Food & Drink · Restaurants
The Mecca Restaurant
About
The Mecca Restaurant: Raleigh’s Oldest Restaurant, Serving Since 1930
At 13 East Martin Street, half a block off Fayetteville Street, The Mecca is downtown Raleigh’s living history—the city’s oldest continuously operating restaurant and a designated Raleigh Historic Landmark. Its vintage neon marquee has pointed the way to blue-plate comfort food for the better part of a century.
A Greek Immigrant’s Dream
The Mecca opened on May 1, 1930, founded by Greek immigrant Nick Dombalis and his wife, Helen. In 1937 the couple bought the building at 13 East Martin Street and moved the restaurant there, where it has remained ever since. For generations it stayed in the Dombalis family before its stewardship passed to Raleigh’s Empire Eats hospitality group in 2018, which has preserved its old-Raleigh character.
The Glorified Burger and Southern Classics
The Mecca’s most famous creation is the Glorified Jumbo Hamburger, an Angus patty dressed with onions, pickle, and a mayonnaise-based secret sauce that debuted in 1958. Around it, the menu runs to Southern diner staples—shrimp and grits, biscuits and gravy, and breakfast served with a plainspoken generosity that has kept legislators, lawyers, and locals coming back for decades.
A Downtown Landmark
With its neon sign, worn booths, and tagline “He Profits Most Who Serves The Best,” The Mecca is a downtown gathering place that has witnessed nearly a century of Raleigh life. Eating here is a small act of time travel.
Plan Your Visit
The Mecca serves breakfast and lunch Thursday through Sunday, closing at 3 p.m., with weekend brunch on Saturday and Sunday. It’s an easygoing, no-reservations diner—just walk in and settle into a piece of Raleigh history.