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    Young Cardinal Cafe

    4.5 (365 reviews)
    Closed 8:00 am - 3:00 pm

    Young Cardinal Cafe Photos

    Business Info

    YOUNG CARDINAL CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Young Cardinal Cafe

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    Cardinal Breakfast with bacon and sausage
    Talesha C.

    We came here on a Sunday morning for breakfast. I had the Cardinal Breakfast with bacon and sausage. It was really good. It was a simple breakfast and it was done well. The servers were good and attentive. The restaurant, in general, is very cute and well decorated. I enjoyed my meal and enjoyed the experience overall.

    Kim G.

    Top tier breakfast spot...we didn't wait too long. To be honest the wait is worth it. I love when places do something simple spectacular. I cleaned my plate. The biscuit was delicious. It was fluffy and buttery. The sausage tasted homemade. The eggs were cooked just like how I liked them. The grits were amazing! I will get grits every time when I return. Our waiter was super friendly. I highly recommend this restaurant.

    Samantha R.

    Food-amazing hands down the best grits I've had. Eggs cooked to perfection and the French toast spectacular. It was one of the best breakfasts I've had in a while. Service was great, side was crowded, but clean and nice.

    Melissa L.

    I was finally able to come enjoy the restaurant while sitting at the bar. I selected a window seat. I enjoy being able to look outside and enjoy the view. The bartender took my order and brought me a water. She offered ideas on meals which she recommended. I decided on the Huevos rancheros and hash browns with a black coffee. When she put the Huevos rancheros in front of me I was amazed at the portion size. It was definitely enough for two people. It was the best Huevos rancheros I have eaten! It had avocado sliced on top then pico, eggs your way, beans, sauce and tortillas. I requested my eggs over hard. Everything was cooked perfectly and tasted so good! The coffee black was also good. I usually add creamer but it did not need it. I ordered a latte to go since the bartender makes the best in town! She was so kind and attentive. If you want good breakfast with an amazing view and excellent service I highly recommend going there and sitting at the bar!

    Fried chicken biscuit with cheddar cheese, a fried egg, and a side of grits
    Tanya R.

    Another wonderful experience and delicious meal at Young Cardinal. We were told that our wait would be 30 minutes, so we ordered a lavender gin cocktail from the bar. The drinks were excellent and the wait went by quickly. We love sitting out on the patio and watching the people and pups walk by, but there's honestly not a bad seat in the place. The avocado special was beautifully presented, the ingredients were fresh and the portion was very generous! The biscuit was fluffy and flaky and the grits were the best grits we've ever had. No need for extra salt, pepper, or butter-perfect! We always look forward to visiting WS and having brunch at YCC and can't wait for our next visit.

    Cinnamon roll French toast.
    Michael W.

    Warm and cozy atmosphere, delightful smells, and courteous staff all part of the recipe for a good time out. My family and I wanted to go out before the snow hit and Young Cardinal did not disappoint. The food was delicious and they had a few gluten free options for our little one (French toast). We were able to enjoy custom made omelet, the hashbrowns (was a little spicy), waffle, and regular French toast with a piece of fried chicken (breast fillet). The fried chicken was added on the side for $5 at the time. The chicken was tasty, the French toast was delicious, and the portions were perfect. If you haven't tried it, you are overdue.

    A pair complains to host staff before ultimately leaving due to their refusing to take reservations here.
    Corey S.

    Ever heard of a restaurant that DOES NOT take reservations (...even when you call them hours ahead and try to do so for you and your elderly mother)?! Better yet, have you ever- in all of your years spent upon this insane planet called "Earth" - ever seen a food & beverage business lose armloads of hungry/thirsty customers arriving only to leave frustrated minutes after when they're told that they'd have to wait 40-50 minutes (basically, an hour) before they could even be seated?! Well... if not, there's the "Establishment of Ignorance" (my nickname for this so-called downtown Winston-Salem restaurant) a.k.a. The Young Cardinal Cafe awaiting your visit which is sure to leave you with a headache to go along with your hunger! Don't say I didn't warn you! This foolishly-run place is a literal joke to the truly classy and cultured. Do yourself a favor and visit/patronize Mozelle's Fresh Southern Bistro (also located in downtown W-S, NC) where the food, swift service AND customers speaks volumes in-comparison to this overrated fiasco called Young Cardinal Cafe!

    good biscuits
    Ray F.

    Had brunch here with friends one morning recently. We were meeting friends and they were waiting at a table upon our arrival. This place is busy. An open interior with high ceilings. Our server returned shortly, took our drink orders and breakfast orders. I went for a black cup of coffee and the Young Cardinal breakfast, two eggs over medium with grits, gravy and a biscuit. Its eggs so its pretty hard to mess up, the eggs were close to medium a little over but okay. The biscuit and gravy was good and the grits were okay as well. A really good cup of java. This is a popular locals place and is busy, and its an okay breakfast joint. Not the best but not the worse, better than some not as good as others. It served its purpose. 3.5 Stars rounded up for the good java 01161

    Breakfast Patty Melt
    Alex A.

    OMGosh! Young Cardinal is AWESOME! When I stopped by I was conflicted. I wanted their waffle AND the breakfast patty melt. The server suggested, why not both? They brought it out to my delight. The waffle with their signature syrup is amazing. Tasty, savory and not too sweet. The breakfast patty melt was all too good and paired nicely with an over medium egg. Just the right amount of sauce and sautéed onions. They also have classic breakfast plates with outstanding French toast. The service is amazing. Depending on seating, it can either be cozy or with a nice view of downtown. It's a lovely space overall, and I can't wait to come back.

    Hot Honey Chicken Salad
    Jennifer I.

    We've been here multiple times and they never disappoint! Pricing is phenomenal. Food is absolutely delicious and service is always friendly, professional and quick. Would highly recommend this spot to anyone - only downside is parking, which with any downtown space is going to be tough. They are totally worth it tho. There is indoor, outdoor and bar seating available.

    Judy I.

    There were sixteen in our group. We agreed to sit in groups of four at booths. The restaurant serves mainly breakfast, brunch with a few things a hamburger and BLT on the menu. We were waited on quickly. I ordered a BLT and fries. I was very pleased with my BLT, as there was lots of bacon on it. The fries were not as impressive, imagine a potato wedge size sliced very thin. This would never become problem though because they offer lots of choices of sides: hash browns, pintos, grits, etc. Good service, we were even offered "to go" cups! A 20% gratuity was added to our check.

    Mocha! No cute art but very tasty!
    Brooke A.

    I saw Young Cardinal Cafe was in the Yelp top 10 so had to check it out! This place did not disappoint! We came in on the tail end of what seemed to be a lunch rush but were seated right away! I'm a sucker for seasonal coffees but didn't see that they had a seasonal syrup quick enough so I ordered a mocha. It was very rich, with a bit of a coffee bite, and perfectly comforting and delicious to me. For my meal at a new place, I always like to order something that seems unique to the restaurant if available so I chose the Hot Honey Chicken with Pimento Benedict with a biscuit base substitute and a bowl of fruit. The fruit was a fresh and a good way to balance my meal. I'll try them grits next time. THE BISCUIT was the star of the show! It was soft on the inside yet firm on the outside for the Benny and full of buttery, my grandma just baked this goodness! The hollandaise sauce was also very rich and buttery. The pimento cheese was plentiful and even though I've seen people complain about the size of the chicken, I found them to be filling and perfectly cooked even while thinly pounded. This was easily one of the best brunch meals I have had in a while!!!

    Sausage omelette with hash browns and a biscuit
    Mark D.

    My wife and I were in the area one day, and this place has been on our list of places to try so we decided to come here for a weekday brunch. The interior of this place is very clean and well put together. I thought the bar area off to the side was very cool. For my entrée, I went with the sausage omelette with American cheese. The sausage was very different compared to what I'm used to in your average omelette. Had a different and distinct taste that I wasn't expecting. Tasted more like chorizo than sausage. I could see myself eating this sausage by itself, but not in an omelette. I would probably go with something like bacon in my omelette the next time. The eggs were cooked very lightly and soft. Perfect amount of cheese was put in it so that part was great. Comes with your choice of a side, I went with the hashbrowns. They were ok. Wouldn't call them bad, but can't call them very good either. They came out at a lukewarm temperature as if they'd been cooked for a while and sat on the grill at a certain temperature just to keep them warm, but not overcooked. I'm sure they go through a lot of potatoes, so it could definitely be time consuming making batches every few minutes. My wife mentioned a review afterwards saying someone said to ask for them to be cooked crispy. That's definitely what I would have to do if I come back on my next visit here. The biscuit was the superstar for me. One of the best that I've ever had. Was light, fluffy, and the perfect temperature when brought out. Service was excellent and very attentive. Overall, this place is pretty good. As I mentioned, I would try some different things next time I come to see if that can add another star on my next review. Regardless, this place is worth checking out.

    Smoked Salmon Benedict with hash browns

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    26 days ago

    Great food, and great service. Cinnamon roll pancake is awesome! Busy place so you may wait but it will be worth the wait.

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    Ask the Community - Young Cardinal Cafe

    Would you be able to accommodate a group of 8-12 adults for a brunch?

    Its first come first serve there - but they have an outdoor area. If you go on a weekday you will have better luck. Weekends they may have trouble seating you all together.

    Do they take reservations?

    No they do not take reservations.

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    Betty On Burke

    Betty On Burke

    4.6
    (58 reviews)
    0.5 mi

    First time at Betty on Burke and it will not be my last! I went with a friend to celebrate her…read morebirthday and they did not disappoint. From the minute we walked in, we were greeted promptly and seated at our reservation time. They even had handbag clips to put on the edge of the table so we didn't have to put our purses on the floor - loved that! Everything we ordered tasted so good! We got the Rice Paper Tacos as appetizers. They came out looking like art on a plate and they were very gracious to tell us that there's not a wrong way to eat it. I got the Korean BBQ Beef as my entree and it hit the spot! My friend got the Modern Tuna Nicoise as her entree and it looked too pretty to eat, but she said it was delicious! For dessert we got the Passion Fruit Panna Cotta. It was the best way to end the night. We enjoyed our meals and the service was top-notch! Ambiance was nice-we sat in the outdoor area and they had a nice simple table display with a small table lamp that I was intrigued by. I'd never seen one so small but what I liked about it was that it didn't take up space on the table. Usually, the displays take up more space than the food sometimes, so I appreciate the little details. If you've never been to Betty on Burke-you must! I was very pleased with my experience and will definitely come back. PS- they validate parking so you don't have to pay the 3rd party parking system in their lot- HUGE plus!

    This is the kind of upscale place you could go for a work celebration; a date or meeting up with…read morefriends. Outdoor patio is nicely appointed and inside was dark wood with a nice bar. We came here because it was rated highly on Yelp and near the old interstate we were driving on. Why not:)!? Korean barbecue bowl was good with some nice chilled cucumbers. Salty for my taste. Wedge salad was not really a wedge and our retweet for dressing on the side didn't work out. Also salty. Rice paper tacos looked good but were very hard to eat. Thank you Yelp for the recommendation. Not my favorite place ever but very solid.

    Photos
    Betty On Burke
    Sweet potato gnocchi on chimichurri
    Sweet potato gnocchi on chimichurri
    Holy Basil Spritz

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    Holy Basil Spritz

    Young Cardinal Cafe - breakfast_brunch - Updated June 2026

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