Best Burgers in Raleigh: Carolina Style Guide

The best burgers in Raleigh turn up in two places: downtown, where the Warehouse District, Glenwood South and Fayetteville Street hold most of the burger bars, and the older grills that still serve the Carolina burger “all the way”. Ordered that way, the patty comes topped with chili, coleslaw, chopped onions and yellow mustard, with cheese as an option.

The Carolina burger is the local reference point. It grew up beside the state’s barbecue culture, where slaw has always been on the table, and it is the order that tells you whether a grill knows North Carolina. Downtown has added a second layer: two food halls in converted industrial buildings, Morgan Street Food Hall in the Warehouse District and Transfer Co. Food Hall in the old Carolina Coach bus garage, where burger counters share space with other vendors. Hillsborough Street, beside the NC State campus, caters to a student crowd.

Burgers in Raleigh: key facts

• Neighborhoods to explore: Warehouse District, Glenwood South, Fayetteville Street, City Market, Five Points, North Hills and Hillsborough Street.
• Local style: the Carolina burger all the way, with chili, slaw, onions and mustard.
• Food halls: Morgan Street Food Hall (Warehouse District) and Transfer Co. Food Hall (east side of downtown, near Moore Square).
• Currency: US dollar (USD). Menu prices usually exclude sales tax and tip.
• Getting around: downtown is walkable; North Hills and Five Points are easier by car or GoRaleigh bus.
• What our guides check: chili and slaw made in-house, fresh beef and a venue open on the date of the guide.

Every guide we publish on Raleigh is dated and lists only venues, addresses, prices and ratings we could verify. For other cities, browse all our burger restaurant guides.