J. Betski’s

J. Betski’s is a Raleigh restaurant on Bernard Street, and the kitchen cooks in an East and Central European style. The food is casual, which makes it an easy place to try a cuisine you may not have eaten much of before.

Nothing here is fussy, and the restaurant sums up its own approach in plain terms. It is a useful address when you want dinner that sits a little outside the usual run of options in the city, and it suits a weeknight as well as a night out.

What to know

• The drinks list gets as much attention as the food does.
• The kitchen puts its emphasis on using the best ingredients it can get.
• The dining room is a lively one, and the atmosphere is part of what the owners offer.