Highest-rated Southern restaurants in Raleigh by diners
When you travel below the Mason-Dixon Line, you'll find some of the most mouthwatering, comforting cuisine in the U.S.: Southern food.
Southern dishes are a vital part of American cuisine, from hush puppies to ham hocks and beignets to barbecue. It's impossible to define a classic Southern meal, but a solid one starts with the sharp savory flavor of pimento cheese dip, followed by the delicious crunchiness of fried chicken or a spicy Louisiana étouffée, culminating with a sugary slice of chess pie that's best washed down with a tall glass of sweet tea.
What's unique about Southern fare is that multiple ethnic and cultural groups have influenced it. Spanish staples, such as potatoes and cocoa, are in many Southern dishes; the Acadians, who traveled to Louisiana from Nova Scotia and later became Louisiana Creoles, contributed their seafood to many Southern meals; African ingredients—okra, sorghum (an ancient grain), and black-eyed peas—became a part of the cuisine through the forced labor of enslaved people; French cooking methods, like braising and sautéing, are used for many Southern recipes; and Native Americans introduced corn to Southern recipes, yielding dishes like succotash and grits.
The Southern culinary scene is an explosion of cultures. To find out where you can sample some Southern offerings, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated Southern restaurants in Raleigh using data from Yelp. Data is as of June 11, 2024. Businesses were selected using Yelp's ranking system, which calculates an adjusted rating value that takes into account the number of ratings as well as the rating score itself. Only restaurants with at least 10 reviews were considered. In an effort to highlight independent restaurants and local chains, restaurants with more than five locations nationally, based on the Yelp data, were not included.
Read on to find the perfect spot to get a taste of the South near you.
Note: The photos in this article are stock images and do not necessarily depict the specific restaurants listed or the dishes they serve.
#17. Braise Contemporary Southern
- Rating: 2.7/5 (18 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4500 Marriott Drive Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: american, southern, bars
- Read more on Yelp
#16. Tin Roof
- Rating: 2.8/5 (104 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 300 Glenwood Ave. Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: southern, bars, music venues
- Read more on Yelp
#15. Lee's Kitchen
- Rating: 3.2/5 (175 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4638 Capital Blvd. Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: caribbean, southern
- Read more on Yelp
#14. Rye Bar and Southern Kitchen
- Rating: 3.3/5 (275 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 500 Fayetteville St. Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: southern, new american, seafood
- Read more on Yelp
#13. Flavor Hills
- Rating: 3.6/5 (86 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 319 Fayetteville St. Ste 105 Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: southern, breakfast & brunch, cocktail bars
- Read more on Yelp
#12. Big Ed's North Restaurant
- Rating: 3.8/5 (284 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 5009 Falls Of Neuse Road Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: southern, breakfast & brunch, sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#11. State Farmers Market Restaurant
- Rating: 3.9/5 (447 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1240 Farmers Market Drive Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: southern, breakfast & brunch, sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#10. The Flying Biscuit Cafe
- Rating: 3.9/5 (1004 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2016 Clark Ave. Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: breakfast & brunch, southern, new american
- Read more on Yelp
#9. Whiskey Kitchen
- Rating: 4.0/5 (676 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 201 West Martin St. Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: southern, cocktail bars, whiskey bars
- Read more on Yelp
#8. Mandolin
- Rating: 4.1/5 (431 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 2519 Fairview Road Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: southern, new american, breakfast & brunch
- Read more on Yelp
#7. Relish Craft Kitchen & Bourbon Bar
- Rating: 4.1/5 (882 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 5625 Creedmoor Road Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: southern, cafes, burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#6. Jack's Seafood & Soul Food Restaurant
- Rating: 4.2/5 (153 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1516 New Bern Ave. Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: seafood, southern, soul food
- Read more on Yelp
#5. Beasley's Chicken & Honey
- Rating: 4.2/5 (2095 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 237 South Wilmington St. Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: southern, new american
- Read more on Yelp
#4. Pam's Farm House
- Rating: 4.2/5 (211 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 5111 Western Blvd. Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: southern, american, breakfast & brunch
- Read more on Yelp
#3. Longleaf Swine BBQ
- Rating: 4.2/5 (85 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 300 East Edenton St. Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: southern
- Read more on Yelp
#2. Plates Neighborhood Kitchen
- Rating: 4.2/5 (441 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 301 Glenwood Ave. Ste 100 Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: breakfast & brunch, southern, tapas/small plates
- Read more on Yelp
#1. Iyla's Southern Kitchen
- Rating: 4.4/5 (170 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 411 West Morgan St. Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: southern
- Read more on Yelp
This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Rasha Aly, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 143 metros.
