Bistros, trattorias, taverns and neighbourhood rooms: the mid-tier places where Durham actually eats.

Where to eat well, no fuss

Elmo's Diner ★ 4.0

American diner$ninth-streetMon-Fri 07:00-15:00; Sat-Sun 07:00-15:30

The reliable Ninth Street anchor since the 1980s, Elmo's serves breakfast and lunch seven days. The pancakes are house-made and waits on weekends are earned.

Signature: Pancakes, Biscuits and gravy, Huevos rancheros

776 9th Street, Durham, NC 27705

Dame's Chicken & Waffles ★ 4.3

Southern$$downtownSun-Mon 10:00-14:30; Tue 09:00-15:00; Wed-Thu 09:00-19:30; Fri-Sat 09:00-20:30

Durham's celebrated brunch spot lets you build your own plate: choose the bird, the waffle style, the schmear and the drizzle from a list of creative options.

Signature: Chicken and waffles, Sweet potato waffle, Oatmeal waffle

455 S Driver St, Durham, NC 27703

Bull City Burger and Brewery ★ 4.0

Burgers$$downtownMon-Thu 11:11-21:30; Fri-Sat 11:11-22:00; Sun 11:11-21:00

A downtown Durham burger and brewery institution. The kitchen grinds beef daily; the brewery rotates a pilsner and IPA. Opening time 11:11 is a tradition.

Signature: Craft beef burger, Truffle fries, House-brewed IPA

107 E Parrish St, Durham, NC 27701

Boricua Soul ★ 4.2

Puerto Rican$american-tobacco-campusMon 11:30-14:00; Tue 11:30-15:00; Wed 11:30-19:00; Thu-Sat 11:30-20:00

Boricua Soul at American Tobacco Campus fuses Puerto Rican cooking with Southern soul food. Empanadas, pernil and rice-and-beans are made from scratch daily.

Signature: Pernil, Tostones, Empanadas

705 Willard St, Durham, NC 27701

Fonda Lupita ★ 4.1

Mexican$brightleafMon-Thu 11:00-21:00; Fri-Sat 11:00-22:00; Sun 11:00-20:00

Women-owned Mexican kitchen at Brightleaf Square pressing fresh corn tortillas in-house daily. Named Eater Carolinas Restaurant of the Year 2021.

Signature: Tacos al pastor, Tamales, Agua frescas

905 W Main St, Suite 21A, Durham, NC 27701

Alpaca Peruvian Charcoal Chicken ★ 3.9

Peruvian$ninth-streetDaily 11:00-21:00

Peruvian charcoal chicken at a fair price point on Ninth Street: roasted halves and quarters with aji amarillo sauce and sides of yuca or plantains every day.

Signature: Charcoal chicken, Aji amarillo sauce, Yuca fries

703A 9th St, Durham, NC 27705

Juju Durham ★ 4.0

Asian fusion$$ninth-streetMon-Sat 11:00-14:00 and 17:00-21:00; Sun 17:00-21:00

A Ninth Street fixture for Asian fusion tapas and sake. The menu roams across East and Southeast Asian influences; order broadly and share across the table.

Signature: Sake-steamed mussels, Crispy Brussels sprouts, Duck pot stickers

737 9th St, Ste 210, Durham, NC 27705

Lula & Sadie's ★ 4.1

Southern$$old-west-durhamTue-Thu 11:00-15:00 and 17:00-21:00; Fri 11:00-22:00; Sat 10:00-22:00; Sun 10:00-15:00

A neighbourhood Southern restaurant with a Sunday jazz brunch that fills the room. Shrimp and grits and fried catfish anchor the menu on Chapel Hill Road.

Signature: Shrimp and grits, Fried catfish, Sunday jazz brunch

2022 Chapel Hill Rd, Durham, NC 27707

Nzinga's Kitchen ★ 4.2

Southern soul food$$downtownWed-Sun 08:00-14:00

A Creole-inflected Southern brunch counter open Wednesday through Sunday. Nzinga's serves shrimp and grits with smoked andouille and sweet potato waffles.

Signature: Shrimp and grits, Chicken biscuit, Sweet potato waffles

826 Fayetteville St, Ste 110, Durham, NC 27701

Parts & Labor ★ 3.9

Global street food$$downtownMon 11:30-00:00; Tue 17:00-00:00; Wed-Thu 11:30-00:00; Fri 11:30-02:00; Sat 12:00-02:00; Sun 12:00-00:00

Attached to Motorco Music Hall, Parts & Labor serves global street-food tapas until 02:00 on weekends with one of the most vegan-friendly menus in the city.

Signature: Korean tacos, Loaded fries, Plant-based bowls

723 Rigsbee Ave, Durham, NC 27701

M Pocha ★ 4.0

Korean street food$$downtownMon-Thu 17:00-23:00; Fri-Sat 17:00-02:00

Michael Lee's Korean pocha on E Chapel Hill Street serves tteokbokki, corn dogs and fried snacks alongside soju-based cocktails in a casual late-night room.

Signature: Tteokbokki, Korean corn dog, Soju cocktails

209 E Chapel Hill St, Durham, NC 27701

Big Bad Breakfast ★ 4.0

Southern breakfast$$old-west-durhamDaily 07:00-14:30

The Durham outpost of John Currence's Southern breakfast chain. Country ham, boudin, grits and scratch biscuits anchor a menu that takes breakfast seriously.

Signature: Country ham and eggs, Boudin scramble, Cornmeal pancakes

2608 Erwin Rd, Suite 120, Durham, NC 27705

Thaiangle Restaurant ★ 3.9

Thai$$downtownMon+Wed-Thu 11:30-14:30 and 17:00-21:00; Fri-Sun 11:30-14:30 and 17:00-21:30

A reliable Thai kitchen on N Mangum Street serving the full range of central and northeastern Thai dishes at prices that keep the dining room full at lunch.

Signature: Pad see ew, Massaman curry, Papaya salad

200 N Mangum St, Ste 101, Durham, NC 27701

Picnic ★ 4.5

Barbecue$$old-west-durhamWed-Mon 11:00-20:00

A nationally recognised whole-hog barbecue on Cole Mill Road where pigs are smoked overnight over hardwood. The banana pudding is as celebrated as the pork.

Signature: Whole-hog pulled pork, Banana pudding, Brunswick stew

1647 Cole Mill Rd, Durham, NC 27705

Bullock's Bar-B-Cue ★ 4.5

Barbecue$downtownTue-Sat 11:00-20:00

Open since 1952, Bullock's is Durham's longest-running restaurant and the centre of Eastern NC barbecue culture. Cash only, family-run, unchanged in method.

Signature: Eastern NC whole-hog barbecue, Brunswick stew, Hushpuppies

3330 Quebec Dr, Durham, NC 27705

Sister Liu's Kitchen ★ 4.4

Chinese$south-durhamApprox 11:00-20:45; call ahead as hours vary around dumpling prep

Bon Appetit Best New Restaurants 2019, a strip-mall Sichuan kitchen in South Durham. Handmade dumplings, dan dan noodles and scallion pancakes made daily.

Signature: Handmade dumplings, Scallion pancakes, Dan dan noodles

5504 Durham-Chapel Hill Blvd #103, Durham, NC 27707

Counting House ★ 4.2

New American$$$downtownMon-Fri 07:00-14:00 and 17:00-21:00; Sat-Sun 08:00-14:00 and 17:00-22:00

The restaurant at the 21c Museum Hotel sources from NC farms and fisheries. Weekend brunch among rotating contemporary art is the best hotel-brunch downtown.

Signature: NC shrimp and grits, Smoked salmon benedict, Local vegetable sides

111 Corcoran Street, Durham, NC 27701
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