Some of the best homemade Southern country cooking you will eat. They offer a variety of meats, including steaks and other beef dishes, poultry, pork, and seafood, all cooked any way you like. You get your choice of two sides with your meal, plus homemade biscuits and hushpuppies. McLean's offers 19 side dishes, 20 if you include the one-trip salad bar. As a side salad, there may be an additional charge or you may choose it as your main meal. Be sure to save room for their delicious homemade desserts, including cakes and pies, and cheesecake with various toppings. Don't miss the hot fudge cake, topped with vanilla ice cream, hot fudge sauce, whipped cream and a cherry. This is generous enough for two to share! The cuisine ranges from country meals to burgers, Italian, and Mexican dishes. The servers are attentive and ensure you have everything you need, making your dining experience is an A-plus. The atmosphere at McLean's gives you a feeling of home, from the front porch to the inside seating and decor. Plus, they can accommodate large groups. They are open 7 days a week, from 7 AM - 8 PM; however, you will need to check on their breakfast, brunch, and their lunch specials cut-off times. McLean's also provides catering and bakery services for your special events. read more

McLean's Ole Time Cafe - Fresh strawberry dessert with whipped topping - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Zebulon, North Carolina

See all

I wanted to take a friend to a nice spot Friday June 12, he had never had the pleasure of experiencing. I've been here many times however it was his 1st visit. I let him know the food was great, home cooked and good portions. The one thing that ruined the evening was the RUDE waitress, he walked up to the table and before he could sit down she bought my drink out, she asked what will you have to drink, he's looking confused and responds still standing, well what do you have? She rambles all the options so fast I'm not sure he understood all but made a choice. Then he sat down. She came back and slid it on the table like a fly by.. Soon she bought a hush puppy basket they were cold, I dare not complain she was so nasty and distant. Next she came back, order book open and I was like it's his 1st time, she didn't say anything, she just looked out the window and waited, so we just knew we needed to order, so I named my meat before I could finish SIDES??then he simply asks did they have bone in chicken ( I didn't know he was going to ask or I would have told him beforehand) she says no we have , fried chicken breast tenders, sisco chicken etc, she named every chicken dish on the menu without taking a breath.. I can give her props for knowing that..we both were looking at her confused and she never looked at us it was always "looking out the window " He said just give me "Flounder " one piece or two??? He replies one, SIDES??? Like we needed to be on point. She took the menus and left. She asked the questions she needed but was mean, not engaging and just rude. The WAY she asked.. When our food came this waitress walked by and literally slid our food on the table in a way that was like HERE! And kept walking I don't even think she stopped when she put them on the table she may have slowed down. We had to reach towards the end of the table to slide our plates in front of us. We both looking at each other in agreement she just nasty! The next time she came back she walked by and sat down a half glass of refill for his drink, she hadn't asked she just did it, suppose he wanted a glass of water? When we put our forks down she came over to get his plate and bought me a to go box as I still had half my food on my plate and she left the ticket. She didn't say is there anything I can get you or anything the entire time. He put his pymt with the ticket and put it on the edge of the table, I hadn't been in a while so I forgot we would pay on the way out. She was cleaning the floor near us and slid our ticket/pymt farther on our table, as if it was in her way, again he's confused so he said this is ready and she let him know to pay up front. I have never experienced such a nasty waitress at this restaurant and because of this I probably will never go back. I don't like not feeling comfortable and welcomed in a place where my money and time is going into. I started to complain before I left but in reality I don't think it would have mattered, and we left a tip not as much as we would have if she was more pleasant. I don't know whether she was having a bad day, a long day or to take it personal but I can't deal with attitude like that and won't take a chance on it again. This man drove a hour to experience this was just unbelievable!!!! read more

Yesterday my wife and I went in for breakfast. We ordered 3 biscuits , 1 grits , 1 hash brown, 1 coffee and 1Dr pepper. The biscuits were 2 blts and 1 country ham. My total bill was $39 And some change. They charge $8.65 or each biscuit Alone. This is not good. I just ate breakfast at Cracker Barrel a week ago and we got full plated breakfast each , eggs and meats, biscuits, grits and hashbrown casserole with coffee and drink all under $34.00. Your biscuits were not very good. Picked it up and it fell apart. Will not be back for this price and poor quality Is really not good. RC read more

It was just okay. Nothing to write home about. I'm not sure what all the hype was about. I had high hopes for the $8 dollar desert I had and that was even a let down. Go figure! read more

Very good country cooking. I got beef tips with gravy. The greens and Mac and cheese were my favorite. read more

McLean's Ole Time Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Zebulon, North Carolina

Food was great. Perfectly seasoned and fresh. Customer service was top tier! The number of desserts available was stellar read more

McLean's Ole Time Cafe - Menu Cover - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Zebulon, North Carolina

Get there early! This place gets a crowd quickly. Stopped in with family from NC and this place was great. Lots of choices on the menu. The food was good yet average. More like "semi-homemade" I wasn't overly impressed by our meals. Our waitress was helpful but a bit off the mark in remembering to bring things we asked for. It's comfortable inside with lots of seating. Interested in giving it another go next time we're in town. The locals seem to love it, perhaps you will too. read more

See all

McLean is a good old-fashioned type of diner. It's a country atmosphere which is great. The food is plentiful and delicious and the staff is more than friendly and willing to accommodate. read more

I've got to hand it to service; the food is always good. The servers are always nice ; And ambience, well it's a family place with lots of friendly people and just a good atmosphere ! read more

The can vegetables are awful !!! The meats are dry !!! The cost is outrageous !! I guess folks in Zebulon do not care cause it looks like they do a good business but some people will eat anything !!! The steakhouse here is pretty good. We have ate there several times. read more

If you want a good home cooked meal from Granny's kitchen, this is your spot! The sweet potato casserole is my fav. I always get the Cisco chicken. You can't go wrong with that read more

If you're looking for amazing southern comfort, both food and ambiance, this is the place! Awesome service and delicious food. My go to is the chicken pastry when they have it, but you really can't go wrong. read more

A party arrived at 4pm on a Saturday afternoon and we were promptly seated. Our server was attentive, immediately refilling our drinks and expeditiously took our dinner orders and made recommendations for food items. Their hush puppies are delicious and I enjoyed also the collard greens. Someone in our party ordered a half rack of ribs. They were meaty and look delicious. Unfortunately some food items were too salty and inedible. Four of us order Mac and cheese as a side item but didn't eat this dish became it was SALTY! The crab cake was also very salty and inedible. The prices are reasonable and the bathroom was clean. read more

Had a horrible experience and waited 2 hours without a server while they weren't even half full of customers

McLean Old Time Café is everything you want in a small-town breakfast spot. The service was warm and welcoming, and the atmosphere felt like stepping back in time in the best way. I ordered the corned beef hash and it was absolutely amazing, perfectly seasoned, crispy in all the right places, and clearly homemade. Portions were generous and the prices were more than fair. This is the kind of place you come back to again and again. Highly recommend if you're ever in Zebulon! read more

McLean's Ole Time Cafe - Corn beef hash - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Zebulon, North Carolina

Food is hit or miss. Breakfast is pretty good. Generally stay away from the buffet. The choices and quality aren't worth the price. Staff are very pleasant. read more

Stopped here on our way to vacation. Delicious country food! Hush puppy melt in your mouth. I got the chicken & pastry fried okra and devil eggs. My husband got the bbq grill chicken, field peas and mashed potatoes Everything was delicious!! Our waitress was very prompt and courteous considering how busy they were. Love the country theme and decor. Worth the travel if you don't live in the area. read more

Food was very good Waitress was very friendly and gave good service Inside is like being at home Atmosphere is great Desserts are delicious read more

McLean's Ole Time Cafe - Cat fish and slaw and pickled beets Before and after pictures - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Zebulon, North Carolina

See all

Good food and clean. Grilled Lemon pepper skinless chicken breast seasoned well and juicy. Plenty of sides to choose from if watching calories. Although hush puppies did me in, went for taste and ate them all. Same with the biscuit. read more

Recommended for the regular menu eaters. No vegan menus unless you want a baked potato or salad bar

Two eggs over easy with hash brown casserole, corn beef hash and a biscuit! Coffee... eggs were good! Hash brown casserole tasted rancid, corn beef hash was way too salty and the coffee was basically.. dark hot water. Biscuit "no" butter :-( Waitress was attentive and very polite. read more

McLean's food is GREAT! The flounder literally melted in my mouth. I will come here again & again, & recommend it highly to everyone.

When it's Saturday and you want breakfast while your partner wants lunch this is the place to go. Brunch till 2pm on the weekend. LOVED my eggs, bacon, pancake meal (plus hash browns). The chicken and onions dish was also excellent. First time I did not have to wait and service was as efficient as always. read more

See all

I took my dad for Father's Day. it was super busy, but we only had a 20 min wait. it gives me Cracker Barrell vibes. They have the chairs outside, the pictures everyone on the walls. We did have to wait a while to get our food. It was kinda expected, except the crowd died down and we still didn't have our food. The food was good. Nothing too great, nothing too bad. The prices are great. Reminds me of Tex and Shirley. I would return. read more

10/7/23: I was craving some fried chicken livers like the place I used to go to back home in VA. I didn't know of any places in NC, so I researched Yelp and found this restaurant. It wasn't that far away & when we pulled up, it was packed full of people. To me, that was a good sign that the food must be good. Even though it was packed, there were plenty places to park. When we got inside & waited to be seated, there were people enjoying their food every direction we looked. They looked so happy, so I couldn't wait to order mine. I ordered the livers with cabbage and rice/gravy. My friend ordered fish, shrimp, Mac n cheese, & sweet potato soufflé. We really loved our food. My rice/gravy was bland, so I added salt and pepper to pep it up. It was so yummy. The server wasn't the friendliest though, which is the only reason I'm giving them 4 stars. Maybe she was tired and ready to go???? I don't know. I still gave her a great tip in hopes of making her night. We all have bad days. I will definitely go back in the future. They offer a buffet on Saturdays & they also sell desserts. I didn't indulge this time, but I definitely will next time. Please check this place out. read more

See all

Had lunch with the family yesterday. What a great place. The food and service are just the best.

This place is great for breakfast. My husband and I come here very often. Prices are good for the mount of food you get. read more

This place hits every time. Very authentic American southern and great prices. Both the sit down experience and ordering at the take out window were pleasant. The staff is hyper efficient which is great because they are always busy. But you're never really waiting. read more

See all

First visit in several years. They have daily lunch specials, and from that menu, I selected the meatloaf with gravy, mac and cheese, rice with gravy, and a roll and hushpuppy. Food was promptly brought to the table. I like the portion size and taste of the meatloaf as well as the mac and cheese. The only ding was there wasn't much gravy on the rice. This is a favorite restaurant for many in the area. All employees I interacted with were friendly. read more

See all

My 2nd time here after discovering it last month. I had am amazing Sunday lunch. Grilled pork chops were absolutely beyond yummy along with string beans, collard greens, and macaroni cheese. The biscuits and hushpuppies were to die for. My server was Shannon and she was beyond outstanding. So very friendly, genuinely cared how my day was going, and provided me non stop service. I drove a little over 4 hours to get here from Spartanburg, SC. It is more than worth the drive. I will be staying in the area overnight and will come back tomorrow morning for breakfast. Let me go ahead and say this as well. The ambiance of the restaurant reminds you of Cracker Barrel from long years ago when it was good. I told the manager today that the CEO of Cracker Barrel needs to come here for a day long visit, eat meals here, pay attention to the great staff here, pay attention to the awesome quality and quantity of the food here, look at the decorations inside and out, and then go back and make Cracker Barrel the restaurant it use to be. I have long quit Cracker Barrel years ago. I prefer to spend my money at McLean's Old Time Cafe. I am already looking forward to my next meal here. Thank you McLean's for knowing how to operate a business and truly caring about your customers. You are a treasure! Came back for breakfast this morning and asked for their shining star server Shannon. Another outstanding job of service. First time for breakfast and I ate way too much but I do not regret it. The most awesome breakfast ever. read more

See all

Clean and large restaurant with an old country charm. However, ordered a cheese omelet, with 2 cheeses one they put on the inside and the other on top, I guess the cook didn't want the cheeses to touch. When I asked not to put American cheese on my omelet I assumed no cheese on top. Not very good! read more

Food and service were great! Prices were reasonable and great selection of dishes. The tea was amply sweet and brewed to perfection! A very popular choice judging by the amount of people. read more

It is good breakfast and nice bathroom and friendly service and and we would like back here .. read more

McLean's Ole Time Cafe - 3 pancakes and corn beef hash brown and fried egg.. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Zebulon, North Carolina

Great food and service! Home style food and old time decor. Oh, and their desserts are wonderful

I went on a Saturday at lunchtime. Not a long wait; my party of three was seated within 20 minutes. I was excited because I had heard such great things. I ordered the ribeye and the salad bar. The salad bar was nice, it had quite a good selection of vittles from vegetables to fruit and their ranch dressing is one of the better ones. My mother ordered the chicken livers which didn't have enough breading on them. They tasted very plain. My godbrother got the patty melt which he said was underwhelming. I enjoyed my experience but I'm not in a hurry to go back. Maybe for the ranch. read more

Walking in it does look like the tables could be rearranged to feel more inviting but, the service is great, the food is better! I love their hamburger steak along with a few other things from this restaurant. Well worth a try and affordable prices with great food that might not be good for your cholesterol but definitely good for the heart and soul. I find myself wanting more every time I go! read more

10/10 will be back!! Wonderful service, wonderful staff, and the food was amazing. This was a first time experience for us and we WILL be back! read more

Just order a breakfast plate from here, and look what I found...........HAIR I am sick to my stomach. It looks like it was cooked with the sausage. read more

See all

Our waitress was super sweet and attentive. There was no wait for a table. Before entering you are fully informed that masks are required when you are not at your table eating. The fresh packed salad bar and soups require that you wear gloves provided. We loved the menu! Plenty of choices for everyone. Shrimp poor boy sandwich and fried okra, beef tips with rice gravy collards and beans, and chicken salad sandwich with one trip to the salad bar made the three of us happy. We topped off off with one generous slice of carrot cake. It was hard not to chose something from the beautiful dessert tray. It kind of has a Cracker Barrel feel, but you know it's mee maw and pee paw running the place. Lots of nostalgic decor. The place seems clean and fully staffed. Spacious safe parking lot. It is toward the back of the complex, but you'll find it and you'll be glad you did! read more

See all

Great food and service! Many choices of food items, from breakfast, dinner and desserts!Great selection!!