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 record was published by The Centurion Awards from the public record. 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.
The details, verified.
- 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
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.
Every award, on the record.
Each Centurion Award is its own dated annual record, and staying current means clearing the bar again each new year. The verification above is from the latest published award. Open a year for that year’s citation.
2025 Centurion Award
Best Burger in Raleigh Raleigh, NC · Awarded under the 2025 evaluation View the 2025 award →Awards run one calendar year and renew only if the business clears the bar again. Selection is by published criteria, never for sale.
Visit Char-Grill
A signal you can check.
This page is the standing record for Char-Grill (2025). It was published by The Centurion Awards from the public record; the business did not have to apply for it to appear. It wasn’t voted on or sponsored, and selection is not for sale. Owners can claim the listing or ask us to remove it. For hours, bookings, and live reviews, go straight to the business itself.
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 for free to manage it, correct it, or remove it. If you want the award kit (badge, certificate, and announcement), you pay after you claim. Through December 31, 2026, publishing is $99. The evaluation itself is free. The $99 covers the first year only. Renewals are $199/year. That fee never buys selection.
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.