Kingfisher is the cutest cocktail lounge located in downtown Durham. I struggled to find it at…read morefirst, but it's down the stairs. The service was great, drinks were delicious, and the aesthetic make for a great night! Also, the music was enjoyable and at the perfect volume. I will definitely be back!

GRATUITY ALERT I go to Kingfisher on occasion for the…read moreatmosphere. The drinks are very very innovative, which makes it disappointing every time that the drinks are always watered down. Way too much ice in rocks glasses and not much of the drink ourself. Watered down, over shaken martinis. **However, the real issue is the mandatory 20% gratuity. ** After the bartender forgot to make my drink, then waiting 20 minutes for the check, I noticed that in the details, my one cocktail had a mandatory 20% tip. When I pointed it out, I was informed by the bartender that I didn't have to add an additional tip in top of that, but "it would be appreciated" Are you kidding me?!?! I thought I bought a $15 drink. But it was really $18. And then they expect another tip, taking this to a whopping **$22 before taxes.** I won't be back - and with so many cocktail bars in Durham that don't stealth charge you, I don't need to.

Great drinks and service. The staff here are friendly and patient…read more The area where ordering takes place is clean and there is plenty of seating near the bar area. I ordered the not so espresso martini. The coffee liqueur and vodka was a tasty mix and this was my first time trying this combo. I enjoyed it!

Awesome place to chill! I ordered a mojito and they even…read morehave fresh mint !! Love the ambiance service was amazing the bartenders were all so nice and friendly definitely will be coming back and if you are ever in the area I highly recommend!!! :D

Food was fire, service and employees were fire, and the decor was very cute. There was an event…read moregoing on and they were very lovely and friendly to costumers (yes, costumers!) coming in. Saw a spill get cleaned up just as quickly as it happened. Will recommend this place to others and try to stop by next time I'm in the area.

Great small bites. I recommend you trying the Elote dip it was AMAZING and perfect for sharing with…read moretwo or more friends! They have great drink specials for different days of the week! Very speedy service all of their bartenders are very sweet and will fix whatever drink to your liking The vibes are disco balls on the ceiling very open very Miami Beach vibes they have an indoor and an outdoor seating area not only that they have fireplaces. If you get a little too far from their heated porch area! The vibes just don't stop. They have an aesthetic fireplace in side as well as a fake tree in the middle beautiful for taking pictures Their bathrooms are adorable, but you might have to wait a little bit on a busy day. But this is the same problem with every bar. Very glad that they have more than one bathroom.

This cozy bar & lounge set between the American Tobacco Campus and the DPAC is a great place to…read moreunwind and chill. Got a show coming up? You can come here for a pre-show drink. There is waiter service at the lounge tables. I enjoy the bar service: plenty of seats and friendly bartenders. Old Bull Apartments residents have it best. They can hang out here, steps from their homes.

I was very excited to try this place based on so many wonderful yelp reviews and I am thrilled to…read moresay that you were all absolutely correct. We LOVED our visit to The Waiting Room. I took off early and came here early on a Wednesday night with my aunt (we were going to try another restaurant on Tobacco Road later that evening for dinner.) This is a very definite speakeasy vibe here...the art deco decor is amazing. My eyes were thrilled before we even sat down. We had our pick of places since we got there right as they opened. Our waitress came over and was so pleasant and extremely knowledgeable. I cannot wait to bring my uncle back to enjoy some new bourbons. I started with a Wake Up Holland and my aunt had a chocolate martini (not on the menu but the bartender understood the assignment!) Wake Up Holland is 100% worth the hype. I LOVED IT. But since I was worried about the caffiene, I tried The Smoking Jacket next. It wasn't really my favorite...it tasted like a campfire which I know some people enjoy but it wasn't my jam. The waitress was very astute and mentioned that they could make the Wake Up Holland in decaf and I rejoiced!!! And ended the evening with that. The service, ambiance, and drinks were all stellar and I cannot wait to return to this establishment!

We visited Aaktun on a Sunday morning for brunch. We had made a reservation the week prior and were…read moreseated right away. The inside of the restaurant is gorgeous and feels like a trendy spot in Mexico. They have a DJ playing music during brunch time. We were initially concerned it would be too loud and hard to talk over, but it was actually the perfect volume and only enhanced our experience. Food was excellent! We got a breakfast sandwich, loaded tater tots, and poke. All were very fresh and well made - especially the fish dish!

**Update 5/12/2026 - I made a reservation to take my mom to brunch on Sunday at 10:15. When we…read morearrived, the hostess said the reservation had been made for outside. I explained and showed her that I booked standard seating and she said that meant outside, which I thought was strange because I was very careful not to book either option that was clearly labeled outdoor. I told her that we wanted a table inside and she said "I have a table that has a reservation for 11:30, can you be done by then?" I laughed and said "sure" but thought to myself that would be up to them! She asked another hostess to seat us, and after we were seated, we waited about 15 minutes and watched staff walk by our table multiple times and no one came by. The original interactions had already put a bad taste in my mouth, so I called another restaurant downtown and asked how long the wait would be for two. They could seat us in the bar area right away, so we got up and left Aaktun to head there. The first two experiences that I had at Aaktun were great. I'm glad I got to try their food because I won't be back after Sunday's experience.

I did not know this place was here. Just started a new job off of TW Alexander, and looked on yelp…read morefor nearby restaurants for lunch. It's a southern thing popped up. I almost didn't go, because I thought this was the downtown Durham restaurant, which is nice, but parking nightmare. Glad I went, though. The food was solid. I had the fired chicken sandwhich and fries the first day, a buffalo chicken wrap the second day, and the smoked chicken wings the third day, yes, 3 in a row. That has to say something, especially for me. All lunch items were pretty spot on, although I like a little more vinegar in my slaw than most. That was remedied by the texas pete on the bar. The service staff were all hands on. If the bartender was not there, the manager or a back of the house person was always checking on me. Very nice staff. As far as the ambiance itself, nice setup. Good sized bar, nice big patio, clean indoor and restrooms... all in all, I could not ding them for anything. I need to go to check out the weekend brunch or dinner menu. I am sure that I will not be disappointed, however, I have been told to get to brunch before noon, as it gets very busy, also a good thing. Cheers. :)

We went to It's a Southern Thing on a Sunday morning around 9:30 and walked right in--no wait,…read morewhich honestly felt like a small miracle for brunch. Even better surprise: the patio was wide open and dog-friendly. Immediate bonus points. Service was great. She was friendly, attentive, and helpful with recommendations without being overbearing. I had the Shrimp & Grits, which came with plenty of large shrimp and really rich, flavorful grits. Definitely a solid choice. My date ordered the Blackstone Benedict -a sort of ham, poached eggs, and hollandaise, with breakfast potatoes and gluten-free bread. She was genuinely thrilled with it, which is saying something as she is a hollondaise stickler. By the time we were leaving, a line had started to build, so if you're planning a weekend brunch here, I'd recommend getting there on the earlier side. Parking is easy (big lot), and there's a grocery store right next door, which is surprisingly convenient. Overall, just a really easy, enjoyable brunch spot with good food, great service, and a relaxed vibe. We'll be back.

This place is great in so many ways! I was here in the spring, and we sat in the outdoor garden…read morearea. This has tables with umbrellas, a play area, and a disc golf area, as well as fire pits. The menu has a huge draft selection as well as coolers full of canned and bottled libations. The cashier was friendly and efficient, but not particularly helpful. While they don't have food, there are several places in the same shopping center that have take-out options, and it's fast and easy to have something quick to pick up.

I usually go to the glass jug downtown, but I really wanted to try their Valentine's Day flight and…read moreit was only available at this location. So one Sunday morning when I got done watching my nephew play hockey, I decided to take a detour on the way home and stop here. I got there right as they opened and was the only one there besides the bartender. He was super enthusiastic and helpful and got me set up with the flight right away. I went and sat in the room with all of the steel brewing barrels. I nibbled on chocolate and sipped my beer as I looked around at all the interesting things. Right when you walk in the front door, there is an amazing bottle shop or selection of local beer. It was really quite amazing and much larger than the selection at the downtown location. Completely understandable since they have a lot more space here. The bar was nice and had really neat lit up menus with a lot of beers on tap. They also had two separate indoor seating areas that looked like they could sit quite a few people. It was chilly in February so I did not venture into the outdoor area behind the building. I'll have to try that if I come back. My most favorite thing about The Glass Jug are their specialty flights. I got the Girl Scout cookie flight last year and this year, which is a cookie paired with a beer, and I really enjoyed that. I actually had a Valentine's Day flight at the downtown location last year, but it did not come with chocolate. This year, the one with chocolate, was the best flight ever!!! It was absolute amazing. So now whenever I hear that they have a specialty flight, especially with chocolate or cookies, I will be making an effort to come back to visit. So much fun!

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!

It's always exciting to go to Alley26, namely for their food. Out of all the options in a block…read moreradius (with the exception of sushi nearby), I will always chose Alley26. Over burgers, over French food, over ramen, over Indian. Why? Because Alley26 serves delectable oysters, succulent burgers, and incredible tin fish. Yes, tin fish. If you haven't seen their extensive menu of fish, you must! While it's not for everyone, it is a tinned fish enthusiasts heaven! I go here to celebrate milestones with a good friend and we always have a mini feast, paired with a glass or two of wine. My favorite time to go is when the weather is comfortable and we can sit in the alley way, it's soooo chic that it feels like you're sitting outdoors at a meal in Italy of France. Service is always on point and I forget the bartenders name that is super knowledgeable and super kind. When I remember, I'll circle back to update this review. If you're thinking about this place, definitely check it out! The only inconvenience though is that I believe is 21+ over, at least at night it is.

Folks, this is such a cool place to visit! I have been here more than a few times and every time I…read morehave had the coldest beer and some of the most scrumptious food. They have a reputation of having one of the best and biggest burgers in a triangle. I have even grabbed the chef by the arm and shook his hand because of his food being so good! One of the bartenders by the name of Tennessee -- I tell you, she has to be one of the nicest people I've met in Durham over the past years and I really like her. They have a huge assortment of TVs to watch movies, TV shows and of course your favorite games. They have a nice assortment of pool tables and games, including darts throughout the area and I tell you folks, this place is huge so there's no lack of space. Everyone's friendly and welcoming, and I foresee no problems or issues at this place because I consider it one of those friendly neighborhood sports bars.

I recommend this location for all your sports bar needs in the area. Plenty of TVs with the games…read moreon. Good beer selection. The bartender was working the front and the back. Impressive!

I went to their website to make sure they still have the daily pizza buffet and the web indicated…read moreit is still open for the buffet. I drove to Rookie's only to see signs on the entrance there will no longer be a buffet and they open Daily at 4 PM instead of 12:00. So, I was very disappointed! Randy Compton

I went here once and noticed that my receipt had a mandatory 20% tip on parties of 1 or more. I…read moredon't object to that, but if I'm gonna be forced to pay a 20% tip, I certainly deserve to receive service that warrants a 20% tip. I received about 3% service the time that I dined there. Service was absolutely horrible! Staff would look straight at you as you tried to gain their attention and then ignore you, but they were happy to give you your check and close you out. Never going back here again until I hear that the service has improved.