Raleigh’s Best New Restaurants and Southern Food Experiences
It’s been a sizzling year for great food in Raleigh, North Carolina, from MICHELIN-recognized eateries to picturesque date night spots, tasty pizza shops and so much more.
This past year marked a fresh chapter for the city’s dining scene, as chefs and restaurateurs introduced experiences that celebrate both Raleigh’s southern roots and its global influences. The launch of the inaugural MICHELIN Guide American South brought exciting news for Raleigh, with 14 local restaurants receiving prestigious recognition. From intimate, chef-driven concepts to vibrant neighborhood favorites, 2025’s newcomers are quickly becoming essential stops for locals and visitors alike.
New Restaurant Openings
Mala Pata
From a trio of Raleigh area restaurant icons comes this masa-fueled ode to Latin American street food. Mala Pata centers everything around freshly nixtamalized heirloom corn, milled daily in-house and transformed into tortillas, tamales, and tacos worth talking about.
Chef Zack Gragg leads the kitchen with reverence and range, blending Oaxacan, Colombian, Cuban, and Southern influences into shareable plates like flautas de papas, shrimp aguachile, and enchiladas with a North Carolina twist (hello, Cheerwine mole). It’s casual but very intentional, with a sidecar mezcal bar, Peyote, tucked just next door. To say Mala Pata has been a hit would be an understatement. The restaurant was named as one of just seven restaurants in North Carolina to receive a Bib Gourmand distinction from the MICHELIN Guide in 2025.
Lawrence Barbecue
Perhaps the most highly anticipated restaurant opening of 2025 in the Raleigh area, chef Jake Wood’s Lawrence Barbecue now anchors the booming downtown Cary. Chef Wood treats smoke and fire as a starting line, not a finish. The pulled pork is dialed in and deeply satisfying, but the restaurant is quick to remind you that it is not your traditional Tar Heel State barbecue joint. In fact, the menu meshes North Carolina, Tex-Mex, and coastal flavors into one brilliant offering, so you can load up a platter with pulled pork alongside brisket birria, poblano queso, smoked-then-fried wings, oysters, and even crab claws.
The Crunkleton
A North Carolina institution now gets the Raleigh treatment at this elegant outpost in downtown Raleigh’s Smoky Hollow district. The Crunkleton, which made its name as one of North Carolina’s top cocktail bars over the last decade, has gone full steakhouse — adding dry-aged tomahawks, oysters, and buttery vegetables (cooked over live wood fire) to its repertoire of antique spirits and pre-Prohibition pours. While the menu leans lavish — think house-ground burgers, coal-roasted seafood, and sharable steaks served alongside old-school sides and a deep bench of rare spirits.
Peregrine
Globe-trotting flavors meet North Carolina roots at Peregrine, a fine-dining stunner and deeply personal project from chef Saif Rahman and bar-owner-turned-partner Patrick Shanahan. The duo opened their long-dreamed-of restaurant in Raleigh’s growing Exchange district in spring 2025. The 100-seat space itself is a showstopper with arched plaster walls, grand chandeliers, soft music, and shadowy corners.
On a menu that blends personal history, Southern sourcing, and South Asian spices, start with Old Dhaka-style lamb kebabs, then go big with the Bengali Wedding Chicken, a whole spice-marinated bird best paired with fragrant pulao rice.
Insider’s Tip: Don’t miss the Italian fashion house-inspired cocktail bar next door that just opened in December, Capulet Cocktail Club.
Omakase by Kai
Tucked inside the new Hyatt House Raleigh Downtown/Seaboard Station, Omakase by Kai delivers a refined, reverent take on Edomae-style sushi. Chef James “Kai” Chung, who is already beloved for his work at Kai Sushi & Sake Bar in North Raleigh, guides guests through a chef’s-choice tasting where seasonal fish and elegant plating take center stage. Sake pairings round out the experience, adding polish to a meal that’s likely to be one of your new favorites.
Iconic Southern Food and Fusion
Indulge in the flavors of the South in Raleigh, N.C., where southern culinary traditions meet innovative twists to create a booming food scene that’s as vibrant as it is delicious.
Since opening the flagship Poole’s Diner in 2007, chef Ashley Christensen’s work, both in the kitchen and the community, has earned the attention and admiration of foodies everywhere. At Poole’s, a modern diner with retro-chic charm, the macaroni au gratin was one of the very first dishes dreamed up for the chalkboard menu more than 15 years ago. Today, it’s by far the most popular item in the restaurant. More than 16,000 orders are sold each year, using 10,000 pounds of cheese — a testament to its cult-like following.
For barbecue lovers, look no further than Sam Jones BBQ. The renowned third-generation pitmaster and James Beard Award semifinalist Sam Jones comes from a long line of family that lives and breathes Eastern-style barbecue. The menu, of course, is highlighted by whole-hog barbecue — 180-pound hogs cooked in a wood-fired pit for 16 hours, skin blistered to a shatteringly crisp texture, then chopped together with a couple of meat cleavers. Top it off with salt, pepper, cider vinegar and hot sauce to experience the classic Eastern North Carolina dish. Pair it with hushpuppies and sweet tea for the whole experience.
For a truly authentic southern breakfast or brunch experience, head over to Big Ed’s City Market Restaurant. Established in 1958, Big Ed’s is a beloved Raleigh institution brimming with southern charm, where antiques and farm equipment hang from the ceiling. Southern staples like country ham biscuits, biscuits smothered in sausage gravy and giant hotcakes that are as big as they are delicious make it a must-visit for breakfast lovers.
Raleigh’s southern food scene isn’t just about tradition, though — it’s about transformation and innovation. At Figulina, the menu centers on fresh, handmade pasta while blending Italian inspiration with seasonal southern ingredients and flavors. The restaurant’s commitment to craft and locality shines through every dish. Beyond the dining room, Figulina features a cozy provisions shop reminiscent of a small-town market, offering take-home goods, curated cookbooks and locally sourced pantry staples. It’s a place where the warmth of southern hospitality meets the elegance of Italian tradition, inviting guests to linger, explore and savor.
Come hungry and leave inspired after exploring Raleigh’s culinary scene, where every bite tells a story of Southern innovation and culture.
