HomeTown Cafe

We live in Smithfield & visit my mom-n-law often in Kittrell. We chose this place to eat lunch & was highly disappointed. Not only did we sit for a while before a waitress came, but after ordering, our food was delivered warm. No one came to offer refills or give us any attention. We had to go to the counter to get a to-go container & our own refills. The waitress informed us that they didn’t have a shortage in wait staff (plenty of them were there). The manager went around to the tables but not ours. Please tell me why we received such awful selective service?

I have been there many times for lunch and always have a good meal. Service is good for the kind of restaurant it is. Today, Saturday, we had to take our daughter to a lesson and did not get to HomeTown till 10. We put our name on the wait list and waited. No one even bothered to speak to us. It was especially concerning because there is a sign that said that breakfast stopped serving at 10:30, unless management decides otherwise. Well over half the people in the restaurant hadn't gotten their food. It became clear that they were understaffed back in the kitchen as well as up front. With us waiting there and no one bothering to acknowlege we darkened their door, we weren't sure that if and when we got seated, whether we could get breakfast or not. We had to make a choice. We went back to the sign in sheet and marked our names off. We drove out of Franklinton through Youngsville, and into Wake Forest and stopped at The Border Restaurant. They were a mob scene, but every worker in there was working like bees, or as my Daddy always said, "A-holes and elbows". We walked in at 10:35, grabbed a table as soon as it was cleaned off and got reliable, quick service, fresh made to order food, ate, and paid our bill, getting out just after they turned the closed aign around at 11. If we had waited for someone to speak to us at Hometown Cafe, we would have missed breakfast entirely. Now, I am not saying not to go to Hometown Cafe, because I will certainly go again, but don't bother going after 10am if you want breakfast, and don't expect them to speak to you when you come into their door. Southern hospitality is dead at Hometown Cafe, I guess.

Food is pretty good and decent prices. Good country cookin. My only complaint is when they get busy (especially on Saturday’s) they take their phone off the hook which is very inconvenient because then have to go in to place your order and wait a while for your food.

Extremely busy at certain times but we were well taken care of. Our waitress was very nice, and very attentive to us even on a busy Friday night. Our food was hot and tasty. Breakfasts are very good as well. Check it out!

Had the catfish and shimp. Everybody's food was delicious. I'm a big seafood lover and they make some of the best seafood. Better than may seafood restaurants. Along with the southern cuisine which is wonderful.

We used to eat there at least once or twice a week but we end up in other areas alot when we decide to eat so not as much! The foods good but I got cheese and eggs scrambled this morning and I advise that unless something changes don't order those because they were nasty

We love coming here! We moved here from out of state and we always feel so welcome and like we’ve lived here forever with how we’re treated by the staff and customers. Highly recommend basically everything on the menu if you want some real southern cooking. Partial to the strawberry shortcake though 🙏🏻

Eat there very often. Love the catfish.

Food is good, service can be vary depending on the waitstaff you get. I have had mostly exceptional service, but I've also had okay service. A lot of the time the cooks don't really read the ticket, so if you request mayo on your sandwich, be aware you might need to ask your waitstaff for mayo. Overall I would recommend this cafe.

Good home cooking...that is the easiest way to describe the food at this cozy small town restaurant. If you are a fan of chicken fried chicken with gravy, look no further, this is your place. We also got the barbecue sandwich with coleslaw, and it is legitimate Southern BBQ. Easily accessible from US1 in a strip mall shopping center, it makes for plenty of parking whether you're traveling by car or RV and need a break from the road. We have been here both for breakfast and lunch. The biscuits at breakfast are soft and flaky, and what is traditionally known in size as a cathead biscuit. Yes, that means they're huge! The staff is incredibly friendly, even when they are completely slammed with customers. Service is incredibly fast. There are clean bathrooms, and that is worth noting. If you are traveling through North Carolina on US1 in this area, mark this as an oasis on your travels. You're welcome.