"Since 1989, Big Ed’s has been a staple of downtown’s City Market district, serving breakfast and lunch to generations of Raleigh workers, politicians, and fans of classic Southern home cooking. There’s always a daily blue plate special, and lunch dishes like Big Ed’s meatloaf and the chicken pastry are favorites, but its the all-day breakfast that usually drives traffic. Country ham with red eye gravy, hot cakes (with or without meat), and scrambled eggs with brains are just a few of the historic Southern breakfast plates on offer." - Matt Lardie