Restaurants in Carrboro

When The Broad Street Cafe's owners opened shop in Durham, they envisioned their spot as a community hub where patrons could meet up with friends to enjoy made-from-scratch eats and live music. And they've succeeded, according to The Independent's readers, who voted The Broad Street Cafe the best place to see music before 10 p.m. in 2011. Five nights a week, live acts fill the room from floor to exposed metal rafters with styles that range from indie and folk to reggae and backwards yodeling.

Chef James Autry and his culinary team load pizzas with house-smoked chicken, roasted butternut squash, and other premium ingredients, kissing them with heat in their wood-burning oven. The kitchen takes a creative approach to traditional burgers by building them around Angus beef, lamb patties, portobello mushroom caps, ahi tuna, and even marinated pork loin. In addition to wine and mixed drinks, bartenders maintain 10 beers on tap and more than 20 types of bottled beer.

Curries spicy and mild douse simmering dishes at Dales Indian Cuisine, whose authentic menu aims to honor Indian culinary traditions. Juicy morsels of lamb, shrimp, and chicken marinate in spices such as ginger and coriander before heat from a tandoori-style clay oven seals in their savory flavors. Warm naan soaks up juices from vegetarian specialty dishes, with all-natural ingredients free of additives, preservatives, or distracting ads for New Coke.

East meets West atop Iron Grill and Pizza’s griddles, which sizzle toppings for Indian-inflected pizzas and bottomless stir-fry for an all-you-can-eat Mongolian buffet. Pizza chefs top piping-hot specialty pies with an eclectic blend of internationally-inspired ingredients, from savory minced lamb to soft paneer cheese, or decorate plain cheese pizzas with the patron's choice of more traditional garnishes, such as mushrooms and pepperoni. The all-you-can-eat Mongolian barbecue buffet fills plates and smuggled-in mini fridges with stir-fried veggies and meats.