If you walk into Raleigh’s new location of The Crunkleton at just the right moment, you’re greeted by flames, brought to life by the drip drip of fat from a gigantic grilled ribeye over wood-burning coals.
It’s in that moment you’ll know for sure, this isn’t Crunkleton as you’ve always known it.
The Crunkleton opened its new Raleigh location Tuesday, April 8, in the Smoky Hollow development on the edge of downtown. This is the third Crunkleton in existence, all in North Carolina, and the second to pair an upscale food menu with its famed cocktails.
When The Crunkleton first opened in Chapel Hill in 2009 it was built to feel ancient. It has old leather couches, mounted animal heads and a wooden wall of whiskey and spirits, with a sliding ladder used to reach the top shelves. Chapel Hill’s Crunkleton is drinks only, but when it expanded to Charlotte in 2019, the brand added a full-service food menu…