Best Spots for Brunch in Raleigh, NC

Brunch in the south typically conjures thoughts of delectable shrimp and grits, crispy chicken and waffles, warm biscuits, and many other comfort food specialties. Although Raleigh offers the very best of every Southern comfort food delicacy, there is so much more to choose from beyond just the Southern staples. Raleigh proudly serves a variety of vegan and vegetarian options, Mexican fare, authentic Parisian cuisine, and so much more. Some of the best-rated restaurants in the World are found in Raleigh, including Brewery Bhavana. Raleigh’s food culture prides itself on offering the freshest farm-to-table ingredients, specialty brunch cocktails, and warm, inviting atmospheres. Brunch is a staple here in Raleigh, and most restaurants serve their brunch menu on Saturdays and Sundays (although some only offer brunch on Sundays). A lot of these restaurants below also made our list of best restaurants in downtown Raleigh!

If you are only looking for vegan and vegetarian brunch bites, scroll down to the bottom of this list.

Happy brunching!

Beasley’s Chicken & Honey

Directions and Menu

Named Chef of the Year by Eater.com in 2017, Iron Chef competitor and James Beard Award-winning Ashley Christensen is the renowned chef behind Beasley’s Chicken & Honey in Raleigh – and their brunch never fails to impress.

The Food:

The menu offers a medley of southern comfort food including hot chicken eggs benedict, biscuits and gravy, egg casseroles, and so much more. Although everything on the menu is a home run here, I recommend opting for something with Christensen’s delectable fried chicken or the hot chicken eggs benedict, which offers two poached eggs with a tasty Béarnaise sauce, creamed collard greens, and toasty buttermilk biscuits. For those who prefer the sweeter brunch specialties, Beasley’s offers crispy cinnamon churros or a Belgian waffle complete with in-house Virginia maple syrup, fresh fruit, and a dollop of whipped cream.

The Atmosphere:

It is not uncommon for a line to form before doors even open on weekends at Beasley’s, so I strongly advise arriving early if you can. Beasley’s Chicken & Honey boasts a vibrant atmosphere, a friendly bar, tables for small parties, and communal seating with a long table that extends through the length of the restaurant. High ceilings and a glass-enclosed interior provide a sun-filled, well-lit space that is ideal for brunching with family and friends.

Location and Hours:

Beasley’s Chicken & Honey is located at 237 South Wilmington Street, Raleigh, NC 27601.

Brunch is served every Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 4pm.

Poole’s

Directions

Beasley’s Chicken & Honey isn’t the only restaurant that has been brought to fame under Chef Ashley Christensen’s culinary mastery. Chef Christensen opened Poole’s doors in December 2006 and has never compromised on taste, presentation, or atmosphere ever since.

The Food:

Poole’s values the importance of supporting family farms and offers the freshest dishes from local growers and artisan producers. As a result, the menu at Poole’s changes seasonally, and sometimes even daily, and relies solely on locally-sourced ingredients. Their menu isn’t found on their website because their farm-to-table specialties change so frequently.

The Atmosphere:

Poole’s restaurant is located in the original Poole’s Pie Shop, which was famously opened by John Poole in 1945 and was an instant sensation. Effortlessly blending a diner-like atmosphere with retro-chic charm, Christensen highlights the original craftsmanship of John Poole’s 1945 restaurant, including the double horseshoe bar and leather banquette seating.

Reservations are not accepted and the line forms before the restaurant opens, so I advise arriving early to brunch on Saturdays and Sundays. Due to limited space, children are not allowed to dine, but they are welcome at Beasley’s Chicken & Honey or Chuck’s (which is another one of Christensen’s five renowned Raleigh restaurants).

Location and Hours:

Poole’s is located at 426 South McDowell Street, Raleigh, NC 27601.

Brunch is served Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 3pm.

Relish Craft Kitchen & Bourbon Bar

Directions and Menu

The Food

Relish Craft Kitchen & Bourbon Bar offers modernized Southern classics and farm-to-table ingredients. Their contemporary flavors include rich, hearty comfort foods including crispy fried chicken, warm biscuits, steak and eggs, fresh omelets, and, of course, chicken and waffles. The sweeter side of their delectable menu includes gingerbread banana pancakes and French toast bread pudding that is sure to impress.

The Atmosphere:

Relish Craft Kitchen & Bourbon Bar offers outdoor seating and a warm, inviting interior with a working fireplace, wooden bar, and leather booths. Recognizing the importance in shopping local, Relish Craft Kitchen & Bourbon Bar offers a retail market in their restaurant that sells gourmet foods and hand-crafted candles, accessories, and more created by local businesses.

Location and Hours:

Relish Craft Kitchen & Bourbon Bar is located at 5625 Creedmoor Road, Raleigh, NC 27612.

Brunch is served Saturday and Sunday from 9am to 2pm.

Jose and Sons

Directions and Menu

As much as I love chicken and waffles, it’s sometimes nice to spice up weekend brunch with some tasty Mexican fare. Renowned chef Oscar Diaz, who is now a James Beard Semi-Finalist for Best Chef Southeast, offers an enticing medley of traditional Mexican dishes combined with Southern-style comfort foods.

The Food:

Huevos rancheros, bacon and egg quesadillas, and steak and eggs with guacamole and chimichurri sauce are among the many delicacies that make up Jose and Sons enticing brunch menu. Taking a unique and delicious spin on traditional chicken and waffles, Jose and Sons offers chicharron and waffles with crisp pork belly, a corn masa waffle, and agave-sriracha sauce. It’s a must-have!

The Atmosphere:

Offering a family-friendly environment with colorful décor, Jose and Sons’ spacious interior boasts a variety of seating areas for both small and large groups and a spacious, circular bar serving up margaritas, palomas, micheladas, and fresh sangria that changes with the season.

Location and Hours:

Jose and Sons is located at 327 West Davie Street, #102, Raleigh, NC 27601.

Brunch is served on Sundays from 11am to 3pm.

Coquette Brasserie

Directions and Menu

If you’re in the mood for fanciful French fare in a beautiful atmosphere, Coquette Brasserie is the place for you.

The Food:

Coquette Brasserie’s brunch menu offers authentic, carefully-curated Parisian cuisine paired with specialty wines, French cocktails, and Belgian beers. Their brunch menu includes crepes, quiche, benedicts, omelets, croque monsieur/croque madame, steak benedict, and, of course, French toast.

The Atmosphere:

Coquette Brasserie’s stylish, upscale interior offers elegant red leather booths and outdoor patio-style seating. Their beautiful zinc bar offers signature cocktails and an extensive French wine collection.

Location and Hours:

Coquette Brasserie is located at 4351 The Circle at North Hills Street, Raleigh, NC 27609.

Brunch is served on Sundays from 10am to 3pm. Bon appétit!

Parkside Restaurant:

Directions and Menu

Parkside Restaurant takes a mouth-watering spin on the traditional brunch menu. Located at the entrance of the Warehouse District, Parkside Restaurant is situated directly across from historic Nash Square park – lending the restaurant its “Parkside” name.

The Food:

Parkside Restaurant is a pro at taking the standard brunch menu and taking their own unique, creative approach to each dish. To start the meal, brunchers are offered appetizer options such as jalapeño and bacon deviled eggs, bacon-wrapped dates, and field green tomatoes with crab. The main menu offers savory options such as fried pork chops with peach bourbon glaze on a cheddar waffle, prime rib scramble, short rib benedict, strawberry cream cheese-stuffed waffles, and so much more. Getting hungry yet? I know I sure am!

The Atmosphere:

Parkside Restaurant is passionate about carrying on Raleigh’s many traditions, which is evident in every aspect of their restaurant’s atmosphere. They work hard to ensure the restaurant is comfortable and welcoming and no detail is overlooked, from the warm red brick and reclaimed wooden bar to the North Carolina poplar tree tabletops. Additionally, Parkside Restaurant is proud to offer more than 25 beers on tap and a variety of beverage options for even the pickiest palate.

Location and Hours:

Parkside Restaurant is located at 301 West Martin Street, Raleigh, NC 27601.

Brunch is served Saturdays and Sundays from 11am to 3pm.

If you are vegetarian or vegan (or even if you aren’t!), Raleigh has a wide array of delicious brunch options that I have included below:

Fiction Kitchen

Directions and Menu

To those who grew up in North Carolina, chicken and waffles is a staple in the southern diet – and particularly crave-worthy during weekend brunch. Chef Caroline Morrison seeks to bring those flavors back to the vegan and vegetarian palate at Fiction Kitchen with her soy-based ingenuity. Fiction Kitchen offers thoughtfully-prepared vegan and vegetarian “fried chicken”, “pulled pork,” and many more meatless options from a plant-based kitchen.

The Food:

Chef Morrison serves delicacies such as French toast and “soysage,” fried “mock chicken” with Belgian-style waffles, tofu scramble, and so much more. Fiction Kitchen is as close to the ‘real deal’ as you can get and will certainly make you pause and ask, “Am I eating real chicken?”

The Atmosphere:

Fiction Kitchen offers a light, airy ambience with colorful walls and retro-chic seating. Their brunch menu includes a variety of specialty cocktails including a vegan bloody Mary, beer, cider, and wine.

Location and Hours:

Fiction Kitchen is located at 428 South Dawson Street, Raleigh, NC 27601.

Brunch is served on Sundays from 11:30am to 3pm.

The Remedy Diner

Directions and Menu

Adding to Raleigh’s delicious vegan and vegetarian options, The Remedy Diner offers a variety of alternative meatless options that will make you forget you’re not eating meat! The Remedy Diner also offers a non-vegan/non-vegetarian menu as well.

The Food:

The Remedy Diner offers a delectable medley of vegan bacon, marinated tempeh, huevos rancheros, quiche, and so much more. For those who prefer non-vegan options, The Remedy Diner offers shrimp and grits, pulled pork, a French toast sandwich stuffed with ham, turkey, bacon, and cheddar, and more.

Location and Hours:

The Remedy Diner is located at 927 West Morgan Street, Raleigh, NC 27603.

Brunch is served Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 3pm.

Irregardless Café

Directions and Menu

Winner of OpenTable’s Top 50 Vegetarian Restaurants in the United States, Irregardless Café has been serving savory vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, and non-vegan/non-vegetarian bites since 1975. Irregardless Café is proud to offer the freshest ingredients from its very own community garden.

The Food:

Founded, owned, and operated by Chef Arthur Gordon, Irregardless Café was Raleigh’s first vegetarian restaurant. They now offer options for vegans, vegetarians, and omnivores and foster a communal eating experience. Their vegan menu has a wide array of options that are both creative and delicious, some of which include a tofu reuben, a vegan breakfast burrito, a black bean quinoa burger, and more. Their non-vegan/vegetarian menu includes a sunny-side up cheeseburger, crab cake eggs benedict, shrimp and grits, and more.

The Atmosphere:

Irregardless Café is pleased to offer live music while dining every night of the week. On Saturday nights, diners can enjoy music early in the night and a lively jazz band that plays from 9pm to 11pm.

Location and Hours:

901 West Morgan Street, Raleigh, NC 27603.

Brunch is served on Saturdays and Sundays from 10am to 2:30pm.

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