Restaurants in West Raleigh

Countless combinations of crêpes, ranging from $3.25 to $6.95, fly off the griddle, made with traditional, whole-wheat, or buckwheat batter. The division of savory and sweet crêpes has drawn the attention of high-school debate teams, who often visit Coffee & Crepes to inveigh on this monumental decision. For those who side with the savory menu, the chef prepares mouth-watering ingredients such as ham, grilled chicken, or smoked salmon tucked in fresh medleys of various greens. The short but sweet menu provides crêpes rich in gooey goodberries and decadent sauces designed to rescue breakfast from an otherwise deserted dessert desert.

The chefs at Yagg Si Tenn Catering hail from Senegal—a West African country where vendors peddle tropical fruits in bustling marketplaces and fishermen pluck fresh fish from the bountiful sea. When they arrived on North Carolina soil, the chefs brought with them a wealth of traditional African recipes as well as a deep appreciation for good food and family. Today, they distribute housemade dishes from Senegal and other African countries throughout North Carolina.

Deep in the Yagg Si Tenn kitchen, the chefs fold fresh ingredients and authentic spices into complex dishes—from spicy grilled chicken yassa to flavorful jollof rice. They also bottle their recipes in the form of housemade traditional sauces, such as the fresh roasted-habanero Kani spread and the garlic-and-lemon vinaigrette. The culinary crew has served these freshly made African specialties at weddings, large parties, and odd incidences when everyone in town is inexplicably drawn to the same abandoned factory in the middle of the night.

While flipping through television channels, you might spot Chuck Hayworth slicing up spaghetti squash or sculpting a vegan meatball on his own cooking show, Thankfully Local. The skilled chef is a passionate proponent of eating locally sourced foods, having overcome stomach cancer on a diet of farm-fresh produce and fruits. In the kitchen of Worth It Café, Chef Chuck works with a colorful array of fresh ingredients—95% of which originated from local North Carolina purveyors. To craft his signature "stuffwiches", Chuck packs hollowed-out farmhouse bread with barbeque pulled pork, crispy chicken, and house-roasted beef.

Diners gather around tabletops in the cafe's airy seating area, sipping freshly brewed iced tea and lingering over last bites of freshly baked brownies. Some opt to grab one of Chuck's takeaway dinners—such as chicken pot pie or spinach lasagna—to bring home and enjoy with their family or the pack of wild dogs they've come to love like a family.

Capital Buffet draws on spices, cooking methods, and ingredients from diverse regions of the south to assemble a smorgasbord of classic American cooking. It fills trays with dishes such as New Orleans–style jambalaya and southern barbecue chicken. The cooks at Capital Buffet can also cater their hearty dishes for lunches, meetings, and intimate competitive-eating contests.

Sixty varieties of Tin Roof Teas’ collection of 250 bagged and loose-leaf teas have placed in the top three at the World Tea Expo. The somewhat overwhelming collection is made easily accessible at the Hinson family's store by its staff of tea consultants. Experts will share tidbits on the best preparation practices as well as suggest pairings for each leaf, such as Tin Roof's gourmet chocolate truffles. Their in-house tea bar allows for instant enjoyment of steaming or chilled beverages, and monthly tea classes impart a history lesson of tea-growing regions spanning from Japan to South Africa to the fertile grounds of the Boston Harbor.:m]]

Baba Ghannouj Mediterranean Bistro blends Greek and Lebanese flavors for an exotic medley of pita wraps, platters, and salads. The chefs intertwine the flavors of grape leaves, Moroccan eggplant, and hummus to complement lamb and beef entrees. The culinary artisans also accommodate all diets by dishing up a regular and vegetarian buffet for lunch and dinner.

As diners nosh, they can gaze at the restaurant's wall-mounted flat-screen television or listen to the lilt of Mediterranean music. And before departing, they can fortify their stomachs with a piece of baklava that's crispy yet hearty, like a valentine card sewn from an onion's skin.