Winston-Salem is home to a number of neat places to grab a Saturday or Sunday brunch.

These restaurants are all around — from Stratford Road to downtown on Trade Street or Fourth Street. Whenever you are looking for a delicious spot to soothe your weekend appetite, check out these nine spots and what students around the Wake Forest campus have to say about them.

Five Points

One of my favorite places for brunch is Five Points on South Stratford Road. The atmosphere is inviting, but not too warm. It has an upscale diner appeal to it and the employees are so friendly. I ordered a goat cheese quiche and coffee, and some of my friends ordered the breakfast burger that came with a poached egg or avocado. The most notorious food choice is the truffle fries.

Along with all of our food, the waiter brought out some deep-fried bread coated in cinnamon. If you love intense and filling flavors, Five Points is for you. With deals and brunch and drink specials, you can’t go wrong.

Sophomore Jen Capone from Charlotte, N.C., loves the brunch there.

“They have amazing, strawberry French toast and the service was awesome,” Capone said.

The Famous Toastery

The Famous Toastery is located on Trade Street in downtown Winston-Salem and receives great reviews.

Senior Brooke Lucas, from Annapolis, Md., boasts about their brunch.

“They bring out this amazing cornbread to start and I had the special ‘huevos rancheros’ last time and loved it,” Lucas said. “The atmosphere is great (especially downstairs), and it looks cool yet still feels cozy like a living room. The staff is super friendly. I had an amazing breakfast burrito once when I was there. Look up ‘sunrise burrito’ and all the benedicts on the menu, they always look and sound great.”

Mary’s Gourmet Diner

Mary’s Gourmet Diner, on Trade Street, receives a lot of glowing reviews from Wake Forest students.

Senior Tommy Super from Bethesda, Md. said, “I’m not much of a brunch guy, but I like Mary’s because it has a cool patio and I like their sandwiches a lot and it feels very Winston-Salem to me.”

“And by ‘very Winston-Salem,’ I mean that it’s gritty, a tad ‘artsy’ and spontaneously really good like it’s just a random brick building that hits you out of nowhere when you walk in. I think all good things in Winston-Salem are like that, they kind of take you by surprise because the city is still up and coming,” Super said. 

Senior Ashley Hamati from Jonesborough, Tenn., loves Mary’s Gourmet Diner for a variety of reasons.

“For one, I love that they play with flavors that are in season, since one time in October, they had this incredible salted caramel apple French toast. Secondly, I appreciate the restaurant’s flexibility with dietary restrictions and preferences. Although I have no restrictions myself, it has helped expand my food repertoire and has brought me to try some amazing vegan and vegetarian dishes. Their tempeh burrito is one of my favorite items on the menu! Lastly, I really like the ‘vibe’: it feels like you’re going home and chatting with a long lost friend,” Hamati said.

“If you go often enough — despite the painfully long waits on the weekends — the waiters and waitresses will remember your usual orders and always do their best to make you feel satisfied with their charisma and kindness. It’s as though you took the Trader Joe’s employees and had them serve you food instead. The people are absolutely wonderful,” Hamati said.

Sweet Potatoes

Sweet Potatoes, hidden on Trade Street, offers some delicious soul food, including the sweet potato-themed breakfast dishes.

Senior Dean Furst from Washington D.C. boasts about the excellence of Sweet Potatoes. “It’s small, quaint and not very well known by Wake Forest students. They specialize in southern breakfast food, which is exactly what everyone wants as brunch,” said Furst.

River Birch Lodge

Another hot spot is the River Birch Lodge, located on Robinhood Road. With its diverse menu, great service and some mean classics such as eggs benedict and bacon, the brunch experience never fails to satisfy.

The Porch

The Porch Kitchen and Cantina, known for its delicious Tacos and Margaritas, serves a delicious Tex-Mex brunch variety with most items priced around $10. Located on Mill Works St., the Porch offers a delicious Bloody Mary and a flavorful breakfast bowl.

Milner’s

Milner’s American Southern cuisine makes a great upscale-casual environment for brunch. Located on South Stratford Road, it is not a far drive to get some delicious crab cakes.

Camino and Atelier

If you’re looking for more of a bakery scene for your brunch, check out Camino Bakery on Fourth Street and Atelier on Trade Street next to Sweet Potatoes. The rich local Krankies coffee at Caminos and French-influenced baked goods at Atelier can satisfy any foodie for brunch.

  “And if all else fails, and your bank account is empty, you can always hit up the Pit on campus for brunch and the blue PowerAde,” said senior Eric Sandrib.