New cafe opens up at the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences

Posted: January 24, 2012

The N.C. Museum of Natural Science's Acro Cafe opened under new management on Friday.

Rocky Top Hospitality, which also owns Tribeca Tavern, Twisted Fork, Draft, The Mash House and Rockwell's American Grill, now runs the cafe on the fourth floor of the downtown Raleigh museum. The company serves North Carolina grown and raised food in all of their restaurants.

The cafe had been closed since Jan. 1. The new menu includes coffee; freshly made baked goods; soups (such as tomato bisque and French onion); salads (such as pear and blue cheese); and hot and cold sandwiches (such as a brie, bacon and granny smith apple jam grilled cheese or a fried green tomato BLT).

Rocky Top also will operate the Nature Research Center Cafe when the new wing opens on April 20. The cafe, with sidewalk tables, may actually open before the new center opens.

I'm loving the new food options at the state museums. The N.C. Museum of History opened Pharoah's at the Museum last year, serving up hot dogs, hamburgers, salads, sandwiches and more in a diner setting. We've been there a couple of times and enjoyed it.

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Hey busyb97 - when were you there? Just checked with the museum to verify it is indeed open and they said it was until 5 on Friday ... hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. I'm told.

Definitely agree with you on your review of Pharoah's. Good prices, decent food.

Sarah

shall6
January 26, 2012 8:31 p.m.

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We were at the museum on Friday- but that Rocky Top hadn't opened yet (all of the chairs were set up to keep you out of the restaurant). But we did go to Pharaoh's. It's a decent burger joint....it's not badly priced either - 3 of us and I spent $16, 2 kids meals and 1 adult meal (burger w/fries and a drink). There isn't much room inside the restaurant (maybe a dozen or so tables/booths of varying size), so can be a bit crowded during the lunch rush. You may have to sit in the outside hallway area (which has some tables), or go outside in the seating area.

But the food was decent. It IS nice to have some variety down there. When we go to the museum, you end up making most of the day of it. I'm looking forward to trying the Rocky Top cafe though on our next visit. Love Tribeca Taverns!