Where To Find The Best Bar Food In Raleigh: 9 Tasty Options

When you’re feeling a bit hungry, but don’t want to get dressed up or spend a fortune at a sit-down restaurant, then finding a place that serves great bar food in Raleigh will satisfy those tiny cravings.

Bar food tends to go hand-in hand with catching a game with friends, one of my favorite social activities, and we created this guide to the best bars in Raleigh for bar food so you can enjoy a casual meal while enjoying a beer, cocktail, or crisp glass of wine. 

Please note, since you can get to anywhere in 20 minutes in Raleigh, and we’re all real friendly across Wake County, we’ve included some bars with great bar food in nearby municipalities – will travel for great wings! At the bottom of the post, we have a map with all bars pinned!

Best Bar Food in Raleigh

1. Mitch’s Tavern

• Address: 2426 Hillsborough St, Raleigh
• Website: MitchsTavernRaleigh.com

Mitch’s Tavern is a sports bar in Raleigh with an Irish pub feel. It was established in 1974 and has been a staple watering hole for NC State students and alumni for decades, largely due to its location on Hillsborough Street directly across from campus. What makes Mitch’s Tavern unique is that it’s old school. It has wood-accented furnishings, TV screens at every turn, and quirky NC State memorabilia hanging on the walls. 

It’s the kind of place you can meet up with friends and enjoy joyful conversation without feeling like you need to keep it down. When it comes to bar food, something we love to munch on is their Beef Chili (they also have a vegetarian one) which is a small, hearty snack that can come in a cup size or a bowl. Another great bite is Mitch’s Reuben Sandwich, which has slow-roasted corned beef, melted Swiss Cheese, and inside toasted rye bread. The nachos is good, too!

There is a specific “lighter bite” section on their menu, which features things like pretzel bites, nachos, chicken wings, and mozzarella sticks, so there is no shortage of choice of snack options if you don’t want a full meal.

2. Hibernian Irish Pub

• Address: 311 Glenwood Ave, Raleigh
• Website: HibernianPub.com

Another popular bar food joint in Glenwood South is Hibernian Irish Pub, which serves hearty Irish meals, such as Shepherd’s Pie and Bangers & Mash, but it also has a large selection of “pub grub”, which is Irish for “bar food.” On the “pub grub” menu, you can find chicken wings, pita or tortilla and dips, cheddar pub chips (fries), and nachos.

We think they do the best Irish Coffees in Raleigh too – they actually float the cream! And we’ve also had a hearty Irish breakfast here on St Paddy’s Day, the best place to celebrate the Irish.

The vibes at Hibernian are on point. This two-story venue has an awesome rooftop patio, and because they’re an Irish pub, they are one of the best places to watch soccer in Raleigh, as they often play English Premier League Football matches and 6 Nations Rugby games. The Hibernian also has a location off Falls of Neuse Road in North Raleigh.

3. My Way Tavern

• Address: 522 St Marys St, Raleigh
• Website: MyWayTavern.com

As soon as you walk in, your eyes are drawn to the horseshoe style bar that has 22 beers on draft (15 of which are local). The menu has a “teasers and tidbits” section which is primarily small bar food plates. You can find things like pretzel bites, buffalo dip and tortillas, fried banana peppers for vegetarians, and our personal fav, is the fried Brussel sprouts topped with bacon.

If you want something larger, we love their fish and chips, which I would go as far as to say are the best in the Raleigh area. The wings are good too and come with several types of rubs and dipping sauce!

Overall, My Way Tavern has a relaxed atmosphere that’s perfect for meeting up with friends or to catch a football game – they have specials on Monday and Thursday Nights, and all day on Saturday and Sundays. There is also a location in Holly Springs.

4. The Players Retreat

• Address: 105 Oberlin Road, Raleigh
• Website: PlayersRetreat.com

The Players Retreat is THE home to NC State University students and alumni and has been their watering hole for over 70 years. If you want to cheer on the Wolfpack but can’t get tickets to the stadium, you’ll find your fellow supporters cheering them on from this bar. It’s the oldest continuously operating tavern between Atlanta and Washington D.C. and was founded in 1951, and still has a very old-school sports bar vibe with booths and bar stools, pool tables, and tons of TV screens.

When it comes to bar food, it has a focus on hamburgers, and we think they are top three in the best burgers in Raleigh. However, when you want something smaller, we love their Mimi’s Sausage Dip and Chips which fall under their starter’s menu. And their onion rings are the best in Raleigh! Their PR Sampler dish makes for a great sharing plate, and features Poppers, Potato Skins, Chicken Retreats, Ribs and Wings, plus a choice of sauce.

These dishes can also be found on their “Late Night Menu”, which has smaller bites served between 11.00pm and 1.00am on Fridays and Saturdays. It also has a great selection of sandwiches. Got kids? They eat free on Sundays!

5. Raleigh Times Bar

• Address: 14 E Hargett St, Raleigh
• Website: RaleighTimesBar.com

The Raleigh Times is one of the most famous bars in Raleigh and is named after the former newspaper that used to operate from this 100-year-old historic building. We love this bar for its rooftop dining, so if you’re looking for places to eat outside in the summer, this is a top choice.

When it comes to bar food, they have classic burgers and sandwiches, but they also have a dedicated “bar snacks” section, which features Times Nachos, which are our favorite (and a lot of the local’s favorite too from our conversations with people). You can also find Guacamole & Pico, Chicken Quesadillas, Peruvian Grilled Wings, and for the veggies, Tim’s Mozzarella Sticks. Another good option is the mix-and-match street tacos.

6. Woody’s Sports Tavern

• Address: 205 Wolfe St, Raleigh
• Website: WoodysSportsTavern.com

Another popular sports tavern is Woody’s in City Market. It’s your typical sports bar vibe, with a wooden corner bar with bar stools, sports memorabilia hanging on the walls, and a TV screen from every angle. They have a great selection of craft beer, and some of the best wings in the Triangle. They come in portions of 6 or 12, and you can choose your own sauce. If you’re going out with a group, you can also get a bucket of 24 plus two sauces and share it.

Aside from wings, you can also find other snacky items such as onion rings, chips, and salsa, and for vegetarians, celery and carrots with a dipping sauce. Most of the menu is designed as lighter-bite, bar food cuisine. Wake County residents are lucky as Woody’s also has locations in Morrisville and Cary.

7. Whiskey Kitchen

• Address: 201 W Martin St, Raleigh
• Website: Whiskey.Kitchen

Whiskey Kitchen is a great place to go if you’re visiting from outside Raleigh as it has excellent and inventive Southern food. Think fried chicken and pulled pork BBQ sandwiches, and banana pudding. It also has the largest selection of whiskey in the city, with over 300 whiskies to try, plus some exceptional craft cocktails. The space is huge and inviting, with a repurposed industrial feel.

At dinner time they have a phenomenal pork chop and cauliflower dish. And some of our favorite bar food snacks are fried brussels, buttermilk biscuits and cream cheese, and crispy broccoli. Their lamb burgers are also pretty good if you want something larger.

Whiskey Kitchen made our list of local’s favorite places to drink in Raleigh this year and favorite places to eat in Raleigh this year.

8. CrossTown Pub & Grill

Back in the town of Cary is CrossTown Pub and Grill, which is one of the official Carolina Hurricanes bars. They are a family-owned pub known for their excellent fish and chips, juicy burgers, and birria tacos (these are delicious!) Our friends visiting from Australia said the food at CrossTown was top notch!

The vibe is incredibly relaxed and family-friendly, with ambient lighting and wooden furnishings, and outdoor patio seating for those nice weather days!  

• Address: 154 E Chatham St, Cary
• Website: crosstowndowntown.com

9. O’Malley’s Pub & Restaurant

• Address: 5228 Hollyridge Drive
• Website: www.facebook.com/omalleys.raleigh 

Finally, another Irish pub that’s perfect for hearty bites, is O’Malley’s, which is located in the Oak Park Shopping Center on Glenwood Ave. This is a classic, comfort food style tavern that has nightly live music and a great selection of 20+ beers on tap. Their fish and chips and French onion soup are popular, but they also have succulent chicken wings which are the perfect bar food snack.

Other Recommendations from our Community

We haven’t eaten at every pub and bar in Raleigh, yet! So, we love it when you leave your suggestions. Please let us know in the comments your favorite bar food in Raleigh (include your favorite dish! so we know where to go next AND fellow Raleighites reading this post also know.

Here are some other suggestions we received from our Instagram and Facebook community

• Berkeley Cafe – Courtney says, “I have never had anything I didn’t like there. Their chef comes up with some really great specials as well. Also, an awesome place to hang and right near Red Hat.’
• High Park & Grill – Beth says it’s always delicious”
• Derick Says Lynwood Grill never disappoints (close to Umstead State Park, so you can walk it off after!)
• Bru’s Public House is the perfect neighborhood gathering space with delicious burgers, pizza and wings. Our friend, Curt raves about it and is his go-to place to either watch a Canes game, or to snack on down before he walks under the tunnel to go to a game at PNC Arena. Yep, it’s that close!

Map of The Best Bar Food in Raleigh