North Carolina is a state where foodies can really unbutton their waistbands. You could be standing in line at a smokehouse waiting for a NC State BBQ sandwich prepared by pitmasters tending to hogs the same way their grandparents did, or you can be eating farm-to-table food by a chef who forages for his own produce in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Although North Carolina isn’t known as a foodie state, this is about to change. Here you will find barbecue heroes, five-star shrimp for 50 cents a piece, and biscuits that could rival the French in a contest for the finest pastry.
If you’re looking for a destination to sink your fork into, then you’re in luck. In this guide, we share some of our top foodie destinations in North Carolina that we’ve discovered, from coastal fish shacks to Appalachian farm kitchens and everything in between.
North Carolina’s food scene isn’t pretentious. It’s not about white table cloths and how many stars are next to your name — it’s grounded in community, portions are generous, and flavors burst quietly and confidently.
Come hungry, and let us guide you, because some of the best meals aren’t found on Yelp, but passed along by locals who know exactly where you should be eating next, and as North Carolina residents, we’ve got our ears to the ground.
1. Asheville
Hitting the #15 spot on the leaderboard for top food destinations in the U.S. in the 2026 TripAdvisor Choice Awards, Asheville is North Carolina’s biggest foodie destination, known for its innovative, locally driven culinary scene where every bite is supporting local and sustainable agriculture.
Blending Appalachian and Southern flavors, this mountain town is all about taking advantage of seasonal produce and supporting its homegrown community. With 17 farmers’ markets, each restaurant has a menu that’s curated by chefs who know their growers by name.
What sets Asheville apart is how tightly food is woven into daily life. Festivals like Chow Chow and Asheville Food & Wine bring cooks, brewers, and eaters across the state to cook together in a distinctly unpretentious way.
Although more well-known as a beer city, and often dubbed “Beer City, USA”, Asheville has some award-winning and creative restaurants tucked between microbreweries (15 of them hold a Michelin-Star — not bad for a town of less than 100,000 people). For bold flavors, head to Cúrate Bar de Tapas, a Michelin-star Spanish tapas bar that serves small plates that are big on flavor, while for unfussy street food, Chai Pani, a James Beard Award-winning Indian restaurant has rewritten the rules for Indian street food to combine the flavors of the American South.
For something unique, look for menus serving up Appalachian foraging ingredients such as wild mushrooms or ramps, and paired with Western NC delicacies like trout or livermush.
Here’s our 48 hour itinerary guide to Asheville
2. Raleigh
We can’t miss our home of Raleigh, which was never known for its food scene – and to be honest, when we first moved there, we didn’t think it was that great. Today, that’s all changed. We’ve seen a dynamic food scene open up across the City of Oaks, offering a diverse array of options — from upscale dining to classic Southern comfort.
As part of the Research Triangle, the city draws chefs, farmers, and food thinkers who aren’t afraid to experiment, and it shows on the plate. Raleigh’s central location is not only great for politics, but it also allows chefs to get access to some of North Carolina’s best ingredients. Sweet potatoes, country ham, pasture-raised pork, and even coastal seafood arrive daily from across the state to bring farm-to-table dining to the city.
Perhaps the best place to celebrate Raleigh’s farm-fresh ethos is at community events such as the Got to Be NC Festival, a 3-day food festival hosted by the NC Department of Agriculture, as well as smaller events such as FoodeesFest, Beer, Bourbon & BBQ Festival in nearby Cary, and Raleigh Food Truck Rodeo.
When it comes to restaurants, we always recommend Crawford and Son for a sophisticated and refined taste of Southern cooking, while for something quintessentially Raleigh, you can get pit-smoked NC State BBQ done the traditional way from The Pit Authentic BBQ and Sam Jones BBQ (Michelin Bib Gourmand Award & #2 USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards for Best Carolina-style BBQ,).
You can also find unique restaurants such as Brewery Bhavana, which pairs house-made dim sum, craft beer, a flower shop, and a library – only in Raleigh. Our recent favorites are Brodeto from Scott Crawford (Adriatic Sea flavors), Figulina (Italian), and the 5-Star Herons at the Umstead Hotel. (Should have gotten a Michelin Star – #nothappy) Here are some of Raleigh’s must try restaurants.
3. Charlotte
As NC’s biggest city, Charlotte is a major hub for Southern cuisine. The food scene here is ambitious, fast-growing, and increasingly confident.
Long known as a banking hub, the Queen City has a diverse community that has influenced its dining scene. Communities have shaped a food landscape rich in Vietnamese, Latin American and Caribbean flavors, paired with local ingredients like Carolina Gold rice, regional grains and pasture-raised meats and cooked by highly-driven chefs.
Events such as Charlotte SHOUT! Festival in April and Taste of Charlotte in June bring pop-up restaurants and street food chefs, showing the hungry and open-minded foodies that Charlotte is not to be contended with.
To sample some of Charlotte’s best dishes, head to Leah & Louise (currently moving location), who were listed as one of the top 20 restaurants in the USA by Food and Wine Magazine in 2024, and put soulful, story-driven cooking on every plate. Or for something that’s not just about the food but the setting, head to Supperland, a former historic church turned into a fire-led dining experience.
4. Lexington
Known as the “Barbecue Capital of the World,” Lexington is not to be missed for anyone looking to try classic North Carolina pork barbecue smoked the authentic way. Time your visit for the annual Lexington Barbecue Festival in October to sample the best of the best.
The town sits at the heart of North Carolina’s Piedmont region, known for its hardwood trees that make the perfect smoke to put a pork shoulder on top. Paired with a tangy vinegar-and-ketchup “dip,” this is the place where you can really taste BBQ pride.
Outside of the Lexington Barbecue Festival, institutions like Lexington Barbecue (the Honey Monk), Speedy’s BBQ, and Babecue Center, is where you can find traditional BBQ where pork is cooked low and slow over live coals, served with red slaw, hushpuppies, and zero pretension.
Beyond the pits, local farms supply pork, corn, and fresh year-round produce that keep the food scene simple and seasonal.
Here’s everything you need to know about North Carolina Barbecue
5. Outer Banks
Of course, the place to go for excellent seafood is the Outer Banks. Here shrimp and oysters are a local specialty, but what makes the Outer Banks special is that most restaurants shape their menu by the tides, where what’s on the table depends on what came in with the boats.
This long chain of barrier islands has a refreshing food scene that’s all about the oceans. Restaurants like O’Neal’s Sea Harvest allow diners to pick their fish, while Fish Heads Bar & Grill on the Outer Banks Fishing Pier in Nags Head serves up shrimp at just 15 cents apiece.
The Paper Canoe in Duck is a standout. Their American gourmet cuisine focuses on fresh and uncomplicated yet flavorful dishes ranging from locally sourced Outer Banks seafood, handcrafted pasta, and mouthwatering wood oven specialties. The shrimp and scallop risotto I had was delicious with the meaty and tender scallops the best I’ve had in America and reminded me of home. And the sunsets from here are divine! It was the perfect meal for my solo wellness retreat at the Sanderling Resort.
Also don’t miss the Mexican poutine at NC Coast Grill, also in Duck. If you want to stick with seafood, the fish street tacos are a winner! Again in Duck, sweet treats dominate the market. Duck Donuts have gained nationwide popularity, which has locations as far West as California.
What makes the Outer Banks stand out as a foodie destination is its focus on wild-caught fish, serving up fresh every day. Look for regional staples on the menu such as Hatteras clam chowder, local sweet potatoes, oysters, and fish such as bluefish, Mahi, speckled trout, and yellowfin tuna. Discover some of the best restaurants in the Outer Banks.
6. Durham
Another city in the Triangle region, Durham’s food scene is progressively climbing. Once a tobacco town, Durham has reinvented itself into this kitschy, bohemian place where kitchens value artistic flair and technical craft, and where community, and eco-conscience are as important as flavor.
We have visited Durham many times to catch a Durham Balls Baseball game, and love exploring the culinary scene pre-match. We have enjoyed eating at Little Bull, an acclaimed restaurant that offers Latin-inspired cuisine – James Beard nominated, owner-chef Oscar Diaz is currently competing on Bravos Top Chef: Carolinas (Feb 2026). Mateo Bar de Tapas is a James Beard-nominated restaurant that blends Spanish flavors with traditional Southern ingredients and dishes into a rotating menu of small-plate meals.
Other popular Durham foodie restaurants, include Nikos, who serves up flavors distilled from Greece and the surrounding regions and Saltbox Seafood Joint, whose chef, Ricky Moore, has earned two James Beard nominees and won the award for Best Chef Southeast in 2022.
Like Raleigh, Durham’s foodie scene is all about pushing boundaries and creating something innovative and unseen before, but with a core value of keeping it local, seasonal and fresh.
7. Boone
Nestled in the High Country, Boone is a small town with a big personality, and channels Appalachian ingredients into its creative foodie scene.
A local dish you must try is sonker, a deep-dish fruit-based dessert originating from nearby Surry County, as well as dishes featuring heirloom apples, grass-fed beef, artisan cheeses, and mountain trout.
A restaurant not to drive past is Gamekeeper’s Farm-to-Table Kitchen, which sits between Blowing Rock and Boone, and is famous for offering dishes made with locally foraged mushrooms, trout, and heritage pork.
As the name suggests, The Local is another downtown farm to table restaurant fork up over. Highlights were the Thai beef tidbits – sliced NY strip in soy, curry, and butter sauce and Brazilian char-grilled steak with sweet plantains, roasted asparagus, ancho chile black beans topped with homemade chimichurri.
Surrounding Boone are farms, orchards, and creameries, feeding menus with seasonal produce that’s as fresh as it gets.
Read more: Cool Restaurants And Bars In Boone, NC for Local Flavors
8. Hendersonville
Just south of Asheville is Hendersonville, an NC small town with a budding food scene. Nestled in the Blue Ridge foothills, it thrives on farm-to-table principles, with restaurants serving up dishes made with locally grown apples, heirloom vegetables, and pasture-raised meats.
One of our favorite eateries in Hendersonville is McFarlan Bakery, a historic bakery that has everything made-from-scratch and has been operating for over 90 years. It’s well known for its traditional donuts, bearclaws, and cakes, and makes over 160 authentic items. Another establishment we love is Postero, an award-winning restaurant with an open kitchen sitting center stage in the restaurant.
Hendersonville also hosts the annual North Carolina Apple Festival, which turns Main Street into a feast of pies, ciders, and apple-related treats!
9. Winston-Salem
Winston‑Salem might not be the first name that features on every foodie’s NC bucket list, but this Piedmont gem should not be driven through without stopping for a slice of Moravian chicken pie, a simple yet soulful double‑crusted pie filled with savory chicken and gravy — a comfort dish that’s as timeless as the city’s cobblestone streets.
Bursting proudly with Moravian heritage, Winston-Salem offers dishes you won’t find anywhere else in NC. Another irresistible dish to try is Moravian sugar cake, a pillowy, sweet treat and a beloved breakfast staple that’s embedded in the town’s culinary DNA.
Outside of the Moravian history, Winston‑Salem’s dining landscape is transformed in the Summer when the Foodees Food & Culture Festival comes to town – a free three‑day feast of local food trucks, sweet treats, and global eats. In September, the International Village Food & Music Festival highlights world cuisines alongside live music, whereas the smaller festivals like WS Food Truck Festival pairs together a love of food and community. Winston Salem is also the birthplace of Krispy Kreme – my favorite donuts!
10. Highlands
Highlands is another mountain town that has a foodie scene as elevated as its views. It’s a small town in the Nantahala National Forest which has a reputation for offering sophisticated, ingredient-driven cuisine rooted in the Southern Appalachian traditions.
What makes Highlands unique is its surrounding highlands are full of farms, creameries, and mountain orchards that supply the town with fresh supplies of heirloom apples, grass-fed meats, foraged mushrooms, and delicate herbs.
Every November, Highlands attracts foodies from all over the country for the Highlands Food & Wine Festival, which celebrates the abundance of fresh produce at the end of a harvest season.
Outside of November, you can find fresh farm-to-table dining at Madison’s, who have a cozy yet sophisticated dining space and a menu packed with seasonal ingredients, while casual gems like Wild Thymes Gourmet offer Asian and American cuisine in a warm and friendly environment.
What foodie destinations in North Carolina do you love? Any restaurant, cafe, or street food you recommend?
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While visiting these NC foodie destinations, you may want to consider these other experiences to add to your trip
- North Carolina’s Most Scenic Drives
- Visit the Biltmore Estate – American’s largest home
- A Grandfather Mountain & Linville Falls Day Trip From Boone [Itinerary]
- Top 19 Places To Visit in the North Carolina Mountains (Western NC)
- Raleigh to Great Smoky Mountains National Park road trip
- How to Enjoy a Weekend in the Great Smoky Mountains
