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    Jones Lunch

    4.5 (89 reviews)
    InexpensiveBurgers, Hot Dogs
    Closed Closed

    Jones Lunch Photos

    Business Info

    JONES LUNCH ATMOSPHERE

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

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    Recommended Reviews - Jones Lunch

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    Egg breakfast
    Lenora S.

    Good, just not great. Breakfast review. As always, I grade like with like. A similar diner, local, with similar food. The locals are going to disagree. This is a third place. Many tables were getting up to talk to other tables. My friends over medium eggs and my soft scrambled were cooked correctly. The hot cake was wonderful. Skip the home fries and the cheese omelet. Home fries are some frozen brand with zero seasoning. Cheese omelet had zero lift. Reminded me of chow hall food in the Army. Order a hot dog with chili. Chili is a passible hot dog chili. Enough interesting notes to keep you guessing what's in it. Hot dog bun was almost wet from what ever steam or from the hot dog itself. All drinks are served in to go cups. Hot chocolate was served "not stirred." Again. Friendly place. Come in. Take a seat. I'd have to try lunch to see if the food improves.

    Buretta L.

    A must-try for hot dog lovers! Well-balanced flavors, fresh ingredients. A little pricey but worth it. Will return for sure!

    David M.

    Walking into the Jones cafe gives you the feeling that you are Mart McFly and you are Back to the Future. This is your old time dinner from start to finish. The food is served in paper baskets and on wax paper. The services are family friendly and outstanding. I got a burger and onion rings and my wife got a BLT and fries. Everything was cooked just right. Drinks were refilled and to go cups were offered. The place just had a total feeling of home town. If you are looking for a lunch spot Jones cafe will take good care of you.

    Exterior
    John C.

    Visited Jones Lunch on the recommendation of a friend and after seeing it featured in Our State magazine for their tasty hot dogs. I reviewed the menu, placed an order at the counter, and stood near the back until my order was ready. The woman who took my order was extremely kind and called me "baby" probably 20 times. Bless good southern hospitality. My order was ready quickly: 2 hot dogs with chili, mustard, and slaw and an order of onion rings. You can order beef dogs but if you don't specify, you'll get good ole Carolina red dogs. The chili is tasty and has lots of flavor. It has a similar texture to the finely chopped slaw so they blend together well. Add the tang of the mustard and you've got a great dog. Onion rings were good too. I would have loved a dipping sauce but the ketchup was left out of the bag. No worries. I took my order to go and enjoyed my meal in the park just down the street. Thanks for a great experience Jones Lunch!

    Menu
    Scott H.

    I came here with a party of three, which eventually became a party of 5. This was during the Clayton Harvest Festival and the place was hopping. Initially we were party of 3 and got our drinks and placed our food orders. 2 more showed up and quickly place their drink and food orders. We had placed about 10 minutes before the other two showed up and we were surprised to see that the latecomers got their food ahead of us. Clearly we had been forgotten in some way. Eventually I got my sausage, egg, and cheese sandwich which was just okay for me. The fries were a tad undercooked and sort of soggy. I CAN say that the prices are fantastic and our waitress was attentive and acted quickly when she figured out we hadn't gotten our food yet, so I agree with other reviewers on that part, but the food is pretty basic and maybe my experience was a result of the Harvest crowd. All in all, there are better options nearby (Eggs Up Grill), but I may come back to Jones for lunch or when the kitchen is less busy.

    Hotdog French Fries with Cheese with a sweet tea
    Lexy C.

    Great food and great service! :) It gets a little crowded around lunch time so make sure to plan around that.

    Bridget B.

    What a slice of nostalgia! Loved this place and wouldn't have found it without yelp. This is a wonderful old school diner. All about straightforward breakfast and lunch offerings prepared fast and skillfully. We had 2 hamburgers, a bacon cheese burger & a red hot sandwich (slight spicy Carolina pork sausage on Texas toast/mine had slaw and chili on it), fries, onion rings and sweet potato fries all for under $21 dollars. What a great value! Hands down the Best sweet potato fries I've ever had and the onion rings were up there. Crispy and not at all greasy. Fried food heaven! As a huge bonus, all the patrons were so friendly to my 18 month old nephew & 5 year old niece. And Monica aka "Mo" our server was very friendly, helpful & efficient. And no she didn't pay me to say that;)

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    8 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Always great food and fellowship with these wonderful people! Friendly staff and best Hot Dogs in the world!

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    4 years ago

    Everyone knows the hotdogs all the way with slaw and a large tea here is GREATT!! I also add a side of chili cheese fries love it.

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    4 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    14 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    12 years ago

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    6 years ago

    Good food for an inexpensive price. Clayton staple. I like the burgers. The onion rings are also good.

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    7 years ago

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    7 years ago

    Hot dogs and hamburgers are off the chain good, the staff are friendly and attentive! Nuf said!

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    11 years ago

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    15 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    8 years ago

    This place is really good. It has great food and service. There is no negatives that I can say about Jones's other than it being to crowded.

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    11 years ago

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    7 years ago

    Good place to get a hotdog or hamburger and fries. In a friendly welcoming environment.

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    7 years ago

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    11 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    11 years ago

    Great breakfast and good hometown feel. The waitress was nice and attentive. My wife even got an extra egg with her breakfast at no charge.

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    11 years ago

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    Page 2 of 3

    Ask the Community - Jones Lunch

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    The Roast Grill Hot Weiners - Two hot dogs with mustard. Glass Bottled Sodas. Chili and slaw on the side.

    The Roast Grill Hot Weiners

    4.2(187 reviews)
    13.9 mi
    $

    9.5 years later, I returned to the Roast Grill!…read more Nothing much has changed, and nothing really needs to. A little more Hurricanes gear, which I didn't need, but what can you do. 3 dogs and a coke for $14. Prices may not be the same, but such is life. I ordered all three dogs with mustard, onions, and slaw, and one also had the chili. I have to admit a few splashes of Texas Pete hot sauce took them over the top. The dogs themselves are great quality, none of the mystery meats that some of these other Carolina dogs have. And I'm glad they didn't load the chili on. Maybe this is not legal to say in the south, but I'm just not a fan of a chili dog with so much chili that the whole thing falls apart. The toppings should complement the dog, not overwhelm it. OK, I digress... The service was tremendous. I chatted with the owners about various topics for a good half hour and they were incredibly hospitable. They even gave me a couple of Tootsie rolls. Even though I can't do chocolate, I was glad to take them as a token of hospitality.

    I visited the Roast Grill in January after years of looking down on the building from my former…read moreGannett Fleming office at One Glenwood and wondering what was inside this little Raleigh institution. The Roast Grill feels less like a restaurant and more like a preserved piece of mid-20th-century Americana hidden in plain sight along West Street. The narrow counter, wood-paneled walls, neon beer signs, Coca-Cola memorabilia, handwritten notices, old photographs, Hurricanes tributes, and decades of accumulated objects create an atmosphere that simply cannot be manufactured today. The place reminded me a little of Chicago's famous Billy Goat Tavern--especially the feeling of discovering something authentic tucked beneath an increasingly overbuilt urban streetscape. I ordered two hot dogs all the way with mustard, onions, chili, and slaw--absolutely NO ketchup, of course--along with a Coke in a glass bottle. The chili is legendary and reportedly takes up to three days to prepare. Whether that is folklore or fact, it certainly gives the hot dogs a flavor unlike almost anywhere else in Raleigh. One of my favorite details was the mounted goat wearing a red hat beneath the neon beer signs. It somehow fits perfectly within the visual layering and quirky personality of the interior. Even the traditions remain intact. At the end of the meal, every customer receives a Tootsie Roll. Places like the Roast Grill are becoming increasingly rare. It is not just a hot dog stand--it is a living piece of Raleigh history. If interested, you can view my post in "The Architecture of..." Facebook Group here: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18Tu51FPtB/

    Photos
    The Roast Grill Hot Weiners - The back wall and door to the kitchen are equally interesting. It is no-holds-barred visual layering.

    The back wall and door to the kitchen are equally interesting. It is no-holds-barred visual layering.

    The Roast Grill Hot Weiners - 2 mustard, chili, & onions

    2 mustard, chili, & onions

    The Roast Grill Hot Weiners - Coke in the bottle, cool

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    Coke in the bottle, cool

    Jones Lunch - burgers - Updated September 2026

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