Featured Restaurant News
- Lots of great coffee news in this week’s update. We’ll start with the news that the coffee shop Lucky Tree is opening a second location in downtown Raleigh’s Moore Square in the space formerly occupied by Square Burger. The original location opened in 2015 in the old Wonderbread building across from Meredith College (with Brickhouse Sports Bar) at 3801 Hillsborough Street. The new spot is aiming to open in early 2025. They will also start roasting coffee in the new location and will introduce a farm-to-table breakfast and lunch menu. Visit Lucky Tree here.
Wake County Restaurant News
- The Triangle Business Journal reported this week that a new brewpub called Flight Deck NC has opened in the former space of the Dailypint bar at 9521 Lumley Road off Glenwood Avenue near the Angus Barn. The taproom features 16 taps pouring North Carolina craft beer and wine. Join them this Saturday, November 23rd for their Grand Opening Event from 2-9pm where they’ll have the Che Empanadas food truck, live music, a cornhole tournament, raffles, giveaways and of course, some rare aged beers! Get all the details on their Instagram page here.
- The eagerly anticipated fast casual Northern Mexican concept from chef Ford Fry, Little Rey will open at Raleigh’s Iron Works on Monday, December 9. Located at 1101 E. Whitaker Mill Road, Suite 102, the 4,200+ square-foot space will feature ample indoor seating, a spacious patio and a walk-up to-go window. Their Northern Mexican inspired menu created by Fry will boast wood-roasted “chicken al carbon” at its core plus staples like al carbon tacos, traditional street style tacos, salads and fresh salsas, all on hand-made tortillas – and all to balance out those refreshing margaritas. This will be their first location in North Carolina. See “Events” section below for a couple of events to get a sneak peek at Little Rey. Get to know them here.
- Reader Jennifer Buchholz shared with us that Palm Berries, serving up customized acai bowls, had their grand opening this past Saturday (November 16) in Seaboard Station. They have multiple locations throughout North Carolina, but this is their first venture into the Triangle. Get to know them here.
- Also in Downtown Raleigh, reader Erik Mazzone shared that there is a sign up for Oakwood Deli on a building at 331 New Bern Avenue (former Acme Cleaners, directly across from the Federal Building/US Courthouse). Not much up on the website as of yet.
- And we have an open date. Nationally-acclaimed cocktail bar and full-service restaurant The Crunkleton will open its third location in the Smoky Hollow district in downtown Raleigh in March 2025. The Crunkleton Raleigh is a full service restaurant that will serve classic cocktails, a wide selection of rare and antique spirits, curated wines and craft beers. They are planning to be open for dinner service and for brunch on the weekends with most dishes touching live fire in its open-hearth kitchen. The original location opened in 2008 on West Franklin Street in Chapel Hill. They also have a location in Charlotte. If you are not already, get familiar with them here.
- And a quick programming note for The Raleigh Times in downtown Raleigh. They are about to embark on some quality improvements to their kitchen which will require them to operate out of the (much smaller) kitchen at The Morning Times (where it all began!). So….for the week of November 24 through December 1, they will be serving up The Morning Times menu only (with a few fun features). During this week, dig into your favorite Morning Times menu items—paired with a beer, of course. Their full menu will be back in action December 2.
Durham, Orange & Chatham Restaurant News
- A big win for Durham this week with the announcement that Christopher Prieto (think Prime Barbecue in Knightdale) will bring Prime STQ, his second restaurant concept, to the Horseshoe at Hub RTP (Research Triangle Park’s new vibrant downtown district). The 8,000-square foot restaurant will marry Prieto’s award-winning barbecue with a classic steakhouse experience in a very personal way, reflecting his Texas roots, North Carolina home and Puerto Rican heritage. Look for them to open in the spring of 2025. In the meantime, visit Prime Barbecue here.
- According to Downtown Durham, the owners of Foster Street Coffee have opened Nectar, located in Geerhouse at 620 Foster Street, serving coffee, pastries and other drinks. Stop by and check them out on Instagram here. Thanks to Glenn Gillen for bringing this to our attention.
- Downtown Durham also shared that Cary’s Anjappar, specializing in South Indian cuisine, opened yesterday inside the new admin building in downtown Durham (201 E. Main Street). They noted that they have the classics, but they specialize in South Indian cuisine, such as dosa (with over 20 varieties!) and Parotta (Tawa breads). The Cary location is in Stone Creek Village. Visit them here. Thanks again to Glenn Gillen for passing this along.
Closings
- A major project to remake The Creamery building in Raleigh’s Glenwood South has led to the closing of The Ark Royal and Pine State Public House. The effective date was November 15. There are no plans to reopen The Ark Royal, but Pine State Public House left the door open for a reemergence. Thanks to the Triangle Business Journal for bringing this to our attention.
- Otomi Comida y Cocteles, which opened just four months ago in the former Brookside Bodega spot on the outskirts of downtown Raleigh, has closed. They did leave the door open for a possible future opening.
- After nearly two years in business, Cary ice cream shop Howdy Homemade Ice Cream will be closing on November 24th. Howdy employed individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Food Trucks
- 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
- The tenth-annual WRAL Voters’ Choice Awards are back! Vote for your top 5 local favorites in over 100 categories (including Food & Drink) now through December 11th. Winners will be announced in January, 2025. Vote now!
- Little Rey, which is opening on December 9th, will hold one more “sneak peek” event for you to start getting familiar with their concept. Fry and his team will host a pre-opening party open to the public on Saturday, December 7, from 5 to 9 p.m. at the new Little Rey location. A selection of the restaurant’s beloved bites will be free for all attendees, plus drinks will be available to purchase. Visit Little Rey here.
Food Bank Corner
- The countdown to Thanksgiving is on! For community members facing food insecurity, sharing meals over the holidays can be especially challenging. We’re exactly a month away from Thanksgiving, yet unemployment numbers are on the rise and expensive grocery prices won’t budge. Right now, more than 560,000 people are facing food insecurity in our 34-county service area — nearly 111,000 more than last year! And as a result, 1 in 7 people across our region are unsure where their next meal will come from. Your support this holiday season can make a meaningful difference during the Food Bank of Central & Eastern North Carolina’s busiest time of year! Every $10 you give can provide 50 meals and help more children, families, and seniors in food-insecure households.
