Raleigh's food scene is on the upswing, with local restaurants seeing more variety and volume than ever. But which neighborhoods are winning the foot traffic war, and which up-and-comers are making the most headway in attracting diners?
Hoodline analyzed data from SafeGraph, a dataset of commercial points of interest and their visitor patterns, to find out which Raleigh neighborhoods have seen the highest volume and biggest percent change in foot traffic from January to February.
Overall, Hillsborough continued to lead the pack in terms of attracting visitors to neighborhood eateries, according to SafeGraph data. Meanwhile, Falls of Neuse and East Raleigh each saw an upward trend in foot traffic to neighborhood restaurants from January to February.
North Carolina State University drew the most traffic to Hillsborough as school resumed, but outside of on-campus diners, Mellow Mushroom was one of Hillsborough's highest-traffic dining spots in February, according to SafeGraph. Located at 601 W Peace St., the chain pizzeria offers a menu of craft beer, calzones and stone-baked pizzas, with four stars out of 271 reviews on Yelp.
When it comes to visitors traveling between restaurants, Falls of Neuse attracts the most foot traffic from residents of Six Forks.
Where are hungry visitors heading? According to SafeGraph data, The Capital Grille, located at 4242 Six Forks Rd., attracted a lot of traffic in the neighborhood in February. The restaurant specializes in steaks, seafood and a solid wine selection, and boasts four stars out of 165 reviews on Yelp.
Another trending neighborhood, East Raleigh, attracted 2.4% more restaurant foot traffic in February than in the previous month. One of the most-visited dining spots in the neighborhood was Lynnwood Brewing Concern. Located at 1053 E Whitaker Mill Rd., it's a brewery that offers pizza, wraps and sandwiches alongside its hefty selection of brews. With 4.5 stars out of 64 reviews on Yelp, it's a confirmed neighborhood favorite.
While Hillsborough is a hotspot for restaurant foot traffic, residents of the neighborhood also loved to eat at Wade restaurants in February, according to SafeGraph data.
One of Wade’s popular restaurants, The Players Retreat, is a 68-year-old bar and restaurant offering traditional American fare. Located at 105 Oberlin Rd., the diner holds four stars out of 162 reviews on Yelp.
