10 Best Restaurants in Central North Carolina, North Carolina

Lucky 32 Southern Kitchen

$$$ | Friendly Fodor's choice

Gourmet meets fried catfish at this staple of Greensboro fine dining for three decades. A remodel in 2020 brought the chic dining room up to par with the elevated, Delta-inspired cuisine. Cocktails like the peach-honeysuckle margarita are as grand as the hearty jambalaya, a rich amalgam of andouille sausage, pulled chicken, and Carolina shrimp.

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.

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.

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Guglhupf

$$ | Duke University

Locals have flocked to this upscale German bakery, café, and biergarten for more than 20 years, drawn by the delicious pastries, lively brunch, and expansive dining patio. While the restaurant doesn't skimp on the classic sausage-and-schnitzel fare, the menu is enlivened by frequently rotating seasonal entrées that showcase central North Carolina's farm bounty; vegans and vegetarians will be pleasantly surprised by the range of elegant and inventive plant-based dishes.

Herons

$$$$

At this elegant hotel restaurant, the menu shifts with the seasons and is always filled with new twists on traditional Southern dishes and international fare. Truly farm to fork, the restaurant uses produce from its own sustainable farm, which is less than a mile away.

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.

Mozelle's

$$$ | Downtown

Located in the historic West End neighborhood, this small, cheery café with shaded sidewalk seating offers Southern fare with a touch of elegance. The menu is based on seasonal local ingredients, with standouts that include the Southern spring rolls, bacon-wrapped meat loaf, and fried chicken with peach chutney. The bistro also regularly hosts curated wine dinners. On the weekends, brunch with sake Bloody Marys and tomato pie is a hit.

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.

Sweet Potatoes

$$ | Downtown

This restaurant's full name is Sweet Potatoes (Well Shut My Mouth!), and once you have a taste of these Southern classics, you'll know why. Expect friendly service and more food than you could possibly eat.

The Durham

$$$ | Downtown

James Beard Award–winning chef Andrea Reusing serves local and artisanal ingredients in a dining room meant to feel more like a living room than a hotel restaurant. A rooftop bar offers creative cocktails, a full bar menu, and a stunning view.

Central North Carolina

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