Food was so good here and the staff was very attentive. I had the catfish with a side of Mac and cheese and slaw. The catfish was fried to perfection and every bite was a savory-themed party in my tastebuds. I didn't care for the Mac and cheese because it was too runny and the slaw was very fresh. I took a carrot cake slice to go and it was irresistible. I ate the whole slice of cake when I was only planning to ate half. Please note, if the staff is busy, go ahead and sit yourself. Also it's a very low key type of place and it's cash or check only establishment. read more

When people refer to a hidden gem in a city this is the kind of place they are referring too. The parking isn't great, but the staff is amazing, the food is great, the prices are reasonable and small-town country feel takes me back to simpler times. Go for breakfast, add chocolate chips. read more

A nice spot for a humble country meal, nothing fancy but the staff clearly cares about their customers. Cash or check only by the way, be prepared. read more

Love the simple menu! Hot dogs, burgers, omelettes, grits, etc. I got chopped steak, eggs pancakes and coffee. Everything was delicious with the only disappointment being the HUGE pancakes were good but I've had better. Convenient location, super friendly staff and good food ... I'll definitely be back!! read more

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Immaculate country diner. If you want a fancy breakfast/lunch, this ain't the place for you. If you want some real deal country cooking that will make your tongue slap your brain, for a very cheap price at that, then look no further. read more

If you're looking for a family run, feel good spot, this is the place. I'm pretty sure the people who run this place are related somehow so it's got a real comfortable environment. I've tried almost everything on the menu and always have the most difficult time choosing what to eat. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED read more

Watkins Grill - This is a secret on the menu. A freaking chicken fried steak burger. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Ordered a few items to try them out: turkey links, pancakes, corned beef hash, grits. This is a decent homestyle southern breakfast spot to satisfy that craving. Prices are great people are wholesome. Potatoes do need a little more seasoning but great little hole in the wall read more

Chicken pot pie is to die for. Any breakfast looks great. We will be back. My wife had the sausage hobo with a pancake side.

What a great little secret in Raleigh! Mom and Pop type restaurant with great food and friendly wait staff. The homemade breakfast sausage was killer, a little salty and perfect spices. My wife who is not a big breakfast home fires fan ate them all. She said they were soooo good. My corn beef hash was perfect with the right amount of crunch without having to ask. No gluten free toast the day we were there but Judy our waitress said they normally have it. We will return for sure. Maybe for lunch next time. read more

This place is a gem for good southern cooking. So nice to have in the heart of Raleigh!

This is a unique time we are in and Watkins, like many other restaurants, are facing a tough "row to hoe" (what us country folks would say to describe hard times). I encourage everyone to stop by, say hello, and order something. I, along with my buddies, have been going to Watkins for years now. The food is good and the friendly staff are awesome. Just had a country ham sandwich (great, by the way) and didn't mind at all standing outside ......................in fact, it was kinda fun. Now is the time to support our local businesses. Doing so will help them stay in business and, when things are back to normal, you will know you did a good thing. read more

Watkins Grill is simple, down home North Carolina food at its best! We wanted a change from our usual breakfast spots this morning and gave Watkins a try. The interior of the building shows its age, but is spotless and oozes with personality and memorabilia collected over the years. I thought the food was outstanding. I had the southwestern omelet and it was cooked perfectly and served steaming hot off of the grill, along with the best home fries I've had in a long time. My companion had her staple, two eggs over easy, bacon and grits. She thought it was excellent as well. The service was warm, friendly, attentive, and very quick. I rarely give restaurants five-star reviews, but I thought Watkins Grill was great. read more

The food is the only reason I would given this place more than one star. It was decent, needed salt. Boyfriend and I both ordered the corned beef hash and eggs with the biscuit and got sides of gravy. When we were given menus, the waitress said the food wait time was about 30 minutes just so we knew. Okay, no problem....it took an hour to get our food. There were at least 3 people in the kitchen other than the dishwasher and one of them was just standing around anytime I looked over. They were doing tickets table by table instead of having ANY of the items hot on the griddle waiting. Eggs, hash, and 2 biscuits should not have taken that long. We were very close to walking out but the waitress finally stopped by to let us know there was one table ahead of ours. We finally got our food and just took it to go. I was upset, my boyfriend was very angry and I just wanted to leave. $17.90 for two meals isn't bad, but I won't be going back. If you don't mind waiting over an hour for mediocre food, this place is for you. read more

Great place. I've lived here for 10 years and driven by here hundreds of times but never stopped. Today was my first visit and I was very happy. If you're looking for a unique hometown diner atmosphere, this is your place. I ordered the breakfast special which comes with a lot of food and a lot of meat choices. Waitress is very friendly and accommodating and I am listening to the conversation of other customers it sounds like these are regulars who obviously are return customers. Thanks for the great service, great food and awesome personality. I will definitely be back at lunch time. read more

The sign behind the counter reads something like this: "Old guns and gun parts wanted. Talk to the waitress." If that doesn't suggest that a culinary adventure awaits, I don't know what does. As other reviews have mentioned, Watkins Grill is the kind of old-fashioned working man's kitchen that serves up hearty staples to keep blue-collar employees well fed. I've eaten there a half-dozen times now and the staff have always been prompt and courteous to me, probably because I asked the waitress about the interest in gun parts (turns out she does a lot of muzzle loader shooting ... this is a plus in my book). The food isn't going to set the culinary world on fire, but it's not meant to ... this is southern comfort food, and it's meant to be familiar, plentiful and tasty. And in my books, it does all of that just fine. read more

Watkins has become one of our go to breakfast joints since moving to Oakwood. We really love everything about it. The small, old time feel is probably the best part. Their food is so good also, and cheap! We usually go on the weekend, and Saturday is the only day they have the biscuits & gravy, I think (don't quote me on that, but pretty sure). Along with the biscuits & sausage gravy, which are super-dank, I also order a country ham biscuit with a fried egg & cheese. Omg so good.. the country ham is salty & delicious, and the biscuit & egg are cooked to perfection. Service is great and the folks that work there are really nice. I see the same people working every time I go. The only downsides are 1. Parking can be a B word.. 2. Cash (or check) only... they do have an ATM right outside though. Dang.. Writing this review makes me want to go back asap! I'm hungry!! read more

Decided to update my review after some thought and personal reflection. Unfortunately it's not a good look for the city of Raleigh when there's pro-Confederacy memorabilia all over the walls inside of the establishment. I could not in good conscious recommend anyone to this place. The service and food are good, but I refuse to be a repeat customer. read more

There is a distinct lack of excellent, family-owned breakfast joints in Raleigh. All we need is Watkin's. The walls are decorated with landscapes, portraits, and license plates, none of which have been moved or added in the last few decades. The music is an unidentified radio station, playing mainly for the short order cooks clanging in the kitchen. The servers call you Darling, Honey, and Dear. They are blunt with each other and sweet with you. The food tastes like a cast iron skillet overpowered by bacon grease and salt. Its exactly what you expect in the morning in the South, but what you rarely get. Stick with an egg plate, which comes with a meat and a grain. Add or substitute a pancake, they're perfect. Eat here if you want the best breakfast you didn't cook in Raleigh. read more

Watkins Grill - What you expect - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

I'm shocked I never came here before. This place is absolutely a hidden gem. Talk about the perfect hangover food.. which is precisely what I had gone there hoping for. Greasy, awesome, home-cooked, Southern style breakfast for incredible prices! Even the waitstaff had Southern charm..our waitress greeted us with a friendly and happy hello and we caught two bday celebrations while dining (I won't spoil that surprise by telling you what they do for bdays). I'll definitely be strolling in there sooner than later on a Saturday morning for another go! Ps. Cash only so don't forget your dolla bills Pps. Watch the curb while pulling in..lost half my car on it! read more

Watkins Grill - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Simply the best home cooked food - today we enjoyed Roast Pork and Stuffed Peppers. More food than we could eat, but we did! Bring Cash or pay $3.00 at the cash machine outside the building. No Credit Cards Accepted. Not at these prices! read more

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Thanks for the colon cleansing from this morning's breakfast! Home fries weren't cooked all the way, omelette was just ok, water didn't taste quite like water. read more

I eat at this hole in the wall every time I come to town. Although the owner and staff are a bit eccentric, they serve great food and entertainment. If I'm being honest I must say that these girls are my sisters and nieces so I'm somewhat biased. Mom worked there as well before she passed. Either way I encourage those passing through to experience this place and get some good home cooking while they're in town. read more

This place is a little hole in the wall north of downtown. Their specialty is country food. If you come in the morning you have mostly options of pig variations, eggs, potatoes or grits and toast. Everything is cooked diner style. Good enough to fill your belly. *note - it took me a few minutes to get over the menu covers with confederate flags, the walls with pictures of confederate soldiers, and yet more confederate flag decor but it's kind of their thing. They have some neat menu items named after battles, confederate military leaders, etc. read more

Watkins Grill - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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Watkins is very good for what it is: down home Southern fare. The little diner is run down inside and out, but they serve a great breakfast all day and always have a decent line up of daily specials (meat + 2 veg, bread, tea). The also have a small salad bar that is surprisingly good for a tiny diner. I like that they'll let you do one pass of the salad bar in place of a side veggie. For breakfast, the western omelette with feta cheese is my go-to order. The home fries are done right-- none of that frozen and deep fried stuff. Those are not home fries! Here they fry up fresh sliced potatoes with a little bit of onion until brown and crispy around the edges. I usually opt for an English muffin instead of toast. My favorite is their Friday shrimp special. I get the "senior" plate even though I'm not a senior. It's a couple dollars less and is still a big old pile of fresh-from-the-coast NC shrimp. The vegetables and casseroles are all made from scratch, and the mashed potatoes and gravy are out of this world. I recommend a trip to Watkins if your looking for some decent Southern comfort food. Tips: Watkins accepts cash only. Although their hours say they're open until 2:30 p.m., staff will start putting chairs up on the tables at least a half hour before that. I try to get there no later than 1:30 p.m. read more

Watkins Grill - Fresh NC shrimp, mashed potatoes and gravy, homemade slaw, served with hush puppies. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Lots of love in this food! Friendly and authentic Southern charm. Dress casually and be prepared to fill your belly with some grits, home fried potatoes and some delicious city ham! read more

Watkins Grill - Good old fashioned breakfast! Friendly and casual atmosphere. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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When you're here, you're family!! A completely welcoming place with home style meals! Love it! Brought more people & they brought more people! Love seeing all the regulars here. read more

Food was good. People were friendly. It's cash only...no cards. . The chicken livers with rice and french fries was amazing and the sweet tea was good. They have great southern home cooked meal. They have amazing atmosphere and a small parking lot. It's need to be a bigger restaurant so more people can stop and come to it. You can find a lot a lot food from breakfast such as omelette, pancakes, prime rib, steak, cheese burger and much more. I hope they have more vegan and vegetarian options. They have some weird names for like the Robert E. Lee burger. read more

I have had a hard time finding good diner style breakfast food near me for a good price. Enter Watkins which pretty much fits the bill! My husband and I really love the food, especially those tasty tasty home fries. Like ridiculously good! However we do plan on waiting at least 45 minutes when we go to receive our food once we have ordered it. Basically we sip our coffee and relax while we wait for the food to eventually arrive. My guess is the kitchen just isn't large enough to have a ton or orders going on the grille at once, which means your food takes a lonnngg time to come out. If you want a quick breakfast this place isn't for you. The decor, I could do without, mostly a confederate theme. The parking lot could also use some work, I'd describe it as a giant cluster mess trying to find a spot. Overall this place has some downsides, but we will keep coming here because its just plain tasty. Oh yea and it's cash only! read more

We've lived just up the road from this place for three years and although we're about to move, we will definitely make the trip back here often. First, yes, the walls and menu are covered in Confederate memorabilia. I would understand some folk's opposition for this if it weren't for the fact that this is a true community restaurant. Everyone who comes in is welcomed and treated like family, whether it's their first time in or hundredth, color, dress, or age be damned. Every waitress and cook is incredibly friendly and wonderful to each person that comes in. This kind of service is genuine and hard to find elsewhere. Now once you accept what you've gotten yourself into, you can really enjoy the food, which is awesome. It is unquestionably Southern, homemade, greasy spoon fare. My fiancé enjoys the huge pancakes for breakfast, but the homemade sausage steals the show. Lunch is my favorite. Definitely go for a sloppy burger or one of the meat/vegetable specials that day - catfish, shrimp, chicken fried steak, pulled pork, the best smoked chicken in Raleigh, etc. The sides are great too. Everything tastes exactly like it came out of my grandmothers kitchen. Yes the service can be slow as there is literally one person in the kitchen cooking each thing to order, but it's so worth it. read more

Had breakfast on 10/9. Eggs cooked to perfection, bacon meaty, tasty, crispy; homemade sausage patty best I've had in years - a tad salty for some but I loved it. The home fries were to die for. It was a tough choice between them and the grits but best home fries I've had in decades. Service was friendly, professional and coffee refills offered when cup barely half empty. This is not a fancy place but we'll be back. They only take cash or check but don't worry, prices are very reasonable. read more

Watkins Grill - Great breakfast! Not fancy but food home cooked and service solid and friendly. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

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Went there one time and had a cold sandwich. Was very dissapointed. Decided to give it a second chance and ordered Catfish with sides and was very impressed! Portions were plentiful and food was great. Great homestyle cooking and Southern hospitality. There is a reason they are packed with locals for lunch. Dont miss out on this great local dive. read more

This place has gone way down!! Used to love the food.. but now it's just a greasy dive with cold food and loud and obnoxious wait staff! I got seafood combo which was over cooked and cold. My shrimp was way too chewy and mashed potatoes were whipped raw! :( read more

We pulled an audible yesterday due to the rain and ended up at Watkins Grill for a country breakfast! The sign next to our table read, "Come for the food, stay for the rude." I only stayed for the rude because we had to, as in waiting over a half an hour for my omelette. I didn't feel like spending my whole afternoon at Watkins, there was Mario Kart to be played. I can also sense the rest of the patrons were waiting inordinate amounts of time for their grub. Watkins sort of reminded of Lilly's, arguably the best pizza in the Raleigh area, in that it took an undue amount of time from ordering to eventually getting that dish in front of your face to eat. And if you haven't seen my Hooters wing inspired physique, eating is my happy time of day. These places aren't about building a romantic atmosphere or intimacy, and I'm not asking for the speed of a fast food restaurant, but a breakfast place shouldn't take more than 20-25 minutes to get your eggs or whatever other hot mess they are going to serve you. Lets move onto the good. The food is great and the hash browns are chunky, definitely not prepackaged. Watkins is an oasis among the explosive population growth of the RTP area: it has a small-town vibe in a city that is growing faster and faster due to the proliferation of IT jobs and big companies moving operations down to the triangle. Everyone seems to know each other. From what I can gather, the owner works here too and is hands-on. The restaurant also has plaques and tributes to our dedicated soldiers which always tug at the heartstrings, giving this box a sense of community in a way Applebee's never could. The prices are relatively inexpensive as well and it is worth noting that they are cash only so make sure you have a healthy supply of greenbacks. read more

Some places aren't for everyone. This is one of those places. You will either like it or you won't. I fall into the "like it" category. The building has been there since 1948 when it was probably near the edge of the city limits. I doubt the interior has changed much since the 1960's when working class men from the area would go there before work and at lunch. The breakfast portions are well sized. Biscuits are homemade. Most of the time they have no problems with promptness in the kitchen getting the food out, other times, they have a couple of hic-ups. That is the way it goes in the real world. Life is never perfect. Usually though, the service is fairly fast, efficient, and is the food is quite good. I have never had to wait a long time for food or for someone friendly to walk up to the table. Breakfast is served all day and the lunch menu consists of burgers and one or two daily features with sides listed on a dry erase board. These are pretty much comfort food items that you would get when you go visit your grandmother or Aunt Linda. I keep coming back and getting lunch and breakfast when I am in the area and really have no complaints. Even though they might vagely recognize me, I don't go there enough to be a regular, but I am always treated like one. The prices are reasonable and the servers treat you like your Aunt Linda. You won't make it in the door 10 feet before one of them says "Hi" and tells you to sit anywhere you want. Some reviewers have made a big deal out of being triggered by the historic Confederate Memorabilia. There is also Viet Nam stuff and Bill Monroe items on the walls. Everyone is treated like a loyal customer here. You can't get much more local than this and it beats the chain restaurants by a long shot. read more

Watkins grill is a hidden Raleigh gem. It's a family operated restaurant, and they make your typical diner food at reasonable prices. Beware that this place gets crowded on weekend mornings for breakfast, but it is worth the wait. I noticed there seems to be a few groups of regulars who line up. Highly recommend everyone gives Watkins a try. My only qualm is I wish they served fountain drinks, but alas I will settle for a can of diet coke with my meal. read more

This is just OK. I am from the North, so not sure how people compare this to a true northern breakfast joint. It's not in that league. The food is just ok, uninspired though, prices are fair. Biscuits are solid. Service was very friendly but super SlOW. No way they would make it in the North taking half hour to service bacon and eggs. They also have a significant parking problem which was a pain. I'll not return but if you need eggs and bacon, it's not the worst place. read more

What a cute little stand-alone country diner! I've driven by here many, many times and always been curious to stop in. I finally found an excuse to go for lunch today! The interior has a long counter and wooden booths/tables. It features typical diner food--breakfast all day (or until they close at 3pm) and country specialties (think chicken-fried steak, veggies, etc.). I opted for breakfast and got a single-egg hobo with turkey sausage (basically scrambled egg with a meat of your choice mixed in), which came with hash browns and bread. I also ordered a cup of coffee and my bill came to $6.21. It was plenty of food! The service was really good--three people asked me how I was doing within the first 45 seconds of when I stepped in the door. I was in and out in 20 minutes. The food was just so-so; typical diner food (greasy potatoes, underseasoned eggs, etc.)--but that's what you expect for this type of place. This is a 3.5-star type of place, but it's been open since the 1940s, so I rounded up for history and charm! Tip: I went for lunch at 1:15pm and they were already out of grits and biscuits. So I'd go early! read more

I have frequented Watkins off and on over the years and it always found it very appealing. I moved away for a while and was very happy to see that it was still there when I returned! Not many free standing meat and two / breakfast all day type places left these days and when Finch's goes away there will be one less. The prices are great of course. No frills and their lease is probably from the days when prices were cheap in Raleigh, or maybe they own the building? Burgers are good and if you are in the mood for a Veggie plate it is a great deal and tasty. Grilled rolls are a nice touch as well. read more

Easy to miss, but don't! This little gem is an amazing breakfast spot. All the food is made with love (translation: it's not fast but it's worth the wait). I had the Greek omelette and it was packed with spinach, feta and tomatoes. Best omelette I have had in a while. read more

Watkins Grill - Greek omelette and corned beef hash. Mmmmmmmmmmm.... - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Watkins Grill is very close to my house. it's always busy with construction types and businessmen alike. The food is quite good and reasonable. My favorite is the fried chicken liver special. I would have given 5 stars but the place is old and in need of repair. read more