North Carolina

When the mountain air turns cold in Buncombe County, a plate of hot food and a bottomless cup…

By Asher Raleigh · Nov 8

Fall in North Carolina usually means apple stands, pumpkin patches, and long drives to see the leaves change.…

By Asher Raleigh · Nov 7

Breakfast prices keep creeping up, but a few North Carolina diners still treat a ten-dollar bill with real…

By Asher Raleigh · Nov 7

Some restaurants chase trends, and some simply refuse to change. In the small Martin County town of Williamston,…

By Asher Raleigh · Nov 7

Some towns are known for a festival, and some are known for a single dish. Lexington, North Carolina,…

By Asher Raleigh · Nov 6

Why wait until November for turkey, dressing, and a pile of sweet potato casserole? Across North Carolina, from…

By Asher Raleigh · Nov 6

Some of the best mornings in North Carolina start in the dark, at a counter where the coffee…

By Asher Raleigh · Nov 6

Here is a quick road note first: North Carolina has no I-15, so this list follows the highway…

By Asher Raleigh · Nov 5

In Eastern North Carolina, barbecue means chopped pork, a vinegar-based sauce, and a plate of slaw on the…

By Asher Raleigh · Nov 5

Some of the best Saturday plans in North Carolina start with a coffee cup and a short drive…

By Asher Raleigh · Nov 5

North Carolina takes its hot dogs seriously, and the proof is in the old counters, screen doors, and…

By Asher Raleigh · Nov 4

On the North Carolina coast, the day starts early, and the best breakfast counters know it. From the…

By Asher Raleigh · Nov 4

Every October, the North Carolina mountains get two kinds of crowds: the ones parked at Blue Ridge Parkway…

By Asher Raleigh · Nov 4

Mount Airy is the North Carolina town that helped inspire Mayberry, and its Main Street still plays the…

By Asher Raleigh · Nov 3

Some breakfast spots chase trends, and some just keep the coffee coming while the trends pass by. In…

By Asher Raleigh · Nov 3

A giant bald dome of granite rises out of the forest in the North Carolina mountains, and most…

By Asher Raleigh · Nov 3

Some restaurants do not look like much from the parking lot, and that is half the fun. In…

By Asher Raleigh · Nov 2

Mention ribs to almost anyone in the North Carolina foothills, and the same answer tends to come back…

By Asher Raleigh · Nov 2

Some people drive 40 minutes each way for a plate of chicken wings, and they plan the next…

By Asher Raleigh · Nov 2

Some meals remind you of a family reunion before you even finish the plate. In south Durham, a…

By Asher Raleigh · Nov 1

Some Charlotte families have been coming back to the same buffet since 2014, and that kind of loyalty…

By Asher Raleigh · Nov 1

Ask anyone in North Carolina about barbecue and you will get an opinion, a debate, and probably a…

By Asher Raleigh · Nov 1

Some Charlotte lunches end with a single plate and a quick goodbye. Others turn into a slow lap…

By Asher Raleigh · Oct 31

Some dinners are just meals, and some turn into the story you tell for years. In downtown Raleigh,…

By Asher Raleigh · Oct 31

Some breakfasts are built for a long day of work, and one plate in Hillsborough even carries the…

By Asher Raleigh · Oct 31

Some dinner plans start with a craving that simply will not quit. In Raleigh, that craving often has…

By Asher Raleigh · Oct 30

Some vacation plans fall apart over a single clock time, and in downtown Bryson City that time is…

By Asher Raleigh · Oct 30

Some sandwiches are lunch, and some are a construction project. In Raleigh, there is a deli where the…

By Asher Raleigh · Oct 30

Some breakfast spots come and go faster than a short stack disappears. One little diner in Maggie Valley…

By Asher Raleigh · Oct 29

Brunswick stew is one of those North Carolina side dishes that can start a friendly argument at almost…

By Asher Raleigh · Oct 29

Some breakfast spots win people over with fancy menus and comfy booths. This one has neither, and the…

By Asher Raleigh · Oct 29

North Carolina is famous for barbecue, but the state has quietly built a serious po’ boy scene too.…

By Asher Raleigh · Oct 28

Some dishes are about more than filling you up, and chicken and dumplings sits right at the top…

By Asher Raleigh · Oct 28

Some foods need no introduction in their hometown, and livermush is one of them in Shelby, North Carolina.…

By Asher Raleigh · Oct 28

Some families drive into Asheville every single month for one reason, and it is not the mountains. It…

By Asher Raleigh · Oct 27

Eastern North Carolina barbecue is simple on paper: whole hog, chopped fine, and dressed with a thin vinegar…

By Asher Raleigh · Oct 27

At 5 AM, most of Louisburg is still asleep, but one small kitchen on the south side of…

By Asher Raleigh · Oct 27

Mountain driving in western North Carolina builds an appetite fast, and chain restaurants just do not fit the…

By Asher Raleigh · Oct 26

Some road trips in eastern North Carolina have an unofficial rule: nobody passes through Kinston without stopping to…

By Asher Raleigh · Oct 26