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    Irregardless Cafe

    4.0 (819 reviews)
    Closed 10:00 am - 2:30 pm, 4:30 PM - 9:00 PM

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    IRREGARDLESS CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Irregardless Cafe

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    Hummus
    Christine W.

    The food selection was fantastic! Some items were a bit pricey. Presentation was good. I liked our server a lot, she was very friendly. Ambiance was fine, atmosphere wasn't too loud and the perfect temperature. I love their hummus. The focaccia was okay, the oyster mushrooms a tad salty, and the pasta was good.

    Cassandra C.

    We are in Raleigh visiting to work the tattoo convention this weekend. We arrived yesterday and of course the first thing we do is search for food options. We came across Irregardless. And omg! I'm so glad we did. They have been around since the 70s, and was the only vegan restaurant in Raleigh, at the time. Today they serve non vegan food as well. When we walked in, a guy was playing a string instrument of some sort. The place was dimly lit but very casual. Our waitre was very pleasant and knowledgeable. Ended up finding out he grew up in Charleston, SC. The food was absolutely amazing. I ordered the "Not Chos" which is nachos with cashew cheese and chorizo topped with picked Jalapeño, onions, and pico degallo. I didn't get a picture of it because I was so excited to eat them since they had vegan cheese. As my entrée I had their Curry. It was fantastic. Jasmine rice topped with chicken, carrots, and eggplant. Gluten and dairy free for the win!! Corey had one of their burgers. Not only was it massive, it was very tasteful. And to top everything off, I got to have ice cream for dessert. It was made with lentil cream. It was the creamest "ice cream" I've had. If you ever find yourself in Raleigh, definitely don't sleep on Irregardless!!

    Garden frittata. This is absolutely delicious! I love a dish with fresh veggies that stand out! The potatoes were perfect!
    Lauren R.

    I love this place, and met friends for Sunday brunch. It's a popular spot, always busy on weekends, but we were able to make a reservation. I love that they have live music! The food was delicious and arrived quickly. The service was a little "off" this time, couldn't get our server's attention for coffee or water refills, had to ask repeatedly for coffee, then couldn't get their attention for condiments. Once our food was dropped off, no check in other than to bring the check. It's also frustrating that all parking is now paid, 24/7. At a time when everything is so expensive, this is just piling on. The City of Raleigh needs to get it together! I do appreciate that they have a parking guide online. I'll definitely be back, but this visit was not ideal.

    Ted G.

    Now just "Irregardless" - Once a haven for vegetarians seeking the thrill of expertly disguised faux chicken, beef, and even the occasional suspiciously convincing "rib," this restaurant has taken a sad slide into mediocrity. The menu that once boasted bold, bragging fake-meat masterpieces now reads like a produce aisle roll call. Gone are the days when seitan strutted and tofu transformed; in their place are... carrots. So many carrots. With their star performers washed-up and uncooperative, the restaurant has retreated to mainly just vegetables--unmasked, unembellished, and unmistakably... vegetables. Carrots that crunch without charisma and Eggplants that show up fried and now Morgan Street Chicken? The restaurant hasn't just changed direction; it's lost its spark. The excitement, the creativity, the playful deception of fake meat alchemy--all replaced by piles of straightforward, undeniably earnest vegetables and seafood. It's still vegetarian, I guess. Just not... excitingly so anymore. Cheers!

    John Michael S.

    A good spot for an easy upscale ish dinner! I didn't feel rushed or anything, the staff was amazing! The cute artwork and the live music were completely well blended! The salmon was so good and the social butterfly drink was better!

    Indoor seating
    Alexandra R.

    From start to finish, irregardless was perfect! The restaurant was cozy and festive for the holidays, and they have booths, which is always a plus. We got a mimosa and the Queen Bee cider - both were very good. For our meals, we got the the bowl and Crunchwrap - both were tasty, filling, and presented nicely. Service is where they really shine. A very enjoyable experience all around!

    Amy P.

    Holy smokes, Batman! As someone who often struggles to find great food options as a celiac (gluten-free), Irregardless blew me away. Our waitress--whose name I regretfully forgot, and it's not on my receipt--was phenomenal. I told her I was torn between a few choices, and she confidently recommended the Hot Fried Chicken Sandwich (GF). Honestly? One of the best sandwiches I've had in over 12 years. Crispy, flavorful, and totally worth the hype. They accommodate a ton of dietary restrictions. Portion sizes? Generous. Food? Incredibly fresh and delicious. Location? Adorable. Parking? A bit tricky, but it's the only "meh" part. Inside? Cozy, charming, and quiet enough to actually enjoy a conversation. If you're in Raleigh and want something amazing, run--don't walk--to Irregardless.

    CRABCAKE Benedict!

    Chef Adam Masters is cooking up some amazing food at Irreguardless! The food was fantastic!

    Tofu scramble
    Divya S.

    Dropped in for brunch to catch up with some friends and was surprised to see how popular this spot is! We had made reservations so after letting the staff know we were here they quickly seated us. I would recommend making a reservation ahead of time- even though the spot is fairly large and had a decent amount of large tables, this place looks to be very popular! I ordered a classic crab cake Benedict, my husband got the tofu scramble and both dishes were excellent. Unfortunately the beignets fell a little flat for me- they were coated in sugar rather than powdered sugar which ended up making them overly sweet. I'd like to try to come back here for dinner! The menu is very vegetarian friendly!

    Grilled Salmon
    Kim B.

    I have wanted to go to this restaurant for years. I finally had the opportunity this past Sunday. We were welcomed to the restaurant ith warmth and smiles which was awesome. It is a very cozy and quaint restaurant which also offers lives music. Music was very good. I am pescatarian, and joining me for dinner was someone allergic specifically to cheese (so not dairy in general) and a vegetarian. We order the Spanakopita, Foccacia and Brussel sprouts as appetizer. All amazingly good. two of us shared the Fall salad which was also good but I forgot the picture. The vegetarian ordered the Eggplant Parmesan he said it was just okay and he was disappointed that it was not served with pasta, nor was that an option you could add. The no cheese guy order the burger with no cheese and said similiarly it was okay. I order the Fried Oyster Mushroom entree and it was SO AWFUL, I could not eat it. Oyster Mushrooms can absorb flavor if marinated properly and can easily mimic chicken among other things. I cook it often. First of all it was TOUGH and I needed a steak knife because I was sawing into this thing with my butter knife. secondly it was no flavor FULL STOP. I cook this at home and so if you marinate it AND THEN you fry it, it is tender and rivals fried chicken in taste and texture. This was not only missing on seasoning it didn't even have salt. Like eating tough fried cardboard. Later we all tasted it and wondered if it was some sort of mistake. Because it would be hard to believe that a skilled chef would serve this in a well known partially plant based restaurant. The risotto that the mushroom was sitting on was amazing. Knock it out the park on flavor and perfectly cooked which is why we couldn't understand how the mushroom was so bad. I did not send it back, but I did tell my server I didn't like it and why. When I told him, I had not taken but a bite or two. He did NOT offer me a refund so I just ordered the Salmon. The salmon was amazing. Super tender and the flavor was profile on point. I loved that it had the skin on it, which was crisped up just right and also seasoned. The Bok Choy cabbage tender. I loved it!!!!! We ordered the Beignets which were amazing and bourbon pecan pie. The pecan pie was not good. It had a weird taste to it, it was salty and I could not find the bourbon but maybe it was there ..somewhere. So the food was okay, and something items were really good, BUT I would never go back. It was not memorable or even tasty enough to warrant a second try. While my server was nice, he kept forgetting things. Forgot to put the salad order in, and then forgot the to go containers "three times" so we had to flag down another server to help us. I am glad to check the box on this one. Really wish the Triangle would offer more plant based restaurants or expanded menus with plant based options. Not just impossible burgers and not something just thrown together without any care for making the dish tender and have it taste really good. I mean anyone can take a piece of cardboard and sit on some pretty risotto.

    Vega breakfast burrito
    Nora D.

    Came for brunch on my way out on NC. Got seated pretty quickly because we have reservations. Serve was nice. Ambience was noisy but still talkable volume. The food was okay for me I was at blown away but my friends who are vegan loves their food. I had the avocado toast grits and chicken sausages. Grits were a bit different for me didn't love but may be a local style.

    Seafood Bucattini
    Megan W.

    My dad and I came for dinner after having run a long distance that morning. We were starving and ready for a substantial meal, and the dishes we got hit the spot! I got the Morgan Street Chicken. The first time it came out, it was way too salty (which says a lot because I was low on salt from sweating so much that morning). The GM and our server, Thomas, were so gracious and got me a new plate quickly. It was perfectly salted the second time around and was just the balanced meal I needed. My dad really liked his bucattini, but felt like the sauce could've had a bit more acidity to it. The sauce is more butter and just a hint of white wine flavor. Overall, we would come back to try other items on the menu.

    Maria L.

    12/10 experience every time! Irregardless Café never disappoints. We walked in without a reservation and snagged two seats at the bar. Such a great atmosphere with live music and the friendliest staff. Our waitress was super accommodating with my tree nut allergy, which I really appreciated. We ordered the chicken & waffles and the classic breakfast plate, both were amazing (and yes, we cleaned our plates!). The food, the energy, the kindness... everything here just feels good. Can't wait to come back!

    scallops with greens!

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    Page 1 of 21

    Ask the Community - Irregardless Cafe

    Do they accept walk-ins? my friends and I would like to dine outside but I can't tell if it's by reservation only or if walk-ins are accepted. Thank you!

    They do take walk-ins as long as seating is available. They remain socially distant with table arrangements so it helps to make reservations.

    Is the music loud? I see people saying it's good for groups, but is conversation in a larger group possible with the volume of the music?

    No it's not too loud, usually just one musician.

    Does this place offer gluten free options?

    Yes! Very "crunchy " menu with vegetarian and vegan too

    Do you have Wifi ? Thanks !

    Yes, they do!

    View All 5 Questions

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    The Fiction Kitchen

    The Fiction Kitchen

    4.5
    (757 reviews)
    2.9 mi
    $$

    Every single time I go to The Fiction Kitchen I'm just blown away! The food is always so creative…read moreand delicious and I always leave inspired to cook more vegan food. Their new location is very nice and spacious and there's plenty of parking too! We got the Cast Iron Skillet Cornbread, Grilled Romaine, Hearts of Palm & Lion's Mane "Crabcakes", and Southern Style Plate with BBQ "pork". The cornbread was so moist and the crabcakes were flavorful. The grilled romaine was a revelation - I loved whatever creamy sauce it came with, the candied nuts, and the smokiness of the romaine. The BBQ "pork" was probably my least favorite thing, but don't get me wrong, it was still tasty. We asked for a little more BBQ sauce to go with it and our waitress got it for us right away. The drinks were also fantastic! I got the Autumn Flare which was coconut water, housemade falernum syrup, pineapple juice, and lemon. So refreshing and yummy!

    They are in a new location. There was plenty of parking…read more Went for Sunday brunch and the food did not disappoint. We were greeted and seated immediately. Our server was very friendly. We ordered the French toast with soysage (which was devoured immediately) and chicken, egg, and cheese biscuit. with home fries. The biscuit was dense and so delicious that we didn't use ketchup. The home fries were cooked perfectly. Definitely recommend!

    Photos
    The Fiction Kitchen
    Cast iron skillet cornbread
    Cast iron skillet cornbread
    Restaurant front

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    Restaurant front
    Pomegranate Kitchen

    Pomegranate Kitchen

    4.6
    (64 reviews)
    22.5 mi
    $$

    Persian flavors and Mally are the reasons to visit this out-of-way kitchen. My wife and I stopped…read morein for lunch while looking at another nearby shop. We were greeted warmly by David, the assistant, and he explained each of the available dishes on the trays stacked on the shelving unit. We chose pirashkis, flaky dough filled with meats or veggies, and plenty of yummy spices. Our two favorites were the tomato and the chicken and sausages. Mally, the owner and top chef, engaged us in conversation that felt like we were welcome guests in her home, specifically the kitchen. Mally gave us a plate of fresh greens from her garden complete with edible Nasturtium flowers. Very limited seating was available inside and the breezeway outside had a number of tables where we enjoyed our food and a cool breeze. After our lunch, we walked back to the kitchen to tell Mally how delicious everything tasted and I picked up a baklava to go. Tasty walnut and honey in layered philo dough was a great finish lunch. This woman-owned small business is worth supporting, IMO, for all the reasons above. Additional Note: Rice and stew options are available as noted by other Yelpers.

    The food is very tasty and vegan and gluten free by default. You can also add meat if you want to…read more The service is great and the owner is very nice and welcoming. Definitely suggest this place to anyone who is in the area around lunch time.

    Photos
    Mally, owner and head chef
    Mally, owner and head chef
    Baklava - walnut. Yum!
    Baklava - walnut. Yum!
    Pomegranate Kitchen

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    Spotted Dog

    Spotted Dog

    4.0
    (406 reviews)
    24.9 mi
    $$

    My husband's vegetarian coworker recommended this restaurant and we decided to give it a chance. He…read moreshould have hyped it up more because I thought it was amazing even as a an omnivore. My husband and I went on a late Saturday afternoon and we were seated immediately. We shared the Fido's Fries as an appetizer and I got the Chili Cheese Dogs as my entree. Almost everything could be made veggie or vegan so I asked for the dogs to be veggie. My meal also came with a side so I got the frickles (fried pickles). The Fido's Fries were beer battered fries, topped with cheese, bacon (we got the pork option but they have soy), scallions, & sour cream (on the side). The fries were absolutely delicious! I loved my chili cheese dogs as well. It was a very generous portion because it was two dogs and a ton of frickles. As a dog lover, I adored all of the dog art & statues around the place. The menu is even dog themed. I mean they call appetizers kibbles & bits. That could not be any cuter! There is indoor seating (with a bar) and outdoor seating. As you can probably already tell, the restaurant is dog friendly (with their outdoor area). They even have a dog friendly menu (called puppy meals). Service was superb! There is no dedicated parking lot but we easily found free parking a few blocks away. My mom is a vegan and we sometimes struggles to find creative meals when she visits. I will definitely be taking her here next!

    I was attracted to the outside of this building and assumed I was walking into a Irish/burger bar…read more We were transported to more of a dining side vs. bar so I only got to see one side of the place and I don't like to not see my drink being made. My drink was good but I'm pretty sure the house made syrup was made with sweetener that was not cane sugar and I'm very sensitive to any other sweetener. Menu was large and I had a hard time deciding. It is a somewhat vegan place much to my surprise so I figured why not try it here because I do love good vegan option even though I do eat meat I ordered the trio of patties black eyed peas and black bean. I took a bite of each and left the rest. Three different staff noticed my untouched food but none inquired or offered replacing it or removing it from bill which to me would be a gesture of a good business practice. My companion enjoyed and loved each morsel of his crab cakes! The battered fries were great! My server was very kind and attentive.

    Photos
    Spotted Dog
    Turkey Reuben
    Turkey Reuben
    Knock-Me-Down Nachos

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    Knock-Me-Down Nachos
    Sage Restaurant

    Sage Restaurant

    4.9
    (16 reviews)
    22.6 mi

    This is the second vegetarian Persian restaurant I've been to. It gave off no overt sign of the…read moredifficult times currently facing that part of the world. The menu includes a few options with tempeh but is mostly vegetable based, and is not full of artificial fake meats or weird fusion stuff. Ordering a sprout salad was a good decision. I was worried the nuts would be excessive but it was a reasonable amount, and the dressing and finely shaved vegetables made for a light experience. My vegetable stew came with some aromatic rice, and a satisfying flavor mix. Ordering tea was a good idea as well; almost everything in this cuisine seems to be lime-flavored. The overall portion size for price was not overly favorable. The location is near the hospital system and in an area with dicey parking, it does have its own parking spots outside and in an adjoining garage.

    4-1/2 stars: Great menu, great food, slow service at lunch…read more We hadn't been to Sage since its move to Durham, so when an appointment took us to that part of town, we dropped in for lunch. In my memory it's even better in the new location. There's a mix of Turkish and other Mediterranean food on offer, and it was hard to make a choice. I got the falafel/hummus wrap and my companion got a salad. There is a small menu of beer and wine available, and we got a glass of white, and a non-alcoholic beer (Dry January). Both were perfectly fine for lunch. The food was super-fresh and well seasoned. The portions were more than enough for lunch. The only niggle is that the poor woman working as a server was all alone, and one person simply isn't enough to cover the whole place. We weren't in a hurry, but people trying to pack a visit into a short lunch hour might have been cramped. Anyway, we'll be back the next time we're in Durham for lunch.

    Photos
    Tables for six as well as tables for two
    Tables for six as well as tables for two
    Sprout salad
    Sprout salad
    Sage shaded outdoor patio

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    Sage shaded outdoor patio
    Yard House

    Yard House

    3.7
    (898 reviews)
    4.0 mi
    $$

    Stopped by Yard House for after dinner drinks and an appetizer. When you arrive you can either park…read moreoutside or in a nearby garage. After parking you'll walk inside the restaurant, check in with the host and be seated. The vibe inside the restaurant after entering is upscale, classic rock music playing, and high energy/loud. For drinks I ordered a bull city cider which was excellent along with a plate of chicken nachos. The chicken nachos are definitely big enough to share. Would definitely recommend yard house if you are looking for a place with good bar food/beer and has tvs.

    It's March Madness and we went to watch women's ball. We had a few appetizers and some beer. The…read morePizza was good and even better the next day heated in the oven. The Brussels were very tasty and nice and big. The drizzle was good and so was the dipping sauce. The Queso is always a hit, we tried it with the ground beef this time and yes it was great. I like it with the Pita, my GF likes the chips. There's never any left. Now let me tell you about this Tuna. If you like sushi if you don't like sushi, you must give this a try. It melts in your mouth and has the best taste. The cause is ginger and sesame with ginger on the side. It's so good. My beer flight. 1. Stone Buenaveza a pale lager had citrus notes and like a light beer and was probably my fav 2. Pauline's Pils is a Pilsner and just a little hoppy 3. Bavic Pils is really light almost no taste 4. Schwarzbier, German beer tastes like coffee but it was kind of good. The bar staff were great this day greeted us as we sat down and even changed the channels for us right away. It wasn't crowded as we went at the start of Happy hour but got busier by the time we left. The vibes are always good at Yard house.

    Photos
    Lobster Garlic Noodles - Maine lobster, shrimp, shiitake mushrooms, spinach and parmesan.
    Lobster Garlic Noodles - Maine lobster, shrimp, shiitake mushrooms, spinach and parmesan.
    Enjoy a variety of appetizers, like our Chicken Nachos, while watching your favorite sports games.
    Enjoy a variety of appetizers, like our Chicken Nachos, while watching your favorite sports games.
    Mac + Cheese]² - With white truffle, bacon, chicken, crimini, shiitake & oyster mushrooms, parmesan and panko cheddar crust.

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    Mac + Cheese]² - With white truffle, bacon, chicken, crimini, shiitake & oyster mushrooms, parmesan and panko cheddar crust.

    Irregardless Cafe - newamerican - Updated June 2026

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