167 Best Restaurants in North Carolina, USA

Inspired by the food of Southeast Asia, China, and Japan, Gan Shan West has an eclectic and inventive menu of house-made dumplings, ramen, soups, and noodles. Choose a table in the colorful petite dining room or sit on the breezy patio.

Wine lovers can enjoy a Mediterranean-influenced meal of pan-seared scallops, Lyonnaise salad, or braised short rib along with their glass. More than 25 wines are offered by the taste, glass, or flight, mostly European with a few from New Zealand and South Africa, and more than 300 different bottles are available to take home. Provisions from the pop-up Cheese Shop are in store Wednesday to Saturday, with a large selection of cut-to-order cheese and charcuterie to pair with your wine. 

In a series of connected rooms and outdoor spaces of a 1900-era mill house, Goodyear serves elevated comfort food, like shrimp and grits, French fries shaken in togarashi (a Japanese spice blend) seasoning, and Malaysian-inspired golden chicken, along with updated classic cocktails and local beer. The restaurant name refers to the higgledy-piggledy shape of houses expanded ad hoc as families had a "good year." The size and variety of seating makes it great for groups, but also chaotic at busy times.

In an austere building underneath the highway, this out-of-the-way eatery has dished up gyros and souvlaki since 1970. Patrons, including workers at the nearby hospital and local families, enjoy the friendly service and ample portions of moussaka, spanakopita, and salads, plus more familiar fare like hamburgers and pizza. The wine list includes Greek reds and whites.

The more casual sister restaurant to Cypress Hall, this laid-back but elegant tapas-oriented space keeps everything under $20, from an indulgent bucatini carbonara to smoked oysters served with hot sauces and lemon. Cozy up in the intimate dining room with dark gray walls and tile floors accented by leather and brass, and order liberally—including from the excellent cocktail menu. Stick around for live music most nights.

New owners in 2023 have further elevated this waterfront spot known for seafood pastas, po'boys, and non-seafood options like flatbread pizzas. There's a lively scene for sunset cocktails, but come early—they don't take reservations.

Having built a following for his food at Krankies, Winston-Salem local Justin Webster took his smash burgers from pop-up to James Beard–nominated restaurant in his first year. Justin and his wife Heather (nicknamed Heff) focus on accessible but high-quality food, in a fun, eclectic environment that's heavy on nostalgia. All ingredients on the simple menu are NC-sourced—the furthest is brioche buns from Asheville—and highlight favorite regional flavors like pimento cheese and Cheerwine soda. Order a Ladykiller with white American cheese, black garlic sauce, pickles, and onions, with a side of crinkle-cut fries, while you peruse the pop-culture stickers and snacks in the vending machine.

With exposed brick walls and antique wood floors, this is a staple haunt for fresh-brewed coffees and teas, plus pastries and free Wi-Fi. There are also locations in North Asheville and Woodfin.

This little sandwich shop is known for pressed Cubans, roast beef hoagies, and corned beef on rye, or you can opt for a bowl of chili. While you're waiting, explore the old service station memorabilia. There's a small dining room, or take it to-go. 

This Greensboro mainstay (now with two locations in town) was early to the gourmet burger bandwagon. They keep up their sterling reputation with a commitment to well-sourced ingredients and inviting offerings like the North Carolinian (bacon, fried green tomato, pimento cheese, and a fried egg). There's a quality selection of local beers to wash down the caloric overload.

When a large milkshake is the only thing that will do on a hot summer day, this is the place to head for—locals say they are the best on the Outer Banks, or even on the planet. And when you just can't take one more night out at a fancy restaurant, John's will come to the rescue with the best handheld food on the Outer Banks: burgers, subs, sandwiches (including grouper), all-beef hot dogs, and sides. The Dolphin Boat is a must: pieces of mahi (dolphin fish) on a bun, served in a boat (basket), with fries or slaw, sauce, and hush puppies.

The perfect stop for chic picnic provisions, a memorable lunch, or a lively pintxos (small bar snacks) dinner with friends, fans of Cúrate are thrilled to find many of its specialties available at this sister establishment, including cured meats, cheeses, sangria—even paella. The "La Bodega Experience" is one of the best prix-fixe menus in town.

James Beard Award–winning chef Andrea Reusing brings together Asian flavors and North Carolina ingredients sourced mostly from local farms and purveyors. The menu changes seasonally, but the legendary tea-smoked roast chicken and chive-and-pork dumplings are staples. The small, intimate dining room is accented by hanging light fixtures of various shapes and sizes. Tucked away in the back of the restaurant, the red-hued bar area is a nice place to linger with a cocktail. The back parking lot has been reimagined as a pop-up Garden Spot for guest chef events in warm weather.

This vegetarian-vegan eatery is a longtime Asheville favorite on charming Wall Street. The extensive menu ranges from banh mi sandwiches and a vegan sweet potato Reuben to dinner specialties influenced by the flavors of India, Cuba, Thailand, Mexico, and Morocco. There are also several raw entrées.

The town of Lexington is the base for Carolina's sweet, red-sauce style of barbecue. At this mainstay where locals line up daily for takeout, meat is pulled from smoked pork shoulders and served up as a sandwich in a soft bun topped with red slaw. Finish with a traditional fruit cobbler.

Three components—a talented chef from Mexico City, locally sourced ingredients, and a San Francisco bistro atmosphere—combine to make this modern Mexican place a standout. Whet your appetite with the ceviche sampler and lobster nachos before going on to the regularly changing list of main dishes like carne asada with a romesco mole.

Chef Oscar Diaz reinvents the staid nostalgia of “what grandma used to make” to what your dialed-in cousin would make if he went to culinary school and revisited your abuela’s recipes with a fresh take. Diaz honed his culinary chops at Michelin restaurants in Las Vegas and California before launching menus at Raleigh’s Jose and Sons and Cortez, earning him James Beard nods. The Durham restaurant fuses his favorite tastes from Mexican, Asian, and American cuisine, with popular dishes like birria (goat stew)-filled dumplings, a whole roast chicken done halal-style with turmeric salsa, and churro balls for dessert. The flavors are often echoed on the drink menu, with mezcal-based cocktails and mole bitters.

The bold yellow-and-slate-grey color palette of this contemporary patisserie is a hint that this downtown bakery is anything but stuffy or staid, with candy-colored macarons in flavors like birthday cake and French toast, decadent baklava croissants, and desserts that reimagine old favorites like an apple tart with smoked vanilla Calvados mousse. Weekday afternoons bustle when ham baguette sandwiches and creamy tomato soup have office workers lining up. Christmas bûches de noël (jellyroll-style chocolate cakes) and mini Valentine's Day treats are hotly anticipated by regulars.

Lulu's feels old-school—there are old-timey quilts hanging from the walls—but the food is decidedly forward-thinking, from the Thai chicken soup to the savory meatloaf Manhattan. Vegetarians also feel right at home, thanks to options like a marinated tempeh sandwich with kimchi and Szechuan sauce at lunchtime. 

In the Old Edwards Inn, Madison's is Highlands' most upscale restaurant. The dining room is gorgeous, light, and sunny, with stone floors and windows overlooking Highlands' Main Street. The restaurant adheres to a farm-to-table philosophy as much as possible, with sausage-stuffed pork chops, sunburst trout, short rib pasta and other dishes from area providers. The inn's Wine Garden adjoining Madison's is the spot for a more casual alfresco lunch.

Sleek design, creative lighting, and carefully orchestrated music provide a mesmerizing backdrop to chef Carson Jewell's seasonal culinary artistry and the talented mixologists who create cocktails using seasonal ingredients and house-made bitters. Try the braised pork shank with sweet potato puree, collards, and radish pico de gallo, or the pan-seared Virginia scallops with parsnip puree, braised leeks, and apple salsa. The sign by the door reads, "Kindness Is Contagious," and the service reflects that ethos—you're made to feel very special here.

Rather than specialize in one type of Indian cuisine, Mela offers dishes from across the country. The traditionally prepared tandoori dishes (chicken, shrimp, and lamb) are especially delicious, and at lunch there's an inexpensive buffet.

Located in the funky Plaza Midwood neighborhood (and with satellite locations now in Ballantyne and Park Road Shopping Center), this barbecue joint carries a full range of sauces and meats and keeps its wood-fired smoker burning 24/7. This is no hole-in-the-wall joint but instead a fun and modern-looking place with something for just about every kind of barbecue lover. The beef brisket is excellent, especially with a half-lean, half-fatty plate. For a special treat, order the banana pudding; it's some of the best in the state.

In the town of Davidson about 30 minutes from Charlotte, the Kindred family opened the comfortably elegant Kindred restaurant, beloved for many things including the pull-apart, pillowy milk bread that's served to each table. Spinning off their restaurant into a takeout-friendly concept, they opened Milkbread serving glazed donuts, fried-chicken sandwiches, and an all-day menu of salads and bowls. Order at the walk-up counter and try to find a seat on the busy patio to enjoy a coffee or glass of natural wine with your goodies.

This little downtown seafood joint with sidewalk and indoor seating serves fresh coastal food in a setting full of local charm. You'll see plenty of fried seafood on the menu, but the raw bar (combination platters of oysters, clams, steamed shrimp, and crab) does not disappoint. Daily specials include deals on whole Maine lobsters, peel-and-eat Carolina shrimp, and beach-friendly cocktails.

There's a lot to love at this gorgeous three-story destination restaurant, from the blackened grouper that emerges from the open kitchen's wood-fired grill, to the sunset views, enjoyed with a signature mai tai on the appropriately named Sky Deck. The spiced pompano fish sandwich is a winner for lunch.  Order liberally from the small plates—amidst all the seafood of coastal North Carolina, this is the spot for next-level crab dip and calamari.