Plan a Wake Forest date night: tapas on White Street, a rooftop wine bar, a show at the Renaissance Centre or Listening Room, and bowling until 1 a.m.

Last checked Oct. 12, 2026. Every listing links to the venue’s own website or the Town of Wake Forest’s downtown map. We do not rank restaurants or print reviews; hours change, so check before you go.

For a date night in Wake Forest, stay downtown: dinner on South White or South Brooks Street, then a show at the Renaissance Centre or the Listening Room, a nightcap at a rooftop wine bar or a piano lounge, and bowling until 1 a.m. on weekends. Everything is within a few blocks. The town’s own food and drink itinerary lays out the same evening.

Plan ahead

  • Renaissance Centre box office: 919-435-9458, weekdays 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 5 p.m.
  • Bodega Tapas & Wine: 984-235-4187
  • Parking: the town’s downtown parking map

Dinner

Restaurant Address What it is
Bodega Tapas, Wine and Rum 110 S. White St. Globally inspired tapas; evenings, and Sunday 4 to 8 p.m.
Over the Falls 419 Brooks St. Casual dining, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Saturday; no reservations, online waitlist
George’s Pizzeria 238 S. White St. Pizza and Italian
Norse Brewing Company 203 Brooks St. Brewery with Scandinavian-inspired food
Las Mas Mexican Food & Cantina 111 S. White St., Unit B Mexican, lunch and dinner
Lil Hombre Smoked Taco Joint 535 S. White St., Suite 124 Mexican

Restaurant types are from the town’s downtown dining map. Over the Falls notes it cannot take large parties.

A show

  • Wake Forest Renaissance Centre, 405 S. Brooks St.: the town’s theater. Coming up: storyteller Donna Washington’s “Of Blood and Bone” with dessert, Oct. 30; Broadway’s Adam Pascal, Nov. 14; Firebox Theatre’s “Little Women,” Dec. 11-13; and the Shaun Johnson Big Band’s holiday show, Dec. 17-19. Some prices rise with demand, so buy early.
  • The Wake Forest Listening Room, 415-C Brooks St.: seated, all-ages concerts, doors 6:45 p.m. and shows 7:30 p.m., with food from The Lemon Tree.
  • Tonic, Bar & Social Club, 158 S. White St.: live music every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

Drinks after

  • Unwined on White, 153 S. White St.: a wine bar that calls itself “the oldest historic, rooftop destination in the Southeast,” with tastings.
  • Broadsides & Brews, 223 Brooks St.: a bookshop, piano and cocktail lounge with a player piano, singing bartenders and “boozy ice cream.” Open until midnight Friday and Saturday.
  • White Street Brewing Co., 218 S. White St.: taproom with live music, open until midnight Friday and Saturday.

The social district lets you carry a drink in an official cup between participating businesses, noon to 9 p.m. Thursday to Saturday.

Something playful

Strike & Barrel, 413 Brooks St.: bowling, duckpin bowling, axe throwing, pool and virtual golf, with a laser light show on the lanes from 7 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Open until 1 a.m. both nights.

The Makery, 317 E. Roosevelt Ave., runs craft classes, and The White Street Market offers candle making, the town’s arts itinerary suggests.

Free dates

A Friday Night on White concert (second Fridays, April to September), a Six Sundays concert on the Joyner Park lawn in spring, or the Joyner Park holiday light walk in December. See free things to do.

Related: Valentine’s Day, live music and nightlife, brunch and downtown Wake Forest.

Frequently asked questions

What is a good date night in Wake Forest?

The town’s own food and drink itinerary suggests a drink on the rooftop at Unwined on White, tapas at Bodega, then a local bar or Strike & Barrel. For a show, try the Renaissance Centre or the Wake Forest Listening Room.

Where can you see a show in Wake Forest?

The Wake Forest Renaissance Centre, 405 S. Brooks St., hosts concerts, plays and storytelling, and the Wake Forest Listening Room, 415-C Brooks St., holds seated concerts with shows at 7:30 p.m.

Is there anything open late in Wake Forest?

Strike & Barrel, 413 Brooks St., is open until 1 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. Tonic, Broadsides & Brews and White Street Brewing stay open until midnight those nights.

Do Wake Forest restaurants take reservations?

It varies. Over the Falls, for one, does not take reservations but runs an online waitlist. Check each restaurant’s own website.