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Best Bagel in the Triangle
As the only bagel shop on Rosemary Street, Brandwein’s Bagels fills a special (and very necessary) niche with its promise to serve classic New York bagels that are boiled and baked right here in Chapel Hill. Since its opening by a UNC graduate in 2020, the shop has seen nothing but success—and that boom is about to get even bigger. The beloved restaurant announced in 2021 that it’s expanding, meaning more parking, faster service, and most importantly: more bagels. From the colorful tables that countless UNC students have sat around catching up with friends to the delicious Green Goddess Spread, Brandwein’s has something for everyone, and further proves the power of a Kenan-Flagler graduate with a dream, some ambition, and a lot of love for bagels.—HK
Finalists: Everything Bagels, Benchwarmers Bagels, Isaac’s Bagels
Best Bakery in Durham County
Guglhupf Bakery, Cafe & Biergarten
Finalists: Loaf, Ninth Street Bakery, Monuts
Best Bakery in Orange / Chatham County
Finalists: Weaver Street Market, Hillsborough Bakeshop, Phoenix Bakery
Best Bakery in Wake County
Since La Farm first opened in Cary in 1999, the European-style bakery has grown in leaps and bounds. Its original location has expanded into the storefront next door, giving people plenty of room to settle down for a quick lunch or cortado. Husband-and-wife team Lionel and Missy Vatinet have also opened three other locations in Cary and Fuquay-Varina, along with a food truck, and started selling fresh loaves at local grocery stores. The bread itself is what all bread should be—delicious, airy, and crusty. La Farm is the neighborhood bakery everyone longs for, a welcoming local place where you can find breakfast, specialized ingredients for a dinner party, or simply something on your regular grocery list.—JG
Finalists: Boulted Bread, Union Special Bread, Yellow Dog Bread Co.
Best Barbecue in Durham County
Finalists: Picnic Durham, Backyard BBQ Pit, Lawrence BBQ
Best Barbecue in Orange / Chatham County
Finalists: The Pig, Hillsborough BBQ, The Spotted Dog
Best Barbecue in Wake County
Finalists: Sam Jones BBQ Raleigh, City Barbecue, Prime BBQ
Best Biscuits in Durham County
Rise Southern Biscuits & Righteous Chicken
My favorite section of Rise’s menu is The Build, where you can pick a biscuit flavor and customize it from a ginormous list of toppings. There are so many topping options that The Build sort of feels like a bastardization of the concept of choice—I calculated the number of possible combinations and it has 44 digits—but that’s what makes it fun. Get a blueberry biscuit with American cheese and hot sauce! No one’s stopping you.—LG
Finalists: Monuts, Biscuitville, Debbie Lou’s – True Flavors
Best Biscuits in Orange / Chatham County
Finalists: Rise, Neal’s Deli, Village Diner
Best Biscuits in Wake County
Rise Southern Biscuits & Righteous Chicken
Finalists: The Flying Biscuit Cafe, Bojangles, Jubala
Best Bloody Mary in The Triangle
I’ve long maintained that the Bloody Mary holds a sacrosanct space in the mixological world of spirits and libations—not quite a cocktail but heartier, not quite a meal but certainly a vehicle for supplying nutrition or replenishing essential vitamins and minerals lost after a long night of boozing. But The Blind Pelican, a seafood restaurant in Holly Springs, takes the already multi-faceted concept of the Bloody Mary to a new level altogether. It’s a cocktail, it’s a meal, and if you’re going with one off of their Ultimate Bloody Mary menu, it’ll cost somewhere around $100. It’s worth the price tag: where else can you get jumbo shrimp, bacon, grilled cheese, crab legs, lobster tail, and filet mignon served up to you in your cocktail glass? Trust, it’s less zany (and more delicious) than it sounds, and we’re glad to have The Blind Pelican—whose bartender, Joshua Self, also won in our categories of Best Bartender/Mixologist and Best Draft Slinger in Wake—in our humble corner of the county.—JP
Finalists: Jack Tar & the Colonel’s Daughter, Motorco – Parts & Labor, NoFo at the Pig
Best Bread in Durham County
Guglhupf Bakery, Cafe & Biergarten
Finalists: Ninth Street Bakery, Loaf, Whisk & Rye
Best Bread in Orange / Chatham County
Finalists: Weaver Street Market, Great Harvest Bread Co, Chicken Bridge Bakery
Best Bread in Wake County
Finalists: Boulted Bread, Union Special, Yellow Dog Bread Co.
Best Breakfast in Durham County
Finalists: Monuts; Guglhupf Bakery, Cafe & Biergarten; Jack Tar and the Colonel’s Daughter
Best Breakfast in Orange / Chatham County
Finalists: Breadman’s, First Watch, Breakaway Cafe
Best Breakfast in Wake County
Fluffy, buttery, sweet biscuits with homemade cranberry apple butter—what could be better? Like all the best breakfast restaurants, Flying Biscuit sells eggs, bacon, and other breakfast items all day, every day, starting at 7 a.m. for those early risers. And every meal comes with a serving of their homemade biscuits, some of the best in the Triangle. The rest of Flying Biscuit’s menu is equally appealing. The chorizo hash is a savory feast, while the french toast with raspberry sauce and honey creme anglaise lives up to its heavenly name, especially for those with a sweet tooth. Flying Biscuit is always a great stop for brunch as well, with a drinks menu that includes mimosa flights, bloody marys, and Irish coffee. The trick is to arrive an hour before you want to eat, put your name down on the list, and enjoy some shopping in Cameron Village before settling down to a gourmet breakfast.—JG
Finalists: Big Ed’s, First Watch, Brig’s
Best Brewery in Durham County
Finalists: Fullsteam, The Glass Jug Beer Lab, Durty Bull
Best Brewery in Orange / Chatham County
Finalists: Carolina Brewery, Top of the Hill, Vecino
Best Brewery in Wake County
Finalists: Bond Brothers, Lynnwood Brewing Concern, Big Boss
Best Burger in Durham County
Finalists: Only Burger, QueenBurger, Burger Bach
Best Burger in Orange / Chatham County
Finalists: Wooden Nickel, Hawthorne & Wood, Buns
Best Burger in Wake County
Finalists: Char-Grill, MoJoe’s, Five Guys
Best Burrito in Durham County
Finalists: Ex-Voto, La Vaquita Taqueria, NuvoTaco
Best Burrito in Orange / Chatham County
There’s nothing like a good restaurant name pun. Sorry, let me reword—there’s nothing like a good restaurant name pun that also happens to serve amazing burritos. So hop in your car and drive to Carrboro for Carrburritos, a family-owned California-Mexican restaurant with locations in Carrboro and Davidson, NC. Carrburritos has both classic and unconventional burritos, including a customizable burrito that comes with one filling choice out of eight options, including shredded pork, grilled vegetables, or guacamole. The chips taste exactly how tortilla chips should taste—thick, salty, and somewhere right in the middle of crunchy and soft so that they melt perfectly in your mouth. Jarritos fruit-flavored sodas are available upon checking out, and don’t forget the margarita specials on Wednesdays and Thursdays.—HK
Finalists: Cosmic Cantina, Fiesta Grill, Monterrey
Best Burrito in Wake County
Finalists: Armadillo Grill, Dos Taquitos, Dank Burrito, Baja Burrito
Best Caribbean or Cuban in the Triangle
Rooted in the philosophy that “mise en place begins in the soil,” the nation’s only farm-to-table Cuban restaurant places great import on using fresh, locally-sourced ingredients—many of which are harvested from the owners’ farm in Hillsborough—and provides guests with a transportive yet grounding experience by surrounding them with traditional music and decor that encourages them to acknowledge the origins of the food they’re eating. COPA’s menu is packed with historical tidbits that are tied to its authentic fare; the “La Diosa Negra” cocktail, for instance, is named for a woman who initiated such radical reform in Cuba that people called her a “Black goddess.” When you leave COPA, you’ll realize that you received not just an exquisite meal but a vacation, an education, and a meditation.—LG
Finalists: Boricua Soul, Spanglish, Carmen’s
Best Cheap Eats in Durham County
Finalists: Elmo’s Diner, Cook Out, Queeny’s
Best Cheap Eats in Orange / Chatham County
Finalists: Cosmic Cantina, Sunrise Biscuit Kitchen, Time Out, Blue Dogwood Public Market
Best Cheap Eats in Wake County
Finalists: Char-Grill, Gym Tacos, MoJoe’s
Best Chef in Durham County
Carrie Schleiffer at Alley Twenty Six
Finalists: Ricky Moore, Matt Kelly, Michael Lee, Steph Bell
Best Chef in Orange / Chatham County
Vimala Rajendran at Vimala’s Curryblossom Cafe
Finalists: Christian Patterson, Aaron Vandemark, Brandon Sharp
Best Chef in Wake County
Ashley Christensen of AC Restaurants
Finalists: Cheetie Kumar, Scott Crawford, Sunny Gerhart
Best Chinese Restaurant in Durham County
Finalists: Shanghai, Hong Kong Chinese Restaurant, Orient Garden
Best Chinese Restaurant in Orange / Chatham County
Finalists: Jade Palace, Red Lotus, Hunam
Best Chinese Restaurant in Wake County
Finalists: Beansprout, Taipei 101, Chuan Cafe
Best Chocolate in the Triangle
Finalists: Escazu Chocolates, Matthew’s Chocolates, Miel Bon Bons
Best Cocktail Bar in Durham County
Finalists: Kingfisher, Bar Virgile, Corpse Reviver Cocktail Bar
Best Cocktail Bar in Orange/Chatham County
Finalists: Hawthorne & Wood, Belltree Cocktail Club, Lime & Lemon Indian Grill & Bar
Best Cocktail Bar in Wake County
Finalists: Dram and Draft, Bittersweet, The Blind Pelican, SideBar
Best Coffee Shop in Durham County
Cocoa Cinnamon’s owners prioritize sustainability and inclusivity in every step of the journey “from cup to crop and crop to cup”: they make a point to support producers who use sustainable practices and are women of color; hire diverse employees and pay them a living wage; provide Spanish translations and adding churros to the menu at its Lakewood location to make the community feel welcome; and upcycle their coffee grounds into fertilizer for local gardens. The result? Exquisite coffee, a warm and accessible space, a happier planet, and a “Best of the Triangle” win every single year since it opened.—LG
Finalists: Joe Van Gogh, Bean Traders, Cloche Coffee
Best Coffee Shop in Orange / Chatham County
Finalists: Cup A Joe, Open Eye Cafe, Grey Squirrel
Best Coffee Shop in Wake County
With Cup A Joe, the name says it all. A traditional, low-maintenance coffee shop, NC State students and Raleigh natives alike pour in weekday mornings for their daily caffeine fix. The baristas have coffee-making down to a science, so it’s easy to pick up a cup to go. If you have a big deadline coming up, though, the funky, chill shop is also an easy place to settle down to work for a few hours. Cup A Joe’s rotating specials ensure there’s always something new to try—usually something flavorful, light on the sugar, and heavy on the espresso. But if you just want a simple cup of joe, you won’t be disappointed.—JG
Finalists: Sola Coffee Cafe, Jubala, NoRa Cafe
Best Cupcake in the Triangle
Finalists: Gigi’s Cupcakes, The Cupcake Shoppe, Taylor Street Sweets
Best Deli in the Triangle
If your stomach is growling louder than a lawn mower and you’re seeking out a meal that will be both fast and filling, Mediterranean Deli is the way to go. The bustling, spacious restaurant’s seemingly never-ending array of menu options puts visitors in a trance as they gaze from pastas to side salads to potato dishes… and back to pasta again. That’s not even mentioning the entrees, with gyros, pitas, and shawarmas that you can fill with as much tzatziki or tahini sauce as you please. At the Franklin Street location, outside seating is also a plus, with giant fans gusting cool air onto diners during the hot summer months.—HK
Finalists: Neal’s Deli, Ideal’s, Deli Edison
Best Desserts in Durham County
Guglhupf Bakery, Cafe & Biergarten
Finalists: The Parlour; Rose’s Noodles, Dumplings, and Sweets; Mad Hatter’s; Sweets by Shayda
Best Desserts in Orange / Chatham County
Finalists: Weaver Street Market, Hawthorne & Wood, Coco Espresso – Bistro & Bar
Best Desserts in Wake County
Finalists: Bittersweet, Bonafide Bakeshop & Cafe, Kandy Apples by K
Best Distillery in the Triangle
Finalists: Mystic Farm & Distilling Company, TOPO, Young Hearts Distilling Company
Best Donut in the Triangle
Finalists: Duck Donuts, Krispy Kreme, Baker’s Dozen Donuts
Best Draft Beer Selection in Durham County
The nearly six year-old Beer Study shares space with the Starpoint Brewing Company. “We have about 15 types of beer on tap from Starpoint and 40 total,” says manager Kerri Hoffman. “We have two wine drafts, two cider drafts, and a kombucha CBD.” And oh what a selection on tap: there are pilsners and IPAs, Hefeweizens and porters, amber ales, wheat ales, lagers, pale ales with jalapenos, stouts with coffee, milk stouts and fruited IPAs. Need something a little more exotic? Try the Beer Study’s Salud Cerveceria, Tiki Dairelynerweisse, a sour with pineapple, strawberry, banana, coconut cream, and hibiscus. Or, for the more lowbrow, albeit still cosmopolitan palette, check out the Perennial Suburban Beverage, a gose with Meyer Lemon, Valencia Orange, and Key Lime. How about a Rare Barrel, Illusions of Forever, that features Golden Sour with red plums aged in an oak barrel, or maybe the Fonta Flora, Doodle Juice, a blend of strawberry double IPA, dry hopped with Belma and Huell Melon? The beer hall also offers Royal Jamaican alcoholic ginger beer, and has an import section that includes beers from Belgium, Estonia, and Germany.—TM
Finalists: Growler Grlz, The Glass Jug Beer Lab, Pour
Best Draft Beer Selection in Orange / Chatham County
Finalists: Wooden Nickel, House of Hops Pittsboro, Old East Tavern
Best Draft Beer Selection in Wake County
If you’re looking for a fresh pour, look no further than the Raleigh Beer Garden. The three-floor establishment on Glenwood Avenue set the world record for most beers on tap in 2015, with 369 drafts. Raleigh Beer Garden’s number of drafts has since grown to nearly 400, so whatever your poison, there’s something for you. RBG’s excellent garden, complete with fairy lights and space heaters, means there’s always a wonderful place to enjoy a pint, whether it’s a chilly winter evening or warm summer night. The garden’s ever-rotating draft list also means there’s always something new for beer entrepreneurs, whether it’s a funky sour or seasonal summer shandy. Have analysis paralysis? Don’t worry. The garden’s digital beer menu is searchable by beer style, alcohol content, and bitterness. And if you need some food before the next round, the garden’s pretzel, baked or fried, is the perfect salty snack to satisfy any craving.—JG
Finalists: The Flying Saucer, Cellar 55
Best Food Truck in the Triangle
Whenever I’m out at an event or festival in downtown Raleigh, I always check the map to suss out whether my favorite food truck—the Triangle’s very best food truck—will be making an appearance. Of course, that food truck is Chirba Chirba. If I’m in luck and the festival is blessed with that yellow, smiling dumpling-adorned truck, at some point during the day, I’ll rally my friends and make them stand with me in the inevitably long line to order. (That line is the result of the enduring popularity of Chirba Chirba.) No one usually minds standing in line with me, you see, because they, too, want to eat Chirba Chirba. So we wait. We order our Juicy Buns and jiaozi, slather them in all the piquant sauces, and scarf them down. Then, a few shows, laps, beers, or hours later, we’ll get back in that line all over again for more Chirba Chirba. That’s just how good it is—so nice, they named it twice, and twice is how many times in a day I’ll show up for the inimitably delicious fare from the food truck Chirba Chirba.—JP
Finalists: Epic Vegan Food Truck, Cousins Maine Lobster Truck, Stairway to Veggin’
Best French Restaurant in the Triangle
Finalists: Rue Cler, Coquette, Jolie
Best Fries in the Triangle
Finalists: Al’s Burger Shack, Heavenly Buffaloes, Queeny’s
Best Frozen Treats in the Triangle
Finalists: Two Roosters, LocoPops, Goodberry’s
Best Greek/Mediterranean Restaurant in the Triangle
Finalists: Neomonde, Sassool, Kipos Greek Taverna
Best Hot Dog in the Triangle
Finalists: King’s Sandwich Shop, Roast Grill, Accordion Club
Best Indian Restaurant in the Triangle
For the past 12 years, Vimala Rajendran has served up a marvelous selection of traditional Indian dishes at the Curryblossom Cafe, while abiding by a set of values that prompted her to pay her employees a living wage long before it was in vogue, and by relying on locally grown produce and meats to support local farmers. “We are local fare with a global flair,” Rajendran tells the INDY. The airy restaurant is just off the beaten path of Franklin Street in the green, rather serene Courtyard, where it sits like a culinary oasis within the folds of a lotus flower. Rajendran, who grew up in the bustling city of Bombay, moved to the United States as a 21-year-old, pregnant and dependent spouse of a research scientist. Rajendran says she began cooking at a very young age and as she became older it became a way to take care of her family and instill life and cooking lessons to her staff. Her day starts at 7 a.m. when she arrives at the restaurant to oversee the preparation of “lots and lots of onions, lots and lots of ginger and green chilies.” “Each dish is distinct and brought up from scratch each day,” she says. “I’m around to taste it, tweak it, and eat it. I’m learning myself how to make something better.”—TM
Finalists: Lime & Lemon Indian Grill & Bar, Viceroy, Sitar Indian Cuisine – Durham, Indian Monsoon
Best Irish Pub in the Triangle
Finalists: The Hibernian, James Joyce, Trali Irish Pub
Best Italian Restaurant in the Triangle
Finalists: Mothers and Sons Trattoria, Cucciolo Osteria, Osteria Georgi
Best Japanese Restaurant in Durham County
Finalists: Dashi, Kanki, Yamazushi, Kurama
Best Japanese Restaurant in Orange / Chatham County
Finalists: Iza Whiskey & Eats, Spicy 9, OiShii
Best Japanese Restaurant in Wake County
Waraji doesn’t just have the freshest sushi in the area, it’s also the best place in the Triangle to immerse yourself in an authentic Japanese dinner experience. Hidden behind a nondescript brick facade in a strip mall on Duraleigh Road, Waraji boasts a broad selection of sushi and sashimi, as well as the largest selection of sake in North Carolina, whether you prefer it hot or cold. The interior is a beautiful, cool contrast to the restaurant’s tiny entryway, with Japanese art on the walls and private dining nooks with on-the-floor seating. Overall, it’s the perfect place for an intimate, fancy dinner for two.—JG
Finalists: Kanki, City Market Sushi, OSHA, Ajisai
Best Juice Bar in the Triangle
Finalists: Raleigh Raw, Kwench Juice Cafe, Clean Juice
Best Kid-Friendly Restaurant in the Triangle
Finalists: Pompieri Pizza, Kwench Juice Cafe, Blue Dogwood Public Market
Best Late Night Meal in Durham County
Finalists: Motorco – Parts & Labor, Heavenly Buffaloes, Queeny’s
Best Late Night Meal in Orange / Chatham County
If you happen to be strolling down Franklin Street anytime from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m., you might find yourself marveling at the 20-person line out the door filled with hungry college students. As a hungry college student myself, I can attest: this line is no one-time thing. Cosmic Cantina really is that good. The nighttime environment is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced, and while most college students have plans to party or bar hop on a Saturday, some of my best memories are from a late night Cosmic run. Cosmic’s signature hot sauce beats out Texas Pete any day, and the restaurant’s loud, bustling environment just adds to the fun. Of course, it’s also pretty good during the daytime—but trust me when I say that nighttime is when the chicken burrito will work its true magic.—HK
Finalists: Time-Out, Northside District, Buckets in Chapel Hill
Best Late Night Meal in Wake County
Finalists: My Way Tavern, MoJoe’s
Best Latin American Restaurant in Durham County
Finalists: La Vaquita, Luna, Boricua Soul
Best Latin American Restaurant in Orange / Chatham County
With a menu that marries the flavors of South America and the American South, Luna offers a taste of home to immigrants and native Durhamites alike, serving up dishes that offer a thoughtful interpretation of the cuisine chef-owner Shawn Stokes grew to love during his years working in Latin America and after moving to the Bull City. The restaurant gets all sorts of bonus points for its business practices (sourcing sustainably-raised meats, offering employees paid time off, providing free lunches for folks in need during the pandemic … and just for being cool—like when they turned an anti-masker’s one-star review into a viral T-shirt).—LG
Finalists: Monterrey Mexican Grill, Fiesta Grill, El Restaurante Ixtapa, O’Ya Cantina
Best Latin American Restaurant in Wake County
Finalists: Guasaca, Centro, SOCA
Best Locally Made Cider in the Triangle
Finalists: Botanist & Barrel, Ponysaurus, Dingo Dog Brewery
Best Locally Made Craft Beer in the Triangle
Finalists: Rocket Science IPA – Fullsteam Brewery, Hop on Top – Lynnwood Brewing, Dad Fuel – Steel String Brewery
Best Locally Made Liquor in the Triangle
Durham Distillery – Conniption Gin
Finalists: Durham Distillery – Conniption Navy Strength Gin, The Brothers Vilgalys – Krupnikas, Bedlam Vodka,
Best Locally Made Mead in the Triangle
Finalists: Honeysuckle Tea House, Starrlight Mead, Moon Dog Meadery
Best Locally Made Wine in the Triangle
Finalists: Melanated Wine, Chatham Hill Winery, Cloer Family Vineyards, Iron Gate Winery
Best Locally Owned Franchise in the Triangle – Food
Finalists: Rise, Guasaca, Al’s Burger Shack
Best Mexican Restaurant in Durham County
Finalists: Chubby’s Tacos, NuvoTaco, Dos Perros
Best Mexican Restaurant in Orange / Chatham County
Finalists: Monterrey Mexican Grill, Fiesta Grill, El Restaurante Ixtapa
Best Mexican Restaurant in Wake County
Finalists: Centro, Totopos, Los Tres Cary Park
Best Middle Eastern Restaurant in the Triangle
Finalists: Neomonde, Sitti, Sassool, Tallulah’s
Best New Restaurant in Durham County
Durham has long been devoid of 1) a crepe place and 2) a brunch spot with a wait time under 30 minutes. PRESS, which opened last year in the American Tobacco Campus, has filled both needs with one deed. The European-inspired café has excellent customer service, reasonable prices for its massive portion sizes, bomb-ass crepes, a vast selection of coffee, tea, and alcoholic beverages, and enough indoor and outdoor seating that there’s pretty much no chance you’ll have to endure the unpleasant experience of waiting for a table to open up while you’re hungry and hungover.—LG
Finalists: Ideal’s Sandwich and Grocery, Queeny’s, Monsoon Indian Restaurant
Best New Restaurant in Orange / Chatham County
Finalists: Lime & Lemon Indian Grill & Bar – Chapel Hill, Osteria Georgi, Coco Espresso – Bistro & Bar
Best New Restaurant in Wake County
Finalists: Pure Vegan Cafe, Fine Folk, Catalan Tapas Bar, Hank’s Downtown Dive
Best Outdoor Dining in the Triangle
Guglhupf Bakery, Cafe & Biergarten
Finalists: Namu, Wye Hill, Hawthorne & Wood
Best Pie in Durham County
Finalists: Bean Traders, Phoebe Lawless Snack Service, The Refectory
Best Pie in Orange / Chatham County
Finalists: Kim’s Bake Shop, New Hope Market, Cup A Joe
Best Pie in Wake County
There it is, towering magnificently over Glenwood Avenue. Is it a hotel, a farm, a wedding venue? No, it’s Angus Barn—home to the best pie I’ve ever eaten. Those who claim to be “cake people” will quickly be persuaded by the barn’s delicious Chocolate Chess Pie. The recipe was formulated in the 1960’s by the current owner Van Eure’s mother, and around 50,000 pies are now made and sold every year. You can even have the pie shipped to you anywhere in the country, so if you choose to travel and are missing good ol’ North Carolina, you can quickly have a rich, chocolatey slice of home at your doorstep. The recipe has perfected just the right combination of salty and sweet, but Eure isn’t secretive about the ingredients. In fact, the full recipe is posted online, allowing you to turn a trip to the restaurant into a trip to your kitchen (but at the end of the day, Angus Barn makes it best.)—HK
Finalists: bittersweet, Slice Pie Company, Bonafide Bakeshop & Cafe
Best Pizza in Durham County
Finalists: Hutchins Garage, Tomato Jake’s, Pompieri Pizza
Best Pizza in Orange / Chatham County
Finalists: Napoli Pizzeria & Gelateria, Italian Pizzeria III, Coronato
Best Pizza in Wake County
Finalists: Trophy Brewing Company, Oakwood Pizza, Pizzeria Veritas
Best Restaurant in the Triangle
In my opinion, the other three restaurants in Mike Lee’s M-pire are equally deserving of this title, but as the first to launch, M Sushi gets the most love because it’s where many Triangle residents lost their omakase virginity. An omakase meal often spans hours, with diners relinquishing all control over the menu to the chef—the word translates to “I leave it up to you” in Japanese—and watching the preparation and plating occur right before their eyes. It’s an experience that sticks with you, especially when the ingredients are as fresh and flavorful as they are at M Sushi. If you’ve struggled to land a reservation, don’t fret: a second location is set to open in Cary’s Fenton development this month.—LG
Finalists: Mateo Tapas, Angus Barn, Hawthorne & Wood
Best Salad in the Triangle
Finalists: Cava, Toast, The Spotted Dog
Best Sandwich in Durham County
Eastcut’s menu embraces sandwich styles from a variety of regions along the East Coast: the Spicy Gabagool evokes an Italian sub from New York City; the Balboa Beefsteak is authentic to Philly; and the Jaybird rings true to the fried chicken sandwiches that many native Durhamites grew up eating, complete with a generous smear of Duke’s mayo. The restaurant’s win in this category reflects not just the flavor and composition of their sandwiches, but the taste and makeup of Durham residents in 2022, many of whom are transplants from up and down the Atlantic seaboard.—LG
Finalists: Parker and Otis, Toast, Ideal’s Sandwich and Grocery
Best Sandwich in Orange / Chatham County
Finalists: Neal’s Deli, The Spotted Dog, Deli Edison, Coco Espresso – Bistro & Bar
Best Sandwich in Wake County
Finalists: Union Special Bread, Bonafide Bakeshop & Cafe, State of Beer, Ish Deli
Best Seafood Restaurant in the Triangle
Finalists: St James Seafood, 42nd Street Oyster Bar, Locals Seafood
Best Small Plates/Tapas in the Triangle
Finalists: Taberna, Barcelona Wine Bar, Catalan Tapas Bar
Best Southern Food Restaurant in the Triangle
Finalists: Dame’s Chicken & Waffles, Picnic, Lucky 32
Best Sports Bar in Durham County
Finalists: Bull McCabe’s, The Boot Room, Dain’s Place
Best Sports Bar in Orange / Chatham County
Finalists: Hickory Tavern, Carolina Ale House, Old East Tavern
Best Sports Bar in Wake County
Finalists: Carolina Ale House, My Way Tavern, Woody’s at the City Market
Best Steak in Durham County
Finalists: Vin Rouge, Metro 8, Gocciolina, The Restaurant at The Durham
Best Steak in Orange / Chatham County
Finalists: Hawthorne & Wood, Stoney River, Farm House Steaks – Chapel Hill, Acme
Best Steak in Wake County
Finalists: Stanbury, Sullivans, Vinnie’s Steakhouse, Capital Grille
Best Sunday Brunch in Durham County
Guglhupf Bakery, Cafe & Biergarten
Finalists: Elmo’s Diner, Jack Tar & the Colonel’s Daughter, Vin Rouge, Alley Twenty Six
Best Sunday Brunch in Orange / Chatham County
Finalists: Acme Food & Drink, Venable, Kipos Chapel Hill, Coco Espresso – Bistro & Bar
Best Sunday Brunch in Wake County
Finalists: Coquette, Wye Hill, Element Gastropub
Best Sushi in Durham County
Finalists: Shiki Sushi, Sake Bomb, Sushi Love
Best Sushi in Orange / Chatham County
Finalists: Spicy 9, Elements, HTOO Asian Fusion
Best Sushi in Wake County
Finalists: City Market Sushi, Sushi Thai, Kai Sushi and Sake
Best Vegan-Friendly Restaurant in Durham County
Finalists: Pure Soul, Earth to Us, Dos Perros
Best Vegan-Friendly Restaurant in Orange / Chatham County
Finalists: Sage, Vegan Flava Cafe, Coco Espresso – Bistro & Bar
Best Vegan-Friendly Restaurant in Wake County
Finalists: Irregardless Cafe, Pure Vegan Cafe, Element Gastropub
Best Veggie Burger in Durham County
I’ve eaten upwards of 50 veggie burgers from Bull City over the course of my life, so when I tell you they slap, you better believe me. During middle and high school, I regularly ordered the Joan Jett (three-bean patty, lettuce, garlic aioli) as part of the restaurant’s “Grade A Burger” deal, which offers free meals to students who make the honor roll. After graduating college, I applied to work at Bull City—partially because I knew I’d get a discount on their veggie burgers—and during my tenure there, I grew especially fond of the restaurant’s rotating selection of plant-based burgers, which range from beet-quinoa to sweet potato-chickpea. It’s rare that a burger joint has more than one veggie patty on the menu, so Bull City stands out in this regard, but above all else, the restaurant cinched this category because their veggie burgers celebrate, instead of mask, the ingredients that make them; amid the faux meat craze, Bull City has stood its ground, proving that veggie patties don’t have to compromise their integrity to be impossibly good.—LG
Finalists: Pure Soul, Only Burger, QueenBurger, Elmo’s Diner
Best Veggie Burger in Orange / Chatham County
Finalists: Al’s Burger Shack, Wooden Nickel, Buns
Best Veggie Burger in Wake County
Finalists: Element Gastropub, Pure Vegan Cafe, MoJoe’s
Best Wine List in the Triangle
Finalists: Glasshalfull, Louella, Hawthorne & Wood
Best Wings in Durham County
Not to beat the dead horse (or buffalo), but this restaurant’s wings can only be described as heavenly. With bone in, boneless, and vegan wing options, and 27 different sauces and flavors, no two visits to Heavenly Buffaloes should ever look the same. While the wings are what puts this bright orange building on the map, their fries offer another exciting variety of choices: Idaho or sweet potato, plain rubbed or dry rubbed, to share with your family or not to share with your family (selfishly, I think we all know the right answer to that one). Aside from the food itself, the outdoor seating after a Tar Heel game day is always lively and exciting, and the interior decor is hilariously buffalo-heavy.—HK
Finalists: Tomato Jake’s, Chicken Bee, Pie Pushers
Best Wings in Orange / Chatham County
Finalists: The Wooden Nickel, The Spotted Dog, Armadillo Grill
Best Wings in Wake County
Finalists: Lynnwood Grill, MyWay Tavern, Wingin It
Correction: Brandwein Bagels (Best Bagel in the Triangle) is on Rosemary Street, not Franklin Street as was originally written.
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