Centro

Centro: Regional Mexican Cooking in the Heart of Downtown Raleigh

At 106 South Wilmington Street, Centro brings vibrant, from-scratch regional Mexican cooking to downtown Raleigh. Colorful, lively, and anchored by one of the area’s deepest tequila and mezcal programs, it’s a longtime local favorite and a showcase for chef-owner Angela Salamanca’s cooking.

A Chef-Owner’s Journey

Centro opened downtown in 2007, and its origin story is pure grit: Angela Salamanca—Colombian-born and an art graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill—found herself running the restaurant largely on her own after early setbacks, eventually taking over the kitchen herself. A formative trip to Oaxaca reshaped the food, and the restaurant grew into its own identity as Centro: proudly independent, woman- and Latina-owned, and rooted in regional Mexican tradition.

The Food: Mole, Masa, and More

The menu balances midday accessibility with evening ambition. The mole poblano—grilled chicken bathed in a sauce of more than twenty ingredients—is a signature, while enchiladas de la familia and rich birria quesadillas showcase the kitchen’s range. House masa, fresh salsas, and bright, from-scratch cooking run through everything.

A Bar Worth the Trip

Centro’s bar is a destination in its own right, pouring fresh-juice margaritas and a broad selection of tequila and mezcal. Upstairs, Salamanca’s Gallo Pelón mezcaleria offers one of the largest mezcal selections in the Southeast—an ideal nightcap after dinner.

Plan Your Visit

Centro serves weekday lunch to downtown’s midday crowd and shifts into a slower, seasonal dinner service later in the week; because posted hours vary by source, it’s worth confirming current times with the restaurant before you go. Reservations and online ordering are available through the restaurant’s website.