Carrboro Restaurant Directory and Profiles

Apologies for this omission: Taqueria El Bajio, Mexican, $, 508 Jones Ferry Road

Updates January, 2026: Grata Diner closed; Mel's Commissary closed;

New restaurant: Himalayan Chicken and Bar at 109 West Main Street.

Restaurant Features

The Flying Pierogi – a European Inspired Bistro Pub and unique delicatessen serving Chicago- and New York-style street food in Carrboro. 101 Two Hills Drive (South Green) [Featured in the Dec/Jan combined print edition.] By Jennifer Yourkavitch

You may remember the food truck when it was the place to get pierogis, starting in 2018. In 2024, Jaysen Wilson took his dream to brick and mortar, creating a fun dining experience with authentic flavors. He offers a blend of world cuisines with the imprint of particular U.S. cities and locations.

Mr. Wilson has a lifelong connection to this food. “I’m from New York and I grew up eating Italian, Polish, and German food, plus soul food and southern cuisine because my grandparents are from North Carolina.” In addition to street food, The Flying Pierogi offers traditional deli favorites and southern potato salads, as well as collard greens and succotash for holidays.

Mr. Wilson loves to cook. His mother was a caterer and he grew up in and around food work, putting himself through automotive school while working in restaurants. After working as a technician for Subaru for about 15 years, he returned to his other passion—cooking good food.

“I started off working in a Polish deli before the pandemic. I like food trucks and the location that we had in Durham, and I wanted to bring some of that stuff to the Carrboro area. We landed on pierogies because we can kind of do it a little different by frying them and offer some other Polish delights here while still having something very similar to the [original], the same flavors type of profile. I've always wanted a sandwich shop or a deli, and our menu is pretty much just like my favorite foods.”

The Flying Pierogi’s menu offers a variety of pierogies flown in from Chicago (that’s in the name!), along with classic deli offerings: kielbasa sandwich, pastrami sandwich, corned beef sandwich, Polish grilled cheese, a variety of burgers, hot dogs, and sides, along with desserts, sodas, juice, coffee, and a full bar. Regarding the name, he wanted something easy for people to remember.

Have you wondered about that logo? It’s uniquely local, colorful, and clever. A plane that looks like a Wright Flyer is transporting a pierogi and kielbasa over Carrboro.

Not only running the business, Mr. Wilson is also the primary chef. He has created opportunities through the deli that foster loyalty and support among those who work there. Nate Boreiko, who had been up late smoking meat (which takes 12 – 16 hours) said, “He creates an environment where everyone shares in the success of the business.”

And the food! First up, the cheesesteak ($14). Your correspondent hails from southeastern PA, a renowned sandwich mecca, and was skeptical at the thought of it. Undaunted, Mr. Wilson donned an apron, went back into the kitchen, and soon appeared in the serving window where I could see him chopping and frying the steak and vegetables. A familiar, entrancing aroma filled the room and within minutes he brought this beautiful creation to the table.

No disrespect to my homeland but this sandwich was sublime. The cheese, while not whiz, was rich and flavorful, complementing the vegetables and meat in such a way that each element could be tasted even while savoring the alchemy of the whole. Red bell peppers and tomatoes were tucked in the roll along with onions, while sweet peppers graced the top. The vegetables crunched and the bread absorbed the natural juices. No additional sauce here and none needed. [Insert chef’s kiss.]

This gorgeous reuben ($15) had the requisite pastrami, Russian dressing, and sauerkraut along with spicy brown mustard and melted Swiss cheese on marbled rye bread. You can also get the green relish like the one they serve at Katz’s Delicatessen in New York City.

 The eponymous flying pierogies ($15 for six), on a bed of arugula with balsamic, do not disappoint. Crispy outside and you can choose from nine fillings, with more than half vegetarian.

The Flying Pierogi serves a variety of hot dogs. This Chicago Dog ($7) came on a toasted poppy seed roll with tomatoes, sport peppers, small-diced white onions, mustard, relish, and a pickle spear on top, then sprinkled with celery salt. The pickle’s sour interacts with, even antagonizes, the sharp onion. Yes, there’s a place beyond delicious.

The Flying Pierogi is open Monday – Wednesday 11am – 7pm; Thursday 11:30am – 7pm; Friday 11am – 10pm; Saturday 11am – 8pm; and is closed Sunday. They host a trivia night every other week: December 5 and 19, and January 2, 16, and 30. Take out and catering services are also available. Call 919-869-7036; email Support@FlyingPierogi.com; or order on the website: flyingpierogi.com. [Insert QR code: The Flying Pierogi Delicatessen – European Inspired Bistro Pub]

Dingo Dog Brewing Company Celebrates 10 Years of Great Beer

By Michael Melton

[Featured in the Dec/Jan combined print edition.]

On Saturday, November 22, Dingo Dog Brewing Company held a celebration to commemorate 70 years (10 in human years) of brewing great beer, and serving it in Carrboro for the last five of those years. The celebration featured jazz, games, friends from all over, a rollout of the Winter tap list, and of course, ample dogs and beer. The Dingo Dog taproom is located at 410 North Greensboro Street and the brewery operation is on PlowGirl Farms in Chapel Hill. 

Non-Profit Roots, and some History

Dingo Dog was technically incorporated in 2015 when current owner Tim Schwarzauer and friend Billy Gagon began brewing beer together. They were pouring at Brewgaloo, a festival in Raleigh, and ran into a real estate agent who led them in the direction of a farm looking to lease a beautiful old horse barn. Soon, they were connected with Sally Jo Slusher of Plowgirl Farms and began turning the space into a setup for small batch brewing.

“The bar here [in the taproom] is actually made from the wood from the barn”, Mr. Schwarzauer said.

For the first five years, Dingo Dog was production and distribution only. Eventually, in 2020, they got the keys to a storefront and were able to begin building out the space on North Greensboro Street and opened the taproom in November of 2020.

Dingo Dog is the only non-profit brewery in North Carolina. After covering operating costs, all Dingo Dog profits go into the Dingo Dog Charitable Trust, which gives grants and donations to “no-kill” animal rescue and animal related non-governmental organizations in North Carolina. Some examples include Paws Forever, Independent Animal Rescue, and Beyond Fences.  

The love for animals and non-profit mindset started back in Mr. Schwarzauer's early days in his home state of Mississippi. After Hurricane Katrina, his family opened an animal shelter and eventually started a non-profit aimed at housing and taking care of the animals. He eventually attended business school and focused on understanding how to run a non-profit business with traditional for-profit methods to generate revenue for charities. At the nexus of life experiences, the idea for Dingo Dog was born.

“There’s really no reason why you can’t make any business model non-profit,” Mr. Schwarzauer said.

Bark Bark Brewing

One of the beauties of Dingo Dog is its commitment and ability to use fresh ingredients from Plowgirl Farms and the surrounding areas. For instance, on tap right now they have the Buster Brown Butternut Squash Ale that uses squash from PlowGirl Farms, and the Cupid’s Figara Fig Winter Warmer, which uses figs from a friend's farm, located in Durham.

Dingo Dog considers itself a nanobrewery, producing small but fresh batches—about one and a half barrels, or roughly 45 gallons, at a time. Its size also gives the brewers freedom and room to experiment.

“Because we are on the farm we get to play around”, Mr. Schwarzauer said, “For instance, we had a bumper crop of tomatoes that they could not sell to market, so we just mashed them up and fermented them to create a tomato wine.”

Dingo Dog generally has 15 taps open, ranging the beer spectrum and including multiple ciders. All of their taps have an animal related name, some of them named after important animals for staff or friends, such as Buster, a dog Mr. Schwarzauer rescued, or animal puns. When the taproom first opened, Dingo Dog gave customers a chance to memorialize their pet by buying the name of a beer. Now, a slide show on the TV features loyal canine customers.

A Safe Space

Over the years, Dingo Dog has supported a wide range of causes and created a space where people—and animals—can come together. Mr. Schwarzauer recalled moments such as partnering with Paws Forever on fundraisers, offering the taproom as a safe place for rescue dogs like “loyal customers” Bella and Luna to get comfortable around people, and hosting animal adoption days.

“Having a space where you can see the community come together under the auspices of not only beer but also a greater purpose is wonderful,” Isabella DeSantis, Dingo Dog taproom manager, said.

Editor’s note: Sadly, Dingo Dog Taproom’s patio furniture was stolen recently. To support the building of heavier furniture, you can contribute to their GoFundMe. [Insert QR code: Fundraiser by Timothy Schwarzauer : Dingo Dog Brewing Company Revamp Our Patio After Thefts] 

Even Dough Bakery, 203 West Weaver Street [from the October, 2025 print issue]

On a Friday morning in the “nearly fall but not quite” in Carrboro, Even Dough Bakery was bustling. Two weeks after opening, more than a dozen patrons sipped coffee and enjoyed baked items on the outdoor patio. Inside, about a half a dozen customers waited in a quick moving line. The interior is unique and may remind you of a European café, with blond wood and white furniture with rose colored accents. Green plants adorn the space above the counter and pleasant “focus-style” music sets a relaxed mood.

Chef Meital Cohen said that she did not choose this space on West Weaver Street but rather, it chose her. She initially wanted a house to bake in and host classes, and had not envisioned a café in a prime location. But when she saw the property, she felt goosebumps and immediately saw the opportunity to open a café with a beautiful garden. She could imagine being part of customers’ memories here, first dates and special birthday cakes for children. She likes being part of people’s stories and journeys.

Chef Cohen started baking at an early age with her grandmother, who baked “with ease,” showing her that baking was enjoyable. She didn’t think she would do it professionally but then stepped in to help at her husband’s restaurant and…kept going. She has been baking for over 20 years. Before moving to this area at the start of the pandemic, she worked in a restaurant in New York City. She came here wanting to take a break but after just three weeks started baking again at her home and grew a custom cake business online. Her customers encouraged her to open a café.

“I think the community really likes supporting local businesses,” she said, which has been surprising to her as it is very different from her experience in Manhattan. “The vibe here is amazing. [People] really want to be part of our story, which is so beautiful.”

She enjoys two parts of this work in particular. One part is being in the back of the house where she trains staff. She understands the importance of being part of someone’s professional journey, giving them knowledge, education, and financial support, and is grateful for the talented staff at Even Dough. Her other favorite part is to see the café full. “I see people sitting outside—that’s exactly what was my vision.”

Even Dough is known for special occasion cakes but Chef Cohen also wants you to know about mousse cakes which have fine ingredients sourced from Europe. While the costs of ingredients continue to rise, she won’t sacrifice quality. She doesn’t care about making a lot of money. “Seeing people enjoy my work is my gift.” The Carrborean sampled the pistachio coffee mousse cake ($5) which tastes familiar at first but quickly becomes a complex new flavor. The Biscoff cookie cheese cake ($5) tastes exactly like it sounds. The cookie garnish sits like a hat on top of an ensemble that tastes like a Biscoff cookie with an enticing creamy texture.

Likewise, Even Dough’s savory offerings do not disappoint. Chef Cohen ensures you’ll get filling in each bite of a sesame bagel stick stuffed with mozzarella, olive, pesto, and sun-dried tomatoes ($5). Eating a bureka, a puff pastry with a mix of cheeses ($5), may require some instruction (Chef is thinking of making a video to explain the proper way to eat it). To “get the perfect bite,” Chef explained, you slice across the middle, spread the accompanying tahini sauce, add the egg, tomatoes, and pickles, and then eat it like a sandwich. The Carrborean was grateful for the lesson—each bite was perfect!

Even Dough serves Gray Squirrel Coffee and offers an even wider variety of items on weekends than during the week. Hours are Monday through Thursday 8 – 4; Saturday and Sunday 9 – 3. Welcome to Carrboro, Chef Meital Cohen and Even Dough Bakery! We’re glad you’re here and part of our story.