We strolled into what we thought would be a cozy café, only to realize we accidentally entered the annex of a museum daycare--lattes served with a complimentary soundtrack of squeals, stroller wheels, and juice-box negotiations. Some sandwiches are delicate symphonies of flavor; but their vegetarian chicken sandwich was a percussion solo on a steel drum. It resisted, it pushed back, it dared to prove commitment to lunch. You don't eat it so much as survive it--and honestly, I think it will always win. The other sandwich claiming to be Chipotle chicken, unfortunately it's more like opening a novel titled The Spicy Adventure only to find 300 blank pages. It wasn't bad, exactly--it was just aggressively un-chipotle. A culinary catfish, if you will. Oh and thank you, dear café, for not telling me my sandwich already came with fries, and then so graciously letting me order another pile. Now I have enough cold fries to start a side hustle. Exactly the dining experience I had in mind when I walked in. Dining here is like a low-stakes adventure: you will not be disappointed, you will not be thrilled, and you may emerge slightly drier than when you arrived. Bring your expectations, leave them somewhere else, and enjoy the safe, lukewarm ride. Cheers! read more

See all

I have to admit that I didn't have high expectations for museum cafe food, but The Daily Planet Cafe proved me wrong. The Cafe is located on the 1st floor of the Nature Research Center building. Service was friendly and the food was delicious. They have an extensive menu of items (including vegetarian entrees) like breakfast, salads, sandwiches, wraps, sides, small plates, and a kids menu. I ordered the Club Sandwich (turkey breast, cheddar, bacon, lettuce, tomato, onion, pesto mayo, multigrain bread) with chips. It tasted healthy (must be the multigrain bread) and generous with the turkey and bacon. The Kids Meals are such a good deal! For $6.50 I ordered a hot dog for my kid and it came with chips, fruit or fries, a small drink, a cookie, and a toy. She LOVED the little frog toy. There's ample seating inside as well as outdoor seating available. Try to come before the lunch rush because the inside seating tends to get filled quickly. read more

The Daily Planet Cafe - Menu (as of 12/7/22) - Cafes Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

See all

Great spot to grab food is you're visiting the science museum or the surrounding area. My mother and I took my nephew to the museum 2 Saturday's ago and I heard there was the Daily Planet Cafe so I decided we would try this out for lunch to stay in the area and not have to move the car. It's conveniently located on the 1st floor of the Natural Sciences Museum. It can be access through the museum itself or there is also a street entrance if you are not visiting the museum. There are QR codes around the museum that you can scan to see the menu online. You can also order your food online through the website to expedite the process when you actually get to the cafe. We decided to just order when we arrived. There's also menus around the cafe to see options. We went to the drink bar to order our food. I ordered the club sandwich with chips, my mother ordered the chicken salad sandwich with fries, and my nephew wanted a PB&J with fries. Once we ordered we received a buzzer and our cups to get our drinks from the drink machine. They were not crowded at all that day, but there were plenty of seats inside and outside as well. When our food was ready the buzzer buzzed and we were able to grab our food and return the buzzer. The food was surprising good. I didn't expect it to be this good and fresh, but I was pleasantly surprised. The chicken salad had pecans in it and I am allergic so I didn't get to try that sandwich, but my mother said it was good. The sandwiches were large as well, but not too big. Filling in a good way. The kid's meal came with a small cookie and toy as well. The prices were great as well. Very reasonable, especially for all you get. Definitely recommend if you're spending the day at the museums downtown. read more

See all

Pretty decent food! I ordered the chipotle chicken panini with fries as well as the fish and chips. Both were good. Fries were whatever. Kids liked em. Fish and chips served with coleslaw atop mixed salad which was a bit odd. Fish is super crispy and a bit oily. We went here after going to the other museum cafe for mid morning snack time. I had asked an employee/volunteer? for directions and she said the food options were better and that they had good fries and apparently they have ice cream too. Would eat here again. read more

The Daily Planet Cafe - menus on the wall - Cafes Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Took our grandson to the NC Museum of Science, and decided to go ahead and make it simple by doing lunch there. Didn't have much of an expectation for the Daily Planet, but have to admit I was surprised. I expected simple burgers, hot dogs, chicken nuggets and fries. But they actually go well beyond that. This is the type of place you might actually go to lunch at, without hitting the museum. In any event, I had The Daily Planet BLT, which was surprisingly large, and very good. My wife went with the cucumber salad side. She thought it would be a little bigger, but then again, it was only a side. But she did like it. And the grandson went simple PBJ....can't mess that one up. We'll do it again sometime I'm sure, since he loved the museum. read more

The Daily Planet Cafe is a good option to dine if exploring the natural sciences museum. The menu is posted on the wall near the cash register where you will place your order. Museum members get a discount. Then you are provided a pager and it will flash when your order is ready to pick up. Normally you'd pick up from the kitchen but they have blocked off that area to keep the workers safe. So the pick up area is closer to the seating. An employee will have your order there and if you have multiple plates the employees were even carrying them to the tables too. Seating is indoors as well as outdoors depending on what you are looking for. Beverages are serve yourself and condiments are in packets now rather than pumping it on your plate or a small paper cup. The menu has something for everyone and the prices are reasonable. I went with the caprese panini this visit with a side of fries. The sandwich was large so I combined the contents onto half of the bread as that worked better for me. I like that the restaurant uses fresh, local ingredients from North Carolina. read more

See all

If you haven't had breakfast at the Daily Planet you are missing out. Their Huevos Rancheros grits bowl and their breakfast burritos are truly awesome as is their coffee. (And they are so nice!) Parking on the street is dirt cheap and free on weekends and holidays. I've never had to park more than 30 yards away and you are at the science museum and across from the history museum. read more

The Daily Planet Cafe was the perfect spot to grab a quick breakfast. It was a bacon, egg and cheese croissant with an iced latte for my husband and a bacon, egg and cheese croissant with an iced vanilla chai for me. We sat outside and the food and drinks were both really good. read more

See all

This small grill and nice cafe is located in the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. I stopped in for breakfast and had a very nice meal. Good service at the register and I was handed a pager which did not take long to go off before my eggs, bacon and sausage breakfast was ready. I'd barely put my coffee together by that point, so the quick preparation was great. Exactly was ordered and I enjoyed it. The coffee is very good and super hot. It traveled well to the office. Great spot if you're nearby for the Museum or for something else. [Review 11734 overall, 1516 of 2019.] read more

The Daily Planet Cafe - The Daily Planet Cafe, Raleigh NC - Cafes Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

See all

Great place to grab a quick coffee and a breakfast sandwich downtown if you're nearby. Very quick, with a good tap-to-pay system. Love their turkey burger at lunch too, it has pesto mayo, sprouts and jalapeño! Oh and highly recommend if you're staying at the Longleaf Hotel, super quick walk. Update: I love that almost all their to-go containers are fully compostable. read more

This was definitely not worth $5.50. The cup wasn't even full. Don't order unless you want to be sad. read more

The Daily Planet Cafe - $5.50 for tiny parfait - Cafes Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

The food here was delicious we came with my family visiting from out of state. The prices are great and the food is great quality. The service was great as well. Everyone is very friendly. Plenty of seating too. Makes for a wonderful day out with the family. Highly recommend. read more

The Daily Planet Cafe - Spicy chicken sandwich and fries - Cafes Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

After a year of walking by the Daily Planet Cafe, I finally found a morning to slide in a visit along with the NC Museum of History! The first thing to notice about the Daily Planet Cafe is the size of the place. Large modern dining room, large cement patio, you could easily fit a hundred-plus people here. Inside there's a couple of lines for the hot dishes and coffee bar. Pretty much cafeteria-style with self-service drinks, utensils, napkins and more. The menu is short with sandwiches, wraps and some warm entrees but I'm here for a quick breakfast! For $9 I get a four-item plate with 2 eggs, sweet potato hash, fruit and sausage patties. It takes 10 minutes and then I'm out on that expansive patio with some solid coffee from Larry's Beans. And breakfast at the Daily Planet is decent: perfectly-fried eggs, interesting hash and more. But I don't think it's a good indicator for what this Rocky Top run venue can do so I'll be back. Until then, I'll say it's quite the decent spot for a quick and healthy bite. There isn't much right here outside of the Oakwood Cafe so definitely give the Daily Planet Cafe a try if you're checking out the museum or just looking for some quality eats at a decent price! read more

See all

I was at the Museum of Natural Sciences and didn't want to leave the vicinity of the museum for lunch (because there is A LOT to see at this amazing museum, so I definitely wanted to return after satisfying my hunger!), so I came here because it is the closest source of food in the area (aka within walking distance). 3 Cheese Grilled Cheese Sandwich, $5. Not much to say about this; it's as simple as it sounds. It is literally 3 different types of cheeses in between 2 slices of multigrain bread. The cheese tastes awful. Don't order this. However, I will say that the grill marks look fantastic! Grown Up Mac & Cheese - Unlike your typical yellow cheddar mac and cheese, this mac and cheese is covered in a white cream with slow-roasted short rib, red and green bell peppers, caramelized onions, and topped with a few sprinkles of cheddar cheese for $8. It's a little too soggy, and I could do without the bell peppers, but overall, it tastes good! Vegetable Quesadilla - This quesadilla tastes great! It includes roasted farmer's market vegetables (including spinach and mushroom), cheddar, salsa, and cajun sour cream for $7. Of the 3 dishes I sampled, I'd recommend this one! read more

See all

It's ok. Nothing special for the price. I had their chicken quesadilla. It was ok, a little soggy. This was after the cashier erred and entered a chicken fingers instead of what I ordered and she repeated back. Outdoor seating is nice. My fellow guest ordered a burger and said it was salty. Children's toy is a tiny dino. Very tiny. read more

The Daily Planet Cafe - Kid toy and cookie. - Cafes Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Was very surprised at the amount of vegetarian options at this cafe. Even though it is attached to the Science Museum, you can also access it from the street. Order at the counter and they give you a pager when ready for pick up. Wraps, salads, Sammie's, coffee, beer and smoothies are offered. Wow! Pretty eclectic for a cafe attached to a museum. Only issue I had was I ordered the veggie quesadilla and asked for no mushrooms and they couldn't accommodate, though as I was told, there were very minimal shrooms included. So if it's freshly made, why can't they customize. Hmmm. But even so, the quesadilla was flavorful. Choice of fries, chips or fruit. I went with fries but they were pretty generic and bland. They appeared clean and the options were plentiful, so I wouldn't hesitate to try other options next visit. Prices are decent for downtown. read more

See all

Good, flavorful food with a variety of options to choose from. The spicy chicken sandwich with fries was delicious. The seasonal berry salad was tasty but a little pricy, I wish it had more greens since it was not very filling. We ate here while attending their Thursday night Science Trivia. The service was amazing and the trivia was challenging and very fun. I like how it was fast paced and that we didn't have to rush our answers up after every question. Overall, the food is good and the events are fun. We will likely return here again! read more

The Daily Planet Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

I have given them many chances but they always leave something out. Today I ordered the Chipotle chicken panini with no red onions. The only thing correct is the bread. This has no avocado, pepper jack or roasted red peppers. It is just chicken with what taste like buffalo sauce. I didnt get a side either. It has been every time I have ordered. So disappointing to get to your desk and it be wrong. read more

Great service, nice and clean. We didn't eat anything, but the hot chocolate was delicious, perfect on a cold morning.

Delicious food! It came out quickly for a sit down cafe and it was nice not to have to leave the museum to find food.

Food was good. I had the club sandwich and pasta. The chili was awesome as well. The service is fast.

The Daily Planet feeds the hundreds of State Employees in walking distance with a less than inspired or inspiring (except for the grits!!!) breakfast and lunch menu. That is until recently. Today, I had the shrimp quesadilla that was DELICIOUS! Still no sweet potato fries. No pizza. No baked potatoes. No brownies. No chocolate cake. No ice cream. But the shrimp quesadilla!!! And at $11.50 it was enough for lunch and dinner. read more

Overall: So I was expecting concession-type foods only like hot dogs because it is part of the museum. But, I was pleasantly surprised by the selection, quality, and flavor of the food. It is ver conveniently located for me at the edge of downtown and I will definitely be coming back here. Vegetarian: They have a wide variety of options that include classics and more unique options. My food was yummy and everyone that I ate with enjoyed their food as well. read more

Hubby and I were looking for a little lunch while visiting Raleigh. We found this place and boy did we hit the jackpot in flavor. Hubby had a burger and fries which he enjoyed so much. I had the Turkey burger which included a pesto Mayo, carrots, lettuce tomato red onions and provolone. This was a juicy, flavorful delicious bite for bite. I loved it so much I went to tell the staff. I could feel the love in this burger. Check this place out!! read more

Awesome spot ! Visiting NC from Texas we stepped in the cafe before exploring the museum and it did not disappoint. For a cafe they offer tons of options service was quick and the wait for food was almost non existent. It was awesome to see a manager who steps in to help His staff and runs around more than his actual workers! We can't wait to explore the museum on happy and full bellies ! read more

How have I not stopped here before? I mean, they even serve breakfast -- that earns them at least one star. Besides being part of the pretty amazing new Nature section of the Science Museum, the Daily Planet Cafe sources from local North Carolina farmers. Many are the same as at the Farmers Market. It's difficult to see everything in the museum (or at least explore it thoroughly) in one visit, or without breaking up the adventure, so this cafe is perfectly situated. The menu is quite extensive: wraps, soups, a salad bar, and small entrees. During an afternoon visit, I had to try the fried green tomato BLT with brie on a multigrain bread. I liked how well the flavors worked together. On my next visit, I was early, in time for breakfast and can say that the breakfast sandwich on bread (rather than the croissant) was better than I was expecting for a museum cafe. I think it's the bread. I'm not sure if it's really bread from Neomonde, but wherever it's from, it's tasty. The prices at the Daily Planet are reasonable: most anything with a soda will come in around ten dollars. The Larry's Beans coffee bar is a nice surprise. The barista that morning made a killer latte. The one ding -- the service in the morning is spotty. With museum employees stopping in to grab something, non-employee customers get moved to the back of the line. The cafe's location, right on the corner, has a great outdoor patio for people watching, although the floor to ceiling windows make sitting inside an equally good place to do the same. It's a perfect spot to begin or end your tour of the Museum (or just come to grab a bite to eat). read more

Once upon a time I earned an RotD for my review of DP. We were both winners that day. DP was consistent quality on my routine lunches and occasional dinners here. It is with regret that, returning after a year, it seems things have changed. I hope it was just a bad day amongst chef and staff, but here was my experience. In the morning when I stopped in for coffee, I was met by a glum cashier. A muffled greeting, no you're welcome to my thank you. Having worked in service industries, I get it. Some days suck. Maybe a death in the family, gods forbid. I've had attitude on that side of the register myself. But if someone says thank you for the effort you put in--come on. Same experience when I stopped by later for lunch. I ordered the Local Brie grilled cheese. I've had this in the past and loved it. Perhaps I'm remembering incorrectly, but that sandwich impressed me to the point that I wondered how such a fine, ritzy g-cheese found its way into a museum cafe. Someone should have given that thing a Michelin star! Not this time, though. The presentation was horrible: a sad over-grilled chunk of toast on a an otherwise naked white plate. Did I just make this at home after waking from an all-night drink fest? Biting in, I found the majority of this sandwich to be rather tough, as if stale bread had been used. And the filler? Excessive bacon, low on brie, and couldn't taste the chutney. It's a balancing act with those flavors, but they fell off the rope on this one. Overall, a thin sandwich that looked as though they were looking to cut costs. What has happened?? Back in a month or two and hoping to re-re-review back to that stellar 4-star experience I used to know at DPC. read more

The Daily Planet Cafe - vegiiiie burg - Cafes Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

One of the nicest surprises and it's right in the heart of downtown Raleigh. Part of the natural sciences Museum. The daily planet is a quick efficient friendly service that's a real place selling real food real quick. The best burgers and fries I've had any place. The seating and condiments and beverages are all self service. Order first and look for a table grab your beverage and condiments on the way they hand you a buzzer when you place your order before you get settled the buzzer will be going off to go pick your food up at the counter. I pretty much tried everything on the menu at least once and haven't been disappointed yet. I do have my favorites like the fish taco which is outstanding, the chicken with Sriracha sandwich. I have been eating lunch here every day since I found out about it. read more

The Daily Planet Cafe - Burger & fries and that sweet tea ! - Cafes Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

See all

About a month ago I inquired to management about having a spot reserved so we could celebrate my son's 10th birthday. It was the weekend when I sent my email. I received a response within the hour. They were happy to accommodate my request. When I arrived to the museum on a busy Saturday and Groundhog Day, I was greeted by Jordan. He was personable and friendly. I was instantly put at ease that we would have no issues and went on to enjoy the afternoon at the museum. But alas, as is with kids ranging in age from 1 year old to 10, issues did arise. Mainly everyone was hungry and beginning to drag. I made my way back to the cafe and once again met with Jordan, who assured me coming in early would not be an issue. And it wasn't. They cleaned a table and put a reserved sign up and my family was able to situate themselves. We ordered our food and they brought it to us and helped us out in anyway they could. My kid was happy to celebrate with his cousins and I was happy that Daily Planet truly went above and beyond to make this a good time for all. The best part is the food was delicious!! Thank you Jordan and staff for making my kiddos birthday a hit! read more

If you are in downtown Raleigh I would recommend eating at the Daily Planet. The food is great and the prices are reasonable. It is located in the free science museum so you don't have to go to the museum to eat here. I had the Italian panini and french fries. Get the french fries; they are delicious. The sandwich was great as well. It was full of mean and cheese. My fellow diners had the fish and chips and said it was one of the best things to order. When you go you order and pay and they give you a buzzer. When your food is real you go up and get it from an expediter. They are also eco friendly and offer recycling. read more

D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S!!!! Went here for lunch while in town for an educational conference and fell in love as soon as I entered the building. It was very busy inside, but the young lady at the register had everyone in and out of line with a quickness. The only thing I didn't like about the ordering process was that my party didn't know where to line up at, it's not obvious and if you don't frequent this place often (or ever in our case) you don't know where to start the line, so we just stood and waited for the register to be open. I ordered the fried chicken sandwich which was very unhealthy, but very filling and delicious. It came with french fries, I ate all of my fries first and had a few bites of the chicken, but I couldn't finish that humongous piece of chicken, so I took it with me. I also ordered a jumbo rice krispie treat, it was ok. If I'm ever in downtown Raleigh again, I'll definitely stop here again. read more

This place has awesome vegetarian options. It's good as a restaurant by itself. I keep coming back to try more dishes. They have a really extensive menu for a museum cafe. read more

The Daily Planet Cafe - I had the spicy fried fish without the bun and he got the fish and chips small plate - Cafes Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

I have been to this spot twice. It is a quick way to get a pretty healthy bite to eat. The staff is always pleasant and it's rarely too busy. The restaurant is located inside the museum and offers a deli/eatery, coffee bar and several beers on tap: it's always clean and tidy. I usually go for breakfast and get the breakfast burrito. Parking can be a challenge on busy weekends, but usually not a problem. read more

Consistently just okay. Great if you need something quick. The restaurant is very consistent with food, ordering, and experience. read more

The best breakfast you can get in Raleigh $6 omelette with everything including Brie cheese, spinach and meats Great coffee Clean up-scale surroundings with no wait Compared to the other choices on a Sunday morning, this is hands-down the best! read more

The Daily Planet Cafe - Daily planet from the inside - Cafes Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

I think that the idea of a cafe in a museum is awesome. There's so much variety to the menu and there's also a kids menu which is better. They also have a coffee bar with decent coffee and smoothies. Personally, I think $5 for a smoothie is outrageous, since it doesn't equal up to par with places like Jamba Juice or Tropical Smoothie, but I do understand the up-pricing since it's convenient for those who want a quick bite or something quick in the museum without giving up parking space to leave. Their coffee is also pretty decent, but the prices are more reasonable than the smoothies. The food is also okay, but better than chain restaurants, if that makes any sense. I got a chicken salad sandwich and it really confused me as to why they added a thick slice of mozzarella to the sandwich and I could've done without it. Like I stated above, I'm all about a restaurant in a museum because I love food and I hate driving lol. Everything's pretty decent and isn't repulsive, so it's a win from me! read more

While the food is adequate, the cafe needs to be completely redone to better handle guests and tired children especially in the ordering process. read more

The unique menu items brought us here and the execution of those items will bring us back! I had the avocado toast and smoothie and Chris has the breakfast burrito and Mac and cheese. The breakfast burrito had French fries in it! The avocado toast had an over easy egg! Really an interesting menu so I'm looking forward to coming back and trying the vegetarian sandwiches. They serve breakfast all day on Sunday's. Docked it's star because it felt a bit like a cafeteria? But honestly, very good regardless... read more

Pros: -the museum is next door -it's located downtown -WiFi -cheap breakfast Con: -most of the food looks as if it was prepackaged. -TVs that are on are for museum power point. -metal chairs, that almost sound like nails on a chalkboard. -not a great breakfast read more

I love walking to The Daily Planet Cafe from work for lunch or a coffee break. The seating outside is my favorite, but that's probably because I'm inside all day. The seating inside is nice as well, but it can be a little loud since it's really busy around lunchtime. Dishes I have tried: * The Veggie Burger, which is my favorite so far. I am always weary of the first time I try a veggie burger somewhere because they are either really good or really horrible. This one was really good! I love that it came with sprouts and carrots. Also, it was a decently sized portion. * The Bison Burger, which is tasty but a little wimpy. The lettuce, tomato, onion, and pickle just don't look like enough. Also, the burger is a little small compared to the very large bun. * The Grilled Cheese with bacon, brie and apple chutney was tasty for sure, but not quite as good or as filling as the veggie burger. * The Iced Vanilla Latte was pretty good, but only cold on the top (yes, I stirred it up). It definitely could have used a little more ice. I LOVE that they use Larry's Beans because it's a local company. I also wish their soy milk was organic. I didn't get it because I won't pay the extra 50c for something that could be as equally full of chemicals and hormones as the milk. Be prepared to divide up your food scraps and trash into proper piles. I definitely like this environmentally friendly idea, but I think some people ruin it by not paying attention (or not caring) where they throw different items away. You can also bring plastic bottle tops here for the Museum to use for kid projects! read more

The Daily Planet Cafe - Veggie burger - Cafes Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina