Raleigh Restaurants

While in town, you must try some of Goodberry’s Carolina Concrete Frozen Custard. They were mixing items into their custard before all those other chains came into town. They make their mixture right in the store frequently during the day versus having it shipped in from corporate. They use fresh berries and nuts, versus processed purees.

The product they serve is so thick that they flip it upside down before handing it to you and every bit of it stays in the cup.

Most of the locations have outdoor seating, and they’re open year round. There’s eight locations in the Triangle.

Angus Barn is THE place to go in the triangle if you like steaks. This is no the-sour-cream-even-cost-extra chain steakhouse. The building is a barn with a country theme – blue checkered tablecloths, hay bales stacked around the edges, farm machinery on display – but the service and quality are Five Star.

The prices are comparable to other high end steak houses, but you get so much more for your money. While waiting for your table, there’s a bar with cheese, crackers, and olives. During Christmas, there’s a 30 plus-foot Christmas tree in the lobby decorated with gingerbread men which you're welcome to pick one to eat. While waiting for your food, you’re brought out a plate of pickles and olives, crackers, and two spreadable and delicious homemade cheeses. And when you leave, there’s a bin of apples next to the door for you to take one home with you, instead of just some paltry mint like most places. They also have a full bar upstairs and a wine cellar.

The meat selection is extensive, but they also have lobster, crab, and other seafoods, vegetarian options, and to die for dessert.

They can seat over 600, but with such great service and quality, it’s regularly packed, so make a reservation in advance.

Favorite Dish: Chateaubriand. Even getting it the medium well I like, I could cut it with a butter knife. The dipping sauce with it was excellent. Most places I struggle to eat an 8 oz Filet Mignon, but here I ate all 14 oz, and was still craving more.

For dessert I recommend the Sawdust or Chocolate Chess Pie. They even have the C.C. Pie recipe on the website, if you want to try it at home.

Located in a restored 19th century house, this is about as snazzy as you can get in Raleigh for a restaurant. I came here before my senior prom and man was it nice. Not an every day occasion kind of place but if you're looking for something upscale this place won't let you down. Check out the website below for more info.

Favorite Dish: Filet Mignon. It's all about presentation at a place like this and this dish was exquisite. You don't get a whole lot but it's very pretty when they serve it to you.

The Mellow Mushroom is a chain that just recently dropped a location here in Raleigh. It is on the corner of Glenwood and Peace St. and is a good place to get a decent and relatively inexpensive pie that is several steps above even the best chain of delivered swill pies that call themselves real pizza. The pizza here is made with high quality ingredients and the end product is top notch. The Raleigh location has TV's and a bar and is a nice place to chill out.

Favorite Dish: Menu items beyond just pizza are hoagies, salads and calzones. I'd try their white pizza if I were you. Also check out the website for more info on the place. There is also a location in Boone and Chapel Hill, NC to name a few.

I decided that there were so many coffee houses in the area, yet only a few good ones, I would make one tip for all of the ones worth visiting. Here's a good list of Coffee houses in the area of downtown and NC State.

Third Place is right next door to Lily's Pizza and has outdoor seating right on Glenwood Ave. The Baristas here know their stuff and won't let you down, they also have a nice selection of baked goods and a comfortable atmosphere with a lot of artwork on the walls. Prime people watching and good coffee from Larry's beans set this one apart from the corporate competition.

Cup a Joe's has three locations in the area all owned by the same guy (who I used to work for), one at Mission Valley shopping center, where there is also a movie theater and record store, which I shall highlight eslewhere. Another location is up on Falls of Neuse Rd. at Quail corners shopping center on the corner of Millbrook Rd. One of the most popular locations is on Hillsborough st., the main drag at NC State University. The main difference in the three is mostly atmospheric. For example, on Hillsborough st. the smoking section is bigger than the non smoking.

Finally there is also Helios Coffee, a good place to get a cup of joe on Glenwood Ave. that is close to all of the other restaurants in the Glenwood scene. Outdoor seating, beer and wine, and local music set this one apart. They also host art events and wine tastings, etc.

Favorite Dish: All of these coffee shops will deal you a decent and sometimes exceptional cup of coffee, and they all have lunch menus and great pastry items for sale as well. If you are not a huge coffee buff there are plenty of other places that are chain coffee joints that can be found easily enough on triangle.citysearch.com. Here I chose to highlight the places I like to go for superior coffee and a generally great experience. Hope this was helpful.

Not just excellent food, but a nice old building, that gives it a great atmosphere. There is a bar and upstairs and downstairs dining. It is housed in an old brick building, on the corner of Glenwood and Jones St. right behind 42nd Street Oyster Bar. There are all sorts of architectural nuances in the building like archways a wide staircase with a small niche halfway up where there is a small table for two, ornate cast iron railings on the upper level, and the ceiling is even painted like a cloudy sky. There cuisine is traditional Italian and Mediteranean with a twist. A great wine list, their wood burning oven and cappucino bar are all great features. You may want to make reservations here.

Favorite Dish: I have had their Chicken Marsala several times and never been dissappointed, but the other day I had Their wood grilled beef tenderloin which was excellent. They cover it with a chianti glaze and parmesan cheese and serve it with creamed spinach and mashed potatoes. Bella!

The food here is just generally American style burger and fries, club sandwiches and a soup of the day type of stuff. They also have a buffalo shrimp recipe and a Scotch egg dish. What's really unique here is the beer which is brewed in house. They have a pilsner, a brown ale, a hefeweizen and a stout...oh, and their own root beer as well. The atmosphere is nice and rustic and there's plenty of outdoor seating. It is located in the historic city market area off of Moore's square, whose cobblestone streets give it a very European feel.

I must add that this place recently suffered some smoke damage from a fire and when I checked the other day, sadly, they seem to be selling the place. This tip shall stand as a memory to the great times I had here.

Favorite Dish: I liked their Hefeweizen and the root beer.

Anything you'd expect from a pizzeria, including non-pizza items like calzones or stromboli, all organic ingredients, a chilled out rock and roll atmosphere, outdoor eating, a list of specialty pizzas, build-your-own pizza possibilities, wine and beer on tap, let's see am I missing anything. It's a great locale and situated in a great part of town. Not to be missed.
The atmosphere may be a little too loud for some but I like it. And on a nice day it's great to eat out on the patio.

Favorite Dish: I like to build my own pizza often when I go, their crust is excellent. Just about any topping you can imagine from the conventional pepperoni to artichoke hearts plus a variety of sauces from marinara to pesto to alfredo.