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.

The Hillsborough Road location of this popular, locally-owned chain serves fancy versions of classic Mexican street food like tacos, burritos, enchiladas, and more. The Lacko Taco comes with chili-braised short ribs, roasted corn, poblano salsa, and a spicy creme fraiche, while the Burrito Guapo is stuffed with grilled chicken, veggies, rice, pico de gallo, and fried plantains. It has a full bar menu, with a focus on creative tequila drinks. Gonza is also open for brunch.

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has He’s Not Here, North Carolina State has the Player’s Retreat — the PR, as it’s known by locals, has been a Raleigh institution since 1951. The classic bar food attracts both college students and alums, as well as a fair share of Raleigh’s movers and shakers. It’s got a classic wedge salad, fried potato skins, grilled steaks, and plenty of sandwiches and burgers. It also has a late-night menu for post-cram-session cravings, as well as a limited brunch menu.

Semantic appropriateness of the word itself aside, Irregardless Cafe was serving globally inspired food before fusion cuisine was the buzzword it is today. With a heavy emphasis on vegetarian and vegan cuisine (nearly two-thirds of the menu is meat-free), the cafe has become something of a Raleigh institution. Mushroom stroganoff, teriyaki tempeh, red-wine braised short ribs, and a paella with shrimp, chicken, mussels, scallops, and lobster butter are just a few of the menu offerings. The popular Sunday brunch has vegan burritos, smoked salmon hash, asparagus omelettes, and more.

Classic American fare like chicken parm, tuna casserole, and filet mignon make up the savory side of this cafe’s lunch and dinner menu, but in reality Hayes-Barton is where Raleigh comes for cake. Choose from over a dozen daily offerings like red velvet cake, hummingbird cake, or banana pudding cake. There are other dessert offerings like pies and puddings, but the cakes are real show here.

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.