Brunch is back. Here are some top Triangle picks for Benedicts and Bloody Marys.
Brunch didn’t really exist last year. The line between breakfast and brunch could be drawn at the doorway, and with most meals consumed at home, brunch took at pandemic hiatus.
Triangle diners may be returning to brunch as COVID-related restrictions have been eased.
Here are some of the top picks in the Triangle for that polarizing weekend meal that’s not quite breakfast, not quite lunch.
Capital Club 16
16 W. Martin St., Raleigh. 919-747-9345 or capitalclub16.com
A fixture of the downtown Raleigh brunch scene, Capital Club’s outdoor tables are among the city’s most coveted. Mimosas are popular and plentiful and French toast is made with challah bread.
Chido Taco
2330 Bale St., Suite 100. Raleigh. 919-594-1930 or chidotaco.com
If you’re here on the weekends you want the menudo, the fire-red soup that can cure the most dire hangovers. You’ll also want a michelada. A big one.
Crook’s Corner
610 W. Franklin St., Chapel Hill. 919-629-7643 or crookscorner.com
Shrimp and grits is just as good in the morning as the evening, if not better. Crook’s serves up one of the most famous plates of shrimp and grits around.
Dame’s Chicken & Waffles
530 Foster St., Durham. 919-682-9235
823 Bass Pro Lane, Cary. 919-234-0824 or dameschickenwaffles.com
Dame’s is one of the most sought-after spots for brunch, serving up fried chicken wings with crispy waffles and a variety of flavored butters and syrups. If you don’t snag a reservation you could be in for a sizable wait, but no one seems to mind.
Elmo’s Diner
776 Ninth St., Durham. 919-416-3823 or elmosdiner.com
The Carrboro location of Elmo’s was sadly one of the pandemic’s dearly departed restaurants. The Durham location soldiers on as one of the Triangle’s classic diners, beloved by students and locals looking for tried and true breakfast food.
Guglhupf Bakery, Cafe & Biergarten
2706 Durham-Chapel Hill Blvd., Durham. 919-401-2600 or guglhupf.com
Imagine what a croissant sandwich is like when the croissants are baked just a few yards away. This German garden oasis also serves plate-sized schnitzel topped with a fried egg and almond granola with local honey. With the dining room still closed due to the pandemic, diners likely won’t mind sitting outside on a spring morning.
Hong Kong Chinese Restaurant
3003 Guess Rd., Durham. 919-479-8339 or hongkongdimsumindurham.com
A table at this Durham dim sum restaurant is the hottest brunch ticket around. The passing of the steam cart, full of dumplings and dishes, can be thrilling. But remember to pace yourself, it’s a marathon not a sprint. Save room for egg tarts.
Hummingbird
1053 E. Whitaker Mill Road, #111, Raleigh. 919-301-8900 or hummingbirdraleigh.com
With an all-day menu, this Raleigh spot opened as a brunch legend from the get-go. It takes a team to take down the sticky bun, but the airy and addictive ricotta fritters with jam might not get shared.
Irregardless Cafe
901 W. Morgan St., Raleigh. 919-833-8898 or irregardless.com
This pioneering Raleigh cafe is famous for its New Year’s pajama brunch tradition, but its year-round brunch is pretty special as well. Expect the seasons to drive the menu here, where vegetarian dishes took center stage before it was common.
Jack Tar Diner
202 Corcoran St., Durham. 919-682-5225 or jacktar-durham.com
You’ll find truly gigantic pancakes at this modern diner in downtown Durham, plus enviable plates of just fried crullers passing through the dining room. Biscuits and gravy aficionados will find the version here livened up with poblano peppers and a couple runny eggs.
Monuts
1002 Ninth St., Durham. 919-286-2642 or monutsdonuts.com
Really, Monuts serves a brunch menu seven days a week. Though the dining room is still closed, the Monuts bar will reclaim its place at the top of the Triangle brunch scene when it’s able to reopen. The menu changes seasonally, but always put your faith in citrus or berry-glazed doughnuts and a slew of breakfast sammies. When brunch cocktails return, the Bloody Mary comes with a High Life pony for a healthy balance.
Neuse River Brewing
518 Pershing Road, Suite 100, Raleigh. 984-232-8479 or neuseriverbrewing.com
In recent years, Neuse River upped the expectations for what brewery food could be, adding an ambitious new menu and kitchen. That extends to brunch, where you’ll find a Benedict, a classic omelet and a rich burger with beer cheese, aioli and crispy onions. Hash fans will find a duck confit version with caramelized onions.
Nomad
122 W. King St., Hillsborough. 919-217-0179 or thenomadnc.com
One of the newest members of downtown Hillsborough’s thriving food scene, the Nomad serves brunch dishes that seem to exist only in dreams. Grilled cheese french toast pushes the boundaries of brunch, and biscuit poutine is the mushroom gravy and cheese-topped take on the Southern staple, biscuits and gravy.
Relish Cafe & Bourbon Bar
5625 Creedmoor Road, Raleigh. 919-787-1855 or relishraleigh.com
Biscuits are the star at this North Raleigh bourbon bar, coming with fried green tomatoes or a pimento cheese-topped take on the chicken biscuit. Those with a lot of mistakes to soak up might look to the totchos, a tater tot version of nachos.
The Rockford
320 1/2 Glenwood Ave., Raleigh. 919-821-9020 or therockford1994.com
At a few decades old, The Rockford is a bit of an anomaly on Glenwood South, but is likely what the revelers need in the morning. Its brunch menu is as sophisticated as it is indulgent. French toast is made with doughnuts and topped with spicy hot honey. The mushroom omelet is made with truffled goat cheese and the burger is topped with pimento cheese and crispy onions.
Simple Twist
Locations in Clayton, Garner and Smithfield. simpletwistnc.com
In 2017, when North Carolina passed its brunch bill, moving up the hour when cocktails could be served, Simple Twist was the only pre-noon brunch in Johnston County. Now with three locations, it’s a brunch empire serving the classics.
St. Roch Fine Oysters + Bar
223 S. Wilmington St., Raleigh. 919-322-0359 or strochraleigh.com
This menu will wake you up if you’re feeling groggy. You can add fried oysters to your biscuits and gravy, or go for a bowl of grits with buttery BBQ shrimp, which St. Roch does with coconut milk and lime. Brunch cocktails include a Garibaldi, a mimosa spiked with Campari and a Bloody Mary done up with smoked tomato juice.
True Flavors Diner
5410 Hwy 55, Suite AJ, Durham. 919-316-7978 or trueflavorsdiner.com
A perennial brunch favorite, True Flavors and its biscuit shop Debbie Lou’s are takeout only for now, but continue to serve some of the most creative brunch dishes in the Triangle. Bojangles’ fans might want to reach for the blueberry biscuit with chipotle fried chicken and a menu of hash plates include a buffalo chicken or grilled salmon.
This story was originally published April 2, 2021 at 8:00 AM.
