Finch's Restaurant

If you live or work anywhere inside the beltline, this place is a must try! I have lived in Raleigh for over thirty years, but only discovered Finch’s about 3 years ago. Now I eat lunch there 2 to 3 times a week. Their daily specials are an incredible value. The food is good and the service is equally as good. Don’t be bashful. There are coat and tie patrons, blue collar patrons, and let’s just say extremely casual patrons there all the time. If you like breakfast for lunch, you must try the “Big Mans Breakfast” even if you are not big, or not a man. George, the Griddlemeister, will make it fresh for you in no time at all. . If you like hash brown potatoes, as I do, these are the real deal. I guarantee you will not leave hungry. I also love their chicken club sandwich. I have never seen any employee with a bad attitude, in fact, quite the opposite. They are always friendly, and if you cannot decide on your meal, they are patient. If a gourmet meal is what you are after, your in the wrong place. However, If you enjoy good, old fashioned diner style food, this is the place for you. more

Went around 2 on a Friday. Waved at the woman that owns the place and eventually seated ourselves at one of the many dirty tables in the front dining area. Finally waitstaff came by the table and brought drinks but set them and our silverware on a dirty table. My GF got a ham and cheese sandwich and I got fried chicken, dark. GFs sandwich came and then I was told they were out of dark meat. I just ate the vegetables which were OK. Place needs to be cleaned and ownership should know what got you here may not keep you here if you take it for granted. more

If you haven't tried Finch's Family Restaurant, please put it on your agenda. The food is great and the staff are always friendly. The owner, Peggy Jin, always greets customers with a smile and she is quick to let you know that you can sit anywhere you like. Their week day lunch meals are of good variety (BBQ chicken, fried chicken, hamburger steak, chicken & rice, porkloin & rice, chicken livers) and delicious and the helpings are plentiful with home cooked veggies. Their breakfast is second to none (country ham, tenderloin, country sausage) and includes eggs, meats, waffles, pancakes, french toast, sausage gravy and cream chip beef, biscuits, toast and wheat bread included. Their ice tea is made fresh daily and is always tasty. Their coffee is made in a large urn and is always hot and good to the last drop. They also cater to diabetics with sugar free syrups and wheat breads. So, when you are in the area, please stop in and give Finch's a try and if you are not in the area, make it a point to get over there soon. I promise you will not be disappointed. Pros: Great Food, Friendly wait staff, recognize you by name; make Cons: none really more

I love this place! You can get homecooked meals at great prices. The food is always good and the staff are very friendly. Definitely recommend!!! Pros: Southern Style Homecooking, Cheap, Friendly Staff more

I love simple comfort food and real people. That's why I love this place. Pros: Simple Goodness Cons: Turning left on Peace St more

This is a great restrant. it is a greesy spoon. the service is great. i love the food i come every weekend and any other day i can. the staff is soooooo sweet and carring. some times on sundays it takes a little longer to get your food but not to long. plus the food is worth the wate. it you want to go to a great family restrant came to finches. you dont have to be all dressed up. people came in with t-shirts and some have suits. this is a place you can come and be your self. but make sure u braing cash because they do not take credit cards. Pros: every thing food, service and price more

Finch's has great food cooked in the southern tradition. I love the daily specials and the wait staff is always friendly and courteous. My favorite dish: Beef tips and rice. It's close to downtown Raleigh and Glenwood Avenue. Bring cash because they don't take plastic. Pros: Great food, great service. Cons: Parking can be tricky when it's busy. more

Read a review online stating that this was a fantastic place to go for breakfast. It was ok. Went with my family after church. It's the kind of place you would love if you were still in college and had stayed up all night drinking and then woke up craving a nice, greasy breakfast. For a family after church, you might want to find a different place, although, if you have screaming little ones I don't think anyone would care. \r \r My rasberry pankes were ok, my bacon was ok, my biscuit was ok and my orange juice was ok. Average. The waitress provided fantastic service. A+ on the service.\r \r Would I go back? Yes. However, I will try other places first. Pros: Great service. Good for kids. Cons: Food was just ok. more

The whole idea of Finch's is great; greasy spoon, waitresses with some sass. Unfortunately, it just doesn't deliver. The food is just bad. They use some terrible tasting oil to cook their home fries and everything else. The waitstaff were very nice, but the food took a long time to come out. Once it did, we were pretty disappointed. Wouldn't make this your first choice. You're much better off at a Bob Evans. Pros: Waitresses Cons: Food more

I've never had breakfast here but the lunch is usually good. Try the chicken bites and ranch dressing. That's some good stuff ! Lunch prices are reasonable. Wait times can be a bit long though. Pros: good food, reasonable prices Cons: wait times a bit long more

I don't know why you'd cook breakfast yourself if you live anywhere near Finch's. I go here often. The food is good, comes out fast, and it's cheap! I don't know what more you could want in a breakfast place. Favorite menu items are the pecan waffle, raspberry pancakes, and corned beef hash. The crowd is very diverse, with people dressed in suits and dresses, and guys in jeans covered in paint one table over. I've never been here for dinner, but they are open now from 5-9pm M-F. I'll have to give it a shot. Pros: Cheap, kitschy, good food Cons: Can be crowded, now smoke-free :( more

On one Sunday morning my boyfriend and I decided to eat at Finch's after much praise and a need to try a new breakfast place. We had high hopes that were quickly replaced by disappointing service and undercooked food. We waited over an our for food! How long does it take to cook an omelet and toast?!? Obviously, our order had been forgotten about; the waitress purposely avoided our table because of the mishap. After asking for a coffee refill 3 times, I gave up and drank what little bit of water I had left. My boyfriend ate only two bites of his food because the sausage was very RED and uncooked, the omelet was so runny it couldn't even be held with a fork, and the hashbrowns consisted of undercooked potatoes. The waitress was showed the uncooked items and then walked off, only before placing the check on the table. My advice is to make your grits and eggs at home or to go some restaurant where they are educated about proper cooking times and temperatures. Also, wait staff was only friendly to regulars. Pros: good sweet tea Cons: service, food, employees, proper cooking, sanitation of tables more

Finch's is considered by many to be an institution in Raleigh and I believe it is the oldest or one of the oldest restaurants in town. At the counter you can mingle with customers who run the gamut from high-level local government officials to college students, with more families on the weekends. The homemade waffles are truly out of this world! The decor is probably as old as the restaurant so it is like stepping into a time capsule, but it's clean, cheap, and good, and not mass-produced. Try the specials that change daily. You'll find classic diner fare like cheeseburgers and fries, as well as traditional Southern favorites like homemade hushpuppies, country ham, okra, or turnip greens. The family that operates the restaurant knows their regulars like family, and the waitresses are friendly and experienced too. Definitely highly recommended- you can afford to become a regular here! Pros: Cheap, good homemade food, family operated, convenient location in town Cons: ambience is classic diner kitsch not fancy or modern, breakfast & lunch only more

Peggy, the owner, and her family and staff go the extra mile to provide delicious food at an unbeatable quality & price point. Heck, you can even get homemade onion rings at 9:30 on Sunday morning if you want! Peggy's blueberry pancakes are made just right with the blueberries INSIDE and not that icky glob on top the way some places do. The interior is kitsch, so don't go expecting to be in the Ritz - and it adds to the ambiance. Remember, this place is CASH ONLY, so don't forget to run by the ATM. Pros: delicious, homemade, outstanding Cons: smoking area more

good food...service wasn't too slow, but not too fast either, but i went at a peak hour right after church on sunday, so they were pretty busy. more

Call me a snob, but I likely would have avoided Finch's like the plague if I hadn't read Citysearch's review. After having gone once, I was instantly astounded at the quality and value of the breakfast menu. Fresh raspberry pancakes for four bucks; are you kidding me? The setting is drab at its best, but Finch's serves the best homestyle breakfast I've eaten in Raleigh. Pros: food, service more

Home style, Southern breakfast served any time with some unusual offerings such as creamed beef on toast not often available elsewhere. You become a regular in just a few visits and it seems like Cheers, where everyone knows your name. A rare find in a fast food world. Wednesday is potroast day-come early, cause it sells out. Owner, Peggy is the highpoint of this place. She has a smile and a hearty greeting for everyone. If those who had negative experiences had mentioned it to her at the register, I am certain she would have made it right. I suspect the restaurant competition are planting bad reviews. Try for yourself and form your own opinion. Pros: Great flavor, Ample parking, Friendly more

If you are looking for great country breakfast food this is the place. Large portions and true coutnry ham and sausage make it a great value. Don't let the run down outside fool you. The inside is clean and the food tasty. If you are a non smoker make sure to sit in one of the side non-smoking rooms. Pros: inexpensive, good parking, great value more

Finch's serves the best breakfast in Raleigh. Fresh eggs, great country link sausage, good coffee, great, quick service and the price cannot be beat. The atmosphere is like stepping back in time 30 years to a drive in but do not let the atmosphere turn you off, the food more than makes up for any shortcomings in the appearance. Pros: Great food, great service, great value more

Finch's is a very cozy dive. The food is always hot and plentiful. It's a great place to catch a good hearty breakfast for cheap. The internet access is an unexpected twist in such a ""old timey"" diner but it's a great idea and comes in very handy at times. I've never been for lunch or dinner, but will assume that the food and service are just as good. Definately worth a try. Pros: quick service, large portions, convient location Cons: drab service more