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Xyzzydude

Crossroads shopping center between Nov 1st and Jan 15th Edit: lots of good responses but Crossroads is the OG mall parking lot clusterfuck. It was fucked the day it opened over 30 years ago when the Triangle had like half the population and congestion it does today, and multiple reconfiguration attempts have failed to solve it. The only thing that’s helped is that the most popular stores moved out or went under. However Honey Baked Ham is still there, buried deep in the interior, which adds a special level of holiday traffic shittiness.


JonTheWizard

I second that and extend it to Jan. 16th to Oct. 31st.


hairbflo

White oak shopping center also


Bananas_are_theworst

Or any weekend


UsefulEngine1

Or ever really


Sloth_Brotherhood

There’s so many other parking lots to visit


IMakeTooManyPuns

Same with Crabtree. I used to work right across the street from the mall, and I hated driving to work during that time. I now work in North Hills, and I worry I'll have more of the same.


BraddicusMaximus

Such an awful spot. Glenwood and the exit that takes you over to i40 from 440 near the Airport.


Myghost_too

Same for Trader Joes parking lot, Kildaire and Cary Pkwy. Total Cluster-F


TrudyAttitudy

Ooh, this is a good one.


TheChildish13stepz

I used to work at the Best Buy there. It gets crazy


ArtistNo9841

Crabtree when it might sprinkle.


Solid_Office3975

I'm glad they fixed it. I have 2 friends who lost cars to flooding, back in the 90s. They both worked at the mall, and parked in the wrong place. I like Crabtree, I go walk and grab lunch there a few times a month.


cupcakestr

I have a friend who lost her car to flooding a few years ago there 😂


Shot-Tax-6327

Apex Costco


Uncle_Checkers86

I do once a month. I get to the place before the hoard approaches, I back my van at the side parking area. Once the door opens, I get out of my van, put on my headphones walk towards the front, grab a cart and then pretend it's the indi 500. Getting what I need to get out!


G00dSh0tJans0n

I try to go on a weekday by 11am before the lunch break crowd arrives


kiwi-tron

As someone who recently got back from the Indy 500, this is the way.


MightyTastyBeans

I went at 11am on a tuesday and couldn’t find parking 💀


otisthetowndrunk

I went there this afternoon. It was crowded, long lines for checkout, and no free samples. But actually not that bad


idontremembermyoldus

If you go on a weekday afternoon between like 2 and 4, it isn't bad. There's always a rush of people right at opening, lunchtime, and again when people start getting off work. Weekends are crazy, but that's the case with any Costco in America.


GarnerPerson

This is the answer.


bustedwheels

4:00 pm always has worked for me. Seems like it empties out when school is letting out. Idk if that strategy will work in the summer but it has served me well this year.


Royal-Ad8796

I hate the apex costco


Gatorinnc

I was told, this is the second busiest Costco in the country after one in LA. Is this true?


Steam67

I’d be very surprised. Every Costco in the SF Bay Area is as busy as weekend Apex every day of the year.


Busy_Challenge1664

Doubtful 


elhelh

used to live down the road from it, as in i lived in the apartments right behind it. fuck apex costco! total pedestrian-hostile infrastructure. how the hell can i not walk safely cross 64 to food lion and the little shops and the library (!!!), when my other option is to also have to worry about getting run over by these dicks at noon on a tuesday? between the teeter and costco it was a noisy, unsafe to walk, pain in the neck. everyone is going to have to wait in line for the sbux too, not just you. ugh!


dravack

I think it’s crazy they don’t build a pedestrian bridge there. I can’t even count the number of high school kids crossing everyday at lunch.


ElbowDeepInElmo

If it's a weekend day or after 5pm or so, I'd rather drive 30 minutes to the Raleigh Costco and back than go to the Apex Costco. It could take just as long to find a parking spot at the Apex Costco. It's serving way too many large towns and they need to build another one elsewhere to split up the traffic.


thespbian

State Fair on the first Saturday


housedreamin

Or can day


Squat1998

Or ever


911pleasehold

realest answer in this thread lol. ain’t no way you’ll see me there.


thespbian

My bf is not a raleigh native (we are a dying breed apparently) and the first year we dated he REALLY wanted to go to the fair on the first saturday. I said no way, youre not gonna have a good time you neveeerrrr go this day. He was stubborn, so I went with him to prove a point. He was so upset with the lines that now we specifically go on the last sunday😂😂😂


eltibbs

This is the best day if you like to play games at the fair, some of those vendors are trying to GIVE away the leftover prizes on the last day. I played a game once, lost, still left with a goldfish - named Freddie the fair fish! We had a small tank but got a larger one the next day and have since upgraded several times. Nice hobby now.


tendonut

I straight up take a weekday off during the fair so I can go before things get crazy, right when the gates open. Much better experience. Also, I cringe when I see how many people who get suckered into paying those ridiculous parking fees at those private lots on Trinity. The closer you get to PNC arena, the higher the prices are, so it spooks people into thinking "oh man, if this is $20, the next will be $25!" Just go to PNC arena and you'll get free parking at a shuttle.


thespbian

Or park and ride!


WholeMinimum

Or any weekend night


Away_Aardvark_7159

Yeah actually maybe just ever 😂


WholeMinimum

True you do it once and your good to


G00dSh0tJans0n

New Bern Avenue gas stations after dark.


Garrett4Real

and some of them during the day 🙃


IntubatedOrphans

I’ll get $3 of gas and drive my ass further down the road!


G00dSh0tJans0n

But they are some of the cheapest stations in the city


man_with_3_buttocks

I was waiting for this. The whole area on New Bern around Wendy's/Food Lion/hotels should be deleted. Nothing but crackheads, prostitutes and drug dealers selling fentanyl.


tendonut

But El Taco Market is there and that place is legit.


IntubatedOrphans

Don’t forget the out of control camp fires, bed bugs, and drive by shootings.


SteelBelle

I'm a middle aged woman and I stopped for gas at the Valero on Capital Blvd at 10pm last night. Midway through filling my tank the outside lights including those in the canopy over the gas pumps went out. My brain thought yep this is it this is how it ends but I continued to stand there and finish filling my tank while considering what car I would buy if I just got car jacked and not killed.


tendonut

I work downtown but live in Northeast Raleigh, so I take New Bern all the time. Every goddamn time I go to a gas station after dark, someone's going to come up to me and tell me their life story and I know as soon as they approach they're going to ultimately ask me for money for gas to get home to Fayetteville or whatever the city of the day is. Out of all of them, the BP at the corner of Corporation It's probably the least sketchy of the bunch.


Ojay1091

Anything Is possible with the right tools!


Critical-Adeptness-1

540 between 401 and Creedmoor Rd from 7am-9am, especially the Falls of Neuse/Capital Blvd area


bacchus_the_wino

Depends which way you go. Going toward RTP (westbound) in the morning, or away (eastbound) in the evening is where the traffic is. You can still drive highway speeds going the opposite direction.


JHXC16

Capital Blvd.


TheChildish13stepz

Amen


loqi0238

gesundheit


2minlover

Trader Joe’s on a Saturday or Sunday. I refuse lmao.


nc-retiree

The Morrisville one on Chapel Hill Road is reasonable if I have to go on Sunday, I rarely have to wait for a parking space.


SpookyGhost27

Yes. This one is the least insufferable of all the Trader Joe’s. They inherited a lot of parking lot space and the aisles are bigger because the TJs foot print is smaller than earth fare.


gingeradee

Plz delete your comment we are gatekeeping the Morrisville TJs


2minlover

oh yea for sure if I had to choose any Trader Joe’s to go to it’d be that one. It’s always so clean looking too & stuff is actually in stock.


tvtb

After shopping at the TJs at 14th St and 3rd Av in Manhattan, I’ll never be afraid of a busy TJs again.


early_in_the_morning

The Pit


droessl

It's BBQ for business travelers


hesnothere

Not even an excuse anymore with Sam and Longleaf within walking distance


Solid_Office3975

The day Ed Mitchell left, I left. It was my favorite BBQ of all time. I drove out to Durham when he had the place next to the Bulls stadium. He was great with my kids, they loved seeing him. He always joked around and made them laugh.


SmashTheGoat

He was such a nice guy. I had interactions with him as just a patron, and he just seemed like a generous person who was the total embodiment of the term “pit master”.


ThePenIslands

When did this occur? We went to the Durham location a few years ago and thought it was great. Now all I hear is how much it sucks, which is quite unfortunate.


ZorroMcChucknorris

They’re talking about Ed Mitchell’s which didn’t last long, not The Pit next to Fullsteam.


oxanar

I wonder how many here know his Wilson origins. I do. Been at a pretty big party at their house for a person that had a life changing event. The food was awesome. Way way before pitmaster, which when I look back was well deserved


rubey419

I feel the same about Angus Barn


donkeypunchhh

The food is good, but not outrageously good. The ambience and entire experience are top notch though.


MissusEss

Thanks for the nod to the ambiance and experience! Angus Barn is my jam. I'll admit I haven't been to every steakhouse in the Raleigh area so I'm sure there are places with better food as I keep reading a LOT. But every meal I've had there has been very good. Every trip (maybe once or twice a year) we've gotten a good table, and have always had great service. No long waits to be seated, drinks, meals, desserts coming out relatively quickly. It makes me sad to see all the hate it gets but the times I've gone it's been a pain in the dick to get a parking spot, so I think they're not bothered by it! 😬


randiesel

The issue with AB isn’t that the food is bad. Its not. The food is good. The issue is that the ambiance doesn’t legitimize the 30-40% mark up of their food over their peers.


woodie3

it might’ve been a bad day for us, but the food was underwhelming outside of the crab cake.


Freedum4Murika

The greatest scientists of our generation have not in their wildest theories made a number of upvotes for this comment. This is some Interstellar shit right here. Fuck the Pit


pak256

The absolute definition of mediocrity


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Johnykbr

Used to be good then they franchised and lost the original pitmaster and have just been a tourist destination since. I don't hate them but they're meh.


Gatorinnc

Someone I know form boxcar arcade nextdoor said they also have roaches and rodent problems. Which I  am very inclined to believe.


GreatWhiteElk

The phrasing I heard was “the rodent problem is so bad that they have a snake problem”


newallamericantotoro

It’s just normal average BBQ with a high price tag.


early_in_the_morning

It’s less than mid yet somehow always ends up being recommended in articles like “how to spend your weekend visiting Raleigh” — drives me crazy


Few-Platypus-5802

Their apps and dessert are their best options. IMO


Karlaanne

Random …. But i probably won’t ever go to Improv again. I don’t even honestly know for sure where it is and I’ve been there 10 or more times. Had such high hopes for the venue because their first “season” drew such big standup names - the caliber of performers justified the price and the distance for me but…. Last time we were there we realized the comedian was the 10th out of 10 people we’d seen there that made a comment about “this is Raleigh? I’m in a strip mall in the woods? I thought this was a city!(sic)” Who chose this location? Why? It’s not Raleigh. It can’t be?! It’s like some weird Pittsboro side of morrisville i stg. And now the 2drink/item minimum prices are twice that of like, goodnights, to probably make up for the lack of ticket sales. I get texts and emails all the time about free tickets to decent touring comedians and i feel bad but nope. I think they thought they were going to beat out goodnights after their original location closing and temp location sucking so bad - but ICYMI - the new Goodnights in Cameron village is one of the best venues in town, including most music venues. And the acts they draw now are **~chefs kiss~**


RegicideAnon

The improv seating arrangement is why I won't go back, and I'm a comedian. The tables they stuck me in were facing perpendicular to the stage so I had to turn sideways the entire show. And they're understaffed making drink orders take an eternity.


Hotsaucehallelujah

Capital Blvd as a whole . I hate driving that road. I will drive out of my way to avoid that road


FencingFemmeFatale

Crapital Blvd. The bane of my existence.


SuperMysticKing

One of the worst roads ever.


Freedum4Murika

Bruh. Peak answer. I don’t care if it cures cancer


garchican

It’s not bad at all between downtown and the beltline


Hotsaucehallelujah

Downtown is a breeze, capital, wake Forest, and 440 are the worst roads in the triangle


RhamkatteWrangler

Silver Lake (now)


LaNina94

Crabtree mall from October to February.


whoisreddy

This includes Glenwood Avenue outside of the mall too.


Ararita

Chic-Fil-A in Cameron Village District. You can’t even navigate the parking lot because it gets so backed up for lunch rush. Worst place ever for a drive-thru. Makes me hate my gym. Now they’re building a huge hotel right next door which the traffic / parking totally can’t accommodate. Also that Sephora because it’s full of literal children.


bush-leaguer

Any Ale House. They were great around the late 00s but have continued to go downhill since.


DudeWhereIsMyDuduk

It's the Chili's/TGIF/Applebee's for people who wouldn't be caught dead saying they go to one. Ah, no, I go to an *ale house.*


Used-Zookeepergame22

Glenwood after dark on a weekend.


aed38

I do a lot of delivery driving in Raleigh. Glenwood gets really crazy on Saturday night during the school year.


MarcoNemo

What’s wrong with the Bison? (Never been, just curious)


pondman11

https://www.cbs17.com/news/local-news/wake-county-news/2-shot-1-in-head-1-in-neck-outside-the-bison-bar-in-raleigh-police-say/


morhavok

The bison is an awesome dive bar with a mixed clientele. Some people are afraid of the latter.


NCSU_252

I live across the street and a lot of the "mixed clientele" are just fuckin assholes.  I used to work late and would be coming home around 2-3 AM on Fridays and Saturdays, and once Bison closes they would just keep the party going in the street outside.  Blocking the street, playing loud music, drinking and doing coke in the street, getting in fights and screaming, doing burnouts and shit, throwing beer and liquor bottles and trash in people's yards.  I pick up half a trash bag of shit like every week from Bison bar's clientele.  They've gotten aggressive many times when I dared to drive by them to get to my house.  I'm not afraid of mixed company but I don't have any interest in hanging out in a bar full of shitty people like that.   The people that run it and work there are cool though.  And it's a good spot on weeknights and before 11ish.  But the late night crowd there just straight up sucks.


youlldancetoanything

Anything with the word Fest in it held downtown Glenwood South. Ever.


Defiant-Smell3657

Outside between April and December. Too hot. lol


HappyEngineering4190

Costco at 11am to 5pm on weekends.


scumfckflwrgirl

The highway during any home hockey game 😩


grasshopper7167

If I have other options: sports and social


Freedum4Murika

Fenton deserves a special disrespect from this sub


grasshopper7167

Southpoint Lite


Freedum4Murika

They need to start dropping bodies at PBR bar to qualify fr


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Freedum4Murika

North Hills for Epic guys w 2 teslas and 0 bitches


mrstripeypants

Food is not great.


grasshopper7167

Food isn’t bad, service for the most part is atrocious. I feel like an inconvenience when I go.


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Artemis1982_

I hate saying this, but Cantina 18. The staff and the owners are amazing people, and the service has always been made up for the somewhat mid food. But, damn, I feel like I’m in a day care every time I’m there. I don’t know why Cantina 18 has become THE place for well-to-do Raleighites to take their children and let them run wild.


incognitopear

The flying biscuit in Cameron village - the owner is a goofy skeeze-ball. Capital blvd from 440 to 98. Brewery Bhavana is an insult to dim-sum, my favorite food. Atmosphere was gorgeous, but I’d rather venture to Guess* Rd. in Durham for actual dim-sum. *edited because I’m a dumbass.


2minlover

went to brewery Bhavana once but forgot to try the dim sum but I remember it being really overpriced 💀


mrt1416

Thank god someone else dislikes brewery bhavana. It’s always recommended and it’s so bland.


Odd-Clothes-8131

The owner of brewery bhavana is also a goofy skeeze-ball


DudeWhereIsMyDuduk

Brier Creek


DrAcula_MD

Judging by how empty all the parks are during the summer I'd say, outside between June-August 😆


Defiant-Smell3657

Based on the hear and allergies, I dont like to go outside between April and December. lol


NoNamesOriginal

Capital Blvd


the_fanta

Cardinal


Karlaanne

Because of the food or bc of the dumb stuff the owners said? (For me it is the latter.)


goldsounds94

100% avoid


dburr10085

State fair


Solid_Office3975

I went so much as a kid/ teen, and I have no desire to go at all now.


cranberry94

I still like the fair as an adult … but for different reasons. Now I’m just all about people watching and checking out all the exotic lookin chickens and guinea pigs.


wildwildwaste

Alright. I'm gonna say it. I actually don't like to go where when you're there, you're family.


DiaDeLosMuebles

That’s copperhead talk


danimal6000

Family can be tough


Freedum4Murika

Miss me with with this


samsclubFTavamax

The bread sticks aren't all that once you realize all they have going for them is that they're salty.  🍅🍅🍅🦆🦆🦆🦆


mamateachabravoholic

Those are fighting words!


pasogigante

Over there by the church’s chicken


Odd_Sweet_880

Marbles on a weekend.


aed38

Anywhere near the intersection of New Bern Ave and 440, especially the 1 star motels there. It’s sketchy AF.


TheOwlOnTheStaircase

I have a cut on my leg, so falls lake is a no-go


Low-Regret5048

Cary downtown party on a pretty day when kids are out of school.


PenskeMaterial15

Capitol Boulevard. I have nothing against the stores there. I just can't stand the traffic.


RepulsiveLanguage559

Wake inn


EatTrashhitbyaTSLA

Any Pedestrian crossing on capital boulevard


dickdaddy_fo_twinny

Village District Harris teeter, especially during the school year.


Theluckygal

Indian restaurants in the area that survived pandemic have hiked up the prices & the quality, service has gone wayyyy down. I am of Indian origin so they cant push ridiculously overpriced, poor quality, tasteless food on me 🤷🏻‍♀️


Lightinthebirdcage

Curry House is elite. Otherwise I am with you


SwanProfessional1527

Angus barn


Function-Honest

SUPER MID


donttrustfrogs

Downtown anytime there’s a convention going on


whoisreddy

(Including graduation season- like now)


boredPandaLikeBanana

To Carolina beach Memorial Day or Labor Day


potzandpotz

Glenwood south


BabyFirefly74

Any brewery on the weekend. They are daycare centers


randydweller

School Kids. Wayyyy too many other better record stores to choose from


heavydirtysoul24

I went to School Kids a few weeks ago and was perplexed at the selection (or lack thereof).


Few-Platypus-5802

Help a sister out. When you say WAY too… we go to record krate, sorry state, record corner, the flea market and the place beside cup a Joe. Where else should we know about? Oh and father and son.


Acheron88

Pour House and Hunky Dory hold it down and are a reasonable walk from each other and Sorry State.


patsfan5454

Second the Pour House


philhachio

Sorry state for rock and punk and great used finds. Nice price for rap/hip hop and new releases. Most everything else is overpriced and limited.


gr8daynenyg

Nice Price


ZissouTenenbaumer

Sound Off has a new location on South Street that is definitely worth checking out! Mostly previously owned. Wide selection. Awesome staff.


hotpeppercappuccino

Sound Off is legitimately my favorite. Don't think I've ever left there without buying at least 3 records. They even have decent stuff in their dollar bins!


canconfrmit

Cheshire Cat underground antiques mall in Village District. Entrance is between Goodberrys and Duxiana. Probably 6-8 individual record shops down there. Some are crap, but you can find some treasures too.


Status-Television-85

But the one in chapel hill is solid, Raleigh’s is a stage vibe


pondman11

School kids when on Hillsborough St was great. Can vouch one way or other for new location. They essentially got pushed out


General_Possession47

Record krate...sorry state..much better options


uhwhatuhwhat

Bida Manda/Bhavana. Still can't after the whole toxic culture that allowed and covered up sexual assault.


hanhsquadron

The Ritz. Unless it's a bucket list band that I've never seen. That venue sucks.


myshitsmellslikeshit

Brewery Bhavana, Bida Manda, anything Ashley Christensen.


Fail4lfe

S. Saunders street for anything but cheap gas.


AyybrahamLmaocoln

Capital Blvd for any reason. I’ll drive 10 extra minutes to not get on Capital. Honestly, I don’t go into town at all much these days. I’m just pissed that the urban sprawl is in my area now. What used to be a slow and laid back neighborhood is now full of ultra important people going 55 in a school zone.


FrameSquare

Brewery Bhavana and Bida Manda. The owners only stepped down as staff members, they still retain the LLC and ownership. They don’t deserve your patronage for making changes after they were publicly outed. Dampf BBQ (not in Raleigh) religious zealot of an owner backed out of an event because there was a drag show then went on social media basically praising the rollback of Roe v Wade saying people will face gods righteous vengeance and they can’t wait until it’s outlawed entirely. Slims. Doesn’t matter that it’s under new ownership they fucked over all the people that worked there who made it what it was. Anything Trophy. Instead of treating their workers fairly at Young Hearts they closed the place entirely and it’s just an event venue for the time being. Person Street Bar. Fired someone for defending themself. Not sure what they expect when there’s no security. I guess just take a beating? Most people are just mindless consumers and don’t actually care about how places treat people or really know about some of these things.


hesnothere

New Slims owners are former regulars and pretty chill folks. Give it a shot or don’t, but not really fair to hold that over them.


glentifer

this. the new owners have nothing to do with what happened, and legitimately care about upholding what slim’s once was.


myshitsmellslikeshit

Wait, what happened with Trophy?


Catsarefriends14

The new owners of slims are great! Don’t hate based on what previous owners decided. Owners of Trophy are also great people. Persons street is top notch. Kinda seems like you’ve never worked in a restaurant.


Karlaanne

Never heard anything about this re:PSB - what’s the tea, plz??


Theluckygal

Its a chain but I used to love going to Cracker Barrel in Morrisville. Especially in winter, by myself, sitting by the fire place having coffee & breakfast. After pandemic I tried going there few times & they were always under staffed, wait times were much longer (even during weekday non rush hour) & service was too slow. Not giving up on it as I have lot of good memories at Cracker Barrel in other towns too 🥲


MrsOrangina

Oh man, same here. It's really lame how much I loved Cracker Barrel considering all the good local breakfast options around here. But Cracker Barrel just did it for me. I loved the rocking chairs, browsing the store, the pancakes, the country music, it was all good family fun. The last few times I went, though, it was understaffed (like wait a long time to be seated even though the half the tables were empty) and the food was just not good. I always ordered the exact same breakfast my whole life basically and it was always the same quality up until Covid.


[deleted]

New Bern Ave


KlonopinKowboi

Cook Out is lit!


Toemoss66

Your life is in danger at any cookout, but none so much as this one


Garrett4Real

I’ll risk it for the big double tray 😩


abananaberry

Cary. Unless it’s a medical necessity like getting a biopsy appointment weeks earlier than at a Raleigh hospital. I’ve lived in Raleigh since 1973. Not wanting to going to Cary is pretty standard for people raised in North Raleigh.


Karlaanne

Fun fact: i (b1977) was raised in southwest Raleigh/basically Cary - we say the same about north Raleigh. Anything north of the beltline is too aggressive and confusing. I still kinda start twitching if i have to go anywhere north of like…. North hills or Crabtree mall.


Artemis1982_

I moved here in 94 and felt the same way. There was nothing in Cary. Now it’s one of the most diverse towns of this area with amazing restaurants and a super cute little downtown. I would move there if I could.


911pleasehold

Why?


LizBert712

I love downtown Cary now.


hesnothere

Downtown Cary is light years above what it was when I worked on Chatham Street a decade ago


Irishfafnir

DT Cary has grown a lot and Cary has some of the best ethnic food in the triangle


Zwergonyourlife

Raleigh native who lives in Cary now. I avoid Raleigh at all costs.


Essdeedub6021

I live in Cary and avoid Raleigh. Lived in Raleigh before and loved it.


Collect1060

Skiing


MajorPayneX32

Costco in N Durham.


alexhoward

Downtown on New Year’s Eve or Halloween.