Neighborhood guide: Where to eat in Spring Lake, from pad Thai to country cooking
Spring Lake is home to more than 50 restaurants, but which ones do locals say are the best?
According to a recent Facebook poll, readers' top picks are like a tour around the world with cuisine from Thailand, Korea, Italy, Mexico and the Mediterranean — plus a longtime butcher shop that serves barbecue at lunch and a country kitchen has been in the area for nearly 50 years.
Here's a guide to some of the best places to eat in Spring Lake.
Nak Won
Owner Ken Hwang’s family has been in the restaurant business in the U.S. and Korea for 35 years. His Main Street restaurant Nak Won, which translates to “heavenly place,” has served Korean meals and rice cakes since 2017.
The fried dumplings, bulgogi, kimchi stew and bibimbop — vegetables, beef and egg over steamed rice with a spicy sauce — are popular. Entrees start at $13.
Location: 138 N. Main St.
Hours: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday
Phone: 910-497-8858
On the web: Search Nak Won on Facebook
Cedar Point Restaurant
Cedar Point Restaurant has been serving country home cooking from its prime spot at Bragg Boulevard and North Main Street since 1975. Ran by siblings Mike Sheets and Sandra Robertson, the restaurant serves omelets, grits and corned beef hash for breakfast, and burgers and sandwiches for lunch.
The menu has barely changed since the place opened, and prices have remained low; breakfast entrees start at about $6 and lunch entrees start at about $7.
Location: 997 N. Bragg Blvd.
Hours: 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily
Phone: 910-497-9127
On the web: Search Cedar Creek Restaurant on Facebook
Brooklyn Pizzeria
Owner Pete Reneo opened Brooklyn Pizzeria on Bragg Boulevard in Spring Lake in 1992, followed by a Ramsey Street location about two decades later. The small chain once had a Eutaw Village Shopping Center location where Capri Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria now operates.
Sold by the slice or by the pie, the pizza is made with a 100-year-old sauce recipe passed down by his grandmother, Reneo told The Observer in 2014. Pizzas start at $14.
Location: 1125 N. Bragg Blvd.
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Saturday. Closed Sunday
Phone: 910-536-5666
On the web: brooklynpizzeriaspringlake.com
Noble Meats
Noble Meats on Lillington Highway was founded by Nabil Isbanioly in 1987 and is now run by his son Jason Isbanioly. Once a bulk meat supplier, the shop started serving lunch in the late 1990s and is known for its barbecue ribs, pulled pork, brisket and rotisserie chicken.
Plates start at about $10 for a choice of meat and two sides. The butcher shop offers house-made sausage, bacon and beef jerky.
Location: 2469 Lillington Highway #1847
Hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday-Saturday. Closed Sunday
Phone: 910-436-6022
On the web: facebook.com/noblemeats
El Tucan
Owner Arturo Arellano opened El Tucan more than two decades ago. He brings a taste of his central Mexico hometown of Guanajuato to Spring Lake with specialties like pena rellena — a pineapple stuffed with grilled shrimp and chicken, bell peppers and onions and topped with melted cheese.
The Bragg Boulevard spot offers more than 40 lunch specials under $10, including tacos, tamales, chalupas, fajitas, burritos, quesadillas and enchiladas. Dinner entrees start at $10.
Location: 250 S. Bragg Blvd.
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Sunday
Phone: 910-676-8880
On the web: facebook.com/eltucanmexicanrestaurant
The Morning Jump
Located just outside the gates to Fort Liberty, The Morning Jump is a drive-thru coffee shop that serves breakfast and lunch. Army veteran Erik Brinkman and his family opened the popular kiosk in 2014.
The menu is centered around such custom coffee drinks as the "All-American" creamy blueberry latte, bagels, breakfast sandwiches and pastries. Espresso drinks start at about $4 and sandwiches start at about $6.
Location: 106 S. Bragg Blvd.
Hours: 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
Phone: 910-920-3932
On the web: themorningjump.com
Sawadee
For more than 15 years, Sawadee owner Srisaowaluck Haygood has brought a taste of Thailand to Spring Lake. The restaurant offers such specialties as spicy and sour soup, red curry, stir-fried vegetables and orange chicken.
The pad Thai is served with homemade spring rolls and a choice of steamed or fried rice. It can be made vegetarian or with a choice of chicken, pork, beef, shrimp or calamari, starting at $11.
Location: 1006 N. Bragg Blvd.
Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Saturday. Closed Sunday.
Phone: 910-436-5757
On the web: Search "Sawaddee Thai" on Facebook
Army City
Owners Tarek Gayed and Antwan Awad opened the Bragg Boulevard restaurant in 2010 and later added a Fayetteville location on McPherson Church Road.
Gyros are most popular, made with a choice of lamb, chicken or beef, tzatziki sauce, feta, lettuce, and tomatoes on pita bread. The restaurant serves six varieties of Philly cheesesteaks, including a pizza cheesesteak that tops the traditional beef sandwich with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese.
Location: 425 N. Bragg Blvd., Spring Lake and 201 S. McPherson Church Road, Fayetteville
Hours: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily
Phone: 910-436-3330
On the web: facebook.com/Armycityspringlake and armycity.biz
Food, dining and business reporter Taylor Shook can be reached at tshook@gannett.com, on Twitter, or Facebook. Want weekly food news delivered to your inbox? Sign up for the Fayetteville Foodies newsletter.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Best restaurants in Spring Lake, NC, according to locals
