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You likely expect fresh, seasonal produce at the farmers market, perhaps still with a bit of dirt on it, but that isn’t all you can get at the North Carolina State Farmers Market.
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Southern Living recommends the neighboring State Farmers Market Restaurant, referred to by locals as “the Market.” Using the same local ingredients hawked in the stalls of the farmers market itself, the restaurant makes fresh, North Carolinian comfort food.
The State Farmers Market Restaurant kicked off in 1955 on Hodges Street, before moving to the location by the market itself. Gypsy Gilliam and her son Tony own the restaurant, though it was previously owned by Jackie Watkins.
Gilliam also owns The Shiny Diner, formerly Gypsy’s Shiny Diner, in Cary.
The restaurant is known for its buttermilk biscuits, which come with a cult following all their own.
They contain North Carolina self-rising flour, buttermilk and something else… we just don’t know what. The mystery ingredient clearly keeps the biscuits well above average, though. Southern Living said crowds still line up outside for the biscuits and other Southern fare.
Biscuits are available with jam, butter, chicken fried steak, fried bologna and more.
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Pop by the shop the North Carolina food and artisan goods of the State Farmers Market before heading over to the restaurant for a hearty, Southern meal. The Farmers Market itself was voted the best grocery store in North Carolina in 2025, even though technically, it isn’t really a grocery store.
Check out Southern Living’s recommendation, including many reviews from locals and visitors, at southernliving.com.
Southern Living has featured plenty of other places in North Carolina, CharlotteFive has previously reported, including:
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