As far as I'm concerned, brunch is the most important meal of the day. Even better, it is the perfect hangover cure after any weekend long bender. Brunching mostly in NYC, I have acquired very high expectations when it comes to choosing my brunch spot for that upcoming weekend.
Not really venturing outside the classic eggs Benedict order, I was worried what Southern brunch would offer down at Wake. Much to my surprise, I discovered I now crave these brunch spots while I am at home or away from school.
Whether you're in the mood for something sweet, healthy, or energizing, these 11 delicious brunch spots in Winston-Salem are perfect for all Wake Forest students.
1. Mozelle's Fresh Southern Bistro
Perhaps my favorite brunch spot, this restaurant offers a real Southern spin on brunch-grits and all. My favorite meal is the Mozelle's Benedict. This dish features candied bacon, spicy collards, chorizo gravy and a fried egg on a brioche bun served with grits.
My other friends swear by the "Go Back to Bed" sandwich which is a buttered croissant, fried chicken, sausage gravy, and breakfast potatoes. If you're like me from the North and had never been exposed to a real "Southern brunch," this should be the first one on your list.
2. Mary's Gourmet Diner
Mary's is rated one of the top breakfast spots by locals. The biscuits and gravy are highly recommended, and if you're looking for something more sweet, their cinnamon swirl french toast is to die for.
They also offer their very own "gritz bowls." The Taos gritz bowl, a customer favorite, consists of a hearty portion of stone-ground grits topped with New Mexican Hatch chile sauce, two fried eggs, and queso fresco.
3. Midtown Cafe
Served "hot and fresh all day," this breakfast spot is the perfect location for all the late risers out there. They are well known for their "Big Buckaroo" which is a bed of hash browns topped with chopped onions, pimentos, green peppers, ham, cheddar cheese, and two eggs...also served with three buttermilk pancakes. If this sounds a bit too daunting for your appetite, you can also opt for their homemade yogurt & granola combo.
4. Famous Toastery
This unique breakfast spot that follows the motto "every server is your server," is Winston-Salem's hidden gem. While my go to is the Cali Benny with tomato, avocado slices, all topped with a delicious Hollandaise sauce, my friends swear by the stuffed french toast. For all the sweet-tooth lovers, this dish has strawberry cream cheese filling with a layer of raspberries, blueberries, and peanut butter with banana.
5. Five Points
Served only on Saturdays and Sundays, this brunch spot is perfect for Northerners missing their traditional brunch. They offer a classic eggs Benedict, as well as omelets. However, don't let this fool you.
Their menu still possesses southern classics- a chicken and waffle dish that features crispy fried chicken tenders with maple gravy on a Belgian waffle with blackberry compote on the side. The black bean cakes and eggs are also a must order with poached eggs, hollandaise, and pico de gallo served with a side of three-cheese grits.
6. River Birch Lodge
A lodge inspired brunch menu, this breakfast spot swears by their famous eggs Benedict, fluffy Belgian waffles, and veggie frittata with eggplant, roasted corn, asparagus tips, and mushrooms. They also offer a hot cup of 100% organic gourmet coffee. My personal favorite is the eggs Nova Scotia that features an English muffin, smoked salmon, tomato, red onion, poached eggs, hollandaise sauce, and asparagus.
7. Village Juice
For anyone looking for a more healthy fix, Village Juice is the perfect place to cleanse after a long weekend. With their signature avocado toast or acai bowls, you can't go wrong.
I highly recommend ordering the mint chip green smoothie with house-made almond milk, organic, house-made coconut milk, organic spinach, banana, date, organic cacao, and organic mint leaves. They also offer a variety of juices like the Great Hydrator with cucumber, raw coconut water, pineapple, and lemon.
8. Sweet Potatoes
Only served on Sundays from 10:30 AM-3PM, Sweet Potatoes is a brunch spot in high demand. Must orders are fried green tomato & okra basket with breaded and fried okra and sliced green tomatoes served with sweet potato aioli, and sweet potato pancakes & fried chicken tenders.
They also have an inventive take on French toast with their "un-French toast" dish containing sweet potato bread pudding battered and deep fried served with honey ginger butter & warm fruit preserves (yum!).
9. Old Fourth Street Filling Station
Filling Station favorites include steak and eggs and the signature Carolina shrimp & grits. Feeling adventurous, I tried my waiter's recommendation- the Southwest Breakfast Bowl. This savory dish added some spice to my morning with the combination of hash browns, chorizo sausage, jalapeño peppers, onions, two eggs, and chipotle cream sauce.
10. Willows Bistro
One of my favorite dinner spots, I didn't realize that had such incredible brunch as well. Willow's classics include chicken and waffles, and crawfish and grits with creamy stone milled grits, crawfish tails, roasted tomato, and Tasso ham gravy. I ordered the Spinach and Avocado Benedict which was delish. Customers also swear by their Belgian waffles with powdered sugar and peaches.
11. Milner's American Southern
The country ham & fried green tomato Benedict with cornbread, collards, redeye gravy, and chive hollandaise is my favorite brunch dish at Milner's. Although on the pricier side, the bacon wrapped filet mignon with a poached egg is also highly recommended. Their hash brown casserole side is also a must order.
So whether you're in need of some much needed comfort food after a long weekend, or recovering from that dreaded hangover, these 11 brunch spots are a must visit for all Wake Forest students. Even better, you'll finally get a taste of the delicious Southern cuisine your college town swears by.