Skip to Search Skip to Live Player Skip to Content Skip to Footer
Live stream will be available after this brief ad from our sponsors
  • Listen Live

Charlie & Debbie

Chapel Hill Restaurant Property For Sale: What’s Next For The Beloved North Carolina Brand?

Author Debbie Nance

If you ever spent any time in the Chapel Hill, North Carolina area you probably know about Mama Dip’s.  The beloved brand opened in 1976 in a little pink building on West Rosemary St.  And, they expanded in 1999 with a move to the current location just a stone’s throw away.  But now, WRAL reports the popular Chapel Hill restaurant property is for sale for $3.6 million.  So, does that mean Mama Dip’s is no more?

Well, the family says no.  They plan to keep the restaurant open until the sale and then alter their approach to a more fast-casual style restaurant.  A number of factors led to the changes, including effects of the pandemic and staffing shortages.  Plus, the Chapel Hill restaurant points out dining habits changed, as well.  And, more people prefer to go orders.  So, that’s more than likely what the future holds for Mama Dip’s.

And, the restaurant’s founder and namesake, Mildred Council, built the brand to what it is today.  The name comes from her childhood nickname.  Although she passed away in 2018, the family continued her legacy of Mama Dip’s.  And, you might even know the name from cookbooks Council sold on QVC.

Of course, the Chapel Hill, North Carolina restaurant became popular through the years with UNC students, too.  And, WRAL says people even visited from other countries, bringing coolers to take home the delicious southern dishes.  Also, Mama Dip’s enjoyed serving famous clientele including Michael Jordan, Coach Dean Smith and tennis great Venus Williams.  The spot is known for its Fried Chicken, Chicken and Dumplings and other southern comfort foods.

Now, the family says look for the deal to be finalized toward the end of the year.  And, keep an eye out for the new, downsized fast casual version of the Chapel Hill, North Carolina restaurant to open in the area.  Well, you had me at fried chicken!  So, I’ll definitely be following the story of this Chapel Hill restaurant property.

Mama Dip's Kitchen in Chapel Hill up for sale, owners hope to reopen and franchise brand

South Carolina Chicken Spot Named One Of America's Top Restaurants

We are always looking for new restaurants to try. Our friends often have great recommendations but another resource we use is the review site Yelp. The site recently released its annual list of the Top 100 Places To Eat in the US for 2023. There was a South Carolina spot that was named to the top restaurants’ list. And it’s one I have heard a ton of rave reviews about. May have to road trip and try it soon. To determine this list Yelp reached out to the user community first, requesting individuals to submit their favorite U.S. restaurants. From there the data science team at Yelp looked at the top community submissions to determine the top restaurants by ratings, number of reviews, and volume of submissions. They also made sure to include an equal geographic representation. Yelp community managers helped finalize the rankings.

That leads us to the 2023 Top 100 Places To Eat List. It includes eateries in a wide variety of cuisines including Italian, Ethiopian, Hawaiian, and Vegan offerings. It was not just South Carolina featured as one of the top restaurants on the top places to eat. There were also two North Carolina spots including one in Charlotte that made the list. I’ve featured each of those three places as well as highlighted to top 10 spots. If you’re interested in restaurants in other areas of the country you can see everything Yelp included at this link.

  • South Carolina

  • 92. Boxcar Betty's

    Location: 1922 Savannah Hwy Charleston, SC 29407

    Type of Food: Sandwiches, Chicken Shop

    What YELP reviewers are saying: Catherine M. says, “The best chicken sandwich I’ve ever had. Me and my homegirl went there for the first time and ended up going back two more times that same week just for the sandwich. Also a very nice head chef and staff is friendly.”

    Menu

  • North Carolina

  • 32. Geno D's Pizza

    Location: 224 E 7th St Charlotte, NC 28202

    Type of Food: Pizza

    What YELP reviewers are saying: “Pizza gods have finally answered!!! Inside the 7th Street market, I have been reading a lot about Geno D’s Pizza, and finally made my way here.  I am a New Yorker who lived in CT and yes, I am partial to New Haven pizza sorry but it is what it is. This place is the real deal. ” user Alex H wrote.

    Menu 

  • 75. Freeman's Grub & Pub

    Location: 1820 Spring Garden St Greensboro, NC 27403

    Type of Food: American (New), Cocktail Bar

    What YELP reviewers are saying: Don B. Wrote, “We couldn’t stop talking about how perfectly prepared each item was. The appetizer, entrees, sides, and dessert were so carefully crafted and the prices were very reasonable. The service was warm and friendly, as was the atmosphere.”

    Menu

  • Top 10 Places To Eat In America According To Yelp

  • 1. BROKEN MOUTH | Lee's Homestyle

    Location: 718 S Los Angeles St Los Angeles, CA 90014

    Type of Food: Hawaiian, Korean

    What YELP reviewers are saying: Matthew H. says, “WOW there is TRULY a reason this place has 5 stars with over a thousand reviews! i don’t usually give compliments to the chef but this place deserves it 100%”.

    Menu

  • 2. Kaaloa's Super Js Authentic Hawaiian

    Location: 83-5409 Mamalahoa Hwy Captain Cook, HI 96704

    Type of Food: Hawaiian

    What YELP reviewers are saying: Gazzele P writes, “Holy smokes, was this ever good! Didn’t want to try because of the description and photo, but made myself because of the rave reviews and it being authentic.
    So glad I did. Probably one the best and most flavorful meals ever.”

    Menu 

  • 3. Archibalds Village Bakery

    Location: 608 Breakers Ave Fort Lauderdale, FL 33304

    Type of Food: Bakery

    What YELP reviewers are saying: May L. writes, “This is the loveliest place to have breakfast before hitting the beach or even lunch afterwards. It’s only a few steps from the beach. We had a quiche, BLT, and a sticky pecan bun. Everything was absolutely delicious. The bacon on the BLT was perfectly crispy and my sticky bun was a thing to dream of. All their baked goods looked so tempting.”

    Menu

  • 4. Beyer Deli

    Location: 3065 Beyer Blvd Ste A105 San Diego, CA 92154

    Type of Food: Sandwiches, Delis

    What YELP reviewers are saying: Geoff L. writes, “I’m gonna make this short and sweet- had a variety of their sandwiches and all were excellent. Tried a sample of their bacon ranch pasta salad and it’s excellent as well. I’m not sure you can miss with anything you order. The Reuben, however… easily one of my all-time favorites…the rye bread alone almost brought a tear to my eye. Holy smokes these guys knock it out of the park with this sandwich.”

    Menu

  • 5. Adela’s Country Eatery

    Location: 5-1151 Kamehameha Hwy Ste 2 Kaneohe, HI 96744

    Type of Food: Hawaiian, Seafood

    What YELP reviewers are saying: Here’s what Carli M. had to say, “Adela’s never misses!! This is a must go whenever we venture to the windward side. Aunty Millie and her gang whip up some of the best comfort food combos that never fail to satisfy. Our go to is the stuffed chicken with green beans with either mashed potatoes or rice. Cannot go wrong. Second plate is always a toss up between the braised short ribs, portobello mushroom and ulu pasta or lechon kawali. Homemade pastas are always super yummy so just pick whatever you like, whether ulu, sweet potato, avocado, taro, or moringa.”

    Menu 

  • 6. Sunbliss Cafe

    Location: 701 S Weir Canyon Rd Ste 115 Anaheim, CA 92808

    Type of Food: Coffee & Tea, Juice Bars & Smoothies

    What YELP reviewers are saying: Belinda M. says, “I love their Peanut Butter Acai Bowl or Peanut Butter Bliss. It’s topped with banana, strawberries, acai, and crunchy oatmeal. It’s so yummy that I am literary craving for it right now. “

    Menu 

  • 7. The Nook Cajun Cafe

    Location: 2085 River Rd Unit G Norco, CA 92860

    Type of Food: Cajun/Creole, Seafood

    What YELP reviewers are saying: Dorothy K writes, “OMG, the food here is freakin AMAZING!!! We have not had such flavorful food like this in so long! The seasoning was perfect! From the first bite, we were in heaven.”

    Menu

  • 8. Tumerico

    Location: 2526 E 6th St Tucson, AZ 85716

    Type of Food: Vegan/Vegetarian

    What YELP reviewers are saying: Daniel A. says, “Always the right answer when it comes to food in Tucson.  Never been disappointed when I go.  Food is so fresh and there are so many new options that I’m always excited to go.   All my friends from out of town rave about this place afterwards and they sometimes have no idea that it’s mainly vegan food!  Love the cuban and Al Pastor tacos.” 

    Menu

  • 9. Selam Ethiopian & Eritrean Cuisine

    Location: 5494 Central Florida Pkwy Orlando, FL 32821

    Type of Food: Ethiopian, Vegan

    What YELP reviewers are saying: Zahava P. says, “One of the best meals of my life and everyone else in the group had the same opinion. The food was amazing. The drinks were amazing and the service could not be beat . They were able to cater to everyone’s needs including a 2 year old. I highly recommend and will definitely be back.”

    Menu

  • 10. Sababa Falafel Shop

    Location: 11011 Brookhurst St Garden Grove, CA 92840

    Type of Food: Falafel, Middle Eastern

    What YELP reviewers are saying: Chris D. wrote, “Seriously, ever single bite I was going “mmmm…. oh man, this is so good”.  Everything in my bowl had a unique flavor and paired up perfectly.  Every single bite was exciting for my taste buds and I loved every bite.  The falafel was some of the best I’ve had.  They had a ton of flavor and weren’t dried from over cooking like some places.”

    Menu 

Debbie Nance is the afternoon co-host along with her husband on "The Charlie and Debbie Show" at WSOC, Country 1037 in Charlotte, North Carolina. She has been with the station for 18 years. Debbie is a CMA Award winner for Radio Personality of the Year. And, she has worked in radio for 40 years. Before her current afternoon position, Debbie spent more than a decade as co-host on morning shows in several markets across the Southeast. As a content creator for Country 1037, Debbie writes articles about food, new restaurants in the Carolinas and travel experiences.

Get The Country 103.7 All Access Newsletter Delivered To Your Inbox

Enjoy the latest country music, entertainment, and local stories, plus exclusive contests, games, and more!

*
By clicking "Subscribe" I agree to the website's terms of Service and Privacy Policy. I understand I can unsubscribe at any time.
Author Debbie Nance
Category:
Tags:
,,

More Country 103.7