A highly anticipated bar/restaurant finally sets its Raleigh opening date
The Raleigh expansion of one of the South’s most influential cocktail bars is back on track.
Chapel Hill icon The Crunkleton will open in Raleigh’s Smoky Hollow development next year, now eyeing a March 2025 unveiling. The beloved cocktail bar announced its move to Raleigh in 2022, but has yet to open even as other bars and restaurants came to life in the downtown development.
Like the Charlotte location, the Raleigh Crunkleton will serve a full dinner menu alongside its famous craft cocktails, featuring oysters, steaks, salads and an indulgent $32 Wagyu burger.
“While many in the Triangle know our cocktail bar in Chapel Hill, we expanded and elevated the experience to include full-service dining when we opened our Charlotte restaurant in 2018,” said Gary Crunkleton in a news release. ”We believe we’ll bring something unique to Raleigh both at the bar and to your table, all served with timeless hospitality.”
For Raleigh, Crunkleton has again partnered with 1957 Hospitality Group for the restaurant. The menu will be built around live-fire cooking, as the restaurant opens nightly for dinner and plans to serve a weekend brunch.
The Crunkleton first opened in Chapel Hill in 2008, landing on Franklin Street and helping kick off the craft cocktail revival for the Triangle. The bar, famous for its sprawling wall of liquor — including all the rare bottles you’re looking for — has influenced cocktail dens throughout the South with well-mixed and creative drinks. There’s also a cabinet of “dusties,” ultra rare and antique bourbons made decades ago and sold as a taste of history.
For more information, check out thecrunkleton.com.
This story was originally published November 18, 2024 at 1:29 PM with the headline "A highly anticipated bar/restaurant finally sets its Raleigh opening date."
