top five

Here are my top five favorite burger/hotdog joints in DTR. Enjoy!

1. Char-Grill: On of my favorite things about Raleigh and an absolute classic to the town would definitely be Char-Grill. There are multiple Char-Grill’s located throughout the Raleigh area but the one closest to the Downtown Raleigh area is the original Char-Grill located on Hillsborough Street. If you’re looking for a fresh burger or hot dog on-the-go, Char-Grill is the place to go. You can either order and sit down to enjoy your meal or you can grab it and go.

2. Snoopy’s Hot Dogs: If you like hotdogs, then you have to love Snoopy’s. Also a classic to the Raleigh area, you can find a Snoopy’s at a few different locations around town. A lot like Char-Grill, Snoopy’s is a walk-up hotdog restaurant that has fast service and good food. They have things other than hotdogs including burgers and chicken sandwiches, but are most famous for their dogs. They also have a Hillsborough Street location so it can sometimes be a dilemma between Snoopy’s and Char-Grill.

3. Bad Daddy’s: One of my favorite restaurants in Seaboard Station would definitely have to be Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar. They have a lot of different speciality burgers but my favorite thing to order is the build-your-own burger. On my burger I always get american cheese, onion straws, and Bad Daddy’s sauce with a side of either homemade chips or sweet potato fries. Their prices aren’t too bad for the size of the burgers and the amount of food that you get.

4. Mojoe’s: Another great burger joint in the DTR area is Mojoe’s. You can find this restaurant right on the corner of Peace Street and Glenwood Avenue and I guarantee that you will not miss it. Similar to Bad Daddy’s, Mojoe’s specializes in burgers and also offers sit-down service. My favorite burger to order from Mojoe’s is the “BBQ Burger” which has bacon, cheddar cheese, onions, and bbq sauce on it. They mostly sell burgers but they also have a few sandwiches and appetizers to choose from. Also every night after 10 pm, you can get burgers for $3!

5. The Station: Even though The Station is necessarily a burger place, they still feature one of my most favorite burgers in town. The burger that they offer is called the “Station Burger” and has two patties, cheese, as well lettuce, tomato and onion. Compared to a lot of the other burgers that I have talked about in this post, this burger seems kind of plain. And it is, but that is the best part about it. FYI: Monday’s are the best time to go because you can get this huge burger for only $5. (I have previously posted about The Station so check it out for more information: https://eatdtr.wordpress.com/2015/09/18/the-station/)

Be sure to come visit next week when I should be back on track visiting somewhere new! But for now, go enjoy a burger at one of these great places!

state fair

For the past week or so the North Carolina State Fair has been in town. The NC State Fair is held every year in October right here in Raleigh, NC at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds. If you have ever been then you know about all the outrageous food they have and even if you haven’t been, I’m sure you have at least heard about it. This year the fair runs from October 15th until the 25th, so if you haven’t been yet there is still time. And if you don’t know what the NC State Fair is here’s a quick explanation: animals and agriculture, food, rides, food, games, and more food.

Since the fair is in town, I figured it was only right to blog about my favorite fair foods. So here it goes:

• ribbon fries: My absolute favorite fair food has definitely got to be ribbon fries. I love homemade chips anytime of the year so when the fair comes around the first thing I go for are the ribbon fries.
• lemonade: Okay, technically not food, but who doesn’t love fresh lemonade? The perfect drink to go with any type of fair food has got to be lemonade. You can find lemonade at just about every food vendor at the fair.
• fried macaroni and cheese: If you like macaroni and cheese and fried food I would definitely suggest finding the one of the many vendors that sell fried macaroni and cheese. It’s the perfect combination of mac and cheese and fried-ness.
• fried oreos: If you go to the fair and don’t get some type of fried dessert, you actually didn’t go. My favorite fried dessert would have to be the fried Oreo’s. They are absolutely amazing and I would totally recommend these over and over again. You can also find these at just about every fried food vendor.
• roasted corn: This is also a fair must have. If you’re looking to take a break from all of the crazy fried foods you should turn around and look for the corn. This is also one of those food items that you can find at just about every corner.
• corn dogs: Even though corn dogs aren’t a super popular fair food, they’re still pretty awesome. Most of the time the dog is battered and fried right in front of you so most of the time they are fresh and made to order.
• cotton candy: Can you really leave the fair and not get cotton candy? Every time you turn around there is a vendor selling cotton candy so you won’t have to look far for this delicious fair treat either.

• funnel cake: I don’t normally order funnel cakes at the fair just because they are so messy but they are still a fair favorite. Along with cotton candy and candy apples, funnel cakes are one of the more popular items you can find at the fair.
• turkey legs: This is also something that I wouldn’t normally order, mostly because I’m just not that big on turkey, but I felt that it was necessary to add to the list.
• blooming onion: Even though they can be a little messy and hard to carry around, blooming onions are another good option. If you can find time to sit down and enjoy something to eat I would totally recommend ordering a blooming onion to share among friends.

If you haven’t had the chance to try any of these awesome foods you still until Sunday to head over to the fairgrounds. The fair opens at 8 am and will be open until midnight on Friday and Saturday and 11 pm on Sunday night. You don’t want to miss out on all the excitement!

For more info about vendors, ticket sales, admission and other information about the North Carolina State Fair be sure to visit their website at ncstatefair.org. (Hint: If you buy your tickets online you can not only save time in lines, but save $1 on admission price!)

armadillo grill

This week I decided it was time to adventure out a little bit. Instead of visiting a typical sit-down-for-dinner restaurant, I chose to go somewhere fun, quick and easy! What better place than Armadillo Grill? Dillo (for short) is located right on Glenwood Ave in the heart of Downtown Raleigh. A lot like Dos Taquitos XOCO, where I visited a few weeks back, Dillo is an authentic Tex-Mex restaurant that never gets old. They have both indoor and outdoor seating but I would totally recommend sitting outside if the weather is just right.

Armadillo Grill has a pretty basic menu. They have tacos, tacos, and well, more tacos. Along with tacos they also have burritos, enchiladas, chalupas, nachos, wings and salads.  They also have some of the best queso and chips around and the guacamole isn’t all that bad either. All of their items are build-your-own so you can make your meal just how you like it.

One thing that is unique about Dillo is that instead of walking in and sitting down to order or walking up to a counter to place your order, you instead walk in and fill out an order pad. First you write your name at the top and mark wether it’s “for here” or “to go.” Then you choose what you would like to order. When ordering tacos you can choose between chicken, steak, chili, guac, or beans and cheese taco and then you can customize it by adding whatever kind of toppings you’d like. If your not in the mood for tacos you can simply mark down one of the other options. They don’t have a ton of options but I guarantee you they have something on their menu that you would enjoy!

what I ordered:

I will go ahead and say that Dillo is one of my all time favorite Raleigh restaurants and I probably go a lot more than I should. So ordering isn’t complicated for me at all. I normally get the chicken taco dillo deal which is a pretty awesome deal if you ask me. For like $7.95 you get one chicken taco with queso and chips and a drink. Queso can get pricey depending on where you go, so getting a taco, chips, a drink and queso for under ten bucks is pretty freaking awesome for me. Usually one taco fills me up, but if you’re feeling a little bit more hungry I would definitely recommend adding a second taco for like two or three bucks more.

Another great thing about Armadillo grill is that they partner with the mobile app Stealz to save people like you and me money every time you visit the location. After downloading the app you can receive points for checking in and sharing pictures and updates to different social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. After you receive so many points you get awesome rewards like free chips and queso (5 points), one free taco (10 points), one free burrito (15 points), free nachos (15 points), or a free t-shirt (30 points). If you haven’t already I would definitely recommend downloading Stealz because they are partnered with not just Armadillo Grill but a lot of other restaurants throughout the Raleigh area!

For more information about Armadillo Grill you can visit their website at http://www.armadillogrill.com! Be sure to check back next week and see where we visit next!

the pit

The next stop on our adventure is at a little hidden place on W. Davie street in Downtown Raleigh called The Pit. There aren’t too many barbecue places around Raleigh but this one is a must visit. The Pit is an authentic barbecue joint in the warehouse district of DTR that cooks whole-hog, pit-cooked barbecue. This restaurant is very unique to its location because you wouldn’t typically find a barbecue place in this part of town. But the southern vibe and downtown location make the perfect location for The Pit.

For anyone who loves any kind of southern food, you can most definitely find what you’re craving somewhere on The Pit’s menu. They have just about anything you could possibly want. Some of their most popular items are of course the Chopped BBQ, Pulled Pork, and the Southern Fried Chicken. They of course have lots of other options such as Baby Back Ribs, Carolina Style Ribs, Chopped BBQ Turkey, BBQ Chicken, and Beef Brisket. All of these meals are served as “plate” with two sides, and let me tell you, it is not easy choosing only two. The side options include green beans, BBQ baked beans, macaroni and cheese, black-eyed peas, fries, sweet potato fries, potato salad, brussels sprouts, mashed potatoes, fried okra, brunswick stew, cole slaw and collards. Along with your meal they also bring out homemade biscuits and hushpuppies with homemade butter.

Like most other restaurants in the Downtown Raleigh area, they also have a very unique and broad drink menu. They have different specials on wine, cocktails and beer and also feature some local brews. I went with a sweet tea though, which was pretty good in my opinion.

what I ordered:

Being from a small town like Wilson, NC (where barbecue is practically famous, shoutout to Parker’s Barbecue) it wasn’t hard for me to make a decision about what I wanted. I know how I like my barbecue and I know what I want with it. So after little deliberation I decided to order the Chopped BBQ plate with a side of fried okra and macaroni and cheese. The barbecue was awesome and the two side were equally as good. The macaroni and cheese is to die for, so if your a fan of mac and cheese, I definitely recommend it!

The Pit is a bit more pricey than your average barbecue joint. But for the quality of food, the presentation, and the atmosphere of the restaurant, it is definitely worth it. The service was also really good and the staff were very friendly. Even on a busy Monday evening I still got in and out within an hour and half time frame. I really enjoyed eating at The Pit because there aren’t many places around Raleigh like this one to eat. It reminds me of the type of restaurants I go to when I’m home and it’s nice to have found somewhere that is similar.

If you ever in the neighborhood looking for some good southern food, be sure to head on over to The Pit. For more information about the restaurant, their menu, and their specials, be sure to visit their website at http://www.thepit-raleigh.com!