Apex Italian Eatery Sabatino's Ristorante Opens New Wake Forest Location

Sabatino's Ristorante celebrated its grand opening at 131 Crenshaw Corners Drive in Wake Forest the week of March 10, bringing full-service Italian dining to a town that has seen rapid residential growth push demand for sit-down restaurants northward along U.S. 1.

The Wake Forest location is an expansion of the original Sabatino's Ristorante in Apex, which built its following on the southwestern edge of Wake County before the ownership decided to extend the brand across the county. The Crenshaw Corners Drive address places the new restaurant within the commercial corridor that has filled in alongside Wake Forest's population surge over the past decade.

Full-service Italian dining distinguishes Sabatino's from the fast-casual options that have dominated much of Wake Forest's newer retail development, offering seated service and a menu rooted in the same Italian kitchen that drew customers to the Apex original.

The opening marks one of the more notable restaurant additions to Wake Forest in early 2026, as the town continues attracting businesses looking to serve a growing base of residents who previously had to travel south toward Raleigh or Cary for comparable dining. With the Apex location already established, Sabatino's arrives in Wake Forest with an existing reputation rather than an unproven concept, a factor that often separates successful multi-location expansions from those that struggle to gain traction in new markets.