Come to Café Insecta, where you can get your own taste of entomophagy — the practice of eating bugs! Try bug-filled dishes prepared by local chefs while learning about the health and environmental benefits of this crunchy (and surprisingly delicious) practice. Cafe Insecta has been the center of BugFest since the event started more than 20 years ago, and each year it just keeps getting better. Cafe Insecta opens at 10am, and closes when the food runs out — so come early and vote on your favorite dish! Remember, Friends of the Museum get to use the Fast Lane, so join today!
Participating Restaurants
Every year Café Insecta plays host to adventurous chefs from all over the Triangle who try their hand at crafting a dish using insects. Chefs hand out samples of their dish to up to 3,000 event guests, who then vote on their favorite concoction!
a’Verde Cocina and Tequila Library
a’Verde is a Mexican restaurant with the desire to bring fresh, vibrant, delicious, and fun flavors to the table. Dishes are familiar and comforting while drawing from North Carolina’s best seasonal ingredients. a’Verde’s desire is to give friends a relaxed, creative, and exciting experience. Viva a’Verde!
Dish: Cricket Guacamole
CocoCrissi Tropical Icees
Serving homemade Italian ice.
Dish: Icee Insects
Jolly’s Catering and Events
We serve all your soul food favorites in a whole new way!
Dish: Cricket Mac & Cheese
Levy’s Jerkstand
Levy’s Jerkstand is an authentic Jamaican cuisine restaurant and food truck. They are located in Selma at the Old North State food hall and throughout the Raleigh/Durham/Knightdale area on wheels.
Dishes: Sweet and Spicy Chili Worm; Coconut Curry Worm
Mr. Puebla’s Tacos
Mr. Puebla Tacos is an authentic Mexican food truck bringing you a taste of Puebla with a twist. They offer asada, carnitas, Al pastor, as well as brisket and signature chicken. Their menu includes tacos, nachos, quesadillas, burrito bowls, vegged-out rice bowl and brisket poppers.
Dish: Cinnamon Crisps; Fried Flour Chips coated in cinnamon-sugar, bug crust, topped with a candied bug and dulce de leche sauce.
Oink N Moo
BBQ with a twist.
Dish: Cricket Cobbler
Rocky Top Catering/Daily Planet Cafe
We are the Café that is in the Nature Research Center. Last year’s winner of the Café Insecta!
Dish: TBD
Why Eat Bugs??
- It’s traditional!
Eating bugs might sound weird, but not eating bugs is even weirder! Whether it’s Mexican agave worms or South African locust porridge, bug-filled dishes have found their way into the culinary palates of up to 80% of countries on earth!
- It’s sustainable!
Did you know it takes 3,000 gallons of water to produce one pound of beef? Compare that to only a tenth of a gallon of water is needed to produce a pound of crickets! Insects also require less food, energy and space than conventional sources of protein like pigs and poultry. Taken together, this means insects are a highly sustainable food source.
- It’s healthy!
When you eat a burger, you’re mostly eating cow muscle. But when people eat insects, they tend to eat the whole animal, which gives them more diverse nutrients. For example, whole insects are high in fiber, whereas steak and eggs have practically no fiber. Insects are also high in protein and omega-3 fatty acids.