8 Best Restaurants in Central North Carolina, North Carolina

The most cutting-edge restaurant in the region, if not the whole state, MACHETE grew out of monthly underground supper club dinners and dining with them still has a feeling of being a culinary insider. Food and cocktails here are not just prepared, but curated and presented as edible works of art, yet feel effortless and unassuming. The menu, divided into Snacks and Plates, has sparse descriptions ("flank steak: black garlic. potato. mushroom") but dishes arrive with evocative descriptions from the well-informed servers. Drinks have fun, poppy names like Disco Stu Likes Disco Music (a Simpsons reference), with surprises like a popcorn garnish or a splash of squid ink.

Known as Hillsborough's living room since 2003, this neighborhood pub has grown from an intimate nine-table bar and restaurant to a multilocation gathering space for craft beer and farm-to-pub grub. Folks of all stripes crowd in for a burger made from humanely raised cows from their own Wooden Nickel Farms, baskets of wings tossed in their choice of hot-as-you-can-handle sauce, and a pint from the rotating guest menu of craft beers from all over the world. The busy, friendly bartenders are as much of a draw as the food, and will happily recommend a beer (if you can flag them down). The James Pharmacy building next door holds a bottle shop and weekend bakery, while the Wooden Nickel Mebane opened in late 2023, 10 miles from Hillsborough.

Downtown Durham is fortunate to have more than a few spots for craft cocktails, and Bar Virgile has small plates and classic dinner dishes as sophisticated and well-balanced as their drinks. The no-reservations restaurant gets busy before and after shows at DPAC and the Carolina Theatre, with many raves for the cheeseburger, mac and cheese, and deviled eggs. While the downstairs Annexe bar is crowded with diners waiting for a table, the full food menu is also available there, along with tiki-themed drinks.

A well-established wine bar with small plates, pasta, and classic American dishes, Foxcroft feels like dining in a cozy wine cellar with a private chef. More than 40 wines are available by the glass or taste, with flight samplings built around bubbles, Italian wines, Cabernets, and more. If you fall in love with a wine in the retail shop, the price is the same to enjoy at the table. There are additional locations in Charlotte and Greenville, with the original near Southpark. 

Approachable and surprising, Freeman's is a neighborhood bar with a satisfying food menu heavy on the smoked barbecue and meaty sandwiches, but with veggie versions, sides, and hearty salads too. Cocktails are mixed with their own infusions like banana bourbon and rosemary-and-garlic vodka. Less than a year after Freeman's was taken over by two of their former bartenders, the pub was voted in the top 100 of restaurants in the country by Yelp users. The new owners have kept the popular poutine with brisket gravy, Brussels sprouts in brown butter, and Mexican street corn side on the menu.

Wood paneling, muted lighting, and well-spaced tables make for an elegant dining experience in this restored 1879 house. The menu, which changes seasonally, has a regional flavor. The food is intricately styled so that colors, textures, and tastes fuse. A brick tavern on the lower level is more casual and has a less expensive menu that has included bison short ribs and grilled North Carolina trout.

As punk rock as fine dining gets, the Stanbury is both the funky neighborhood restaurant you wish was in your neighborhood and the casual yet "special occasions" spot people travel to for birthdays and anniversaries. While the menu may intimidate with crispy pig's head and bone marrow, the exemplary staff is happy to explain dishes and regulars are thrilled to recommend their favorites. No reservations are taken, so diners strategize by arriving early for a seat or putting their name down before enjoying a drink outside or at a nearby nightspot. The cocktail list is short but solid, plus many local beers, European wines, and surprising spirits. 

The Triad's first food hall, Stock + Grain is next to Truist Point ballpark (home to the High Point Rockers pro baseball and Carolina Core FC soccer) and close to downtown showrooms, so it can be as busy or as quiet as the town of High Point. Expect to find vendors of burgers, pizza, sushi, barbecue, and coffee, plus a few wild cards. Order a beer from the 20 taps at Bevelry or a craft cocktail at Cahoots.