When I first moved to Raleigh in 1990, the Triangle’s restaurant culture was far different than the lively scene we know today. Sure, there were some spots then that most everyone talked about — the Angus Barn for special occasions, Irregardless Cafe for vegetarian fare and a great brunch, 42nd Street Oyster Bar and Vinnie’s Steak House and Tavern as the places to see, be seen and likely hobnob with legislators and lobbyists.
But there was little focus back then on James Beard Awards and local celebrity chefs. There wasn’t much varied cuisine from around the nation and globe. That would come in later years as transplants surged into the area. There were virtually no food trucks or breweries.
And downtown Raleigh had so few restaurants open after 5 p.m. that those of us working night shifts at the time were thrilled when the cafeteria in the Hudson-Belk department store on Fayetteville Street stayed open until 6 on Friday nights. (That store, that cafeteria and most other cafeterias are long gone now.)
Something for everyone
Our food writer, Drew Jackson, wanted to make sure this list captured the breadth of Triangle dining experiences, which can range from the comfortable at breakfast to the adventurous at lunch to the artistic at dinner. Drew put in a lot of work to make the list happen, with a methodology that included no rankings among the 50 restaurants themselves and reaching out to readers for recommendations. He also has a separate list of his honorable mentions — 11 spots that just missed out on the Top 50…