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The Best Restaurants and Bars in Raleigh, Durham, Cary, and Chapel Hill

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Take Flight with Great Restaurants and Dining Around Raleigh Durham Airport (RDU)

Terminal 2 at RDU International Airport, NC Triangle Dining
Terminal 2 at RDU International Airport, NC Triangle Dining

I don’t know about you but when I travel, I often take advantage of being on the road by stuffing myself full of high-calorie food. Let’s face it, when you’re flying from airport to airport, it’s hard to find meals that go beyond the local Applebee’s-TGIF-Ruby Tuesday trifecta. Burgers, quesadillas, chicken tenders, you know the deal! But if you are heading over to Raleigh-Durham (RDU) airport in Morrisville, you’ve got some good local restaurant choices to balance out all that chain food. Here’s a guide to some special restaurants that will keep your stomach happy and full before jetting off.

(Note: Dim Sum House is under new ownership)  Since you’re probably driving in on I-40, head south down on Airport Boulevard, Exit 284. Pass the Hooters and Cracker Barrel if you dare, and you’ll soon find the delicious Dim Sum House. Dim Sum House is true to its name and serves dim sum (small, Cantonese chinese plates) all day long! Start off with some delicious har gow (steamed shrimp dumplings) or shu mai (pork dumplings), standard dim sum favorites. Dim sum comes in three primary categories: fried-savory, steamed-savory and sweet so you’ll find something to suit your appetite. And depending on what they have available (daily selection changes), I’d also recommend the braised tofu rolls, ribs with black bean and chinese greens.

Salt & pepper pork chops from Dim Sum House, Morrisville- NC Triangle Dining
Salt & pepper pork chops from Dim Sum House, Morrisville- NC Triangle Dining
Namesake dishes from Dim Sum House, Morrisville- NC Triangle Dining
Namesake dishes from Dim Sum House, Morrisville- NC Triangle Dining

Dim Sum House does table service during the week but on weekends it can get quite busy with the dim sum served on rolling carts. If you’re not in the mood for small plates, Dim Sum House also does great cantonese Chinese food. Their beef chow fun (thick rice noodles) and salt-pepper pork chops are reminiscent of what I might find in San Francisco, great stuff!

Front of Smokey's BBQ Shack, Morrisville- NC Triangle Dining
Front of Smokey’s BBQ Shack, Morrisville- NC Triangle Dining
Brisket sandwich and fries from Smokey's BBQ Shack, Morrisville- NC Triangle Dining
Brisket sandwich and fries from Smokey’s BBQ Shack, Morrisville- NC Triangle Dining

Just a bit west of Dim Sum House is the cozy Smokey’s BBQ Shack on Chapel Hill Road! Smokey’s is the real deal with a pile of hardwoods out back. Try their beef brisket or smoked wings to get your meat on. Order at the counter and then pick up your food at the magic barbeque window. Smokey’s is all about slow-cooked meat whether it’s pork, beef or chicken with all the traditional sides: hush-puppies, brunswick stew, fried okra and mac n cheese. Inside it’s all country casual but perfect for some serious eatin’ So grab an old wooden table, plop your sweet tea down and dig in to some que! The parking lot is always busy here at Smokey’s so you gotta trust the locals.

Rosatis-Sign

If you’re up for pizza (and who isn’t?), check out Rosati’s Pizza on Davis Drive. Rosati’s in Morrisville is the only NC location for a popular Chicago deep-dish pizza chain.

Deep dish pizza at Rosati's, Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining
Deep dish pizza at Rosati’s, Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining

We’re talking about thick, buttery crust loaded with chunky tomato, cheese and your favorite toppings: sausage, pepperoni, mushroom or whatever floats your boat. Just give your self a bit of time because Rosati’s is about six miles from the airport and their deep-dish pizza’s take a bit of time. But totally worth the effort if your up for some cheesy deliciousness!

Front of Angus Barn, Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining
Front of Angus Barn, Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining

And north of the airport off of Lumley Road is the ever popular, Angus Barn! Super popular steak house that’s usually a great choice for special events and parties, Angus Barn puts out classic eats and is renown for their cheese dip, dry-aged beef and ribs. All presented in a beautiful country and barn setting. For a casual meal, eat at their Wild Turkey Lounge which serves up a shorter food menu compared to the main dining room. Not to be missed if you’ve got some money in your expense account to burn!

Turkey wings from Angus Barn, Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining
Prime rib with asparagus from Angus Barn, Raleigh- NC Triangle Dining

Besides these fantastic choices, there are some other great restaurants like C&T Wok (Sichuan Chinese) and Randy’s Pizza further out. There’s definitely no reason to suffer when it comes to food and restaurants around RDU Airport! Great Chinese, Italian and barbeque means you’ll be saying “bon appetit” as your plane circles and lands in the Triangle. Forget about those honey-roasted peanuts my friend, it’s time to eat…

 

Great Restaurants Around Raleigh Durham Airport

Dim Sum House- Morrisville

Smokey’s BBQ Shack- Morrisville

Rosati’s- Morrisville

Angus Barn- Raleigh

C&T Wok- Morrisville

Randy’s Pizza- Durham

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First Take: Brewery Bhavana, a Fun and Flavor-Filled Journey to Great Dim Sum and Beer in Raleigh

Front of Brewery Bhavana in Raleigh - NC Triangle Dining
Front of Brewery Bhavana in Raleigh – NC Triangle Dining

Given the success for Bida Manda in Raleigh, many of us in the food scene awaited Act II with bated breath: Brewery Bhavana. Conceived as a brewery/floral shop/dim-sum eatery, I scratched my head a bit and wondered how exactly this place would be executed. And I admit to being a fan of all three separately, but together it was an unusual combination! I watched the construction spin up on Blount Street near Moore Square in the old Tir Na Nog space over the past several months and popped my head in during the soft open for family and friends. Not yet, sir! We’re opening on Wednesday. So it was time to wait a bit more, but I was able to visit Brewery Bhavana on Day 2 of its official opening week. Here’s how it all went down…

Beer bar at Brewery Bhavana in Raleigh - NC Triangle Dining
Beer bar at Brewery Bhavana in Raleigh – NC Triangle Dining

From the outside, Brewery Bhavana looks pretty unassuming but that’s no different that the previous tenant here. Right beyond those double doors is the hostess kiosk with a couple of pleasant ladies there ready to direct you into the new space. Brewery Bhavana is divided into thirds: to the left the beer bar, center third holds the floral area and library and to the right, the dining area. We put in for a table and then head over to bar to grab a brewski. The beer bar is the first surprise, decked out in a lot of whites and creams. No gaudy beer taps, it’s all very sleek and minimalist here at Brewery Bhavana. They’ve got a list of their house offerings on a small sign on the left-hand side of the bar. I try a light IPA which is well brewed and hopped. We’re off to a good start!

Florist and library area at Brewery Bhavana in Raleigh - NC Triangle Dining
Florist and library area at Brewery Bhavana in Raleigh – NC Triangle Dining

We’ve got a 45 minute wait tonight so we wander over to the florist-library area which also includes some tables for dining and one long communal table. The library is for browsing only and this area is a bit more green and lush to reflect the floral side of the business. Overall it’s hard to believe that this space is the same space that once held Tir Na Nog, a classic Irish pub. After wandering around a bit, we get the text message for our table and head over to the main dining room.

Dining room at Brewery Bhavana in Raleigh - NC Triangle Dining
Dining room at Brewery Bhavana in Raleigh – NC Triangle Dining

In the main dining room the feel doesn’t change much from the first two rooms. White globe lighting overhead, rattan chairs, there’s a cool wood geometric chandelier over a large group table in back but otherwise it’s business as usual. We’re handed over the menu, a quick scan shows off a variety of dim-sum plates and Chinese favorites. Prices are in the $7 to $11 range for small plates with one notable exception, the Peking Duck at $45! Given the excitement and long wait for Brewery Bhavana, we ordered up 4 small plates and of course the signature dish.

Scallion pancakes with marrow at Brewery Bhavana in Raleigh - NC Triangle Dining
Scallion pancakes with marrow at Brewery Bhavana in Raleigh – NC Triangle Dining
Xian bing (meat pies) at Brewery Bhavana in Raleigh - NC Triangle Dining
Xian bing (meat pies) at Brewery Bhavana in Raleigh – NC Triangle Dining

Even though it’s only day 2 for Brewery Bhavana, the place is bustling, they’ve got a full menu and seem well-staffed so kudos to the team here for making sure the place is ready. We start off with the steamed dishes, xiao long bao (soup dumplings) and shu mai. The soup dumplings are decent but unfortunately, not really juicy. When done well, they burst in your mouth with broth, oh well. And the shumai is fine with four in the plate, perfect for sharing. Next up is the scallion pancakes and xian bing (meat pie). The pancakes are served with marrow which is a bit untraditional but tasty. The pancakes themselves are denser, thicker than what you’d typically get but still display the characteristic swirl to the surface. And the meat pies are nicely browned and fried with a tasty pork filling, a good option for the meal.

Peking duck at Brewery Bhavana in Raleigh - NC Triangle Dining
Peking duck at Brewery Bhavana in Raleigh – NC Triangle Dining

But let’s face it, we’re all just really waiting for the Peking duck! It comes out on a large platter served up with 7 or so steamed buns, scallions and hoisin sauce. The skin is served separately from the meat and the duck drums are served up whole. You typically stuff the bun with some crispy skin and meat, add a dab of pungent hoisin sauce and then top with the scallion to make a flavorful and fatty sandwich! The duck here at Brewery Bhavana is solid and certainly worth the money and time, especially if you’ve never tried Peking duck.

Dinner at Brewery Bhavana in Raleigh - NC Triangle Dining
Dinner at Brewery Bhavana in Raleigh – NC Triangle Dining

It’s hard for a place like Brewery Bhavana to meet up with the heightened expectations that the Triangle had for its opening but I felt it certainly did. While the concept of beer bar, florist and dim-sum restaurant is tough to wrap your brain around, they’ve done a nice job overall! My interpretation of the restaurant and space is that Brewery Bhavana will be a comfortable casual spot to drop in for a beer and small plates. And I’m sure the concept will evolve as they continue to find their groove. So thanks for the great Peking duck, Brewery Bhavana! While it may not have been the best dim-sum I’ve ever had, it’s great to even have that option here in downtown Raleigh.

 

Brewery Bhavana

218 S Blount Street

Raleigh, NC 27601

919.829.9998

Brewery Bhavana menu

Location on Google maps

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Retake: Dim Sum House in Morrisville, a Decent Option for Chinese Small Plates!

Dim Sum House in Morrisville - NC Triangle Dining
Dim Sum House in Morrisville – NC Triangle Dining

When it comes to authentic Chinese food in the Triangle, your choices are few and far between. And when it comes to Cantonese eats and dim sum, it gets even harder! If you’re a fan of these Chinese small plates for brunch, you know that it’s a special treat. Steamed and fried goodies served lickety split off of carts, typically on the weekend. In the area, we’ve had some restaurants try it from time to time but the most consistent options for dim sum have been the Hong Kong out in Durham and Dim Sum House in Morrisville. When it first opened up, Dim Sum House did a great job with its food, a bit lower for service. Changes in ownership and the chefs left me scratching my head at the decline in food quality over the years. But eventually I got curious and figured it was time to see where Dim Sum House was at!

Dining room at Dim Sum House in Morrisville - NC Triangle Dining
Dining room at Dim Sum House in Morrisville – NC Triangle Dining

I slide in for lunch on a Wednesday afternoon and the restaurant is pretty quiet. Dim Sum House hasn’t changed much on the inside. Same yellow walls with green carpeting, it all feels a bit worn but clean. I’m seated at a booth near a window and handed two menus along with a paper slip. One menu and the paper slip are for ordering up dim-sum. If you’re not familiar with dim-sum, the prices are by the size of the plate: small-medium-large at prices of $2.95-$3.55-$3.95. And dim-sum tends to come in two main types of preparation: steamed and fried, it also typically is heavy on ground pork and shrimp so if you’re kosher you’re out of luck!

Tofu skin rolls at Dim Sum House in Morrisville - NC Triangle Dining
Tofu skin rolls at Dim Sum House in Morrisville – NC Triangle Dining

Given I’m dining solo, I try to constrain myself to three plates which should be puh-lenty! The first dish out of Dim Sum House’s kitchen is the tofu skin rolls. A bit different than what I expected, these rolls aren’t braised and have more a pan-fried, crisp skin around a shrimp filling. But they’re pretty decent and well-stuffed so I’m good with this dish.

Pan-fried buns at Dim Sum House in Morrisville - NC Triangle Dining
Pan-fried buns at Dim Sum House in Morrisville – NC Triangle Dining

Shu-mai at Dim Sum House in Morrisville - NC Triangle Dining
Shu-mai at Dim Sum House in Morrisville – NC Triangle Dining

Next up are the pan-fried buns. These are steamed and then pan-fried a bit to give it a crispy bottom. Stuffed with ground pork, these buns are nicely done at Dim Sum House but I’m not a 100% sure they are made in-house based on the texture of their bottoms. I’ll have to dig in further and find out. And finally the dim-sum classic, shu-mai dumplings! These are open-faced shrimp dumplings steamed in a yellow wrapper. Dim Sum House does a solid job here with a LOT of filling but it’s missing a bit of complexity like a hit of ginger. But totally acceptable for lunch, it’s a robust dish. Note that Dim Sum House has a separate lunch menu of some more typical Chinese-American dishes if dim-sum is not your thang!

Har-gow and steamed roast pork buns at Dim Sum House in Morrisville - NC Triangle Dining
Har-gow and steamed roast pork buns at Dim Sum House in Morrisville – NC Triangle Dining
Fried shrimp balls at Dim Sum House in Morrisville - NC Triangle Dining
Fried shrimp balls at Dim Sum House in Morrisville – NC Triangle Dining

I’ve already been back for a second visit and managed to try some solid steamed pork buns, delicious har gow and fried shimp balls. Again, everything was tasty, well-stuffed and prepared decently. I’d qualify the dim-sum here as OK but for the Triangle?! It’s quite good…

Front counter at Dim Sum House in Morrisville - NC Triangle Dining
Front counter at Dim Sum House in Morrisville – NC Triangle Dining

Service at Dim Sum House was very good for both lunches but the test will be on the weekends when they’re busy. The dining room has opened up quite a bit, gone are the round 8-tops meaning it will feel like more of a civilized meal when dining here. But yes, they did a solid job for lunch and I need to get back here for a busy weekend meal. Dim-sum is traditionally a weekend offering and I suspect there will be a much higher volume resulting in fresher food out of the kitchen! And there are certain dim-sum items on the menu that are only available on the weekend. So rock on, Dim Sum House! It’s good to know that you’re still doing dim-sum for the Triangle and I’m looking forward to my next visit here and trying more off of the Cantonese menu…

 

Dim Sum House

100 Jerusalem Dr #104

Morrisville, NC 27560

919.380.3087

 

Location on Google maps

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