Tucked away in downtown Raleigh’s government buildings, here are 5 lunch spots to try
When the General Assembly is in session, several hundred people are at the Legislative Building on any given day, from lawmakers and staff to lobbyists, advocates and visitors.
Hundreds more work in nearby state government buildings or are visiting the historic Capitol, N.C. Museum of History or N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences. Even more people will visit that side of downtown Raleigh once Freedom Park and the science museum’s Dueling Dinosaurs exhibit opens.
So where do they eat?
Busy weekdays mean lunch needs to be quick and convenient. If you work on that side of downtown or are just visiting for the day, here are the five closest places to grab a bite — and what insiders recommend you order.
Legislative Cafeteria
The Legislative Building Cafeteria is in the basement of the Legislative Building at 16 W. Jones St. in Raleigh, along with some offices and the parking garage. The cafeteria is open to the public, but has a separate dining room for House and Senate members.
The cafeteria has a different menu each day. Certain menu items regularly appear on the same day of the week, though not necessarily every week. Lemon chicken soup is a favorite of the Capitol Press Corps. Watch for it on Thursdays.
Sweet potato souffle, fried chicken and fried squash are also longtime favorites of current and former lawmakers.
The cafeteria menu is posted online daily and tweeted out by the General Assembly Twitter account.
It’s open from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Legislative Snack Bar
Across the parking garage, still in the basement of the Legislative Building, is the snack bar.
You can get both breakfast and lunch there, and the menu is the same every day.
Staffers recommend the chicken Philly cheesesteak. Sen. Natalie Murdock told The News & Observer on the Under the Dome podcast that she likes the snack bar’s fries with extra seasoning salt. Rep. Amos Quick always gets the BLT sandwich.
It is open on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Legislative Office Building Snack Bar
There’s also the Legislative Office Building Snack Bar, at 300 S. Salisbury St. The LOB is where General Assembly committee rooms and lawmakers offices are located.
The LOB Snack Bar is on the first floor of the building. The menu is posted online daily and generally mirrors the main cafeteria, but with fewer options.
It’s open from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Premier Cakes Diner
While legislators and legislative staffers frequent the building’s cafeteria most often for convenience, there are two more places to eat in government buildings across the street.
Premier Cakes Diner opened earlier this year at the N.C. Museum of History, directly across Jones Street from the Legislative Building. It replaced Sweet Tea & Cornbread Grill, which had previously closed.
The counter-service restaurant has daily specials. Try the fried chicken bag.
It’s open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Premier Cakes also has a bakery in Raleigh.
Daily Planet Cafe
Across Bicentennial Plaza from the Museum of History is the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences, which has its own restaurant, called the Daily Planet Cafe.
Daily Planet, at 121 W. Jones St., is accessible to museum visitors from the main museum entrance or from its own entrance on Jones Street, directly across from the Department of Administration building. Look for the entrance near the giant globe.
It has a large menu of offerings from breakfast items and specialty coffee to lunch sandwiches, salads, wraps and burgers. You can get takeout at the counter, order online ahead of time to get takeout faster, or dine in. Depending on what day you go, lines can be short or almost out the front door. It is busy but the service is fast.
Hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sundays.
