Carolina Parents Guide to Chapel Hill

A woman's hands zoom in on a smartphone taking picture of a family standing in front of the Carolina Inn

The Patel family poses with Rameses in front of the Carolina Inn, a Carolina Parents favorite place to stay when visiting their students at UNC-Chapel Hill. (Photo by Julia Wall)

Carolina Parents share their favorite places to stay, eat and play in Chapel Hill.

It’s the beginning of a new academic year at UNC-Chapel Hill, and as new and existing Tar Heels get acclimated, we don’t want to forget our Carolina Parents! We polled members of the Carolina Parents Leadership Society on their favorite places to stay, eat and play in Chapel Hill.

“My husband and I are not UNC-Chapel Hill alumni, so when our son started at Carolina, everything was brand new,” said Angela Patel, parent of a 2024 graduate and 2026 student. “It would have been great to have input from experienced parents on day one! Over the years, we’ve learned a lot about the campus and the town, and now it feels like home. We’re so glad our younger daughter has two years to go, so we can keep enjoying the amazing things Chapel Hill has to offer.”

“We love exploring with our students both on campus and on Franklin Street; it is the perfect mix of nostalgic places from our days in Chapel Hill as students to now discovering new favorites as parents,” said Elizabeth Rieker ’93. “We can still get coffee at Carolina Coffee Shop and an orangeade from Sutton’s, but also witness the entrepreneurial growth and innovation of a downtown thoroughfare. While the landscape may change, the charm and tradition of Franklin Street never will.”

Whether you’re alumni parents like the Riekers, or new to Chapel Hill like the Patels, we hope you’ll find this Carolina Parents Guide to Chapel Hill useful as you and your students enjoy all that our charming college town has to offer. Learn more about engagement opportunities for Carolina Parents and the benefits of joining the Carolina Parents Leadership Society at giving.unc.edu/get-involved/carolina-parents.

Best places to stay

  1. The Carolina Inn — Situated at the heart of campus, the Carolina Inn has been a mainstay of UNC-Chapel Hill for more than 100 years.
  2. Rizzo Center and Graduate Chapel Hill tied for second place. Located on a picturesque 30-acre hilltop in Meadowmont Village, Rizzo Center offers refined accommodations just a few minutes from campus and downtown Chapel Hill. Centrally located on Franklin Street, Graduate Chapel Hill is an upscale hotel that allows for your furry friends to stay as well.
  3. Siena Hotel — Located 1.5 miles from campus and downtown Chapel Hill, the Siena has an on-site restaurant, and each room features a balcony, seating area and desk.

Tar Heel Tip: Make reservations early for hotels or dinner and plan for parking.

Best coffee and brunch

Carolina Coffee Shop — The oldest continually running restaurant in North Carolina, the Carolina Coffee Shop has been serving Tar Heels for nearly a century.

Best Italian

  1. 411 West — Located on Franklin Street, 411 West’s menu features fresh pasta made in-house and thin-crust pizza fired in a wood oven imported from Italy.
  2. Osteria Georgi — The fun and chic interior is ideal for enjoying good company alongside simply prepared hand-made pasta and locally sourced ingredients.

Best Mexican

  1. Que Chula — Located on Franklin Street in downtown Chapel Hill, the restaurant specializes in craft tacos and tequila and features indoor and outdoor dining.
  2. Monterrey — With locations in Chapel Hill, Carrboro and Durham, Monterrey is a classic Mexican restaurant that offers hand-crafted margaritas.
  3. Tacos El Niño — A great option for food-truck lovers and late nights, Tacos El Nino offers a wide array of Mexican staples.

Best sushi

  1. Spicy 9 — From sushi to pad thai, poke bowls to bibimbop, Spicy 9 has something for every Asian food lover, all within walking distance from campus.
  2. Sushi Nikko — Located in Carrboro, Sushi Nikko offers authentic sushi and Japanese cuisine, including green tea ice cream!

Best pizza

  1. IP3 — Short for Italian Pizzeria III, IP3 has been serving up authentic Italian pizza since 1980. It’s also one of the best places to watch international soccer.
  2. Pizzeria Mercato — Pizzeria Mercato features Neapolitan-inspired pizzas and luxurious gelatos. The menu is changing and seasonal, inspired by ingredients sourced from the Carrboro Farmers Market right across the street.

Best burger

Al’s Burger Shack — Awarded the status of having the best burger in America by Trip Advisor in 2018, Al’s food and atmosphere won’t disappoint.

Best outdoor dining

  1. Top of the Hill — Eat good food and drink locally crafted beers and spirits while people-watching passersby on Franklin Street from the upstairs patio at TOPO.
  2. Crossroads — The on-site restaurant at the Carolina Inn, Crossroads is a great option for enjoying outdoor seating on those days and nights when it’s simply too beautiful to dine inside.

Best cocktails

  1. Crossroads — The on-site restaurant at the Carolina Inn, Crossroads is not only a great place to dine outside or enjoy afternoon tea, their drinks menu features local draft beers and specialty cocktails — and you never know who you’ll run into at this lively central campus locale.
  2. The Crunkleton — Signature cocktails and curated spirits are served with style and finesse at the Crunkleton on Franklin Street.
  3. Dead Mule Club — A little white house with an enormous deck overlooking Franklin Street, the Dead Mule Club has a full bar and offers scratch made dinner and brunch.

Favorite family activities

  1. Attending UNC Tar Heel sporting events — From Carolina basketball to basketball, baseball, soccer and lacrosse, there’s something for anyone and everyone to enjoy all year long.
  2. Fridays on the Front Porch — At the Carolina Inn every Friday from April to October, enjoy live music while sipping on crafted cocktails and North Carolina beers and nibbling on cuisine from a weekly food-truck lineup.
  3. Visiting Morehead Planetarium and Science Center — If you’ve never visited the planetarium, you should add it to your UNC bucket list. If you haven’t re-visited the planetarium to experience the expanded exhibits and new interactive experiences, you should add it to your UNC bucket list.
  4. Walking around campus and hanging out on Franklin Street — Check out the UNC Visitors Center for walking tours – including the Sense of Place tour. There are also several guided walking tours available in Chapel Hill and nearby Hillsborough that you can learn more about by visiting visitchapelhill.org.
  5. Further afield: Carolina Parents also enjoy getting ice cream at Maple View Farm, shopping at Whitehall Antiques and attending a Durham Bulls baseball game.

Tar Heel Tip: Take advantage of all Carolina has to offer for students and families. Four years go by so quickly!

Favorite UNC traditions

  1. Rushing Franklin Street — This decades-long, spirited tradition for UNC-Chapel Hill students happens after a big win over Duke.
  2. Drinking from the Old Well — Hundreds of students line up every year on the first day of class to sip from the fountain at the Old Well, believing in the icon’s ability to manifest perfect grades.
  3. Hearing the Clef Hangers sing “Carolina on my Mind” — The Clef Hangers is Carolina’s oldest a capella group. View upcoming performances or purchase Clef Hanger merch at clefhangers.com.

From enjoying an exhibit at the Ackland Art Museum to catching a Carolina Performing Arts performance at Memorial Hall or play at PlayMakers Theater to visiting the North Carolina Botanical Garden, there are a ton of great activities, restaurants and traditions that didn’t make the list this year. All the more reason for more parents to get involved and join the Carolina Parents Leadership Society today!