Having brunch in a different town is a refreshing experience. We picked out Young Cardinal Cafe because it looks very interesting. They have limited space and they are pack at 9:00 am on the dot. Our wait time was a about 35 minutes which is totally normal. To be courteous for the waiting line of customer we didn't hang around after eating, which makes our brunch feel not so much. More like breakfast at a very busy restaurant. Nevertheless, let's get down to business shall we. After hearing about the specials which changed my mind from the menu dish I had pre picked out, as well as, my lovely other half. I ordered the eggs Benedict with a fried oyster on top of a crawfish crab cake on top of a English muffin covered in a light hollandaise sauce. Every component stood out beautifully and noted. The poached egg opened up beautifully across the plate. Also featuring a well made crawfish crab cake which both items are definitely present inside the cake. A perfect lightly fried oyster was handled with care. This dish as a whole had me feeling like a rockstar. The gravy is on another elevated level from anything I have ever tasted. The hash browns are a nice easy way to round everything out. My lovely other half had the avocado toast with poached eggs, a balsamic glaze, and grilled shrimp which she loved. The plating was beautiful. The ambience was soft speaking and pleasant. The service was professional. All in all bravo for the staff 10 stars with chefs compliments. read more

Young Cardinal Cafe - Eggs Benedict with a fried oyster, crawfish crab cake hollandaise sauce, and a English muffin. Gravy and hash browns are my sides. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Winston-Salem, North Carolina

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Food is consistently good and the service is always fast and friendly. It gets crowded at Sunday brunch but it is well worth the wait if you have to. read more

Young cardinal has great omelettes. Love eating at the bar good service and always in and out

They get busy as there are not a lot of places to do brunch with a proper cocktail open for brunch in the area which is how we ended up at this establishment. I appreciate that they have a variety of items on the menu from standard items to elevated "foodie" choices. I really enjoyed my chocolate expresso martini. There was nothing special about the seating or environment. i would not order the biscuit and gravy again as it did not have enough gravy for me and was too meat forward. if i wanted sausage i would have ordered it! read more

Young Cardinal Cafe has a unique Southern flare! We stumbled across this delectable restaurant while shopping in Winston Salem. Our stomachs were growling and the menu did not disappoint! The Benedict's were incredible (specifically the Hot Honey Chicken Pimento), it was absolutely bursting with flavor! The sweet potatoe tater tots were the perfect pairing, along with savory grits. Top it off with a Mary Makes You Cry (YCC's version of a spicy Bloody Mary) and you have yourself a 5/5 fab-freaking-tastic meal to get you through your day whatever that may entail! read more

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Simple no fuss breakfast that tastes like it was homemade. It was the best grits I've ever had!! Buttery and flavorful, I wanted to take a to go cup just to finish it off. And the biscuit was fluffy and perfect for dipping into my grits. No judgement please. The server was so kind and attentive. Every time my coffee cup got almost empty he was coming by to give me a refill. And that was quite often lol. I wish there was somewhere like this back home I'd be there all the time. read more

Young Cardinal Cafe - Cutest coffee cup with delicious hot coffee - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Winston-Salem, North Carolina

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I recommend Young Cardinal Cafe and would definitely come back next time I'm in town! The service was quick and the food was delicious. I got the special of the day: a brie grilled cheese with duck confit, apple butter, raspberry jam, and figs - a decadent breakfast, but fantastic nonetheless. My friends ordered omelettes and the breakfast burger. Everyone had leftovers to take home because the portions were large. We arrived at 10am on a Sunday and there was a quick 25 minute wait (though we noticed that by 10:30, the wait time had gone up to 40min). read more

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I ate here for the first time with a couple of friends on New Year's Eve for a late brunch. I opted for breakfast food, and went with their more basic breakfast, which included over easy eggs, bacon, hashbrowns, and then I substituted grits for the bread option. I also ordered an oat milk latte. All of the food was delicious, and the service was good, despite them being very busy. I also really loved the space...clean and cozy and well appointed. I am excited to have a new brunch place on my list of go-tos. read more

Very yum! The service was great and portions were generous. I definitely recommend if you're in the area! read more

Young Cardinal Cafe - Biscuit with egg and jackfruit side - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Winston-Salem, North Carolina

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Very good service and food. I tried the Benedict special which will be new on their menu next week! Definitely a keeper! Only in town for the weekend but when I come back I'll be here too! read more

Young Cardinal Cafe - Benedict Special with grits - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Since I wrote this review a year ago, Young Cardinal has become my favorite place for brunch in Winston Salem. The food is always fresh and delicious, and their specials hit the mark every time. One of my go-to orders lately has been anything involving their hot honey chicken. I'm a wimp when it comes to spice, but I'll gladly deal with the sniffles for the flavor it brings. Their benedicts are always top tier too. If you've been debating stopping by just do it. My only advice is be prepared to wait a bit on the weekends. Trust me, it's worth it. read more

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I came here on 2/12/21 for lunch with my favorite co worker lol. We arrived around 1:45pm. This restaurant is conveniently located in downtown Winston-Salem. They have 2hr parking on the side of the building. It's metered but I'm not sure if you have to put money in it or not. They have both outdoor and indoor seating. We were seated promptly. The booths have cushions that makes it comfortable for your butt.. however it needs to be Velcro again because I was almost on the floor when I tried to sit down. Out waitress was Haile (like the comet, per her words, lol). She exhibited a great amount of energy and enthusiasm throughout our time there. She was attentive and friendly. Food wise, I was really stuck between getting "breakfast food" and "lunch food". There is no pancake/waffle meal, so you will have to basically create your own plate. I ultimately decided to get the Cardinal Cuban which is pulled pork, baked ham, and Swiss cheese. It comes with pickles and a dark ale mustard but I got my sandwich without those two items. I got hash brows as my side. The hash browns reminded me of Waffle House and I love Waffle House! I thoroughly enjoyed my food and had to force myself to finish. It wasn't enough to take him and I didn't want to waste it. My co worker got the Short Rib Melt which comes with short rib, fried egg, bacon jam, and Muenster (which is a type of cheese). It looked delicious! She stated that she enjoyed it. She said the bacon jam gave it a sweet taste. She got hash browns with cheese and mushrooms added. Overall, great experience. I would come back to try the breakfast items. Masks are required and are worn by staff. read more

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Delicious! The food was amazing and the service was excellent. The ambiance was chill, perfect balance for families or a group of friends.

What an amazing breakfast- was so great that I felt compelled to leave a 5 star review. The chicken Benedict was so good! Definitely sub the English muffin for a biscuit! Bloody Mary wasn't bad either! read more

Young Cardinal Cafe - Hot honey chicken Benedict- sub muffin for a biscuit. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Winston-Salem, North Carolina

grabbed coffee & sat outside because of the crowd. coffee was ok. service was ok. not excited by the place but seemed decent.

Great breakfast with unique flare! Their morning hair of the dog drinks really knocked it out of the park! Not your average breakfast joint but worth it if you are adventurous! read more

Young Cardinal Cafe - Avocado toast - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Winston-Salem, North Carolina

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Wonderful food, fresh ingredients and reasonably priced. Good location and nice interior, nothing over the top. Service is good not great. They stay very busy and there's usually a decent wait. read more

Wonderful experience here. The food was creative and mouth-wateringly tasty. In addition to the diverse menu, they also offer espresso drinks and brunch cocktails. My partner doesn't like eggs and there were lots of savory options for him besides the usual desserty pancakes/waffles choices. I tried the fried chicken bendict, which was delicious. My partner had a has brown bowl which he loved. We'll definitely be back! read more

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1st time here. Would return and recommend to others. Was told there would most likely be a wait on a Sunday, but it was rainy so perhaps we lucked out because we only waited maybe 5 min for a table. Server was good and management was great. The manager came around multiple times checking in on tables, keeping the flow going and making sure trash was picked-up/drinks refreshed. Good management makes all the difference. The lattes here are HUGE. Hot chocolate was tasty. They don't have a skillet breakfast but you can easily make one by ordering their hashbrowns with toppings- very creative. Was delish! Huevos Rancheros were also quite good. Overall a great experience, quality food, clean environment and great service. All this at a reasonable price, too! read more

Me and my friends came here Saturday morning and had a wonderful time!! A bit of a wait to get it because it's so popular, but the food came fast and the service was excellent!! Really good coffee, we had the huevos rancheros, chicken biscuit and hashbrowns, the cardinal breakfast, and the Nutella pancake. Really good spot, we loved it! read more

Young Cardinal Cafe - Huevos rancheros, cardonal breakfast, chicken biscuit - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Hot Honey Chicken "Benedict" ...modification makes no never mind because this meal was AMAZING. Chicken was fried to perfection, with the mix of spicy vs sweet, topped with a creamy sauce. Texas Pete flaked shredded hash browns and fruit we're definitely a good healthy side option. Also remember it's not brunch if you don't have a fancy cocktail...it's just breakfast . read more

Young Cardinal Cafe - Hot Honey Chicken Benedict - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Winston-Salem, North Carolina

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This was delicious but it needed some kind of sauce, the bacon was overwhelming toooo much, topped it with the fried egg that I can barely taste maybe I should've added another egg lol read more

Young Cardinal Cafe - Maple bacon brunch burger - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Great food, all the meals we ordered were on point! The service was perfect. The coffee is good!

I was literally just telling my coworker about Young Cardinal as a great breakfast spot to go to after work (we are nurses and she works night shift). Friendly staff, plenty of seating, and a great bar / high-top area with lots of lighting. Whenever I drive by I see how busy this place is, so naturally I had to check them out. The menu is very straight-forward with tons of options. What I like about it is that you can mix-and-match just about anything, so you're able to try different things without ending up with a huge bill. I made my own omelet (goat cheese, spinach, and tomatoes) and got the biscuits and sausage gravy. I can't say I've ever had biscuits and gravy but she said they make it really well. They were very flavorful and had a nice spice to them. Decent mocha latte in a cool beer-can glass! read more

Young Cardinal Cafe - Omelet and biscuits + gravy - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Winston-Salem, North Carolina

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Fabulous breakfast every single time. Love this spot when I can get to Winston! They get fairly busy to the earlier you can get there the better. Nice, fresh open seating and plenty of room though so you don't feel piled in. read more

Awesome breakfast and Service!! Our waiter was very attentive , making our first time very pleasant. The atmosphere was very rustic chic and welcoming. read more

The Young Cardinal Cafe has not disappointed. I have visited the Young Cardinal Cafe multiple times and have yet to try something that did not have amazing flavor. The restaurant is smaller but does have outdoor seating and bar seating. There are also some seats by the window that are counter seating. Stop in for a drink and breakfast! They have it all and you cannot go wrong with any of the choices on the menu. read more

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Seriously the best breakfast I've had in ages. I dream of this meal. It's a cute cafe and the staff were really friendly and quick. It was crowded when we went but totally worth the wait! read more

Young Cardinal Cafe - Huevos rancheros with birria - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Great service fantastic menu very tasty and convenient for anyone downtown during breakfast / lunch hours

Upon the recommendation of one of my colleagues, I decided to stop by before hitting the road. He suggested that I try the Black Bean Burger and Fries. Served on a Brioche Bun, this burger was a total hit! Not spicy...just a harmony of all the veggies I needed today! And the fries...crisp and good ! My server was friendly and attentive. The next time that I visit Winston Salem, I will try breakfast. read more

Young Cardinal Cafe - Black Bean Burger and Fries - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Came from out of town. Waited an hour for a table on a Sunday with no reservation. The waiters were very sweet and attentive. We ordered boozy coffee that was absolutely delicious - I recommend the Millionaires coffee but the Bourbon one was good and strong too. The food was yummy and came out quick. The biscuits were the only thing I wouldn't bother to order. The pimento cheese on the egg Benedict was tasty and would be what I would reorder if I were to come again! Thank you! read more

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The s'mores French toast is possibly the best French toast I've ever had. The hot chocolate is also delicious. Sometimes the avocado toast of the day is hit or miss, but overall I really love this place. read more

We ate in the bar area and the service was great! These pulled pork eggs Benedict were fabulous and the grits and fruit were the perfect sides! If you're in the area, it's a great place for breakfast lovers! read more

Young Cardinal Cafe - Pulled pork eggs Benedict - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Brunch is one of my favorite meals out, and I have been hearing and reading about how great Young cardinals is for awhile now. Finally here to try it. It did not disappoint. Huge menu, great drinks menu, great service, great plates of delish ness, amazing drinks. I loved the hustle and bustle inside, felt like I was in a big city. Only downfall being they don't take reservations, you have to wait generally on a Sunday, I imagine during the week is a lot easier to get in. Our wait of 45 mins was technically only 25. So not bad. They have a great bar area, with seating all around an extra around the windows, all taken this rainy Sunday! Our server was awesome from the get go, just a cool gal. We started with drinks, I got a Prosecco, friends got a beer and a very berry cocktail. The cocktail was great a little sweet for me, but a pretty girly drink! Can't go wrong with a Prosecco! Food! I got the made to order omelette with egg whites, veggies, and their amazing hash browns, and wheat toast. These hash browns are crispy and soft at the same time, so good. The omelette was bigger than I thought it would be. Lots of veggies! I asked for ketchup, and they give little dishes not bottles, so she asked how many I needed, and I said 2 and she bought me 3, Incase I needed an extra! My friends avocado wrap with hash browns was fabulous she said and the other got the Young cardinal hot honey chicken sandwich with hash browns, this was a colossal sandwich! Looked amazing and she said it was extremely good. Fried chicken, Texas Pete hot honey, pimento and lettuce and tomato. I recommend this for anyone looking for a huge sandwich. Everyone said the same about the hash browns, so good! I really wish they did some kinda desserts at brunch, maybe a cinnamon roll ? Just a suggestion! We did try another cocktail, I got the Lavender wonderland, gin, St Germain, lavender, lemon, lemon and lime soda, and another winner! I love all things lavender and this was really good, my friend had the classic mimosa and that was classic! They do have a great boozy coffees and regular coffee shop section, look forward to trying one of those one day. Great wines and beer list. Hope to come back in spring for the patio, and to try more of these fabulous foodie gems. Was definitely worth the wait Young Cardinal! read more

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This place is so good! Nice spot in downtown Winston. My food came out delicious and my server was very nice. Everything on the menu looked good so I will definitely be coming back to try more. read more

Young Cardinal Cafe - canadian bacon eggs benedict - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Winston-Salem, North Carolina

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Delicious breakfast, had the smoked salmon Benedict- it was amazing. Great brunch stop with a wide variety of options.

First time here, Food and service were great. The place is very clean. There wasn't a wait on a Tuesday around 12-1pm. read more

Young Cardinal Cafe - BLT + fries + mini granola yogurt Hot chocolate / OJ Breakfast chorizo burrito + gravy biscuit - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Walked to this place for breakfast since it was close to my hotel. Had the eggs benedict with maple bacon with hashbrowns and fresh fruit as my sides. OMG! Pure heaven! The eggs were cooked to perfection and the sauce (I think it was homemade) was incredible. The hashbrowns were better than Waffle House (I know: hard to believe but true!). I ate at the bar. Bartender was friendly. I wanted a bloody mary but according to local law, could not be served before 10 AM (I was there on a Sunday) so, I opted for coffee and it was damn good. read more

Young Cardinal Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Winston-Salem, North Carolina

I'm a regular, I have to admit it but Sunday I had a not so pleasant experience. I arrived at around 11:10 am, I was with a friend and we approached the host stand, we were kindly greeted and my name was put down for a table for 2--"45 minutes or so but it might be shorter"-- said the hostess. I agreed. I asked if I could grab a drink from the bar while waiting to which she replied enthusiastically "yes, go ahead". I approached the bar and I asked if I could sit down while waiting for my table, bartender agreed. I ordered peach Bellinis and sweet tea, within 10 minutes of sitting down a young lady named Caroline approached me and asked me what was my name so she could remove it from the list; I replied I still wanted a table, we were just waiting in the bar. She carelessly rolled her eyes and stared for a good 2 seconds into my eyes almost like she wanted to reprehend me for doing something wrong. I was thrown off. I asked the bartender what did I do wrong? Why this young lady so early in her shift is so miserable and upset? It is not my fault if I'm not supposed to sit at the bar, I asked, I did my part. She came back after 30 minutes or so, informing us that our table was almost ready. I stood up from the barstool and approached the host stand, the actual hostess looked at my name on the list and replied "you have two more people in front" so I went back to the bar. Caroline was just looking at the entire situation in a defensive manner, that's when I decided to ask for her name to which she replied kindly "Caroline". I went back to the bar debating if I should order another Bellini but before I could make up my mind I was once again approached by guess who? Yes! Caroline. She came seemingly worried and bothered, "is there was an issue?", she asked, I guess she knew she wasn't being kind. Let me explain something, I worked in the Hospitality business for a long time, if you're doing your job, being kind and respectful to customers, giving out your name should never worry you; but when you are NOT performing as expected, a guest asking for your name can make you feel uneasy. My friend replied that she has been very rude to which she replied that she was not supposed to let anyone sit at the bar unless they were going to eat there. I understood her frustration, however, I am going to a place for brunch because I want to feel relaxed and taken care of and so far the experience was not as expected. We were finally seated; Caroline came and apologized for her attitude, and then we got a great server who took care of us in such an amazing way that the earlier experience was in the past. We ordered the huevos rancheros, the special Benedicts of the day (surf and turf) and bananas foster pancake (if you haven't tried it you need to!) everything was delicious as always. I'm not a fan of their loaded hashbrowns because I think they overmake them, they are so crunchy is hard to enjoy the texture of the potatoes, but the flavor of the food, the temperature and freshness were on point. I always leave the fruit that they serve their food with, but this time I ate it because honestly, it was really fresh. To conclude: I will come back, I love Young Cardinal theres no doubt about it although I do think they need some more training and awareness for cultural sensitivity. It would be beneficial for the business overall. read more

Young Cardinal Cafe - Huevos Rancheros (peep that beautiful tostada underneath) - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Winston-Salem, North Carolina

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Overpriced and overcrowded brunch spot offering unseasoned food. Had to eat with people bumping into me because there no wait area and those waiting were staring at me and my friend. Gets very humid. Whole experience felt rushed and stressful. Staff seemed over it and i cant blame them. read more