Mouthwatering Cafes in Raleigh

Fresh Choice Cafe

★★★★☆ 4.4 (27)

"So wait I haven't reviewed this place yet. This is like a best kept secret in Sanford. If it wasn't for Yelp suggesting this place I would have missed out. Best lunch place in town. They keep the menu simple- salads, soup, sandwiches, desserts. My jam totally. I can't wait for it to get colder. I prefer ahead and it was ready when I walked in. The food was amazing."

Bonafide Bakeshop & Cafe

★★★★☆ 4.4 (128) • $$

"I love the vegan options here so much! They always have a number of baked goods that are vegan (usually half of their display case is vegan!), and they have so many vegan sandwiches on bread that they make in house. Get a sandwich on their homemade English muffin and you won't be disappointed. Sometimes, I just want a vegan egg sandwich, and for some reason, they are hard to find in most of the triangle - except here! I also like that you can get their more lunch-sounding options in the morning (like their sandwiches that use the vegan "Unreal" brand deli meats). I also love their super warm cozy soups. Go there!"

Gracie's Grill

★★★★☆ 3.9 (9)

"This place is cheap as chips! Traveling through Clinton and stopped for lunch. There's parking on the street out front or in the parking lot behind the restaurant. They take CC but there's a $2 charge to do so. I try to pay with cash so they don't get charged a fee. I ordered the BBQ plate for lunch and got the last one for the day! It came with fries. The fries are Oreida or Sodexo but were just fine. The BBQ platter was really vinegary and yummy! My mouth is watering just thinking about it."

The Root Cellar Cafe and Catering

★★★★☆ 3.6 (226)

"I have mixed experiences! But overall, found the food quite delectable. I really thoroughly enjoyed the strawberry eggs benedict, on fried tomatoes. I find the interior to be super cute and lovely for a nice brunch with a small group. Their ranch tater tots lovely- I tend to be off put by the overall mash-ish and restructure texture of tater tots. They were not overly ranch-y at all- just ranch adjacent with dill and other herbs added."

Joe Van Gogh

★★★★☆ 4 (110) • $

"This Joe Van Gogh location is our go-to coffee shop because of proximity. When we first moved to the area, my wife searched Google and Yelp for a good local coffee shop near us. Joe Van Gogh was the winner. My wife, who's the real coffee aficionado between us, likes this place. She comes here way more than me. Everything I've had from here has been good to great. Needless to say, it gets my recommendation if you're looking for a solid local coffee shop.This location opened in late 2015 in the Woodcroft Shopping Center ( https://www.yelp.com/biz/woodcroft-shopping-center-durham ), not far from Southpoint and the Durham-Chapel Hill border. We always enter this shopping center from the back, via 54. We often park in one of the to-go spots, right outside the entrance, because we're usually stopping by before hitting the road and/or running errands.Our favorite things to get are the hot and iced lattes with macadamia or oat milk and the iced matcha latte, also with macadamia or oat milk. For the hot and iced lattes, our favorite flavors have been orange blossom and rose cardamom (seasonal). We've also tried the nitro cold brew (yummy). Joe Van Gogh roasts their own coffee and the seasonal syrups are made in-house. Expect to spend about $7-8 for a 16 or 20 oz cup after tax and tip.Enter your phone number at checkout to earn loyalty rewards points which get you discounts on future purchases. Free savings just for being a repeat customer.We've also purchased bags of coffee here and at the Whole Foods in Chapel Hill (mostly here). We've gotten the Red River Blend, Sea Turtle Blend, and Ethiopia Sidamo. The bags cost around $14-16 each. At Joe Van Gogh, the staff can ground the coffee for you in-store. At Whole Foods, we grind it ourselves. One cool thing about Joe Van Gogh is if you buy a bag of coffee, you get a free cup of coffee. They usually have two different types of hot coffee brewed and you get to choose one of them for your free cup.In general, Joe Van Gogh coffee is high quality and tastes good.I haven't tried the food here, but my wife has. She's had both the London Fog Scone ($3.50) and the weekend special Biscuits & Gravy ($8). She said both were tasty. Service has always been great. The staff is nice. We've never had to wait long for our coffee.As for the coffee shop itself, it's a typical cafe. It's spacious with a variety of seating -- bar, table, outdoor (covered). The Wi-Fi speed has been decent.At the time of writing this review, Joe Van Gogh has two locations in Durham (this one and one on Broad Street near downtown) and one location in Chapel Hill (Timberlyne Village shopping center). My wife prefers this location to the Broad Street location because this location is bigger and has easier parking.Fun fact: Joe Van Gogh is served at UNC Hospitals Hillsborough Campus. My wife likes to get it when she's working there."

Meeple's Brew

★★★★☆ 3.6 (17)

"LOVE this place. By far the best breakfast and coffee place we have tried in Cary NC! It's easy to see what's unique about this place - board games on shelves as wide and tall as the entire right hand back area wall. Across from the board games are various local area crafted merchandise such as stone pendant necklaces, painted mint tins, crocheted items, stickers and buttons, etc etc. Service was wonderful, we were immediately greeted upon entering. We had "pagers" that go off when your beverage is ready to be picked up at the counter. There's a self-service counter where you pick up your stainless steel (not plastic!) utensils, napkins, cold water, etc. We ordered Nutella latte and honey lavender latte. Both were delicious, hit the spot in terms of coffee and specialty. My BF ordered the roast beef in a waffle sandwich, absolutely unique and tasty. I had the best tasting avocado toast topped with sliced boiled egg. All ingredients look and taste so fresh! Will definitely go back to try all other menu items!"

SIP Noshery

★★★★★ 4.8 (32)

"Still only offer pick up service which is ok since we grabbed food to eat at Greenway Beer and Wine across the street. They do have seating outside if it is a nice day. They have excellent fresh ingredients and flavor with ample portions. The salads are quite large."

The Meating Ground Cafe

★★★★★ 4.8 (32)

"I love this place! I have been here two or three times now. I have been with a friend friend and I have also been on a double date. This is such a great lunch spot. I love the amazing offerings for entrées as well as sides. The ambience of the restaurant is also really cute - it is warm and inviting. It is a fun place to take people, especially people visiting the area. The only thing that is a little strange is having to figure out that you order the food yourself at the register but once you know that it is totally fine. happy this place came Winterville."

Clayton Bakery & Cafe

★★★★☆ 3.7 (84) • $

"Spent 10 minutes in this bakery and wish it existed in my home town. Road trip: order dozen Black & Whites 24 hours a head of time. They were ready on time. Noon on the dot. This place has so much more. Coffee. Lunch. Cakes. Jams Italian espresso ice cream. There is plenty of seating for big parties, a number of booths on the window for friend get together, and one Three price couch area for lounging. Picked up a butter pound cake and jalapeño strawberry jam as well. Paired the pound cake with fruit for some guests. Divine. Staff was friendly and courteous. Support local. Especially when it tastes as good as this place."

A Place At The Table

★★★★★ 4.8 (212) • $$

"This is the first time I have ever been to a restaurant of this kind. The concept behind this is wholeheartedly the best! There are different ways to pay for your meal here. 1) you pay the suggested price on the menu 2) you can pay $3 or more/ $3 or less...whatever you can afford 3) volunteer in the cafe for an hour, 4) buy a $10 meal card to pay forward. I was blown away by how efficient everything was. The lady behind the counter was really nice.m I opted for a sausage, egg, and cheese on a buttermilk biscuit. This was delicious!! Hubby ordered the huevos rancheros. We found a table all the way to the left in the back room. There is seating upstairs and outside as well. I saw a table with a couple workers/volunteers giving out coffee to other volunteers. I also ordered a chai tea which was delicious! I enjoyed my sandwich, and I love to see community involvement. I will definitely come back when back in the area."

Union Special

★★★★☆ 4.2 (110) • $$

"The union special egg/hash brown sandwich was decent, but a bit plain. I also recommend the hash brown at least on the side, with the option to add it yourself later. It was a bit too salty, and despite seeming to be freshly fried it lacked flavor and texture. The sauce was a bit too sweet, but the brioche was pretty standard in a good way.If you're willing to pay a few extra bucks for an elevated breakfast sandwich, this might be your place. But I thought it was decent."

Cafe Meridian & Catering

★★★★★ 4.5 (158) • $$

"So glad Cafe Meridian is back!! They're in a new location just up the street from their old one. They're sandwiched in between Big Lots and Autozone in the shopping strip on Hwy 55 just off Hwy 54. Some tables outside and lots of seating inside.We called in our order and since we live just about around the corner is was ready in no time. Grilled salmon with two sides and bourbon chicken with two sides. It was absolutely delicious!!They still have their huge sandwich and salad menu & daily specials. I encourage you to show them some love with your business!! Note, they're only open M-F from 11A-2P."

Milo’s Cafe

★★★★★ 4.5 (28)

"Milo's is a new European-inspired cafe in Morrisville with a beautiful interior. We tried their Strawberry Matcha Latte, which had a good balance of sweet and fruity flavors alongside the matcha. Overall, Milo's is a solid spot for catching up with friends or getting some work done. We're looking forward to watching them grow!"

First Watch

★★★★☆ 3.7 (19)

"TLDR: Healthy, flavorful meals. Ample menu options. Friendly employees.I've been to other First Watch restaurants in the past and am a fan. Our experience at this location was about the same. The restaurant was busy as expected on a Sunday afternoon. We made a reservation online in advance (since we had a larger party) and checked in when we arrived. I appreciate how they allow reservations and let part of the party check in. They prepared a table right away and the rest of our party arrived soon after. I've enjoyed each item I've ordered from First Watch. This visit I ordered the quinoa power bowl. It was surprisingly not filling. It tasted great but I was still hungry afterwards. A side of bread or fruit would have accompanied it well. It can be pricy, however, the meals are usually portioned well and nutritious. First Watch is a great option for a balanced, delicious meal. Our server was welcoming and attentive. The dining area gets loud and our server recognized this and made sure she understood us. Our orders were accurate and arrived in a reasonable amount of time. After the meal we paid at the front counter. Checking in and paying in the same area can lead to the front becoming crowded. Chairs are available and the wait time is short. Overall, First Watch is a good option for a nutritious, flavorful meal!"

Angelina's European Cafe

★★★★☆ 3.6 (147)

"Stopped by Angelina's today for lunch and was so impressed! I've been meaning to try this place for quite some time and finally got around to it. The staff was very friendly and attentive and we had no wait for a table at lunch time. Appreciate the breakfast until 2pm, as I can eat eggs all day! Enjoyed a very fancy looking mocha as well as a delicious breakfast skillet. The cafe was very cute and plenty of seating. Table was so big I was able to do some work while here too. Really enjoy my time and I will be coming back to try more of this huge menu!"

Cafe Carolina and Bakery

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (157) • $$

"Busy busy on a Sunday, parking is always a nightmare in Cameron village on a weekend. I ordered the turkey avacado panini which was really good and had a chocolate pastry. The kid warmed up my pastry which was worth it, hot. This is a quaint spot. Food is delicious staff is nice. Just be aware of the parking here. There are also shops in the same plaza to go walk around to after."

Cornerstone Cafe & Coffee

★★★★☆ 3.5 (39)

"Cornerstone Cafe & Coffee is located in Downtown Benson. It is across the street from the Benson Museum which was closed because of a broken AC. But I still decided to stay in Benson for lunch and found Cornerstone Cafe. You wait to be seated then you get to sit where you'd like. I found a table at the window and watched the traffic on the busy street and several trains go through during my lunch. The cafe is inviting with the brick walls and decor.The staff was very eager to take my order, too eager as I didn't even have a chance to look at the menu. Both breakfast and lunch were available to order. Breakfast was very tempting but I decided to go with the lunch menu and the summer chicken salad on a croissant. I also ordered a side of the mac n cheese. Both were delicious although I couldn't finish. But that was my fault for ordering too much.I'd eat here again when I return to visit the museum and try the Elvis waffle.Cornerstone Cafe is a solid choice to eat in Benson, NC."

The Daily Planet Cafe

★★★★☆ 3.9 (106) • $$

"The Daily Planet Cafe was the perfect spot to grab a quick breakfast. It was a bacon, egg and cheese croissant with an iced latte for my husband and a bacon, egg and cheese croissant with an iced vanilla chai for me. We sat outside and the food and drinks were both really good."

The Purple Bowl

★★★★★ 4.5 (196) • $$

"Everyone is so nice here and the place is spacious, airy, and clean-feeling. I appreciate the many seating options both inside and outside. I keep coming back because the acai bowls are just perfection. I attached a photo of my favorite BYO bowl and all the ingredients I choose (I get the same thing everytime). The parking lot is small and the tables are meant for intimate groups, though there's a bigger table in the back.Highly recommend! Plus, the granola is gluten-free!"

Spicy Green Gourmet

★★★★☆ 4.2 (71)

"Thanks to the trusty search feature on yelp, I stumbled across Spicy Green Gourmet. I was very happy to see such an extensive menu, although with so many choices, it was hard for me to choose.I love a good bahn mi, so I decided on that sandwich. And just like the true southerner I am, I chose the potato salad as my side. I work close by, so I called ahead & was told 20 minutes. When I arrived in 10 minutes, my order was waiting on me. However, because it was lunch time, there was a line, sadly one I had to wait it. Thankfully, I only waited about five minutes & was able to pay & be on my way. The restaurant is cheery & employees seemed happy to be there. The place was hopping, so that was a good sign this place serves up tasty goodness. I returned to work & ate my sandwich & potato salad. The potato salad had red potatoes in it, with the skin still on - not what I'm used to, but still ok. It tasted mustard & mayo based, which I love those two together. The bahn mi was quite delicious with a simple slaw, pork, cucumbers, & Asian dressing. The pork was tender & spicy. The baguette was decent.For the portion size, the price of $8.61 was fine with me. With such variety on the menu, I'll definitely be back. Parking wasn't much of an issue, even though there are many businesses/restaurants in this area."

Cup A Joe

★★★★☆ 4.2 (82)

"Mac and cheese hand pies?! Who's heard of such a thing! I came on a Saturday and was pleasantly surprised by these carb-filled treats.I agree with the 90s-vibe mentioned, and have to give a shout-out to the staff. They're a lovely bunch.Drip coffee was good and it's definitely got better pastries than most coffee spots."

The Daily Beer Bar

★★★★★ 4.6 (15)

"We stopped in here for a bite to eat after a show a the DPAC and had a good time. There is a small cooler with options if you do not see a draft option that you want to order. It was a cider for my mom and an IPA for me. They offer a good selection of boozy and non-alcoholic options. We split the whipped feta special and turkey melt sandwich with chips. Both were really good and the vibe here was chill."

Kiwi Cafe & Smoothies

★★★★☆ 3.8 (78)

"Update on my review - Still 5 stars. Still smiling faces. But I have to rave about their tarragon wrap and lunch special! So so yummy. Large portion & I don't feel crappy after eating! Taking care of my body is so easy here. Every ingredient that they use makes my tummy happy! Order online! They'll have it ready for you. These guys are defiantly a gem in the rough. They have a good working space and outside seating if you decide to dine in!"

Hwy 42 Cafe & Hershey’s Ice Cream

★★★★☆ 3.9 (39)

"Better than Starbucks!!!!We've eaten here a few times and the food is good. The prices are extremely reasonable, especially with how much everything has increased in price. But the star of this show is their coffee bar. We got some breakfast, a raspberry white mocha, and an iced caramel macchiato. The drinks had a cleaner flavor than Starbucks and they don't cheat you by overloading the ice! I got a small and it had as much, if not more drink in it than a large at Starbucks (I know that's not what they call it). If you are in the area, I highly recommend coming here before going to the other place.."

Relish Craft Kitchen & Bourbon Bar

★★★★☆ 4.1 (919) • $$

"Our party of 9 came in on a Friday night at around 6. We were originally quoted a wait time of an hour but luckily, they were able to seat us within 10 minutes. For the table, we ordered:-Fried Green Tomatoes - this came with six slices, some feta cheese sprinkled on top, and a dipping sauce. They were good but it didn't feel that hot, which is something I would expect from a fried food-Southern Mac (pimento cheese & bacon & topped with cheddar & mozzarella cheese) - this is definitely a good sharing dish. I can't imagine eating a whole thing of this by myself because after a few bites, I was already feeling pretty weighed down. I normally don't love pimento cheese, but it wasn't too overpowering here-Parmesan Brussels Sprouts - I enjoyed these. For some reason, I can never make brussels sprouts at home as good as they do in restaurants. Maybe their secret is just a ton of butter-Hot Honey Brussels Sprouts - I liked these even better since the hot honey gave it a bit of a kick, and it came with bacon bitsFor my entrée, I had the Shrimp & Grits (lightly spicy shrimp sautéed with bacon & green onion over cheddar cheese grits--served with grilled ciabatta bread). They give you a generous portion of shrimp, which was perfectly cooked, and a heap of bacon. If you need a meal to put you into a food coma, this is it. The grits are cheesy and buttery. It was good but very rich. I was only able to eat half before I had to throw in the towel and get the rest to go. I reheated the leftovers the next day, and it was still pretty good.We were all stuffed but still wanted to try the Chocolate Chess Pie, so we got one slice of that to share. It reminded me a fudge pie. A little too sweet for me.As expected with Southern cooking, the food is pretty heavy. Instead of one person ordering an entrée, I would recommend just ordering a bunch of different things to share, so you get more of a variety. And you're not stuck eating a whole thing of mac and cheese by yourself."

Parkside Cafe

★★★★★ 4.6 (19)

"While visiting the local winery we asked where we should stop for lunch, this is where they sent us. Such a cute little diner, with a very simple and cheap menu. Our waitress was your typical southern grandma who called us "baby" and "hun." Things you can only get away with in the south! The restaurant was insanely clean! I had the BLT with cheese and my husband had the chicken fried steak, which looked so yummy! Also, free hush puppies. Can you really go wrong with that?!?"

Mad Hatter Cafe + Bakeshop

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (501) • $$

La Farm Bakery

★★★★☆ 3.7 (51)

"Love having a local option at the airport! Generally the line is long here and it moves slow, that is a downside. On the upside you can chose to dine in and it is so much faster. I think the kitchen prioritizes dine in and the servers are great at getting you in and out. The quiche is my favorite here, it's just so tasty! Highly recommend giving it a try. On the bakery side the white chocolate baguette is a must try. When I fly to see my family they always ask me to grab some to bring to them. The ham and cheese sandwich with butter is my favorite lunch grab and go item.Overall tasty things! Long line that can be slow. But dine in is super fast and a great option!"

Mrs Lacy's Magnolia House

★★★★☆ 4.2 (57)

"We heard this place is awesome and it is! My friend is visiting from out of town so we met for lunch. Everyone is very friendly. We each ordered a salad sampler. Mine had potato, macaroni, and chicken salads plus pimento cheese (which has an up charge). All of them were delicious! We also ordered apple crisp and cheesecake. I would prefer to have apple pie but it was good. The cheesecake was yummy.I would definitely go back! Just a warning: it gets very busy!"

Esmeralda's Cafe

★★★★☆ 4 (66) • $$

"Oh my gosh!! I wish I'd known about this place sooner!! My husband and I went this past weekend and I had the best breakfast I've ever had in my life! I had carne asada, eggs, beans, and sweet plantains! They even placed an amazing piece of cheese on the plate! The menu said it was to come with avocado slices but I do not like avocado so I had them leave them off. My husband had the pancakes with eggs and bacon. It was all so good!! Do not miss this gem!"

The Optimist

★★★★☆ 4.4 (124) • $

"I can see why this place got such reviews, probably one of the best coffee shops I've been to. They have such a great combination of the obvious, coffee and tea, breakfast foods, sweet treats, beer and wine and great service? Great casual atmosphere, people were studying. Working or on this Sunday hanging out on a hot sunny day. Their coffee is Amazing, perfect strong, not too milky cappuccino is what I had. The cinnamon oat muffin was nice and soft inside , crunchy outside. Perfect with my coffee. My friend got the avocado toast. Which hit the spot she said. Her coffee was also extremely good. Another smoothly run place that knows how to do it right. They have a great space inside, and a quaint little patio out back and seating outside upfront. Absolutely fell in love with this place, it's a shame I don't live in Raleigh!"

First Watch

★★★★☆ 3.6 (138) • $$

"Awesome menu choices and fresh ideas! Everything was tasty for the most part. The chicken sausage tasted like a chuck wagon patty so not my favorite thing but it's healthy sooo...Ketchup lovers beware- they are a little stingy with the ketchup. The seasoned potatoes are still good tho, just needed more than a teaspoon of ketchup. The coffee is REALLY good!"

Incorrigible Cafe

★★★★☆ 4.1 (7)

"I tried the grilled chicken ciabatta and a side of macaroni salad it was very tasty and delicious. Also, the almond croissant and upside down cake are the best in town.I believe this is family owned and operated business which can get very busy at times but they do their best to provide fast friendly service regardless of dine in or take out. Rustic Ranch style dine in setting."

SipCha

★★★★★ 4.7 (29) • $

"I really enjoyed my visit at SipCha Cary. This shopping center has ample parking and is spacious. SipCha has a little something for everyone. The staff was friendly and accommodating. We enjoyed a rose milk tea with herbal jelly and lychee toppings and the rolled ice cream in mint chip and Oreo. My daughter enjoys Raleigh Rolls, so this was a nice treat for her to avoid the trek to downtown Raleigh. I can't wait to return for the rolled green tea azuki ice cream to cook down on a hot day, matcha milk tea and the jade lychee fruit tea."

Skylines Cafe

★★★★☆ 4.1 (174) • $$

"Great food, service was fast and friendly and respectful. We will be back for sure! The location is nice because it is overly crowded or too busy."