10 Most Anticipated Restaurants Across the Carolinas for Fall, 2023

Chefs, restaurateurs, and investors in North and South Carolina continue to open restaurants and bars at an increasing pace. As always, Eater is obsessively tracking the progression of all the premiers — from menu releases to newly installed signage, come here for the latest updates. This list encapsulates the places garnering excitement this fall.

ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA

Good Hot Fish

Location: TBD
Key Players: Chef Ashleigh Shanti
Projected Opening: 2023
“Top Chef” star, Eater Young Gun, and James Beard finalist Ashleigh Shanti has toured the East Coast with her Good Hot Fish pop-ups while fans wait for a more permanent location to open up in Asheville. Shanti’s fish camp-style restaurant pulls from traditions in Black Appalachian food, Southern food, and soul food.

Also, keep an eye on:
• Areta’s (Mission Hospital Area)

CARY, NORTH CAROLINA

SAAP

Location: Luxury apartment complex the Walker, Downtown
Key Players: Chef Lon Bounsanga
Projected Opening: Fall 2023
Chef Lon Bounsanga (formerly of Bida Manda and Brewery Bhavana) brings Laotian cuisine to Cary.

Also, keep an eye on:
• Crawford Brothers Steakhouse (Fenton)
• Doc B’s Restaurant (Fenton)

CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA

Peter Frank Edwards

COSTA

Location: 320 Broad Street, Downtown
Key Players: Easton Porter Group and chef Vinson Petrillo
Projected Opening: Fall 2023
Costa, located in multi-use complex the Jasper, will feature coastal Italian cuisine from Restaurant at Zero George chef Vinson Petrillo. The restaurant will feature shellfish, crudo, and pasta.

DA TOSCANO PORCHETTA SHOP

Location: 109 President Street
Key Players: Chef Michael Toscano and partner Caitlin Toscano
Projected Opening: 2023
Le Farfalle chef Michael Toscano will bring his cult-favorite porchetta sandwich to the West Side and other breakfast and lunch items on the shop’s housemade focaccia. “The whole place is based around our focaccia — there’s no other bread,” says Toscano, “Imagine having a crusty, warm piece of focaccia with ricotta and a seasonal marmellata for breakfast.”

King BBQ

KING BBQ

Location: 2029 Carver Avenue, North Charleston
Key Players: Jackrabbit Filly owners Shuai and Corrie Wang and chef de cuisine Brandon Olson.
Projected Opening: Fall 2023
The inspiration for King BBQ is Chinese barbecue with a side of North Carolina-style barbecue, so think whole roast duck, Sichuan pork rinds, five spice roast chicken, hot mustard potato salad, and more inventive pairings from the team behind North Charleston sensation Jackrabbit Filly.

PALMIRA BARBECUE

Location: 2366 Ashley River Road
Key Players: Pitmaster Hector Garate
Projected Opening: 2023
Pitmaster Hector Garate wanted to join the new wave of smoked meat aficionados putting their unique cultural spin on what is typically considered American barbecue. What started as a hobby, smoking brisket for his family, became pop-up Palmira Barbecue and is now set to be a brick-and-mortar establishment. Garate pulls the best bits of flavors and techniques from Texas, North Carolina, and his native home Puerto Rico to create his menu of juicy beef cheeks, smoky pulled pork, and rich barbacoa.

Also, keep an eye on:
• Allora (Downtown)
• Bartaco (Downtown)
• Bearcat (West Ashley)
• Chameleon Club (Downtown)
• Clarence Foster’s Cookery & Saloon (Downtown)
• Cleats (The Neck)
• Hazel and Apple (Downtown)
• Jack’s Cafe (Downtown)
• Soho House (Downtown)
• The Harlow (James Island)
• The Pickle Bar (Summerville)
• XO Brasserie (NoMo)

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA

3rd & Fernwood

3RD & FERNWOOD

Location: 1100 Metropolitan Avenue
Key Players: Restaurateurs Greg and Subrina Collier and chef Cleophus Hethington
Projected Opening: Before Thanksgiving
Bayhaven Restaurant Group takes on the meat-and-three meal with acclaimed chefs Greg Collier and Cleophus Hethington in the kitchen. Menu examples include grilled catfish with roasted okra gravy, hambone grits, and creamed collards.

LELUIA HALL

Location: 1829 Cleveland Avenue
Key Players: Tonidandel-Brown Restaurant Group
Projected Opening: 2023
The group behind Charlotte favorites like Ever Andalo, Haberdish, and Supperland is opening a surf-and-turf spot in the historic Leeper & Wyatt Store building.

Also, keep an eye on:
• Albertine (Uptown)
• Another Brewery (NoDa)
• Chapter 6 (South End)
• Chiefs (NoDa)
• L’Ostrica (Montford)
• Nusa (South Charlotte)
• Room Service (Camp North End)
• SupperClub (South End)

DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA

Baxter Miller

NANA’S

Location: 806 West Main Street
Key Players: Chef Matt Kelly
Projected Opening: 2023
Durham darling Nana’s opened in 1992, under chef Scott Howell, as a fine dining restaurant and quickly rose to acclaim. The menu was seasonal new Southern cuisine with heavy French and Italian influences. After the restaurant closed, chef Matt Kelly (Mateo, Mother & Sons, and Vin Rouge) took an interest and decided he wanted to keep the tradition going. “Nana’s has always been a great neighborhood restaurant in the American South,” says Kelly, “and that’s what I want to do.”

Also, keep an eye on:
• Emmy Squared (Downtown)
• Max Jr.’s (Brightleaf District)
• Seraphine (American Tobacco Campus)

RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA

Jessica Crawford

BRODETO

Location: Raleigh Iron Works, 2200 Atlantic Avenue
Key Players: Chef Scott Crawford
Projected Opening: December 2023
Acclaimed chef Scott Crawford (Crawford & Son and Jolie) wants to bring the flavors of the Adriatic Sea to the Triangle. Expect live-fire cooking with Croatian and Italian flavors.

Keep an eye on:
• Mala Pata (Gateway Plaza)
• Sapo and Coqui (Unknown)
• The Preserve (Unknown)
• Village Tavern (North Hills)