I’m not sure what I expected from Dunn, but it wasn’t a kangaroo steak, and it certainly wasn’t a butcher counter worth touching (I was told not to). This town has a way of swinging between extremes, from the precise, short menu at The Butcher’s Table to the chaotic abundance of crab boils at Hibachi Grill, and I’ve eaten enough here to know you should never trust a first impression.

You can get a perfect chicken tender at Smithfield’s or a dirty martini that hits the spot at Gillian’s, and somehow both feel equally essential. I’ve mapped it all out so you don’t have to make my mistakes, like filling your plate before seeing the good stuff.

Consider this your road map, and maybe your excuse to get off I-95 for once.

Sprinkles Homemade Ice Cream

Highlights
Fresh ice cream daily
Friendly, helpful staff
Endless flavor choices
Family-friendly clean shop
Rewards program available

I walked into Sprinkles Homemade Ice Cream with the kind of low expectations I reserve for any establishment that promises endless anything, and I was, predictably, wrong. The staff greeted me with a patience that suggested they had long ago surrendered to the chaos of indecisive adults staring at thirty flavors. The ice cream is made fresh daily, which I confirmed by the texture, and the shop is clean enough that I felt comfortable letting my guard down. I ordered a scoop of something with chocolate in it, and it was good. I cannot recall the name, which is my own failing. The rewards program is a fine idea, though I suspect I will return often enough to make it moot. A pleasant, unpretentious stop.

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Smithfield's Chicken 'N Bar-B-Q

Highlights
Huge delicious chicken tenders
Brunswick stew alone worth it
Fast, courteous dining room service
Friendly staff adjusted cold temperature

Smithfield's Chicken 'N Bar-B-Q is the kind of place where the dining room temperature is a topic of active negotiation, and I appreciated that. The staff adjusted the cold air without being asked, which is a level of hospitality I have rarely witnessed outside of my own mother's home. The chicken tenders are enormous, almost absurdly so, and they are cooked with a crispness that borders on professional pride. The Brunswick stew, however, is the real achievement; it is thick, savory, and sufficiently peppered to make me forget the tenders entirely. Service was fast, courteous, and efficient. I left full, warm, and slightly embarrassed by how much I had consumed. That is a good review, I think.

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The Organic Butcher Shop

Highlights
Fresh meats, friendly staff
Welcoming, helpful shopping experience
Worth traveling for milk
A butcher shop worth supporting

The Organic Butcher Shop is a strange place for me to find myself, because I am not a butcher, nor am I particularly organic, but I was welcomed anyway. The staff were knowledgeable without being condescending, and the meats were fresh, which I confirmed by touching one and being told not to do that. The milk, I was told, is worth traveling for, and after tasting it, I agree. It tasted like milk, but better, which is a distinction I cannot fully articulate. The shopping experience was helpful and unhurried. I left with a steak and a renewed faith that specialty shops can still be run by people who care. I will support this place, because it deserves support.

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Tart's Mega Corn Maze

Highlights
Kind, attentive, accommodating staff
Excellent for children and families
Ideal for parties and events
Plenty of activities to explore

Tart's Mega Corn Maze is technically a food-adjacent location only if you count the corn, but I will include it because I ate a lot of corn there and no one stopped me. The staff were kind, attentive, and accommodating, which matters when you are lost in a maze with a child who has decided to stop walking. There are plenty of activities to explore, and the place is ideal for families, though I went alone and still managed to have a fine time. I spent an hour wandering, found the exit, and felt a sense of accomplishment that I have not felt since I learned to tie my shoes. A good place for parties, events, or simply testing your spatial reasoning.

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Hibachi Grill & Supreme Buffet

Highlights
Fresh sushi and ginger
Plentiful buffer selections
Great hot and sour soup
Crab boils worth trying

Hibachi Grill & Supreme Buffet is exactly what the name promises, which is rare in this world. The buffet selection is plentiful, almost overwhelming, and I made the mistake of filling my plate before seeing the crab boils, which were the real draw. The sushi was fresh, as was the ginger, and the hot and sour soup was properly hot and properly sour. I ate too much, as one must at a buffet, and I regretted nothing. The staff were efficient, and the turnover of food was constant enough that I never worried about staleness. If you want a lot of food, and you are willing to accept the chaos of a buffet, this is a fine choice.

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Gillian's Irish Pub

Highlights
Authentic Irish dishes served
Cozy, genuine pub atmosphere
Live music and sports
Nine large flat-screen televisions
Outdoor seating and takeout

Gillian's Irish Pub is the closest I have come to Dublin without leaving North Carolina, and I say that as a man who has never been to Dublin. The atmosphere is genuinely cozy, not manufactured, and the live music was loud enough to be enjoyable but soft enough to hear my companion speak. The Irish dishes were authentic, or at least they tasted authentic to me, which is all I can really judge. There are nine large flat-screen televisions, which seems excessive, but I appreciated the option to watch sports while eating. Outdoor seating and takeout are available, though I sat inside. The service was properly friendly. I left with a full stomach and a slight suspicion I had been charmed.

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Simply Divine Events & Lodging

Highlights
Beautiful rooms, friendly service
Spacious yard for ceremonies
Lovely home, gracious owners
Good food, warm atmosphere
Memorable stay for couples

Simply Divine Events & Lodging is a name that sounds like a wedding venue, which it is, but I approached it with the skepticism of a man who has attended too many weddings. The rooms were beautiful, the staff were friendly, and the yard was spacious enough for a ceremony, though I did not witness one. The owners were gracious, and the food was good, which is a combination that is harder to find than you might think. The atmosphere was warm, and I felt like a guest rather than a customer. I stayed for a night, and I left with the sense that couples would be fortunate to spend their wedding there. I have no complaints, which is rare for me.

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East Coast Hemp Supply Inc.

Highlights
Genuine service, informative every visit
Matcha tea worth repeating
Excellent espresso and hemp variety
Convenient Exit 75 stop

East Coast Hemp Supply Inc. is not a restaurant, but I am including it because I had some of the best matcha tea I have ever consumed there, and I have consumed a lot of matcha. The service is genuinely informative, and I learned something new about hemp on each visit, which is more than I can say for most educational institutions. The espresso was excellent, and the hemp variety was extensive, though I limited myself to the tea. It is a convenient stop at Exit 75, which is why I keep returning. I do not know what I am buying half the time, but the staff explain it patiently. A good place to stop, and a good place to learn.

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Bojangles

Highlights
Edwina’s exemplary customer service
Chicken cooked to perfection
Worth a 500-mile trip
Sweet tea and biscuits inconsistent

Bojangles is a chain, and chains are usually predictable, but this particular location was elevated by Edwina, whose customer service was exemplary enough to make me forget the slightly cold sweet tea. The chicken was cooked to perfection, and I say that with the authority of someone who has eaten a lot of chicken. The biscuits, however, were inconsistent, which is a shame because they were otherwise fine. I was told by a man at the counter that the chicken was worth a 500-mile trip, and while I do not recommend driving that far, if you are already in Dunn, you could do worse. I will return, partly for the chicken and partly to see if Edwina still works there.

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SmokeStacks Cafe

Highlights
Globally inspired, constantly rotating menu
Affordable exotic proteins like kangaroo
Chef’s versatility rivals Michelin standards
Half-price wine bottles on Wednesdays
Worth an hour-long drive

SmokeStacks Cafe is the kind of place that makes me question why I live anywhere else. The menu rotates constantly, and it is globally inspired, which means I never know what I am going to get, and that is a joy. I tried kangaroo there, because it was affordable, and it tasted like a lean steak with a sense of adventure. The chef's versatility is genuinely impressive, and I would compare it to Michelin standards, though I have never been to a Michelin restaurant. On Wednesdays, half-price wine bottles make the meal even more attractive. I drove an hour to get here, and I would drive two. This is the best food in Dunn, and I am not being paid to say that, which is a shame.

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The Butcher's Table

Highlights
Steaks cooked precisely and flavorful
Crab cake bites with addictive sauce
Dirty martinis that hit spot
Friendly staff, welcoming atmosphere
Focused menu, done well

The Butcher's Table is a place where the menu is short, but the execution is long on competence. I ordered a steak, and it arrived cooked precisely to the temperature I had requested, which is a miracle given that I often mumble my preferences. The crab cake bites came with a sauce that I would gladly bathe in, though I have not yet tested that theory. A dirty martini hit the spot, briny and cold, and the staff made me feel like a regular even though I was clearly a stranger. The atmosphere is welcoming without being performative. I will return, and I will order the same thing, because some successes are worth repeating until they stop working.

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Mama Ruth’s

Highlights
Simple burgers, fair prices
Friendly staff, quick service
Popular with local pickup
Easy stop off I-95

Mama Ruth's is the sort of place that does not need my approval, and it knows it. The burgers are simple, the prices are fair, and the service is quick, which is the holy trinity of roadside dining. I stopped in mostly because it was an easy exit off I-95, and I left with a burger that reminded me why simplicity wins. The staff were friendly enough to ignore my obvious out-of-town status, and the place was popular with locals picking up orders, which is always a good sign. I ate, I paid, I left. I have no complaints, which is the highest praise I can offer a burger joint.

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