2025 Readers’ Choice Awards: Restaurants

Duck Donuts

Best Donuts

While still a relatively young brand, Duck Donuts has been operating across the Triangle for almost a decade. “We are humbled to know our fans are still supporting us and loving the donuts,” says owner Brandon Trimyer. “They’ve been loyal ambassadors.”

Many of those guests were first introduced to Duck Donuts over on the Outer Banks. Not only is the same delicious product and made-to-order experience available locally year-round, but Duck continues to attract new customers.

The first-time customer should “take a minute in-store or online to see what we have to offer before jumping in,” says Trimyer. Guests may be surprised to discover toppings from sprinkles to coconut to crumbled cookies and drizzles like caramel, raspberry, and hot fudge. Also important for newcomers to understand is that the flavor combinations they see represented aren’t all Duck can do. “We say made-to-order for a reason,” Trimyer explains.

A recent fan favorite is a donut dipped in vanilla icing and topped with crumbled Oreos and powdered sugar. And at a place where, as Trimyer says, “being adventurous is encouraged,” the most popular menu item remains the maple bacon donut. Cinnamon sugar is a classic that fans favor to treat big crowds — the largest order of 2024 being what Trimyer describes as a “fun overnight project” of making 500 dozen donuts. Ice cream offerings have been expanded to include rich milkshakes crowned with a donut. And as the weather turns colder, Duck’s hot mochas and flavored lattes are sure to satisfy.

duckdonuts.com/raleigh

The Rican Lab

Best Food Truck

Photo by Annie Kimura

Within six months of opening, The Rican Lab earned its first accolade as Raleigh’s best food truck. “When we started, we just wanted to share some Puerto Rican favorites with our community,” says Michele Fernandez, owner of The Rican Lab. “We could have never imagined that we would become so popular so quickly.”

Photo by Annie Kimura

Since its opening in May of 2023, loyal customers have visited the truck every week. While The Rican Lab is known for their empanadas, rellenos de papa (potato balls stuffed with beef), pernil (pork shoulder), and arroz con gandules (rice with pigeon peas), Fernandez describes the Rican Combo Meal as a must-try for new customers. It comes with a choice of arroz con gandules or white rice and beans, along with pernil and chicharrons de pollo (fried chicken). Customers can also choose to add plantains or tostones (twice-fried plantain slices).

“We love our customers,” Fernandez explains. “We have a ton of support from the community.” And that community is where she and her relatives live and work, their family-owned and – operated food truck allowing them to share their cooking and culture. “We saw there was a need for Puerto Rican food in the area,” she says, “and we love cooking and sharing the flavors with our customers.”

The Rican Lab can be spotted at local breweries and festivals. Also be on the lookout for the opening of a new private kitchen for pickup orders.

streetfoodfinder.com/thericanlab

The Daily Planet Café

Most Kid-Friendly Restaurant

The Daily Planet Cafe — located in downtown Raleigh’s North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences — is more than a museum café and coffee shop: “We’re one big family, and we consider you part of it too.”

Indeed, visitors should plan to include stopping for something to eat or drink in the bright, glass-walled venue as a vital part of their museum experience. With a focus on local products, The Daily Planet promotes Tar Heel items and features them in their freshest form on the café’s expansive menu.

From a huevos rancheros grits bowl for breakfast to a beer-brined chicken wings entrée, plus soups, salads, and grab-and-go options aplenty, anyone dining with kids will find a tasty option to accompany the strawberry and cream cheese stuffed French toast, grilled cheese, or classic burger that might appeal to younger palates.

And if it’s been one of those family outings, Larry’s Coffee will give parents a much-needed power up.

thedailyplanetcafe.com

Oak City Amaretto

Best Local Distillery

“We are a big famiglia now!” says owner Anthony Scalabrino about the community Oak City Amaretto has worked so hard to grow.

And family connections play a major role in both the brand’s inspiration and the memorable experiences people celebrate with the spirit. “Two of the biggest ones I can think of,” according to Scalabrino, are “as an after-dinner aperitif when family members gather and at weddings where families make large batches to share in a toast or also as an after-dinner drink.”

Oak City uses what Scalabrino describes as “home recipes” guided by the late matriarch Grandma Scalabrino, his “favorite person.” So, when it comes to the public’s response to his recipe, Scalabrino says he is grateful for “their authenticity and willingness to try a new brand and stick with it. Our stuff is really good, and the barrier to entry is the hardest part. I am super grateful for those who share our story with friends and family organically.”

Yet, despite the strong family influence behind the company, Scalabrino insists there is no right way to enjoy Oak City Amaretto. “I encourage everyone to go with their gut or norm when trying products and make it their own,” he explains. “I love drinking it on the rocks with some crushed-up ice. I think connoisseurs should also do what they love: If they want to experiment, there are plenty of recipes out there and on our website.”

oakcityamaretto.com

Irregardless

Best Brunch

Since opening almost half a century ago as a vegetarian restaurant, and in the intervening years branching out to offer options for pescatarians and carnivores, this deeply rooted Raleigh restaurant has grown new limbs in the form of its Sunday brunch.

With a menu running the gamut from flavorful fried catfish banh mi to hearty steak and eggs — not to mention carb-centric favorites like Nutella crepes or a Belgian waffle — the weekends-only brunch fare lives up to this iconic spot’s long legacy of attention to freshness and flavor and treatment of vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free items as much more than an afterthought.

Whether you sit outside and spectate while sipping on coffee or chardonnay or take in the local artwork lining the gallery walls while chowing down on lox brioche, as with the beloved eatery’s other menus, its Saturday and Sunday brunch really does offer “something for everyone.”

irregardless.com

More From Our Jan-Feb 2025 Issue

• Out & About in Wake County: January/February 2025
• The Man Behind the Mic
• New Year, New Adventures
• On Trend: Assisted Stretching
• On Trend: Gut Health
• Small Business Spotlight: The Curative Wellness Boutique
• Erica Chats: You: The Biggest Project You’ll Ever Work On!
• Brodeto Feels Like Floating in the Adriatic on a Weeknight
• Pay It Forward: Roots with Purpose
• Celebrated Spirits: Mild Green
• Celebrated Spirits: It Girl
• Garden Adventurer: Seeing Red
• 2025 Readers’ Choice Awards: Restaurants
• 2025 Readers’ Choice Awards: Lifestyle
• 2025 Readers’ Choice Awards: Services
• 2025 Readers’ Choice Awards: Shopping
• 2025 Readers’ Choice Awards