Finally, one of the South’s best bars is ready to open its Raleigh restaurant
The long-awaited Raleigh debut of an iconic Chapel Hill bar is less than a week away.
On Friday, April 4, we learned that The Crunkleton will open its new Raleigh location on Tuesday, April 8, in the downtown Smoky Hollow development.
The Crunkleton, one of the South’s most revered and influential cocktail bars, opened on Franklin Street in Chapel Hill more than 15 years ago. Owned and steered by Gary Crunkleton, the bar is famous for being part of a national revival of craft cocktails, boasting a towering wall of spirits, including many near-impossible to find bourbons.
“We’re excited to bring the full Crunkleton experience to the Triangle with our Raleigh opening,” said Gary Crunkleton, who will open the new location with his fellow owners at the 1957 Hospitality Group. “It’s been exciting to watch The Crunkleton evolve from our first location in Chapel Hill into the full-service restaurant concept it is today.”
The new Crunkleton location joins Smoky Hollow’s buzzy restaurant roster, which includes Madre, Midwood Smokehouse and the jazz bar Moon Room.
The new bar and restaurant will have 88 seats in the dining room, with more tables planned when the outdoor patio opens.
The brand expanded to Charlotte in 2019, partnering with 1957 Hospitality Group, opening a version of The Crunkleton that included an upscale dining menu alongside the cocktails.
That will be the version Crunkleton and the 1957 Hospitality Group open in Raleigh. Chef Gregory Balch will lead the kitchen, offering the same food menu as the Raleigh location. That menus includes raw and roasted oysters, old school steakhouse salads, fancy burgers and a two and a half pound tomahawk ribeye.
Like Chapel Hill and Charlotte, Crunkleton will sport a similar wall of liquor, Gary Crunkleton said in an interview. The wall opens with some bare patches, but will fill in over time.
The wall was born out of necessity, Crunkleton said. When Chapel Hill opened, Crunkleton dreamed of intricate woodwork, maybe gargoyles and lions like some Scottish pub. Not having money for artisan woodworking, Crunkleton let the liquor do the talking.
“It’s kind of like the Grateful Dead’s wall of sound, just a wall of speakers,” Crunkleton said. “All these liquors have different labels and colors, we let that be the showcase instead of carved wood.”
The Raleigh Crunkleton will be open nightly for dinner service, with plans for weekend brunch in the near future.
Reservations are live now and diners can book a table two weeks in advance.
This story was originally published April 4, 2025 at 2:07 PM with the headline "Finally, one of the South’s best bars is ready to open its Raleigh restaurant."
