Durham and Raleigh have expanded outdoor dining. Here’s where to eat this weekend.
Over the last year for many people, a meal out meant a meal outside. Eating on a rooftop or patio has gone from a sometimes novelty to an entrenched part of how restaurants serve diners.
With outdoor dining here to stay in a major way, Raleigh and Durham are expanding outdoor dining programs into the summer. The cities will block off streets on certain weekends, encouraging diners to eat local. It’s like a food truck rodeo meets a brick-and-mortar block party.
In Raleigh, the Downtown Raleigh Alliance has brought back Dine Out Downtown, expanding it into a weekly showcase of the city’s nightlife neighborhoods every Saturday in April.
In Durham, the Streetery placed outdoor dining throughout downtown when it was launched last year, moving tables and chairs into parking spaces and parks. Organized by Downtown Durham Inc., the Streetery has expanded to a twice-a-month event, moving around the city’s dining districts.
Get outside. Here are 25+ of the Triangle’s best outdoor spots to eat and drink.
Here’s what to know for this weekend and beyond:
Dine Out Downtown in Raleigh
This Saturday, April 10, Dine Out Downtown will return to Glenwood South from 5 to 9 p.m. The street will be closed to cars for two blocks, from Jones Street to North Street, and filled with outdoor tables. Diners can make reservations at specific restaurants, or pick up takeout meals and eat at one of the outdoor tables.
Who is participating?
Anise Pho, Bigfoot Taphouse, Hibernian Irish Pub & Restaurant, La Santa, Plates Neighborhood Kitchen, The Rockford, Sushi Blues Cafe, Sushi O Bistro & Sushi Bar, Tin Roof, Wonderland Tapas & Cocktails.
When is the next Dine Out Downtown?
As Dine Out Downtown continues from April to June, the event will move around the city. Next week, April 17, it will be in Raleigh’s Warehouse District, with many of the vendors at Morgan Street Food Hall participating. April’s last Dine Out Downtown will be along Fayetteville Street.
Durham’s Streetery
This Saturday’s Streetery will run from 1 to 9 p.m. along Foster Street in Durham, which runs by Central Park, where the city’s Farmers Market is held. Two blocks of Foster Street will be closed for tables, and there is a wide grassy area for picnics.
Who is participating?
Mixing retail and restaurants and drawing businesses from multiple blocks, here’s who to expect on the food and beverage side of the Streetery: Afters Dessert Bar, Auctioneer Bar in the Durham Food Hall, Beer Durham, Dame’s Chicken & Waffles, Everything Bagels, Ex-Voto Burrito Bodega, Liturgy Beverage, Locals Seafod Market & Oyster Bar, Lula & Sadie’s, Marco’s 530, Napoli Pizzeria & Gelateria, Old North Meats & Provisions, Foster Street Coffee, Rise Biscuits & Chicken, The Glass Jug Beer Lab.
When’s the next Streetery?
From now on, Durham will hold its Streetery events twice a month — on the second and fourth Saturday. The next one is April 24. The location has not yet been announced.
Guidelines remain in place
Case counts have dropped, vaccines are plentiful and open to everyone in North Carolina, but COVID-related guidelines remain in place for the dining out events. Masks are required and six feet of social distancing must be maintained.
The thing about booze
Though streets are closed off and tables set up, the state’s ABC laws remain in full effect. That means that if you’re looking for beer, wine or a cocktail, you’ll have to order and consume those at a specific restaurant.
Dining hours
Both Dine Out Downtown and The Streetery end at 9 p.m. But as the old saying goes, after 9 p.m., you don’t have to go home, you just can’t stay at the outdoor dining events. Now that North Carolina has ended its curfew, bars and restaurants can stay open until 2 a.m.
Where are good places to dine out all the other days?
Well, the News & Observer compiled a list of some of the Triangle’s favorite patios, beer gardens and outdoor dining spaces. Here’s a link to that list, which includes more than 20 recommendations.
