The cutest little coffee shop!! There's been a buzz brewing about this spot so we had to get out…read moreand check it out. Not a lot of parking out front so they allow parking next door at Kings gr but they kept a line of folks. Yes it moved, don't worry. Fresh pastry variety was quite impressive. The goodies were: Vietnamese coffee donut & creamsicle donut from Red Start bakery. An apple pop tart, & blueberry cheese danish also caught my eye. Yes I got them all. There was more but a guy gotta have limits. But I'll just they were mmm mmm good. I'll have to get the donuts again. There is limited seating, and a children's play area which was so cool. I'm hard pressed to not get my jolt of Java so I got a cortado with a drizzle of caramel for a little sweetness. LOVED the flavor, would've loved it if a little hotter. My son-in-law got the Mexican Coke, vanilla espresso. It was cold and amazing as per him. My wife's latte also needed to be hotter. I'll cut the barista a break as she was a one woman show.

Omie's is a small hidden gem in Durham. This place has the best truly espresso/coffee forward…read moredrinks in the triangle. You can tell the quality of the drink and beans Omie's is high quality as soon as you taste it. I absolutely loved their fun and creative seasonal menu. I ordered the pumpkin pie brown butter latte, and it was so tasty. Normally, I have to ask coffee shops to reduce the sugar, but this drink was perfectly balanced. In addition, Omie's sells baked goods to complement your drink. There was a selection of tasty treats to pick from. One of my friends got a HUGE cookie, which looked absolutely delicious. As a fair heads up, parking and inside seating areas are limited. However, Omie's has done the most to maximize the space to make it a cozy place to sit. Pro tip- there is a little more seating to the left of the bathrooms, and there are several comfy spots interspersed throughout. Come for the good coffee, good vibes, and lovely service staff. I definitely know that I will be back!

Mad Hatter Café carries a European-style café atmosphere when I walked in. You are greeted to a…read morebright space where you can sit, study, work, or meet. Tables have QR code menus for you to order online. No need to wait in line. A display case shows you what bakery items are available. Their grits bowl was excellent. The croissant I ordered was on the harder side. I hope these items are baked fresh daily. Perhaps I came too late (12h00 on a Sunday). The place gets busy at lunchtime (and on weekends) so I expected parking challenges and a line at the counter. I appreciate the online ordering option that lets me skip the line. My group chose the community table. It was enough to seat all of us. We had a great time and would gladly be back. I'll probably consider this spot after a long volunteer shift at Duke Gardens.

Mad Hatter Bakery is where we ultimately chose to get our wedding cake, and it was one of the best…read moredecisions we made. From the start, every cake we sampled was moist, flavorful, and clearly well-made (not dry at all), which was incredibly important to us. We ended up choosing the White Lace cake, a white cake with buttercream and a thin layer of white chocolate-style pudding, and it was absolutely incredible. The balance of flavors was perfect: rich without being heavy, sweet without being overwhelming, and beautifully textured. On the wedding day, the cake was a massive hit. Multiple guests told us it was the best wedding cake they've ever had, which honestly says everything. Beyond the taste, the entire experience felt professional and reassuring, exactly what you want when planning something this important. If you're looking for a wedding cake that actually tastes amazing, this place is a no-brainer. We couldn't have been happier.

This is now my favorite coffee place to visit in Durham! I had a lovely time here with a dear…read morefriend. It's such a cute place, lots of comfy seating, the breakfast sandwiches are absolutely delicious, and the coffee is superb. Service was wonderful. We got the Jebena coffee and shared it, and the setting was so beautiful. Will definitely be coming again.

Perfect spot for a flavor-packed lunch break. If you've had Goorsha's food, it's the same delicious…read morefood, just repackaged in clever ways, as sandwiches (panini) and bowls. We tried the Gojo panino (chicken, roasted red pepper, sauce) and a protein bowl with chicken, tekil gomen (cabbage, potato, carrot), fosolia (green beans & carrot), and beet salad. The food came out super quickly (there were only a few other folks in at the time). While the panino was tasty enough, I would recommend/reorder the protein bowl more. The portioning is super generous on the bowl: the bottom is layered with injera, and the scoops of protein and sides are massive. I ate my fill and still had leftovers to take home. They also have coffee and pastries, though we did not try that on our visit.

I've never had Honduran food and Esmeralda's Cafe has been on my list forever, so decided to order…read morein from here! Got the: - Baleada con Salchicha (beans, cheese, cream, avocado, huevos en torta, hot sausage): Simple but delicious! Really liked the subtle spice of the sausage and chewiness of the tortilla. - Pollo con Tajadas (fried chicken, fried green bananas, cabbage, pico de gallo, cheese, alderezo sauce, jugo de pollo, encurtido): Wow! Definitely recommend this- the combination of flavors and textures was amazing. One piece of feedback would be to package the components of this dish separately for takeout orders. However, even with it all coming together, the plantain chips did not get super soggy so this is relatively minor. Also, this held up surprisingly well when re-warmed in the air fryer. Large parking lot, casual ambiance, fast service. 9/10 would recommend!

Located in a strip mall near a mattress store and an ABC store, this place isn't in your typical…read morelocation conducive to good foot traffic. But it's always busy. I've only been once since they relocated from the Mall, so on a rainy Spring Friday I came in for a late lunch. I was one of the few customers with native English, I think, which didn't bother me. Groups of workers having coffee and food, catching up on the news from ViX with Spanish subtitles. Very quiet for what it was! The menu is very nicely laid out with a huge selection, ranging from breakfast to full dinner plates. Veggie options are many. They have a small bar in the front with a few dozen bottles, but I doubt if anyone here could shake up a "Sex on the Beach!" The staff was busy and efficient, easily switching between Spanish and English depending on the customer's needs. I ordered the Esmeralda Burger, which is a beef burger with bacon, avocado, and a fried egg. I could barely finish it all,

Lovely view Great service from those taking orders and…read moredelivering food Wonderful food with interesting specials

Great place to sit and have a snack after a couple hours exploring the gardens. Lines were not…read morelong, depends on when you go though, prices are typical to most parks and events. Small variety of food options but you'll find something you enjoy.

Visited Yonder Coffee inside Daily Beer Bar with a friend this weekend. It was the second Saturday…read morein January - so a pretty random weekend, but surprisingly the place was absolutely popping and so packed. There were 5-6 people waiting for a single table. After fighting for a table, we both ordered hot drinks: my friend got a latte and I ordered the rose chai latte, which I really enjoyed. Unfortunately, after my friend placed her order, the barista mentioned they were "out of espresso" and offered to "top it with milk" instead and she wouldn't taste a difference. That was disappointing and felt a bit unfair that my friend essentially ended up paying for milk rather than a true latte. We also tried the Tepuy donuts, which were tasty (love Tepuy sourdough donuts!), though I wish they had been warmed up. Given how busy it was, service felt a bit rushed and less attentive than expected--understandable, but still noticeable. The space itself is nice, with a variety of table sizes, and I can tell it would be a great spot to sit and chat on a slower day. I would look forward to giving it another try on a less hectic day!

Yummy coffee! Tiramisu latte was so good and everyone is very nice! A great study spot that stays…read moreopen late and they have rotating beer on draft! (Food is quite expensive though)

One of my top places for reliable, not-too-overly-sweet flavored lattes. Got the sea salt caramel…read morelatte, which was full, with a beautiful balance of salt and sweet. No off-putting bitterness or acidity to the beans they use. Plenty of short bites to choose from. The Woodcroft location has plenty of notices on local events and readily available parking. Plenty of seating indoors and outdoors.

Delicious Van Gogh sandwich and hot chai on the patio in the sunshine delicious pesto and fresh…read moreingredients

Very nice lunch. Conveniently located next door to Safelite so as we waited for our windshield…read morerepair we grabbed lunch. I had the Greek chicken salad wrap and my daughter had the beet and arugula salad with grilled chicken and avocado. The food was fresh and flavorful! We were both very happy with our meals. The staff were pleasant, helpful and quick. The large community tables outside were easy to deal with. Met a nice local guy, so pleasant all around.

We love this restaurant and its wonderful food, staff, and outdoor dining space. Also, they compost…read moreuneaten food and provide PFAS-free compostable takeout containers.

TL DR: A good choice for a quick service meal if you don't want to leave the Museum of Life and…read moreScience. Outside of the main building and next to the butterfly house and train depot on the museum campus you'll find this little cafe. Several types of wraps and salads are available as well as fountain drinks and treats. Bathrooms (with changing stations) are next to the cafe. However if you need to use the changing stations and can wait I would suggest the main building second floor for the large private family bathrooms. Don't expect anything exotic at the cafe but what is here is good and portions that will fill you up so you can enjoy the rest of your day at the museum. I used to consider it a bit over priced a few years ago until the rest of the world became over priced so now this is just normal priced. If there's no seating at the cafe and it's nice out there are picnic tables a bit further down to the right.

Sprout Cafe is the convenient and fantastic cafe on site at the Museum of Life and Science. They…read moresell drinks and ice cream if you need a refreshment, but they also sell full meals, including kids meals, that are delicious. The barbecue plate is very good. So are all the sandwiches and paninis we've tried. The sides are delicious as well, from healthy options like fruit salad and green beans to traditional fries. Indoor seating is closed at the moment, but there is a lot of outdoor seating at the front and side of the cafe. If those areas are full, there are picnic tables close by at the start of the Dino Trail.

Small and very clean, almost hole in the wall kind of place in an old shopping center in a…read moreresidential neighborhood. Arabic music playing. Service is very friendly, and as quick as possible, considering that stuff seems to be made to order. I ordered a chicken kebab platter which comes over a bed of basmati rice, possibly with saffron. Whatever the rice tasted great and it wasn't dry like at a lot of places. The chicken was marinated in a tangy yogurt-spice mix, grilled and topped with a tahini sauce. Delicious! As sides I got mujadara and roasted vegetables which were also tasty. I'll be back for takeout for sure in the future.

"Bodega-like Mediterranean Grill & Grocery in Parkwood area of Durham"…read more This place is WAY off the beaten path for most, but I'm so happy to have gotten to try it out. Nestled in a little strip between a Muslim school and a mosque is this grill and grocery. We came on a Wednesday evening, and almost every table was already taken by diners. You order your food at a counter, and it has the Middle Eastern foods you'd expect-- kofta, shawarma, gyros, falafel, baba ghanouj, hummus, baklava, etc. I opted for the lamb gyro sandwich with a side of baba ghanouj, and my dining partner had the falafel sandwich. They call your number when it's ready. Food took maybe 10 minutes to receive, so we browsed the market area. It's not a huge selection, but very traditional-- nice seeing so many labels in Arabic, and along with standards (e.g., canned fava beans for Ful Medames), they also had things like frozen chopped mulukhiyah leaves-- that's definitely a rarer sight. Lots of good spices too. The food was EXCELLENT. The lamb was juicy and perfect (unlike what another Yelp review said), the tzatziki sauce was delicious, and the baba ghanouj was perfectly cooked and textured. I had a small bite of the falafel, and it was indeed one of the best I've had in the US. Price was fair, too-- the sandwiches are all under $10 before tax and tip, and making it a combo with side and drink cost just something like $2.50. And service was friendly-- although they called out numbers, they did walk out with the food to try to find and bring you your dishes. And while it was an older space, it was overall still generally clean. Overall, I'd VERY happily come back.