Food & Drink
Restaurants
Chapel Hill offers a huge range of eateries, from traditional southern food to a variety of global fare. For an extensive list of restaurants, see the Chapel Hill Visitors Bureau dining guide.
A few restaurants on Franklin St., near UNC’s campus:
- Med Deli has a nearly overwhelming deli case of Mediterranean dishes in addition to gyros, schwarama, and other plates. (410 W. Franklin St., (919)967-2666)
- Lime & Basil has great pho, as well as other Vietnamese dishes. (200 W. Franklin St., #130, (919) 967-5055)
- Vimala’s Curryblossom Cafe has some of the best Indian food in Chapel Hill. (461 W. Franklin St., Suite 16, (919)929-3833)
Chapel Hill Microbreweries
North Carolina has built up a reputation as a great craft beer state—and Chapel Hill and Carborro have contributed with a slew of great spots for beer. Top of the Hill, Carolina Brewery, Yesteryear, and Steel String all serve up distinctive brews. For a pleasant evening, take a stroll through downtown Chapel Hill and over to Carborro to sample some fine beers. For avid beer tourists, there are plenty of spots to check out in Durham and Raleigh as well!
Southern Seasons
The south is all about food, and Southern Seasons is a food lover’s dream. More than just a specialty grocer, Southern Seasons is an absolute mecca, with thousands of gourmet foods, a superb restaurant in-house, cafe, excellent beer & wine selection, as well as gifts and home items. With lots of other outstanding restaurants to visit while in Chapel Hill, you’ll be sure to discover new tastes.
Fearrington Village
A short drive south of Chapel Hill, Fearrington Village is a unique community, offering fine dining, shopping, and a spa, all in the rustic setting of the old Fearrington Farm.
Barbeque
BBQ is serious business all throughout the south, but the Carolinas have several distinctive styles of this classic southern food. Western NC, eastern NC, Lexington, and South Carolina all boast to have the best take on pulled pork, brisket, and ribs, and you’ll find all these styles represented at the great barbeque joints around the Triangle. Hillsborough BBQ Company, Allen & Son, Backyard BBQ, and The Pig are all worth checking out. For a meat-less alternative, Fiction Kitchen in Raleigh does some mean vegan renditions of southern food.