The Shoppe Bar and Meatball Kitchen is next to Esperanza in Carrboro. Staff writer Lauren Talley spent an afternoon trying out their menu.
Atmosphere
The Shoppe was intimate with a dozen or so tables donned with a few flowers in a Mason jar. Service was great, and our waiter was kind to explain the process of choosing our meatballs and sauce.
The restaurant was dimly lit with smooth jazz playing throughout. The interior design had a unique vibe to it — the walls were covered in old photos, and the back wall had old meat grinders scattered about with a deer head in the middle. The deer head was an intriguing design choice, and notably the only deer head I have ever seen in Carrboro.
For those of the legal age, there was also a bar which seemed to have a nice selection of different liquors.
The Meatballs
When ordering, you choose your meatball — beef, chicken, spicy pork, veggie or their ball of the day — and then a sauce. There was a wide variety of sauces to choose from including tomato, parmesan cream, pesto, meat sauce, mushroom gravy or their sauce of the day.
Then you have the option to pick a side which your meatballs will be served on top of such as spaghetti or smashed potatoes.
For our healthier guys and gals out there, you can place your meatball on top of collard greens, kale salad or their daily vegetable. For those who like to live a little, you can get your meatballs with mac and cheese.
