Where to Eat in Raleigh-Durham {Best of RDU}

The following was originally posted on the Parken Family blog and shared here with permission of course. We already miss this family tremendously but are grateful they left behind many ways to remember them by… Why that has to do with where to eat in Raleigh-Durham of course! 😉

photograph to go with list of raleigh

We love to eat. We love to eat GOOD food. When people need a place to grab some grub, friends often ask about what our favorite places are. So, as we leave RDU for now, here is the list of the best: our restaurant favs and the reasons why! Starting with Raleigh (scroll down for Durham)…

downtown raleigh
THE CITY OF OAKS:

Family Friendly:

Chow – burgers and pizza, they also do take out which is convenient when we want quality food without unloading kids again. I personally love the Piedmont Burger and their homemade sausage pizza. The kids often got fried shrimp for their meal which we loved as it was different than the typical chicken fingers (which they do have too).
Q shack (North Hills) – Adam loves BBQ more than I, but he could get beef brisket here which is very tasty and I was good eating friend okra and a baked potato with BBQ meat on top.
The Pit (downtown Raleigh) – typically we did for lunch and reservation on Open Table so we didn’t have to wait. The chopped whole hog bbq is delicious as well as their sweet potato fries as it has brown sugar on top.
Chubby’s Tacos – super cheap Mexican with lots of different salsas
Sassool http://www.sassool.com (previously Neomonde) – quick and yummy Mediterranean….love their pita bread, kafta kabob (all of us will eat these), and any baklava treats
Beasley’s – “North Carolina on a menu” is how Adam described it after eating there the first time. From fried chicken, biscuits & honey, to their grit fries and mac & cheese, this place is nothing but scrumptious. My kids like to play on their spinning stools, but they will devour their chicken and waffles like candy. Also, try them for Brunch on Saturday or Sunday, that menu is awesome and then you get their churros which will put you on Cloud 9 for the rest of the day.
Chucks – A burger place by Ashley Christensen with about 8 burgers on the menu, but you can’t go wrong with any of them. Their fries are nice thick steak fries and they have various sauces you can pick to dip your fries in. We like the roasted garlic aioli and the esplette aioli.

Date night or enjoyed more without little people:

Poole’s Diner – They do not take a reservation, so go a little early or plan to have one of their amazing cocktails while waiting for your table. The restaurant is small, quaint, with their menus on chalkboards. The food is local, fresh, and unique. It’s a place we have gone for Valentine’s Day, birthday dinner, or to celebrate an occasion.
Joule – It’s not just coffee even though it is an awesome coffee shop. They serve small plates and dinner, but we go for their cocktails. I am enamored by the two long hallways at the front where you can sit by the window and people watch the street while being tucked away from the rest of the restaurant. We have also sat at the bar and learned about apertifs and digestifs from the previous manager making it all the more enjoyable for me to re-visit this place over and over again. In going the last time, they no longer have a drink menu. You are able to ask for one they used to have to try an El Dudorino (their version of a white russian with coffee and it is out of this world) or Greyhound (vodka and smoked grapefruit for a refreshing drink).
Fox’s – our favorite place to sit, talk, and have an amazing cocktail in downtown Raleigh. They have quite the menu list, but we love that they will make you anything you want for whatever your fancy at the moment. I’ve gone in saying “something fruity with bubbles that is refreshing” or “something dessert like with chocolate and brandied cherries.” I may be obsessed with their brandied cherries.
Sitti – all you need to know is hot, homemade pita bread as long as you want it. It comes with this dipping sauce and we could sit there forever stuffing our faces with this stuff. It is more upscale Mediterranean, but not crazy weird. We love their Kibbi Mikli in their small plates section, but also will do their Mixed Grill to get a variety of kabobs too. That is, if you haven’t stuffed yourself with pita by then….
The Busy Bee Cafe – took us off guard by how GOOD this place was. Adam had a tater tot burger that he enjoyed thoroughly and I got another one of their burgers that was delicious. The kids enjoyed their mac & cheese so much we had to do another order.
Bida Manda – you are going to need to be slightly adventurous to eat here as it is Laotian cuisine. It is delicious in how the flavors blend together so perfectly that every bite is quite harmonious in your mouth. And, the prices are reasonable for the quantity of food you get. I could eat their crispy pork belly soup every week in the winter months and Adam enjoyed their caramelized pork ribs. Friends who have been to Laos ate the traditional Larb and said it was really good too.
Buku – This can be a fun place for a group outing, girls’ night out, or a date night. They keep changing their menu, but our favorite is the Buku Hot Pot with curry, chicken, and mushrooms.
Oak City Meatball Shoppe – there are countless way to work their menu and can be a little overwhelming at the beginning, but the punch line is….you can’t go wrong. You get to pick you kind of meatball, your sauce, and whether you want it on pasta, slider, or on it’s on. Now, if the meatballs weren’t awesome enough, they totally get you with their killer sides. The daily side when we were there was sauteed brussel sprouts with cranberries and almonds and then a butternut squash & sausage risotto. Yeah…it was amazing.
Cala Vela – empanadas, empanadas, empanadas…$3.50 each and they are all delicious. My favorite is The Champ with all the mushrooms, but really all of them are yum and come with two dipping sauces (green and red and both great). They do have other food there, but we haven’t tried. We have tried some of their drinks though and every…single…one….is awesome 😉
J. Betski’s – German and Polish cuisine with a little twist. My foodie brother ate here and nearly ordered everything off the menu. It is yum.
Second Empire -pricey to say the least, but we ate here for Restaurant Week and for $30 for three courses, it was totally worth it! We added on their cheeseboard and it was awesome!
Gonza Y Tequila – I ate here TWICE before I left town. Delectable Mexican food that is fresh and flavorful. Can’t go wrong with the Chef’s Taco (it’s the special taco for the day) or a passionfruit margarita. And, I can eat buckets of their salsa. It is worthwhile to book on Open Table for the place, but plan ahead, as this place gets booked out fast!
Jubala – my first coffee house love….waffles and a latte…yes please! Their vanilla latte is delicious as well as their almond latte. My brother had at least 3 of their iced lattes with soy milk when he was here for a week and it is pretty spectacular. I love trying their seasonal latte or waffle too!
Sola Coffee – I am obsessed with this place. As in, I make up excuses to end up here at any time of the day. First of all, they have a drive thru window and for this mom of three you sold me. I can call in my order and get my perfectly hand crafted latte with your homemade syrups (raspberry maple latte sent this place to the top of the list) along with a bag of cinnamon sugar hot mini donuts handed right to me and I don’t even have to unload a child. Amen. They recently started doing a “Toast Bar” which is genius. Various breads, spreads, and toppings all in a perfectly balanced bite that’ll keep you coming back for more. But realistically, anything off of their menu will make your taste buds rejoice.
Cowfish – burgers and sushi and then they fuse them…it rocks. This is our kids’ favorite restaurants because they get a bento box for their dinner with a rice krispy treat in the shape of sushi with a Swedish fish on top. We like it because we can get whatever we are in the mood for and their food is amazing. Adam often gets a Bento Box with a mini burger, sushi, and sides. I typically get the 4-S sandwich with a side of seaweed salad…until I tried their fried pickles and that kinda blew my mind.
Chuy’s – our favorite Tex-Mex in Texas. We would eat here 2-3x in a week visit to our parents until they opened this one in North Hills. Homemade flour tortillas (I eat these one after another) and yummy chips & salsa. We like their fajitas as you get more of their tortillas and they season their meat quite deliciously.
Coquette – go for brunch and try a croque monsieur or steak sandwich or french toast or quiche of the day. It’s all just good. And then, they happen to make one spectacular cappuccino if you’re into that kinda thing 😉
Vivace – classy classy Italian cuisine…great for lunch, brunch, or dinner. Homemade pastas, pizzas, and more. It’s all just sublime.
Stanbury – this is my kinda place in every sense of it all. Here’s a great article about the 4 guys who started this place. It’s local. It’s innovative. It’s quaint. And, the seats are red. Adam & I celebrated Valentine’s Day here and I fell in love with this place. When I took my brother here, we pretty much annihalated their menu so well that one of the owners bought us a glass a wine. It was blissful.

downtown durham
BULL CITY:

Scratch – handmade treats, breakfast, brunch, and lunch along great coffee options. Don’t leave this place without having a donut muffin or a baked item from their glass case (homemade pies, tarts, crostadas, etc…). I am serious, don’t leave without a donut muffin. They come in mini or regular too.
Monuts Donuts – donuts and bagels, their bagel sandwiches are yum yum and their specialty donuts are completely mouth watering. They just changed location, so check their page for the new info.
Rise – donuts and the best biscuits you’ll put in your mouth. Their cronut (croissant and donut with pastry cream)is yummy as well as their waffle/donut thing I got last time. I’m slightly addicted to their potato cakes and any biscuit sandwich is worth your money. I promise. Just eat it and be happy.
Mateo’s – Spanish tapas with a southern twist. There are classics on their menu along with several more adventurous items too. We love their sweetbreads, blood sausage, and any kind of their croquettes.
The Parlour – homemade gourmet ice cream with traditional flavors and some super awesome creative flavors. My favorite is the honey chai, but the salted butter caramel is a close second. Our family gets a three scoop bowl and it’s gone in about 7.2 seconds.
Pizzeria Toro – gourmet pizzas with local and creative combinations. We have have had most of their pizzas on the menu and any one of them are awesome. Sweet sausage pizza for the red sauce one we like and oyster mushroom and arugula for the white sauce one is delicious.
Toast – paninis, crostinis, and soups. Great place for lunch with a lot of scrumptious options.
Nanataco – Tacos galore! Traditional fillings or try their “dirty meats” (hog jowls, lamb cheeks, smoked duck, and more). They have fun toppings, salsas, and such to put on your taco and it is all yum.
Watt’s Grocery – upscale Southern cuisine with local and seasonal ingredients. Quaint restaurant with a little store too so you can walk around while you wait for your table.
Loaf – fresh made croissants: chocolate, almond, plain….plus other baked goods that will make you drool. It’s a casual hole-in-the-wall without seating, but there are picnic tables in the courtyard right outside.
Cocoa Cinnamon – it’s not just coffee or hot chocolate or tea….it is so much more than that with the finest ingredients and the craft each drink so carefully so you get a sip of perfection each time.
Piedmont – First of all, ask for Gina to be your server…she will more than take care of you. This place does farm-to-table, innovative, and absolutely divine. We have gone here when parents are in town, birthdays, and it was our last date night before Adam left. We have also enjoyed their brunch their although we have done dinner here most often.
Alley 26 – after dining in downtown Durham, finish up the evening here with a great cocktail in their relaxing and classic atmosphere. It’s fun to sit at the bar to watch them mix the drink or grab a table if you’ve got a group with you.