Lovick's Cafe

TLDR: decent diner, good service, in a cute location downtown. I would visit again, and probably explore different items on the menu. Greeted upon entering. Seat yourself (no wait at about half past 9 on a Tuesday). Server came to us pretty quickly, and was attentive during our visit. Food was ready pretty quickly, too. Lobster/seafood omlette - cooked well, not something I normally have for breakfast and I'm not sure I would order it again but I am glad I tried it. Warehouse Special I opted for something simple, items commonly offered at breakfast places. Eggs--scrambled. Pleasantly surprised to get a real sausage link (not the small "Jimmy Dean" style). Pancake was buttery flavored but I'll admit to not be a fan of the yellow color. I enjoyed the fried apples, I did get a full apple stem in my serving, though. Coffee was okay (weaker than if you went to a coffee shop but seems on par for a diner--there is a good coffee shop just a few doors down, too).

Great breakfast every day. The staff is also super friendly and ready to help.

MUST STOP!! This is the most welcoming, kind, and wonderful breakfast stop. You come in as strangers and leave feeling like family. The food is fresh and delicious. The food comes second to the service and atmosphere. Christina is one of the kindest and most genuine souls I have ever met. I wish I could give more than 5 stars!

Why I never ate at Lovick’s Cafe over the last 40 years is beyond me. We stopped in on a Thursday morning and had to wait for a table. The outside of the place has been restored and expanded over the years, but the atmosphere still has the original feel too it. The food was hot and fresh and the service was great! I got one of the famous “dough burgers” like my wife’s grandmother used to make for us. It was all a great experience. I recommend you check it out next time you are in Kinston, NC.

If you've ever had your grandma's breakfast and thought, "This is as good as it gets," think again. Lovick’s Cafe has completely redefined my breakfast standards, and honestly, my grandma might need to step up her game. First off, the pancakes at Lovick’s? Not just fluffy. Cloud-like. They make you feel like you’ve just bitten into a piece of heaven. The eggs? Perfectly over easy , not like the mysterious, half-scrambled lumps Grandma used to make. She tried, bless her heart, but Lovick’s eggs? They should be classified as a national treasure. Lovick’s bacon is on another level—it's like they raised it in a spa, pampered it, and then cooked it to perfection. Honestly, I think Lovick’s breakfast may be the key to world peace. Forget about global diplomacy—just serve everyone a plate of their warehouse breakfast, and watch enemies become lifelong friends. So, thanks, Lovick’s Cafe, for making me realize that not all breakfasts are created equal. Sorry, Grandma, but you’ve been out-cooked.

Carpe' breakfast! What a hidden gem. If you want a well cooked breakfast make sure you give Lovick's a try. Good little ol' time diner feel, upbeat wait staff, and a great breakfast menu with plenty of options for everyone. Couldn't have been more pleased and we'll definitely be stopping in again.

Was expecting more. Have heard so much about Lovick's and it being so great but was not all from what I heard. The place was clean, organized and employees were very friendly and quick but the food was okay. Asked about some of the dishes and came to find out most is canned food reheated and seasoned or pre-made easy make food. The prices are fairly reasonable which made reason for the food. Breakfast restaurants and Mexican restaurants are my top favorite to go to anywhere in my travels and always looking to try them out in each and every city, sadly i just wasnt too impressed. The restaurant was very very busy with almost every seat filled and i hear it is like that everyday all times of the morning/mid afternoon times so it seems very popular as is with many people I know love it. Good place to try at least once and determine your own thoughts on it as they have been in business for 80 years, you might love it!

A historic spot downtown Kinston. Obviously, it's a local favorite. The folks that work there are super friendly and courteous. They engage in conversation with you. I sat near the front entrance and as patrons entered, many were greeted by name. Some even got a hug. Prices here are very reasonable. A couple of the locals even greeted me as they walked by my table. I had something very simple. A biscuit with sausage gravy and corned beef hash. The gravy was creamy and had a nice buttery flavor. The hash wasn't the best I've had but it was decent. If you want to experience true southern hospitality along with southern cooking, stop by Lovick's

Great service and super friendly. You can't beat the southern hospitality and the food is very good.

Another stellar Saturday at LOVICK's in Kinston. Neets and I wanna call this our "breakfast home away from home". Everything was PERFECT! Had a great talk with the owner himself as well as several neighboring customers. GREAT PLACE - had the grits - bottomless coffee & new item to me (the Dough Sandwich Egg Cajun-style with and sausage and mustard in a Sandwich - Let me tell you - "It was top shelf!" We LUV this place!!!

My family came here in Dec 2024 from the coast. Finding a good place to eat not knowing the area is hard. We found lovicks shortly after moving here. This has been our breakfast spot ever since. The service is great. The ambiance is busy and crowded most days but your wait typically isnt that long once you enter the building. The waitresses, hot and others are nice. I usually get their Keto plate with Coffee or water. My family loves their variety of meats and the eggs taste so good!!! Stop by! It's a small town place with a small town feel.

We love love love Lovick's! This restaurant, along with Smith's Cafe, is the oldest family owned restaurants in Kinston, NC. They were started and still continue to be ran by family! The food is excellent and their staff is friendly and knowledgeable. They recently did some renovations to the building and it looks amazing. They continue to sell their famous dough burgers, which I'm not crazy about but a lot of people love them. I stick to their traditional breakfast and regular meals like hamburger steak. The next time you are in Kinston make sure you check out this morning food spot! You won't be sorry!

Great diner for breakfast! Food and service were good. Warehouse meal was a good hearty breakfast. The grits were good but I prefer mine more creamy. The fresh link sausage had some spicy kick to it, so if you don't like spicy food, steer away from that. Pancake was more yellow than what I'm use to. I guess it had corn meal in it? It was still fluffy and great pancake. Coffee was fantastic. The atmosphere was very old school diner with seating area and a bar counter. They also had a sign that they do online orders which is almost unheard of for old school mom n pop dives. Highly recommend and will try lunch in the near future!

I order the western omelette with home fries and wheat bread dine out. The food looked good and representable the way they will just serve in the restaurant.

First time there, but it won't be our last. Extraordinary breakfast couples with exceptional service and more than fair pricing make this a must stop. Everyone in the restaurant, both employees and customers acted like family who were happy to see you. We could eat there every day for the biscuits alone. Best buscuit I've ever had! Lunch srarts at 11 a.m. and we're looking forward to trying it next time. (They have biscuits at lunch too)

We both ordered the Western omelet. They had a generous portion of bacon, ham, cheese, tomato chunks, mushrooms, onions and green peppers. I had the grits and biscuit as my sides. As a "grits snob" I was impressed with the texture and flavor.. My biscuit could only have been better if I had asked for home style gravy. It was good with butter and grape jelly. My wife had home fries and toast as her sides. The flavor was good, but she wasn't happy with the temperature- they were on the cool side. We both got orange juice and we're surprised when we were handed a bottle. The wait staff quickly got us two glasses with ice and we had more than enough juice for either of us. Service was quick, in spite of the crowd that was in the cafe. We were told that we had picked a good time (about 9:45 AM) to come eat. There had been a long wait line for most of the morning! We were seated within a few minutes of our arrival. The cafe was just like you'd find in most small towns across America. Nothing exceptional, just a touch of simplicity.

Not impressed with their greasy, "world famous" dough burger. We stopped for lunch with a small group. It seems to be the place where locals go. The staff and owners were very hospitable though. It's just this dough burger was something from depression-era period. Apparently you can stretch using ground beef for several meals by sprinkling dough with a scant of beef then dropping it in a deep fryer to cook. It was also "loaded", meaning it included their chili, mustard and onions. I put more butter on my toast than they give chili. Sorry folks, while your customer was top notch, the food was not.

It has been a long standing business in Kinston for many years. Breakfast is great as well as lunch. It has a local gathering each day and always has a family type atmosphere.

Very quint cafe. Love the friendliness.great food ,the atmosphere is amazing very good service five stars

Best for breakfast! All the food is great., service is awesome. Highly recommend if you are in Kinston.

Perfectly prepared southern breakfast, even after lunch. Like the ones our mothers made

Yes, it was good. All your diner basics for breakfast. Glad they had option for Turkey sausage. My server was slow on the coffee refills which is oddly annoying as once you drop off the plate is there really much more to do? The eggs and links came out first with the home fries on a :06 minute delay. Why not just wait and bring all out together? I had to flag down the busman for a coffee refill. I try to stay away from "slow service" or minor service issues but refilling coffee is a staple of a diners staff duties. I get I'm neither a local nor a regular customer as I live in another state; but I've seen much friendlier and attentive servers. They literally charged me .25 for Butter on my toast! Seriously? If you are going to nickel and dime your guests can you have the stones to say.... " It'll be an extra charge if you want buttered toast." That way I can have a nice laugh and kickstart my day with an outrage. Overall I'd definitely eat here again. Next time I'd just sport a mullet and generate a southern accent in the hopes of better service.

Great food and great service. We need more local places in the country like this. They have been in business for 82 years so that must say something.

Great food and service. I grew up in Kinston, but never visited this restaurant. I returned after being gone for 23 yrs and wanted to give it a go and it was so good, the potatoes were to die for.

Great down home cooking! Everything is always fresh and made to order. They have a wide range of dishes and daily specials too. Expect to wait on a Saturday morning but it will be worth the wait every time!

It's hard to beat breakfast here at Lovick's Cafe. Fresh sausage links, eggs, hash browns and a pancake. A simple meal but the taste is like no other. I always enjoy visiting from San Antonio sitting in the cafe and listening to the conversations from the locals. Family atmosphere created by amazing people.

Yummy food! This is a great restaurant with great prices. The food is delicious, and they have the good country ham!

If you are looking for a place with fantastic service this is your place. Everyone was so friendly from the moment I walked into the door. I went with the combo of two eggs, bacon, sausage, french toast or pancake and then a choice of side. The food was typical diner food but it is the atmosphere that makes this place special.

This is where the locals eat and visit. I went here for lunch. You know it is a locals spot when the server seats you and asks if you know what you want - without offering a menu! She did provide a menu and I ordered the daily special of meatloaf with mac and cheese, corn and cornbread, It was ready quickly. Good flavor in the meatloaf, filling portion size. I enjoyed listening to the elderly men at the table next to mine that were swapping stories of their days growing up in the area.

I love their breakfast on Saturday mornings, great food and plenty of it on the plate.. no skimping on their plates

Not sure what the locals think, but anyone traveling from the northeast looking for a delicious and inexpensive southern breakfast will find it here! We opted for take out because the cafe was a bit crowded. The biscuits and gravy were delightful as was my lobster omelet and grits.

Steve runs a great restaurant!! If you want the best breakfast in Kinston then Lovick's is a must go to when you are in the area. They are famous for their dough burgers and my mom and dad absolutely loved them! The staff is always super friendly and very helpful. They are always busy so get in early.

The place was packed! Always a good sign. Food came fairly quickly and was delicious! The coffee was 10/10!

The breakfast is pretty good and the staff are friendly. The service is good and they staff normally knows what their regular customers want.

Very nice people. Very hometown feel - seems like people walk in and know each other. Definitely filled with the older generation. Seems like a lot of retired folks eat breakfast there. So, if you're looking for a hometown diner experience, you can come here. But if you're looking for good food, maybe not so much. We got the egg bacon sausage hash brown and either pancake or French toast platter. Bacon had little flavor. The hashbrown was a toaster hashbrown maybe fried in old oil, the eggs were average, the pancake was average, the French toast was good but not hot and the coffee was average diner coffee. The sausage was huge and actually pretty good. Not sure if it's local but the best part of the breakfast. We are here because we cud walk from our hotel, but probably wouldn't eat here again I don't think. Nice experience, average food.

The food was delicious and our waitress gave us the best service ever! This was our first time coming here and we will definitely come back! Thanks so much Mrs. Diane!!

Good country food, stuck to your ribs kinda meals. Make sure you check out the specials! Just a good wholesome down home experience.

We really enjoyed our meals here. It is a friendly Cafe with good food. We had 2 breakfasts and 1 lunch. (My husband ate breakfast all 3 times.) He had the eggs, grits, sausage, bacon, and a pancake he said was the best he'd had in a while. I had French toast and a side of bacon. They cooked the bacon crispy just like we asked. It was great! For lunch I had pork barbeque, cole slaw and mac and cheese. Mine was a platter with 2 yeast rolls and a large portion of barbeque which I couldn't finish. The cole slaw tasted homemade and was great. The Mac and cheese is only offered twice a week and was great! Very homey atmosphere, good food, good portions, and very friendly waitresses. Well worth a visit!

There is not enough good things I can say about this place. I also wonder why I hadn't stopped in here sooner. First off this place has been open for 80yrs. That means they must be doing something right. This place is a good old fashioned down home diner. This place is nothing fancy just simple. Seems like these days we need more simple stuff. First off this place was very clean and very well kept. Next the customer service to me was really great. Every employee that I was greeted by was truly sincere. You could tell they cared about the business. I was also greeted by the owner. I got to chat with him briefly. You could tell he loved the business and cared about his customers. Now on to the food itself. I decided to try out some breakfast. I was not disappointed either. My eggs were perfectly cooked. The link sausage had a nice bite to it and not overly spicy. And my grits were great too and not dried out like other places serve. I also saw some of there lunch plates they served and there portions to me looked huge. You definitely won't go hungry.I wish I could give this place more than five stars. Now I know not everyone may like this place but I sure do. And if this place wasn't a little to far for me to drive to. I'd probably become a regular there.

Very disappointed. Went there for breakfast. Scrambled eggs were like leather and service was not great. Would never go back

Went in and had to wait. Okay no problem....typical for a good place to eat. We sat down and the waitress says "I will be right with you!" 20 minutes later we sit with no menu or anything. Crappiest place to go. Don't waste your time going to this dive.

First time eating here and I loved it! I had breakfast, French Toast, grits, crispy bacon and coffee. These people understand crispy bacon. Everything was delicious and the wait staff were prompt and very nice. I'll definitely eat there again when I'm going that way.

Mom & pops style restaurant. Medium size place with standard menu. Nothing special here, just fast and cheap food. Wish it was more.

Great local flavor in Kinston, North Carolina Lovicks seems to be where all the locals go for breakfast highly recommend for breakfast..

2 1/2 stars. Grits and biscuits/gravy good. House sausage was ok. Omelet and hash brown below average. Liked the coffee. Ok place. Probably would go to Waffle House instead.

Classic southern diner, with all the usual suspects on the menu. Service was prompt and friendly, coffee was fresh and hot, and breakfast was delivered quickly. I had country ham, eggs over easy, grits, biscuit, red eye gravy, my dining companion had scrambled eggs, grits, smoked sausage, biscuit. All delicious. Grits were a little thin to my taste, but that's something that varies from diner to diner. Definitely worth a return visit.

First time visiting this mom and pop style diner. The staff was very welcoming and professional. Our waitress was awesome. I ordered the fried pork chop biscuit with a scrambled egg and a cup of hot tea. Believe it or not, the tea was the worse part of my meal. It was toooooo strong. They put two tea bags in my tiny cup. Note: next time let the customer dunk the tea bags. My daughter ordered their famous "dough burger". we are out of towners so why not right...wrong. What the heck was that thing?! Never ever again. We will go again because overall we were pleased. But never again will that dough burger catastrophe touch my lips! I don't believe it consisted of any meat or meat by products. Just flour and onions. Gross!!!

Sorry but... huge unpeeled onion butt was the highlight of the filling in my "Spanish" wet greasy tasteless omelet... hint... season your eggs before you cook them. Hint... drain your canned jalapeños before ladling them in. Hint peel your onion. Hint sautee' your ingredients. The watery mess floated between the grease and the nasty cheese?! Completely unappetizing down to the drenched soggy greasy toast. Really awful! Avoid. Seriously pathetic.

Great breakfast for the local residents and also surrounding citizens of eastern North Carolina who are used to a hefty serving of southern hospitality. Food was great. But get up early if you to avoid long lines.

I don't go here often but when I do I love to get their doughburger. The food is always warm and delicious when delivered and the staff is very friendly. It's a great local restaurant. If I lived in Kinston I would definitely go more.

First this is a local favorite. We stopped in to have breakfast. We were disappointed, over medium eggs had runny whites, the grits would have been ok except they put butter / margarine on top so had to try to scope that off, the bacon and eggs were greasy ( some prefer it that way I don't.. biscuits were fine, apples were thick with heavy sugary glaze that made them too sweet. Country ham was dried out and difficult to cut..on way out noticed sanitation grade was 90... on the positive the staff and patrons are friendly. Like I said this is a local favorite so maybe we ordered wrong ..

The waitress was very nice ... Attended us quickly... The place looked clean .. Nothing fancy but the food was good.. I ate the pancakes and they tasted awesome ... Like corn bread

This is a great place for a nostalgic dough burger. Anytime I'm passing through nearby, I'll get one...or 2;)

Went in to give it another try after having only ok food and slow service the first time. This time sat down and waited 5 minutes for a "I'll be there in a second". A couple of minutes later menus and silverware were plopped down on the table which wasn't wiped down at all. Never asked what we wanted to drink or anything. A few minutes later while we waited a older couple came in and the same server came immediately to wipe down their table and asked them what they would like to drink. While we still sat there. When we got up to leave that wasn't acknowledged either. I always make sure to give people the benefit of the doubt but obviously she just didn't want to wait on us. Will not be going back for the lackluster not very homey home cooking either. Only in Kinston would this be considered acceptable. You get better service at Waffle House or Bojangles. Really wanted to like this place but just can't accept no customer service.

Bar B Q chicken is good along with Fried Pork Chops

This was recommended by the staff at our hotel. Based on the few reviews on Yelp we thought we'd give it a try. Not much in this area has more than a few reviews. Worst breakfast I have ever eaten. All the food looked like it was microwaved. The eggs were undercooked. The hash brown was a patty you'd get at a fast food joint. The sausage looked like it was cooked 10 days ago, refrigerated and reheated. The only good thing was the orange juice was a sealed bottle with a valid use by date.

Very Cheap prices, pork chop was way over cooked, chick and pastry was not my taste, Fried Apples were good. Very nice people, but I couldn't eat that food again.