How does being able to drink and not having to drive sound? Doesn’t dining on a budget in downtown Raleigh sound like fun? The bus, called the Rline, lets passengers board with a closed container of booze. It operates Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday 7 A.M.-11P.M., Thursday, Friday, and Saturday 7 A.M.-2:15 A.M., and Sunday 1 P.M.- 8 P.M. The bus is green and blue to represent that is environmentally sound because it is a hybrid electric bus.
“This bus can take you to the best places to eat downtown,” says Sam Johnson, the daytime bus driver, “And every restaurant is fairly close to an Rline stop.”
Chris Williams, the nighttime bus driver says, “ The bus is a safe and free way to get around downtown. It sure beats paying for taxi cabs and it is much easier to go out drinking when you are on a bus and not having to drive yourself.”
“I always take the bus everywhere,” says James Lee, an elderly man that rides the bus everyday, “having to drive in downtown traffic is too annoying, plus the ride is free and having to park downtown is always a pain.”
The Rline takes 20 minutes to do the full circuit, which contains 20 stops. It goes through the:
State capitol
State government
Seaboard Station
West Street and Glenwood South
Morgan Street at Harrington Street
the Municipal Complex
the Amtrak
the Raleigh Convention Center
the Preforming Arts Center
the City Center Deck
Blount Street Deck.
City Market at Moore Square
Hargett Street at Blount Street
Hargett Street at Wilmington Street
New Bern Place
the Warehouse District, on Hargett Street and Davie Street.
How can you beat having a free ride that takes you to cheap food?
At Stop R1, you have Pharaoh’s at the Museum, which serves salads and burgers named after pharaohs and sites in Egypt.
At Stop R2 you have Quizno’s Subs, which has salads, wraps, subs, and soups and you can order online.
At R3 you have Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar, and have the choice of their amazing burgers (of course!), hearty salads (which are huge), milkshakes (which you can get with alcohol!) and small appetizers, like mini sliders with sautéed onions.
R4 has Mojoe’s Burger Joint, an average burger place, serving burgers with bleu cheese, BBQ, pork etc. The burgers are less than $6, but they are less than amazing. Bad Daddy’s would be the way to go if you want a good burger.
At R5, you have Tasca Brava, a Spanish restaurant, which has Brazilian food, like Pan De Queso, which are little balls of cheese bread -amazing!
At R6, you have Sushi Blues Café and Sushi O, which are both buy on get one free, but personally, I think Sushi O tastes better.
R7 has Snoopy’s Hot Dogs has awesome hot dogs and good sandwiches. They even have .99 ice cream!
At R8, there is Flying Saucer, which has a great little patio to sit at if it’s raining and you still want to be outside. Everything is good, especially their cheese fries and hot wings that come in the flavors Buffalo, Asian, Mojo, and Atomic.
R9 is where the Borough is, and they have dishes such as mac and cheese and chicken nachos, and it’s less than $12 a plate.
R10 has the Boylan Bridge BrewPub, serving items such as onion rings, nachos, and wings. Nothing is more than $12.
R11 has The Pit. It has the best BBQ, and other foods like chicken wings, fries, and sandwiches for non-BBQ lovers. Prices are $12 or less.
R12 has The Fiction Kitchen that serves noodle bowls, curry, and spicy tacos, $12 or less.
R13 is the Convention Center where the Rline stops to makeup time, so why not get off the bus and grab something to eat? It has Fire Wok, a Chinese restaurant, where you get food by tray, 3 different foods, for $6. They also have chicken nuggets if you have kids that don’t like Chinese, and you can also order online and they deliver.
R14 can also get you to Jimmy John’s, which have subs with anything possible on them, and you can get it delivered or just call in an order and pick it up.
R15 has the Plaza Café and Deli, which serves breakfast and lunch.
R16, which is Fayetteville Street, the best place to be in Raleigh during festivals and during New Year’s Eve, has the best variety of dining in Downtown Raleigh. Zinda: New Asian has small plates of curry dishes, salads, pad Thai noodles, basil rolls, and soups. The steamed buns full of duck are the best. The plates are small so for lunch the deal is 3 plates for $12, which is great so that you can sample multiple things.
R17 has Vic’s Ristorante Italaino and their pizza is really good. R18 has Moes’ and they have good burritos. R19 contains Remedy Diner, which has dishes for vegetarians and carnivores, vegan and gluten free. The Morning Times is the best place for coffee and breakfast in downtown and Raleigh Times is a good bar with good snack food.
R20 has Centro. Centro is sometimes called the best Mexican place in Raleigh and their tamales are their specialty.
If you go on the website http://m.yourhere.com you can get the mobile app. So go “experience the R-Line, an eco-friendly approach to urban transportation. This FREE circulator service features hybrid electric buses that will connect you to restaurants. . . . . . . . . . . . . . in downtown Raleigh. Buses run every ten to fifteen minutes, so whether you are a resident, employee, or visitor, it is a great new way to get around downtown. The next time you are taking in downtown Raleigh, be sure the take the R-Line!” 1Happy eating and happy travels!
