American & Regional

Courtyard Cafe (The)

View Website

100 Marriott Way (off NC Highway 54 East; in The Courtyard by Marriott)
Chapel Hill, NC 27517

phone (919) 883-0700

Open for breakfast and dinner.

Fine dining. All ABC permits. Credit cards. Kids menu. Free parking.

Elaine’s on Franklin

View Website

454 West Franklin St (Downtown)
Chapel Hill, NC 27516

phone (919) 960-2770

Open Tue-Thu, 6-9:30pm; Fri-Sat, 6-10pm; closed Sun & Mon.

Fine Dining. Chef and owner Bret Jennings offers the best of North Carolina bounty and fresh seafood. Wine Spectator Award of Excellence. Elegant, yet lively, atmosphere. Great bar. Accommodating to diets and vegetarians. Smoke-free.

Elmo’s Diner

200 North Greensboro St (Carr Mill Mall)
Carrboro, NC 27510

phone (919) 929-2909

Open Sun-Thu, 6:30am-10pm; Fri-Sat, 6:30am-11pm.

Offers all the comforts of a diner—low prices, lots of high chairs, homemade food (updated with vegetarian choices), daily specials and friendly service. Beer & wine only Kids menu. Smoke-free.

Goldie’s Grill

View Website

137 East Franklin St (Bank of America Center)
Chapel Hill, NC 27514

phone (919) 967-0909

Open daily, 11am-2am.

Full-service menu, garden patio, daily drink specials. Music on the weekend (no cover). Serves creative American regional cuisine. All ABC permits. Credit cards. Outdoor dining.

Iron Skillet (The)

501 Buckhorn Rd (Interstate 40-85, Exit 157)
Mebane, NC 27302

phone (919) 304-8126

Open daily, 24 hours.

Offers a full menu all day long (featuring its King of the Road chicken fried steak) and all-you-can-eat breakfast, lunch and dinner buffets with a 50-item soup, salad and bread bar. Cafeterias & Buffet Style.

Loop Pizza Grill (The)

View Website

1800 East Franklin St (Eastgate),
Chapel Hill, NC 27514

phone (919) 969-7112

Open Sun-Thu, 11am-10pm; Fri-Sat, 11am-11pm; Sun, 11am-10pm.

Offers a wide variety of California- and Chicago-style deep-dish pizza, garden salads, soups, burgers and other sandwiches (all grilled), homemade onion rings and steak fries, and milkshakes. Meals for kids (up to 12).

Margaret’s Cantina

View Website

1129 Weaver Dairy Rd (Timberlyne)
Chapel Hill, NC 27514

phone (919) 942-4745

Open for lunch Mon-Fri, 11:30am-2:30pm; for dinner Mon-Thu, 5-9pm (Fri-Sat till 10pm); closed Sun. Extended summer hours.

Fresh, homemade, lots of vegetarian options. Grilled chicken and burgers; soups and salads, too. Margaritas from freshly squeezed lemons and limes. All ABC permits. Credit cards. Free parking, Kids menu. Outdoor dining. Smoke-free.

Milltown

307 East Main St (Downtown)
Carrboro, NC 27510

phone (919) 968-2460

Open Mon, 5pm-2am; Tue-Fri, 11am-2am; Sat, 9am-2am; closed Sun.

Serves contemporary American pub food with traditional French bistro offerings, including slow-cooked ribs, big pork sandwich, beer-battered fish tacos and mussels, plus fries in four different ethnic styles. Sat. brunch. Outdoor dining.

Owens 501 Diner

1500 Fordham Blvd (US Highway 15-501)
Chapel Hill, NC 27514

phone (919) 933-3505

Open Mon, 7am-2pm; Tue-Thu, 7am-9pm; Fri-Sat, 7am-10pm; Sun, 8:30am-3pm.

A real old-fashioned diner with comfortable atmosphere, great staff and terrific food. Breakfast all day (omelets, waffles) and daily Blue Plate specials.

Penguin’s Café & Coffee Bar

View Website

81 South Elliott Rd (Village Plaza)
Chapel Hill, NC 27514

phone (919) 968-1983

Open daily, 7:30am-9pm.

In Whole Foods Market. Serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. All natural foods prepared fresh daily. Hot bar, salad bar, sushi bar and sandwich station. Seasonal drink menu. Fresh baked breads and desserts. Full-service deli bar. Beer & wine only. Free parking. Kids menu. Outdoor dining. Smoke-free.