Breakfast Archives ~ NC Triangle Dining Food Blog

October 20, 2019 by Ron Wen

Reuben’s NY Deli, Raleigh – A Classic Taste of Over-Stuffed Deli Sandwiches

Reuben's NY Deli in Raleigh - nctriangledining.com

When it comes to my wish-list for restaurants, I definitely had a delicatessen for Raleigh on the list. Lo and behold, I get word that a new Jewish deli has opened up on Davie Street, Reuben’s NY Deli. I’ve had a couple of chances to visit for lunch and I can say for sure that I am glad to have them here in the Oak City. And the crowds at Reuben’s NY Deli makes me think there are a lot of people who agree with me. Read on if you love deli sandwiches piled high and want to know what to expect for your visit to Reuben’s NYC Deli!

Order counter at Reuben's NY Deli in Raleigh - nctriangledining.com

From the outside, Reuben’s NY Deli doesn’t look like much with a plain storefront on this busy block, the Oak City Meatball Shoppe is right next door. Inside you’ll find a simple order counter set-up with white, cartoon font menus hanging overhead. Reuben’s NY Deli has a short menu focused on breakfast, sandwiches and bagels given its 7am to 7pm hours. You’ll find special eats like latkes, knishes, matzoh ball soup, reubens and more; pretty much typical of many Jewish delis but different for Raleigh. With prices in the $5 to $12 range, it’s all pretty affordable at Reuben’s NY Deli!

Brunch menu at Reuben's NY Deli in Raleigh - nctriangledining.com

Salad and sandwich menu at Reuben's NY Deli in Raleigh - nctriangledining.com

Hot sandwich and breakfast menu at Reuben's NY Deli in Raleigh - nctriangledining.com

As a popular new restaurant, just be careful about trying to pop in between 11:45 and 12:45 during the work week, Reuben’s can get pretty busy for lunch and there will be a line at the counter. I’d recommend the hot sandwiches and particularly its namesake menu item, the reuben. I’ve tried out both the D.D. reuben (turkey, corned beef pastrami) and the Johnny (pastrami). Once you order at the counter, grab your drink and your food will be brought out to you. Note, Reuben’s also has some sidewalk seating which is perfect in nice weather.

Deli meats and soda case at Reuben's NY Deli in Raleigh - nctriangledining.com

Seating at Reuben's NY Deli in Raleigh - nctriangledining.com

The dining room is pretty casual with prints and images of New York City on the walls. The addition of Dr. Brown’s root beer and cream soda makes Reuben’s just a bit more authentic given the popularity of those sodas up north. All meats are sliced to order and fresh so it may take a bit of time to get your food. But when it does make it over, wow!

D.D. reuben at Reuben's NY Deli in Raleigh - nctriangledining.com

The Johnny (pastrami) at Reuben's NY Deli in Raleigh - nctriangledining.com

Reuben’s uses a thinner, light rye for its bread which is slightly toasted and substantial. And the bread has to be solid given all the meat on their sandwiches! Thinly slice corned beef, pastrami and more are stacked on the bread with some nice melty cheese and shredded sauerkraut on top. It all makes for a wonderful, soft bite with a bit of savory meat, sour and umami from the cheese. The pastrami meat shows off a slight and subtle spice (typically pepper, coriander, mustard, etc) but all the salt is pretty mild which works well for me since I’m very salt-sensitive. Sandwiches are served with house-made potato chips or you can order up some classic potato latkes served with applesauce and sour cream on the side, very traditional.

Service at Reuben’s is efficient and effective but don’t expect that Southern hospitality! Which is fine by me because we’re talking about an authentic NY deli in all its glory. The food here is durn good at Reuben’s and those stuffed sandwiches will keep you smiling with each bite. It’s so nice to have a taste of NYC in downtown Raleigh and we were long overdue. Thanks for the great eats Reuben’s and welcome to the Oak City!

Reuben’s NY Deli

170 E. Davie Street

Raleigh, NC 27601

919.803.8592

Location on Google maps

January 2, 2018 by Ron Wen

First Take: Waffle House for Heart-Warming Southern Eats

Front of Waffle House in Durham - nctriangledining.com — Front of S. Miami Blvd Waffle House in Durham – nctriangledining.com

I’ll confess that given I grew up outside of the North Carolina area, so I had NO clue about Waffle House. I was always more of a Denny’s or IHOP sort of guy when it came to greasy breakfasts but it would be a mistake not to put Waffle House on the list of great casual breakfast and lunch joints. Around for over 60 years, the Waffle House has been an iconic diner for the Southeast with that famous yellow and black lettered sign. They specialize in down-home breakfast and lunch eats, perfect for fueling up for a long day of activities if you’re on the road. And given they’re open 24 hours a day, it’s hard to find an excuse NOT to eat here every once in a while when the mood hits you. Well as a newbie, I’m still learning about this Southern diner classic and so far, so good! Especially those hash browns….

Counter at S. Miami Blvd Waffle House in Durham - nctriangledining.com — Counter at S. Miami Blvd Waffle House in Durham – nctriangledining.com

Having stepped into several Waffle Houses (GA, SC, NC) at this point in my life, the experience is usually pretty consistent. Inside Waffle House and you’ll usually find a lot of noise and activity given their popularity with the locals. Open kitchen with counter seating to watch all the action. Rows of booths with vinyl benches and formica tables lined up against plate glass windows, Waffle House is the quintessential Southern diner experience. You’ll be handed over a laminated, plastic menu by a very seasoned waitress who affectionately calls you honey or sweetheart and gets you started with a coffee or soft drink.

Waffle House menu - nctriangledining.com — Waffle House menu – nctriangledining.com

The menu is pretty basic, listing the usual breakfast favorites ranging from eggs, bacon and sausage to their always-famous, hash browns!! Why the hash browns? The Waffle House does a hash brown with shredded potatoes and then you customize the sh** out of it! You can add cheese, gravy, onions, ham, tomatoes, mushrooms and more using the Waffle House hash brown code (scattered, smothered, covered, chunked, etc…) And yes, there’s American cheese on a lot of the food here so you won’t go home hungry! And pretty much everything is under $10 outside of the steak options.

All-Star special at S. Miami Blvd Waffle House in Durham - nctriangledining.com — All-Star special at S. Miami Blvd Waffle House in Durham – nctriangledining.com

Pecan waffle at S. Miami Blvd Waffle House in Durham - nctriangledining.com — Pecan waffle at S. Miami Blvd Waffle House in Durham – nctriangledining.com

I’ve had the chance to sample several items off the Waffle House menu, from breakfast to lunch and it’s all pretty solid! For breakfast, you can’t go wrong with their All-Star Special: Two eggs, breakfast meat, grits, and toast along with one of their famous waffles ($7+). I’d recommend upgrading to hash browns and trying the fluffy and crunchy pecan waffles to get the full experience. My sunny-side up eggs were cooked perfectly and loved the hash browns topped and covered (chili and American cheese). There’s a LOT of food here so take your time!

Texas bacon cheesesteak melt at S. Miami Blvd Waffle House in Durham - nctriangledining.com — Texas bacon cheesesteak melt at S. Miami Blvd Waffle House in Durham – nctriangledining.com

For lunch I’ve tried their Texas bacon cheesesteak melt which takes two thick pieces of toast and stuffs it with thinly sliced beef, grilled onions and some bacon. A bit heavy on the salt but definitely a satisfying sammich. Paired with some hash browns melted with American cheese and onion and you’ve got yourself a meal! Just don’t plan any after lunch meetings after this onion-filled lunch.

So what can I say but Waffle House, you really hit the spot. While the menu is a bit small compared to other diner options, what Waffle House serves up is really good. And the service is usually super-friendly and personable. It’s a dependable dining option that’s open 24 hours a day, which is pretty impressive. There’s even a Waffle House Disaster Index which rates the severity of a disaster by the local Waffle House status. If Waffle House is closed, you know it’s REALLY bad out there. Rock on Waffle House, I’m not sure when I’ll be back but you can be sure that I’ll be getting those hash browns again…

Waffle House

2,500 various locations in the Southeast

May 16, 2017 by Ron Wen

First Take: William’s Gourmet Kitchen in Durham

Williams Gourmet Kitchen in Durham - NC Triangle Dining — Williams Gourmet Kitchen in Durham – NC Triangle Dining

If you’re familiar with the RTP office area for work, you know that it’s hard to find good eats! But who wants to sit in the office cafeteria or eat at your desk? So over the past two years, I’ve been on a mission to find the best eats in the area given that I work in the hood. One restaurant that always seemed to elude my grasp is William’s Gourmet Kitchen. And while I had seen stellar online reviews for this eatery, I had never made it over until a co-worker suggested it for a lunchtime visit. And now I understand what all the hub-bub is about after a couple of lunches at William’s Gourmet Kitchen!

Counter at Williams Gourmet Kitchen in Durham - NC Triangle Dining — Counter at Williams Gourmet Kitchen in Durham – NC Triangle Dining

One of the reasons why I hadn’t been to William’s Gourmet Kitchen is its somewhat hidden location. While it sits on a prominent corner of 55/54 in S. Durham, it’s setting is somewhat sunken and out of view. Thankfully you can see the top of their building and their signage peeping out if you keep your eyes peeled. As soon as you pull into William’s busy parking lot, you can tell it’s a popular RTP lunch time spot given the dearth of parking spaces. A bit of patience might be needed to catch a good space.

Dining room at Williams Gourmet Kitchen in Durham - NC Triangle Dining — Dining room at Williams Gourmet Kitchen in Durham – NC Triangle Dining

Inside William’s Gourmet Kitchen you’ll find a bright and casual dining room along with a covered patio to the side. There’s a smattering of booths and two-tops for dine-in but I’m guessing that William’s Gourmet Kitchen does quite a bit of take-out. Two cashiers are at the ready to take your order! Menus overhead display a great selection of sandwiches, salads, burgers and small plates. A small chalkboard menu up front also offers the weekly specials, Monday to Friday. Most sandwiches are in the $7 to $11 range and you can make it a meal (drink, side) for an additional $3 to $4 depending on side. Put your order in, grab your cup and number, it’s time to wait!

Turkey and cranberry sandwich at Williams Gourmet Kitchen in Durham - NC Triangle Dining — Turkey and cranberry sandwich at Williams Gourmet Kitchen in Durham – NC Triangle Dining

While William’s Gourmet Kitchen is usually busy, their kitchen is pretty fast with my meals taking maybe 10 minutes to come out. Over the course of my two visits I’ve tried out a thick, stuffed turkey sandwich on pumpernickel with cranberry sauce, provolone and tomato. A quirky take on the classic Thanksgiving sandwich. And a fantastic honey-stung chicken sandwich! Think of a perfectly fried chicken breast, drizzled with honey, topped with LTO and a pickle all on a sweet brioche bun! William’s Gourmet Kitchen is really all about high-end sandwiches. While you won’t find kale, arugula or anything froo-froo here, they do the classics really well with fresh ingredients and in large portions.

Oh and don’t miss the beer-battered fries here, they are AWE-some! Service at William’s Gourmet Kitchen is efficient and a bit busy, they seem to be pretty distracted at times but get the job done. And in both my visits I was in and out in well under and hour which is a requisite for lunch. So rock on Williams Gourmet Kitchen! I now know why you’ve got all those great reviews and your food lives up to that top billing. It’s not cheap, it’s not easy to locate but if you’re willing to find Williams Gourmet Kitchen out in S. Durham, I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised…

William’s Gourmet Kitchen

2114 NC-54 Higdway

Durham, NC 27713

919.806.0690

William’s Gourmet Kitchen menu

Location on Google maps

February 4, 2017 by Ron Wen

First Take: Metro Diner in N. Raleigh Busting Out a Great Breakfast

Front of Metro Diner in Raleigh - NC Triangle Dining — Front of Metro Diner in Raleigh – NC Triangle Dining

I don’t know about you but I’m usually not a fan of chains. From a bland menu to questionable and inexperienced service, I typically avoid them. But I had heard about Metro Diner coming to the Triangle a while back and while I missed their grand opening, online reviews that soon popped up seemed very positive. And while I’m not a breakfast guy, sometimes you can’t resist so I decided it was time for an early visit to the new Metro Diner in N. Raleigh!

Coffee mug at Metro Diner in Raleigh - NC Triangle Dining — Coffee mug at Metro Diner in Raleigh – NC Triangle Dining

Heading up on Falls of Neuse Road, I’m scanning the area for Metro Diner. This area is rife with strip plazas so I wasn’t sure where it was exactly but my GPS brings me to an elevated plaza area up on a corner. I enter the plaza and spy Metro Diner on the far side, I’m pretty sure it’s in the same space that used to be Aladdin’s. The front of Metro Diner is a bit covered up behind a green, patio cover so keep your eyes peeled! And as I approach I realize why the patio is covered: the place is packed at 9:30 on a Sunday morning. Inside, there’s a small waiting area and the place is buzzing with conversation and activity. Every seat is taken and Metro Diner appears to be a favorite with families in the area. I’m able to grab a stool at the counter area near the kitchen, woo-hoo! It’s a prime spot for me as a blogger, right next to the service area.

Breakfast service area at Metro Diner in Raleigh - NC Triangle Dining — Breakfast service area at Metro Diner in Raleigh – NC Triangle Dining

The staff and kitchen is hustling hard this morning with the hungry crowd. Decked out in casual greet t-shirts, I’m immediately asked about a drink and have a laminated menu handed to me. A white, porcelain mug of nicely roasted coffee is dropped off in front of me while I scan the menu. I’m hungry for some sweets today and start piecing together a breakfast that combines some of Metro Diner’s waffles-pancakes-french toast along with the usual eggs and meat. But thankfully my server must have read my mind and suggests their Bissell Breakfast (2 eggs, bacon, hash browns and pancakes for $9.49) but allows for substitutions, woo-hoo! I go with two eggs over easy, sausage and their pecan, raisin cinnamon french toast as my blinged out breakfast!

Huevos rancheros at Metro Diner in Raleigh - NC Triangle Dining — Huevos rancheros at Metro Diner in Raleigh – NC Triangle Dining

As I’m waiting for my eats, I spin around in my stool to take in the scene here. Lots of locals and the dining room is jam-packed with a handful of folks sitting up front in the covered patio and in the waiting area. The dining room is SO busy I’m unable to get any clean photos of it but suffice it to say, it has a modern diner feel with plenty of ceiling fans spinning above. I’m guess that Metro Diner’s origins in Jacksonville, Florida may account for this more tropical, interior design style. Sitting by the staff service area, I see a lot of great looking breakfast plates heading out to the dining room, me hungry!

Bissell breakfast at Metro Diner in Raleigh - NC Triangle Dining — Bissell breakfast at Metro Diner in Raleigh – NC Triangle Dining

Pecan cinnamon raisin french toast at Metro Diner in Raleigh - NC Triangle Dining — Pecan cinnamon raisin french toast at Metro Diner in Raleigh – NC Triangle Dining

And thankfully, my breakfast comes up pretty quickly and it looks delicioso! Two eggs done over easy along with some wonderful link sausage, english muffin AND a heaping portion of hash browns, yum-may! Everything is perfectly cooked and grilled on my plate and I love that the hash browns are made from grated potato vs. home fries. The plate of pecan, cinnamon french toast is just over-kill at this point but I take a bite with some syrup, good stuff. While I’m not a huge breakfast fan, Metro Diner does it right. Over the course of the meal, staff stops by to check in on me and you can tell they are trained to handle the heavy crowds here.

Overall I found Metro Diner to be a very pleasant surprise. With 4 1/2 stars on Yelp I’m guessing I should not have been but I’m glad to see that the online reviews are accurate. If you’re looking for a casual spot and a hearty breakfast, I can heartily recommend this place! Given its location, it’s best for N. Raleighites but even worth the ride from downtown given that it’s not easy to find a good breakfast spot ITB in my opinion. So rock on Metro Diner! I’ll be back sometime soon to work off of your lunch menu.

Metro Diner

6325 Falls Of Neuse Road

Raleigh, NC 27615

919.578.9053

Metro Diner Raleigh menu

Location on Google maps

November 1, 2016 by Ron Wen Leave a Comment

Barry’s Cafe in Cary for Casual Diner Grub!

Front of Barry's Cafe in Raleigh, NC Triangle Dining — Front of Barry’s Cafe in Raleigh, NC Triangle Dining

Located in the same plaza as my fave, Anvil’s Cheesesteaks, Barry’s Cafe is a classic and old-school eatery! Inside the discrete front facing you’ll find a double-sided dining room: cash register and counter to the right, booths and tables to the left. Firehouse paraphernalia hang throughout the space, an apparent homage to the firemen in the area. The best way to describe Barry’s is homey, you feel like you’re in somebody’s home kitchen or dining room. Our server takes our drink order quickly and I scan the menu, pretty basic grill eats but I go with the well-acclaimed burger with cheddar, lettuce and onion.

Cheeseburger at Barry's Cafe in Raleigh, NC Triangle Dining — Cheeseburger at Barry’s Cafe in Raleigh, NC Triangle Dining

Ten minutes later our food comes out and it all looks pretty good! A large burger with well-melted cheddar on top. So well-melted I couldn’t see the patty underneath. Along with some long, brown lightly seasoned fries, it’s time to eat! Barry’s burgers are excellent, large enough to require two-handed eating. Pretty sure the meat is ground in-house, the burger was tender and flavorful with a nice complement from the veggies. The fries were decent but probably your standard, good-quality frozen fries. I’ll have to confess to being spoiled by the fries at Chuck’s which are UH-mazing. My dining companion’s cheese steak looks excellent but not quite the traditional Philly cheese steak that drives me crazy.

Service at Barry’s is very good, our guy stops by several times and makes absolutely sure are glasses are always full. If I remember correctly, we were even offered a complimentary dessert which I passed on. Overall I like this place and if I lived in the hood, I’d definitely be back from time to time. With a classic diner feel, solid down-home menu and excellent service, you could do far worse than Barry’s Cafe. But I gotta confess that the cheesesteaks next-door will probably prove to be a huge hurdle.

Barry’s Cafe

2851 Jones Franklin Road

Raleigh, NC 27606

919.859.3555

Location on Google maps

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Reuben’s NY Deli, Raleigh – A Classic Taste of Over-Stuffed Deli Sandwiches