The Fiction Kitchen began with a simple question: Could Raleigh embrace plant-based food that felt familiar, generous, and deeply connected to Southern memories?
That question became a restaurant, a community-backed dream, and a lasting part of Raleigh’s dining story.
Founded by married couple Caroline Morrison and Siobhan Southern, The Fiction Kitchen has spent more than a decade showing guests what vegetarian food can become.
Its story is not only about what appears on the plate, but also about the people who believed Raleigh was ready for something different.
How The Fiction Kitchen Won Local Hearts
The Fiction Kitchen was founded by Caroline Morrison and Siobhan Southern, a married couple who opened the restaurant in Raleigh in 2013.
Before opening a permanent restaurant, the pair spent two years hosting weekly vegan brunch pop-ups that helped them build an audience and test their ideas.
Those events sold out, giving Morrison and Southern a clear sign that Raleigh had an appetite for creative vegetarian food.
The restaurant later received support from a Kickstarter campaign that raised $37,423, showing how strongly local supporters connected with the idea.
That community backing became especially meaningful because traditional lenders had been doubtful about a fully vegetarian restaurant in Raleigh.
Morrison and Southern answered those doubts by creating food that felt welcoming to longtime vegetarians, vegans, and guests simply looking for a satisfying meal.
Morrison grew up in North Carolina, and many of her ideas came from the Southern meals and barbecue flavors she knew as a child.
After becoming vegetarian, she wanted to recreate the textures and memories of those foods without using meat.
That goal shaped a menu filled with plant-based versions of familiar favorites, including barbecue, meatloaf, chicken and waffles, and crab cakes.
The restaurant’s appeal comes from treating vegetables, grains, mushrooms, sauces, and meat alternatives as the center of the meal rather than as substitutions.
The Fiction Kitchen also became known for welcoming diners beyond the vegan and vegetarian community, helping plant-based food become part of a broader Raleigh dining conversation.
Now located in Gateway Plaza on Crabtree Boulevard, the restaurant continues to focus on vegan food and local, seasonal produce while carrying the story of its early pop-up days forward.
Food Highlights
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Hearts of Palm & Lion’s Mane “Crabcakes”: Three plant-based crab cakes are served with turnip-horseradish puree, lemon-butter green beans, arugula salad, and pickled cucumber. 🦀
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Eastern North Carolina-Style BBQ Sandwich: House-smoked soy and wheat protein is tossed in vinegar-crushed red pepper sauce, served on a potato roll with slaw and pickled fries. 🌶️
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Homestyle Meatloaf: Impossible beef meatloaf comes with tangy tomato glaze, Southern-style collards, and smoked potatoes for a hearty plant-based take on a familiar plate. 🥔
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Peanut Noodle Bowl: Coconut-sesame mushrooms and seasonal vegetables are paired with rice noodles, hoisin sauce, sriracha peanuts, cilantro, and lime. 🍜
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Chicken and Waffles: Marinated mock chicken is hand-dredged and fried, then served with a Belgian waffle, arugula, maple, and seasonal fruit. 🧇
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Lion’s Mane Rangoon: Crispy wontons filled with vegan cream cheese and Lion’s Mane mushrooms are served with a spicy-sweet chili dipping sauce. 🍄
Atmosphere
The Fiction Kitchen’s current home is in Gateway Plaza on Crabtree Boulevard, placing the restaurant in a contemporary Raleigh setting while preserving its focus on thoughtful, house-made food.
The experience is relaxed and welcoming, with reservations encouraged for dine-in guests and takeout available through online ordering.
Bottom Line
The Fiction Kitchen is worth knowing because its story is built on persistence, community support, and a distinctly Southern approach to plant-based food.
It gives Raleigh a place where familiar comfort dishes are reimagined with care, personality, and a strong sense of purpose.
Address: 2431 Crabtree Blvd Ste 103 Raleigh, NC 27601
📞 (919) 929-8400
🕔 Open Wed-Thu, 4:30 PM–9 PM | Fri-Sat, 11:30 AM–2:30 PM and 4:30 PM–9 PM | Sun, 11:30 AM–2:30 PM | Closed Mon-Tue