Spize Cafe

Spize is (was) a classic downtown Raleigh lunch spot. A good lunch option for lighter, spicier fare can’t be found downtown, so it’s unfortunate that Spize is now closing up shop after 4 years on Fayetteville.
The atmosphere was hip and clean. And although there was a bit of a disconnect in their proselytizing sidewalk sandwich board and the neutered Christian music they’d always have playing, the food was always solid. Idid get frustrated sometimes (if I wanted a cheap small side dish) because almost everything on the menu was priced the same. The Red Curry was my favorite, as well as the Tamarind Shrimp.
Perhaps they will open elsewhere. Perhaps their space will be filled by a new, even better lunch spot… but I am glad I got to experience Spize while it lasted.

The quality of food great, menu super intriguing, customer service wonderful! I really wanted to fall in love with Spize I’m not quite there yet but with all the interesting menu items I will be back soon to try something new. I was really hungry when I stopped in for a late lunch the menu was a little too much for me with an empty belly. My stomach said get a sandwich bread, bread, bread, but then my brain kicked in and said stay away from all the carbs. Anyways I decided to go with the garlic rice shrimp I know rice = carbs but far less filling for me.
The gentleman at the counter suggested I order the dish med. since their hot is very hot. I hear this all the time and normally just go hot because I really like spicy food. I listened to the man though this time and went with med. boo I really was looking forward to my spicy food but this dish really had no spice at all. The shrimp were fresh and well cooked, the pickled veggies were really tasty but overall the sauce was just ok.
I know I have to get back here for one of their baguettes soon they looked so good. This place is great for a healthy lunch there are so many options to choose from whether you want a salad, sandwich, noodles, or rice. Spize is only open for lunch so you will have to check it out during the daytime. Plenty of veggie options on the menu as well big plus!
Overall a solid lunch choice this Asian inspired joint is doing some good things and I enjoyed my meal.

Trying something new! I would have to say I liked it but didn’t love it. I would get lunch here again though!
I went with my aunt and we shared the Pork Baguette Sandwich, Basil Shrimp Roll, & Chicken Thai Red Curry Rice Bowl. The sandwich was very tasty; a lot of fresh crisp flavors and the bread was delicious. The roll had something to be desired; I don’t think I would order it again. And the best for last; the red curry packed a kick but not overly spicy, good flavors, and I would come back for that!

This mya be one of my favorite new finds in downtown Raleigh! Open only for lunch on certain days of the week, Spize is easily overlooked by the working class. I’ve walked by many times but they were closed, and I finally made it in here. And boy am I glad I did!
We went for lunch last Thursday around 11:30am. There was no one in line when we walked in! Upon entry, they had samples of their ginger root chicken and lemongrass pork. The pork was phenomenal! I ordered the steak sandwich ($ 8) and Sara ordered the pork sandwich ($ 8). Instead of fries, we opted to get a salad with soy vinaigrette dressing. We also ordered the shrimp spring rolls ($ 7). Our bill was $ 35, which was a bit shocking for lunch, but it was so well worth it– and the portions were huuuuuge.
The soy vinaigrette dressing is quite possibly some of the best dressing I’ve ever had on a salad. I was completely surprised because it doesn’t sound that great, but I was in line to purchase a bottle to take home after I devoured my salad :) The pork sandwich was better than the steak sandwich, but only by a small shot. These sandwiches are huge & on super fresh artisan bread. We had the spring rolls too, which were fried with peanut sauce for dipping. I didn’t like them as much as Sara did, but that’s because I don’t really like shrimp and peanuts :)
Even their iced tea was delicious… if you’re lucky to be in DTR for lunch, check out Spize Café. I’m absolutely sure you won’t be disappointed :)

Another place I’ve been wanting to check out downtown: check!
My friend and I arrived for a late lunch when it’s pretty dead, so we were able to take our time to peruse the menu and the interior.
First off, I’m sure when it first opened, the concept was to have a clean, simple, open space with white/​light colored tables and chairs. But Spize isn’t particularly the cleanests; the tables have some stains and slight stickiness/​crumbs, and the creative ingredient info on each table have some wear on the laminated edges. Maybe it’s time to revamp & update the décor, eh?
Christian music does play in the background, but if you’re not religious, the somewhat pop sounds won’t distract from your experience. If you are religious, it’s a nice change of pace from mainstream secular stuff.
Now on to the FOOD.
I love spicy. I love veggies. I love flavor. So that’s why I ordered the spicy eggplant & mushroom baguette. I chose pickled cucumbers as a side instead of chips, and they were very very tangy and sweet, which isn’t a bad thing for me. Sadly however, my sandwich was extremely messy to eat. I was glad I was with a girl friend or I might have thought I’d be single forever. Cutting it in half was so difficult because the knives they have are not that sharp. My eggplant/​mushroom filling ended up mostly on my plate than in the actual sandwich. I had to work to get a bite of some bread and eggplant and veggie goodness together, but I don’t mind taking my time to eat. I enjoyed all the flavors and the pickled veggies, basil, and super spicy & chunky jalapeño slices.
(Oh, my friend ordered the red curry; she said it was good but really greasy… there were clearly evident pools of oil floating on top.)
I wish they had more creative vegetarian options; they have another vegetarian (tofu & mushroom) sandwich, but it’s not creative enough for me to buy since I can make it easily myself.
Service is great & really friendly. You order at the register & tip them there as well! Then they’ll give you a number and bring you your food. Our server answered all of our questions and made some good suggestions and gave us our space to enjoy our lunch and conversations.
Really thought I’d give this place 5 or 4 stars, but I gotta be honest about my experience not my expectations. BUT I’m still totally going to come back and try a couple of other veg-​friendly meals!

This little shop was fantastic! I loved their very green options! They were perfectly located in the middle of downtown so it was extremely convenient for us. The portions didn’t quite look like much, but once you start eating it, man, were stuffed! We would gladly come back to this place again!

I was looking at Spize’s online menu and saw that they had clearly identified which of their items were vegan– and there was at least one attractive option (actually six or more, by my count) — so I automatically headed over to try it out. I can’t stress enough to restaurant owners how important vegan labeling is. It shows you know what you are putting in your dishes (I don’t have to ask a server who has no idea) and are welcoming to any of the 7.5 million vegans in America. Spize did not disappoint once I got there.
The staff was very helpful and efficient, and I got my eggplant and mushroom baguette with basil and chili paste in no time. It didn’t come with a side, but it was a large enough sandwich that it was enough on its own. And you know how it’s lame when you buy a $ 7 – 10 lunch that tastes the same as if you had made it for $ 2.00 at home? Judging by Spize’s menu, and my baguette, I don’t think that Spize will present that problem. The sandwich was awesome, and I doubt I can replicate any of their vegan dishes. So I will be back to check the rest of their menu out!
I do wish they would abolish tipping though, just read this paragraph:
Studies have shown that tipping is not an effective incentive for performance in servers. It also creates an environment in which people of color, young people, old people, women, and foreigners tend to get worse service than white males. In a tip-​based system, nonwhite servers make less than their white peers for equal work. Consider also the power imbalance between tippers, who are typically male, and servers, 70 percent of whom are female, and consider that the restaurant industry generates five times the average number of sexual harassment claims per worker. And that in many instances employers have allegedly misused tip credits, which let owners pay servers less than minimum wage if tipping makes up the difference.
Citations for those claims can be found here:

Spize in a nutshell is a tasty lunch spot in Downtown Raleigh serving asian inspired rolls, noodle plates, sandwiches (think Banh mi) and salads. Without reading any further it has my recommendation if you are looking for something relatively fresh, quick and happen to be near Fayetteville Street in Downtown Raleigh during their limited lunch hours ((M-​F 11 – 4 and Saturday 11 – 3).
Spize in comparison to other «quick» Downtown lunch options is a top choice. I’ve never been disappointed eating here. The highlights if you are craving a Banh mi style sandwich are their Baguette sandwiches that come with your choice of «meat» (the quotes because they offer tofu and eggplant) and a healthy serving of pickled vegetables, romaine lettuce, cilantro and thai chili mayo. The bread has an excellent crusty exterior and soft interior while the pickled veggies are very good. At $ 7.95, they’re reasonably priced and note that your order includes just the sandwich, no side. I’ve tried the fried spring rolls a couple of times and both times they’ve been good but nothing spectacular.
The interior of Spize is brightly lit with natural light during the day while the feel is very much city café with the tight spacing of the tables and sidewalk view. If you are claustrophobic you might want to carry out.
The most recent time we ate here the waitstaff/​cashiers were very friendly as they came around offering to take plates and refill beverages. This definitely boosted their rating for me.
Give it a try if you are craving quick and fun asian dishes. Cheers!

Asian lunch fare at its best. Hold off on the combo box fried rice and sad looking egg roll from your regular lunch stop and come here. If I worked downtown I think I would come here regularly. Sadly I only make the trip on a weekend lunch. These guys are the masters of the grilled pork and figured out every possible way to use it. In a sandwich, yes. Over rice, yup. In a salad, obviously. In a roll, did I not say every which way. Needless to say it’s all good. They even do a pickled cucumber, which accompanies every dish nicely. The sandwich (banh-​mi-​ish) was definitely larger than I would have imagined, so that’s a pretty good value. I’d like to see them try a dessert of some sort. Nothing complicated, just something sweet.
The café is pretty small and with only a few tables, I bet they get full quickly during weekday lunch times. I did get confused by the beverage options, as they’re not really listed well. I was a little thrown off by my total bill, which isn’t very lunch friendly, but maybe we did get too much food. A full sandwich, rice plate, ricepaper roll and 2 drinks was just south of $ 30. The rolls were $ 7, which are a little pricey, given the norm, but it’s not like I’m not recommending them.
4 stars for fresh lunch fare, come early during the weekday and try everything at least once. Pick a different table to sit at too, each one has a little note about one of the spices they use.

A coworker and myself decided to give this place a try for lunch and neither of us were disappointed. I picked up the grilled chicken salad with peanut sauce and my friend snagged an eggplant sandwich. I am not a fan of eggplant but he seemed to really enjoy the sandwich and spoke highly of the chili sauce and fresh bread in use. He makes bread and said the style was similar to what he likes to make. My salad really couldn’t have been better. I can’t tell you what spices were used in the chicken or tofu but boy were they tasty! And, to my surprise, the salad’s size was more than enough to fill me up till dinner.
The only complaint is the size of the place. If it wasn’t so popular (and good!) this wouldn’t be a problem. The seating is pretty limited and sometimes there will be more dine in orders than seating available. Though, when this happens, the staff will help find you a seat as soon as possible. There is outdoor seating as well which is a nice touch as long as it isn’t cold outside. When you try this place (and, if you do try it you will be back!) please be aware of the size of your party. If Being willing to switch tables from a three or four to a two when there is only two in your party helps everybody!

Didn’t expect to get decent bahn mi here, but I was pleasantly surprised. I had the pork sandwich, which was served in the sort-​of classic way on a nice baguette with a lemongrass mayo, a spicy soy-​based sauce, picked carrots and daikon and sliced hot peppers. Overall, this was a kick ass sandwich. So many textures and flavors.
I’m not a «one-​star-​off-​the-​rating» type, but I did find the bible verses on the sandwich board outside the restaurant to be a little off-​putting.

Spize is an efficient, relatively cheap, and tasty spot for lunch in downtown Raleigh. The small restaurant on Fayetteville St. feature a hodge-​podge of Asian dishes, from Thai curries, to Japanese noodles, to Vietnamese banh mi, and it does a pretty good job with them all. The ingredients are fresh, and they’ll adjust the spice («spize») level of your meal upon request.
I’ve heard that Spize is also a second-​chance employer, hiring employees with criminal records, which is great. I’m not wild about the in-​your-​face religious stuff there, but I’m willing to ignore that for the sake of a nice bowl of tom yum soup.

oh, I wish there was a place like this closer to me! Love Spize!
I usually have the Asian Noodle Salad, but, was told by the gal at the counter the most popular item is their Baguette Sandwiches.
Casual, bright, clean place.
Wish they where open for dinner.

Keep in mind that this is only a lunch place…
When I came here, I had a fantastic filter — a coworker of mine loves this place, so he ordered for me.
Ordering is at the counter, but they will bring it to you and fill your water. The food is cooked extremely well — I’ll admit to being a bit dubious, but I was really impressed with the quality of everything I tried (which was three dishes).
Food tasted amazing. Great level of spice. You can order if you’re not a spicy fan, but the spicier you like it, the better. if you’re downtown and looking for a lunch spot, this is a great spot to stop.

Here are some notes I took from my first time at Spize:
— Order at the counter and take a number (no servers)
— Mix of thai/​vietnamese
— Lots of stuff about Jesus/​God
— My portion was perfect but order an appetizer if you’re a bigger eater
— Food comes out quick
— Great tasting seafood options. I highly recommend the tilapia panang curry!

Spize is cute, modern and very chic. I ordered the two vegetarian dishes and my friend tried a dish with shrimp.
The seating area is okay, it has a nice view– but the chairs are not super comfortable. The food is priced decently, but it could be lower– I suppose. I would return if I’m in the area.
I’ve now been here at least 3 times– not bad at all I’ll say.

Man, if only I had a spot like this close to my office. I was expecting a crowd around 6:00 or so but obviously this is primarily a lunch spot as we were the only customers. I started to second guess the recommendations but figured I would give it a go. Now I have a new favorite spot for lunch in downtown Raleigh.
I had the lemongrass pork loin with honey mayo baguette which was out of this world. The pickled veggies, jalapenos, and flavorful and tender pork was an explosion of flavor. I also had a bowl of the soup of the day — tom yum — which was available in three heat levels. I went with medium and was well heated… lets put it that way. The soup was a little lighter on the chicken than I would have liked and way heavy on the button mushrooms but all in all… fantastic.
My only wish is that they were open later so when I go into town for a show I can grab a quick bite. That said, I totally understand why they aren’t. Love this place!

I found myself in downtown Raleigh and feeling a bit peckish. So I used my trusty Unilocal blackberry app to find a good place for lunch and found Spize. Thanks Unilocalers for steering me to Spize.
DH and I were impressed with the menu offerings, asian inspired sandwiches, noodles, salads, spring rolls and some very creative specials. Extra kudos for having homemade limeade!
We started off with a basil spring roll, which was as crispy as it was delicious. For our entrees, DH had one of the specials and I had the cellophane noodle and shrimp salad. Our dishes were presented beautifully and tasted as good as they looked.
I was also impressed that Spize is using reusable or biodegradable tableware.
The only downer was a mom who changed her baby’s diaper at the table right next to us! Moms, I know babies need changing, but please do it somewhere other than where people are trying to eat.

oh Bravo to the brill (brilliant) Spize Café. Eco-​consious, forward-​thinking, and original especially in idea, décor, and design.
This eco-​aware California native can take comfort in the fact that my biodegradable plastic cup was made from corn products and will break down somewhere, eventually, and wont further add to our growing plastic debris problems.
As evidence of further restaurant business brilliance we were greeted with a little cup of aromatic cumin chicken. Tasty! I ended up with the banh mi-​esque spizy tuna with chilli-​lime mayo baguette. The tuna wasn’t fresh tuna but canned tuna but was perfectly «spized» with just the right spize bite. The thin spicy cucumber pickle ran the length of the baguette and was a welcome surprise in every bite. And when I couldn’t finish my sizeable sandwich, I was given a biodegradable (yay, no Styrofoam!) paper type to-​go box that held up as I dragged it (and my sandwich) round Raleigh.
There ‘s enough on the menu to keep me amused for quite some time, especially since most dishes can be made vegetarian.
Woo-​hoo — Eat Spize. Be Green.

«Sir, watch out but that soup is really hot… » Famous last words with typically the same end result for me: delicious tom yum soup in my stomach and 2^nd degree burns inside my mouth!
I finally got to check out Spize Café for lunch today. Last month I had stepped into the place and quickly stepped back out due to, yeah I’ll admit it, the lack of Asians in the restaurant! You know how one knows a place is authentic when you’ve got patrons who come from that cuisine’s country? So I didn’t see any of my brothers (or sisters) in Spize Café on my first attempt. Not even behind the counter! But I took a Taste Carolina tour and met the owner who’s definitely the real deal and from SF, game on!
Spize Café is a very mod and environmentally sound lunch spot. Lots of woods, whites and chrome, a nice looking space. Order up front, grab your drink and wait for your food to be brought out to you. The menu is a mix of Thai and Vietnamese, very cool! I did a pork loin baguette and the earlier mentioned tom yum soup. Service was quick and pleasant, I had my food out in 5 or 10 minutes. Loved the sandwich, it came with a side of cucumber salad, greens and jalapenos. Spicy, salty and tasty, I’m pretty sure they use La Farm bread which was awesome. The tom yum soup was also great, lots of mushroom and chicken in a sour/​spicy broth.
Spize Café seals the deal by using ecologically friendly (made of corn) utensils, trays and bowls, very cool. And the ingredients used are certainly high quality and local. However, there’s gotta be a price for all this goodness, you’ll probably spend at least $ 10+ for lunch. But you know what? It’s a great little ethnic find in downtown Raleigh and worth the extra money. So check out Spize Café the next time you’re up for some Thai and Vietnamese yumminess!