The waitlist/check in process was confusing. We received a message saying we were on the waitlist, but then the next message told us we had five mins before we lost our reservation. But, when we checked in, we were told we had to wait for a text for our table to be ready. The waiter told us upfront that the kitchen was short staffed so our food would have a bit of a wait. We started with a mimosa flight and the pumpkin beignets. The pumpkin beignets were surprisingly tasty. The beignets were crispy and fluffy. We waited for quite awhile our mimosa flight, 2 out of 4. Once our food arrived, it was really good. The tacos were very flavorful and the cream sauce had the perfect amount of spice. The grits were so creamy and needed just a tad bit of salt. The potatoes were just crispy enough. The service was okay. read more

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Food was average nothing special. We waited double the amount the time that was suggested and when it came time we received a vague message about table window ready or something like that. Service was iffy. My party of 4 sat down 20 minutes earlier than a party of 2 behind and the other party ate and left before we got our food. The vibe was clearly southern food but it didn't deliver anything special. If you're looking for a place for brunch on a Sunday this probably isn't the place for you unless you don't mind sitting for 2 1/2 hours and listening to excuses from staff. Staff was nice but it was pretty clear that the kitchen was overworked. read more

This was my first time visiting this place. Apparently, a very popular joint with the 1 1/2 hour wait time! The food was definitely worth the wait. The service was adequate for the time of day and capacity. The fried green tomatoes were on point! I had the shrimp and grits. Though tasty, the grits were watery which made the dish more like a shrimp and grits soup! The wife loved the shrimp omelet w/ the French toast bites. The atmosphere was good. read more

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We traveled to Charlotte and I am so upset we won't have a Ruby Sunshine at home!! We ordered the white chocolate bread pudding pancakes with a side of potatoes and the cinnamon swirl pancakes with a side of bacon. From the very first bite, these pancakes were otherworldly. As soon as the fork hit my mouth, my shoulders dropped in this involuntary, full-body sigh, the kind you only get when something hits just right. Fluffy, tender, perfectly golden!! Like biting into a warm cloud that had been lightly kissed by butter and maple syrup. The balance of sweet and savory was so spot-on it almost felt personal, like these pancakes were made just for me. We visited here on a very busy summer Sunday morning. The place was bustling with satisfied customers and friendly workers. Our expected wait time was 30 minutes and they got us to the table in half that amount of time. Our waitress greeted us with high energy and promptly served my family and I the best breakfast we have ever had. She was quick and attentive to all of our needs. Even with how insanely busy Ruby Sunshine was we were in and out in an hour! Which is extremely impressive since every seat in the building was filled. The general vibe of the restaurant was welcoming and upbeat, all staff members served each guest with a smile! Would 100% recommend this place to anyone that will listen as I'll be dreaming of these pancakes until I am able to return to Charlotte. read more

Ruby Sunshine Charlotte Southend - White Chocolate Bread Pudding Pancakes Cinnamon Swirl Pancakes Bacon Breakfast Potatoes - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Soooo good. I had the chicken and French toast. Sounds a bit weird but they totaled pulled it off. Try the spiced vanilla latte it was not boring. read more

The food was some of the best I have ever had. Our server, Kevin, was outstanding as well. Would recommend joining the waitlist prior to arrival for speedy seating. read more

Ruby Sunshine Charlotte Southend - Biscuits & gravy - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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The food was really good & a nice portion for the price. The service team was friendly & the food came out quickly. I do recommend making a reservation to cut down your wait time as the location is on the smaller size & full of large parties. read more

My wife and I stopped for brunch at Ruby Sunshine around 12:30 last Sunday. We figured it would be busy and were told that there was a 1 1/2 hour wait for a table, inside or outside! My wife spotted a couple of chairs at the bar and we jumped on them. Never turn down a seat at the bar if you really like a particular restaurant. And we made a great decision. The bartender was a wonderful lady named Jaelyn. She took care of our drink order (blueberry margarita and a Pinot Grigio) then took our food order. I ordered the Green Tomato BLT and Bethany had one of their Eggs Bendict versions. Both were exceptional. She almost always orders Eggs Benedict at Ruby Sundhine but the Green Tomato BLT was a first for me and I would definitely do it again. The flavor of that sandwich gave me a whole new appreciation for the old fashioned, bacon-lettuce-tomato sandwich. This restaurant is large but surprisingly quiet, inside and outside on their patio. Not a bad seat in the place. Ruby Sunshine links its recipes, special bar drinks, and ambiance towards New Orleans eateries. New Orleans is still one of our favorite places to visit but in lieu of of a road trip, we highly recommend a vist to Ruby Sunshine. Be warned in advance....you will probably need to park on the street nearby so be aware of the parking signs! read more

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The meal was great. Got takeout smash burgers, the meat was seasoned very nicely. Good atmosphere. Parking is minimal. read more

Never got a chance to go in. The sign says they open at 7am and we stood there for 5 minutes. A server glared at us and then walked to the back with the one other person there. Pretty rude so we left. read more

First time to Ruby Sunshine and it was okay. We started with french toast bites and seasonal beignets and both were a little underwhelming and the presentation was meh. The french toast weren't cooked evenly, some were a little too crisp and others were a little too soft. The cream was just plopped on. The beignets just tasted like hot sour dough on top of chunky cream cheese. I was expecting fresh berries on cream but apparently the berry was just blended into the cream cheese substance which also wasn't a great presentation. The shrimp and grits were okay. Lots of flavors mixed pretty well but the sauce could have been thicker and I almost couldn't even see the grits at first because of all the runny sauce. Looked more like soup. The biscuits were dense, rather than light and fluffy. They also mentioned they were out of their house butter so we didn't try that. Just had regular butter and jelly. Not bad. Not the greatest. Probably 3.5 stars. read more

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Services was amazing. Food was perfect. I'd recommend trying the Bloody Mary cocktail.

The seating near the kitchen probably is the worst that there is. The air duct is directly above and bot does it blow! Can't taste a thing of my food, they became instant frozen food. Service was quite slow...but nice I guess. And the troublesome factor is that they knew this is an issue....come on read more

I was in town visiting family and on a Friday around mid-morning my sister and I were in dire need of some brunch. She recommended Ruby Sunshine so we headed over. We were able to get a seat rather quickly, outside on the patio, which was great because it was absolutely lovely outside. While that was great, we did have to wait like 10-15 minutes to even be acknowledged by the staff. We had been forgotten about. Bummer, because we were starving, but it happens sometimes. I ordered the breakfast tacos and a coffee. It came with three tacos, loaded with eggs, avocado, cheese, sour cream, and pico de gallo. It also included a side of breakfast potatoes. A ton of food... and all made from scratch according to their website. Everything was good but I would have preferred the pico on the side. It had way too much liquid and soaked the tacos so badly I had a pool of pico juice on my plate. I eventually couldn't finish because the soggy texture grossed me out. Great flavor and very filling, though! Overall, we had a nice brunch. I could easily see why it's a busy spot and I would come back. read more

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Food and quality of service are always spot on. Cinnamon swirl pancakes are to die for! Spanish omelette with T sauce?! AMAZING. Wait times can be discouraging at times but they make up for it with their quality food. read more

The server, not sure the pronoun but it didn't matter, had a ball with them. The food was amazing, atmosphere was great.

Good food & great service along with a nice outdoor patio. Great spin on brunch food that reminded me of New Orleans.

The food was very much worth the mile walk from our hotel in uptown in 90 degree heat. Everything was delicious! The bacon Bloody Mary is one of the best we've ever had. Hubby had WHITE CHOCOLATE BREAD PUDDING PANCAKES - delicious! I had THE PEACEMAKER with Chicken St Charles and BAYOU SHRIMP Benedict's. Both were outstanding. We will definitely be back if we're in the area. read more

Ruby Sunshine Charlotte Southend - White chocolate bread pudding pancakes - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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Have come here before and it was good but the kitchen was slow. This time, without reservations, we waited 1.5hrs to be seated and then it took us an hour to get our food and it was cold. The burger was over cooked and had to be sent back. My biscuits and gravy were also cold. We won't come here again if this is the norm. read more

Ruby Sunshine Charlotte Southend - Chicken ST Charles - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Trifecta is delicious! I have been to multiple locations in New Orleans and they have nailed it here in Charlotte! So happy to Have a taste of home Our server was pleasant and attentive. The weather was great for the patio. Very enjoyable atmosphere. read more

Parking: Very easy to find parking on the street or a nearby lot (the restaurant doesnt do parking validation though). Service: Alicia was OUTSTANDING. My friends and I are a very unserious group of people and she entertained our antics while maintaining professionalism. I ordered the loaded tots for an app and the Trifecta for my main entree. The tots were very delicious. 10/10 recommend! The trifecta is so much food I almost regretted ordering an app when I saw it come out, but im glad I got to experience those tots. Everything was a hit on the Trifecta. If you are expecting to compare this to Ruby Slippers in New Orleans, dont lol. Everything is delicious, but flavor wise, there isnt a comparison, but the food is still delicious. We also ordered the mimosa flight...there are 4 options, but my friends and I all agreed that 4 weren't necessary lol. It had the following: - pineapple peach bellini (it was as you would expect...not spectacular) - blueberry lavender (our FAVORITE and its not close) -watermelon pomegranate (delicious and refreshing! Our 2nd favorite) -blue orange (complete waste of time ) Its not gross by any means, it just doesn't deserve to be served with the other three. I would absolutely come back here! read more

Ruby Sunshine Charlotte Southend - Loaded tots - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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The food is really good. Our service was amazing. I didn't care for the mimosa flights which is why I gave it 4 stars. Other than that, it was a great experience. read more

Ruby Sunshine Charlotte Southend - Mimosa flight - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

This is a pretty good brunch. We needed to eat and burn time so my husband, toddler, and I came at the suggestion of family. I had the catfish and grits catfish was friend to perfection but the grits arrived a little cooled off and a bit watery. Tried the beignets, nothing remarkable and very small. Coffee was good. Husband enjoyed his shrimp omelette. Overall it was ok. read more

I'm so happy I got to try this place out. It was on my bucket list for sure! It took a bit for us to be seated, we made eye contact with several of the staff and no one acknowledged us right away, the hostess finally came over and didn't even greet us properly, just asked how many? No good morning, etc. I was so excited to try their cocktails but was told that they weren't served until after 10 am. That was a bit of a bummer. Our waitress was not friendly at all and seemed like she was over the day already, we arrived around 9am so it wasn't busy at all, so not sure what her deal was. I ordered one of their seasonal mocktails, which was really yummy. I forgot what is called, but it had a lavender syrup. My son ordered the cinnamon roll pancake with bacon and absolutely loved it! 10/10 We ordered the catfish and grits and an order of the bread pudding pancakes to share. Bread pudding pancakes 10/10 - They were so light and fluffy and just absolutely delightful! Omg, these are def a must try if you come here. So good! Catfish and grits 5/10 - This whole dish was bland. The server said you get a generous amount of catfish, and that was not true. The consistency of the grits were spot on, and the fish was fried well, but again, this dish lacked a tremendous amount of flavor. That was so disappointing. When this was mentioned to the waitress by my friend (who ordered the same thing), she didn't even acknowledge her complaint. This prompted my friend to ask to speak with the manager... The Manger came over and apologized and offered to allow us to pick something to take home, but we opted not to and expressed that we just wanted our concerns to be acknowledged which was not the case with our waitress. When we got our checks, he gave us 50% off of the cat fish and grits, which was very nice of him. We really weren't looking to get a discount but more so bring awareness to our dissatisfaction with the meal and service. But kudos to him for hearing us out and going out of his way to make it a better experience for us! I will come back, for sure, to get those pancakes. But also to try some other items that caught my eye on the menu! read more

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I love ruby sunshine! Their mimosas are so good! We ordered the French toast bites! Those are a must try! Go when it's not a Sunday lol you'll get better service but overall our server was great and the ambiance was like breakfast hall! We had a good time the food was pretty good read more

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Delicious brunch type meal on a Monday. We were headed out of town from a Panthers game but wanted one last meal together. Ruby Sunshine delivered. Who knew a local spot could be so busy at 10:00 am on Monday. Good sign for a great meal, and it was. Our seating was quick and service efficient and friendly. The food was awesome, with something perfect for everyone. We noticed that even with the busy atmosphere, no one was rushed or hurried out. Great spot for a good, happy place for an early meal. Will be back! read more

Amazing location! Amazing service! Amazing ambience! Amazingly cool! Amazing customers! Best biscuits in the world... And all the other food was good as well. read more

First time here, I think it's best to make a reservation than just showing up. Expect a little wait because this place gets busy. My food was ok, it was just a regular omelette, the grits was kinda lumpy, I like my grits creamy. I was excited about trying this place but it was just ok in my opinion. read more

Ruby Sunshine Charlotte Southend - 3 little pigs omelette - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Total spur-of-the-moment decision this morning based on a quick search of SourhEnd brunch joints and, I'll fully admit, the words "French Truck Cold Brew " on their menu. Often when I make this sort of "k, let's do it" decision on a new restaurant, I'm reassured that hours of pondering and research for an unknown place to eat is good for me. To be clear, that often doesn't work out either. Happily, Ruby Sunshine was a very positive experience all around. Even parking - a very dicey proposition in SouthEnd - wasn't horrible. Located across from Seoul Food, the restaurant has that cozy and slightly eclectic feel we prefer in our early morning eateries. We were tucked into a booth without waiting (spoiler: advise a pre-9am arrival for crowd avoidance) and our server, a charming young lady who assured us her name really IS Ruby, brought us our cold brew coffee pronto. My husband and I run on coffee so the promptness was a good sign of Ruby's skills at service and self-preservation. Another good sign was her immediate offering of recommendations; I went with the Chicken St. Charles Bennie, per her suggestion, and my husband the Southern Breakfast. He is a fried green tomato aficionado so we had to have that for a starter, and I'm a sucker for beignets. They're enough alone to go to New Orleans. Ruby was spot on about the Bennie. Chicken was very tasty atop a buttermilk biscuit and beneath two poached eggs and some tasso gravy. As all Bennies should, the flavors commingled perfectly. By comparison, the Southern Breakfast was kind of plain...two eggs over medium (undercooked; they were over easy), breakfast potatoes, sad-looking bacon, one unadorned fried green tomato and a biscuit that came without butter or jam until requested. I'd have been unimpressed with it, had I ordered it...and my husband likes plain food less than I do. Fortunately the fried green tomato appetizer, topped with remoulade, tomatoes and their bacon onion jam, were scrumptious. And the beignets - we opted for the plain with powdered sugar rather than their seasonal stuffed and syruped offering - were very acceptable for outside NOLA. All in all, I'm happy giving Ruby Sunshine a solid 4. The point off represents our nits: the no-frills Southern Breakfast that looked and tasted hurriedly thrown together, the small portion versus cost of the fried green tomatoes, and the overall price: $55 before tip, which is a lot for a breakfast without booze. (Speaking of booze, the family having a birthday brunch beside us ordered mimosas all around and they did look good.) But the French Truck cold brew was definitely worth the price of admission, and we are assuredly going back with a few adjustments. I gotta try the bacon praline pancakes. Ooh, and the French toast! Or maybe the shrimp and grits... read more

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The Loaded Tots are the best way to start the meal. Topped with apple-braised pork debris, tasso cream sauce and chives. We liked them so much, we ordered two. I can eat tacos for every meal of the day and these Breakfast Tacos did not disappoint. Highly recommend the chorizo! Love that you can mix and match their Bennies so you can try many at once. If you have a sweet tooth, the White Chocolate Bread Pudding Pancakes are for you! I can see why the Bloody Mary is "award-winning". It had a smoky flavor which I LOVED. My only dislike was that the mimosa flight was alright. The juice and champagne was room temperature therefore making them room temp mimosas. read more

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Ray was wonderful! She was kind, attentive a ray of sunshine! Truly enjoyed the French toast bites with the sweet heat chicken! Can't wait to return! read more

I'd heard about Ruby Sunshine for a long time, and it's been on my list to try. I'd also heard that it can be crowded, so we went around 9:15am to try to beat the rush. They do have an option to join the waitlist on their website. We checked it ahead of time, and there was no wait at that point, so I recommend looking at that before you go. By 10:00am, it had definitely filled up, and people were sitting in the waiting area by the time we left. The decor is in line with the restaurant name for sure. It has a very "bright" vibe, and their team was very upbeat and friendly. We ordered the sweet heat chicken and french toast bites and shrimp and grits. Both were good! Shrimp and grits is one of my favorite dishes, so I like to try the many variations there are out there. Their version was more broth-like than some other versions I've had. There was also something in it that I'd never tasted in that dish before. At a second glance at its menu description, I think it might have been due to the beer/rosemary reduction, so that gave it an interesting take. We also tried their blood orange mimosa on the back end of brunch, which was a good size. On Sundays, they start serving alcohol at 10:00am, so good to keep in mind if the timing of that matters for your visit. I look forward to trying some of the other items on their menu on another trip! read more

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The Pancakes are delicious but the Bennie's didn't have much flavor. The food was slow to come out and not really hot. It was bright and colorful on the inside and the staff was very friendly. I plan to visit again but specifically for the pancakes! read more

Amazing food. Cute spot right In downtown. French toast was awesome!! Good mimosas too.

I really enjoyed this place. The staff were all very nice and helped clean up our mess from a spilled iced coffee and gave us a new cup. The food here was AMAZING! This is a must if you're in downtown Charlotte! read more

Ruby Sunshine Charlotte Southend - French toast - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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Came in with my boyfriend based off of the good reviews and menu items because it looked delicious. We walked in and it took us a while to get seated. We were standing at the host stand for about 5 minutes or so while servers tended to their tables. The host sat us and we were greeted by our server. For food we ordered: French toast bites, The Miga & The Chicken St. Charles. The food wasn't much to rave about. Food wasn't hot when it hit the table, but it wasn't warm either. The chips on the Miga were very stale and the biscuit on my benedict was hard as a rock on the edges and wasn't the easiest to eat. We finished our food since we were starving, however we were both less than satisfied in our meals. Lastly, the water we were drinking had a weird metal taste to it. Like it came straight from a faucet. I'm not sure how else to describe it, so we didn't really touch our waters. The Bloody Mary and Mimosa was just okay as well. Not sure if it was an off day - but I hope that they can improve their food and drinks for their future guests. I'm not sure that we would return based on our experience today. read more

Ruby Sunshine Charlotte Southend - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Amazing food super friendly staff and love that it's dog friendly with their own dog menus for ur pup to enjoy with you. Raye was my waitress super sweet personality would highly recommend anyone in the Charlotte area to try it. read more

Ruby Sunshine Charlotte Southend - I got the pick two Bennie's both delicious - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

So I went to Ruby Slipper during a trip to New Orleans and absolutely fell in love! I had no idea they had a franchise, and not just that, but there was a location less than 1.5 hours from me in Charlotte! When I found myself in the area, I couldn't wait to try it out! First of all, Yelp is going to be your best friend here (isn't it always?) because you can join the waitlist from your phone on Yelp! Wait times can be pretty lengthy here, especially on the weekends. This cut our wait time down to 20 minutes on a Sunday at 10:45. We opted to sit outside and cut it down to just 10 minutes. It was a little rainy but the patio is covered. Our server, Tasha, was wonderful! She was so kind and everything came out super quick. She took great care of us throughout our meal and was just overall very personable. I did not get the name of the gentleman at the host stand, but he was so upbeat and friendly! He didn't make us feel rushed at all, but he managed an ever-growing crowd with ease, maintaining a cheery disposition. Ruby Slipper is known for their cocktails and coffee concoctions and it's no surprise that Ruby Sunshine follows suit. The weather had me wanting something warm and spicy, and the creamy vanilla spiced latte was absolute perfection! Warm and spicy, creamy and not too sweet. Also, don't miss their bacon Bloody Mary! Now if you've been to New Orleans, you know that not much compares to a Cafe Du Monde. With that being said, the beignets were okay but not my favorite. The texture was just a little too dense for me, but I did like the berry cheesecake additions for the seasonal flavor rotation. The presentation was also lovely! Everything here is so bright and fun! For my entree I went with the breakfast tacos! This had 3 hearty tacos and a side of crispy potatoes. I loved the flavor combo and the potatoes were so good! Overall this is a wonderful brunch spot in Charlotte! There is a small parking lot, and plenty of street parking fairly close by. read more

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Cute little breakfast spot located in walking distance of all the attractions in South End(ish)/uptown. Parking is a bit challenging as the lot on the side of the building holds about 6/7 cars. Street parking is the way to go. My friend and I came on indigenous Ppl Day for a sorta late breakfast. We opted to share a couple dishes; the hot chicken on a bed of French toast bites and sliced strawberries, the trifecta eggs Benedict and bacon. The hot chicken and French toast was hands down delicious. Perfect crisp on the chicken, perfect amount of syrup, French toast bites were cooked to perfection and the strawberries were so sweet. The eggs Benedict sampler was okay but I'm not a poached egg person. Instead of English muffins they use biscuits. The pork cochin was finger sucking good. I could eat that all by itself. The chicken Bennie was the same chick from the hot chicken and the last one was just a fried green tomato on a biscuit. The biscuits were not my likening. They were fluffy but mushy. Overall I would come back and try something new and definitely get the hot chick and French toast again. Oh and a morning margarita read more

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I tried to visit this place on a Sunday morning and the wait was over two hours. I left, but I was determined to taste this place at some point. I decided to go on a Thursday morning and was able to sit at the bar. I opted for the shrimp and grits, French toast bites, and a side of bacon. I really just wanted to taste a little bit of everything. The service was great and the French toast bites were to die for. In all honesty, I've had better shrimp and grits, but it was still solid. Based on what I ordered, I don't think the wait should be over two hours, but it is Charlotte and it is the weekend. That being said, I'll probably return, but it will be more than likely be during the week. read more

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