Yum! My boyfriend and I split some dishes at the Federal and thoroughly enjoyed our experience. We…read morechose the classic cheeseburger with Swiss cheese and sauce on the side, a cubano, and the fried artichoke salad. Both the cheeseburger and cubano came with hefty servings of French fries fresh out of the fryer. Despite being a little salt heavy, they were flavorful and complimented the sandwiches well. The cubano and burger were both 3/5 for me but I enjoyed both. I'm not a huge meat fan... My boyfriend said they were excellent though! The fried artichoke salad is where I feel like I found my peace. The olives, tomatoes, salad dressing, and all other salad components were awesome. It tasted fresh and the ingredients complimented each other. The fried artichokes were a nice crunch too! I would be back to the Federal for the hot food and good vibes. Service was excellent here as well.

Bartender tonight was so accommodating. I came to watch the Duke UNC game and it was standing room…read moreonly. I'm 7 months pregnant and my feet started to hurt. There were customers at the bar who ordered a drink and thought that was enough to sit there the entire time. The bartender nicely asked them that if they weren't going to order more food or drink it would be polite if they gave up their seats to paying customers. I finally got to sit down and rest while I enjoyed the game. Great food and even better service!

Landed on this place while on a short trip in Durham and the food was so good! I ordered the…read moremolletes with a cilantro pineapple marg. Solid combo! I loved the vibe inside and wish I could take a dive like this back home with me. The food also came out super fast and the workers were really cool!

This place is super cute!!!!! I was a group of friends at…read moreanother bar that doesn't serve food, so I knew I needed to have something on my stomach before consuming libations! When you walk in, you grab a menu at the door - order at the bar - and have a seat! I could not tell you what I ordered, I took the bartender's recommendation (since it was my first time there) I can't remember the name (I think it's called Mollette or something close to that - sorry), but it was like chicken tacos in bread (if that makes sense). You can order another meat type, I just ordered the chicken! I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT!!!!! And the ladies that were working the bar - GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE! I will definitely go back again!

English: TL;DR: Beautiful atmosphere, fantastic coffee and…read morefood, thoughtful modern Latin flavors, amazing breakfast/dinner spot, and Fernando, the manager, is awesome. We've been to Aaktun in Durham multiple times for both breakfast and dinner, and it's honestly become one of our favorite spots. I'm Peruvian and grew up with Peruvian cuisine, so seeing lomo saltado -- a classic Peruvian dish -- on the menu immediately made me happy. Having also grown up in Mexico and lived in places like Miami, I really appreciate what they're doing with the menu: a modern, delicious take on Latin flavors that feels creative without losing what makes those cuisines special. The atmosphere is absolutely beautiful. You walk in thinking it's a stylish little coffee shop, then head toward the back and the whole place opens up -- gorgeous bar, tropical touches, cozy alcove seating, really cool vibe. One time we went with friends for a special dining experience they were offering, and it was excellent. The food, drinks, and whole experience were made even better by Fernando, the manager, who has always been incredibly warm, helpful, and accommodating. Highly recommend Aaktun for breakfast or dinner. Still haven't made it there for lunch somehow, but at this point we'd be shocked if it wasn't great too. Spanish: TL;DR: Lugar precioso, café y comida excelentes, sabores latinos con un toque moderno muy bien logrado, y Fernando, el gerente, es increíble. Ya hemos ido varias veces a Aaktun en Durham para desayuno y cena, y sinceramente se ha vuelto uno de nuestros lugares favoritos. Soy peruano y crecí con la cocina peruana, así que ver lomo saltado -- un plato clásico peruano -- en el menú me hizo muy feliz. Además, habiendo crecido en México y vivido en lugares como Miami, me encanta reconocer cómo integran sabores latinos con una propuesta moderna y de fusión. Se siente creativa, diferente y sobre todo riquísima. La atmósfera además es espectacular. Entras pensando que es una cafetería bonita y acogedora, pero luego caminas hacia atrás y el lugar se abre por completo: un bar hermoso, detalles tropicales, mesas tipo alcove... una vibra buenísima. Una vez fuimos con unos amigos para una experiencia especial de cena que estaban ofreciendo y la pasamos increíble. La comida, las bebidas y toda la experiencia fueron aún mejores gracias a Fernando, el gerente, que siempre ha sido súper amable, atento y servicial. Recomendamos muchísimo Aaktun para desayuno o cena. Todavía no hemos ido para almorzar, pero honestamente nos sorprendería mucho que no estuviera igual de bueno.

"Part Dos - Mostly great, with a few exceptions"…read more Food temp is major in my book. While many of the food options were hot, several were not, and I believe that impacted the overall dining experience. We ordered classic breakfast and jerk chicken lunch options. For drinks: Cappuccino and Mango Refreshers. The good: (1) Fried rice - which accompanied the jerk chicken (served hot). While simple, the slightly earthy and bitter (in the best way possible) from the braised/steamed baby bok choy perfectly accompanied the earthy mushroom, and complex soy inspired fried rice. So good - this could be a vegan or meat side entree unto itself - IMO. (2) Scrambled Eggs - If you enjoy large curds of gently scrambled eggs - this is for you. While we enjoyed the remaining options for portion size and flavor, we did note that the temperature was cool to mid - which impacted overall flavor. Jerk Chicken: we understand this is a jerk inspired interpretation. With that being said, the most interesting flavor was limited to the crispy skin. Perhaps the chicken was immersed in a salt brine and basted with a jerk flavoring? We loved the white (perhaps mayo based sauce), and accompanied pickled red onion. But baby, the food temp. Yucca fries - if you're unfamiliar - are the baby of a green plantain and white potatoes. While good, they were not hot. Maybe could have benefited from a unique sauce? Food service good. But the biggest miss was the cheese hash browns and Mango Refresher. Hash brown (cheese) room temp, and tough - Mango Refresher - too tart and not worth the cost. As far as ambience: Customers were Hip, sexy, multi ethnic , and included old and young. We loved our waiter. Overall, a little disappointing especially considering we loved our first coffee breakfast visit so much. Not sure if it was an off day or we just prefer other menu options. However, we'd definitely visit again! Brunch/lunch: 4.2

OpenTable may have dropped the ball on our Easter Sunday reservation, but Local 22 turned it into a…read moregreat experience. When we arrived, the restaurant was completely full, yet Paul handled the situation with genuine kindness and calm. He asked us to hang tight and, true to his word, had our party of four seated within five minutes. The food absolutely delivered. The standout was the apple cinnamon hush puppies, crispy, warm, and just the right balance of sweet and savory. Truly delicious. A huge thank you to Paul for his outstanding hospitality. He made what could have been a frustrating situation feel effortless and welcoming. We'll definitely be back.

My first time visiting Local 22 Kitchen & Bar and it was sooo good. I cannot wait to return. Our…read moreserver Matthew was awesome and very nice and knowledgeable. We ordered the charcuterie board with local cheeses, prosciutto, and the smoked trout dip . Freaking delicious would definitely order again. We also ordered the skillet cornbread with honey bourbon butter (I think). Soooo goood. I ordered the quinoa salad with blackened shrimp. Super amazing so glad Mat recommended the blackened shrimp to go on top. My date ordered the spicy chicken sandwich with tots. Definitely spicy but delicious. We ordered drinks as well and let me just say they were delicious and STRING. For dessert we got the pecan pie bread pudding. That was just okay for me not to sweet. I can't wait to go back and try other items. Oh and the vibe was good we dined outside.

Had a quick couple beverages at Clouds Brewing. I'd call it a cool, bright sports bar with a lot of…read moreTVs to catch games, some arcade-type games and what I'd call pub grub. The service was friendly on a somewhat slower mid-afternoon. The mushroom appetizers were amazingly good: made fresh in the kitchen, you could tell. I'd put this on the list if you're looking to catch some sports on TV with your friends - a good spot.

We popped in for a drink while strolling the Brightleaf area. The staff were attentive and…read morefriendly, the place was super clean with a cool vibe. There are some arcade games and TVs. We didn't try the food today but I'm hoping to update this soon when we go back.

Absolutely the BEST ribs! The shepherd's pie, the burgers, the salads- all win rave reviews! The…read morecustomer service is great, but the food is also phenomenal!

Finally... made it to Dogwood. It is nestled in the corner of Riverview shopping mall. Don't blink…read moreor you'll miss it! I walked in and Samantha, behind the bar, made us feel right at home. I knew she was going to be amazing after watching her with other customers.. She cares, helps them even with personal stuff, and looks out for them. You can tell there are regulars, they love the people and the restaurant. I love that vibe! I knew it wanted to try several things so I only orders appetizers. We got Chorizo (not tradional, more like a sausage) which came with fries, Provoletta and Log Jammers. She was right... the Log Jammers are addictive, but being a cheese person, my fav was the Provellta - so fabulously cheesy. The sausage was very good as well. My only swith up on things qould be the sauces... which you can do. The 3 mustard sauce comes with .the Log Jammers - pare that with the sausage. The herb vinegar that come with the Log Jammers, pares best with the Provella. And last, but not least... pare the Boom Boom sauce with the Log Jammers. Fabulous! We also got Ribs and mac and cheese. The full rack was huge and had ao much meat. The rub on it was delicious and I'd recommend the spicy bbq sauce which pares well with the rub. The slaw is NOT to mayonnaisey but is sweet. The Mac and Cheese seems to be on the homemade side - creamy but not like it's all processed cheese - more real cheese. Then it's baked with a nice layer on top. We had a great experience and even though I don't usually go to a restaurant more than once, I will be back. The food was great and the people and friendly atmosphere made it so much more.

We had an extremely memorable experience at Alley Twenty Six, in large part to our amazing server,…read moreAnthony! We made a reservation for a Saturday night dinner and he made sure we were well taken care of all night. We started the night with their James Bears award winning cocktails, and every drink we ordered was a hit! Spiced strawberry mule, Sunset Sipper, and the table favorite: Earl Please. The latter two drinks were mocktails and they were still standouts! As for the food, the Alley burger was perfectly cooked: juicy patty paired with truffle cheese and simple toppings that really highlighted the burger itself. And shoestring fries are always a good choice with a delicious burger. Ricotta gnocchi was also very good. As our server Anthony said, let's get this burger nominated!

Nestled right next to an alley is a modern restaurant/bar mixing innovative drinks (non-alcoholic…read moreavailable) and preparing tasty morsels to share along with your drink. If you like tinned fish, the smoked trout with chimchurri sauce is flavorful and fun. They have a large variety of tinned fish to choose from, but they also have traditional dishes if you're not feeling gastronomically adventurous. The service was quick, and the servers were engaging. Just what you want when you're feeling social. There is seating both indoors and outdoors to suit your fancy.

I have been to Little Bull several times and the meal is always consistent. I come here often and…read morebring friends here all the time. First the ambiance. It's cute. Small and the patio is so cute. The only downside is the a/c inside doesn't work well and it was hot. The drinks are craft and well done. I can always count on a solid cocktail here. The food is so good and perfect for sharing. My go to dishes are the gambas (shrimp), the barbacoa is my absolute favorite, the octopus and either the crudo or ceviche. This is more than enough food for 2 people. The food and drinks are consistent. I recommend making a reservation on OpenTable ahead of time as it can be crowded on any given day. They are kind and accommodating if you don't have a reservation, but you may have to wait. This is a Durham staple for me.

Our server was amazing and very attentive. The restaurant was cute but it felt too warm, so maybe…read moretheir AC can't keep up with the summer heat. Overall, the food was okay, not the best but not the worst. The couple we dined with ordered the Gambas a La Plancha (shrimp) and let us try some, it had a delicious sauce that was really good with the ciabatta bread! My two favorite dishes were the Gambas and the Barbacoa, overall they had the best flavor/value. NC Corn Elote ($12): decent grilled corn, but there was way too much mayo on the plate. Birria Dumplings ($17): these were good, I loved the sauce which had a good kick! Barbacoa ($19): The meat was a bit fatty/greasy, but the amount of food was well worth the price. It came with corn tortillas and other fresh toppings/sauces that cut through the fat. Campechano Sope ($16): The dish had a good spice, however, I think the octopus was overcooked.