North Carolina has great food towns and restaurants. So, of course, online reviewers offer their thoughts on which spots are the best. One of Yelp’s latest lists ranks the “Best Restaurants in North Carolina.” Or 100 of them, at least. The review site typically compiles the ratings and number of reviews, and volume of submissions for the rankings.  

Here’s a look at the top five, which includes a popular Carolina Beach burger spot.

More: These 9 Wilmington-area restaurants made Yelp’s list of the Top 100 in North Carolina

1. Surfin’ Spoon, 3408 S. Virginia Dare Trail, Nags Head

Look for cool treats and ice cream sandwiches at this beach shop. The Surfin’ Spoon offers 10 flavors of self-serve soft-serve (like the popular sea salt caramel pretzel frozen yogurt, as well as vegan options and gelato) and a choice of about 50 toppings. As for the sammies, Yelpers like the Lemon Lavberry (a lemon cookie with blueberry-lavender ice cream) and the Classic chocolate chip cookie with vanilla ice cream. 

2. Haywood Smokehouse, 403 Haywood Road, Dillsboro

The western part of the state is home to three locations of this barbecue restaurant. (And another one appears on the top 100 list.) They’re known for their brisket and Brunswick stew, sides like burnt-end baked beans, and the bourbon chocolate pecan pie. Yelpers also like their selection of local beer. 

3. Odeh’s Mediterranean Kitchen, 3805 Tinsley Drive, High Point

This family-owned restaurant serves classics like Middle Eastern salad, falafel on pita, chicken shawarma, baba ganoush and beef kafta. Online reviews recommend the desserts, too — tiramisu and baklava. 

4. Huli Sue’s BBQ & Grill, 1 Page Ave., Asheville

The Asheville area is well-represented on Yelp’s list. But the best in that area is this restaurant that brings a taste of Hawaii to the state. Yelpers say you should brave the crowds to try their huli chicken, poke bowls, macaroni salad and fish tacos.  

5. Island Burgers & Bites, 111 Carl Winner Drive, Carolina Beach

Locals already know about this spot. It’s consistently a top contender for best burger in the state. In fact, as one Yelp comment said — “Best burgers in town and everyone agrees.” Top options, according to reviews, are the bacon cheeseburger, the Philly cheesesteak, hot dogs and the chicken bacon ranch sandwich. 

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Allison Ballard is the food and dining reporter at the StarNews. You can reach her at aballard@gannett.com.

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — J’Mari Taylor rushed for 128 yards and two touchdowns and caught a pass for a score as North Carolina Central waited out a lengthy halftime thunderstorm before dispatching Alabama State 31-24 in the Orange Blossom Classic at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday.

North Carolina Central (1-0) took the opening kickoff and marched 75 yards in 11 plays with Taylor running it in from a yard out for a 7-0 lead. Walker Harris completed all five of his passes for 55 yards on the drive.

Harris connected on his first seven passes and a 34-yard completion to Joaquin Davis gave the Eagles a first-and-goal at the 5-yard line. Taylor ran it in on the next play for a 14-0 lead less than two minutes into the second quarter. Kole Jones picked off a Jonah O’Brien pass and returned it 32 yards for a touchdown to make it 21-0 just 53 seconds later.

AJ Gates Jr. took the ensuing kickoff and raced 82 yards for a touchdown to get Alabama State (0-1) on the scoreboard.

The Hornets pulled within 21-14 at halftime when Andrew Body finished off a 10-play, 96-yard drive with a 38-yard touchdown run on second-and-18.

Kamari Houze blocked a punt and the Eagles recovered it on the Hornets’ 25-yard line. Six plays later Harris hit Taylor for a 14-yard touchdown and a 31-17 lead with 8:40 left to play.

Keane Lewis blocked a punt and the Hornets jumped on it at the Eagles’ 35. Body raced 39 yards for a touchdown on fourth-and-14 to get Alabama State within seven with 3:33 to go.

The Hornets got the ball back with 1:39 remaining, but D.J. Estes picked off O’Brien at midfield to seal the victory.

Harris finished with 119 yards through the air after misfiring on 9 of his final 11 passes.

Body carried 15 times for 135 yards.

It was the first meeting on the football field between the two schools.

___

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Robert F Kennedy Jr has sued North Carolina’s election board to get his name off the state’s ballot ahead of November’s US presidential election, just months after he fought to have his name included in several states.

Mr Kennedy filed the lawsuit on Friday after the North Carolina Election Board denied his request to remove his name as a third-party candidate.

The former independent candidate suspended his campaign in August and endorsed the Republican nominee, former president Donald Trump.

Since then, he has fought to remove his name from ballots in several battleground states, saying he wants to avoid a Democratic win in those key races.

The lawsuit, filed in North Carolina’s Wake County Superior Court, alleges the state has “irreparably harmed” Mr Kennedy and interfered with his right to free speech by denying his request to be removed from the ballot.

Mr Kennedy’s lawsuit stated that with ballot deadlines looming, he had “no choice but to turn to this Court for immediate relief”.

The state’s majority Democratic board voted to deny his request earlier in the week, saying it would be impractical to remove him as some counties have already begun printing absentee ballots.

A reprint, they said, would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The two Republican members on the board disagreed, and argued that the state could delay the statutory deadline for absentee ballots being sent out.

Mr Kennedy’s name will appear on North Carolina’s ballot in November unless the court intervenes.

Similar requests by Mr Kennedy to have his name taken off ballots in the key swing states of Michigan and Wisconsin have also been denied.

These requests mark a reversal for Mr Kennedy, who earlier this year fought against legal challenges that would have removed him from the ballot in several states, including in the battleground states of Pennsylvania and Nevada.

After his withdrawal from the race, the 70-year-old has said that he will work to remove his name in “battleground states where my presence would be a spoiler”.

Since suspending his campaign, Mr Kennedy has thrown his support behind Trump, who has vowed to appoint Mr Kennedy as a member of his presidential transition team should he get elected.

Mr Kennedy, who had been a member of the Democratic party for most of his life, added that “by staying on the ballot in the battleground states, I would likely hand the election over to the Democrats, with whom I disagree on the most existential issues”.

Meanwhile, he is trying to remain on the ballot in New York – a traditionally Blue state that favours Democratic candidates – where his presence likely would not alter the election’s outcome.