These are the Triangle’s Best Restaurants, from fine dining to food trucks – Bookmark this list.
Choosing this year’s Restaurant of the Year was especially hard.
But after much deliberation, I landed on a the winner – Crawford and Son – and two unprecedented honorable mentions – Brewery Bhavana and The Cortez.
Here, I also list the rest of my favorite restaurants in the Triangle: Gold, Silver and Bronze Awards as well as the best by cuisine.
Restaurant of the Year
Crawford and Son
618 N. Person St., Raleigh. 919-307-4647 or crawfordandsonrestaurant.com
Cuisine: contemporary
Honorable Mentions
Brewery Bhavana
218 S. Blount St., Raleigh. 919-829-9998 or brewerybhavana.com
Cuisine: Chinese
The Cortez
413 Glenwood Ave., Raleigh. 919-342-8227 or cortezraleigh.com
Cuisine: seafood (contemporary)
Gold Medal
The Durham
315 E. Chapel Hill St., in The Durham Hotel, Durham
919-768-8830
Cuisine: American
The Fearrington House Restaurant
2000 Fearrington Village Center, Pittsboro
919-542-2121
Cuisine: contemporary
Herons
100 Woodland Pond Drive, in the Umstead Hotel & Spa, Cary
919-447-4000
Cuisine: contemporary
Lantern
423 W. Franklin St., Chapel Hill
919-969-8846
Cuisine: Asian
Mateo Bar de Tapas
109 W. Chapel Hill St., Durham
919-530-8700
Cuisine: tapas (Spanish-Southern fusion)
Nana’s
2514 University Drive, Durham
919-493-8545
Cuisine: contemporary
Oakleaf
310 E. Main St., Carrboro
984-234-3017
Cuisine: contemporary
Note: Originally located in Pittsboro, Oakleaf is expected to reopen in February in a new location in Carrboro. In the meantime, the restaurant is serving dinner in temporary quarters at its sister restaurant, Alberello Cafe, at 72 Chapelton Court, Chapel Hill.
Panciuto
110 S. Churton St., Hillsborough
919-732-6261
Cuisine: contemporary Italian
Poole’s Diner
426 S. McDowell St., Raleigh
919-832-4477
Cuisine: American bistro
Yamazushi
4711 Hope Valley Road, Suite 6-A, Durham
919-493-7748
Cuisine: Japanese
Silver Medal
Bida Manda
222 S. Blount St., Raleigh
919-829-9999
Cuisine: Laotian
Death & Taxes
105 W. Hargett St., Raleigh
984-242-0218
ac-restaurants.com/death-taxes
Cuisine: contemporary grill
Elaine’s on Franklin
454 W. Franklin St., Chapel Hill
919-960-2770
Cuisine: contemporary
Elements
2110 Environ Way, Chapel Hill
919-537-8780
Cuisine: contemporary, Asian
Glenwood Grill
2603 Glenwood Ave., Suite 151, Raleigh
919-782-3102
Cuisine: American
Gocciolina
3314 Guess Road, Durham
919-973-4089
Cuisine: Italian
Il Palio
1505 E. Franklin St., in the Siena Hotel, Chapel Hill
919-919-2545
Cuisine: Italian
J. Betski’s
10 W. Franklin St., Suite 120, Raleigh
919-833-7999
Cuisine: German, Polish
Mandolin
2519 Fairview Road, Raleigh
919-322-0365
Cuisine: contemporary Southern
Mothers & Sons Trattoria
107 W. Chapel Hill St., Durham
919-294-8247
Cuisine: Italian
Saint Jacques
6112 Falls of Neuse Road, Raleigh
919-862-2770
Cuisine: French
Second Empire Restaurant and Tavern
330 Hillsborough St., Raleigh
919-829-3663
Cuisine: contemporary
Stanbury
938 N. Blount St., Raleigh
919-977-4321
Cuisine: contemporary
Bronze Medal
18 Seaboard
18 Seaboard Ave., Suite 100, Raleigh
919-861-4318
18restaurantgroup.com/18-seaboard/
Cuisine: contemporary Southern, grill
Angus Barn
9401 Glenwood Ave., Raleigh
919-781-2444
Cuisine: steakhouse
Bleu Olive Mediterranean Bistro
1821 Hillandale Road, Durham
919-383-8502
Cuisine: contemporary Mediterranean
Bloomsbury Bistro
509 W. Whitaker Mill Road, Suite 101, Raleigh
919-834-9011
Cuisine: contemporary
Bruno Seafood and Steaks
11211 Galleria Ave., Raleigh
919-435-6640
Cuisine: steaks, seafood, Italian
Coquette Brasserie
4351 The Circle at North Hills, Raleigh
919-789-0606
Cuisine: French
Crook’s Corner
610 W. Franklin St., Chapel Hill
919-929-7643
Cuisine: Southern
Dashi
415 E. Chapel Hill St., Durham
919-251-9335
Cuisine: Japanese
Fairview Dining Room
3001 Cameron Blvd., in the Washington Duke Inn, Durham
919-493-6699
Cuisine: contemporary
Garland
14 W. Martin St., Raleigh
919-833-6886
Cuisine: global
Guglhupf
2706 Durham-Chapel Hill Blvd., Durham
919-401-2600
Cuisine: German
Note: Guglhupf has a new, second Chapel Hill location that is a bake shop, not a full-service restaurant.
Kitchen
764 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Chapel Hill
919-537-8167
Cuisine: French, contemporary
Margaux’s
8111 Creedmoor Road, Suite 111, Raleigh
919-846-9846
Cuisine: contemporary, seafood
Plates
301 Glenwood Ave., Suite 100, Raleigh
919-828-0018
Cuisine: contemporary
Tandem
200 N. Greensboro St., #1A, Carrboro
919-240-7937
Cuisine: contemporary
Vivace
4209 Lassiter Mill Road, Suite 115, Raleigh
919-787-7747
Cuisine: Italian
Note: Vivace was temporarily closed by a burst water pipe on January 8. It’s expected to reopen in February.
Watts Grocery
1116 Broad St., Durham
919-416-5040
Cuisine: contemporary Southern
Whiskey Kitchen
201 W. Martin St., Raleigh
919-803-3181
Cuisine: contemporary Southern
Best in Class (By Cuisine)
Note: These are new categories: Brewpub, Dessert, Food Truck, Indian/Pakistani, Pub and Wine Bar (serving food)
Bakery
La Farm
Three locations in Cary; see website
Bar (serving food)
Alley Twenty Six
320 E. Chapel Hill St., Durham
984-439-2278
Barbecue
Hillsborough BBQ Company
236 S. Nash St., Hillsborough
919-732-4647
Brewpub
Trophy Brewing + Pizza
827 W. Morgan St., Raleigh
919-803-4849
Burger
Al’s Burger Shack
Two locations: 516 W Franklin St, Chapel Hill (919-904-7659); 708 Market St., Chapel Hill (919-914-6694)
Cajun/Creole
La Place
111 N. Churton St., Hillsborough
919-245-0041
Chinese (Cantonese)
Shanghai
3433 Hillsborough Road, Durham
919-383-7581
Chinese (Szechwan)
Szechuan Garden
10285 Chapel Hill Road, Suite 300, Morrisville
919-468-6878
Chinese (Taiwanese)
Taipei 101
121 E. Chatham St., Cary
919-388-5885
Coffeehouse/Cafe
Cocoa Cinnamon
Three locations in Durham; see website.
Cuban
Old Havana Sandwich Shop
310 E. Main St., Durham
919-593-4006
Deli
Lucky’s Delicatessen
105 W. Chapel Hill St., Durham
919-864-8841
Dessert
Bittersweet
16 E. Martin St., Raleigh
919-977-3829
Ethiopian
Awazé
904 NE Maynard Road, Cary
919-377-2599
Food Truck
Adobo Joe
Facebook or Twitter: @AdoboJoe
French
Vin Rouge
2010 Hillsborough Road, Durham
919-416-0466
Fusion
Jose and Sons
327 W. Davie St., Suite 102, Raleigh
919-755-0556
Greek
Kipos
431 W. Franklin St., Chapel Hill
919-425-0760
Indian/Pakistani
Kababish Cafe
201 W. Chatham St., Suite 103, Cary
919-377-8794
Indian (Southern)
CholaNad Restaurant and Bar
308 W. Franklin St., Chapel Hill
800-246-5262
Irish Pub
Doherty’s
Two locations: 1979 High House Road, Cary; 5490 Apex Peakway, Apex
919-388-9930 (Cary); 919-387-4100 (Apex)
Italian
Mothers & Sons Trattoria
107 W. Chapel Hill St., Durham
919-294-8247
Japanese
M Sushi
311 Holland St., Durham
919-908-9266
Korean
Golden Pig
815 W. Chatham St., Cary
919-650-2720
Lebanese
Sitti
137 S. Wilmington St., Raleigh
919-239-4070
Mexican (Contemporary)
Centro
106 S. Wilmington St., Raleigh
919-835-3593
Mexican (Taqueria)
Taqueria El Toro
3601 Junction Blvd., Raleigh
919-661-5676
Mexican (Traditional)
Tacos Y Mariscos Vallarta
3177 Capital Blvd., Raleigh
919-790-2696
Pan-Asian
Banana Leaf
1026 Ryan Road, Cary
919-468-9958
Pastries
lucettegrace
235 S. Salisbury St., Raleigh
919-307-4950
Peruvian
Mi Peru
4015 University Drive, Durham
919-401-6432
Pizza
Pizzeria Mercato
408 W. Weaver St., Carrboro
919-967-2277
Pub
The Federal
914 W. Main St., Durham
919-680-8611
Sandwich
Toast Paninoteca
345 W. Main St., Durham
919-683-2183
Seafood
The Cortez
413 Glenwood Ave., Raleigh
919-342-8227
Southern
Angie’s
1340 W. Garner Road, Garner
919-661-6707
Steakhouse
Bin Fifty-Four
1201-M Raleigh Road, Chapel Hill
919-969-1155
Thai
Bua Thai Cuisine
5850 Fayetteville Road, Suite 101, Durham
984-219-7357
Turkish
Talulla’s
456 W. Franklin St., Chapel Hill
919-933-1177
Vegetarian
The Fiction Kitchen
428 S. Dawson St., Raleigh
919-831-4177
Vietnamese
Pho Far East
4011 Capital Blvd., Suite 133, Raleigh
919-876-8621
Wine Bar (Serving Food)
Vinos Finos
8450 Honeycutt Road, Suite 110, Raleigh
919-747-9233
This story was originally published January 24, 2018 at 7:31 AM with the headline "These are the Triangle’s Best Restaurants, from fine dining to food trucks – Bookmark this list.."