Italian food is the most popular cuisine in the world, according to a 2023 study by The Picky Eater that tallied up Instagram tags. It’s no wonder why so many people love it. Just thinking about dishes like chicken parmesan and spaghetti and meatballs is enough to get your mouth watering — even though many of these world-famous dishes are actually Italian American creations more so than true Italian fare.
Traditional Italian food embraces an assortment of sumptuous recipes that aren’t dependent on fried breadcrumbs and red sauce — think frittatas and focaccia, or carpaccio and panna cotta. Italian immigrants have been weaving their cuisine into the fabric of the American food landscape for generations since they arrived in the United States nearly 150 years ago. And the cuisine, like the culture it hails from, tends to give off warm and fuzzy “family” feels.
A pizza at Posto Pubblico, in Castiglione della Pescaia, Italy, in Tuscany’s Maremma region, on July 26, 2023. A gem for those interested in creative cooking, Posto Pubblico has a prix fixe tasting menu as well as more affordable pizzas. (Francesco Lastrucci/The New York Times).
For many people, the quintessential local Italian American restaurant — complete with its red-and-white checkered tablecloths, pour bottles of olive oil, parmesan cheese shakers, cute little jars of red pepper flakes, and wicker baskets of oven-fresh bread — brings back memories of special life moments, like first dates and milestone birthdays. Luckily, today you don’t need to be in a major metropolis like New York or Los Angeles or an area with a large Italian or Italian American community to score top-notch buon cibo. You can find excellent Italian offerings in almost every city from coast to coast.
To celebrate all things mozzarella and marinara, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated Italian restaurants in Raleigh based on diners’ reviews on Yelp as of January 2024. Read on to see if your favorite is among the top-rated or to find a new spot in your neighborhood.
#29. Bella Italia
Rating: 4.0/5 (140 reviews)Price level: $Address: 10630 Durant Road Ste 101 Raleigh, North CarolinaCategories: Italian, PizzaRead more on Yelp
#28. Vic’s Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria
Rating: 4.0/5 (243 reviews)Price level: $Address: 4035 Lake Boone Trl Ste 109 Raleigh, North CarolinaCategories: Pizza, ItalianRead more on Yelp
#27. Vic’s Italian Restaurant & Pizzeria
Rating: 4.0/5 (288 reviews)Price level: $Address: 331 Blake St. Raleigh, North CarolinaCategories: Italian, PizzaRead more on Yelp
#26. Mulino Italian Kitchen & Bar
Rating: 4.0/5 (385 reviews)Price level: $Address: 309 North Dawson St. Raleigh, North CarolinaCategories: Italian, Bars, Venues & Event SpacesRead more on Yelp
#25. Gravy
Rating: 4.0/5 (754 reviews)Price level: $Address: 135 South Wilmington St. Raleigh, North CarolinaCategories: Italian, New AmericanRead more on Yelp
#24. Stella Mare Ristorante & Pizzeria (this restaurant is closed)
Rating: 4.0/5 (9 reviews)Address: 7713 Lead Mine Road Raleigh, North CarolinaCategories: Italian, Pizza, SeafoodRead more on Yelp
Marco’s Pepperoni Magnifico™ Pizza (photo courtesy Marco’s)
#23. Caffe Luna
Rating: 4.0/5 (356 reviews)Price level: $Address: 136 East Hargett St. Raleigh, North CarolinaCategories: Italian, Venues & Event Spaces, Wine BarsRead more on Yelp
#22. Casa Carbone Ristorante Italiano
Rating: 4.0/5 (181 reviews)Price level: $Address: 6019 Glenwood Ave. Oak Park Shopping Center Raleigh, North CarolinaCategories: ItalianRead more on Yelp
#21. Bella Monica
Rating: 4.0/5 (609 reviews)Price level: $Address: 3121-103 Edwards Mill Road Raleigh, North CarolinaCategories: Italian, Pizza, Wine BarsRead more on Yelp
#20. Assaggio’s
Rating: 4.0/5 (257 reviews)Price level: $Address: 3501 West Millbrook Road Raleigh, North CarolinaCategories: Italian, PizzaRead more on Yelp
#19. Dantes Italiano
Rating: 4.0/5 (160 reviews)Price level: $Address: 13200 New Falls Of Neuse Road Raleigh, North CarolinaCategories: Italian, PizzaRead more on Yelp
Pasta with Butternut Squash, Kale and Brown Butter. This Ali Slagle recipe lets butter brown with seared squash so both end up extra nutty and rich, and then accentuates that goodness with warm spices. Food Stylist: Monica Pierini. (Christopher Testani/The New York Times).
#18. Five Bros Pizza
Rating: 4.0/5 (28 reviews)Address: 6300 Creedmoor Road Ste 182 Raleigh, North CarolinaCategories: Pizza, Italian, Chicken WingsRead more on Yelp
#17. PrimoHoagies
Rating: 4.0/5 (36 reviews)Address: 141 Park At North Hills St. Raleigh, North CarolinaCategories: Sandwiches, Italian, SteakhousesRead more on Yelp
#16. Il Falò
Rating: 4.0/5 (50 reviews)Address: 3931 Macaw St. Raleigh, North CarolinaCategories: Italian, PizzaRead more on Yelp
#15. Vivace
Rating: 4.0/5 (381 reviews)Price level: $- Address: 4209 Lassiter Mill Road Ste 115 Raleigh, North CarolinaCategories: ItalianRead more on Yelp
#14. Cucciolo Terrazza
Rating: 4.0/5 (106 reviews)Price level: $$Address: 4200 Six Forks Road Ste 100 Raleigh, North CarolinaCategories: ItalianRead more on Yelp
#13. Brooklyn Original Slices
Rating: 4.0/5 (21 reviews)Address: 4005 Wake Forest Road Raleigh, North CarolinaCategories: ItalianRead more on Yelp
Shrimp Bolognese. Save three-hour simmers of meaty Bolognese for the weekends and try Yotam Ottolenghi’s genius quick take with shrimp. Food Stylist: Martha Tinkler. (Andrew Scrivani/The New York Times).
#12. Milton’s Pizza and Pasta – Raleigh
Rating: 4.0/5 (233 reviews)Price level: $Address: 8853 Six Forks Road Raleigh, North CarolinaCategories: Pizza, Italian, Cocktail BarsRead more on Yelp
#11. Marco’s Pizza
Rating: 4.0/5 (11 reviews)Address: 5621 Atlanic Ave. Ste 101 Raleigh, North CarolinaCategories: Pizza, ItalianRead more on Yelp
#10. Oak City Meatball Shoppe
Rating: 4.0/5 (409 reviews)Price level: $Address: 180 East Davie St. Raleigh, North CarolinaCategories: Italian, Bars, New AmericanRead more on Yelp
#9. Milton’s Pizza and Pasta – Wakefield
Rating: 4.5/5 (184 reviews)Price level: $Address: 14520 Falls Of The Neuse Road Raleigh, North CarolinaCategories: Pizza, Italian, SandwichesRead more on Yelp
#8. Cafe Tiramisu
Rating: 4.5/5 (121 reviews)Price level: $Address: 6008 Falls Of Neuse Road Raleigh, North CarolinaCategories: ItalianRead more on Yelp
#7. Cristo’s Ristorante & Pizzeria
Rating: 4.5/5 (192 reviews)Price level: $ Address: 1302 East Millbrook Road Raleigh, North CarolinaCategories: Pizza, Italian, Pasta ShopsRead more on Yelp
#6. Mike’s Pizza Italian Restaurant
Rating: 4.5/5 (92 reviews)Price level: $Address: 3919 New Bern Ave. Raleigh, North CarolinaCategories: Pizza, Italian, SandwichesRead more on Yelp
#5. Valentino’s Food Truck
Rating: 4.5/5 (32 reviews)Price level: $Address: Raleigh, North CarolinaCategories: Italian, Food TrucksRead more on Yelp
FILE — Buttery lemon pasta with almonds and arugula, in New York, Jan. 4, 2023. To increase the vegetables in this dish, you can just double the arugula and add a little more lemon juice. Food stylist: Simon Andrews (David Malosh/The New York Times)
#4. Vivo Ristorante Pizzeria
Rating: 4.5/5 (398 reviews)Price level: $Address: 7400 Six Forks Road Ste 2 Raleigh, North CarolinaCategories: Italian, PizzaRead more on Yelp
#3. Frank’s Pizza & Italian Restaurant
Rating: 4.5/5 (162 reviews)Price level: $Address: 2030 New Bern Ave. Raleigh, North CarolinaCategories: Pizza, ItalianRead more on Yelp
#2. Peri Brothers Pizza
Rating: 4.5/5 (306 reviews)Price level: $Address: 7321 Six Forks Road Raleigh, North CarolinaCategories: Pizza, Italian, Pasta ShopsRead more on Yelp
#1. Karavan by 3 Olives
Rating: 4.5/5 (103 reviews)Price level: $Address: 1493 Garner Station Blvd. Raleigh, North CarolinaCategories: Uzbek, Pizza, ItalianRead more on Yelp
This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Jennifer Huizen, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 312 metropolitan areas.
Dining and Cooking