47 Best American Restaurants in Cary

“Last weekend, we spent 48 glorious hours onshore celebrating my husband’s birthday. We arrived a night early of our third party member and caught a glimpse of the tasting menu. The standout was the compassion of one of the “Hannah’s” on my palate: well, my husband chose the wine pairing and had a perfect accompaniment to each course, I simply cannot keep up. I stated that and asked that she take pity on my slow pace and compare me for somebody who cannot keep pace. Hannah gave me a perfect accompaniment to both the first three and final two courses before rising to the occasion for a perfect pairing to dessert. This set the stage for the main event and Chef Greene’s tasting menu the second night. The making of both memories and dreams- a balance of molecular and traditional. My biggest Takeaway was simply than I have had tasting menus from Miami to New York City and everywhere in between and I’ve always left hungry. You ruin an experience with takeout pizza after a tasting menu, or so I’ve been told. This was not the case on either night. The portions satisfied. Finally. On this return trip to where I was born and raised, we all left satisfied with plans to come back as soon as we possibly can.“

“If you are planning a special occasion or just want a night out at a wonderful restaurant, I have a bit of advice for you. Go to Chef Palette! This establishment has got it together. The atmosphere is just lovely. We planned our son and future daughter-in-law's rehearsal dinner from afar, way far.....Michigan. As stressful as that could have been, Kathie did everything to ease our stress. She calmed this Momma's heart and executed everything to a "T". The appetizer table was not only displayed beautifully, it was YUMMY! The salad, main entrees and dessert did not disappoint. But most of all, the staff was most kind and extremely professional. We cannot thank Kathie and the staff at Chef Palette enough for the wonderful and memorable evening we shared together. GO TO CHEF's PALETTE!“

“It's great place to enjoy a nice meal weather lunch or dinner if you're into sports, there's no place you sit you will be facing a TV to me it's OK but to some well anyways check it out for yourself I love Ribs chili, soups etc...but try it you might get hooked.“

“I was pleasantly surprised. I dined at the more "private" section, and the food was excellent. The service was just as good.“

“My wife has been here multiple times but it was my first experience here. My mind was focused on the ribs since that’s the only thing I had ever tasted from the restaurant. We arrived and ordered the buffalo shrimp poppers and crispy chicken and the appetizers were amazing. We both ordered froze’s which were delicious. The main dish we wanted was unavailable but they made the experience worthwhile. I would definitely recommend this place. The service is amazing and we could not have been happier with our meal experience. Special shout out to Freddie, Patrick, Nicky (or Nikki) for helping us during our time there!“

“Loved the build your own salad...pleasant atmosphere, staff was friendly...“

“I went here for my birthday dinner yesterday. The food and service were fantastic. The only drawback is looking at one of the framed pictures of cows while eating a Smashburger. Oh, the guilt. 🤣“

“Great food from 454 at Fortnight Brewing!!“

“Pros: Beautiful, newly updated rooms. Very clean. Comfortable beds, nice location, lots of parking, friendly staff, free fresh water station in the lobby. Courtyard area with pool was gorgeous. Cons: courtyard balcony but no chairs to sit outside, shower diverter didn’t work and sprayed both bath water and overhead sprayer.“

“Open blues jam on Monday night was perfect. I loved it.!! You need to come and check it out on Mondays.!“

“11/22/2025 Thanks to everyone from the front to the back!!! amazing service , lot of choice to have to eat !!! MIKE!! THANKS FOR THE NIGHT GREAT SERVICE TONIGHT!!!! YOU ARE THE BEST!!!! KEEPING DOING THAT WAY!!! WE ARE BACK AGAIN!!!! 100% HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!! CARLOS AND MARGIE RALEIGH NC!!!!“

“Chases provided exceptional service by making himself available for us.“

“Great food and staff!!fun place to watch a game“

“Unusual experience today at first watch. Greeter appeared to be a disinterested customer, approached me and asked “how many” while paying more attention to his phone than to my answer. Wasn’t dressed in the normal uniform and while I answered him I still assumed he was joking around since none of the workers were present. I’m sure my breakfast will be great as usual but someone needs to train him that he is the first impression a customer is going to get and my interaction with him wasn’t great“

“Great Food. Excellent Host.“

“First time dining here last night...great friendly staff, great atmosphere, and probably a Top 5 meal that I have ever had! THIS PLACE IS A GEM! You can absolutely tell it's local and fresh (and I normally think that's BS). Started with the Crispy Brussels Sprouts and then the Homage to the Pig and my wife got the Shrimp Pasta. Incredible (chef's kiss). Going back for sure!“

“Had a very nice two night weekend stay. Room was very nice. Dining atmosphere leaves a lot to be desired. The restaurant/bar area and in turn the library room are EXTREMELY noisy!!! Use some sound deadening materials for Christ sake!! We wanted to relax in the library area which is very comfortable but couldn’t last more than a few minutes because of the the noise from the dining room. It wasn’t that there were loud groups either. The room is very noisy. Simple conversations had to get continually louder to overcome the noise which made it even worse. During dinner with two people we were forced to raise out voices to we could hear each other. Just not acceptable in an otherwise very nice hotel.“

“Spent the day exploring downtown Cary and came across this little bistro! Outside dining was great! Amazing food and friendly service! Sophia, my waitress was fantastic! Very friendly and attentive! The cocktail “The Butterfly Effect “ is just as good as it is pretty! The baked Brie and arugula/beet salad was delicious! Great find in Cary for sure!“

“Courtney is a great server. Always makes sure that everything is what we wanted or need. Highly recommend her.“

“❤️Our experience was very welcoming! The server was very friendly and made sure our food was delivered all together!“

“Alix was great you need to meet her. She makes the place“

“I made my first visit to Sophie’s for the 90s R&B paint and sip event and am looking forward to returning! I was immediately welcomed by staff and a very nicely decorated and cozy environment. The bar is beautiful and there are lots of windows. There was a special menu for the event but the variety was great and I was pleasantly surprised by the incredibly flavorful salmon on a bun with a generous helping of delicious fries. The servers were very busy, but maintained great interaction with the customers. Highly recommend!“

“family went a few days ago for the very 1st time. Upon entering the hostess sat us at a table. There wasn't much of a crowd.and we did not have to wait. Once seated NOT.1 person came.to.our table to greet us, give water,etc. We waited over 10 mins and STILL no service. We got up and exited. We will never come back to this establishment and will NOT recommend either. Disappointed.“

“I had an awesome experience at this place. menu doest match the concept but The live music really sets this place apart — great sound quality and talented performers. The crowd was lively but still comfortable, and the staff did a great job keeping everything running smoothly. We stayed longer than planned because the atmosphere was just that good. Highly recommend if you enjoy live entertainment.“

“Miss MO is a perfect person to have in the Carey store. She is the most friendly and helpful person that I have ever experienced in a restaurant. I come from Oregon 1 to 2 times a year and will definitely return to see and experience Miss Mo!“

“Amazing restaurant, they have some great options on their menu and a lot of unique hard to find dishes. All excellently priced with huge portions. Everything was prepared and cooked fresh, even at 2:30pm in the afternoon when we went. Nigusie was very friendly and helpful, and even brought us some extra spices to try with our meal. It’s also a great place to buy Ethiopian ingredients, and their injera is great. They do dine in and carry out and the eating area is very nice and clean. Would absolutely recommend and is certainly the best Ethiopian restaurant in the triangle.“

“Great service but more importantly, the food is really good. Not the "from frozen" bar food that every other place has. Good job Parkway Tavern!“

“As a black couple we are always at home at Mac's. Food, drinks, service, entertainment and atmosphere are always wonderful. Everyone is welcome and gets along. Thank You Mac's!!“

“We recently visited for lunch while visiting Raleigh and received excellent service from Eric and Jade. Great food and very friendly staff. All around great experience!“

“Everything was awesome as always!!!
Thank you 감사합니다
The Owner Jae is really mindful about family with kids . He will make sure you get a seat that will work for you.
His welcoming smile will melt your worry away, so is the Servant Ms.Kim that I call Mommy in my heart is the best.
Everyone is just purely Amazing 😃😃“

“One of my favorite burger spots in the area. Corbett's is very affordable for the quality, and the variety of sauces and burger options are outstanding. The fries always taste fresh, and I have never had a disappointing experience here.“

“My go to for wings and burgers! The staff is always friendly and the atmosphere is always a quality tavern feel! Love you guys!“

“Very nice smaller bar/pub that sits in a strip mall. Seems like everybody knows each other. The staff was friendly. Food service was not exceptionally fast but was worth the wait. Only one bartender/waitstaff when I first arrived. Seemed like two more showed after 5pm.“

“Food was amazing. Service was great. Large screen tvs abound for sports watching.“

“Very delicious! We ordered the kids chicken tender plate, chicken penne, and Mediterranean chicken. Everything was cooked to order and had excellent flavor. Great service as well at the bistro and the bar. Highly recommend if staying at the hotel.“

“Delicious food and great service!“

“Good food and good service 👌“

“The chicken was extremely greasy. I spoke with the staff and asked them if the chicken is cooked fresh. The staff member stated that the chicken is cooked every so often and refilled into the grease prior to being served so that it is hot.“

“We placed a large to go order for our office. When I went to pick up, everything was organized and neatly labeled. I double checked the order and it was correct. The staff were very friendly and helped me open the bags to check and get items to my car. Food was delicious! I would come again to eat in or do take out in the future.“

“Had a nice visit at this IHOP. The restaurant was clean, and the seating area felt open and comfortable. My food came out warm and tasted the way it should. The staff handled a busy crowd pretty well, and I didn’t have to wait long after ordering.

Good spot for a quick meal if you’re in the area. I’d consider stopping here again.“

“I am not from the area but I like traveling to the triangle just for this bar. It is my favorite bar in the United States of America. I love the chicken fritters which are twice fried and doused in amazing sauce. There beer always taste just perfect. The lines taste clean and it has perfect carbonation. 10/10 would recommend“

“Great hamburgers and fries“

“Awesome team, great food always and clean. Always enjoy me some Bo!“

“The manager opened the door for me as I walked up and sat me right away. The inside was low light with soft music playing. It is beautifully decorated with an extensive wine selection on both walls leading to the kitchen. Our server Grey came over immediately with water and let me know he'd be back for drinks, since my husband was parking the car. We had the lobster bisque to start, it had a bit of a kick to it and was super delicious. I ordered the filet mignon which came with scalloped potatoes and broccolini. My husband ordered the rack of lamb with mashed potatoes and wilted spinach with artichoke hearts. Everything was delicious! They timed the pre-fixe items to come out perfectly. It was a wonderful Valentine's Day that ended with Grey bringing me out a single, red rose with the check! Very sweet. We loved it and will definitely be back, thank you!“

“Great place for brunch in cary. It is usually very busy and there is a waiting line on weekends since they don't take reservations. They only serve breakfast and lunch and have a variety of healthy choices. I had a cali eggs Benedict which was tasty.

They have group service by the waitstaff and it is spotty. One minute after I told the waitress my wife was gluten free , she asked what kind of bread she wanted. The thing is they have gluten free bread, but she wasn't really listening to us. Nice place with room for improvement.“

“Awesome team, great food always and clean. Always enjoy me some Bo!“

“We brought nine 11 year olds to celebrate our son's birthday and had a good experience. Our server was so friendly and helpful. He was very patient with our large group and came to check on us a bunch. The kids had a great time. Food was cooked well and came out in a timely manner. I bought the power cards beforehand and the manager was very helpful.“