Brookside Bodega celebrates Raleigh opening with carnival, music

Brookside Bodega will celebrate its grand opening in Raleigh on Friday with carnival games, live music and food on its outdoor patio.

The event coincides with the last day of school for Wake County families and is meant to double as a celebration of summer, organizers say.

The June 10 festivities include children's carnival games from 4 to 7 p.m. and live music from Say Less from 5 to 9 p.m.

The restaurant's menu is loosely inspired by New York bodegas, or small owner-operated convenience stores, and features dishes like the New York chopped cheese sandwich, spicy Nashville chicken sandwich, Birria taco plate and guacamole, which is made-to-order.

There are plenty of vegetarian options, including Buffalo cauliflower, the Portobello club, a grilled Pimento cheese sandwich and more.

Brookside Bodega doubles as a store, selling wine, beer, ice cream and a small selection of groceries, including milk, eggs, juice and paper products. The space can seat 100 people indoors and 120 on the patio.

“Eight months out of the year, we have perfect patio weather," said Jacob Paramo, one of the new owners. "Our patio is the perfect spot for lunch, dinner, beers with friends and dogs in tow, a game of cornhole, and families with little ones creating sidewalk art with our buckets of chalk. We hope to become a neighborhood hangout spot.”

Brookside Bodega was created by a chef and two restaurant managers who worked together between 2012 and 2013 at The Pit in Raleigh.

Brookside Bodega is located at 1000 Brookside Drive, in the former Falafel & Co. space between Raleigh’s Oakwood and Mordecai neighborhoods. It opens Friday and will be open seven days a week.