Courtney's Restaurant (Raleigh)

This past weekend, my wife and I went to Durham to see one of her close friends get married. Strangely enough, I had a good time. The reception was fun -- it was held in a re-finished barn -- and I had a good time with her friends, and their husbands.

After all the catching-up during Saturday, we decided to meet with another couple for Sunday breakfast/brunch in nearby Raleigh. After we met the couple at their hotel, they guided us to a nearby restaurant, Courtney's, known for it's breakfast.

Fortunately, it's reputation for good food wasn't misleading.

We arrived just before 9:00am, and were quickly seated. Courtney's menu has only three descriptive words on the cover, "Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch." So, immediately I knew that we were in the right place. After we were seated, the hostess took our drink orders, coffee for everybody. The coffee took a while to actually appear. So during the wait, I looked over the menu.

Courtney's menu is large and the described portions were large too. The omelets were described as FOUR egg omelets. Yes, you read that right... four. That seemed about 2x too large for me, so I continued reading. And almost decided on french toast. But the omelets just kept calling to me.

So, I decided on the Spanish Omelet. It's described as a four egg omelet, with diced chilies, cheese, and topped with Spanish salsa and sour cream. I'd never heard of Spanish salsa, but with chilies and peppers how could I go wrong?? Also, I upgraded my home-style hash browns to be topped with cheese, chives, and bacon. I normally wouldn't have thought about this, but the menu suggested it. (In other words, it's the menu's fault -- not mine!)

Now, all I needed was a side of Lipitor, and I would've been set!

The coffee eventually came, and the waitress gave us one carafe of coffee per couple. This seemed like a good idea -- all the coffee we could drink. Usually, this is a great thing. I'll tell you why it wasn't in a minute.

Then the food came to our table. By the time our server left, the ENTIRE table was covered with food. The portions were even larger than expected, and I was almost a little overwhelmed. The omelet was large and fluffy, and the potatoes looked amazing. The next time I order hash browns, I want them to be served like this!

The omelet was very good. I liked the flavor of the mild green chilies, mixed with the spicy-ness of the salsa, the cheesiness of the cheese, and the creamy-ness of the sour cream. All-in-all a VERY good omelet, and I'll probably try to replicate it at home.

The hash browns were good too. Without the cheese, chives, and bacon, they probably would've been too bland for my taste -- but with all the toppings, the hash browns were amazing. They were the envy of my breakfast companions; everybody wanted a taste.

As we got up to leave, I took-in my surroundings. Now, there was a line out the door and the place was packed. However, the restaurant looks a little cheap. Most of the pastel colors were left-over from the 1980's. In addition, the plastic / vinyl table cloths and paper napkins leave a bit to be desired.

But this restaurant obviously gets customers who are looking for a huge and delicious meal at a great price. They don't care about the decor, and frankly, neither did I.

After we got back in the car for the drive home, my wife and I were just exhausted, and we couldn't shake the lethargic feeling. Then it hit us -- for some reason, our carafe was filled with decaf, and nobody told us!! Ugh -- time to hit a Starbucks!

Score:
Atmosphere: 3/5
Food: 4/5
Service: 2/5 (the delay in getting the coffee and then the decaf mix-up were the only flaws in the service)
Total: 9/15
Price: $$ (My total came to about $15 including tip)
Kid Friendly: Yes. High-chairs and kids menus offered.

Conclusion: They only serve breakfast and lunch, and they do the breakfast very well. There wasn't a complaint at our table (except for the decaf).

Restaurant Info:
Courtney's Restaurant
407 E Six Forks Rd
Raleigh, NC 27609
p) 919-834-3613