Popular Raleigh restaurant will move into old Sawmill Tap Room. What to expect
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Longleaf Swine signs lease for former Sawmill Tap Room site in North Raleigh.
- Renovations will fully transform the space, with an expected fall 2026 opening.
- Location will feature indoor/outdoor seating and new menu items.
One of the relative newcomers to Raleigh’s barbecue scene is expanding to its second location.
Known for continuing the North Carolina tradition of whole hog-style barbecue while evolving the industry, Longleaf Swine just signed a lease for the old Sawmill Tap Room space in North Raleigh.
The bygone neighborhood bar and restaurant has sat empty for a couple of years, after closing in May 2023 after 23 years.
Construction hasn’t started, but Longleaf Swine plans to renovate the building into a space that feels completely new, co-owner Adam Cunningham told The News & Observer in a phone interview.
“We just don’t want people to walk in and think that we just put our new sign on there,” Cunningham said. “We’re going to completely gut it and renovate it and kind of start brand new.”
The restaurant’s first location, which opened in 2022 on East Edenton Street in downtown Raleigh, was originally a Texaco gas station and more recently Oakwood Cafe.
Last year, Longleaf Swine was named by Southern Living as one of the best new barbecue restaurants in the South.
Opening a second Longleaf Swine location
The restaurant owners, Cunningham and Rob Frantz, were looking to expand Longleaf Swine in the North Raleigh area, and in the spring, their brokers at Elm Partners proposed the Sawmill location.
It was a good fit, a stand-alone building with plenty of room for a smoker and catering business, along with indoor and outdoor seating.
Longleaf Swine has tapped local designer Dusty Slemp, who has previously worked with restaurants including Olivera and St. Roch, to help “bring life” to the space, which Cunningham said has existing features including a lot of stone and a fireplace.
“We wanted to bring in some bring in some good character,” he said. “We look forward to doing that for that part of the community.”
The new Longleaf Swine will have seating for about 200 in the dining room, an indoor/outdoor bar, a covered, screened-in patio and an indoor bar/lounge/private event space.
Raleigh Magazine first reported news of Longleaf Swine’s expansion plans.
Some changes to the Longleaf Swine menu
A menu hasn’t been released for the second Longleaf restaurant. However, Cunningham said chef Dave Mitchell will add some new items and have some leeway to get creative.
It’s something the chef has done at the downtown Raleigh location, offering weekly menu specials and ticketed dinners with food and alcohol pairings.
Longleaf serves meat trays with a choice of brisket, pork, spare ribs or chicken, alongside staples such as pimento mac and cheese, collards, slaw and baked beans.
It also offers several sandwich and burger options.
Longleaf Swine’s North Raleigh restaurant
The goal is to open the North Raleigh Longleaf Swine by fall 2026. It is located at 7701 Lead Mine Road in the Greystone Village shopping center at the corner of Sawmill and Lead Mine roads.
Greystone Village is home to several popular eateries including Two Roosters Ice Cream and Sola Coffee.
What happened to Sawmill Tap Room
In its decades in business, Sawmill Tap Room established itself as a neighborhood gathering spot, hosting sports teams and candidates’ events, and pouring beers.
But in March 2023, news of Sawmill Tap Room’s closure spread quickly on Nextdoor and social media. Record crowds came in during its final month in business.
The landlord did not offer owners Kellie and Chris Morgan a new lease, The N&O reported at the time. Sawmill Tap Room closed months later, when its lease expired.
“Our landlord said our lease had come to a natural end and we wouldn’t get a new one,” Morgan previously told The N&O. “We’re in a state of shock, we’re heartbroken.”
This story was originally published September 26, 2025 at 2:04 PM with the headline "Popular Raleigh restaurant will move into old Sawmill Tap Room. What to expect."
