The Greensboro Dining Guide

In the nearly three years since I started this blog, I’ve reviewed more than three dozen local restaurants. Some have closed, and others have given me reason to reconsider my initial perceptions, but many have, for better or worse, remained as I discovered them. Plenty others remain undiscovered still. Even in economically turbulent times, Greensboro is a treasure trove of dining options. There are scores of restaurants, bars, and coffee shops to suit a wide variety of palates and price ranges. And while choice is often a godsend, it can make Herculean tasks out of simple decisions. “Where do I want to eat?” can be a vexing question to answer when a dozen possibilities are a stone’s throw away. So to cut down the anguish of such a decision, I’ve prepared a “Best of” for those establishments that I’ve had the privilege to review.

Please note that this covers only what I’ve had the opportunity to sample so far, and national chains are excluded. Reviews, when available, are linked. If there is an establishment that you feel merits inclusion on this list, let me know, and I’ll be glad to investigate it.

Enjoy!

Zac

Best Bar Food: Spring Garden Bar & Pizzeria. Combine a neighborhood bar atmosphere with restaurant-quality food, and you get this place. Italian favorites are homemade here, and it shows.

Best Burger: If you have the cash ($14) to splurge, Josephine's Bistro's lamb and beef burger is unbeatable, but for the more budget-minded, Ham’s classic cheeseburger (nee Charlie’s burger) packs a lot of flavor for little price ($2.99 on Tuesdays).

Best Caribbean (review pending): Da Reggae Café. The portions are almost too large to down in one sitting, but with Jamaican favorites and plentiful sides, that’s hardly a bad thing.

Best Chinese (review pending): China Best. This no-frills, takeout-only eatery isn’t gourmet, but it is several steps up from its bland, generic competitors.

Best Coffeeshop: Coffeeology. Plentiful beverage choices, all-day waffles and crepes, and homemade gelato make this a must. For College Hill residents, this doubles as a convenient meeting spot. 

Best Fine Dining: Print Works Bistro. Combine a bright, airy atmosphere with an inventive, expertly crafted menu and pricing that isn’t exorbitant, and you’re left with the Proximity Hotel’s star eatery, a great place to celebrate a big occasion with a great meal. Print Works' sister establishments, Green Valley Grill and Lucky 32 Southern Kitchen, are excellent in their own right, too.

Best Greek (review pending): Mythos Grill. Don’t let the Spartan (pun intended) interior fool you: this place can do a mean gyro.

Best Indian (review pending): Saffron. I’ve only ever sampled their lunch buffet, but it’s a cut above what you’d expect, and a decent value, to boot.

Best Italian: Villa Rosa Italian Restaurant & Grill. You can’t go wrong with this classic Southern Italian eatery. The expansive menu is well-stocked with familiar favorites, and the execution is flawless.

Best Mexican: Kiosco Mexican Grill. Combine a huge menu with friendly service and a kitchen that knows how to season, and your tastebuds will be doing a fiesta. Variable portion sizes are an added plus.

Best Pizza: Sticks & Stones Clay Oven Pizza. While Mellow Mushroom boasts a superior crust, Sticks and Stones takes fresh, local ingredients and artfully arranges them into unique combinations. Potatoes, fried chicken, eggplant, and Swiss chard are among the tasty toppings that have shown up in their pies.

Best Salad: The Scott Avenue. Available at the Lindley ParkFilling Station, this comes with a crabcake, bacon, cucumbers, and roasted red peppers served on a bed of spinach and topped with buttermilk chive dressing. What’s not to like? Even the pricetag ($9.50 for an entrée salad) is palatable.

Best Sandwich: Old Town Meatloaf. A specialty of UNCG’s OldTown Draught House, the homemade loaf on a sourdough roll is melt-in-your-mouth good.

Best Sushi: Sushi Republic. The wide assortment of specialty rolls and elegant yet unfussy atmosphere make this one republic you’ll want to pledge allegiance to. For fresh, flavorful fish, look no further.

Best Taco: Taqueria El Azteca, hands down. The authentic-style pastor (marinated pork) is murderously addictive, but you can get a variety of fillings and Tex-Mex style if cilantro isn’t your thing. They go for $1 a piece on Tuesdays and Thursdays, or you can get them full price from the taco truck on Spring Garden and Chapman at well into the dark of night.

Best Thai: Thai Corner Kitchen. This was a tough call, as Greensboro has plenty of quality Thai cuisine. An expansive menu, helpful servers, and the availability of Groupon/LivingSocial coupons set this High Point Road establishment apart.

Best Vegetarian: Boba House. No meat doesn’t mean no flavor. The Asian-infused salads and entrees of this Tate Street stalwart are tofuriffic for meat-eaters and vegetarians alike.

Best Vietnamese: Pho Hien Vuong. While several other establishments can give Pho Hien Vuong a run for its money in the flavor department, the ambiance, menu variety (they do Thai here too), and food quality offer a winning combination. Now if only it had a bigger parking lot.

Best of the Rest: Don offers a decorative atmosphere and affordable Japanese of the non-sushi variety. Rice and noodle bowls are served sizzling hot with complimentary miso.  Cleopatra’s is home to skillfully prepared Middle Eastern fare (think shwarma aplenty). Toshi’s Café (review pending), in Adams Farm, offers an eclectic blend of sushi, sandwiches, coffee drinks, and breakfast food. Want to mix and match ingredients? Give Zali Mongolian Grill a try. They have everything from seafood and veggies to tacos and frogs legs.