Maplewood Kitchen and Bar

The Place

Circling back downtown for a beautiful Sunday morning solo brunch at Maplewood Kitchen and Bar. It has probably been four years or so since I have eaten here, so I decided to give it another try.

Location & Parking

Maplewood Kitchen and Bar is located downtown on Race Street. I opted for my usual fav free Sunday meeting parking (I found this on 6th street). There is ample garage parking available because it is located close to the Duke Energy Convention Center. This place does not accept reservations. Definitely get here early if you are on a tight schedule.

Atmosphere

The atmosphere is urban, inviting, and super casual. When you enter the doors of the restaurant you come into walkway that leads up to the register. This walkway is where the line forms if you stumble into brunch primetime. There is a rack along the walkway with hanging menus. Walk up to the register, place your order, grab your number sign, pick a table, and your breakfast will follow. I selected a seat at the front of the restaurant, which is all window. Seating options include, table/chair, booth, and bar. Decor consists of concrete flooring, lots of wood, and leather accents. Service at the register was friendly and so was the server who delivered my AM cocktail. This morning I went with a warm weather classic, Aperol Spritz. This was wonderful and refreshing. My only critique, that I am not going to deduct for, is the lack of garnish. I was missing the fresh orange slice on the side of the glass.

Order-Up

Maplewood Hash

I decided to go with the Maplewood Hash mainly because it had a little bit of everything. Normally, I am apprehensive about ordering breakfast bowl/hash style dishes because sometimes the flavors don't go well or they have a thrown together feel. I am happy to report that this was the best hash dish I have ever had! This dish was comprised of all things great: goetta, hash browns (crispy), onion, bell pepper, local mushroom, jalapeno, corn, eggs (I ordered over easy), and I added the braised chicken (this was my favorite part). Each bite was out of this world, everything seasoned, cooked perfectly, and the addition of the braised chicken took this to another level!

Overall Experience

The overall experience at Maplewood Kitchen and Bar was great. I had a lovely time even dining by myself because people were friendly, atmosphere was relaxing, cocktail was made well, and food was good. Expect to spend twenty to twenty-five dollars here.

Rating:4⭐

Maplewood Kitchen and Bar gets four stars one for each category: Atmosphere, Service, AM Cocktail, and Plate. Let me put it to you this way, I could come here every Sunday and not hate it one bit!