Good Graces — Restaurant in Raleigh

I’ve never stood up and walked out on a meal due to the poor quality before this morning at this restaurant. I was in disbelief given the high reviews and lack of negative ones until I read through them more thoroughly and found them to be…curious. The place was super cool, I was very excited to have found it while searching for brunch options while traveling in town when I walked in but it began and ended there. Tried to order 12oz iced chai and told it wasn’t possible to have the 12ox unless I had it hot. Only 16oz if we wanted cold. No big deal, just strange. Ordered French toast and “fresh cut fruit.” A girl walked by and poured a finger full of room temp water in a small glass while we waited. Again, no big deal - just odd. Then came the food. The French toast was a thin piece of bread that had been totally drowned on the bottom of a plate with the sweetest syrup I had ever tasted covering the entirety of it. Topped with more sugar and a tiny thumb nail size piece of butter thrown on top of the drowned presentation. That’s it. Think: French toast if buddy the elf was in charge of making it. But alas! We got “freshly cut fruit!” Which was actually the saddest, oldest bowl of cut fruit I’ve ever had someone ask me to eat in my life. I asked someone that works there walking by if that’s what their fruit typically looked like. She said she didn’t know she usually worked the hostess area. I pointed out how the watermelon was so old, you couldn’t even tell it was watermelon. You know an old strawberry when you see one, when you try to prep your food for the week and realize it’s just not something you can do with strawberries 3 days in. She said likely it was cut the night before and that made the difference, she assumed. Which even if it was “night before” fruit, that’s not fresh cut fruit. The cantaloupe had absorbed the colors to the fruit around it from sitting for so long and the blueberries were shriveled. It takes way longer then 12 hours for that to happen. I asked her if she would ever eat the bowl of fruit we had, and she said she didn’t know. So my daughter and I stood to leave because that’s an insane answer. The correct answer would have been, yeah that looks off let me ask about that. Just confused and bothered by me asking. We didn’t even mention the French toast that was so soggy and sweet it made your mouth hurt. I noticed someone nearby eating from the same old fruit, chalked it up to being the kind of thing people in this city are cool with and left. Which, like, ah. That’s too bad, because with the location and the vibe - it’s just such a missed opportunity to be something great if even the most simple brunch option misses that badly. Hopefully it’s more of a cocktail spot and the local secret is it’s not the place for eats, you just gotta be in on the secret....

I was so excited for Good Graces to open. I've said for years that Raleigh needs more chic cafes. I've been twice since they opened and I'm sorry to say they're running purely on vibes right now. My first visit I had the chicken salad sandwich and though the actual chicken salad was good, the bread was sad and soggy with the exception of the crust which was mostly burnt to a charcoal crisp. My husband ordered the quiche and it was tasty but it was approximately the size and thickness of a cookie, gone in three bites.

On my second visit I ordered the "Fancy Grilled Cheese" and a side fries for my friend and I to share. When I see a grilled cheese on a menu I assume the bread is going to be buttery and crispy but this one came out with a few faint burn marks with most of the crust inedible as it was again reduced to charcoal. The cheese was lukewarm and congealed. It was the saddest grilled cheese I've ever seen. The fries looked promising but were cooked to a hard crisp with zero soft potato in the middle. They reminded me of those UTZ Potato Stix that come in a can. On the upside my friend's salad was good.

I had the same server on both of my visits and the service was a bit awkward. I think this can be remedied with additional training but it was lacking in the most basic ways. For example, we both were just having water with our food and she said she'd bring us a carafe for the table but it never arrived and there was no opportunity to flag her down to ask for it. And when our plates were cleared she said something like "are you ready to pay now?". Again, just an awkward way to approach it. Especially considering we had already mentioned as we were ordering our meals that we were planning to have a coffee/tea after the meal and asked her to leave the drinks menu for us. (I don't necessarily fault her for not remembering that detail as I know servers have a lot to keep track of. It just takes practice to juggle all the details.)

The best thing about Good Graces right now is by far the decor. And I really hope they can fix the kitchen and service issues because I want so much for this...

Walking into Good Graces feels like stepping into a vibe—part modern art gallery, part cozy neighborhood hangout, and entirely unforgettable. From the moment we entered, we were greeted with an atmosphere buzzing with energy: sleek interiors, warm lighting, and a atmosphere that strikes the perfect balance between trendy and timeless.

The menu is a refreshing departure from the ordinary. Every dish has a thoughtful twist—classic comfort meets bold innovation. Pair it with one of their inventive cocktails (or equally creative mocktails), and you’re in for a treat.

The staff are attentive without being overbearing and the pacing was spot-on. Drinks were refilled before we ever had to ask, and every interaction with the team felt personal and kind. You can tell the staff here take real pride in what they do, and it shows in the entire dining experience.

Bottom line: Good Graces is more than just a place to eat; it’s an experience. It nails the sweet spot between comfort and sophistication. Whether you’re planning a date night, celebrating with friends, or just treating yourself, it delivers on every level: atmosphere, service, and...