Holly Springs used to be the town you drove through on the way to somewhere else to eat. Not anymore. Downtown filled in, Oakview Commons opened on the 55 side, and there are now enough locally owned spots that I had to leave good ones off this list. These are the best restaurants in Holly Springs right now, all independently owned, organized by what you are in the mood for. I have eaten at every one of them.
One note before the list: Bass Lake Draft House closed in May 2026 after 23 years, and Lovegrass and Harvest Moon are gone too. If an older article sends you there, it is out of date.
Date night
Nightingale Rooftop Restaurant and Bar
300 S Main St, Suite 312, on top of The Block on Main. The only rooftop in Holly Springs, looking out over downtown, with modern Southern small plates and a serious cocktail program. Closed Monday and Tuesday, dinner Wednesday through Saturday, Sunday brunch 10am to 2pm. Book on Resy; it is small. Same owners as Pimiento Tea Room below.
Vieni Ristobar
242 S Main St, Suite 112, at Town Hall Commons. Everything is made in-house, including the pasta and bread. Rigatoni alla vodka and the eggplant rollatini are the orders. The patio faces the Commons, which makes it the best outdoor dinner downtown. Open daily, including Sunday noon to 8pm.
The Blind Pelican Seafood House
120 Bass Lake Rd. Seafood and cocktails, with a kids menu so it works for families too. Wednesday is Lobster Night: two Maine lobsters with sides for $63. Their build-your-own Bloody Mary has won Best in the Triangle, and the lobster grilled cheese is the sleeper pick.
Bellini Italian Cuisine
7256 GB Alford Hwy near Holly Springs Towne Center. The old-school fine Italian option: chicken marsala, veal piccata, and a tiramisu soaked in four different liqueurs. Lunch entrees come with a free soup or salad, and they rotate nine soups. Reservations on OpenTable.
Brunch and lunch
Pimiento Tea Room
200 N Main St, in a historic house downtown. Southern-inspired tea room and bar, and the place I send visiting moms and every bachelorette group. Pimiento profiteroles, chicken salad, cream scones. Closed Mondays, and Sunday is tea service only from 11am to 2:30pm, so reserve ahead.
Oakview Public House
131 Oakview Commons Dr, Suite 101. Opened October 2025 and already the anchor of the new Oakview Commons. Chef-driven American: the double-decker smashburger with OPH sauce, red-wine braised short rib, beer-battered cod. Weekend brunch with mimosa flights, a patio with monthly live music, and half-price wine bottles on Wednesdays.
Smashed Burgers and Cocktails
242 S Main St, Suite 118, in the old Sir Walter Coffee space. Family-owned smash burgers, open 11am to 9pm (8pm Sunday). The Pimento Smashed with house pimento cheese, bacon and pickled onions is the one. Kid’s Smashed is $10. Perfect before a show at the Cultural Center.
Family dinner
Aye! Toro Tacos and Tequila
303 Matthews Dr, off Main. Tableside guacamole, birria tacos, elote loco, and fruit margarita flights (watermelon, strawberry, lime). Big tables, loud in a good way, gluten-free options. Opens at noon on Sundays.
Osha Thai Kitchen and Sushi
242 S Main St, Suite 100. Thai and sushi under one roof, which settles the “what do the kids want” argument. Basil fried rice and pad thai for the table, sushi for whoever is feeling it. Closed Mondays, and note they close between lunch and dinner (about 3 to 4:30pm) Tuesday through Saturday. Curbside pickup available.
Mamma Mia Italian Bistro
300 S Main St, Suite 200, at The Block on Main. The pizza-night default: the Big Mamma is a 28-inch pizza cut into 32 squares, and there is a $48 family meal for four to go. Closed Sundays, $5 off large pizzas Monday through Wednesday.
Cristo’s Bistro
5217 Sunset Lake Rd, on the Fuquay-Varina side of town. Italian and New York-style pizza since 2017, with lunch slice specials Wednesday through Saturday until 3pm and half-price wine bottles on Tuesdays. Patio out front. Call ahead for groups over six.
Beer, wings and a late kitchen
My Way Tavern
301 W Center St, a block off Main. Scratch-kitchen tavern open 11am to midnight every day, which makes it the latest kitchen downtown. The Barnyard Burger (baby back ribs, egg, bacon, cheddar) is a commitment. Big draft list, Wednesday night entertainment, and regional hot dogs on the menu for the homesick.
Worth knowing
- Arita Ramen and Sushi (101 Oakview Commons Dr) opened in fall 2025 and is open daily until 9:30pm. I have not been enough times to rank it yet.
- Switch Craft (161 Oakview Commons Dr) is a NC craft beer and wine bar with 12 taps and 20 wines, drinks-focused rather than a full kitchen.
- For breakfast, Holly Springs is thin on locally owned options right now. Pimiento, Oakview’s weekend brunch and Nightingale’s Sunday brunch cover it.
- Breweries with food trucks (Bombshell, Carolina Brewing) are in my south Wake brewery guide.
Hours shift seasonally, so check before you drive over. For everything else in town, see my things to do in Holly Springs page, and for the town next door, where to eat in Fuquay-Varina.
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