There’s really no such thing as a Carolina bagel or Queen City gumbo. But if the following culinary traditions weren’t exactly invented in North Carolina, we’ve certainly made them our own.
A Bright Spark at Bistro Roca
In Blowing Rock, people gather around Bistro Roca’s wood-fired oven for cozy comfort and the chef’s inventive New American dishes.
I-95 Road Trip: The Science of Smoke at The Redneck BBQ Lab
The mad scientists of Johnston County have won hearts and awards with their smoked pork, chicken, and beef brisket. And the experiments continue: At The Redneck BBQ Lab in Benson, they’re always cooking up something new.
4 Classic Spots to Eat Bright Leaf Hot Dogs
Get yer red hots! Bright Leafs are so popular in Johnston County that the visitors bureau cooked up the Local Red Hot Dog Trail, with many of the choice spots just a jump off I-95.
All Jazzed Up at The Mills Downtown Bistro
Inspired by the Roaring Twenties, a young chef returned to his hometown and opened a tapas restaurant with a vintage vibe and modern twists on classic cuisine.
Dining on (Oak) Island Time
No rush: The clocks on the walls of Oak Island Restaurant are just for decoration. All you really need to know is whether it’s Chicken & Dumplings Thursday or Fried Fish Friday.
The Crab Shack is Here to Stay
More than 45 years ago, a fishing family started a seafood market to sell their catch. The market expanded into a mainstay restaurant in Salter Path whose varied menu includes a seasonal special that celebrates coastal resilience.
Oak Island, Over Easy at the Old Bridge Diner
On the way to work or headed home from the beach, post up in a booth at the Old Bridge Diner for breakfast and lunch classics — pancakes to patty melts to popcorn shrimp — all day long.
The Honey Hog Restaurant Raises & Amazes
In Cleveland County, a popular barbecue restaurant goes beyond the concept of farm-to-table: The pulled pork and brisket that’s loaded onto plates and into takeout containers comes from The Honey Hog’s very own pastures, right down the road.
