia Trujillo and her team over at Food Seen that chef Luis Zouain’s LaGana, an elevated burger joint, will officially open on Saturday, October 12th at 911 N. West Street, in the former Prospects and Rainbow Luncheonette space. You can find them on Instagram here.

• Raleigh Magazine shared this week that the second location of  Sir Walter Coffee will open Monday, October 21st on Fayetteville Street in the former B.Good spot in Charter Square. In the morning and throughout the day, look for them to serve up the coffee and food menu you have come to love in their current location. In the evening, they will transition with the city into evening mode switching to Sir Walter Cocktail – and your favorite adult beverages. Visit them here.

• Saw on the Raleigh Downtown Facebook page that Oak City Pizza & Grill is now open at 2811 Hillsborough Street adjacent to NC State’s campus. They noted that the NY-style slices are huge and a whole pie gets you 24” (especially the special Gyro pizza, meat cooked first, then topped on the pizza before it’s oven baked). They also recommended the stromboli, cheesesteaks, subs, wings, pastas, appetizers, as well at the chargrill burgers topped with their imitation In-N-Out sauce. Check out their menu here.

• Saw on RALtoday that North Carolina’s first location of DC-based pizzeria Timber Pizza Co. will open on Tuesday, October 15th in the former Ladyfingers Catering spot on Whittaker Mill Road at High Park Village (627 E. Whittaker Mill Road). Get to know them here.

• Nearly every media outlet in the Triangle shared the news that Whataburger has submitted plans for two locations in Raleigh. The first is the former Applebee’s at 501 E. Six Forks Road and the second will be in the former PDQ location at 6305 Falls of Neuse Road. These will be the chain’s first locations in North Carolina. No word on the timeline for either location. Visit Whataburger here.

• Raleigh Magazine shared the news that Ryan and Jennifer Kolarov, the husband-and-wife couple behind Neuse River Brewing, plan to open a new bar called Blotto in a new retail redevelopment at 1601 New Bern Ave. The bar will serve English beers, local craft beer and cocktails. Look for them to open before the end of the year. Best to follow Neuse River for now.

• And speaking of places to get drinks, Downtown Raleigh will soon be home to a couple of new upscale bars – The Brass Tap will open in early November on the ground floor of 400 H Apartments on Hillsborough Street and will boast 45 taps of local and global brews, wine and spirits—plus fab food to pair. Next up will be Urban Oak Raleigh, which will become Raleigh’s “tallest” bar as it sits atop the soon to open Tempo Raleigh Hotel at 200 West Davie Street. Visit Urban Oak Instagram here and The Brass Tap Instagram here.

• Up in North Raleigh, Triangle Business Journal reported that Oh Mochi, a Virginia-based eatery, will open their first Triangle-area location in the former Cheeni Indian Food Emporium spot in Falls River Town Center. Their menu includes Korean corn dogs, mochi doughnuts, boba tea and more. Look for them to open in early 2025.  Get familiar with them here.

• Also up in North Raleigh at 6820 Davis Circle, buddy Paul Nani shared with me that Eggs Up Grill is opening a location (near the intersection with Millbrook Road). While they have 4 other locations in the Triangle, this will be their first location in Raleigh. It will soon be followed by a second location in Raleigh at 10501 Shadowlawn Drive. Get to know them here.

• One of the newest hot spots in downtown, chef David Ellis of Raleigh’s Figulina announced this week that he has launched a special Aperitivo menu, available from 5-6:30 p.m. Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. Inspired by the Italian tradition of pre-meal drinks and snacks, the light menu of sips and snacks celebrates the ritual of Aperitivo, which comes from the Latin word meaning “to open”—a delightful way to prepare the palate before dinner. Chef Ellis plans to change the Aperitivo menu regularly. See the full menu here.

• Down in Fuquay-Varina, Donovan Manor, a new wedding venue, opens on October 11th. Donovan Manor is owned and operated by Jill Donovan, owner of Donovan’s Dish. The expansive, private 15-acre estate is located just 10 miles from downtown Raleigh and provides the perfect setting for all your special occasions. Check it out here.

• And we would be remiss if we didn’t mention arguably one of the biggest food events of the year – the NC State Fair will be held at the State Fairgrounds located at 4285 Trinity Road in Raleigh between Oct. 17 and Oct. 27. Visit the Fair here.

Durham, Orange & Chatham Restaurant News

• Saw on the Triangle NC Foodies Facebook page that Tacos Number Juan just opened (official grand opening will be on Oct. 12) at 910 MLK Parkway (in the former Wendy’s near Zaxbys). With lounge seating, air hockey, games, taco bar and more, this eatery is hopping! Start with refreshing margaritas and aqua frescas (with wine, beer, and more to come). They also noted that the menu serves up amazing quesabirrias, tacos, ACP, burritos and all your other favorites. It was also shared that they have a drive-thru! Might be best to check them out on Instagram here.

Closings

• The folks behind Oak City Fish and Chips announced this week that they will not renew their lease at Morgan Street Food Hall and will return to focus on their roots – their food trucks! So this is not a goodbye, but a come out see them out and about. Find them here.

• Reader Thomas Kuehl shared the sad news that Brewster’s Pub in Cary (1885 Lake Pine Drive) was not given the option to renew their lease and their last day of business after 12 years will be October 31.

Food Trucks

• The final Durham Food Truck Rodeo of the season will be Sunday, November 3rd from noon until 4 p.m. at Durham Central Park. Get all the details here.

• Looking to find your favorite food truck (or stalking them and simply don’t want to have to admit it)? We understand. Find them on Street Food Finder here.

Events

• This is the final weekend for Downtown Raleigh Restaurant Week which ends on Sunday, October 13th! From now until then, participating restaurants downtown will offer 3-course prix-fixe meals or limited-time lunch, dinner, & drinks specials. Support your favorite spots or try somewhere new, Restaurant Week is your excuse to skip the grocery lines and go out to eat instead. Get all the details here and a list of participating restaurants.

• Pure Vegan Café is welcoming the season with a festive (and vegan-friendly) Fall Tea Party on October 13 from 2-5 p.m. at the café’s Durham location at 2812 Erwin Rd. Guests can enjoy a delicious assortment of fall-inspired bites, including finger sandwiches, flatbreads, pastries and fresh fruit skewers. Of course, no tea party would be complete without the beloved brew, so there will be plenty to go around, including black, fall-flavored and iced varieties. Tickets are $30 per person and include all food and drinks. Guests may contact [email protected] or 919.251.9694 to reserve their seats. Visit Pure Vegan here.

• Chapel Hill’s Market and Moss will host an event each week in October to celebrate their anniversary: Thursday, October 17: Live Music & Half Off Wine by the Bottle Live music from Tea Cup Gin on the patio from 5:30p to 8p, plus Half Off Bottles of Wine normally priced under $100 for all diners. Wednesday, October 23: Free Gift Bags – All dinner guests will receive a free bag of goodies from the kitchen. Sunday, October 27: Benefit Brunch for Compass Center – 20% of all brunch sales will be donated to Compass Center, which helps people navigate their journey to stability, safety, and health with services that include domestic violence crisis and prevention programs, education, assistance with legal resources, and youth health programs.  Get details and reservations/tickets on all their events here.

• Everybody knows what October 19th is…right? Yep, National Whole Hog Day. Yes, The Pit in Downtown Raleigh will be celebrating by serving up $5 barbecue sandwiches and $5 Clouds Brewing Baltic Porters for National Whole Hog Barbecue Day, Saturday, Oct. 19 (11am – 11pm)! They’ll be cookin’ up whole hogs on the pit and making their signature Eastern N.C. barbecue sandwiches for you to dig into. Go hang and celebrate the tradition and history of authentic whole hog barbecue. Best to visit their Facebook events page here for all the details.

• USA Today Food & Wine Experience is coming back again to Raleigh on Saturday October 26th at the Big Field at Dix Park. Chef Jared Bobkin coordinates this event visiting approximately 12 U.S. cities annually. Get all the details here.

• Seabird’s (Wilmington) Chef/Owner Dean Neff will team up with Preeti Waas from Cheeni in Durham for a dinner on Wednesday, November 20th specifically earmarked to benefit industry peers in Western North Carolina, in the wake of Hurricane Helene. (They are also doing a dinner in Wilmington on October 15th). Tickets are $150. Tickets for the Durham event can be purchased here.

Food Bank Corner

• Kids are back in school. And with that, the effects of hunger reach well beyond the classroom — influencing health, well-being and earning potential well into adulthood. The Food Bank operates programs like Weekend Power Pack, Youth Pantries and Kids Cafés. With the support you provide, the Food Bank is able to connect more kids and teens with the resources they need to succeed and thrive. Help kids get the nutritious support they need to be successful by donating today!