Order slips and charcoal since 1959
Char-Grill has flame-grilled burgers over open charcoal since 1959, and the original Hillsborough Street location still runs the way it always has: you scribble your order on a pad and slide it through a slot to the cooks visible behind glass. The burgers come charred, the fries hand-cut, the milkshakes thick.
A midcentury Raleigh landmark with its distinctive A-frame and neon, Char-Grill is the hometown burger stand that generations of North Carolinians grew up ordering by paper slip.
Customers said it first.
A Centurion Award verifies the public record that’s already there. Read the reviews yourself on the platforms below.
Public-record snapshot as of July 2026. Live ratings are always current on each platform.
Why this business cleared the bar.
This page was published by The Centurion Awards from the public record. Founding cohort: evaluated in 2026 on public evidence available then, labeled 2025. Selection follows the published criteria; Char-Grill met them on that evidence. The business can claim the listing or ask us to remove it.
- ✓Years in operation. Operating in Raleigh since 1959 — 66 years of continuous business.
- ✓Sustained online presence. An established local institution with a consistent public footprint — listings, coverage, and word of mouth in Raleigh.
- ✓Established customer track record. A deep public track record: Raleigh has kept Char-Grill busy for 66 years.
- ✓Liked by customers and the community. Genuinely beloved by Raleigh regulars and visitors alike — a bona fide community favorite.
- ✓Recognition in the local community. Named best burger in Raleigh for 2025 for charcoal-grilled burgers ordered by paper slip through the slot since 1959.
The specific data behind this award, and the exact thresholds, stay internal so the standard can’t be gamed. Read the methodology.
This page was published by The Centurion Awards from the public record; the business did not have to apply for it to appear. Own this business? Claim the listing to manage it, or ask us to remove it.
Award record
2025 Centurion Award
Best Burger in Raleigh Raleigh, NC · Awarded under the 2025 evaluationVisit Char-Grill
The details, verified.
Clean, checkable facts about Char-Grill.
- Legal / trading name
- Char-Grill
- Category
- Restaurant
- Founded
- 1959, Raleigh, NC
- Location
- Raleigh, NC
- Centurion Award
- Best Burger in Raleigh — 2025
- Record last verified
- July 2026
A signal you can check.
This is a dated award record published by The Centurion Awards after reviewing public evidence for Char-Grill against the 2025 criteria for its market and category. The business did not have to apply for this page to appear. It wasn’t voted on or sponsored, and selection is not for sale. The criteria are public. Owners can claim the listing or ask us to remove it. If an award stops holding up, we may revoke it. For anything current, like hours or bookings, go straight to the business itself.
Frequently asked questions.
What is Char-Grill?
At the original Hillsborough Street stand since 1959, you write your order on a slip, slide it through the slot, and watch it grilled over charcoal.
Is Char-Grill award-winning?
Yes — Char-Grill is the 2025 Centurion Award winner for Best Burger in Raleigh, a verified, criteria-based award. Named best burger in Raleigh for 2025 for charcoal-grilled burgers ordered by paper slip through the slot since 1959.
Where is Char-Grill?
Char-Grill is in Raleigh, NC.
Run a business like this one?
If you’ve put in the years, you may already qualify. Evaluation is free, private, and never for sale.