Buns vs Als has always been the debate of the best burger spot on Franklin St. And my vote has always been Buns. I love their unique ingredients and generous portions. Out of their signature burgers, I've tried the chorizo, the jalapeno-pimento cheese burger, and the goat cheese burger, all delicious. The restaurant itself is homely and welcoming. Service is timely and amiable. Their loaded fries are also always a staple. Another plus is that they're open very late, meaning I can count on buns to satisfy many late-night cravings. Eating at Buns overall guarantees a unique flavor experience every time I visit, which is why I regard it so highly out of all the other burger spots in the Chapel Hill area. read more

Wanted a juicy burger and shake and this place delivered. I had the Brie burger and it was TO DIE FOR. No wait in line for a Friday evening. Will definitely be back. read more

The service and the food was very good. Would recommend if you are looking for a quick burger. Will eat there again.

Chicken sandwich was fire! Although I expected a subpar (sorry) sandwich, the chicken was juicy, and it had a good variety of veggies on top. The food came out relatively fast, and the inside is a vibe! I will be back if I'm looking for a cheap burger spot. read more

Good burger. The cheese fries were not very good. Good vibes. 2 TVs and lots of ketchup. read more

Buns - Carolina Burger - Burgers Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Buns was a cool little college dive spot. The folks running it were nice and interacted well with me and my kids answered our questions and served us quick and friendly. Inside with clean and had a diner feel. The food was good. The fries were phenomenal. I enjoyed my salmon burger, and my kids enjoyed their regular burgers. But the fries were the standout item of the night read more

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We enjoyed this place. Good sized portions for the money. The burgers were really tasty. Staff was friendly. Place looks a little run down inside but the food is worth the place looking a little sketchy. read more

This place has the best burgers for a good deal!! Fries are not as good but not bad. We always order on DoorDash.

routinely stop here before basketball games ... dependably good burgers and polite student staff ... convenient location GO HEELS read more

Service is disappointing, the internet went out and we had to redo our order after 10 mins of waiting, reordering our order took them 10 more minutes to type in and then told us it had to be partial cash and no card. This process took 30 mins and was very frustrating along with no discount for the long wait and the inconvenience. Food was okay but not worth the hassle and inconvenience of the service read more

First visit + great food= I'll be back! Buns is a must visit. The service was fast and friendly. The menu has an array of options, and there is plenty of seating options. We ordered a burger and a hotdog with fries. The hot dog was all beef and the fries reminded me of Five Guys. Buns offers numerous toppings for your fries, burgers and hot dogs. It's a cool place to hang out at during UNC game night. read more

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Monday lunch brought us here to escape the rain. The counter guy explained how the menu worked and what was customizeable. The fire roasted jalapeño burger was so tasty ! I loved the home cut fries too! Ambiance is very cozy with TV's and comfy tables. I recommend Buns in downtown Chapel Hill. read more

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Great burgers and good price point, but fries should come with the burgers. There's also no parking. read more

This was my first time here (didn't even know it existed) and it was fantastic! Service was great. Huge burger which was delicious. Definitely look forward to going back! read more

Buns - Hamburger - Burgers Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Happened to stumble across this place and great location near Franklin St. Order two burgers and a kids hot dog. The burgers weren't overly huge but packed with flavor! The hot dog was also a good size and quite tasty. Good amount of seating and an overall really good experience! If on campus and looking for some tasty burgers, add Buns to the list. read more

I got really bad food poisoning from their burger. Felt nauseous all day, my hands were tingling, and I ended up throwing up. Would not recommend. read more

First time trying this and I decided to try the burger based on Yelp reviews. I ordered a burger on a brioche bun with Mayo sauce and Swiss and grilled mushrooms. The burger was delicious. It was flavorful and juicy and cooked medium the way I requested. I really appreciate a good burger here and there and this did not disappoint. They offer many options when building your burger and the price was reasonable. read more

Buns - Burger - Burgers Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

A great place for a real burger. Very reasonable prices, large portions but most importantly very tasty food. You can order your burger with one, two or three patties (I go for two, a huge meal but also balances well with the toppings), then get a large variety of toppings and cheeses (most are at no additional costs). The fries are excellent, though I found the sweet potatoes a little chewy. Despite this, the dipping sauces are great, their wasabi mayo is one of my favorite anywhere. I definitely recommend. read more

Buns - Create Your Own Burger - Burgers Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Still just as good as it was before! The employees are nice and the food is always great. Best sweet potato fries !! read more

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Buns is such a neat burger joint. The inside is nice and inviting, just like you'd expect at a classic American burger joint. Casual and easy to hang out. The burgers are amazing and there are so many unique toppings to choose from! I especially like how you build your own burger. I personally recommend the bison patty! Additionally, the staff is so friendly! read more

Great place for a good burger and fries. Got the Cajun burger that has andouille sausage. Delicious flavors and the sausage makes the texture great. Also comes with a sauce that's tasty. The portion of the fries is massive. They are kind of like Five Guys fries but a little sturdier. Not my favorite type of fry but still good. Tried the sweet and sour dragon sauce which was good. Definitely get your moneys worth. Ordered for take out and it was ready in 10 min. Great service. read more

Buns - Cajun Burger - Burgers Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

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This burger came out piping hot and was completely coated in cajun seasoning. It was topped with andouille sausage, pepper jack cheese, lettuce, tomato, and chipotle mayo. These fries were my favorite. I think they may have been blanched? They were crisp on the outside and soft on the inside and lemmmmeeee telllll youuu about the dragonnnn sauceeee It's made of condensed milk, mayo, and sriracha. Aka a stupid good dipping sauce. It hits you with the sweetness at first and then the spice kicks in. It was so addicting that I was so full but could not stop dipping my fries in this damn sauce. Genius. The ambiance of this place was really cute too. It was like an old-timey soda shop vibe. Killer burgers. 12/10 5 chefs kisses ‍ read more

Casual burger place for a quick meal. We ordered the veggie patty as our burger base and it was good. I saw beans, zucchini, carrots, mushrooms and oat pieces throughout so I could tell it was homemade. Good selection of toppings available. Side of sweet potato fries were a good portion. Big enough to split. Food came out hot and without a long wait. read more

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For Chapel Hill, Buns is a three-to-four-star burger joint. I actually think the best-tasting thing here is the hot dog and not the burgers. The hot dog I had was delicious while the burgers were disappointing to okay/good. The dipping sauces were great too. Overall, however, my wife and I thought this place was "just" okay (not bad). Personally, I think the burgers from chains such as Cook Out, Five Guys, In-N-Out, and Shake Shack are just as good, if not, better than Buns. Buns has been around for at least a dozen years now. You can find it near the busy intersection of Franklin and Columbia Streets in the heart of Chapel Hill. I recommend parking in the Rosemary/Columbia public parking lot across the street. Use the ParkMobile app to pay for and monitor your parking. ParkMobile zone number 3629. I paid $0.85 to park: $0.50 for parking and $0.35 for the transaction fee. This is a fast-casual restaurant with made-to-order burgers, sandwiches, hot dogs, fries, and shakes. I'm from Atlanta and Buns immediately reminded me of Yeah! Burger in Atlanta (https://www.yelp.com/biz/yeah-burger-atlanta-5) in terms of concept/menu. Buns has two registers, an open kitchen; self-serve fountain drinks, eating utensils, napkins, and condiments; and an indoor dining room. There's not much to speak of in terms of design and decor; it's a pretty simple place. There is no outdoor seating. Burgers here are fully customizable, from the buns and patties to the cheeses, sauces, and toppings. During my visit, a single-patty burger cost $6.50, double-patty $8.75, and triple-patty $11.00. Regular fries and sweet potato fries were available for $3 regular and $5 large with chili and/or cheese fries an extra $1-2. Hot dogs were $3 each with chili and cheese toppings extra. Shakes ran $4.50 for a small, $5.50 for a large. In addition to building your own burger, Buns offers over a dozen "signature" burgers and sandwiches with preset cheese, sauce, and topping combinations. Most of these ran $6.50-9.00 each. There are also daily combo specials which include fries and a drink. Here's what I ordered: * Carolina Burger ($7.50) - topped with chili, slaw, chopped onion and cheese + Made it a combo with fries with Dragon Sauce dipping sauce (+$4.25) * Jalapeno Pimento Cheese Burger ($7.50) - topped with jalapeno pimento cheese, lettuce, tomato, pickles, and onion + Made it a combo with fries with Wasabi Mayo dipping sauce (+$4.25) * Hot Dog ($3.00) - topped with ketchup, mustard, relish, sauerkraut, raw onion, slaw, and chili (+$1.00) The Carolina Burger sounded awesome which is why I chose it. It's hard to go wrong with a burger that comes with chili, slaw, and chopped onion. However, the version we got from Buns had a patty that was bland and overcooked (dry) and the toppings were minimal. There were several bites of this burger that had hardly any toppings so all that was left was the bun and subpar meat. Disappointing. A Cook Out Style burger from Cook Out is better. I actually threw the last third of this burger away because it wasn't worth finishing to me. It's never a good sign when you have to throw food away. The Jalapeno Pimento Cheese Burger fared much better than the Carolina Burger. This burger was colorful thanks to the fresh lettuce, tomato, red onion, and melty pimento cheese. I love spicy food and didn't think this burger was spicy at all; however, the pimento cheese was still quite nice and tied everything together. Unfortunately, the beef patty in this burger had the same problem as the beef patty in the Carolina Burger -- it was simply overcooked and lacked any real sort of tenderness, juiciness, or flavor on its own. The cashier didn't ask me how I'd like the burgers cooked, so well done seems to be the default here. The Hot Dog, now that was good. After looking at the menu, I told the cashier to give me one with every topping *except* cheese. There were a couple discrepancies between what I saw on the menu and what I actually paid for: 1. Grilled onion and caramelized onion were listed on the menu. I received neither and instead got raw onion. That was fine with me. I like raw onion. 2. Instead of being charged $0.75 extra for chili like was printed on the menu in front of the register, I was charged $1.00. Not a big deal, but they should keep their menu pricing up to date. This was a six-inch dog that came piled-high with fresh, tasty toppings in the right proportions. The only thing I didn't like about the dog was the bun. It was kind of weak, got soggy, and broke apart easily. I would've preferred a more sturdy, substantial bun. As for the fries, I believe they're hand-cut daily. They were fine. What really shined were the sauces. Both the Dragon Sauce and the Wasabi Mayo were terrific. Really good stuff. The Dragon Sauce is made out of sweetened condensed milk, mayo, and Sriracha. The Wasabi Mayo had that "authentic" wasabi sting to it. I enjoyed it. Service was good. This place is popular. read more

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I LOVE a good caramelized onion. If you do too, get the ceo. I also love a good sweet potato fry. They are decent here! Definitely shareable, if desired. read more

Buns - The CEO with Sweet Potato Fries - Burgers Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

A regular spot for me as a student on campus! It's hard to come by great vegetarian burgers at restaurant but I really enjoy Buns's unique recipe, not resorting to a regular Beyond or Impossible burger. I also love the customization and not charging for every single thing you add to your order. I get the veggie with chipotle mayo, lettuce, caramelized onion, mushrooms, and jalapeño.. add a cheese since I don't eat it personally lol. Their fries can be hit or miss at times, I prefer crinkle when it comes to a meal with burgers but they often are a suitable side. I quite enjoy the interior as well, the fun colors and the unique external window that curves at the top, it makes for a memorable locale to pass by. Dependable place to stop & eat overall! read more

Do you eat hot dogs? I've had tons And Chicago has the best ones But when in Chapel Hill The locals would kill For hot dogs made fresh here at Buns Buns. A really excellent place with really tasty hot dogs. I got the hot dog covered in coleslaw and I loved every bite. They also have excellent service, and even though the food often takes a while to come out, even just for a hotdog, it's worth the wait. It's also full of super hot college students, and you may find it very easy to start a conversation in here, as it's frequented by and hires lots of nice people, and I appreciate it as one of the better spots to eat in one of my fave towns in the country. So if you like those New York Coneys I hate to say it, but they're phoneys These hot dogs taste better They're juicier and wetter And that's why Buns are my one and onlys read more

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Very good burger place just off Franklin Street near 4 corners. The food portions are a good size and a good value, you get what you pay for. Ingredients used are fresh and you can taste the difference. The menu is a bit eclectic but fun, lots of different variations of burger options and a few other sandwich and hot dog options but if you visit you should really go for a burger. The environment is a seat and serve yourself, but its spacious and could accommodate some medium to larger groups seating wise. Has a TV to keep you occupied. Staff is good, friendly and they bring your food out but it's not a full table service place. Highly recommend Buns, good food and a hidden little gem that the college kids and locals know to eat at. read more

Buns is a chapel hill classic. I used to come all the time during undergrad. I didn't even go to chapel hill but I'd come just to have the burgers. I loved ordering a medium burger because it came out medium and juicy. The burger is also huge from what I remember. The fries are on point. Sweet potato and regular are good. The burger is ....dripping. There's something about a burger that comes in aluminum foil that makes it so much tastier. Anyways this place is good and I recommend trying it you're in the area! read more

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Absolutely WOW!! My boyfriend and I got off work and needed a burger close by. We saw this on Apple Maps and decided to order takeout. When I tell you this was one of the best burgers I've ever had..... The "Let it Brie" will haunt my dreams lol. My boyfriend got the jalapeño pimento cheese burger and that was crazy good as well. Now that we know about this place we will be back all the time read more

I first went to Buns nearly 5 years ago when I visited UNC, and 5 years later, it is exactly the same, in a good way. You have the option to either build your own burger or select from the preset ones on a menu on the wall when you first enter. We got the Cajun burger, brunch burger, and the Liz burger as well as regular sweet potato fries. At about 12 pm on a Thursday, Buns was relatively empty and the food came out reasonably fast in little baskets with picnic blanket patterned paper. The sweet potato fries were nice and crispy but were cut a bit too thin. All the patties of the burger were well done, which I appreciated, and were a nice thick size. I enjoyed my Liz burger, which has lettuce, fresh avocado, bacon, a beef patty, and honey mustard. Everyone else also enjoyed their burgers and my brother, who attends UNC, is a regular here at Buns. I would definitely come back to try the other burgers! read more

Buns - Cajun Burger, Brunch Burger, Liz Burger - Burgers Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

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This is my favorite burger spot in chapel hill/Durham. Highly slept on. In my opinion better than some of the other well known burger bars around. Their burgers are incredibly customizable. They have delicious sauces such as wasabi Mayo, curry mustard, Thai, dragon, chipotle, etc When they serve fries, it's a hugeeeee portion. Definitely enough for two people. You can also split half regular half sweet potato. This place is a chapel hill staple that I hope never leaves the Franklin streeet area. Will always be my fav. I like to take guests here too. Go get in them bunssssss read more

It's an OK place. Too pricey for the quality of the good. The restaurant looks dark and rundown. read more

Alright food, a little too expensive in my opinion this stand alone burger was $10 fries were another $4. The inside looks like a McDonald's from the 2000s. This was the only place I went to cuz the unc duke game was playing. There's definitely better burger places than this place at unc chapel hill read more

Buns - Mexican Chorizo Burger - Burgers Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

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No longer doing daily specials during COVID :( Shared a brunch burger and jalapeno pimento cheese burger. PM cheese burger was good, but had no spice like expected with something with jalapeno in the name. Brunch burger was A+++ Sweet potato fries were sub par and needed better salt on them and were a little soggy. Regular fries were very good and had a nice crunch to them. read more

Wow. This food was very good. I let cashier know when we entered that we've never been and he walked me through everything. I always appreciate the help because I can't tell if things are sit yourself or order at counter sometimes. You order at counter here and they bring your food to your table (with a number). Very satiating and exactly what we needed. We will definitely be back! read more

Buns - BLT and Grilled Cheese - Burgers Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

My group and I were getting a late start one morning so breakfast turned into lunch and we decided on trying out this burger joint. Upon entrance, I appreciated how easy to navigate the menu was despite being as big as it was. I ended up opting for the Fire Roasted Jalapeño Burger. A man brought out our food after about 8 minutes which was enough time for everyone to get ordered and sat down. I immediately dug into my sandwich and was blown away. The burger was the perfect size and incredibly dense with flavor. Every single ingredient paired well and had the perfect blend of spicy and savory. The fries that came with the meal were also incredibly bountiful and just as delicious. The dragon sauce is by far their best sauce I definitely recommend getting it. The atmosphere of the place was calm yet teeming with life and conversation. All in all, this was one of my favorite places I got to try during my time in Chapel Hill and look forward to it next time I come back to town. read more

Buns - Fire Roasted Jalapeño Burger - Burgers Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

The food has always been good and they give you a big portion of hand cut fries. Also pretty quick and consistent.

I am a fan. The end. Just kidding... But this place is no joke. Custom made burgers, made to order?! Say what?! I opted for a cheeseburger (they have like 6 different kinds of cheese to choose from!) with lettuce, tomato, ketchup, and mustard. Plain, I know. But it was absolutely delicious. Each and every ingredient was so fresh. The meat was juicy and cooked perfectly, the tomato was ripe and luscious, the lettuce crisp, and the house-made sauces were on point. I got the combo which came with the choice of regular fries or sweet potato fries. I opted for regular fries and shared with my Dad, who got the sweet potato fries. The fries were thick cut, cooked perfectly, and salted to perfection. They let you pick sauces for your fries and I went with the suggestion of the Dragon Sauce (I'm pretty sure that's what it was called). It was a sweet and spicy Sriracha based mayo sauce that literally popped in my mouth... my mouth is watering just thinking about that sauce. Instead of just a boring old fountain drink, I went big (calories don't count when you're on vacation, right?). I ordered a chocolate sea salted caramel shake - yes, they let me mix TWO different shake flavors into one shake. And it was out of this world. So the next time you're looking for a great burger, perfectly cooked fries, and an indulgent shake - and you're NOT on a diet or counting calories - get your buns to Buns. read more

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Decent burgers, a couple steps up from fast food, with lots of choices for toppings (and meat - my partner chose bison, but then wanted to emulate a Burger King burger toppings-wise, so built his own. I secretly think it was to minimize the number of bites that I would take). I went with one of their specialties, the CEO (grilled mushroom, caramelized onion, gruyere, bacon, garlic mayo, A-1). Now, they must have caramelized their onions in a vat of palm sugar because it was like eating an extremely sweet onion jam. After I took the onions off, I was much happier and could actually taste the rest of the burger, which was... good! Would have been better with a medium rare patty, of course, but it was good, loaded with bacon and mushrooms. The guy at the front cautioned us against sharing a large order of fries 'unless you guys are REALLY REALLY hungry'. He was correct. We could barely finish a regular. read more