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NORTH CAROLINA | THE SOUTH

The North Carolina Michelin Guide: Every Star, Bib Gourmand, and Recommended Restaurant

By Eric Barton | Nov. 3, 2025

AUTHOR BIO: Eric Barton is editor of The Adventurist and a freelance journalist who has reviewed restaurants for more than two decades. Email him here.

The inaugural Michelin Guide to North Carolina hopefully helps shine a light on a state with multiple cities where the restaurant scenes would rival far bigger cities. In the first year of the state’s guide, just one restaurant received a Michelin Star, while two others got Green Stars and six were tapped as Bib Gourmands.

Below is the running list of every North Carolina restaurant recognized by Michelin—stars, Bib Gourmands, and recommended spots. Use it to plan your next road trip, settle a debate, or find the dining room that matches your mood. The scene is broad, opinionated, and only getting better.

Counter-, Charlotte

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Counter- is the kind of place that makes you feel like you’re in on a secret. There are only 20 seats, a seasonal tasting menu, and an experience so curated it feels like a performance. Chef Sam Hart builds dishes inspired by everything from music to history to whatever deep, existential thoughts chefs have at 2 a.m. It’s a meal you don’t just eat—you sit through it, experience it, and leave feeling slightly smug that you got to witness whatever was happening in that kitchen.

Award: One Star, Green Star

>>>READ MORE: THE BEST RESTAURANTS IN CHARLOTTE>>>

Lang Van, Charlotte

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Charlotte’s beloved Vietnamese institution runs on warmth, speed, and a sprawling menu that covers everything from clean, long-simmered phở to snappy vermicelli platters and citrusy lemongrass stir-fries. Regulars swear by the consistency—bowls arrive hot, herbs fresh, and the vibe feels like you’ve been coming for years even on your first visit. It’s the kind of place where comfort and craft meet in a steam cloud over the table.

Award: Bib Gourmand

Little Chango, Asheville

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On Asheville’s South Slope, Little Chango piles thick, griddled arepas with things like adobo pork shoulder and ropa vieja. At lunch, the “lonchera” box packs mamposteao rice and beans, escabeche salad, and pickled cabbage with your choice of protein, plus snacky sides like yuca fries and tostones.

Award: Bib Gourmand

>>>READ MORE: THE BEST RESTAURANTS IN ASHEVILLE>>>

Luminosa

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In the newly refurbished Flat Iron Hotel, executive chef Graham House steers a wood-fired, Italian-meets-Appalachia menu that prizes touch and restraint. The kitchen builds around flame: lemon pizza with smoked mozzarella and fennel, Apple Brandy beef carpaccio with smoked-trout tonnato, and seasonal vegetables that actually taste like the farm they came from. It all reads as confident rather than fussy, the kind of ingredient-forward cooking and consistency that puts Luminosa squarely in the Michelin conversation for Asheville.

Award: Green Star, Bib Gourmand

Mala Pata, Raleigh

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In my review recently, I called Mala Pata the most exciting new restaurant in Raleigh, a city with a thriving restaurant scene. A big reason for that is the fresh masa, the restaurant’s heartbeat. The masa is nixtamalized daily from heirloom Oaxacan corn, then shaped into tortillas that make everything else snap into focus. The menu reads Latin American but speaks fluent North Carolina, folding in local product and a little swagger. It’s the rare spot where the tortillas are worth the trip on their own.

Award: Bib Gourmand

>>>READ MORE: THE BEST RESTAURANTS IN RALEIGH>>>

Mother, Asheville

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Mother began as a modest bread and wine shop in Asheville's River Arts District but has since blossomed into a full-fledged café on the city’s South Slope. There’s lots of expertise here—sourdough baker Heidi Bass, wine-buyer Brett Watson, and chef Casey Ruiz—all conspiring to put out sandwiches, composed dishes, and well-paired wines to go along with them. The café's evolution from its humble beginnings is a testament to the fact that there’s a team that cares deeply about the final product on the plate and in the glass.

Award: Bib Gourmand

Prime Barbecue, Knightdale

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At pitmaster Christopher Prieto’s spot, smoke runs the show: textbook brisket, juicy turkey, peppery sausage, and ribs that don’t need a sales pitch. Lines move, trays land heavy, and the pit crew’s attention to detail shows up on every plate. Classic North Carolina hospitality, Texas-leaning craft, zero shortcuts.

Award: Bib Gourmand

Sam Jones BBQ, Raleigh

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Eastern North Carolina whole-hog tradition, translated to the capital with the polish it deserves. The pit work is steady and honest—pulled pork with character, ribs that hit the sweet spot, and the sides you actually want to eat. Legacy you can taste, served on a tray.

Award: Bib Gourmand

Crawford and Son Raleigh North Carolina Michelin Guide

Michelin Recommended

Most of the restaurants in the Michelin Guide to North Carolina ended up in the “recommended” category. While not quite earning a star or a spot on the Bib Gourmand list, landing here still means these spots are worthy of inclusion in the guide.

Addissae Ethiopian Restaurant, Asheville

All Day Darling, Asheville

Brewery Bhavana, Raleigh

Brodeto, Raleigh

Crawford and Son, Raleigh

Cúrate, Asheville

Customshop, Charlotte

Dampf Good BBQ, Cary

Ever Andalo, Charlotte

Golden Hour, Asheville

Good Hot Fish, Asheville

Haberdish, Charlotte