These four NC restaurants rank among the nation’s best. Why fans love eating there

Simone Jasper
·2 min read

Whether you’re in the mood for barbecue or a taste of the Mediterranean, you might find a meal you can’t help but crave in North Carolina.

That’s because the state is home to four restaurants that rank among the nation’s best places to enjoy a meal in 2024. The eateries making the list of “Top 100 Places to Eat in the US”:

To create the list, the restaurant review website Yelp said it studied submissions from online users across the country. It chose “the top restaurants by ratings, number of reviews, and volume of submissions, and finalized the rankings with the expertise of our community managers,” according to results published Jan. 23.

In a state that loves barbecue, it might not come as a surprise that a joint with smoked meats ranked the highest. But Haywood Smokehouse is known for serving meats Texas-style, including its fan-favorite brisket.

On Yelp, customers praised the restaurant’s tender meat and sides, helping it earn 4.8 out of 5 stars. While Haywood Smokehouse has three locations, the recognition went to the previously honored one in Dillsboro, roughly 50 miles southwest of the popular mountain town of Asheville.

Also known for offering brisket is Freeman’s Grub & Pub in Greensboro. The restaurant earned a spot on Yelp’s top restaurant list for the second year in the row after the website said customers raved about its low-cooked brisket sandwiches and other go-to pub dishes.

The other North Carolina restaurants on Yelp’s latest list were in the same region and also received praise for their menu items.

On the Yelp page for Odeh’s Mediterranean Kitchen in High Point, several customers said they loved foods ranging from shawarma to baklava. And in Asheboro, fans couldn’t get enough of The Table’s cafe-like setting and its takes on breakfast and lunch classics.

The nation’s top-ranking restaurant was Tumerico in Tucson, Arizona.

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