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Raleigh Dining Recommendations

Amedeo's on Western Boulevard. Decorated with NC State stuff.
 
Amedeo's on Western Boulevard. Decorated with NC State stuff.

That might play havoc with a fellow's appetite. It takes me back to 1989, eating at Cliff Hagen's Ribeye in Lexington KY and complaining to my wife about having to look at pics of Eddie Sutton and Goose Givens over her shoulder.
 
The Oak Kitchen & Bourbon Bar is a good option. Roughly 2.5 miles/10 min from PNC. Good food, nicer setting but pretty affordable. And great bourbon selection obviously.
 
The Oak Kitchen & Bourbon Bar is a good option. Roughly 2.5 miles/10 min from PNC. Good food, nicer setting but pretty affordable. And great bourbon selection obviously.

The Oak is awesome! house bourbon and sliders!
 
Any suggestions for reasonably priced restaurants near PNC Arena?

Not a lot of great choices near PNC. Guasaca on Lake Boone is pretty good for a quick bite. Same for Chubby's Tacos.

Unless you're pressed for time, I'd say drive into downtown and eat there. Poole's, Brewery Bhavana, Bida Manda, Buku are all very good. Chuck's for a great burger. Gringo for laid-back mexican. If you like sushi, Oku and City Market Sushi are both really good. High Horse is the new hot spot, but I haven't been to it yet.
 
Not a lot of great choices near PNC. Guasaca on Lake Boone is pretty good for a quick bite. Same for Chubby's Tacos.

Unless you're pressed for time, I'd say drive into downtown and eat there. Poole's, Brewery Bhavana, Bida Manda, Buku are all very good. Chuck's for a great burger. Gringo for laid-back mexican. If you like sushi, Oku and City Market Sushi are both really good. High Horse is the new hot spot, but I haven't been to it yet.

Boku is awesome, but I'm pretty sure the location downtown has closed and it's relocating to a new spot in Cary.
 
Raleigh is the culinary capital of NC. Add Durham and call it "RDU" and Charlotte isn't even close. Come at me Biff. Wakelaw13's quick City of Oaks restaurant guide:

Best restaurants in the City:
Pooles Diner. If it's your first time in town or you're just starting to get to know the food scene, this is where you start. Ashley Christensen also owns/runs Death and Taxes, which is great. Spend half the money on equally good food and go to Pooles.
Bida Manda/Bhavana. Different restaurants, both fantastic. I'm in the minority with my preference for Bida Manda, but you can't go wrong. Bhavana also has the best beer in town.
Crawford and Son. Scott Crawford is the man, everything is great. He just opened a French Bistro next door as well.
Stanbury. Doesn't get the same hype as the others on this list, but it might be my favorite restaurant in town. The fried oysters are the best small plate in town, best pork chop I've ever had (style changes with menu) and steak special last time was insane. The bar is fantastic as well. Highly recommend.

Best by category:
Pizza: Oakwood Pizza Box. Get the square pizza. Trophy is a close second, and most would say the best brewery.
Cheap(er) food: Beasley's. The hot chicken is the best sandwich in town. Everything about it is perfect.
Burger: Chucks. AC has the best burger and the best sandwich in Raleigh. I love her.
Steak: would love to pick Angus Barn, but it's not great anymore. Oak is the best option in town.
Italian: Split between Vivace and Piccola. You want chicken parm/red sauce, go to Piccola.
Fine Dining: Second Empire is excellent. We have always opted for the more causal downstairs bar.
Seafood: The Cortez. Probably belongs on the list of the best restaurants in town. And if you're around for a happy hour, $1 oysters can't be beat.
Mexican: Gringo for more traditional, La Santa for Americanized. If you want to be really traditional, venture south of downtown to El Toro.
BBQ: this is a weak point, but I returned to Clyde Coopers recently and came away impressed. Good time to step their game up as Sam Jones is opening soon. A weakness may soon be a strength. Avoid the Pit, I cannot say this strongly enough.
 
Triangle dining scene is definitely pretty strong these days. Durham is a bit more eclectic for sure but we have some outstanding stuff, especially of the international variety. Just wish it was easier to get to different parts of the Triangle for a nice dinner outing.
 
Raleigh is the culinary capital of NC. Add Durham and call it "RDU" and Charlotte isn't even close. Come at me Biff. Wakelaw13's quick City of Oaks restaurant guide:

Best restaurants in the City:
Pooles Diner. If it's your first time in town or you're just starting to get to know the food scene, this is where you start. Ashley Christensen also owns/runs Death and Taxes, which is great. Spend half the money on equally good food and go to Pooles.
Bida Manda/Bhavana. Different restaurants, both fantastic. I'm in the minority with my preference for Bida Manda, but you can't go wrong. Bhavana also has the best beer in town.
Crawford and Son. Scott Crawford is the man, everything is great. He just opened a French Bistro next door as well.
Stanbury. Doesn't get the same hype as the others on this list, but it might be my favorite restaurant in town. The fried oysters are the best small plate in town, best pork chop I've ever had (style changes with menu) and steak special last time was insane. The bar is fantastic as well. Highly recommend.

Best by category:
Pizza: Oakwood Pizza Box. Get the square pizza. Trophy is a close second, and most would say the best brewery.
Cheap(er) food: Beasley's. The hot chicken is the best sandwich in town. Everything about it is perfect.
Burger: Chucks. AC has the best burger and the best sandwich in Raleigh. I love her.
Steak: would love to pick Angus Barn, but it's not great anymore. Oak is the best option in town.
Italian: Split between Vivace and Piccola. You want chicken parm/red sauce, go to Piccola.
Fine Dining: Second Empire is excellent. We have always opted for the more causal downstairs bar.
Seafood: The Cortez. Probably belongs on the list of the best restaurants in town. And if you're around for a happy hour, $1 oysters can't be beat.
Mexican: Gringo for more traditional, La Santa for Americanized. If you want to be really traditional, venture south of downtown to El Toro.
BBQ: this is a weak point, but I returned to Clyde Coopers recently and came away impressed. Good time to step their game up as Sam Jones is opening soon. A weakness may soon be a strength. Avoid the Pit, I cannot say this strongly enough.

Haven't been there yet but AC's Poole's Pies is apparently making a strong push for best pizza in town. Poole's is great, but not sure it is my favorite. Hard to pick a favorite. We love Hayes Barton! And I think the Angus Barn is still awesome. Wild Turkey Lounge is hard to beat for a restaurant bar!
 
Fucking Hayes Barton cake is my favorite dessert in the world. I dream about that stuff. The chocolate chip cookie dough one is insane.
 
Haven't been there yet but AC's Poole's Pies is apparently making a strong push for best pizza in town. Poole's is great, but not sure it is my favorite. Hard to pick a favorite. We love Hayes Barton! And I think the Angus Barn is still awesome. Wild Turkey Lounge is hard to beat for a restaurant bar!

We go to the lounge a few times a year at least and love it. Just don’t think it comes close to the best steak. But it is one of our favorite dining experiences.
 
Garland chef, Cheetie Kumar, is a finalist for the Beard this year. I may need to make another trip back.
 
I went once or twice five/six years ago with a woman I was seeing, but it's been a while. I definitely dug the vibe. I like how it started out as a lunch take-out window just doing like Indian veggie dishes or something. Cool story. Also, a few years ago Robert Plant stopped by and took a picture with the chef and I always thought that was cool.
 
Chuck's is going away for good. Beasley's chicken is expanding into that space.
 
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