The Shoppe Bar & Meatball

Pardon the pun, but this place is amaze balls. Flights of bourbon and a vast array of meatball varieties. I had the parm cheese and mushroom gravy. So good. This is the best place I went to in Chapel Hill /​Carrboro.

This was our first time at the Meatball Shoppe. The food was excellent. Everything was very flavorful and the portions were large. We shared the beef meatballs with marinara, the spicy pork meatballs with parm cream sauce, collard greens and risotto. The collard greens were amazing! I can’t wait to come back and try some new combinations!

Not knowing what to expect, we were pleasantly surprised by our experience. The spicy pork with parm sauce (suggested by our wait person) was a definite winner. We chose the daily special risotto with sweet potato and goat cheese (tasty but more like a delicious rice than a risotto.). I highly recommend the market salad which was a great value and «super good» (my wife.). I almost forgot to complement the staff — they were very welcoming and replaced my poor choice of a cocktail with one more to my liking.

I’m in love with this place. The food and service was great! They have a nice bar and beer on tap. Their specialty meatballs all very flavorful. I can’t wait to come back!

The meatballs here are amazing! They always have beef, chicken, veggie, and spicy pork meatballs. They also have a special meatball that rotates weekly. My favorite so far has been the chorizo ball and the Sicilian ball. My grandma was from Sicily and the Sicilian ball was pretty comparable to the ones she made, delicious! The buffalo chicken one was also to die for. The sauces are great too, especially the parm cream one. And oh my goodness, the bread pudding! Best I’ve had. They have a good selection of beers on tap. And the owner owns the empanadas place next door, so if you want a flavored margarita, the bartender will run next door to make sure you get it! Best staff of any restaurants we’ve been to as well. Jacob is our usual waiter and he’s always very knowledgable and goes out of his way to make sure we’re happy every single time.

This place is rustic and cozy, but also has a few modern touches. You can enjoy deliciously crafted meatballs, pastas, risottos, and other Italian comfort foods in a warm spot with your favorite whiskey, beer, or wine, which they almost certainly have on their extensive list. The food menu is simple, but you really can’t go wrong. You can’t escape the «passed down recipe» feel. The portions are just right. And yes, they even have kale salad and vegetarian meatballs if you are so inclined.

We had a groupon for The Shoppe Bar and Meatball Kitchen. We ordered the spicy pork balls with the cream parm dressing, the veggie balls with pest sauce, the veggie of the day (Brussels sprouts) and risotto.
Pros: The Cream sauce was good. The Brussel sprouts were amazing.
Cons: The Pesto sauce was very bland and the veggie balls were pretty bad. Risotto was under cooked and bland.
If you are going to specialize in meatballs and sauce, at least one of them needs to be amazing.

This is my new favorite place. Great food, fun bar, great service. Highly recommend.

Our waitress was very knowledgeable about the menu and for our first time there was great. She brought us sauce samples and we got a variety of «balls». The spicy pork really is spicy and works well in the tomato sauce. The veggie is pretty much broccoli and almonds so you need a sauce to give it some flavor. The mushroom sauce is a bit heavy but good on a cold night. I’m sure whatever you get you won’t be disappointed!

My husband and I went there for the first time last night and it won’t be our last. We were pleased with the selection which included homemade veggie meatballs. My husband ordered the special meatball of the day which was a andouille sausage ball with the tomato sauce. He ordered the special risotto on the side. I ordered the veggie ball with the parm cream sauce and the veggie of the day (broccolini in a white wine sauce) on the side. We also ordered a side of mac and cheese to share because we just couldn’t resist. Every bite was delicious We came home with leftovers– enough for lunch today! Staff was very friendly. Our waiter was very patient in suggesting a beer to my husband and brought him a couple samples to taste before choosing which one he’d order.
There is a convenient parking deck (free) behind the restaurant.

My wife and 14 month old daughter really enjoyed our experience here. I liked the menu format. Very flexible and a tremendous value. I ended up going very traditional, spicey pork meatballs over spaghetti and meat sauce. It was excellent! We started off with one of the daily specials, a brushcetta with basil goat cheese topped with roasted strawberries and balsamic vinegar. That too was very nice. Overall, we were very pleased and thought it to be a great value for the money too. We will be coming back.

I was pleasantly meet with good, home style food and a wonderfully warm but modern atmosphere at meatball and bar. I’ve been meaning to try it fit some time enjoying the empenada bar beside it. On future trips I’ll be sure to try the whiskey, the selection superb in an area with beer and average bar scenes. I found the portions quite satisfactory, $ 15 winning me a filing meatball sandwich and large salad with a local draught.
The meatball is a novel concept in this area. The selection includes chicken, beef, pork, and a veggie which I tried on this visit, as well as a rotating special. Sauces include marinara, meat, pesto, gravy, and cream sauces. I had the veggie 2-​ball sandwich with marinara and a lake salad. The veggie balls, as with any good meat substitute were not meat like but rather a unique take on the dish. Broccoli and almond with other vegetables and spices combined between brioche buns to make a satisfying fall meal.
I’ll be back and sampling the many combinations of ball, sauce and bun. A whiskey perhaps, too.