Your last-minute guide to Easter plans: Ham Jam, brunches and egg hunts
The Ham Jam is real.
Around the three ham-giving holidays of the year — Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter — the small parking lot of the Six Forks Road Honey Baked Ham in North Raleigh becomes a site of culinary congestion. The legions of cars stopping by to pick up their reserved hams causes a local traffic phenomenon known as the "Ham Jam."
Store general manager Roland Deslauriers said Easter is actually somewhat slower than Thanksgiving and Christmas, but that there's still a serious line.
Police officers will direct traffic Friday and Saturday at the Six Forks Road location (just north of North Hills) to help move things along. The shop keeps the longest hours of any in the Triangle: 12-hour days Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.
"People like to wait until the last minute to pick up the freshest product," Desleauriers said. "It's not too bad, people are usually pretty efficient."
The peak will be Friday and Saturday.
"Patience is a virtue," Desleauriers advised.
Easter Brunch reservations
For those foregoing the at-home feast, there are a number of Easter brunches planned at Triangle restaurants. This being a last-minute guide, you already know to temper your expectations, but there are still reservations to be had.
▪ Carolina Inn, 211 Pittsboro Street, Chapel Hill. Serving a brunch buffet from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for $70 per person, with discounts for children and seniors. The buffet includes salads, antipasti, seafood, carved steaks and leg of lamb among other dishes. carolinainn.com
▪ Fleming's Steakhouse, 4324 Glenwood Ave. in Crabtree Valley Mall, Raleigh. Serving a three-course brunch for $47 per person. flemingssteakhouse.com
▪ Mandolin, 2519 Fairview Road, Raleigh. Serving brunch from 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., featuring Bloody Marys by the pitcher, country ham eggs benedict, biscuits and gravy and other staples. mandolinraleigh.com
▪ Margaux's Restaurant, 8111 Creedmoor Road, Raleigh. Serving a three-course brunch from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for $40 per person. margauxsrestaurant.com
▪ Poole's Diner, 426 South McDowell St., Raleigh. Open for brunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., serving Easter specials like beet-pickled deviled eggs, lamb shoulder hash with turmeric potatoes and fried oyster eggs benedict with ramp hollandaise. Don't worry about reservations, they don't take them. ac-restaurants.com/pooles
▪ Sullivan's Steakhouse, 410 Glenwood Ave., Raleigh. Serving a three-course Easter dinner for $40 per person. sullivanssteakhouse.com/raleigh/
▪ Vidrio, 500 Glenwood Ave., Raleigh. Easter brunch buffet is 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., featuring breakfast pastries like mini bagels with gravlox and cream cheese, salads of local greens, a carving station with leg of lamb and prime rib and breakfast staples. The cost per person is $35. vidrioraleigh.com
Where to hunt eggs
If you'd rather look for eggs than eat them, look for these public egg hunts. There are also plenty of egg hunts hosted by area churches.
▪ Adventure Landing is hosting egg hunts March 31 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Groups will be divided up by age, with $3 per hunter going to Make A Wish.
▪ The Town of Clayton is hosting an egg hunt for preschoolers March 30 at 10:30 a.m., with Easter Bunny photo ops starting at 9:30 a.m. The hunt will be at Clayton Community Park, located at 1075 Amelia Church Road in Clayton.
▪ Paws4Ever is hosting an egg hunt at its 50-acre property at 6311 Nicks Road in Mebane on March 31 from 2 to 4 p.m. This adult egg hunt is only for those ages 21 and up, with tickets at $25 going to animal rescues and care.
▪ The Spring Fling Adult Egg Hunt at Dix Park has been postponed because of expected weather until the following Sunday, April 8 from 3 to 6 p.m.
This story was originally published March 29, 2018 at 6:45 PM with the headline "Your last-minute guide to Easter plans: Ham Jam, brunches and egg hunts."