Research Triangle in North Carolina

[Walden Ponderer 12639]

I'll be staying with some friends in Orange County, North Carolina later this summer. It's just north of Chapel Hill, just northwest of Raleigh. I'm sure they'll have plenty of suggestions but... the truth is, they're mostly homebodies, so I'm willing to bet any Surly Horns who have traveled in the area will have better suggestions of what to do/where to go/what to eat. If you've got recommendations, fire away. (I already plan on taking in some minor league baseball, but I seriously doubt that's the only thing they've got going for them.)

[Mack Tripper 696]

This place is damn good. They are known for their BLTs. You would think the best BLT of all time wouldn't be that much better than your average BLT, but you'd be wrong. 

https://www.merrittsblt.com/

[ERhine 1894]

16 minutes ago, Mack Tripper said:

This place is damn good. They are known for their BLTs. You would think the best BLT of all time wouldn't be that much better than your average BLT, but you'd be wrong. 

https://www.merrittsblt.com/

I came here to post this.  Best BLT I've ever had.  Amazingly good.

[Walden Ponderer 12639]

So, that's a definite go then. Thanks.

[Baboontyme 2812]

I've been to the Angus Barn steakhouse which is from my understanding one of their landmark restaurants. It was decent. Didn't really stand out to me as anything must do but we were told we must do it. 

http://www.angusbarn.com/

[Onboard 2.0 9083]

 Get them to take the 3 hour drive over to the Outer Banks for at least one nights stay, if possible 2 is better.  If you have a day or two to spare, and the weather is cooperating.

[Mack Tripper 696]

Just don’t go to any barbecue place no matter how good the locals claim it is. I drove a good 45 minutes out of my way to some purportedly legendary place in doesn’t-matter-where-ville that was horrible. Everything was bombarded in sugar to the point of being inedible. The pulled pork (doused in sugary bbq sauce) the sides, the iced tea. All of it. I asked for the pulled pork without sauce after the first go around and was refused. They offered a “spicy hot sauce” to mitigate the sweetness, which was a joke.

[Onboard 2.0 9083]

9 hours ago, Mack Tripper said:

Just don’t go to any barbecue place no matter how good the locals claim it is. I drove a good 45 minutes out of my way to some purportedly legendary place in doesn’t-matter-where-ville that was horrible. Everything was bombarded in sugar to the point of being inedible. The pulled pork (doused in sugary bbq sauce) the sides, the iced tea. All of it. I asked for the pulled pork without sauce after the first go around and was refused. They offered a “spicy hot sauce” to mitigate the sweetness, which was a joke.

There's good BBQ, but ya gotta know where to look.

[BamaSucks 12]

23 hours ago, Onboard 2.0 said:

There's good BBQ, but ya gotta know where to look.

The BBQ is different and if you go expecting Texas style bbq you won't enjoy it. Pork, not heavily smoked and generally cooked fairly fast at higher temps. Sauces are not really good. I think Carolina slaw sucks ass. But, there are tons of good restaurants over there

[BamaSucks 12]

In Raleigh- Cowfish. A sushi/burger joint mash up that has good vibe, good bar

In Chapel Hill-AJ's Burgers on the strip at UNC (Franklin Street)

Med Deli on Franklin is also really, really good

That's all I got. We don't get over there much

[Walden Ponderer 12639]

Good suggestions all around. I have zero interest in Carolina BBQ. I've read enough to know they are stuck with poor person's Q, and don't know any better. In fact, one of my friends out there moved from Fredericksburg twenty-five odd years ago, and comes back to Texas twice a year specifically to get real BBQ.

[Onboard 2.0 9083]

2 hours ago, BamaSucks said:

The BBQ is different and if you go expecting Texas style bbq you won't enjoy it. Pork, not heavily smoked and generally cooked fairly fast at higher temps. Sauces are not really good. I think Carolina slaw sucks ass. But, there are tons of good restaurants over there

Yeah the trick is finding the places that use sauce as lightly as possible during cooking . The flavor of the meat can come thru 

[smoky 840]

Love the RTP area. 

I've enjoyed Picnic in Durham and Crook's Corner in Chapel Hill

http://www.picnicdurham.com

http://www.crookscorner.com/

Edited June 11, 2018 by smoky