15 Essential Eats

The gourmet burgers at this Irish Public House – inspired pub in the Village of Pinehurst are famously never frozen and made from Certified Angus Beef. Keep it classic with the house special, or shake things up with the Black & Blue, featuring blue cheese, smoked remoulade, and arugula.

This rustic restaurant in Aberdeen is a go-to for fresh, made-to-order seafood, especially its fried platters of shrimp, flounder and oysters, served with hushpuppies and coleslaw.

Choose from more than a dozen crepes in downtown Southern Pines. The Marie Antoinette with Nutella and strawberries is a sweet start, while the savory Popeye features eggs, bacon, and spinach.

Thanks to coverage by the Golf Channel, this unassuming mom-and-pop is now known nationwide for its blueberry pancakes and the perfect perch for watching the horses outside.

For three generations, this Carthage family has maintained their reputation for serving the best slow-cooked barbecue, smoked for 10 hours over sweet hickory coals.

This charming spot makes the best biscuits – from regular buttermilk to the Train Wreck, loaded with fried chicken, bacon, egg, cheese, and sausage gravy.

This husband-and-wife duo makes everyone feel at home in their Carthage diner. Daily specials feature chicken tortilla, roasted red pepper, loaded potato with bacon, lobster bisque and more.

Savor Neapolitan-style pies in downtown Aberdeen. Kids gravitate toward the Margherita and pepperoni while adventurous eaters might try the Funghi with mushrooms, caramelized onions and rosemary.

Nobody leaves hungry at this Pinebluff favorite, open six days a week at 6 a.m. Try a custom omelet with grits, the biscuits and gravy or a stack of pancakes. Cash or check only. (910) 281-4029.

This quaint Main Street bar in Aberdeen may be best known for its 150-plus bourbon choices, but here’s a local secret: The mac ‘n’ cheese bowls (topped with favorites like pulled pork, pickles and house made honey barbeque sauce) can’t be beat.

Get a blast from the past at this family-owned diner in Seagrove where you can still get a great homemade cheeseburger for under $5. (910) 464-3863.

This Southern Pines corner diner has been hitting the sweet spot since 1976 with old-fashioned floats, sundaes, malts, and the classic banana split.

Don’t leave town without a slice of cake baked by a sixth-generation baker. Favorites include the Black Forest cherry, coconut pineapple, fresh strawberry, hazelnut and pear amaretto.

From the heart of the Village of Pinehurst, their motto, “nothing fancy, just fantastic”, is how we’d describe the homemade chicken salad plate, too, served with a hard boiled egg, pineapple, and cottage cheese.

Named for the owner’s grandmother, Lisi is known for authentic Italian dishes in the Village of pInehurst. Topped with broccoli rabe and spicy sausage, the orecchiette is molto bene!