Best Restaurants Open for Newyears Eve this year in Sanford – 2024

Stopped in on a Saturday for lunch. Great location in downtown Sanford. Joint was packed so I found a good spot at the bar. There was only 1 waitress and the bartender but as I was not in a hurry in was no big deal. I ordered the brisket plate but was informed that there was no brisket and they were out of pulled pork. It was 1pm. I pivoted to the brisket tacos which the bartender said she thought they could handle. The tacos were ok. Was kind of hard to get a feel for how good the brisket was with guacamole sauce and tomatoes. The cheesy mashed potatoes were excellent. Not a bad experience. Every place has a bad day.

Sanford’s best bar and it’s open until 2am. It’s dark and cozy inside, with a brick and wooden interior. They have a wide range of liquors and local/non-local beers. The food is fantastic, especially the desserts. They have live music on the weekends and there’s always a great crowd. There is outside seating out front, and the bar is located downtown near other great restaurants, bars, and thrift/antique stores within walking distance. They also have a few screens to watch live games. Service is FANTASTIC, especially Brian. Highly recommended.

Stopped by after a long day and tried the Daily Deal: Prime Rib Sandwich with sides of Black Bean and Pork Soup, Cheesy Mashed Potatoes, and Collard Greens, with a Pint of Red Oak on draft. Once again, the Smoke and Barrel did not disappoint. The Ribeye Sandwich was absolutely delicious with generous portions and great taste. The soup was really tasty with subtle flavors and full textures. Potatoes and Collards really finished the meal off well and left me unable to find room for one of the many dessert options that all sounded amazing. The S&B has a plentiful tap and bottle selection, and if t'were later in the evening, a fine top shelf collection to invite shots and cocktails. The building itself is in a refurbished uptown area and its high ceilings and hardwood floors lend it an elegant but unpretentious feel. As usual I enjoyed chatting with the staff and really felt welcome. Nice balance of friendly Southern charm and space to unwind. So again, the Smoke and Barrel showed why it's a great option whether dining alone, in small groups, date nights, or listening to live bands. Look forward to many happy returns.

This place serves southern style foods, and I like the way the buffet is served in a safe way, there are Servers, instead of each individual handling the serving spoon. It reminds me of Sandpipers or Fuller’s in Fayetteville, NC. I’m partial to the restaurants in Fayetteville, but I like their safety practices better.

Ron's Barn delivers a pure, down-home 100% down South, all American comfort food wonderful restaurant. Casual seating cafeteria style serving with never empty beverages. From the time you enter until you waddle out (very well fed) the staff is there refilling beverages, clearing tables, serving great food, cleaning tables, bringing in next guests, receiving payments, ALL with a gracious smile. The entire operation is centered around the customer having a great meal with no delays, a great eating experience!

The food selection was good. It was more home style cooking, but some of it lacked seasoning/flavor. The chicken dumplings looked like no effort was made. The broccoli wasn’t impressive, neither was macaroni and cheese. However, the hush puppies were good and the fresh fries. The shrimp and fried chicken was delicious, I must add. Their desserts tasted well also. Some foods you can tell were dedicated, and some neglected. My server was ok, we needed refills, to go boxes and straws, so she forgot it all. This place is what it is, for the retirement age. They do not offer military discount.

Hands down one of my new favorite spots in town. The food is phenomenal. I get the California wrap, and my husband gets the fried chicken sandwich. Both are excellent. The fried pickle chips are delicious as well. The service is good. The food comes out super quick and is reasonably priced.

I got the Santa Fe and my hubby got the Shrimp Po Boy and we both loved it! We agreed that it was definitely some of the best food we’ve had in Sanford.

Great food! Fancy coffee drink not too sweet! Love the homemade chips and dip too!

I love the food. It's all good . Daily specials every day An the people that work are so nice an friendly.

Family owned and operated for decades. Main staple for DT Sanford area. Food is delicious and the staff is great. We have dined there since I was a young child.

Great place for breakfast/diner food. Staff is always friendly and attentive

Very delicious food. Must try the Lobster Bisque soup. Very reasonably priced desserts. The staff were attentive and served the food quickly. This is a place worth driving to Sanford.

My favorite go to place to take friends and family that visit us in Sanford! Everything I’ve ordered has been delicious! I requested to go on my birthday this year! The strawberry shortcake was amazing! I also purchased a whole mud pie to take home to share with my family!

My husband and I day tripped to Sanford, NC to visit antique shops. In my research of the area I was encouraged to not miss lunch at Mrs. Lacy's and it did not disappoint! Super friendly service, delicious corn chowder, broccoli salad and sandwiches. Of course we had to save room for dessert and I cannot recommend the warm Butter Pecan cake with vanilla ice cream enough! (We also brought home Milkshake cake and thin mint...dear Lord, it was all delicious!) Thanks for the making our "day date" special!

Friends in Sandford NC, Joe's Tap and Grill is absolutely legit. Good food, good friendly service and some good brews on tap. Nicely done all around!

As much as this pizza cost it looks like my 2 year old made it. When I showed it to the staff they said it was normal and this was the designated amount of topping that is normal. Save your money and go somewhere else. Just got home with the food: ranch was not refrigerated and is the consistency of cool whip, "hot" wings are bland and have zero sauce. I know it's Sanford and most restaurants aren't that great here but this has to be hands down the worst food and service I have had in 10 years of living here. Idk who the owner/manager is but I would be absolutely embarrassed. I will tell anyone and everyone I know to never eat here.

Very unwelcoming. We entered around 7pm, there was no sign indicating whether we should seat ourselves or wait to be seated. After waiting uncomfortably, we went to the bar. People were being served, but nobody attempted to help us. I got the eye of the bartender... He said he'd be right with us. He then proceeded to ignore us and started chatting with a patron at the bar. My wife asked me what I was doing. I told her I was writing a review for that place. She said it takes a lot for her to believe someone was that rude and to be okay with leaving a bad review. But she said she is in this case.

Unassuming from the parking lot, this diner is an example of “it’s whats on the inside that counts”. Hands down the best steak and eggs I’ve had, with a plate full of delicious grits and two fluffy biscuits. The staff are warm hearted, salt of the Earth people. Low prices too, remember to tip generously. Will visit again.

Stopped in for a quick breakfast. The biscuits were pretty tasty with a variety of choices for fillings, but I thought they were a little flatter than I am used to. I had sausage and cheese on my biscuit and the sausage had a really good flavor. The service was quick, even with a line at the outside window.

This was our first time trying Landmark and it was not a good experience. Service has to be pretty bad for me to leave a negative review but this was probably one of the worst dining experiences. It was very chaotic and not a pleasant experience. We decided to go ahead and stay but shortly in to our breakfast (food was just ok) some guy came out from the back yelling at an employee to get back behind the counter. This same man continued to make comments and talk about this employee. Very unprofessional and not something you want to see while dining out. Overall it was a very bad experience.we won’t be returning.

La Terrazita is our go-to place for the best Mexican food around. Although we've been making our way through the menu, you can't go wrong with the burritos and enchiladas. Start off with the fresh guacamole service, made at your table (only during certain hours of dinner) and then make sure you pair it with any number of fresh drinks. They usually have a daily special or you can get a variety of great margaritas and fresh fruit-based drinks. The chips and salsa are always great - they have a hot salsa available too which has a bit of a kick. The service is great - every single employee we've interacted with is super friendly and the managers always come over to check on things and to see how we are doing. Outdoor seating is available in the courtyard out front, or you can sit inside at booths or tables. There's also a bar and televisions if you need to watch TV while you eat. Music selection is fun and upbeat. Great place - we're there all the time now!

The service was good and the ambiance is nice and the place is kept clean, but the food was disappointing. Salty and lacked flavor. My husbands chipotle chicken was salty, the guacamole tasted old and my food was bland. The top shelf margarita I got was pretty good but my husbands Paloma tasted salty and not like an authentic Paloma at all.

Sat outside - excellent service! - good food. Got the fresh guacamole, they make it table side and to your taste. - had the ceviche and fish and cheese dip - very nice folks - added this to our list of places to definitely come back to.

I love this place! Affordable family restaurant and the ramen is delicious! The service was so friendly and the atmosphere and decor was delightful. I spent half of my time eating and looking at the wallpaper; and I loved the bathroom doors!

What a hidden jem! Who would have thought such a humble and unassuming place would have such amazing Ramen! This place is a great go-to place for very delicious ramen. Their bowls are large and quite delicious. It's a pretty big meal. The Spicy Miso Ramen is outstanding. Tonkotsu was excellent as well. The seafood Ramen was packed!! Wow! Very yummy. Lots of shrimp. Tried a few appetizers. Nothing really stood out. A rather large piece of bone cartilage in one of my Pork dumplings turned me off. Obviously not home made. Portion size is large. Their teriyaki steak hibachi was delicious but over cooked. Meat was chewy. Stick with the amazing Ramen. Some greenery (plants etc) would help the interior look more inviting. Cushions on the benches would also be a welcome addition.

This place is not typically the kind of place that I would eat. However, it was my son's birthday and he got to choose wherever he wanted and this is what he chose. We were all very pleasantly surprised, except for him because he already knew, how good the food was. One of the people with us ordered crab rangoon and they said it was one of the best they've had. The place was not busy at all, which had us a little concerned, but I feel like maybe the word of how good it is just isn't out yet. Also, the location is kind of an oddball place and doesn't get as much traffic I feel. The outside sign by the street is not lit up very well so it was kind of hard to see. If I had not Google mapped it first, I would have driven right past it. My picky younger teen wasn't a huge fan of the food, so if you have a picky eater it definitely would not be the place. We will still definitely be going back. We've already made plans to go back on a Friday night with different family members.

I have enjoyed Davison's Steaks twice now, once for dinner, on a Friday night, once for lunch. Both times were wonderful experiences. Dinner was a crowded evening and yet very calm, organized, and supremely enjoyable. The cooking table in the middle of the restaurant gave the feel of campfire with the meat smoke filling the building with the most delicious aromas. Watching the chief's at the grill was nice. The salad bar was wonderful and fresh. Wait staff were friendly and accurate in order taking. Lunch also was most enjoyable, and they offered half sandwiches with salad. I will definitely be back again, and I highly recommend Davison's Steaks to everyone.

Very nice restaurant with a nice atmosphere and very friendly staff. I had very good and positive memories of my numerous visits 4 years ago. This time I have been here twice within 2 weeks and both times the steak was on the grill for far too long and therefore much more than medium, as ordered.

We came into town for our son's wedding. We through the rehearsal dinner here. From the first time I called to inquire to the end of the dinner our interaction with every with every employee and the owner was exceptional. The professionalism and willingness to go above and beyond was excellent. The food was amazing. The staff was great and the private room was perfect for our group. What an exceptional experience! I wish Davison's was in our hometown because we would become regular. To the person, everyone commented on how delicious their steak was. Thank you, Mike, and your entire staff it was awesome!!!

Plenty of parking and easy to find. The exterior will make you second guess your choice but don't judge a book by it's cover. The interior reminds me of the old style seafood house but this address may have been one in the past. Judge the place on it's service and it's food, both of which are excellent. So good, it's on our list of places to return to in the near future.

One of our favorite little spots for Italian food in Sanford. They did change up the menu a bit but I was still able to build my pasta the way I liked it, it was a little more expensive this way but prices are up everywhere so it’s to be expected. The garlic knots are delicious and a must have! Friendly staff and good service, two pretty important factors in picking a place to dine out these days!

Got there vesu special Pizza was delicious just wish they made bigger pies.

This place is a hidden gem. I promise you you'll never find it if you're not looking for it. Their entrance is actuality what should be the back of the building. It looks very plain but once you walk through the door you'll see that it's very well designed. Plenty of room for a large group. It wasn't very busy when we went and our food only took about 15 minutes to get to our table. The food was really good. My wife had the grilled chicken salad and she said it was really good. I had the special with a hotdog and a burger "made all the way" which I recommend. Their hotdogs aren't my favorite but they are good. Prices are very reasonable.

Love this place, all the food is so delicious and always on point, I highly recommend this place!

Prices weren't bad I don't think anything we ordered was anything worth writing home about to be honest with you. Normal diner style food, the fsh was good. Unfortunately the lady who was checking us out had 0 customer service if you ask for anything made different than they normally do she rolled her eyes. So they definitely have some areas to work on in customer service.

maybe we are a bit too young for this spot, but the service in there is a bit slow. the sausage dog is not the same sausage as it used to be, and the burger was kind of dry? the french fries had no salt on them whatsoever. I remember this place being way better when I was younger... all in all, I will probably be back because they still have the best prices in the area.

Biscuits are thicker than I prefer, so I usually order the country ham and egg sandwich on toast. Plentiful and delicious. Get you some!

Nice little spot in Sanford. The girl and I had a perfect trunk lunch on our way to the DMV to get her permit. Nice sloppy dogs (which I love)! Chili was solid and the slaw was also.

When we got there, we were seated immediately in a nice cozy booth. Waitress came and took our drink and appetizer order. Drink and appetizers came quickly. The waitress answered all of our questions about the different combos. When our food came out it was piled high, I immediately took pictures to show off the hefty portions. My husband had ordered flounder and had a mouth full of bones, he requested to change that to catfish and it was brought out with no hesitation. We had so much food the to go box was full as well. The food was delicious and the staff was friendly, they have a repeat customer in me.

It’s always good when we go here, and you get a lot! Good food served hot, and good service. I love that their blue cheese dressing has real blue cheese crumbles in it, and the blooming onion is cooked to crisp perfection. We usually get the chicken tenders plate and some combination of seafood. It’s never greasy (to be fried) and tastes great.

Words can't explain what a great experience I had at this restaurant! Our waitress Johanna was awesome and very knowledgeable about the menu and answered all of our questions. Now let's talk about the food. Absolutely amazing! Everything was cooked to perfection. The portion size for the money was unbelievable. Everyone had enough food to take home for another meal. You definitely get your money's worth here. Whenever I'm in Sanford North Carolina Bay Breeze Seafood is definitely a must visit! We definitely need one in Virginia.

Went here for a girls date the food was fresh! Horchata was on point, would definitely come back. I love they have raspdos and ice cream at the front and restaurant in the back

Wanted to like this restaurant so bad... Great ice cream counter in front but the restaurant is so so modern Mexican. They don't even do chips and salsa to start... I'm sorry it's 3 Stars

First time here and my family LOVED IT. We were seated right away and the service was great! We got tacos de asada, al pastor and chicken. They were so good. Also, the torta al pastor was bomb! Don’t even get me started with the aguas frescas

Stopped in for a drink Friday night had a great experience. Debbie was amazing and invited us to try their brunch. We decided to come back today and try their brunch and it did not disappoint! Debbie went above and beyond to go over their menu and made sure we were well taken care of. We did the unlimited mimosas and I ordered the chicken and waffles my wife got a traditional breakfast and we tried their flan which was 5 star! The food was delicious and the service was great.

My family and friends visited this restaurant for the first time and the food was really good. Authentic and different. The drinks were great and desserts nicely done.

What a treat. We drove in from out of state and ate here. The food was amazing! Great for meat lovers through vegan. Very fresh and healthy. Our waitress was kind and knowledgeable. And the place was gorgeous! 10 out of 10!

The family really liked the bbq chicken wings. With my restricted diet, I was left with a salad. The lettuce had brown edges and was bitter-a sign that the lettuce has been sitting around too much. The fries tasted like the fryer was not the right temperature or the fries were put in at their wrong temperature. The waitresses had some confusion about our table so we sat around a while waiting to be served. The waitress, after we inquired, was apologetic - as she was with the next family who also got lost on the communication jumble I assume. If you can’t eat absolutely every possible food, maybe keep looking. Salads feel like a pretty low bar, but it’s possible salads should be considered a specialty not all restaurants can do well. If you like bbq chicken, I understand the wings are great.

This is it! Look no further for the best 10 star establishment! I don't know where to begin, from the moment I stepped into this place I was surrounded by positivity. All the folks in this town and all the adjacent towns know where to go to get the best homemade Mediterranean food anywhere! Hands down! But on a serious note, the Most impressive thing was the owner, a true servant of the Lord Jesus Christ! It was a pleasure meeting, not only a fellow brother, but a true believer, walking in Christ. So I'll leave a few pictures and you have to try the Spinach Pie!!!!!!

Ate there for the first time today. Great location downtown Sanford. Parking isn’t the easiest to find, but that is a tell for the quality and atmosphere of downtown. Great atmosphere and service was great. My wife got a sandwich and I got the anti pasta salad. Son got a calzone and we got two childs meals as well. (No pics of those) all were great. Will be back when I am in the area.

We came here for my birthday last weekend and what a wonderful experience! The food was exceptional to say the least !! Chef sincerely takes such care in the menu planning and it shows! Also, the hidden gem of this amazing restaurant is the bar! Avery is by far the epitome of bartender perfection! Her seasonal drinks are not only gorgeous but so unique and oh so delicious! If you find yourself in Sanford and want to really treat yourself The Old Jailhouse is the place to be! Oh and make sure you ask about the history of this interesting restaurant!

We showed up earlier than our reservation and they were okay with it. Sat at the bar. Our bartender, Avery, was amazing and crafted a special drink for my wife as we were celebrating our wedding anniversary. Food was incredible. The mushroom gnocchi was to die for. Excellent service, drink selection, atmosphere, and food. We will definitely be back.

I like the jailhouse concept. Feels creepy that’s a restaurant where an old jail house used to be but it’s what makes it exciting and interesting. I didn’t know what to expect when coming here but I was impressed that the food actually was very tasty and presented very nicely. We went for lunch and was told that they no longer offer brunch. Hence why it wasn’t so busy on a Saturday. Small but elegant restaurant with jail house vibes. I ordered the salmon and it didn’t disappoint. Very tasty, flaky salmon and the sauce that was poured over was perfectly paired. This restaurant has a Small menu and the Service was nice. May come back for the salmon or to try something different.

Nothing but great things to say about this place. We're out of towners but were treated as regulars. Wonderful staff, food, drinks and a very well kept and clean business. Highly recommended a visit! Special thanks to the young lady tending the bar, you made us feel at home!

We've been multiple times and everything we tried has been delicious. Huge fan of the Short rib and Trout. The pork chop is also fantastic, it's hard to decide what I want.

I am sad to say that I am writing this review 2 hours before our scheduled co-ed bachelor dinner and party tonight because this location totally dropped the ball on us on a special night. I called to reserve about a month ago and to my knowledge had everything set in stone. The policy was told to me, I have a headcount and was told the night prior I’d be called to get a set in stone head count to avoid their 50$ a head no show fee. I never heard from them the night prior so I called them today. They said they had no reservation for us, insinuated the three people that had chatted with them etc to set it up were all liars. I had to stop the conversation with management four times just to ask if we can still come in with getting no clear answer. After 10 minutes of management going in on me about how I was wrong, she finally gave a very hard rude no and told us to not show up. This place was one of my favorite places and I had nothing bad to say prior but this was absolutely unbelievable treatment. Do yourself a favor and spell it out for them if you plan on having a nice celebratory dinner there or choose somewhere else. Luckily, the breezeway welcomed us with open arms last minute to make our night happen. Had to contact 25 people for a last minute change of plans.

We stopped for supper. Very fast and attentive service by the extremely helpful wait staff. Appetizers came early, drinks were ice cold, and the portion size was larger than expected. Seafood tasted fresh and was cooked perfectly. Can't wait to go back.

First time coming to this restaurant. Food was fantastic, view from the table was incredible, the staff were great. Came here to celebrate my grandmother’s birthday. All of us left satisfied. The steak was delicious. Thank you for a great experience

The service was very attentive. I'm very picky about food, and EVERY dish was amazing seasoned perfectly. Definitely would recommend and come again. Very nice view also, great for pictures