These 4 North Carolina Restaurants Were Just Named Among America’s Best, And One Took The No. 1 Spot

New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles have plenty of famous dining rooms.

Yet the No. 1 fine-dining restaurant in America somehow landed in a tiny North Carolina mountain town. That immediately got me.

Tripadvisor’s 2026 Best of the Best rankings gave four restaurants from the state national bragging rights, and one of them even pushed into the world’s top 20.

The stranger part is how little these places have in common.

One dinner can feel like a major occasion, while another is built around the kind of generous comfort that practically demands sharing.

Then Highlands enters the story and steals the whole ranking.

A family-run restaurant in a town of barely more than 1,000 year-round residents just beat some of the biggest dining destinations in the country.

I cannot decide what surprises me more.

The ranking itself, or the fact that North Carolina pulled off this culinary upset from the mountains.

8. Jettie Rae’s Oyster House

Fresh Atlantic oysters and mountain scenery make an unusual combination. Yet Jettie Rae’s Oyster House has made that pairing its specialty.

The Asheville restaurant opened on Charlotte Street in July 2020. Six years later, it earned an impressive national distinction.

Tripadvisor ranked it No. 21 among America’s best casual dining restaurants. That’s quite an achievement for a seafood destination surrounded by mountains.

Much of its appeal begins at the raw bar. The oyster selection changes daily according to availability.

Some arrive from Hatteras Island along North Carolina’s Outer Banks. Others travel from Topsail Sound or the Massachusetts coastline.

Each variety brings a different flavor to the table. Some taste pleasantly sweet, while others have a stronger briny character.

Curious diners can order several varieties for comparison. The Seafood Tower offers an even bigger experience.

It includes twelve fresh oysters and four dressed oysters. Shrimp, ceviche, and preserved seafood complete the impressive arrangement.

There’s plenty happening beyond the raw bar, too. Executive chef Antonio Perez explores several coastal cooking traditions.

His inspirations include Spanish, French, and Gullah Geechee cuisine. The menu features Spanish octopus with charred eggplant purée.

Whole roasted branzino arrives with Veracruz-style accompaniments. Carolina Gold rice also appears with crab and regional ingredients.

Seasonal changes give returning diners new dishes to discover. Responsible sourcing plays an important role in the kitchen.

The restaurant supports families working along America’s coastal waters. That connection makes its mountain location especially memorable.

Visitors can explore Asheville before enjoying a coastal dinner. It’s an unexpected combination that helped earn national recognition.

The location is at 143 Charlotte St, Asheville, NC 28801.

7. This Nationally Ranked North Carolina Restaurant Used To Be A Gas Station

Before Jettie Rae’s served oysters, its property had another purpose. A Gulf gas station once occupied this Charlotte Street location.

Local businessman Steamer Edmonds operated the establishment for neighborhood motorists. The property remained a recognizable Asheville landmark for decades.

Eventually, its story took a completely different direction. Restaurant owner Eric Scheffer transformed the site into a seafood destination.

Jettie Rae’s officially opened in July 2020. The building’s transformation gave the neighborhood another gathering place.

But Scheffer had another unusual idea waiting outside. He wanted to create a miniature destination within the restaurant.

His solution was a vintage Airstream trailer called The Pearl. The tiny trailer measures just seventeen feet long.

Its blue-and-white exterior gives it a playful nautical appearance. A serving window opens directly toward the outdoor patio.

The Pearl became a permanent part of the patio experience. It offers a separate setting for enjoying fresh oysters.

The concept draws inspiration from casual coastal seafood stands. Scheffer remembered similar gathering places from his Long Island childhood.

Those memories helped shape the trailer’s distinctive personality. There’s also a special calendar worth exploring.

Jettie Rae’s hosts seafood celebrations with changing coastal themes. Past gatherings have featured traditional fish fries and regional specialties.

Each event brings another cooking tradition into the spotlight. The combination makes this restaurant quite different from ordinary seafood establishments.

A former gas station now celebrates America’s coastal food traditions. And its tiny Airstream adds another surprising chapter to the story.

6. Vinnie’s Neighborhood Italian South

There’s a real person behind the name Vinnie’s Neighborhood Italian. His story begins far from the mountains of Asheville.

Restaurant founder Eric Scheffer grew up around Brooklyn and Long Island. Neighborhood restaurants were an important part of his childhood.

Families gathered around tables filled with familiar Italian dishes. One restaurant owner made a particularly strong impression on him.

His name was Vinnie Cappola. Cappola was among the closest friends of Scheffer’s father.

He operated several pizzerias and small Italian restaurants. His businesses were scattered around Manhattan and Long Island.

Scheffer spent several summers working in those kitchens. Those experiences eventually inspired his own restaurant concept.

Years later, he established a fine-dining restaurant called Savoy in Asheville. But he eventually decided to pursue something different.

He wanted to recreate the neighborhood restaurants of his childhood. In February 2010, Vinnie’s Neighborhood Italian opened its doors.

The restaurant emphasized traditional cooking and a welcoming atmosphere. Its success eventually led to another Asheville location.

Vinnie’s Neighborhood Italian South opened in 2021. The newer restaurant continued the same New York-inspired traditions.

In October 2026, it received significant national recognition. Tripadvisor ranked it No. 15 among America’s best casual dining restaurants.

That’s a remarkable accomplishment for a restaurant rooted in childhood memories. And the inspiration remains part of its identity.

The name honors someone who helped shape Scheffer’s early experiences. Years later, that New York influence continues reaching Asheville diners.

Find it at 1981 Hendersonville Rd, Asheville, NC 28803.

5. This North Carolina Italian Restaurant Serves Lasagna For Three And Has An Aunt Stella Special

One order of lasagna can feed three people at Vinnie’s. That’s because several entrees come in generous family-style portions.

The South Asheville location embraces traditional Italian-American dining customs. Sharing food around a crowded table is part of the appeal.

The twice-baked meat lasagna is one particularly hearty option. Eggplant parmigiana and chicken parmigiana also come in sharing portions.

But the menu has another detail worth examining. Many dishes carry names connected to familiar people.

Aunt Stella’s Sunday Gravy is among the most memorable. It combines spaghetti with meatballs and sweet Italian sausage.

Uncle Sal receives recognition through the meatballs marinara. Sonny’s name appears beside an eggplant parmigiana recipe.

Kevin D. gets a mention with the chicken parmigiana. Even the appetizers lean heavily into Italian-American traditions.

Garlic knots arrive with butter, parmesan, parsley, and garlic. Arancini offer a crispy exterior surrounding their flavorful filling.

Fried mozzarella provides another familiar starter for the table. Dessert continues the journey through old-school Italian favorites.

Guests can choose traditional cannoli or creamy ricotta cheesecake. Tiramisu follows a family recipe from Italy’s Veneto region.

The restaurant also offers selections specifically for younger diners. Spaghetti with meatballs and penne butter noodles are among them.

There’s even a loyalty program called the Goombah Club. These playful details help distinguish Vinnie’s from ordinary pasta restaurants.

And those enormous portions make sharing especially appealing.

4. Second Empire Restaurant & Tavern

A grand Victorian mansion in Raleigh now holds a national dining honor. Second Empire Restaurant & Tavern occupies the historic Dodd-Hinsdale House.

The impressive residence was completed in 1879. It originally belonged to former Raleigh mayor William H.

Dodd. Its architecture drew inspiration from nineteenth-century France.

The distinctive Second Empire style was popular under Napoleon III. Today, the house has a remarkable distinction.

It’s Raleigh’s last surviving example of this architectural influence. The building later became home to the Hinsdale family.

Generations gathered inside its elegant rooms over the following decades. In the 1990s, the Reynolds family began restoring the property.

Their project preserved many distinctive features of the original residence. Historic heart pine flooring remains visible throughout the building.

Original masonry walls, doors, and windows also survive. The restoration introduced spaces suitable for restaurant dining.

Four former living rooms became two spacious dining areas. Wide arched passages now connect sections around the fireplace.

The original kitchen became a private dining room. Today, that space carries the name Pine Room.

A glass-enclosed atrium provides another setting for special gatherings. The restaurant officially opened on September 9, 1997.

Nearly three decades later, its reputation reached another milestone. Tripadvisor ranked Second Empire No. 12 for American fine dining in 2026.

The setting offers far more than an ordinary restaurant interior. Every historic detail adds another layer to the experience.

Even before dinner arrives, the mansion offers plenty worth admiring.

It is at 330 Hillsborough St, Raleigh, NC 27603.

3. Only Four Guests Can Experience This Exclusive Dinner Inside A Working Kitchen

Most people experience restaurant kitchens through an occasional open doorway. Second Empire offers something considerably more interesting.

Its exclusive Chef’s Table places guests inside the working kitchen. Only two to four people can participate at once.

That makes the experience unusually intimate for a fine-dining restaurant. Executive chef Daniel Schurr leads the culinary team.

The restaurant’s spacious professional kitchen becomes the setting for this exclusive dining experience. Guests watch the team prepare and present their dinner.

The experience revolves around a carefully planned five-course tasting menu. There are three different approaches to choose from.

The classic option highlights creative dishes featuring seasonal ingredients. A pescatarian selection focuses on seafood and related preparations.

Vegetarian diners can choose a separate five-course experience. Everyone at the table selects the same menu style.

That arrangement allows the kitchen to coordinate each course. The experience feels different from traditional dining room service.

Cooking techniques become part of the evening’s entertainment. Guests can observe the careful timing behind each plate.

They also see the coordination required in a professional kitchen. The Chef’s Table is offered on select weekday evenings.

Reservations are available Tuesday through Friday, subject to availability. Outside the kitchen, the restaurant offers several historic dining rooms.

The exposed-brick lower level adds another distinctive setting. Private spaces also accommodate birthdays, anniversaries, and family gatherings.

But the kitchen table offers something particularly memorable. Few guests get such a close view of dinner preparation.

And only four can enjoy this experience together.

2. Ristorante Paoletti

America’s best fine-dining restaurant sits in a surprisingly small mountain town. Ristorante Paoletti occupies a Main Street address in Highlands.

The town is famous for its mountain scenery and waterfalls. Now it has another extraordinary distinction to celebrate.

Tripadvisor ranked Ristorante Paoletti No. 1 nationally for fine dining in 2026. The restaurant also secured the No. 16 position worldwide.

That’s a remarkable achievement for this family-run Italian establishment. Its reputation has developed over more than four decades.

The Highlands location first welcomed diners in July 1984. Since then, the kitchen has emphasized traditional Italian cooking.

But the menu also incorporates carefully chosen regional ingredients. Consider the Wagyu beef and ricotta meatballs.

They arrive over creamy polenta with parmesan and tomato sauce. Grilled octopus offers another example of the kitchen’s creativity.

It’s served with garlic-white bean purée and Italian gremolata. Heirloom tomatoes are paired with locally sourced North Carolina burrata.

Roasted eggplant features mozzarella, parmesan, basil, and house-made pesto. Pasta dishes also receive considerable attention.

House-made ricotta gnocchi appear with San Marzano tomato sauce. Local stracciatella and Italian cheeses complete that particular preparation.

The restaurant’s menu balances familiar flavors with more elaborate dishes. Generations of family experience influence the cooking and hospitality.

The dining room continues welcoming guests throughout the year. Reservations are recommended for this nationally recognized destination.

For such a small mountain community, the distinction is extraordinary. America’s leading fine-dining restaurant has made Highlands a culinary destination.

The winner waits for you at 440 Main St, Highlands, NC 28741.

1. Customers Once Drove An Hour For This Family’s Pasta, And The Journey Kept Getting Longer

Long before its national ranking, Ristorante Paoletti inspired an unusual tradition. Customers regularly traveled considerable distances for the family’s Italian cooking.

The story stretches back nearly a century. In 1930, Arturo and Rita Paoletti arrived at Ellis Island.

They had traveled from Italy’s Marche region with their children. The family eventually established a new home in Miami.

Rita opened their first Italian restaurant there in 1953. Her children, Maria and Luigi, helped make the venture possible.

The restaurant became increasingly popular over the following years. In 1960, Luigi expanded into a historic Coral Gables building.

Another major change arrived in 1976. The family relocated its restaurant to Delray Beach.

Their regular customers continued making the journey from Miami. Some traveled an hour simply to enjoy familiar recipes.

The family affectionately called these trips the “Pasta Pilgrimage.” Then the tradition gained an entirely new destination. Gina Paoletti opened the Highlands restaurant on July 8, 1984.

Guests from the earlier Florida establishments attended the opening celebration. The Pasta Pilgrimage had suddenly become a much longer adventure.

Today, the family tradition continues through multiple generations. Rita’s grandson Arthur represents the third generation of ownership.

Her great-granddaughter Gina oversees the restaurant’s daily operations. The family continues maintaining close connections with its Italian heritage.

Recipes and hospitality traditions remain central to the business. What began in Miami now holds America’s highest fine-dining ranking.

And that famous Pasta Pilgrimage has gained another remarkable chapter.