Irregardless Cafe - Raleigh

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The Irregardless Cafe offers diners a wide variety of culinary options, live music and a full bar. (Arthur Gordon, used with permission.)

Overview

Appealing to carnivores, vegetarians and vegans, the Irregardless Café’s menu meets the dietary needs of every diner. Convenient to NC State and downtown Raleigh, the Irregardless exemplifies the “farm to table” philosophy by using fresh, organic herbs and produce grown in its 1.5-acre garden. The café boasts a full bar and live music every day. The dining room is surrounded by oil paintings by Raleigh artist Kyle Highsmith. The restaurant also provides catering services.

Menu

No matter how you identify – as a vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free or meat lover – the Irregardless Café's menu includes dishes that fit every diner’s needs. The Irregardless is known for its lemon tahini, one of the ingredients in the top-selling Morgan Street Chicken.

One of the restaurant's most popular features is a free bottle of wine in honor of a patron’s birthday or anniversary.

History

The Irregardless opened its doors in 1975. The name "Irregardless" was chosen because it was often used by founder Arthur Gordon's grandmother. Since the Irregardless opened, Arthur has celebrated many milestones. His restaurant began as Raleigh's first vegetarian restaurant. In 1985, the Irregardless became North Carolina's first smoke-free restaurant. Meat was added to the menu in the 1990s.

A fire forced the café to close for nearly a year in 1994. Arthur continued to pay his employees’ full salary as long as they volunteered at local charitable organizations.

The restaurant launched its catering services in 2001 and became solar-powered in 2011 after 10 panels were installed on the roof. The next year, Arthur purchased a 1.5-acre community garden three miles from the café to supply the kitchen with organic, local produce. The restaurant offered fresh ingredients from the State Farmers Market before the term “Farm to Table” was known. With the addition of The Well-Fed Community Garden, Gordon characterizes the Irregardless as “seed to table.”

Music

The Irregardless has featured live music with no cover charge since the restaurant opened. Patrons can enjoy music from myriad genres six nights a week and during Sunday brunch. In 2014, the restaurant began offering jazz shows from 9 p.m. to midnight on Saturdays. The Larry Hutcherson Band is one of the café’s most popular brunch acts. Larry has been playing at the restaurant since the 1990s.

“I have been there since the dawn of time,” Larry jokes. “I play ukulele, guitar, harmonica and sing. I try to bring as many instruments as possible. I play a variety of music – from blues to acoustic rock – because many of the wait staff have listened to me perform over the years, and I don’t want to bore them!”

Store Details

Hours:
Lunch: Tue-Fri: 11 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Dinner

Tue-Thu: 5 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Fri: 5 p.m. – 10 p.m.
Sat: 5 p.m. - 12 a.m.
Sun: 5 p.m. – 9 p.m.

Brunch: Sat & Sun: 10 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Open Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day

Address: 901 West Morgan Street, Raleigh, NC 27603

Free parking in the Irregardless Café lot on Morgan Street

Phone number: 919-833-8898

Email: [email protected]

Online reservations: http://www.irregardless.com/reservations/

Catering inquiries: 919-610-6001 or 919-610-0872; [email protected]