Crook's Corner
Restaurant · Chapel Hill ·
Southern institution: shrimp & grits, Atlantic Beach Pie, cocktails
Southern institution: shrimp & grits, Atlantic Beach Pie, cocktails
"A Chapel Hill institution whose chef played a pivotal role in bringing shrimp and grits to national attention after a New York Times writer published the chef's recipe in 1985, a publicity moment that helped popularize the dish beyond home kitchens." - Erin Perkins
"I was startled by the news of its closure; to me it truly marks the end of an era for a Southern institution and felt like a significant loss to the industry." - Eater Staff
"A long-running Southern institution that operated for forty years is closing, marking the end of a community staple known for its regional cooking and enduring local presence." - Amanda Kludt
"For nearly 40 years I watched this James Beard Award–winning Southern restaurant—opened in 1982 by Gene Hamer and chef Bill Neal—be at the forefront of the Southern farm-to-table movement and be credited with popularizing the modern iteration of shrimp and grits. Housed in the building Rachel Crook established in the 1940s on the corner of Franklin and Merritt Mill Road, it became a repository of celebrations and pivotal career moments; when Bill Neal died in 1991 chef Bill Smith took over and ran the kitchen until 2019, and the restaurant had recently brought on chef Carrie Schleiffer for a new chapter. In an email to supporters the owners thanked the Chapel Hill and UNC communities for decades of support but said, with an incredibly heavy heart, that the position they find themselves in—exacerbated by the Covid-19 crisis—is no longer tenable, and co-owner Shannon Healy said she was heartbroken after trying to save Crook’s." - Matt Lardie
"Situated at the end of Franklin Street where Chapel Hill bends into Carrboro, this storied Southern restaurant opened in 1982 and helped pioneer the farm-to-table movement while popularizing the modern iteration of shrimp and grits. Founded by Gene Hamer and chef Bill Neal, it was later guided for decades by chef Bill Smith and has remained a regional institution through multiple leadership changes. In 2021 a New Jersey–born chef with a background opening and running kitchens in the Triangle stepped in as executive chef, bringing new dishes such as a farro risotto with butternut squash, Brussels sprouts, mushrooms, arugula, and Parmesan, while keeping the signature shrimp and grits untouched. The transition has been collaborative, with Smith returning to mentor in the kitchen and co-owner Shannon Healy emphasizing that the restaurant must evolve to stay relevant; the new chef also plans to deepen ties with local farmers markets to preserve the venue’s strong connection to the local food system." - Matt Lardie