This restaurant was a surprise. I've only ever seen the outside, but the inside is something entirely new. When you walk in it's like stepping into a 1950s diner, and you're about to discuss a very important detective case with your partner. The upstairs is even better; great for coming together. It's so incredibly beautiful. The skylight is amazing. The food was affordable ($9.4) and very tasty, service was decent. They were kind, not very enthusiastic, though! lol read more

The Mecca Restaurant - Four Pancakes w/ Sausage Patty - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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Wow this place has been around since 1930!!!! Both the food and service were good, the food came out quickly for a Sunday morning during breakfast. The next time my sister and I go, we'll be going in 1930s attire to really immerse ourselves in the experience. read more

The Mecca Restaurant - Chocolate chip pancakes and a BEC breakfast sandwich on a biscuit!!!! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

It really wasn't great. The service was fine, the young lady was personable and kind enough to let me know that it would take 25-30 minutes to get my food if I ordered fried chicken... at lunchtime... when people would most likely go there. I ended up with the smallest omelette I'd ever seen, about 4 tablespoons of grits, and a 1 1/2 inch round biscuit that was burnt on the bottom. All of this for $14.62 plus the tip. The place has a nostalgic feeling and it has tons of potential, but clearly someone isn't interested in quality food at a fair price. read more

Loved the historic feel of the restaurant. Simple menu. Not overly much seasoning but honestly for that it is you don't need overly much. The server was nice. Fairly quiet. read more

The Mecca Restaurant - Breakfast plate - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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I visited the Mecca for breakfast on a short trip into Raleigh. Mecca is in the heart of downtown Raleigh and offers traditional southern breakfast items on their menu. The service was quick and you can actually see the kitchen in the back from the downstairs dining area. We thought the food was good, and the prices were fair. I wouldn't recommend this place for a larger group as the booths are small, they do offer seats at a breakfast bar that looked great if you come alone. read more

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Wonderful breakfast! Mimosa, Bloody Mary, Meat Omelette, and Breakfast sandwich were all 'top notch.' Service was perfect -- friendly, helpful, patient, attentive. Old school interior with booths and counter service...which we appreciate so much. Kudos to the mixologist : ) and the chefs / : ) read more

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I ordered 2 breakfast meals through Uber eats and they sent me NOTHING of what I ordered! I thought it could be the uber driver who possibly picked up the wrong order but inspected the bag and there was my receipt with my original order on it. This sucks because I am sick so I can not just get up and go to the place like I want to. I had to take it up with uber and get a refund. But I am livid that I now have to order a second order for myself and my son! This needs to be addressed with your staff to get it right. I pay for a service to get said service so I would appreciate getting what I paid for! This was my first and last time ordering from them. read more

What a gem in Raleigh! Love the history of this place and that the interior totally reflects the history and wasn't just totally cleared out. When in for an early-ish breakfast on a Sunday and there were not many people there. The waitress was super friendly and the service was great. I got their french toast, but it wasn't my favorite. I think they shine with the typical diner style breakfast dishes. The eggs and corned beef hash was spot on and definitely something I'd get again. The food came out hot and fresh! read more

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I went here with my best friend and I had the time of my life. The fried chicken gave me and out of body experience and her biscuit was dry in the most perfect way (add cheese to the breakfast sandwich, trust her). The service was excellent and my server was so nice. I loved the restaurant's look, you could really tell it was from the 1930s and I was having the time of my life staring at the walls. My only sadness was they didn't have apple pie. Still peak. Go here. read more

The Mecca is one of my absolute favorite restaurants downtown for four basic reasons: (1) the building and interior are like a time machine back to the 1920s, I love the decor; (2) the food is really good. I love the daily specials with 2 sides and a drink for just $12, my favorite specials are the Monday meatloaf (and I don't usually even like meatloaf!) and the Wednesday herb chicken (3) The food is a really great deal and not just the daily special (4) The service is really nice and feels personal. Old school "warm" service. Definitely worth checking out. read more

I have been here several times, and the food is decent. They sorta have an old fashioned type of food with some southern charm to it. The food is also fairly priced, which is great. They make the bakery items, and desserts fresh during the week, which is great. The staff like to treat people like family, and they like to have casual conversations with the guest. I prefer this place over several other places downtown Raleigh. #514 read more

The Mecca has been around since 1930 and still looks like an old school diner inside. I dined in for lunch with a group this time and we had an okay experience. I ordered the 2 piece fried chicken with mashed potatoes and butter beans. I also ordered a side of the squash casserole. The chicken is made to order so it took a long time to come out. It was good but the sides were just okay. The service was also slow but I think it was because we chose to sit upstairs. The menu offers classic comfort foods for breakfast and lunch, it's worth a visit to experience feeling like you took a step back in time. read more

We were walking around after church looking for a breakfast spot, a lot of places are not yet open (until 12am) but Mecca was ready for us! There is seating inside and out. Some of the outside seating has umbrellas and some don't, I love the sunshine so it was perfect for us. The service is friendly and on point. The staff seem to really help each other out. Ann greeted us and helped out with more water and a to go container. DJ told me all about the mimosa options which I appreciated and Nick took our order and have some deets on the menu options. The menu has variety but not 50 options which I appreciate. I treated myself to a strawberry mimosa (there are a lot of options in addition to strawberry) which I hadn't had before. It was good! If we had more people I would have tried the mimosa flight for $30 which comes with the bottle of champagne. My favorite thing is the staff made sure you had enough water, which I always appreciate. Great team! I tried the French Toast and my hubs tried the pancakes. I love the fruit side was not 5 pieces of fruit. It was a decent serving and all v fresh. The flavors of the food were delicious, I am envious of how tall they get their pancakes. The pancakes come with four but you can tell them just to give you two or whatever. We got the 4 and took home leftovers. Mecca is always a solid food spot and we will definitely be back! read more

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Came to The Mecca for brunch with the family as a recommendation from a local. They're a super retro breakfast spot that's been there for a LONG time and have the classic breakfast/lunch diner vibe. There's two stories of seating - with a larger more open area for large groups upstairs. I got an order of pancakes and bacon and shared the eggs and hash dish with my fiancé. Both were amazing and the portion sizes were great. My expectations were no frills and for the most part it was but was surprised to find that they offered bloody Mary's on their menu. The coffee options were your average cup of Joe but not bad considering. Pricing was also very reasonable. The service was decent considering we had a larger party - it did take a bit to get everyone their food. Overall, this was a great breakfast spot and I would definitely come back for a hearty breakfast. 8/10 recommend! read more

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This Resturant is truly a frugal persons dream! Listen a good breakfast for cheap and an old time atmosphere! It was just what the doctor ordered! I loved it! Service was great, staff were excellent! Friendly and courteous staff is always a plus! For a quick good breakfast stop here! I enjoyed it! 10 out of 10! read more

Mecca was the first restaurant I dined at when I was scouting the area before I moved to Raleigh. back then, there weren't many dining choices. I've been back since but it has been a while and the restaurant was closed for a while too. So I was excited to dine here again. The staff was friendly but my food was cold. It took forever to get our food. We ordered before it got crowded and all of those that came later were served first. They said one of the plates had to be redone so I am guessing mine was left sitting on the warmer for an hour. then not all of my order was brought out. I have great memories of Mecca but my visit was either an off day or the quality just isn't there anymore. I won't be back anytime soon. read more

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Walked in here 45mins before closing and we really wanted breakfast, but it was lunch time. They still accommodated us and gave us the breakfast menu. I'm so happy we stayed because it was the best breakfast I've had since moving to NC. Ms. Shirley was the cook on duty and she is a gem for this small restaurant/diner. I will forsure be back. Our waiter and waitress were amazing and welcoming as well. read more

I've lived in raleigh for 7 years before i moved out and been wanting to try it. I finally got to try it on my visit back and I'm sad I didn't come here while living here. Ambiance, food, service and prices were all great! read more

The Mecca Restaurant - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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Great place for breakfast and lunch. They have many fairly priced options to choose from. The decor is pretty and more of an old school style, and the staff members were kind as well. read more

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How long does it take a Raleigh native to visit Raleigh's historic Mecca Restaurant? Evidentally a long time, since I finally dined there! While not still owned by the original family, the new owners have wisely left the decor as is. I went for lunch and got there about 40 minutes before the close of business (2 pm). I ordered the roasted turkey open-faced sandwich with rice and gravy. It was really a good sandwich. These were not thinly shaved pieces of turkey, but a nice thickness for the sandwich. The entire staff was busy serving customers and prepping for the end of the day. I am pleased that I have finally dined there and hope to try it again sometime. read more

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Fantastic cozy restaurant. Great service and food. Prices were great for downtown Raleigh! I would definitely visit again. read more

I decided to check this spot out after finding it on yelp! This is a cool downtown diner with a great wait staff. Also, the price is right! So here are the deets: Atmosphere: Cute and cozy, and don't forget to checkout the upstairs! I loved the playlist! Staff: Everyone was extra friendly and they greet you as soon as you walk through the door! They make the experience worthwhile Coffee: Nice and strong Beverage: I recommend trying the Pineapple Lavender Mojito! Delicious! Food: It's just ok. I tried the Shrimp and Grits. Nice size portion and overall lacked flavor and were a little watery. However, the corn beef hash was bussin! I would definitely go back for the corn beef and pair it with eggs. read more

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Waited half hour They lost my order Whole idea is easy n quick Time before wanted to charge me double A figment of its prior self In sore need of proper management read more

I love breakfast. Mecca, what happened? I've been here three times, and I'm not returning. The first two times were fine. Last time, the eggs were rubbery, the biscuits were burned, and the pancakes dripping in oil. The grits were good and the coffee was decent diner coffee. But besides that, we barely ate any of our food. I love the atmosphere though. We will look for another similar place downtown, but with serviceable breakfast. read more

Appears to be a well established local favorite small diner style joint. Since 1937 they only do breakfast /brunch closing at 2. Maybe 50 seats. Simple good home cooking at amazing prices , nothing over $15 most 10-12. They don't make ''em like this anymore. Nice folks very attentive service too. read more

The Mecca Restaurant - Brunch menu Sept '23 - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Great Sunday brunch with my wife and 3 young kids. My kids loved the chocolate chip pancakes. My western omelette (without ham) was excellent as well. Great service. Friendly staff. Calm environment as we were the only ones sitting upstairs. This was our first time here and we'll definitely consider it again in the future. read more

Such a great little lunch spot! We had a shrimp po'boy and fried chicken sandwich with fries and they were all delicious, even as leftovers the next day. Fantastic service and super reasonable prices, we'll definitely be back again read more

Meca has been here for close to 90 years and it's definitely a classic diner. Delicious breakfast for me this morning and friendly service. A long counter where a bunch of regulars were chowing down but the one waitress was hustling here way through the diners, taking orders, filling orders and refilling coffee. Hard work! Not a huge menu here but classic breakfast and lunch items are on it. I went with the ham and cheese omelet, adding a side of sausage links. I skipped and toast as both are not good on a keto diet. Meal did not take long at all (7 minutes!) and I was able to dig in. Nicely put together, tasty, and with at least three refills of that coffee cup. Good stuff at Mecca. If you're in downtown and looking for a classic meal, this is the spot! [Review 12482 overall, 2271 of 2019.] read more

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It feels like home! Me and my friends stumbled on this place one night when we were in downtown Raleigh for an art pop-up. We were hungry and just wanted to try new place and just wanted something simple. We were blown away by this place. The food is so good and tastes like my family's home cooking. The fried chicken, mac and cheese, collards, rice and gravy. The staff was extremely nice. We even stayed for the desert of the day, which was homemade apple pie with ice cream and it was delicious. I consider Mecca one of my favorite places to eat now. read more

Very cute older establishment! I was looking for a simple breakfast spot downtown this morning and stumbled upon this place. Historic, Simple and very reasonably priced. Breakfast tasted pretty good. Definitely recommend and will return soon! read more

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(3.5 stars) Calling a restaurant "The Mecca" sounds like the height of hipster pretention, but this place is very much the opposite. Founded by Greek immigrants in 1930, The Mecca is as old-school as old-school gets with classic décor, a comfortably familiar menu, and competent execution all-around. While there are definitely more chic and comfortable places to dine, The Mecca oozes nostalgia. Red stools along a long counter, a black and white checkered floor, and heavy wooden booths give the look of a place untouched by time. The menu is equally immune to faddishness, offering Southern favorites (fried chicken, fried fish, and chopped BBQ), a few nods to the founders' heritage (a Greek salad and Zorba's beef tips), and the eyebrow-raising Garry Dorn burger (a veal cutlet sandwich). Hungry from wandering around GalaxyCon, my wife and I bypassed sandwiches in favor of platters: fried fish and BBQ, respectively. Both came with a hushpuppy, slaw, and two sides (mac n cheese for both of us, butter beans for her, and fried okra for me). While neither dish was attractively plated, both tasted considerably better than they looked. After decades, The Mecca has making this kind of food down to a science. Both the fish and the okra were fried to a golden brown sans greasiness, the slaw was creamy, and the BBQ was not dried out. Admittedly, vinegar-based is not my preferred style, but The Mecca's was as good as a rendition of that type as I've had anywhere. For three quarters of the meal, service was courteous, prompt, and attentive. However, we made the mistake of ordering a blackberry cobbler after The Mecca got busier, and the dessert took so long to reach us that they ended up comping it. At under $3, it still would have been worthwhile, and much of The Mecca's menu is similarly value-conscious. Both lunch dishes were under $10 apiece, and while the fried fish contained a disappointingly small amount of fish, there was still enough on the plate for a filling meal. The Mecca is the kind of time-displaced icon that everyone should try at least once, but for those who are willing to trade innovation for simplicity, it's more than just a novelty act. read more

The Mecca Restaurant - BBQ plate (small) with slaw, mac n cheese, and fried okra - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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I finally got to this place, it is a really cute place, service was great, and the food was good, i ordered the fried chicken with, rice, fries and mac and cheese and i was not disappointed, chicken was delicious, fries hot and it was enough for two people. Definitely will come back for breakfast. read more

The Mecca Restaurant - Sides, fries, rice with gravy and mac and cheese - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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Would love to see the doors of this place reopen soon. This Restaurant serves such good food with a menu that has rarely changed over 60 years. They give a nice portion size, Friendly staff and it's nice to see its historic values remain in place in Raleigh read more

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coffee cold but good flavor. hash browns flavorless and small serving. fried chicken sandwich no lettuce no tomatoes no mayo but melted cheese. who does that? vodka tonic so flooded with tonic an little ice that you couldn't taste the vodka. place used to be good. read more

As an established Raleigh landmark, The Mecca is a hidden gem. I came in for lunch here on my Saturday afternoon downtown. No reservations are required. I seated myself. Mecca Restaurant has been around since 1930. The staff is pleasant, welcoming, and attentive to its customers. I had the shrimp and grits and a mimosa. The s&g was very hearty and flavorful. There was also cheese, green onions, and sausage in it. I enjoyed my food and the experience here. Very small restaurant that has a welcoming family-like vibe. Great place. I plan to return. read more

We loved the Mecca. Good food, great biscuits and country ham. Good service too! Only small complaints: no stevia sweetener and the decaf was so-so. Typical in a southern diner, so I didn't knock any points off:-). read more

Come for the feel. Stay for the down home cooking. I've visited the Mecca a few times and have enjoyed the food I've gotten. I didn't expect a gourmet meal--I wanted homemade, old school, no-frills but delicious food and that's what I've gotten! The four pancakes breakfast is as much as it sounds! Good option to share with a few sides. And the breakfast plates are filling but good for a lighter breakfast option. Of course, a mimosa for brunch is a must. I also really liked the fried chicken brunch plate. It's a nostalgic Southern plate, complete with rice and gravy and well-fried (and seasoned!) chicken. Staff is nice despite always being super busy. Shout out to Mike who is always busting his butt to keep things going and keep a positive staff. The only thing that takes away from 5 stars is the last interaction with a hostile and super disrespectful server (Ashton) who ruined service and the mood for guests, and was rude to his co-workers in front of every, even though they were doing their best during one of the busiest brunch rushes I've ever seen! Meanwhile, he stood by with his hands in his pockets and talked trash about customers and his co-workers to other customers. It's a definite must-see site to visit if you're in Raleigh, but if you get seated with Ashton, you're better off coming back later! read more

The Mecca Restaurant - Quarter Fried Chicken brunch plate with Mac & cheese and rice & gravy - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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We previously ate here & had a pleasant experience. That was not the case today. We previously had eaten lunch there & thought we'd.be doing the same, but we discovered AFTER we ordered drinks that they only offered brunch during lunch on the Saturday we visited. Due to the numerous food allergies in our party brunch was not going to offer us very many options. When the server returned (and before drinks were placed on our table) I explained that because of the food allergies in our party brunch was not going to work for us. I apologized. The server said "well you still have to pay for the drinks." If we had been given menus before our drink orders were taken we'd have known we needed to leave. I found this experience discourteous. I did not feel valued as a potential customer... such a disappointment from our previous visit. read more

This place was meh. Had friends in town and wanted to grab breakfast downtown. The wait at Ed's and Beasley's were both 30 minutes plus so we made our way to Mecca's. Other reviews said this place was great. I beg to differ. We had a large party so sat upstairs which seems to be the forgotten land of Mecca Restaurant. Our server did his best but seemed to be pretty overwhelmed. Pancakes and french toast came but no syrup or butter to be found. I ordered a hot tea and the hot water came without the mug or a tea bag. Just hit water getting cold by the minute. Bacon was cold. Biscuits were tough (again no butter or preserves on the table). At one point my friend went foraging in the servers area to procure a tablespoon of syrup for our table of eight. Server could not remember who ordered what so we shuffled plates and drinks around the table. My daughter ordered the breakfast burger which she barely touched. We would have taken it to go but after he dropped the check our server completely disappeared. Nothing remarkable about this place. Can't tell if they were just short-staffed or if this is just not it. Moral of the story: wait for places worth waiting for. This clearly isn't one of them. Hard pass. read more

Had a great brunch there with family on the last Saturday in April. Great food and service. Mark E. read more