Where you can find the RM team brunchin’ around Raleigh.
Life happens, brunch helps. And on Saturdays and Sundays, there’s no egg-scuse not to gather your crew and get fizzical over mimosas and arguably the best meal of the week (it’s like breakfast, but better—and you don’t even have to set an alarm!). Whether you’re looking for an excuse to day drink or are in dire need of a hefty hangover nosh fest, brunch is always a good idea. Here, the RM team’s fave brunch spots in town.
“I love Cucciolo Terrazza’s atmosphere—and the brunch is delicious.” —Debby Serena, Account Executive
“First Watch has the best biscuits and gravy… and iced coffee!” —Cam Rhinehardt, Account Executive, @camrht
“St. Roch for Southern brunch with Cajun flair (think gator bolognese paired with Lowcountry grits and a housemade chile oil). The Sinner Rolls are a must!” —Kelsie Barton, Contributing Writer, @kelsie_barton
“I could eat pizza any hour of the day, so Poole’side Pies’ new Sunday brunch is my dream. A Carbonara pizza followed by focaccia French toast? Perfection!” —Matt Lardie, Contributing Writer, @matt_lardie
“Parkside in the Warehouse District. Their handhelds are life-giving!” —Emily O’Brien, Contributing Writer
“Jubala (or Waffle House, which I would be equally happy with)” —Chelsea Sutton, Contributing Writer, @chelsearsutton
“It’s not brunch per se, but a sesame bagel with lox and scallion cream cheese from NY Bagel & Deli is also the move.” —Eric Ginsburg, Contributing Writer, @eric_ginsburg
“Cucciolo Terrazza for the Suciello, sub English muffins for grilled bread.” —Sean Junqueira, Contributing Photographer, @seanjunqueira
“If I’m brunching I’m not usually driving to Raleigh, but my fave Chapel Hill brunches would be Bluebird (croque madame) or Bombolo.” —Forrest Mason, Contributing Photographer, @fmasonmedia
Hit the high notes at these six local karaoke nights.
Ready to sing to a different tune? Drop the mic at these six weekly karaoke nights in Raleigh. Even if you can’t carry a tune in a bucket, these bars will provide all the liquid courage you need. Just don’t quit your day job.
Beat the Monday blues by belting your heart out at 9:30pm at the “Classiest Dive Bar in Raleigh.” Pro tip: All bottled beers are $4 on Mondays. Rock on!
Wednesday night at Sammy’s not only includes karaoke, but half-price entrees for students, $9 Busch Light pitchers and $3 Truly’s—all the necessary ingredients for the perfect performance.
Celebrate Friday Jr. by croonin’ some of the weirdest songs to exist at this divey bar where you don’t need to feel embarrassed by your subpar singing skills. #SorryNotSorry
This Hillsborough Street sports bar hosts karaoke every Friday at 9pm. Stage fright? Check out the pool tables and patio while cheering from the sidelines.
Fridge empty from July 4th festivities? Here, we rounded up brunch spots around town that tout the trifecta—aka great cocktails, great food and great patios. Let’s get brunchin’!
Wye Hill
Go for the chef-driven brekky selects, stay for the skyline vistas (find a better view, we’ll wait). Resting brunch face commence. Reservations recommended, wyehill.com Served: Sat. & Sun. Our pick: Wye Hill Breakfast Sandwich—and the sauce slaps!
Rosewater
Relationship status: it’s caffeinated (and spirited). And romance is def in the air on Rosewater’s enchanting garden patio with its lush greenery surrounds and climbing roses. But you won’t need that excuse… as your full attention will be on chef Brian Jenzer’s beautiful, mouthwatering (and healthy) brunch menu—think breakfast risotto, fine herb omelet and tartines. Do it for the ’Gram—and your belly, of course. Reservations recommended, rosewaterraleigh.com Served: Sun. Our pick: Steak & eggs
Plates Neighborhood Kitchen
If your love for brunch is bottomless, meet us on the patio at Plates—where head chef David Mitchell dishes up an ever-evolving cast of globally inspired locally produced brunch selects five days a week alongside a full-service coffee shop. Ah, the perfect blend. Reservations recommended, plateskitchen.com Served: Wed.–Sun. Our pick: Sweet potato hash bowl
Young Hearts Distilling
Turn down for brunch at Trophy Brewing Co.’s DTR distillery serving a full program of farm-to-table bites, which pair well with its program of perf potables. Used primarily for private events, the roof space overlooking Wilmington Street is fair game for brunch dining—making it a must-reserve Sunday seat. Reservations recommended, trophybrewing.com Served: Sun. Our pick: Apple French toast
Photo courtesy of Young Hearts Distilling
Barcelona Wine Bar
Tapas for brunch? Brilliant. You’re gonna wanna squad up for the renowned regional juggernaut’s brunch tapas so that you can try everything—from the savory olive oil pancakes to the wild mushroom scramble to the gambas and grits. Best paired with the guava-lavender-lemon mimosa. Fizz the season! Reservations recommended, barcelonawinebar.com Served: Sat. & Sun. Our pick: Potato tortilla
Clouds Brewing
You’ll be on cloud nine after a leisurely brunch at Clouds thanks to its German-inspired eats + classic hearty brunch dishes (NTM brunch drinks and bloody bar!) Brunchin’ is a habit. Reservations recommended, cloudsbrewing.com Served: Sat. & Sun. Our pick: Pork Belly & Grits
Relish
Taters gonna tate—and tots are on order at this Northwest Raleigh brunch staple, paired with pretty much anything from the scrumptious Southern-inspired craft kitchen menu. First come, first served; join waitlist ahead, relishraleigh.com Served: Sat. & Sun. Our pick: Mama’s chicken biscuit
Mandolin
Happy hollandaise indeed from this longtime local fave where sublime herb and flower box surrounds serve as a the perf serene backdrop for NC-style elevated brunch selects (think farm-fresh eggs sourced straight from chef Sean Fowler’s own Mandolin Farm (!) to scratch-made buttermilk biscuits, local Tepuy Donuts and more). Reservations recommended, mandolinraleigh.com Served: Sun. Our pick: Confit Chicken Hash
St. Roch
Mary Smokes When She Drinks—just one of the buzzy beguiling beverages (an aptly named bloody) that brings us back to St. Roch again and again. And don’t even get us started on that best-in-class Nawlins-inspired cuisine. But, the epitome? Those in-the-know request the hidden back patio—aka a primo secluded spot for noshing on 2022 James Beard Foundation semifinalist chef Sunny Gerhart’s bold Cajun brunch dishes. A sweet escape, if you will. Reservations recommended, strochraleigh.com Served: Sat. & Sun. Our pick: Bolo ’n Grits
Humble Pie
No matter how you slice it, brunch on Humble Pie’s patio overlooking the ever-burgeoning Warehouse District has easily been one of the best seats in town since its humble beginnings in 1989. Period. Reservations recommended, humblepierestaurant.com Served: Sun. Our pick: Huevos Rancheros
Whiskey Kitchen
No Champagne, no gain. Grab your brunch buddies and head to WK for a “mimosa party”—aka a bottle of bubbles and orange juice—plus hearty brunch plates out on one of the best patios in town. And like mimosas, our love for it is bottomless. Reservations recommended, whiskey.kitchen Served: Sat. & Sun. Our pick: Nash Square Breakfast Sandwich
Hummingbird
She’s got eggs and she knows how to use them. Chef/owner Coleen Speaks is easily serving up some of brunch’s best bites in town at Dock 1053 with a cocktail program that you’re gonna wanna mimosey on over for. Reservations recommended, hummingbirdraleigh.com Served: Sat. & Sun. Our pick:Chicken & waffle
STIR
Stir up your brunch plans with scratchmade brunch classics like shrimp and grits, avocado toast, and biscuits and gravy—best accompanied with a $5 mimosa or bloody mary. And it’s never too early for oysters (get ’em raw or steamed) and a craft cocktail made with artisanal ice. stirraleigh.com Served: Sat. & Sun. Our pick: Shrimp and grits
A new kitchen collective is opening in Downtown Raleigh next month.
For many folks looking to get into the local food and beverage industry, the “secret sauce” is, naturally, a brick-and-mortar. But, sometimes, finding and/or paying for a storefront is the hardest part of the biz to tackle.
Enter The Kitchen Space, a collective of kitchens opening in Downtown Raleigh in July boasting 39 private kitchens and three ghost kitchens. Meeting culinary professionals where they’re at—whether that’s launching a new venture or scaling up an existing business—its mission is to continue to help people grow and expand their concepts into other markets.
“The facility will have anything and everything needed to grow and sustain any type of food business,” explains founder Will Pettis. “Raleigh is an ever-growing city with much demand for commercial kitchen space.”
In addition to establishing a physical space for F&B business owners, The Kitchen Space offers a place for like-minded food entrepreneurs to problem-solve and offer each other support. “I love the challenge of having 40 different businesses coexist under one building and work as a team to help each other grow,” says Pettis.
Born and raised in Durham, Pettis’ experiences in the kitchen started back when he opened his own snack stand as a child living in a foster home. Years later in 2009, he opened his first burger and fry food truck, Will and Pop’s, before the food truck scene really took off. Starting with one truck and ending up with three, he ran them for nine years almost every day of the week. (Talk about blood, sweat and, ahem, grease!)
“When I had my food trucks, I was renting space for a kitchen from a buddy,” Pettis recalls. “I got tired of paying him rent so I rented an old Boston Market building and made it my prep kitchen. A few friends came along and asked if they could use my kitchen for their ‘commissary’ since it’s required in NC.”
The demand Pettis saw propelled him to build his first large kitchen in Durham, serving as a hub for 45 food trucks. They were completely leased before construction finished, which immediately pushed him to search for a new, larger space in Raleigh he could develop. Now, when The Kitchen Space opens it will be the largest commercial kitchen in NC at 20,000 square feet (!).
Ultimately, Pettis hopes that one day the kitchen tenants can transition from ghost kitchens to storefront restaurants. Clearly a recipe for success.
Don’t call them dreams, call them plans. While you may have already arranged your big vacation this year, we’re of the mindset that summer weekends are made for making memories. So we encourage you to take your Saturdays and Sundays (and, heck, maybe even play hooky a few Fridays… we won’t tell) to wander where the Wi-Fi is weak and disconnect to reconnect via a haul of 25 easy road trips from Raleigh, choose-your-own-adventure style. Whether you’re looking to get nauti, campy, schooled, active or urban… your adventure awaits.
