- Q: What is Raleigh, North Carolina known for?
- A: Raleigh, known as the City of Oaks, is a modern, energetic city packed with fantastic little places for a light morning bite, lazy brunch, or all-day breakfast.
- Q: What makes breakfast in Raleigh, NC special?
- A: Breakfast is arguably the best meal of the day, and Raleigh has a plethora of fantastic spots for morning bites, including freshly baked croissants, organic coffee, sizzling eggs, bacon, and Southern-style biscuits and gravy.
- Q: What are some of the best breakfast spots in Raleigh?
- A: Raleigh offers fantastic breakfast spots where you can enjoy freshly baked croissants, organic coffee, perfectly fried eggs, and Southern-style biscuits and gravy.
This post may include affiliate links. Click here for Affiliate Disclosure.
1. Tupelo Honey
Savor Southern comfort food and enjoy a fun weekend brunch with the family.
Tupelo Honey is a casual café next to Cameron Village and the North Carolina State University that specializes in Southern food, craft beers, and classic cocktails. Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner; the inviting, family-friendly restaurant uses fresh, locally sourced ingredients and regional produce to create menus of traditional Southern fare with a creative twist. Signature dishes include Avocado Toast & Eggs, Fried Chicken & Biscuits, Southern Shakshuka, Griddled Appalachian Pork, Bourbon Peppercorn Glazed Meatloaf, Low Country Catfish, and Roasted Mountain Trout. The full-service bar offers a variety of libations, ranging from casual wines from around the world, craft and draft beers, and classic cocktails made with top-shelf spirits. Tupelo Honey is open for lunch and dinner daily.
Tupelo Honey, 425 Oberlin Rd, Raleigh, NC 27605, Phone: 919-723-9353
2. The Mecca Restaurant
Dig into classic diner fare and enjoy a cheap, easy breakfast stop.
The Mecca Restaurant is a long-standing, family-owned restaurant that has been serving classic Southern comfort food since the 1930s. Established by Greek immigrant Nicholas Dombalis almost 90 years ago, the restaurant exudes an intimate ambiance with dark wood paneling and walls adorned with signed photographs of well-known politicians and framed newspaper articles that have a timeworn patina. Lunch and dinner menus feature all-time Southern favorites such as fried catfish, shepherd’s pie with collards and black-eyed peas, fried chicken, and old school diner-style burgers. A well-stocked bar serves craft and draft beer, casual wines and Prohibition-era classic cocktails like the Sidecar, Scofflaw and Southside Fizz. The Mecca is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, daily.
The Mecca Restaurant, 13 E Martin St, Raleigh, NC 27601, Phone: 919-832-5714
3. Brigs Great Beginnings Restaurant
Start your day right and explore an exciting menu full of breakfast favorites.
Brigs Great Beginnings Restaurant is a popular breakfast spot that specializes in traditional Southern-style all-day breakfasts. The long-standing breakfast and lunch café offers heaving plates of fresh eggs cooked in several ways, generous portions of bacon and grits, French toast, and stacks of pancakes or waffles smothered in maple syrup. The lunch menu features casual fare such as gourmet sandwiches, fresh salads, burgers, and hearty sides, and the food is accompanied by freshly brewed coffee and tea, fresh fruit juices, and soft drinks. Brigs Great Beginnings Restaurant is open for breakfast and lunch, daily.
Brigs Great Beginnings Restaurant, 8111 Creedmoor Road, Raleigh NC 27613, Phone: 919-870-0994
4. Gypsy's Shiny Diner
Step into retro vibes and enjoy an unusual, nostalgic dining trip.
Located in the Devonshire Place, Gypsy's Shiny Diner is an elegant old-fashioned silver diner with a retro vibe serving classic American fare since 1997. Serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner until late, the casual dining spot…
Gypsy's Shiny Diner, 1550 Buck Jones Rd, Raleigh, NC 27606, Phone: 919-469-3663
5. Lucettegrace
Delight in elegant pastries and savor a romantic café break in the city.
Lucettegrace is a contemporary patisserie in the heart of downtown Raleigh that serves delicious freshly baked pastries, buttermilk and fig scones, and a rotating selection of mouthwatering cakes and pies. Owned by pastry chef Daniel Benjamin, the warm and welcoming café features industrial-style décor with exposed brick walls and brightly colored tables and chairs and serves breakfast and lunch dishes of fresh salads, homemade soups, gourmet sandwiches, and lunch boxes. The café also offers catering services for private events and customized cakes and sweet treats for special occasions, and Lucettegrace is open for breakfast, lunch and early dinner, daily.
Lucettegrace, 235 S Salisbury St, Raleigh, NC 27601, Phone: 919-307-4950
6. Manhattan Cafe
Grab a quick bite and enjoy an affordable, no-frills lunch downtown.
Manhattan Cafe is an urban-chic diner in downtown Raleigh that serves breakfast and lunch in a casual, laid-back ambiance. Owned and operated by the Vorbeck family, the local restaurant has fast become a neighborhood favorite where locals go for hearty breakfast plates of steaming eggs and omelets, French toast, and stacks of pancakes with sweet syrup. Lunch dishes include gourmet sandwiches and wraps, hearty burgers with a variety of toppings, paninis and specialty subs, quesadillas, house-made pasta dishes, and a warm and welcoming Southern hospitality. A selection of beers, wines, and soft drinks accompany the fare, and the café is open for breakfast and lunch, seven days a week.
Manhattan Cafe , 320 S Wilmington St, Raleigh, NC 27601, Phone: 919-833-6105
7. Morning Times
Sip fresh coffee and enjoy a quiet, retirement-friendly start to your morning.
The Morning Times is a casual bi-level coffeehouse with a bohemian, exposed-brick dining space and an upstairs gallery that serves light fare and locally-roasted coffee for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Established in 2006, the neighborhood café is a popular spot for house-made bagels on the go and plates of local and hormone-free eggs for breakfast, and gourmet sandwiches, fresh salads, biscuits and gravy, corned beef and hash, and grits for lunch and late-afternoon bites. The café serves freshly brewed Coffee Culture coffee and a variety of teas and juices, along with a selection of beers and handcrafted cocktails. The Morning Times is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, daily.
Morning Times, 10 E Hargett St, Raleigh, NC 27601, Phone: 919-836-1204
Plan Your Trip
Table of Contents: