Romantic string lights and two days of street dining set the mood for downtown Raleigh’s restaurant week, held Friday, October 2 through Sunday, October 11. 

The downtown event is normally intended to shake things up by giving restaurants the chance to experiment with fixed-price menus while offering diners select deals and the chance to explore new menus. This year, of course, things are different. COVID-19 has gutted the national and local restaurant industry and many beloved restaurants have disappeared altogether from downtown Raleigh.

This year’s restaurant week, presented by the Downtown Raleigh Alliance, will focus on drumming up support for local restaurants under new safety protocols, with diners encouraged to dine outside, plan a takeout adventure, or purchase a gift card for later.

If you’re in the mood for tacos, try Calavera Empanada and Tequila Bar’s dinner special—a beer bucket with 10 tacos for only $35—or, should you crave heartier fare, try Capital Club 16’s three-course Bavarian-style dinner, which includes potato pancakes, a choice of Dark beer roasted pork shoulder or Kaesespaetzle, followed by Zwetchgendatschi. If you don’t know those latter two dishes, I promise you’ll want to read up on all of them—and a list of participating restaurants—here. 

More than 40 restaurants are participating in the week—including Trophy Brewing & Pizza, Wye Hill Kitchen & Brewing, Oak Steakhouse Raleigh, and Plates Kitchen—with lunch specials that run from $5-$10, dinner specials that run from $15-$20, and 3-course prixe-fix menus that are priced at $25 and up.

On the two Saturdays bookending the restaurant week (October 2 and October 10), two blocks of Fayetteville Street will be blocked off from 5-9 p.m. for the campaign #DineOutDowntown and decorated with lights and tables, allowing diners to eat outside. 

For anyone (like me) who have one glass of wine at an outdoor table and suddenly have fantasies of being European, the restaurant week is an excuse to inject a little romance—and yes, community support—into October and the long slump toward the election. 

Follow Deputy Arts & Culture Editor Sarah Edwards on Twitter or send an email to [email protected]. 

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Sarah Edwards is culture editor of the INDY, covering cultural institutions and the arts in the Triangle. She joined the staff in 2019 and assumed her current role in 2020.