For weddings, birthdays, and business deals, customers would be hard-pressed to find a moment that hasn’t been celebrated at this Raleigh institution. Since 1960, the Angus Barn has provided generations of diners with delicious steakhouse staples like aged prime rib and filet mignon, shrimp cocktail, and creamed spinach. The restaurant boasts one of the largest wine selections in the state, and its Wild Turkey Lounge not only churns out classic cocktails but also displays what is alleged to be the largest private collection of Wild Turkey commemorative decanters in the world.

Yemen Arab Restaurant does an excellent job of introducing diners to flavors they might not be familiar with. There are well-known Middle Eastern offerings like baba ganoush, hummus, and koftas, but also Yemeni specialties like lahem haneeth (roasted lamb in a Yemeni spice blend), zurbian dajaj (a tomatoey chicken saute), and a variety of saltahs, a Yemeni dish of vegetables and a whipped fenugreek and lamb sauce served boiling hot in a clay dish. The restaurant offers varieties with fish, chicken, and shredded lamb, and all come with fresh bread for dipping.

Inspired by the coastal Lowcountry cuisine of both North and South Carolina, Glenwood Grill offers classics like Charleston she crab soup, shrimp and grits, and crispy North Carolina catfish. The Carpet Bagger is an edible journey into the past — two four-ounce filet mignon steaks, fried oysters, and parsnip mashed potatoes, like something out of a 1950s black and white film.

Panoramic views of downtown Raleigh coupled with craft beer, innovative cocktails, and menu items like brewhouse mussels, a Southern saltimbocca with cheese grits, and a taco wedge salad with avocado-cilantro mousse easily qualify Wye Hill as one of the newest entries to the list of iconic Raleigh restaurants. The couple behind Wye Hill, Sara Abernethy and Chris Borreson, rescued the former Boylan Bridge Brewpub space after torrential rains caused structural damage that led to the building being condemned, meaning patrons can once again enjoy one of the best urban cityscapes in the entire state while they drink and dine.

With a focus on fresh seafood and small plates, chef Oscar Diaz is at the forefront of a group of Raleigh chefs and restaurateurs who are flipping the idea of what a Mexican restaurant should be on its head. Oysters on the half shell, grilled whole local fish with salsa criolla, snapper ceviche, and more fill out a menu where the bounty of the North Carolina coast meets the flavors of Mexican cuisine.

Heirloom does it all; coffee, tea, sake, and some of the best Laotian, Taiwanese, and Japanese food in the state. The American South meets Southeast Asia with the lao sausage biscuit for breakfast, and the Taiwanese fried chicken sandwich is one of the most popular lunch selections. All can be enjoyed in the beautiful space in Raleigh’s warehouse district, or brought home and washed down with a bottle of sake.

Since 1940, the Roast Grill has been Raleigh’s go-to for hot dogs. In fact, when customers walk through the door on West Street (underneath the sign that reads, “Hot Weiners”), that’s about all they can order aside from chips, drinks, fries, baklava, and poundcake. The grilled hot dogs can be topped with a choice of chili, mustard, slaw, or onions. It’s the simplicity and the down-home atmosphere that have led generations of Carolinians to return year after year.

Fiction Kitchen serves thoughtfully crafted vegetarian and vegan cuisine from a 100 percent vegetarian kitchen in downtown Raleigh. Lion’s mane mushroom dip (in the style of crab dip), the North Carolina peanut noodle bowl, and the crispy fried chicken and waffles (made with mock chicken) have helped make Fiction Kitchen one of the state’s most popular meatless restaurants.

Chef Sonny Gerhart’s St. Roch reopened after surviving the one-two punch of the pandemic followed by a kitchen fire. The renovated space has a New Orleans gothic cathedral vibe, and Gerhart once again leans on his Louisiana roots for a menu that includes crawfish hushpuppies, alligator bolognese, and of course, plenty of oysters. The signature Tchoupitoulas Street Special comes with 18 freshly shucked oysters, a quarter pound of North Carolina peel ‘n eat shrimp, blue crab claws, and a myriad of fixings. An innovative cocktail list and plenty of seafood-friendly wines are available. The weekend brunch menu features biscuit sandwiches, a Cajun breakfast complete with beignets and boudin balls, and a standout fried oyster hotcake that sees freshly fried oysters atop a fluffy pancake with chili crisp, spicy Creole cane syrup, and whipped ricotta.

Since 1989, Big Ed’s has been a staple of downtown’s City Market district, serving breakfast and lunch to generations of Raleigh workers, politicians, and fans of classic Southern home cooking. There’s always a daily blue plate special, and lunch dishes like Big Ed’s meatloaf and the chicken pastry are favorites, but its the all-day breakfast that usually drives traffic. Country ham with red eye gravy, hot cakes (with or without meat), and scrambled eggs with brains are just a few of the historic Southern breakfast plates on offer.

Stanbury is a perennial Raleigh favorite for it’s cozy, hip atmosphere and ever-changing eclectic menu. Past offerings have included mushroom bisque, a grilled ribeye steak, and roasted beets with whipped goat cheese — but there’s also an octopus tostada, General Tso’s sweetbreads, and a crispy pig head. Considering that the cocktail and wine menu is as eclectic as the food, no two visits to Stanbury are the same.

Union Special’s menu and its entire ethos are built on baking damn good bread. It’s part-morning coffee shop, part-take-away bakery, and part-sandwich joint. Grab a coffee in the early hours and a fresh-baked loaf of bread to take home for later, or stay and have a breakfast of biscuits with charred-onion sausage gravy and pickled peppers. Lunchtime offers American deli favorites like grilled cheeses, turkey melts, and BLTs — all with flavors one might expect in a high-end restaurant. (Union Special recently opened a second location on Fayetteville Street as well.)

Raleigh’s go-to for Korean barbecue, Seoul Garden also has a sister location in Cary. Pork and beef bulgogi, galbi, and shrimp gui can be found on the barbecue menu, alongside favorites like kimchi jigae, bibimbap, and three different types of jungol meant for sharing. Lunchtime diners can choose from menu classics or opt for the lunch-only banchan boxes, but an order of the combination soondubu (soft tofu soup with beef, baby clams, and shrimp) always pleases.