I’m back with another Local’s Guide! It’s no secret that I adore living in the beautiful city of Raleigh. I love to eat and brunch is one of the hottest and trendiest meals to eat right now, so I want to share my favorite Raleigh brunch spots with you all. I’ve lived here my entire life and I have loved getting to know where to find the best brunch spots Raleigh has to offer.

If you’re ever in Raleigh and have a hankering for brunch, don’t miss the best spots in Raleigh! (And if you run into me, make sure to say hello and get brunch with me!)

BEST BRUNCH SPOTS IN RALEIGH

La Farm Bakery

La Farm is a classic for me. At La Farm, master baker Lionel Vatinet puts his decades of baking expertise and French technique to work turning out hundreds of fresh baked breads and pastries daily. With three locations in Cary, and a newly opened spot in Raleigh–Durham International Airport, La Farm also offers a Sunday brunch menu that includes creme brulee French toast, eggs Florentine, quiche Lorraine, and more.

Favorite item on menu: Creme Brulee French Toast

Photo credit: Follow them on Instagram here!

Herons

Herons, the Forbes five-star restaurant at Cary’s the Umstead Hotel and Spa, serves what might be the poshest brunch in Wake County. Surrounded by the hotel’s fine art collection, diners can choose from dishes like the shrimp and rice bowl (Charleston Gold rice, charred tomato broth, and country bread) or the crab Benedict (blue crab, Canadian bacon, English muffin, and hollandaise). Lighter options like an acai bowl, yogurt parfait, and egg white omelet.

Favorite item on menu: Shrimp & Rice Bowl

Photo credit: Follow them on Instagram here!

State Farmers Market Restaurant

A trip to the State Farmers’ Market wouldn’t be complete without stopping in at the on-site restaurant, which serves up Southern breakfast and brunch classics in the form of hot cakes, omelets, waffles, and more. There is an entire biscuit menu, yep you heard me, an ENTIRE biscuit menu (biscuit and sausage gravy, country ham biscuit, steak ‘o lean biscuit, and it goes on), as well as an extensive offering of country breakfasts, like the fried pork chop breakfast with two eggs.

The signature dish is Granny Cone’s sampler and comes with two eggs, bacon, sausage, ham, molasses, sausage gravy, spiced apples, three silver dollar hot cakes, choice of home fries or grits, and choice of toast or biscuits.

Favorite item on menu: NC Country Ham Biscuit

Photo credit: Follow them on Instagram here!

Tupelo Honey

Oh, some southern cooking! Asheville’s famed Tupelo Honey Cafe has a Raleigh location and serves brunch all day long, with the big draw being the fried chicken (with or without waffles). There is also a sweet and spicy chicken biscuit (sweet and spicy fried chicken, fresh peach coleslaw, milk gravy), and an Old Skool breakfast bowl with two fried eggs, parmesan and rosemary potato cracklings, cheddar cheese, chopped bacon, salsa, roasted red pepper sauce, and heirloom grits with goat cheese. Truly hungry diners head for the Shoo Mercy, a high stack of pancakes with honey-dusted fried chicken, two fried eggs, apple cider bacon, and spiced pecans.

Favorite item on menu: Avocado Toast & Eggs

Photo credit: Follow them on Instagram here!

Irregardless Cafe

This long-running Raleigh establishment serves brunch on Saturdays and Sundays with a menu that is heavy on vegetarian and vegan options. A toasted sourdough open-faced sandwich comes topped with guacamole, arugula, tomato, two fried eggs, a balsamic drizzle, and home fries on the side. The vegan burrito is stuffed with a house-made vegan chorizo, jasmine rice, black beans, guacamole, pickled red onions, and a salsa rojo. Meat lovers are welcome too, with options like steak and eggs, a smoked salmon Benedict, and a slow-cooked brisket hash topped with fried eggs. The Big Ol’ Cinnamon Roll is a popular table share — and it’s vegan.

Favorite item on menu: Belgian Waffle

Photo credit: Follow them on Instagram here!

Plates Neighborhood Kitchen

Over on Glenwood Avenue, Plates Neighborhood Kitchen complements its weekend brunch service by also offering a breakfast and brunch menu Wednesday through Friday. Main dishes include the North Carolina crab cake and fried egg Benedict, pearl sugar Belgian waffles, and a sweet potato hash bowl, but there are also small plates and shareables (deviled eggs, charcuterie and cheese Board, and more) as well as a limited number of sandwiches.

Favorite item on menu: Sweet Potato Hash Bowl

Photo credit: Follow them on Instagram here!

Rosewater Kitchen & Bar

Restaurateur Giorgios Bakatsias’s Rosewater Kitchen + Bar serves a globally-inspired brunch in its garden-like North Raleigh location each Sunday. There’s a roasted chicken sandwich with chimichurri, a chicken fried pork chop with smoked bone marrow red-eye gravy, and a series of tartines and grain bowls, among other offerings. A separate brunch cocktail menu also offers mocktails for those not in the day-drinking mood.

Favorite item on menu: French Toast

Photo credit: Follow them on Instagram here!

Flying Biscuit Cafe

This is honestly my go-to breakfast and brunch place but I have to warn you, they can pack a house pretty quickly and pretty early. Starting off with warm biscuits served with a side of cinnamon apple butter to kick it all off that will have you dipping your knife in the apple butter even after the biscuit is gone. Famous for their grits and biscuits (they bake almost 5,000 biscuits per week at each location), their loyal guests throughout the Southeast come to join them to enjoy Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner throughout the day. A diverse menu that is constantly changing but keeping some of the classics.

Favorite item on menu: Quinoa Power Bowl

Photo credit: Follow them on Instagram here!

St. Roch Fine Oysters + Bar

Y’all know that I am a true seafood lover. Chef Sunny Gerhart puts on a Cajun-inspired brunch every weekend at St. Roch. Start with mimosas for a group or the Mary Smokes When She Drinks — a smoky take on a bloody mary. Much like the dinner menu, there are plenty of oysters. The fried oyster hotcake is a standout dish, served with sunny-side-up eggs, Creole cane syrup, chili crisp, and whipped ricotta. The massive Sinner Roll is another popular choice, and the gator bolognese from dinner service reappears on the brunch menu as Bolo and Grits — Lowcountry grits with the bolognese, chili oil, and more sunny-side-up eggs.

Favorite item on menu: Bourbon Caramel Sauced Beignets

Photo credit: Follow them on Instagram here!

Beasley’s Chicken + Honey

One of the stars in the Ashley Christensen constellation, Beasley’s is the James Beard award-winning chef’s ode to fried chicken. Weekend brunch at Beasley’s includes dishes like hot chicken eggs Benedict, biscuits and gravy, and the Reunion (fried chicken on a buttermilk biscuit with cheese and hot sauce).

The loaded breakfast bowl is a base of grits or hash potatoes with pico de gallo, roasted poblano peppers, and avocado, and is a steal at $6.50, although it can be even more loaded with the addition of fried chicken or bologna, country ham, eggs, and more.

Favorite item on menu: Loaded Breakfast Bowl

Photo credit: Follow them on Instagram here!

There are so many amazing brunch spots in the area but these are some of my favorites in Raleigh that I love to visit. As always, thank y’all for stopping by and reading. I will see y’all back here next time.

LOVE, DANI