Featured Restaurant News
- North Hills is about to take it up a notch with their dining options (if that is possible) as we learned this week that there are two big openings next month. Benchwarmers Bagels and Coffee will open their third location in a stand-alone building in the Innovation District just across the way from Standard Beer + Food, which will also be in a stand-alone building. This is a second location for Standard, with their original location just outside of downtown Raleigh. Keep up with the Standard here and Benchwarmers here.
Wake County Restaurant News
- If you follow the local food truck scene, no doubt you’ll be familiar with The Rican Lab – a Puerto Rican Food truck with an American twist serving up many Puerto Rican favorites along with classic Puerto Rican items with an American twist. Well, they are about to open a brick and mortar spot in Fuquay Varina in the former Fainting Goat spot at 330 S. Main Street. No word yet on an opening date. Best to follow along on Facebook here.
- Long-time reader Daniel Marriott tipped us off to the fact that Park West Village in Morrisville is getting a Shake Shack where the Full Moon Oyster Bar was. No word on a timeline. Looks like this will be their sixth Triangle-area location. Visit them here.
- We first told you about this last month, but just learned that Dawn & Dusk Cantina has opened at 7810 Target Cir #101 in Raleigh just off Triangle Town Blvd. Looks like they’ll be serving up everything from chilaquiles to craft cocktails. And as their name suggests, they are open from breakfast thru dinner…and evening cocktails. They also appear related to El Patio Bar And Grill, just adjacent to the soon-to-open spot. Keep up with them on Instagram here.
- The second Triangle Whataburger opened yesterday in Raleigh near the Costco at the corner of Six Forks and Wake Forest roads; following last month’s first opening in Wake Forest. Next up is Garner where they will open on Hwy. 42 next to the Wawa on May 7. Visit Whataburger here.
Durham, Orange & Chatham Restaurant News
- The Casual Pint Chapel Hill is thrilled to announce it is officially preparing to welcome the community back as the location (which recently closed) has been acquired by existing Casual Pint franchise leaders – Scott Huskin (Hoover, AL), Jason Dettman (Huntsville, AL), and Dave Vannier (Omaha, NE). The new ownership team is currently targeting May 1st for the grand re-opening. This team recently made headlines with their successful takeover of the Ocotillo, AZ location, and they are now turning their focus to revitalizing the Chapel Hill community’s go-to craft beer and dining destination (look for an elevated menu). Visit them here.
- Also in Chapel Hill, we learned this week that Twisted Noodles has reopened in the Eastgate Crossing shopping center on East Franklin Street. They have been closed since the floods from Tropical Storm Chantal in the summer of 2025. Visit Twisted Noodles here.
, Closings
- Reader Chris Allen shared with us the sad news that Bocci Trattoria & Pizzeria in Cary served their last meal on April 4th after a 16 year run. Sad news indeed.
- Reader Cindy Reifsnider shared that the Zaxby’s on Chapel Hill’s Franklin Street has closed. Now would be a GREAT time for Pepper’s Pizza to reopen!
- We just learned last week that the Wendy’s at 8209 Creedmoor Road in Brennan Station has closed. Now we learn from Wanda Hearne that the Wendy’s at Wake Forest Road and Hardimont also in Raleigh has also closed. Where’s the beef? (sorry, I’m old)
Food Trucks
- The Durham Central Park Food Truck Rodeo continues in 2026 on these dates from noon to 4 p.m. – April 12, May 31, and September 27. At each event, you’ll find food and drink at over 30 food trucks as well as inflatables and family fun for all ages. The rodeos are hosted at Durham Central Park (500 Foster Street, Durham). Go ahead and mark your calendar for all three. 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
- Boatman Spirits Co., the new craft distillery and cocktail bar in Raleigh’s Seaboard Station, has launched weekend distillery tours. Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday, enjoy a guided tour by the distillery owners, a tasting flight and more for $30 per person. Tours are available at 3 p.m., 4 p.m., 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and noon, 1 p.m., 2 p.m. and 3 p.m. Sundays. Reservations required via Resy.
- Pimento cheese is a southern delicacy worth celebrating. And the town of Cary is doing do so this Saturday, April 11 from 11 a.m.- 4 p.m. at the 2026 Pimento Cheese Festival where you can enjoy the nation’s only festival dedicated specifically to pimento cheese! Enjoy live music and other activities at Downtown Cary Park, grab a drink from local breweries, and taste some of the best pimento cheese samples from local restaurants. You can even test your skills in the pimento cheese sculpting contest. Get all the cheesy details here.
- Prepare to travel around the world – one glass at a time – with RTP Uncorked for RTP’s largest wine festival on Saturday, April 11. From 12-4 p.m. Boxyard RTP will transform into an international wine destination for “Around the World in 20 Wines” an immersive tasting experience featuring selections from celebrated wine regions across the globe. Guests will receive a passport that guides them on a self-paced journey from country to country, sampling distinctive pours while chatting with knowledgeable wine experts along the way. The event includes: Live music; Small bites and activations from select Boxyard RTP vendors, including Fullsteam RTP, Baekho Coffee & Ice Cream, Kindred Spirit and The Makery. Get all the details here.
- The folks at Trophy Brewing and Locals Seafood will host an Oyster Festival on April 12 from 1 to 5 p.m. at The Bend Bar in downtown Raleigh. The celebration features NC’s best oyster farmers – 8 of the finest oysters farmers from Eastern North Carolina for a one day event. Get tickets and all the details here.
- Carolina Brewery is welcoming the return of spring with its annual Shrimp Boil on Saturday, April 18th from 12:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at its Pittsboro brewpub location. The event will serve as the official kickoff to the brewery’s seasonal live music series. Guests can enjoy a classic lowcountry-style shrimp boil featuring royal red shrimp, alongside cold pours of Sky Peach Kölsch, a refreshing seasonal release that signals the start of warmer days. Live music will take place throughout the day. For additional details or to make reservations, visit their website.
- Leadership Raleigh and Ripe for Revival are joining forces for Savor the Flavor, an immersive culinary event at 6 p.m. on Thursday, April 23. The event brings together local chefs, live music and community members to celebrate great food and raise money to address food insecurity across the region. The evening will feature a cooking competition by six amazing chefs: Jason Smith of Cantina 18; Jake Wood of Lawrence Barbecue; Sera Cuni of Cafe Root Cellar; Rob Miller of Smash; Katie Featherstone of White Clover Catering; and Malik Williams of Lou Reda’s American Table. Each chef will create tacos using ingredients off the Ripe for Revival mobile markets. Proceeds from the event will support Ripe for Revival, a Rocky Mount, N.C. nonprofit that operates a fleet of pay-what-you-can mobile markets. The nonprofit sells local produce, meat and dairy at more than 30 sites per week in 18 counties in eastern and central North Carolina. Secure tickets and all the details here.
- Christopher Prieto, founder and pitmaster of Prime Barbecue, in partnership with the Town of Knightdale, announced the inaugural Pickin’ in the Park on Saturday, May 16, from 4 pm-7 pm at Knightdale Station Park. The event is a new annual BBQ festival celebrating the rich traditions of North Carolina barbecue and live music, all while giving back to the community. Expect good eats from Prime Barbecue, Sam Jones BBQ, Old Colony Smokehouse and Dampf Good BBQ. Proceeds will benefit the Raleigh Rescue Mission’s “The Garden,” which offers an immersive, holistic residential community for mothers, their children, and single women focusing on personal growth and job training to achieve self-sufficient, independent living. Get all the details here.
- The fourth annual Gettin’ Piggy With It returns to downtown Raleigh on May 17, bringing award-winning chefs and pitmasters from across the country together for a day of barbecue, community and philanthropy benefiting the Frankie Lemmon School. Tickets go on sale at noon Friday, March 20. The family-friendly event will take place from noon to 5 p.m. at Maywood Hall and Gardens (622 Maywood Ave., Raleigh) and will feature barbecue and other chef-driven bites, along with local beer and spirits, live music, games and more. The event is hosted by the Frankie Lemmon Foundation in partnership with Jake Wood of Lawrence Barbecue and Chris Powers of Trophy Brewing Co. VIP tickets are $200 per adult and includes early entry at noon. General admission tickets are $150 per adult with entry beginning at 1 p.m. Children ages 11 and under are admitted for free. Proceeds benefit Raleigh’s Frankie Lemmon School and Developmental Center, which provides accessible education and therapies to children with and without disabilities, often at little to no cost to families. Get tickets and all the details here.
- Tickets are on sale now for the 2026 Dinner in the Meadow event on September 13th in Louisburg. The biennial event will be held at the beautiful and bucolic Meadow Lane Farm and is a fundraiser that supports the Leonard-Mobley Small Farm Fund, a non-profit organization that helps small farms in North Carolina. Get tickets and all the details here.
Food Bank Corner
- Did you know that in North Carolina, 1 in 4 households led by single women live below the poverty line? That’s nearly twice as many as the households led by single men with children. Hunger hits different for women. Economic challenges — from pay disparity to the rising cost of childcare — make it harder to keep growing kids fed. Our heart goes out to the moms of North Carolina who are wondering what to do as SNAP cuts loom. This International Women’s Month, let’s show them that they can count on their community. Some good friends have stepped forward with a $50,000 matching challenge gift, so any amount you give to the Food Bank by March 31 has the power to DOUBLE! It’s a terrific chance to stretch every dollar of your support while helping parents, seniors, and veterans stretch their budgets. In fact, if you’re able, this is a good time to make an especially generous gift, perhaps to honor a mom, grandma, auntie, or another woman who’s stood in a mother’s place in your life. It’s simple to do when you donate.
