The Many S’s of Side Street Restaurant [updated]
Tucked away in a quiet corner of Oakwood lies a restaurant specializing in all the S’s: soups, salads, sandwiches, and sweets. Continuing on the “Side” theme, the menu is broken down according to what type of “Side” you’d like: “A Bit on the Warm Side”, “The Green Side”, “The Lighter Side”, “Our Best Side”, and “Side Kicks”.
Side Street Restaurant is a sole proprietership run by Mary Lu Wooten, although both of her brothers also work there. She bought the place in the summer of 1979, which means that this year will mark the 30th year in operation. Previously named the Corner Cupboard, the name was changed to Side Street by the previous owner prior to her taking over. When she first began running the restaurant, there were only 4 or 5 places to eat in the downtown area, including the Capital Room in the now gone Hudson Belk on Fayetteville Street.
According to the official web site, the building once served as a grocery, grill, laundry, and a church. The earliest tax records of the building date to 1916, but there is evidence that it was built around the turn of the century. Initially, the restaurant only occupied the space seen in the image above. As business grew over the years, she expanded to the neighboring spaces (which have seperate addresses) until eventually it occupied the entire building.
The original menu from 1979
In addition to serving as a restaurant during lunches and dinners, Side Street also offers catering for cocktail parties, corporate events, weddings, and other social events. You can also have a private party here when the restaurant isn’t normally open for business (all day Sunday as well as Monday and Saturday evenings).
A group of friends celebrating a local holiday gather outside Side Street in 1996. Notice the little canine habitue (left) mentioned in a comment below.
Another group of friends celebrating the same local holiday in 1991. This photo was taken in the same dining room shown above
When dropping in to grab a bite to eat shortly before closing time (9:00PM) I was the only customer; but I didn’t feel awkward or out of place. Mary Lu described Side Street as “More of a home than a business”, and I can see why. In addition to the charm of a locally-owned and operated restaurant that’s been in the neighborhood for several decades, the interior décor included several photographs and paintings of the neighborhood from years past. I was also surprised at the depth of the menu and all of the “S” options provided. I opted for a long time favorite: a toasted cheese sandwich with a cup of tomato dill soup (and it was delicious).
Located about a block away from the Governor’s Mansion, it’s a short trip for lunch if you work downtown, and a quick trip for dinner if you live downtown. Visit Mary Lu sometime and experience one of the many “sides” this place has to offer. Be sure to bring cash though–Side Street doesn’t accept debit/credit cards.
Menu 1
Menu 2
Menu 3
Beverages
225 North Bloodworth Street
Raleigh, NC 27601
919-828-4927
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02/19/2009
Great little hidden place….very cute.
I highly recommend the “Moby Dick”…yum!
02/19/2009
A friend of ours threw a birthday party/dinner for his wife there. It was great. On Saturday nights, you can rent out the entire place for just a few hundred dollars. It was a great place to have the party. The service was amazing, too.
02/19/2009
Though I wouldn’t consider myself a ‘regular,’ I’ve always enjoyed this place and admire Mary Lu’s tenacity for sticking with it for 30 years!
I love the 1950s era painted Coca Cola wall sign on the Lane St. side. Mary Lu had it restored about 15 years ago, but had to jump through so many hoops with the city to get it done, that that probably explains why it has not been repainted since.
As far as the building itself, sometime between 1909 and 1914 the corner bay was erected and was occupied by a drugstore. Not long after that the other two bays were added and the building given the look we see today. By the mid 1970s the building was in pretty bad shape — the corner space was vacant, a laundromat occupied the center bay and the greasy-spoon grill occupied the space next to that. Luckily, Mary Lu came along and breathed new life into Oakwood’s little ‘business district.’
02/19/2009
I am the one whose bday party was there. I love this place and highly recommend it to anyone looking for a quaint, affordable dining experience.
I agree that Side Street is more like a home than a restaurant. Each time I have been there I feel very welcomed and appreciated, not to mention the fact that I love the “Avacadocrush on you sweetie pie” (yes, that is the name of sandwich.
02/19/2009
I have a photo hanging on my wall which almost exactly duplicates your first photo…except mine was taken about 12 years ago during the daytime and it includes the dog that used to hang around outside the restaurant. Anybody remember that dog or it’s name?
02/19/2009
richardfoc – you don’t have a digital version of it, do you? I’d like to add it to this post.
02/19/2009
richardfoc– yeah, I’d like to see the photo too. I don’t remember the dog, but I do remember a really fat cat that used to lounge around on the sidewalk by the front door all the time looking for hand outs.
02/19/2009
She has a painting of the restaurant in 1983, where you can see at least two cats (view photo of painting). She said at one point time there were many more, but there are none today.
02/19/2009
JM– Hey yeah…that’s the cat in the painting! The fat gray one by the door.
02/23/2009
That’s the dog! I do not have a digital version of the pic but I suppose I could take a picture of the picture and e-mail it to you.
09/24/2010
I’ve had great affection for this restaurant since the mid-eighties. Side Street was a frequent lunch destination and a happy mid-day break from my trauma program manager role at Wake Medical Center. After moving from the Raleigh area over twenty years ago, I have returned within the past two years to both Raleigh and Side Street! Both are cherished!
03/10/2011
That sweet beloved dog was Tom. I owned a furniture and gift business across the street and Tom used to come over to get warm in the winter and cool in the summer. He was a special part of our business district.
08/13/2011
Side Street has been a part of my life since elementary school! My dad used to live in Oakwood and he, my sister and I would walk to Side Street for dinner or lunch. As my sister and I grew up, we went back to Side Street on our own and I think everyone I dated (up to my current husband) has been taken there as a test! My sister and I loved greeting Tom and were quite sad when he passed. I am now in Texas and literally dream of getting to eat the Holy Hen when I make my next Raleigh trip! (True story: My chef husband agrees that the Holy Hen is the best chicken salad ever.) I hope Side Street continues to be discovered by new diners and appreciated for being a gem.
08/17/2014
Hi Mary Lou,
Congratulations on your 30th year. Haven’t eaten there in a while, but will soon. You have done great since the old days at Beaunit!!!!!
08/19/2014
Long before it was the Corner Cupboard or the Sidestreet Cafe, the corner location was Roy’s Sundry Shop run by Roy Askew, his wife Gladys, their pug dogs, and parade of local teens they hired, including Tommy Bradshaw. They used to make a concoction called a Lemon Blend that was guaranteed to freeze your brain. It was even better with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Roy’s was an after-school spot for many of us.
The section of the building where the large dining room sits was a Piggly Wiggly grocery store in the early ’50s. When they built the larger store on Person Street, this smaller one closed but Barnes Grocery across Bloodworth Street continued to serve the neighborhood for years afterwards.
The southern most part of the building used to be Pete’s Grill. It was considered a horrible place by some because it sold beer??!!!!!???
None of this is meant to take anything away from The Sidestreet Cafe. Before moving away from Raleigh in ’92, I ate lunch there fairly often even though I worked in Cameron Village.
04/21/2016
I noticed Side Street’s history included its being a grocery. I thought it was Barnes Grocery in the 50s, but Robert Hutchins said it was on Bloodworth Street.
When I have time, I’ll check an old City Directory at the Cameron Village library.
Does anyone remember a black man pushing a metal upright card throughout Oakwood, delivering pre-ordered groceries from Barnes Grocery? He did a Donald Duck imitation for children.
There are so many wonderful memories of carefree days with lots of neighborhood freedom, friendliness and fun.