Poole's Diner Raleigh: The Sunday Royale Burger

Poole’s Diner, at 428 S. McDowell St. in downtown Raleigh, North Carolina, serves a burger one night a week: the 10 oz Wagyu Royale with Cheese, $27, Sundays only, according to the official menu page I checked on October 19, 2026. The rest of the week it is a dinner-only diner, run since December 2007 by Ashley Christensen, chef and proprietor of AC Restaurants and the only North Carolina chef to have won the James Beard Award for Outstanding Chef. What made Poole’s famous is not the burger. It is a three-cheese macaroni au gratin. My answer to the obvious question: plan a Sunday dinner around the Royale if you want a burger cooked in the kitchen of one of the South’s most decorated chefs. Any other night, come for the mac.

Poole’s Diner Raleigh: key facts

Poole’s serves dinner seven nights a week, and the burger is on the Sunday menu. Every line below was checked against the official AC Restaurants pages on October 19, 2026.

Poole’s Diner Raleigh key facts, checked on October 19, 2026: 428 S. McDowell St., dinner only (Mon–Thu and Sun 5–9 PM, Fri–Sat 5–10 PM), chef and proprietor Ashley Christensen, opened December 13, 2007. The 10 oz Wagyu Royale with Cheese costs $27 plus tax and tip and is served on Sundays only. (Table: Burger Breton, data from the official Poole’s page (AC Restaurants), checked 2026-10-19)

Prices are in US dollars. As in most American restaurants, menu prices exclude sales tax and tip, so the $27 Royale costs more by the time the check arrives.

Map of downtown Raleigh’s Warehouse District showing Poole’s Diner at 428 S. McDowell St. The former Chuck’s burger restaurant stood about a 10-minute walk away, at 237 S. Wilmington St. (600×450) (Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL)

Who is Ashley Christensen?

Ashley Christensen is a North Carolina chef and restaurateur who leads AC Restaurants, the Raleigh group behind Poole’s. She grew up in Kernersville, North Carolina, studied at NC State University and took her first restaurant job at 21, according to her official bio and Visit Raleigh.

Her whole career has stayed in Raleigh, and every restaurant she has opened is downtown. To my mind, that is why Poole’s feels like the city’s own table rather than a place built for visitors.

Ashley Christensen’s awards and cookbook

Ashley Christensen has won two James Beard Awards: Best Chef: Southeast in 2014 and Outstanding Chef in 2019. Visit Raleigh notes she is the only North Carolina chef to have won Outstanding Chef, the Beard Foundation’s top national chef award.

• 2014: James Beard Award, Best Chef: Southeast
• 2016: cookbook Poole’s: Recipes and Stories from a Modern Diner (Ten Speed Press), co-written with Kaitlyn Goalen
• 2017: Eater Chef of the Year
• 2019: James Beard Award, Outstanding Chef

Ashley Christensen’s awards: James Beard Best Chef: Southeast (2014), the Poole’s cookbook with Kaitlyn Goalen (Ten Speed Press, 2016), Eater Chef of the Year (2017) and James Beard Outstanding Chef (2019). (Table: Burger Breton, data from AC Restaurants official bio, Visit Raleigh and Penguin Random House)

Did Ashley Christensen found Poole’s?

No. Ashley Christensen relaunched Poole’s in 2007; she did not found the original business. The building opened in 1945 as Poole’s Pie Shop, later became Poole’s Luncheonette and then Poole’s Diner, according to AC Restaurants and Visit Raleigh.

The name comes from one of the building’s original tenants, among downtown Raleigh’s first restaurants. Christensen kept the name and the diner format when her Poole’s opened on December 13, 2007. Plenty of profiles blur the two. Put simply: the diner dates from 1945, and the restaurant you eat at today dates from 2007.

The Poole’s logo and the street number 426 on the glass door of Poole’s Diner in downtown Raleigh, March 2015. Red counter stools are visible through the glass. (765×1024) (Photo: Ron Cogswell, CC BY 2.0, https://www.flickr.com/photos/22711505@N05/16724140379)

The Poole’s Royale with Cheese: Raleigh’s Sunday burger

The Royale with Cheese is a 10 oz Wagyu burger served at Poole’s on Sundays only, with grilled brioche and a red wine shallot jus. It was listed at $27 on the official menu page when I checked it on October 19, 2026.

Treat that as a snapshot. AC Restaurants says the Poole’s menu changes weekly and sometimes daily, so the Royale is not guaranteed on any given Sunday. Check the menu online before you build an evening around it.

Poole’s does not publish where the wagyu comes from, which cheese goes on it or how the patty is cooked. I have not eaten it yet, so I won’t guess. My view on the price: at $27 before tax and tip, it is priced like a chef’s main course, not a diner burger. Order it that way, with a glass of wine and time to sit at the counter, and the price makes sense.

Why is it called the Royale with Cheese?

The name is widely read as a nod to the “Royale with cheese” line in Pulp Fiction. That link comes from secondary sources such as Tripadvisor listings, not from Christensen or AC Restaurants, so treat it as a likely wink rather than a confirmed origin.

What is Poole’s Diner famous for?

Poole’s is famous for its macaroni au gratin, not its burger. The dish is made with three cheeses, topped with sea salt and finished under the broiler, and it has stayed on the chalkboard menu since 2007, according to Visit Raleigh.

Around its tenth anniversary in 2017, Poole’s was selling more than 15,000 portions a year. That figure comes from Visit Raleigh’s anniversary article, and I have not found a more recent count. If you order one thing on a weekday, make it this.

Poole’s Raleigh menu: what to expect

The Poole’s menu is a chalkboard of seasonal dishes that changes weekly and sometimes daily. As of October 2026, expect the macaroni au gratin every night and the Royale with Cheese on Sundays.

Diners at the curved counter of Poole’s Diner Raleigh in March 2015, under the chalkboard menus and the pressed-tin ceiling. The photo was taken before the 2024–2025 renovation. (1024×765) (Photo: Ron Cogswell, CC BY 2.0, https://www.flickr.com/photos/22711505@N05/16910325375)

Some of the cooking now happens over wood. In 2024 Poole’s expanded into the building next door, the former Poole’side Pies, and added wood-fired cooking to some of its classic dishes, according to AC Restaurants and CBS17.

The Double Horseshoe counter after the renovation

The Double Horseshoe is Poole’s signature seating: twin semicircle counters with red stools. It reopened in August 2025 after a renovation that began in October 2024, with a new sound-softening ceiling and a new sound system, according to CBS17 and RALtoday.

The Double Horseshoe counter with red stools at Poole’s Diner in Raleigh, photographed in March 2015 before the 2024–2025 renovation that added a new ceiling. Cocktail, beer and wine chalkboards hang above the bar. (1024×765) (Photo: Ron Cogswell, CC BY 2.0, https://www.flickr.com/photos/22711505@N05/16722903190)

The original dining room, the counters and the kitchen all closed during the work, while service carried on in the expanded space. CBS17 gives August 14 as the reopening date. AC Restaurants has not confirmed the day, so I give the month only.

Do you need a reservation at Poole’s?

You can reserve, but you do not have to. Counter seats can be booked for up to 4 people, and Poole’s holds walk-in places every night, according to CBS17. If you are going for the Sunday Royale, book.

Chuck’s Raleigh burgers: the burger joint the city lost

Chuck’s was Ashley Christensen’s dedicated burger restaurant, and it closed for good in 2020. It opened in 2011 at 237 S. Wilmington St., in a former Piggly Wiggly building it shared with Beasley’s Chicken + Honey and Fox Liquor Bar.

Chuck’s served burgers and frites built on house-ground beef. WRAL also remembers its spiked milkshakes, made with Howling Cow ice cream from NC State’s dairy and spirits such as bourbon or spiced rum. AC Restaurants announced on May 6, 2020 that Chuck’s would close permanently, and Beasley’s took over its space.

A cheeseburger with greens and thick-cut fries in a paper-lined basket at Chuck’s, Ashley Christensen’s burger restaurant in downtown Raleigh. It was photographed in 2016, and Chuck’s closed for good in 2020. (1024×1024) (Photo: justin lincoln, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://www.flickr.com/photos/69106957@N00/29528029484)

So does Christensen still have a burger restaurant? No. Since 2020 her burger has lived on one menu, one night a week, at Poole’s. For anyone who cares about burgers, that is the real loss. An everyday counter became a Sunday special.

Ashley Christensen restaurants in 2026: what is still open

Poole’s is the AC Restaurants venue confirmed open as of October 19, 2026, with current hours on its official page. Several other restaurants in the group have closed, and many older bios still list them as open.

Status of Ashley Christensen’s restaurants on October 19, 2026. Poole’s is open. Chuck’s (2020), Poole’side Pies (2023) and Beasley’s Chicken + Honey (January 2026) have closed. The status of Fox Liquor Bar, Death & Taxes and Bridge Club is not confirmed. (Table: Burger Breton, data from AC Restaurants, ABC11, CBS17 and WRAL, checked 2026-10-19)

Beasley’s closed after more than 14 years. Christensen said downtown had changed since the pandemic and the Beasley’s model was no longer sustainable, according to CBS17. Death & Taxes was a 2016 James Beard semifinalist and finalist for Best New Restaurant, per her official bio.

Timeline of Ashley Christensen’s restaurants. Poole’s has been open since December 13, 2007, in a building that has housed a Poole’s since the 1945 pie shop. Chuck’s ran from 2011 to May 2020, Beasley’s Chicken + Honey from 2011 to January 25, 2026, and Poole’side Pies from 2019 to December 23, 2023. (Chart: Burger Breton (own work, CC BY 4.0), dates from AC Restaurants, Visit Raleigh, ABC11 and CBS17, rendered with QuickChart)

Poole’s also hosts AC’s Table, an intimate dining series whose first dinner sold out in under 20 minutes, according to 6AM City. If you want a seat, follow the AC Restaurants channels.

One warning for trip planners: some 2026 travel blogs still describe Beasley’s as open. It is not. Trust the official AC Restaurants pages and local news over them.

Is Poole’s worth it for a burger lover?

Yes, on a Sunday, if you treat the Royale with Cheese as a chef’s dish rather than a quick bite. My verdict is simple: Poole’s is a great Raleigh restaurant that happens to serve a burger, not a burger destination. Any other night, take a counter seat, order the macaroni au gratin and do your burger hunting elsewhere in the city.

For the Carolina burger “all the way” with chili and slaw, and for the downtown food halls, see our best burgers in Raleigh page. For more cities and chef profiles, browse all our burger restaurant guides.

FAQ: Poole’s Diner and Ashley Christensen

Who owns Poole’s Diner in Raleigh? Ashley Christensen, chef and proprietor of AC Restaurants, has run Poole’s since 2007.

Is Poole’s Diner the same restaurant as the original Poole’s from 1945? No. The building opened in 1945 as Poole’s Pie Shop. Christensen’s Poole’s is a new restaurant that opened on December 13, 2007 and kept the historic name.

What is the Royale with Cheese at Poole’s, and what day is it served? It is a 10 oz Wagyu burger with grilled brioche and red wine shallot jus, served on Sundays only as of October 19, 2026.

How much is the burger at Poole’s? $27 on the official menu as of October 19, 2026, before sales tax and tip. The menu changes weekly, so check before you go.

Do you need a reservation at Poole’s? No, but it helps. Double Horseshoe counter seats can be booked for up to 4 people, and walk-in places are held every night.

Is Poole’s open for lunch or brunch? No. The official hours as of October 2026 list dinner only: Mon–Thu and Sun 5–9 PM, Fri–Sat 5–10 PM.

What awards has Ashley Christensen won? The James Beard Award for Best Chef: Southeast (2014) and Outstanding Chef (2019), plus Eater Chef of the Year (2017).

Does Ashley Christensen still have a burger restaurant? No. Chuck’s, her burgers-and-frites restaurant, closed permanently in 2020. Her burger now appears on Sundays at Poole’s.

Sources

Facts were checked on October 19, 2026 against: Poole’s official page, Poole’s About page, Ashley Christensen’s official bio, AC Restaurants updates, Visit Raleigh, CBS17 on the Double Horseshoe, RALtoday, ABC11 on Poole’side Pies, CBS17 on Beasley’s, WRAL, 6AM City on AC’s Table and Penguin Random House.