Hayes Barton Café & Dessertery

My girlie and I went here for a date in August when I was visiting. What a cool atmosphere, of a 50's diner with all the memorabelia and photos. We got a cozy corner booth, the best seat in the house. The service was fast and friendly and very knowledgable about the food and drinks.The muscles were out of this world good, with the bread!!!! The salad and deserts were also amazing. Tons of great comfort food! Can't wait to go back!

I love a good retro feel in a diner. To see an upscale dinner was surprising, but the ambience was a perfect balance of swank and coziness. The manager was kind and thoughtful - you can tell he likes to build a rapport with his staff and customers. All of the staff were friendly and welcoming. The first thing you'll be greeted with on your left as you enter the restaurant is the dessert case, and boy does it not disappoint. These are the diner desserts I've been looking for since I moved to the RDU area from up north. The cakes and pies do. not. hold. back. I took my cake slice to go and enjoyed it over the course of THREE DAYS. Such amazing flavor and huge portions. I'd highly recommend this place to anyone looking for a classy and unique place for a date, and anyone with a penchant for sweets - you won't be disappointed.

Finally made it here for dinner, mostly to try their cakes. Had the Bella Linguini for dinner and enjoyed a delicious key lime pie martini. Brought home 3 slices of dessert and was generally underwhelmed, especially for $13 per slice!!1. Key Lime pie - my favorite of the 3. Enjoyed it, but not enough to go back again for it.2. Biscoff Cookie Butter cake - way too sweet for my taste. 3. Peach cake - unique filling between slices, similar to custard, with fresh peaches. Enjoyed the cake portion of it, but didn't love it as a whole.The cocktail was the only thing worth coming back for.

So this is very small inside but a very retro 50s diner kind of feel. The cakes here are incredible. Get reservations for dinner.

It's soooooo hard to get a table here but it's worth the wait. You have to call to make a reservation or leave a message. The staff is friendly and attentive. I forgot to take pictures of the fried oysters appetizer because in my family "you snooze you loose". We almost always get them and they last maybe 60 seconds on the table. Doesn't matter how big the order is. Fresh oysters expertly fried. DELICIOUS! Their cocktails are on point. But their desserts! Tall beautiful cakes that make an impression visually and in taste. Boston cream is my favorite and its always the first to go life is short. Order dessert first! before you order dinner. Just saying...

Can't believe we never went in the years we lived in Raleigh. So glad we tried this trip back. Fun atmosphere, feels old school diner like but has a modern take on the food and drinks. And the cake slices are huge! But so delicious! If you love coconut, then def get the Coconut Cake. You won't regret it!

The food was superior and the service was great. The owner came over to make sure we were happy with our experience. A very class act. Thanks Frank The atmosphere was a cross between Johnnie Rocket's meets the Golden Age of Hollywood. Cannot wait to go back with friends and family and try new items on the menu. I will try to remember to take photos before we eat for good visual.

Only stopped in for cake, but it was great! The pieces are big enough to split with 2-4 people depending on how hungry you are. The service was quick and they let us sit at the bar even after closing since they still had restaurant guests!

I rarely walk away loving every single item, but that was the case here. I can't believe I've lived here my entire life and never visited before now. The meatloaf was very unique and not ketchup based (as far as I could tell). It was a large, dense loaf, crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. The potatoes were great, especially when paired with the meatloaf. And the beans were well seasoned!The chicken noodle soup was an unexpected delight. It was extremely flavorful and filled with chunks of meat and veggies. You can tell a lot of love went into the recipe. I only had a bite or two of the chicken pot pie, but there was no question it was perfect. My wife loved every bite. She could only eat half because it was huge!If you want cake on the weekend, you should reserve ahead of time. They were running out very quickly. If you want a seat, I also recommend reserving well ahead of time. We will be back!

This was great food and super fast. Could have been a little cleaner but overall cute and would recommend