Waffles. Get the waffles. Breakfast is served all-day here, so you can feast from open to close on these fluffy goodies. Seriously, the balance of fluff to crunch is either a science or a miracle. Kathy’s has a full breakfast menu, with lunch too, but let’s stay focused here. The ambiance is diner meets your Grandma’s kitchen. You can sit at the counter and watch your breakfast come to life. A healthy way to start off your day. Well, mentally, anyways!

Short stack breakfast special served up on their outdoor patio, which backs up to the Stoney Creek greenway trail…That’s no daydream, people. It’s real life! Before you head out on a stroll, mountain bike ride, or jog on the trails, fuel up with thick, fluffy buttermilk pancakes. Feeling crazy? We suggest Lantern’s chocolate chip pancakes. Your inner five-year-old self will thank us. We are in pork country, but Lantern offer turkey breakfast meat and other healthy/calorie-conscious breakfast options.

Move over, McDonald’s all day breakfast and toss that Bojangles breakfast menu. Jimmy Dean, who? It’s all about Dee’s Diner this morning. Southern, home-style cooking is the mantra here. That means, take a seat. Take a breath. Slow your roll this morning, and even eat that roll. See what we did there? This unassuming breakfast joint serves up made-from-scratch biscuits and gravy, hand-cut tenderloins biscuits, french toast, and brains. Say what?! Yes, brains. Pork brains. Don’t knock it ‘til you try it! You want to eat like a local? Visit Dee’s, not Mickie D’s.

HOOP CHEESE BISCUIT. What else do we have to talk about? Stop reading this and get yourself to gooey heaven ASAP. Pro tip: try to get there before 8:30am to avoid the “Sold Out” sign.

This place is only open Monday-Friday, so skip work to make your breakfast pilgrimage. (We condone this behavior, and have your boss call us if need be.) From classic breakfast dishes to country cookin’, their breakfast menu even includes barbecue. Yes, a barbecue breakfast sandwich is only 45 minutes away from downtown Raleigh. You’ll be back to work before your boss even knows you were gone!

Picture this: you’re sipping on fresh brewed coffee and waiting for your homemade biscuit sandwich as you map out which hiking trail you’ll tackle at Cliffs of the Neuse State Park. This homey breakfast restaurant is just a stone’s throw away from the beautiful Cliff’s State Park. If you’re not a hiker, we also have 70 miles of paddle trails you can meander and an access point is in walking distance from Mae’s.

Grits. There’s instant and there’s slow-cooked. Then, there’s Ashley’s slow-slow-cooked grits carefully simmered over flames until they reach buttery perfection. Not a grit person? Nonsense! Hers will make you reconsider everything you thought you knew about yourself. We’d be remised if we didn’t recommend another local delicacy: Back Fat. A breakfast dish only found in true southern kitchens. What is Fat Back? Think bacon, but thicker and crunchier and happier.

“We’re not fast food- we’re good food” reads the sign on the welcome door reminding folks that Rita’s is where you come to savor time and southern, home cooking. Rita’s is a breakfast and lunch restaurant with a menu changing daily, but also keeping the classics, like pancakes, French toast and the Hobo biscuit. Their breakfast hours start at 6am.

Homemade fire roasted salsa + chipotle cream sauce = breakfast burrito glory. The Plow House elevates traditional breakfast plates with its made-from-scratch salsa, sauces, and gravy recipes. They even have a great vegetarian breakfast option: homemade Apple Jacks! This restaurant also serves a creative lunch menu that you just have to taste to believe, like their Thai Chicken Wrap. That thing has hand-cut fries, thai sauce, and bacon. Good bye, diets!