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The Research Triangle is home to seven major universities, so you can bet on having plenty of restaurants around to feed the thousands of students in the area. Chapel Hill, home of University of North Carolina, has several great restaurants. For upscale French, try The Fearrington House Restaurant. Chapel Hill has cheaper, student friendly restaurants, including Azure Grille, General Store Cafe and Jujube. Duke University students in Durham frequent Piazza Italia, Restaurant Starlu and George’s Garage. Raleigh itself has no shortage of restaurants. American favorites include 18 Seaboard, Glenwood Grill, The Twisted Fork and Winston’s Grille. For delicious Italian, try 518 West, Tavola Rossa or Vivace. Raleigh also has incredible Indian, Brazilian, Mexican, French and Japanese restaurants all over the city.
Raleigh Restaurants
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1705 Millbrook Rd., Raleigh, NC 27609
Steak. $$. 1705 Prime elevates the steak and chop house to new heights with its hickory-fired grill, specialty cuts of meat like the prime rib cap and Kobe beef strip steak as well as wood-oven roasted Maine lobster. Add top notch service, a great wine list, and it's easy to see why 1705 Prime has become one of Raleigh's destination restaurants.
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18 Seaboard, Raleigh, NC 27604
Contemporary American. $$. Bright and elegant, 18 Seaboard restaurant makes the most of North Carolina ingredients with an inventive menu of refined American food. Signature dishes at this Raleigh restaurant include pan-roasted North Carolina trout, cornmeal-crusted Carolina Classics Farms catfish with grilled grit cakes and cracklin' pork shank with blue cheese grits.
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518 W. Jones St., Raleigh, NC 27605
Italian. $$. 518 West restaurant specializes in Mediterranean food with an emphasis on the big flavors of Italy. Look for fresh pasta, wood-fired pizzas and great steaks. Specialties include romano cheese-breaded pork loin and grilled marinated shrimp served over cheese polenta with a sauté of mushrooms, leeks, prosciutto and lobster broth.
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8411 Briar Creek Pkwy, Ste. 101, Raleigh, NC 27617
Indian. $$. With its food and décor, stylish Aziza is one of Raleigh's standout Indian restaurants. The restaurant blends traditional and contemporary Indian food with a menu that includes tandoori breads and meats, great curries and dishes like steamed saffron and lime mussels and garam masala-dusted beef tenderloin. There's also an excellent wine list to match the complex flavors of the food.
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3121-103 Edwards Mill Rd., Raleigh, NC 27612
Italian. $$. Bella Monica restaurant is a family-run Raleigh trattoria with recipes handed down from the owners' grandparents. The restaurant is best known for its distinctive flatbreads and thin-crusted pizzas but check other dishes like the excellent chicken, sausage and fennel lasagna.
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510 Glenwood Ave., Raleigh, NC 27603
American. $$. Bogart's American Grill and Bar revives the spirit of the 1940's with flat-screen TVs that play classic noir films featuring namesake Humphrey Bogart while fedora-wearing bartenders mix stiff martinis. All this theater is background for the steaks and chops that define Bogart's menu. Choices also include seafood, pasta and sage-dusted bone-in pork loin. Live music adds to the appeal.
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8551 Briar Creek Pkwy, Raleigh, NC 27617
Brazilian Steakhouse. $$$. Brasa Steakhouse is a carnivore's paradise. Roving waiters wielding thick skewers of fire-roasted beef, chicken, pork, and seafood slice satisfy your meat-lust. An extensive appetizer and salad bar as well as a good-times atmosphere adds to Brasa Steakhouse's appeal.
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American. $$$. Enoteca Vin may be Raleigh's hottest restaurant. Chef Ashley Christensen has propelled the restaurant to the forefront of Raleigh's emerging food scene. Food & Wine magazine called it "the perfect American wine bar." Enoteca Vin's eclectic menu includes dishes like ricotta gnocchi with morel mushrooms, roasted tomatoes, Burgundy-braised beef short ribs and pan-roasted quail with North Carolina sweet potatoes, great food that's complemented by more than 50 wines by the glass.
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110 East Davie St., Raleigh, NC 27601
Seafood. $$. Fins has quickly emerged as one of Raleigh's destination restaurants. Although it's located in an unassuming strip mall, once inside Fins feels like big city dining with its lavish, sumptuous decor. Chef-owner William D'Auvray has created a globetrotting menu that includes dishes such as peekytoe crab soufflé with lobster coral butter, crispy Fijian Tai snapper with sticky rice and honey-and star anise-glazed duck breast.
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2418 Hillsboro St., Raleigh, NC 27607
Contemporary American. $$. Frazier's is one of a growing number of Raleigh restaurants that's helping propel the city into the national culinary spotlight. Frazier's is making a name for itself with its sleek, urbane decor and chef's tasting menus, carefully selected multi-course meals and wine pairings that bring the best of the season to your table. There's also an inventive ala carte menu. Recent selections included fried green tomatoes with fresh lobster and cherry tomato salad, braised rabbit with ricotta agnolotti and wilted arugula and seared North Carolina grouper with sweet corn, tomato and basil.
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2603-151 Glenwood Ave., Raleigh, NC 27608
American. $$. The Glenwood Grill has been a pillar of the Raleigh dining scene for nearly 20 years but after undergoing a major renovation, the restaurant's bright and colorful new look makes the place feel new again. Chef John Wright's solid repertoire of low country standards as well as his changing selection of other dishes continues to make the Glenwood Grill a Raleigh favorite.
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510 Glenwood Ave., Ste. 10, Raleigh, NC 27603
American. $$. Sports bars aren't known for their food but Raleigh's Hi5 is working to change that. Brought to you by the same folks who own Bogart's, the Red Room, Michael Dean's, 1705 Prime, and other Raleigh dining hotspots, Hi5 is the place to watch the game over a round of beers and watch how far your money will go with the sports bar's $5 menu. Everything--pizza, wings, nachos, fresh-made angus beef burgers--is five bucks.
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7420 Six Forks Rd., Raleigh, NC 27615
Mexican. $$$. Mexico has a culinary tradition that's every bit as sophisticated and delicious as France and Italy, but in the U.S. most of what we get are tacos, enchiladas and huevos rancheros. Jibarra restaurant in Raleigh is opening diners' eyes to exciting range of flavors and ingredients with its inventive menu of modern Mexican cuisine. One look at the menu tells you Ibarra is miles away from the same old rice and beans—foie gras two ways, one terrine and one foam, paired with seasonal fruits and quince candy; seared ahi rubbed with Mexican spices and dried chiles over a garbanzo bean, fresh jalapeño and chorizo stew; and seared lamb loin served with a "chichilo negro" of semi-burnt tortilla and a light essence of cacao accompanied with a leek-ash and cumin green leek tamal.
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6004 Falls of Neuse Rd., Raleigh, NC 27609
Seafood. $$. Michael Dean's Seafood Grill and Oyster Bar is a first-rate steak and seafood restaurant that offers a straight-forward but well executed menu of casual American fare. The Raleigh restaurant's wood oven turns out distinctive dishes like the shrimp pizza with asiago cream sauce, grilled swordfish with coconut basmati rice and sauteed Chinese napa cabbage, and a 14-ounce Black Angus ribeye. Michael Dean's Seafood Grill is now in a new location that features a great oyster and raw bar.
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328 W. Davie St., Raleigh, NC 27601
American. $$$. Nana's Chophouse offers good times and good food with its lively bar, live music and distinctive menu of Italian-style steaks and chops as well as contemporary American fare served in Raleigh's historic Depot District.
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521 Daniels St., Raleigh, NC 27605
Contemporary American. $$. With its great oyster bar, locally sourced seafood and inventive menu, Nelsons has become a Raleigh favorite. Add a great wine list, convivial atmosphere and reasonable prices and it's easy to see why Nelsons has become one of the triangle's "must-eats."
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505 West Jones St., Raleigh, NC 27603
Steakhouse. $$$. Raleigh's Prime Only Steak, Seafood and Sushi Bar restaurant builds on the steakhouse concept and adds a full menu of sushi and sashimi. Whether it's beef or seafood, Prime Only offers an elegant setting, a deep wine list and expert service. The restaurant also offers a menu of premium cigars.
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13200 Strickland Rd., Ste. 104, Raleigh, NC 27613
Steakhouse. $$. Prime Only is Raleigh's classic American steak house. Choose from the restaurant's signature center cut filet mignon and other steaks as well as blackened tuna, grilled salmon and fresh lobster. Prime Only has a deep wine list and cigar friendly full bar with a lighter menu.
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510 Glenwood Ave., Ste. 101, Raleigh, NC 27603
Tapas / Small Plates. $$. The food and nightlife share equal billing at Raleigh's Red Room. Combining the appeal of a tapas bar, cocktail lounge and DJ-fueled club, the Red Room is one of the standouts of Raleigh's happening Glenwood South neighborhood.
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1130 Buck Jones Rd., Raleigh, NC 27606
Continental. $$. Rey's restaurant offers Raleigh a taste of New Orleans' French Quarter in a romantic, elegant setting. Menu highlights include sweet gulf oysters sauteed with garlic butter, lemon, white wine and breadcrumbs, crawfish etouffe and roasted rack of lamb.
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135 S. Wilmington St., Raleigh, NC 27601
Mediterranean. $$. Riviera Mediterranean restaurant brings the vibrant flavors of the Mediterranean to Raleigh with dishes like grilled portabella mushrooms with eggplant escabaché, pan-seared tuna with artichoke, roasted peppers, spicy fennel and arugula and lamb burger and frites. Riviera also boasts a happening lounge that features an extensive menu of classic and creative cocktails.
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Ruth's Chris Steakhouse
1130 Buck Jones Road, Cary, NC; Tel. 919.468.1133
This charming steak house never disappoints. Located on the borders of downtown Raleigh and the upscale Raleigh suburb, Cary, the teak-wooded interior keeps the color local, but serves 1940s style supper club class. Of course, North Carolinian's love their beef and the thick, sizzling steaks and filets are prepared with utmost care and culinary style. For those not willing to submit their cholesterol levels to a regional pounding, Ruth's Chris serves up a wide variety of superbly prepared fish and game. Vegetarians, however, should be ready for odd looks and the possible suggestion that the olives in your martini suffice for a meal.
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6112 Falls of the Neuse Rd., Raleigh, NC 27609
French. $$$. The south of France comes to the deep south at Saint Jacques French Cuisine. Saint Jacques' French-born chef and owner Lil Lacassagne worked under famed chef Roger Verge and other three-star Michelin chefs in Europe before coming to Raleigh work in a number of top restaurants before opening his own place. Menu highlights at Saint Jacques include sautéed wild caught scallops finished with blood orange velouté, pan-seared halibut served on a ragout of baby carrots, squash, zucchini and fava beans and filet mignon on a buttery brioche, topped with seared foie gras finished with a truffle and black Madeira reduction.
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4351-119 The Circle at North Hills, Raleigh, NC 27609
Southern. $$. Urban Food Group, the Raleigh restaurateurs behind Frazier's, Porter's City Tavern and Vivace, opened South restaurant to wide acclaim. The upscale restaurant is described as a "contemporary Southern bistro." Look for dishes like fried green tomatoes and okra, Virginia peanut soup, shrimp and grits, and Frogmore stew and country-fried steak. The extensive wine list of some 100 bottles includes a number of southern wineries.
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414 Glenwood Ave., Ste 103, Raleigh, NC 27603
Steak. $$$. Part of a chain of 16 1940's styled steakhouses, Sullivan's Steakhouse in Raleigh features thick steaks, fresh seafood, a lively bar, and live jazz all served in a handsome, clubby atmosphere.
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5300 Homewood Banks Dr., Raleigh, NC 27612
Italian. $$. Tavola Rossa is the place in Raleigh for rustic, seasonally inspired Italian food served in a lively, convivial setting. Sit outside or near the action of the open kitchen. Choose from dishes like brick oven pizza, pork chops stuffed with prosciutto and provolone cheese, stewed chicken with fresh tomato, onion, garlic, mushrooms and red wine served over saffron and spinach risotto, and grilled loin of lamb.
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3751 Sumner Blvd., Raleigh, NC 27616
American. $$. The twist at Twisted Fork restaurant is that the rules of ordering off the menu go out the window. Customers are encouraged to mix and match dishes, customizing ingredients, sauces and cooking styles to their liking. With a vast menu of sandwiches, appetizers, steaks and great desserts the possibilities are endless. There's also a bakery and market on site to add to the range of options. Add it all up and Twisted Fork is a fun and ever-changing place to eat.
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Tir na nog
218 S. Blount St., Raleigh, NC; Tel. 919.833.7795
An Irish pub might seem out of place in the heart of the Tarheel state capitol, but this Guinness-filled bar and restaurant looses nothing in the translation from Dublin to Raleigh. A wide selection of regional, national and international beers compliment outstanding pub fare including a notable Shepherd's Pie made with local Certified Angus beef. Live music five nights a week provides local bar patrons with a place to unwind and catch up on local sports scores from nearby NC State, Duke and Chapel Hill games.
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4209 Lassiter Mill Rd., Raleigh, NC 27609
Italian. $$. Vivace offers Raleigh diners a compelling menu of inspired Tuscan food with dishes like wood-grilled North Carolina tuna with corona beans, oil-cured olives, grilled romaine, and anchovies, bone-in NY strip steak with
Tuscan fingerling potatoes and gorgonzola butter and house-made potato gnocchi with pancetta, spring peas, goat cheese crema. The elegant setting and deep, Italian focused wine list make Vivace one of Raleigh's standout restaurants.
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5910-147 Duraleigh Rd., Raleigh, NC 27612
Japanese. $$$. Despite its out the way strip mall location, Waraji attracts devotees of authentic Japanese food from all over the triangle area. Fresh, expertly prepared sushi is the main draw here but the noodle soups and grilled fish entrees give the raw fish averse options as well.
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6401 Falls of Neuse, Raleigh, NC 27615
American. $$. Named best place for a power lunch and best place for a bloody Mary by Metro magazine, Raleigh's Winston's Grille continues to be many things to many people as it enters its second decade. Most of all Winston's Grill is the place for grilled fish and steaks, burgers and salads served in a friendly, casual atmosphere.
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301 Glenwood Ave., Ste. 100, Raleigh, NC 27603
Organic. $$. Zely and Ritz restaurant serves an exciting and eclectic menu of tapas-style dishes drawn from the Mediterranean and the Middle East that includes choices like scallop ceviche with pink grapefruit, North Carolina littleneck clams in Riesling broth, duck and cherry pie, and risotto with lobster and tarragon. What makes Zely and Ritz unique is the restaurant draws on an array of locally grown organic ingredients, many of which come from Coon Rock Farm. The restaurant is part of Raleigh's happening Glenwood South scene but the soul of the restaurant is on the farms of North Carolina.
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—Reviews by Stett Holbrook
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