THE VILLAGE DISTRICT CUISINES | QUICK BITES & FINE DINING
With 20 different restaurants in the Village District, if you live nearby, you’re obviously not going to go hungry. From fast food to fancy, with so many different dining options at your doorstep, you’re more likely to starve from indecision first! To help you out, we’ve selected three sit-down style places in the Village District where you can head for a quick bite as well as three fine dining options where you can bring friends or family for a more leisurely, upscale meal. (Well, okay, not really “fine dining” per se since most places in the area are pretty casual and almost all of them have a TV on the wall where you can watch sports, but finer dining… if you will.)
One caveat: We’re not discussing any of those fast-casual, pay-at-the-counter joints in this post, though we love them and there are plenty to choose from in the Village District. You’ve got chains like Which Wich and Moe’s where you can go in and get something on the fly (or in the case of our beloved Chick-fil-A, grab the bag through the drive-through window). You’ve also got franchises like Noodle and Company, Chop’t, CAVA, and Kale Me Crazy where you can personalize your own bowl (or smoothie or juice) made up of all kinds of good, healthy stuff. And of course, Village Deli and Cafe Carolina are old school favorites for a quick meal that we’d return to over and over.
But for this post, we’ve chosen places where you’ll need to stop in and grab a seat for lunch or dinner - whether that’s at a table or at the bar is up to you! These are our picks for a quick bite and fine(r) dining in the Village District…
3 Places for a Quick Bite in the Village District
Cameron Bar & Grill
For American favorites with a Southern flair right in your backyard, Cameron Bar & Grill is a staple spot for lunch, dinner, or just bar food and a couple of drinks. It’s classy yet casual, the beer selection is solid, and the menu is the opposite of fussy with its wide array of sandwiches, salads, and burgers (they’ve got nine burgers to choose from!). We wouldn’t blame you if you just stopped in to Cameron Bar & Grill for a few apps while you watch the game. Some of those fried green tomatoes with melted pimento cheese and smoked tomato aioli are looking pretty good right now…
If you’re a fan of burgers (who isn’t?) or beers (again, who isn’t?), then be sure to check out the daily deals at Cameron Bar & Grill too. If you’re more in the mood for a longer, order-an-entree kind of night, they’ve also got big plates of shrimp and grits, braised short ribs, jambalaya, and surprisingly, a pretty popular meatloaf. Oh, and of course they do brunch - this is still Raleigh, after all. Be on the lookout for trivia nights too!
Village Draft House
For a friendly atmosphere and the most beers on tap in the neighborhood (seriously, over 100), Raleigh’s own Village Draft House is an old standby and our go-to spot. This is the place for shamelessly delicious bar food like loaded tots, fried pickles, boom boom shrimp, and their decadent featured macaroni and cheeses which always have some sort of mildly outrageous addition. The menu is full of burgers, sandwiches, and other things that go great with beer. Shockingly, however, the Draft House also has some really fab salads that are loaded down with options like fresh Yellowfin tuna, marinated grilled chicken, or even sliced apples… you know, if you’re trying to eat healthy.
You can enjoy a local, NC, or national beer outside on the patio (with your dog, of course) or you can sit inside and watch sports at the bar. They’ve also got staples like wings, nachos, quesadillas, and buffalo chicken dip, which are basically requirements when you’re watching the game. But it’s their burgers that are really fantastic - you can choose from a multitude of toppings and they’ll cook them however you like! If you’re looking for a quick, lighter bite, we’d suggest one of their combos. You can choose two things, whether it be half a sandwich, a small portion of meatloaf, a salad, soup, chili, or fries.
Cantina 18
When questioning where we’d want to eat a quick weekday meal on our lunch break, Mexican food always comes to mind. We’ve already recommended Cantina 18 for their margaritas, but it’s also possible to head here for a quick meal without drinks or three baskets of chips and salsa. (It’s tough, mind you, but possible!) If you’re not in such a hurry that you’re considering Moe’s for your Tex-Mex fix, then head to Cantina 18, grab a seat at the bar, and choose tacos, quesadillas, or nachos for lunch. They’ve also got a solid chicken tortilla soup. These options will keep things light, local, and flavorful. Good luck not going overboard on the chips and salsa though...
Piccola Italia: Honorable Mention
Okay, we couldn’t just pick three.
Look, this one is a sleeper hit, but Piccola has been around forever. They’ve managed to hold their ground in Cameron Village even when the Brixx around the corner closed. That’s probably because they serve consistently good Italian food at reasonable prices. And in case you didn’t know, they also offer a great lunch option Monday through Friday when they serve pizza by the slice combined with a side dish for less than $10. (They offer lunch versions of their pastas and lasagnas too, but you would just be a liability at work after that.) Piccola also serves stromboli, calzones, salads, and soups for lunch, but the real heroes here are the sandwiches. Options include Italian favorites like chicken or eggplant parmigiana, caprese, salami, and even cheesesteak. Each is served on a hot hoagie or rosemary schiacciata alongside a pickle, chips, and a drink. Consider this a public service announcement. You can thank us later.
3 Fine(r) Dining Options in the Village District
Ajisai
We know Raleigh has its fair share of sushi restaurants, but Ajisai isn’t your typical buy-one-get-one kind of place that leans heavily into the Japanese mayo and tempura accoutrements (not that there’s anything wrong with that, but there’s a time and a place). With its high-quality fresh fish and shellfish, Ajisai is just a little more refined than the rest. This restaurant has a sleek, modern vibe and a wide selection of sushi, sashimi, oysters, and creative dishes to choose from, whether you’re on a date or having dinner with friends. Stick with the basics like tuna, salmon, and shrimp rolls or sashimi, or take a look at the Chef Special Rolls for more unique combinations. Oh, and the plating is impeccable every time. Expect expertly-cut slices of fish resting on a bed of ice, edible flowers, fried lotus, and other beautifully presented details.
Ajisai also has a bar where you can sip a cold Asahi alongside an appetizer of tuna dumplings or fresh tartare if you like (we do). If you’re not into raw fish though, they also have a selection of hot entrees like miso salmon, ribeye steak, teriyaki chicken, fried rice, and a few Thai dishes. While the atmosphere here is slightly upscale, you could also stop in for lunch to get one of their very affordable bento boxes. This quick option lets you mix and match sushi rolls, sashimi, and other dishes. Each is served with a salad, soup, and rice. You can’t beat it.
Tazza Kitchen
We’ll say it again: Tazza Kitchen is popular for a reason. The quality is consistent, the menu is varied, and the ambiance couldn’t be any more casually chic with its wooden finishes, modern decor, patio, and string lights (because string lights make everything look good). It’s the perfect place to bring a date, friends, or family because it’s laid back, cool, and you know it’s going to be good. Best of all, even though Tazza is almost always busy, because of its convenient the Village District location, you can always find parking! As we’ve mentioned before, their craft cocktail menu and bartenders are pretty amazing, but we know it’s hard not to order a bottle of rosé. Yes, there’s craft beer too. Obviously.
Tazza is great for all the aforementioned reasons, but their food menu is the reason people keep coming back. Not to be “basic,” but the cast iron goat cheese is always a favorite, and the kale salad is the best in Raleigh (trust us, it’s hardly a salad). Their tacos and pizzas are also enviably good for a place that doesn’t consider itself a Mexican or Italian restaurant. The seared scallops on creamed corn risotto are perfectly cooked, and they’ve got a flat iron steak and wood oven pork chop for the more carnivore-minded patrons. The menu at Tazza changes seasonally, so give the pastas and other dishes a look as well.
so•ca
Perhaps the only true “fine dining” establishment in the Village District, the relatively new so•ca is a cocina latina that focuses on cuisine from the countries and island nations located south of the border. Visit to try different plates and drinks inspired by Peru, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Jamaica, and more. You can nibble on a few of their platos pequeños (small plates), share with others at your table, or just go ahead and order one of their platos fuertes (larger plates) if you’re not a food sharer. Pair your meal with a creative craft cocktail or choose a glass of wine or beer from Latin America.
The menu at so•ca gives you the opportunity to try new bold flavors and exotic ingredients within the comfort of familiar ingredients like shrimp, pork chops, and cauliflower, though we’d also recommend venturing into more adventurous plates like the charred octopus, ceviche, and pork belly mofongo. The Dominican empanadas made with yuca, sofrito-braised chicken, mango, sazón aioli, and radish are a customer favorite too. If you don’t want to commit to a full-on fancy date night at so•ca, you can also try them out at brunch. Their crispy, sugary churro waffles are so popular they’re bordering on viral. So•ca is another place where the plating is a work of art, and the service is always excellent as well.