These restaurants are the best places to eat in North Carolina, Yelp says. Here’s why
A Durham restaurant ranks as the best place to eat in North Carolina — but the Triangle wasn’t the only region to make its mark on the state’s dining scene.
Pure Soul in Durham ranks as the state’s No. 1 restaurant, joining eateries in Charlotte and the mountains on a list of favorites in the Carolinas. The other top-ranking North Carolina restaurants from the review website Yelp include:
Postero in Hendersonville
Joey’s Pancake House in Maggie Valley
Huli Sue’s BBQ and Grill in Asheville
Harriet’s Hamburgers in Charlotte
The eateries are part of a list of “Top 100 Restaurants in the Carolinas.” Yelp studied restaurants in the two states and “ranked those spots using a number of factors, including the total volume and ratings of reviews” that customers left from January 2021 through March 2023, according to results published June 22.
Among the winning North Carolina restaurants, Pure Soul in Durham topped the list. Yelp said the business on Durham-Chapel Hill Boulevard offers a “plant-based take on Southern comfort food,” and some customers have raved that they can’t get enough of the pulled pork-style barbecue plates and vegan macaroni and cheese.
Also earning top spots on the list were three restaurants nestled in the Western North Carolina mountains.
While Postero in Hendersonville was praised for its New American menu of “inventive entrees and side dishes,” Yelp gave Joey’s Pancake House a nod for being a longtime Maggie Valley breakfast staple. Another spot on the list went to Huli Sue’s BBQ and Grill in Asheville, which serves a fan-favorite chicken dish among its Hawaii- and Texas-inspired menu items, according to online reviews.
Rounding out the top restaurants on Yelp’s list was Harriet’s Hamburgers in Charlotte. The shop, located in Optimist food hall, has drawn fans to its cheesy burgers and crispy fries, helping it earn more than four out of five stars on Yelp.
So, which other restaurants are North Carolina diners craving? The rest of the top 10 places in the state to go for a meal include:
Geno D’s Pizza in Charlotte
Bombay Curry in Raleigh
Haywood Smokehouse in Dillsboro
Curry Gate in Charlotte
Yunta Nikkei in Charlotte
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