Big Ed's City Market Restaurant

I'm visiting North Carolina and my boyfriend suggested Big Ed's for the country style breakfast. He easily found street parking nearby. It is first come first serve, but the line went very quickly. We maybe waited five minutes for a table. The service here is 10/10. Our waitress was the sweetest, but honestly everyone was nice. Southern hospitality at its finest! I also loved the decor. It definitely falls in line with a good ole country southern restaurant. The food was pretty good. I enjoyed the spicy sausage on my breakfast biscuit. The biscuit itself was a bit dense, but still buttery. The eggs were cooked to perfection. I had a few bites of my cheese grits and they were cooked well. I like my grits thicker, but that's a personal preference and I had to add a good amount of salt. Overall, I enjoyed my time here and i definitely would return!

Great experience. I was served at Big Ed’s by Patrick who kept my coffee cup full and made sure I had anything else I needed. I went with a single hotcake with sausage and added a scrabbled egg. The hotcake was fantastic and done well. I’m always nervous about “Big Food” since normally you lose out on flavor in favor of the size. This hotcake hit on both though! The sausage and egg were also great. I got there rather early on a week day, but I’ve seen this place quite busy on weekends in the past. Overall very much worth a visit, and if you like mugs, they sell theirs in house.

This is a great place to get a filling and delicious meal. The service was excellent. Big Ed’s has a cool local vibe, full of quirky and charming decorations and signs. The portions are generous and the prices are great. I was just visiting Raleigh but if I lived anywhere nearby I would definitely gain weight! And I wouldn’t regret it! The menu is extensive and I had a hard time making a choice, but I had the fried catfish with eggs, grits and a biscuit. It was a little too much but I ate it all and felt great afterwards. Next time I’m in Raleigh, Big Ed’s will be one of my first stops.

Visited Raleigh for a day and had the pleasure of stumbling upon this place. There was a line but I waited for, at most, ten minutes. The staff were all extremely friendly and embodied that southern hospitality. I ordered coffee and the western omelette with home fries and a biscuit. The coffee was strong and rich in flavor while the omelette was fresh and full of veggies and meat. The biscuit stole the show as it was fluffy, fresh, and delicious. Home-fries were basic, but when you have a great omelette, it doesn’t take away from the meal. Above all, my total was $13.50!! I was pleasantly surprised because in VA the same meal would cost me $20 and not be nearly as fresh. 5 stars! I cant wait to visit again.

Got the food everything was what we ordered, but the grits were cold and the food was also it was like they waited till all the food got prepared then brought it out as a cook. You don’t do that whatever you have ready first go ahead and take it out so people can start eating. Don’t wait till you get everything prepared then bring it, Lord even the grits were cold. They Didn’t have no smoke on them. You got to turn the fire up. Make everything hot coming to the table. pancake was bigger than the plate. Four people could eat off that come on Big Ed’s Got to do better if you want some business.

I came here about three times during my stay in Raleigh. The food is excellent. It has a lot of variety but if you want something simple, you can too. People are very friendly and compassionate. I very much enjoyed their service. Highly recommend

Do you like happiness? Big Ed’s is pure unadulterated happiness. Chicken fried chicken is the best most flavorful chicken I’ve EVER had!!! Anthony was our server, the guy is awesome! We had his suggestions and were not disappointed at all. What a great spot. If you need southern home style hospitality, food and atmosphere go out of your way to come here! Also, the price was so much lower than expected. Finally a restaurant that’s not trying to just take your money, they earned every bit. The price was so reasonable that we tipped larger than the price of my meal. Thanks Big Ed’s!

My boyfriend was visiting me from NYC and wanted to try some authentic southern food, so we went to have a breakfast/brunch here after reading some good reviews. Unfortunately, the food didn't meet our expectations. We tried a lot of different things ranging from two different toast, biscuit with gravy, grits, two different egg preparations, he tried Cajun chicken, I tried smoked sausage, but we have had better southern food elsewhere. The toasts were toasted with some kinda oil/oil spread I am guessing, the felt quite greasy and so did the cajun chicken. The gravy was very tasteless. I wanted the egg done over medium, it was almost sunny side up. Only the house fries were good, but a bit heavy on salt, actually that made the grit edible (not enjoyable). But the ambience was good, and the hostess was good as well.

Great Service & Great Food!! This was my first visit to Big Ed's, it wont be my last. Im here for work and I'm always looking for a good local spot. I chose to enjoy thier pulled pork and coleslaw lunch special, 2 sides included and a dessert. I was expecting smaller portions but I was so wrong! The portions were good enough for 2 people to enjoy. This meal was $13.75(prices may change. Price posted is what I paid today). Great price for what you get! Looking for great comfort food.. this is definitely the spot!

This place is the bomb for breakfast! We took the whole family for Sunday morning breakfast. They seated our party of 6 pretty quickly give how busy they were. They have fantastic HUGE pancakes and even a food challenge if you can eat a stack of pancakes in 45 minutes. My teenage sons could not finish the challenge - so yeah- they are that big

We were visiting from Florida and we had a decent breakfast meal here. I went with my fiancé and his father. Our waiter was friendly and informative. He knew the specials and menu well. I ordered the chicken fried steak, which was delicious. The biscuits here were thick, dense, and fluffy. The toast was a little dry and I was little disappointed at the jam and spread selection; I think it was those individual Smuckers brand rectangular packs. The hanging toys and decor was an interesting choice, very eclectic. One complaint is that we were seated at a table where the sun shined directly into our eyes for a majority of the meal through the high windows that didn't have blinds attached to them.

Home feel simple fresh cooking. Great portion size and friendly service. Great prices also. Hit cakes are huge! They cooked my eggs to perfection (soft scramble). Def would recommend.

Big Ed's is in the downtown area of Raleigh in the village. It has a very hometown vibe in a country store setting. You can tell by the decor this is a very casual, grandma's kitchen kind of look. We were seated fairly quickly on a busy Saturday morning. The restaurant is tucked away on a tree lined cobblestone street, but the locals know it's there! They have a large menu and large portions and the food does not disappoint. It was a very busy Saturday, however our server did not come back to our table enough. We had to wave down someone else to get refills on water and hot water for tea. Not the end of the world, but, we did see this same server chatting with many tables, and still couldn't get her attention. This is the reason for the missing star in the review. I really loved the look of this place and would definitely return. Hopefully the service was just a one off and trying not to be too critical. The food is great at Big Ed's. You certainly will not leave hungry!

Wow! What a delicious and delightful breakfast experience at Big Ed's in Downtown Raleigh! I had the catfish with an over easy egg, grits, a homemade buttermilk biscuit, and orange juice. Not only was it an incredible value and so tasty... the ambiance of Big Ed's and the southern hospitality of our server Cathy Swazey, made me this Californian feel at home. Cathy went over and beyond to make us feel welcomed, and I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the history and people that make Big Ed's a fave among locals and out of towners. What's a special place... I hope to be back soon! Thank you!

We had a lovely experience at Big Ed's for breakfast this morning. Our waitress was great- attentive, friendly, and offered good recommendations. We got our food quickly and were very pleased with the large portions. The meal was so flavorful and filling. Great location, great seating inside, and overall just a very pleasant experience.

The venue's aesthetics, coupled with its ambiance and service, alongside the exceptional food quality and generous portions, secured its position as our initial dining choice upon our arrival for vacation. My family thoroughly enjoyed the experience, and I, personally, found it delightful. The delectable food exuded a distinct country charm, making it a highly recommended dining spot for those in proximity to Raleigh, North Carolina. The breakfast offerings here are truly superb.

Big Ed's has to be the best breakfast joint in Raleigh. Located in the historic downtown Moore Square section. The ambiance takes you back in time. Street parking available. Great service and spectacular food. One of the best homemade biscuits I've ever had, hands down.

Big Ed's has some really good southern breakfast but I can't put it there on my top I got to say there was something that was lacking for me and that was flavor the food was delicious and the service was amazing! The chicken tasted as if they just poured hot sauce in it before it got breaded and deep fried but at the same time it was very juicy and crispy it was well cooked just wish it would of been season a bit better I thought it felt a bit rushed I am also no stranger to grits and I do think these were a bit on the ordinary side. I did love the sausage links they were bigger than the usual! And my scrambled eggs were nice and cheesy! Great ambiance and souther decor! My server was top notch! Will come back for sure and try other foods they have to offer! My experience was a good one!

I came here for breakfast and had a wonderful experience! I knew it was going to be a good breakfast spot when at 9:15AM there were already a line out the door! I was pleasantly surprised when we only needed to wait 10-15 min to be seated. Our server was extremely attentive. She came by every 10 minutes with hot coffee refills and asking if we needed anything. Upon recommendation from our server I had the fried chicken with biscuits. This was also served with eggs cooked the way you like (I personally love over easy) and a side. I went for the cooked apple slices. I could not believe how much food was in the plate for what I found to be a very reasonable price! I tend to shy again from southern style breakfasts but I'm so glad I went with her recommendation. The biscuits with gravy were among the best I'd ever had as was the fried chicken. I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone in the Raleigh area!

It's still good but it's not great anymore. They stopped serving Nahunta sausage and they charge you if you want extra biscuits. Typically, on a Saturday morning, the line would be out the door but not on this recent visit.

Fantastic food and service. This has become a regular restaurant in our rotation. Prices are great, especially considering the portion sizes.

I've been looking for a go to breakfast spot in Raleigh since moving here a year ago and I have found it at last. We have visited many delicious bakeries and coffee shops. I have a soft spot on my hard for a traditional pancake breakfast though. I'm happy to say that Big Ed's delivers on that. The pancake I had was massive, thick, light, and fluffy. It had a nice buttery taste to it. The texture was on point. This pancake was . The bacon that came with it was not as thick as I usually prefer, but it was generously portioned and really tasty. So no complaints from me. I also liked the interior's casual atmosphere. There are antiques hung from the ceiling and the tables are covered in a classic red and blue checkered pattern. Our servers were attentive to our table and filled my coffee mug regularly which made me even happier My wife had the "chicken fried chicken" with a biscuit, and she also raved over that meal. I plan to be back here as often as I can, and whenever I crave pancakes

This place was terrific! Sara, our server, was excellent and we found our French toast, spicy sausage patty biscuit and grits rather tasty.

Big Ed's is a Raleigh classic so I was glad to be able to eat here- we had good service from Patti and the ambience is great- you really can appreciate all the old decorations hung in the ceiling and the walls - the coffee tasted a little like mud water (sorry!) - I got the 1 pancake with sausage - it was so huge I only ate half! Doused in syrup and butter it was quite good- but nothing special- their other dishes are same - nothing special but that is what basic breakfasts are supposed to be- the home fries are really good! a good breakfast experience

The greatest thing about Ed's city market was this waitress Jessica who was an absolute joy. She was the top notch. . Not only was she sweet and patient she was also seriously on task. I don't think I ever had an empty glass. The food wasn't bad, I had the meatloaf and got some salt pork. Not realizing that big Ed closes much earlier than I would've thought, I was the last one there and they didn't just toss me out. They waited until I finished my meal. This is a chill spot. I'd return.

Food and service were fantastic. Our server was over the top with service and exceeded our expectations. Food was absolutely delicious!! We will come back.

This is a popular spot with locals and tourists. Such a fun atmosphere with a semi-open kitchen and vintage objects hanging from the ceiling. It definitively has southern charm. If they are busy, there really isn't anywhere to wait, though. The menu is full of many choices and home style southern food is plentiful. They have the biggest choice of side dishes I've ever seen. I love it. It's definitely worth a stop.

Wow ! Definitely recommend to everyone in or out this town. Friendly and quick attending staff. I would come here again for sure!

Friendly staff, location was close to the Marriot where we stayed. We had a bit of a wait but not overwhelming. Staff were super friendly and had great recommendations. The place was packed and I love seeing a restaurant packed. Everyone was happy with the food and service. Only issue was the floor was sticky where we were sitting and I know it's not a huge deal but should be mentioned. They were busy and probably didn't have much time to clean the floor properly so understandable. Would definitely come back for the chicken, it had a nice kick to it and it was perfect.

Big Ed's is a good breakfast and/or lunch option. My husband and I dined in for lunch. All of the lunch plates come with a meat, two vegetables, bread and dessert. It was the baked BBQ chicken with creamed potatoes with gravy, black eyed peas, applesauce and a biscuit with a lemonade for me and the catfish with butter beans & corn, creamed potatoes and a biscuit for my husband. For our dessert I chose the banana pudding and he chose the lemon cake. The food was good and so was the value.

A pinnacle of southern food - great eats and great service. Quick test on Y/N should you go here: 1. Do you like good food? 2. Do you like America? If you answered yes to questions 1 and 2, then this place is for you

Found them on Yelp for breakfast before leaving Raleigh on a short visit. Glad we did! Charming and good food and service. The line was out the door but moved quickly. I had the veggie omelet, toast and fruit. Very tasty and large portion. My husband ordered the southern breakfast with country ham. He was impressed with the portion of ham. Good hot coffee! Everything you need for a good breakfast!

upon entering at 1:20 in the afternoon we were warned that the close at 2 which we were aware of. Typically this means that they quit serving at 2 but you could be seated and order and eat. we ordered the special and i clearly stated ribs ( it was a choice between pork chops or ribs) we also ordered pancakes grits bacon and sweet teas. the tea was so dang sweet it made us dizzy! we did not dare ask for water as it was clear every server was busy trying to clean up clear things do side work and get the heck out of there! Well our order came and they brought chops and tried to say i did not specify but after refusing to take the chops they replaced them with the ribs which would have been good except they were cold like ice cold from the fridge! again we did not dare ask. i had to already remind the server to bring our included dessert. our entire experience was taken over by the fact that they wanted to walk out the door at two so i paid 40 for that horrible experience! No butter was on the table had to ask for that also. i would recommend close at 1 with the intention of leaving at two if that is how staff is going to act! we left and left most of our food behind because the meat was cold the pancakes got cold before we got butter and it was just a chaotic experience.

Just come in for breakfast or brunch and you won't be dissatisfied. Will definitely come back again when in town. Service is awesome and the place is big. Minus 1 star lack of parking.

I have come here countless times. I think when I originally came it was cash only, but now they accept credit card. It's such a fun restaurant. It has a real Southern feel to it with all the decoration hanging, and the food they make is legit. It is all comfort, all the time. They've got a really good red-eyed gravy, their grits are nice and creamy, the sausage is always on point, and the service is hopping. These days it can be difficult to get good service at a restaurant like this, so I'm really glad that they do a good job. I would choose this place over Waffle House any day of the week. It's not even a fair comparison. Lol. Enjoy some real good southern breakfast and you'll be back for more

Had a great breakfast. The food came out fast and was hot and just what we ordered. Nothing fancy about the place but you can tell it has been an institution in downtown Raleigh.

Best breakfast in Raleigh. They are very good at getting my eggs right (I like them well done)! You might need a nap after this meal.

Southern home cooking - better than Cracker Barrel. My husband is a huge Brunswick stew fan and he was excited when it was the daily special today. The order that with a grilled bologna and cheese sandwich. I order the breakfast ribeye with fried egg and grits. The biscuits are huge and look delicious. The staff is very nice and make you feel like family as soon as you walk in the door.

Alright y'all - this is about as GOOD AS IT GETS. I wanna eat here for break every freakin morning because it's THAT good. First and foremost, we received the best service ever experienced from our server Ari. He was super informative, funny and fast! He gave us all the specials and kept my coffee mug full! It was hard to decide since there's so many choices ranging from multiple omelets to pancakes or French toast. I w decided to go simple and got the one egg plate, scrambled with cheddar cheese. Bacon. And home fries. A side of whole wheat toast and jam. Wow!!!! The eggs were perfectly scrambled and the cheese melty and plenty. The bacon was perfectly fried and crispy. The home fries were EXCELLENT. The flavor and crisp was there and it was my favorite part of the plate. I wish I was there right now eating the same exact thing.

Oh my goodness! I cannot heap enough praise upon this wonderful restaurant! My daughter and I had brunch there this past Thursday. This is a large restaurant that eventually filled up while we were there. Lots of hustle and bustle but never felt rushed. I ordered the bacon/cheddar omelet. I'm diabetic to I ordered fresh fruit which just happened to be a ginormous slice of cantaloupe that was exactly how I ate it growing up in the South! When I saw it I was overcome by a wave of childhood nostalgia reminiscent of many a summer meal. The space is full of interesting antiques and you could look up to the ceiling and never run out of things to look at. But the crown jewel of our visit was our server, Ari. He was a delightful, conversational young man who instantly made us feel welcome and had us laughing right away. He stayed on point making sure we had everything we needed. Big Ed's is lucky to have such an awesome server! Thank you, Ari, for an unforgettable dining experience!

This is a great breakfast place with a huge menu. You will definitely find something you like. I got the special which was the chicken fried chicken with gravy. I opted to get the gravy on the side. The chicken was so good. The fries weren't my favorite but decent. The biscuit was big, fluffy, and buttery. I would definitely come here again.

Big Ed's was delicious! I got a grilled cheese with country ham and sides of bacon and eggs and it was more than enough for me. My boyfriend also really enjoyed his food. The dining area was decorated with some really interesting art and knick knacks which kept me entertained until our food came. The overall mood of the restaurant was lively and very homey! As for the service, our waitress was very nice, quick, and helpful. Even the other staff helped us when we needed it. We had a great brunch meal at Big Ed's and we definitely plan on coming back for more!!

Big Ed's is my jamm! Food is priced great, staff is always friendly. Should definitely be your go to for good home style cooking.

This is the only place i'll eat breakfast/brunch. It's my go-to to take visitors. I'm pretty basic breakfast person - two eggs, bacon or sausage, and biscuits. I recently started getting fried fish with all that. It's so crunchy and flavorful. I've gotten it at 8 am and does not disappoint. Their chicken fried chicken is equally delicious and perfect on biscuit or just gravy.

Big Ed's was a good experience besides the finger nail found in my silverware wrapped in a napkin. the staff didn't seem too concerned about it but I did request new silverware. I do hope they work on their sanitation standards as that shouldn't have happened. I hadn't been to Big Ed's in a while but it brought back memories of when I was researching the area to relocate as it is the first place I ate. One change thanks to Covid is the tables are not as close as they once were. It is a much nicer experience now. There is still the line out the door though as this is a popular place. I had French toast; eggs and bacon. It is good Southern cooking and a place to take those visiting from out of town or just a place to go with friends.

Typical southern breakfast fare. Wait staff extra friendly. The hot cakes are absurdly large. Personally would stay away from the ham with the red eye gravy (salty ham drippings mixed with coffee). Eclectic atmosphere with antiques hanging from ceiling.

This is a Raleigh staple. A great place for a country breakfast with many eastern NC options that are hard to find elsewhere. Service is always on point being fast and just attentive enough. The food is always hot and fairly generous. The surroundings are unique at the downtown location and brings back memories of a long gone era. Very popular so consider your timing.

so good!! we went on saturday which was a little busy but not too bad! fast service and great pancakes

Take Out Service on Falls of Neuse Rd. Gave us broken pieces of tenderloins! Eggs drowned in juice! Not eatable! All 4 carry out plates were a disaster! Very disappointed

This place has the best breakfast in town! I have noticed that many other restaurants these days overcharge and give small portions but not here! You get great quality and the full bang for your buck! If you like to add spice to your eggs you might be slightly disappointed because the hottest thing they had was Texas Pete's (which isn't spicy to me). Although the freshness of the food makes up for the lack of spice! The decor on the walls reminded me of my southern grandmothers house. Great people, ambience, and fresh food. 100% recommend.

Great food and good service. Busy on weekends, but worth the wait! Love the fish, and the breakfast.

This place is fun, over 90 years of historic decor, respect for our freedom fighters, playful staff and good Southern eats My pork tenderloin biscuit was delicious and our server Amanda was so much fun with just the right amount of sarcasm. The only thing to worry about is that if you are a vegetarian, the options on the weekend are limited.

While they were packed, service was super quick and our server was very attentive. The food was okay (the biscuits were delicious!!). I don't really see myself craving to come back but I wouldn't be opposed to eating their if someone wanted to go.

Walking into Big Ed's was a treat. They have all these cool figures hanging from the walls and such a nice, welcoming vibe. The food was great and the service was splendid. Such a rad spot. Thanks for having us.

We eat at Big Ed's in Garner, NC. The food is always delicious and authentic southern cooking. Staff is caring. Marcus is a great assistant general manager.

I typically only give reviews if a business is outstanding or really bad. This place is absolutely amazing - from the food to the staff to the environment itself. My toddler and I went here for breakfast - I will say there's not a kids menu I know of, but it truly didn't matter to me since I could just take the leftovers home. The staff were super super sweet, especially to my toddler. I forgot our waitresses name sadly but she was very kind. I got him "one flapjack with sausage" - I was expecting a normal sized pancake to come out. You should've seen the look on our faces when our waitress put the plate down. My toddler was so excited. Another waitress who wasn't serving us even came over and asked him if he wanted sprinkles which was just the cherry on top. He was so happy and it truly made my heart happy seeing strangers going over the top for him! The food is amazing, but the wonderful staff are even better!

If you are not familiar with downtown you might miss this lovely spot. I haven't dined at Big Ed's in over 10 years, so it was a must when my husband and our friends came to visit for me for an early bday staycation. They mentioned they dined at the Falls of Neuse location and fell in love. This location was really close to where we decided to stay so it was a no brainer for us. As I remembered the food was good, staff was great and the atmosphere was down home feel good. The pancakes are bigger than your plate, so it is way more than enough to share (if you want), but it was just too much for me. They do offer turkey options, which is a plus for me since I don't eat beef or pork. We decided to dine on a Sunday around brunch time (they close at 2:00pm) and there was a wait, but they move rather quickly. Our waitress was so sweet and accommodating and made us feel very welcome. I plan to dine again and check out their lunch menu.