Empire Eats is reshaping downtown Raleigh as a modern culinary destination! Our passion for great food and excellent hospitality are woven through the unique dining experiences at each of our five downtown Raleigh restaurants.

Each restaurant is distinct in flavor and personality while staying true to its heritage, from the Lebanese food on Sitti's table to our Eastern North Carolina-style barbecue at The Pit. It all starts with our talented array of chefs. At The Pit, Executive Chef Darrell Brown is serving up delicious traditional whole-hog barbecue and Southern sides. Chef Matt Scofield pays homage to our Sitti's favorite Lebanese dishes at Sitti. At The Raleigh Times Bar, Chef Primo Zinani prepares hand-crafted, creative takes on classic bar fare favorites alongside an extensive Belgian beer selection and locally and regionally crafted beers. The Morning Times Head Barista Casey Porn serves up locally roasted coffee and fresh sandwiches by day and wine and homemade confections by night. And at Gravy, Head Chef Brent Hopkins uses fresh tomatoes and locally grown herbs to create our signature Gravy, the same way it was made in restaurants in Italian neighborhoods decades ago.

Our celebration of food and the desire to serve you well unite these uncommon dining experiences offered in our locally owned and managed eateries. The atmosphere in our downtown Raleigh restaurants is also as unique as the culinary selections, each set perfectly in historic buildings that have been preserved and given new life as comfortable, distinctive dining destinations for your enjoyment.

It's venues like these that make Raleigh Chef Ludo Lefebvre's favorite city in America! Read on to learn what the host of "Ludo Bites America," whose local challenge was hosted by The Pit, had to say about food and culture in the City of Oaks.