First time here, really nice open air and bright restaurant with modern design and feel. Staff was very friendly, I was pleased with their respectfulness and kindness. Thank you Had the Orange Speckled Chabo, it was pretty good. Nice flavors. To be honest, the portion size was a little small for the price. Expect to drop at least $15 per plate. A suggestion would be use real maple syrup, it makes all the difference in the world. read more

Dame's Chicken & Waffles - Orange Speckled Chabo - Southern Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

We've eaten at Dames in the past and the food and service were great, today not so much. We arrived a little after 11, so it was not crowded. Our waitress was nice enough, and our order was taken quickly but we didn't get our food until 30 minutes later, which was after 3 tables who came in after us had already been served and were leaving. When we got our food, the chicken was burnt and the waffles were cold. One of the tables who had received food before us found a hair in their dish, and when I looked in the prep window, I could see that one of the chefs had long plaits with no hair net or restraint. We did let the server know of our issues, but we were not offered any comps, so we paid and left. Needless to say we won't be back anytime soon. read more

The food was good. It was very busy when I went. I had to wait for long time. They had to forget to text me the table was ready. The food was good. I would try go next time when it early. read more

Dame's Chicken & Waffles - Menu - Southern Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

I really enjoyed this restaurant alot!! Literally the best food I've had at any restaurant in a very long time. I can say that because I literally ate everything on my plate and took no left overs! Everything seasoned and cooked to perfection! I will be frequenting again! BRAVO! read more

Service is quick and the food is good. My chicken from The Light Skin Leghorns was nice and tasty as well as hot. My waffle was room temp and I ordered the peach and apricot schmear, but they gave me the orange honeycomb instead. It was tasty, but I enjoyed the rest of my waffle and chicken with just the K-Pop Drizzle as it's slightly spicy and sweet. The Mac and cheese was good and I enjoyed the space. Weekends can be a bit much as we never got the coffees we ordered or the coffee cocktail because it needed to brew and that's ok as they were never added to our bill. The rest of the table enjoyed their grits as well for sides and their food. Will definitely be back read more

Dame's Chicken & Waffles - Modified The Light Brown Leghorns and did the K-Pop Drizzle. - Southern Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Great experience. I always enjoy my time at Dame's. I had the Carolina Cockerel. The peach apricot schmear was really good. I also had a side of seasoned grits which were 10/10. The chicken was very crispy (with a nice CRUNCH) and the waffle was soft but still firm enough for a great waffle. I also tried the mac and cheese which tasted more like a pasta dish. Overall our server was really nice and helpful. The atmosphere was great with nice jazz in the background which matches the aesthetic and decor. To drink I had the N. Manhattan which was strong but tasty. read more

Dame's Chicken & Waffles - Carolina Cockerel Dish- Peach-Apricot Shmear- Ask Yo' Mama Sauce- The Classic Waffle- Wings - Southern Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Not sure what the hype is about. The waffles were very heavy and the chicken was over fried. I can make them better. The service was good but had to wait for a table despite half the restaurant being empty. The fruit cup was terrible as a side. Would not recommend or go back again. ‍ read more

Open table took a reservation for 10/7 and the restaurant is NOT open!!!! Poor customer service!

Great food and customer service. The waiter went over and above to make sure our needs were met.

I absolutely loved going to Dames. I was in town for a Duke basketball game and it was my first time going there. Since my initial trip I have been back several times while going through Durham. Food was amazing and the chicken cutlet was crispy and very juicy. The service was excellent and they were always professional and attentive. 5/5 Highly recommend. read more

Dame's Chicken & Waffles - Eggs and grits - Southern Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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Overall this place was good! The service was great and food delivered quickly. We had a reservation for right before noon but it looked like there was a wait for walk ins. It is a nice casual spot. Food wise it was alright, a 3.5/5 for me. The chicken was a bit dark/well done for my taste but it was really juicy! I got the gingerbread waffle with strawberry shmear and it was good. Nothing was stellar though, I wanted more from their trademark menu items. Mac n cheese was OK, not very cheesy. Visually the food also only looked OK. read more

Dame's Chicken & Waffles - Southern Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

This place had some of the best chicken and waffles I've ever had. Probably THE best I've ever had. I loved their unique butter options. They were incredibly busy, so try to find an off time to go if you don't want to wait. Nice people and incredible food read more

Dame's Chicken & Waffles - Build Your Own Chicken and Waffles - Southern Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Best thing since Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles!! My aunt says the Durham location is the best of them all. The chicken was succulent! The sweet tea was pretty good. The vegan waffle was everything I didn't know I needed. We ordered the oatmeal vegan waffle with three wings, maple pecan smear, and I can't remember which sauce but it was delicious. I really enjoyed the macaroni and cheese. I'm pretty sure I'll be driving from Greenville to go back this weekend. Service was good, no complaints. Food arrived quickly which I appreciated. Loves the focus on black art......musicians, athletes, and the color scheme. Beautiful restaurant in a great location. read more

Dame's Chicken & Waffles - Front reception area - Southern Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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Food is consistently a great. Never disappoints! I wish the syrup offered was better.

Dames, wow!! Your reputation and recommendations are spot on as I was told by so many people to come here! I am not a huge chicken and waffles eater, so it was awesome to see so many different and delicious options on your menu for my rare self! A family friend and I got on the waitlist and were quickly sat down. Our waiter was nice and had a cool vibe, but seemed distracted at times. I got the shrimp and grits that came with a side. I got their mean greens. My friend got their salmon with a side of squash. Our food came out in about 20 minutes and we dug in. Every bite was better than the first and I had to stop myself several times. I had to remind myself that I could have leftovers--they definitely give you enough to take home. And everything made such a great breakfast the next day! Definitely recommend coming here for an amazing meal!! I love that they are local and Black owned!! read more

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Awful. Food AND service. 1. I checked out the vegan chicken & waffles on yelp & although an old pic it looked decent. A large cutlet that was possibly homemade, and when i asked the waitress she raved about it. What i got looked like a Morningstar vegan chicken pattie. Tastes like one too. I asked to swap it out for turkey bacon they declined. Then i asked to get another entree all together they declined. Then came back and said we'll give u turkey bacon we changed our mind. The turkey bacon arrived with the check. I was furious. It was at least 40 minutes after the original food was dropped off. The waitress was always close by but always empty handed. Sad... 2. Mac was very tangy. Tasted like they used ground mustard. Keep that in mind if that's not your thing. 3. Greens were very vinegar heavy. Also keep in mind if that's not your thing. 4. My sister had the breakfast plate and didn't care for the eggs or turkey sausage patties. 5. We both tried the sweet potato waffle and weren't impressed and the Smear spread we feel would be better on biscuits. It was underwhelming on the waffle. Overall we didn't enjoy the food. The wait was lengthy and the service was really lackluster. They made no attempt to give us a good experience. And that turkey bacon we had to negotiate for to only receive after we'd already finished what we tried to eat of our food was left on the table. We were in town for a wedding. Told everyone our experience & they all shared their gripes with us. Wish they told us BEFORE we came because we would certainly have chose another place to eat. read more

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Fun chicken and waffle spot - I really enjoyed being able to choose different sauces and infused butter to pair with your main dish. I ordered the "Light Brown Leghorns" and was surprised by how tender and juicy the chicken was! read more

Came here for my friend's bachelorette brunch. We tried the chapel hill location together before and are both looking forward to trying "the real deal" in Durham so expectations were high. The location was very short staffed (and they don't have enough menu to circulate despite only 40% of the tables were occupied). Took a long time to get our food. My chicken & Mac was pretty good, and I enjoyed my K-pop drizzle a lot. One friend from my group, however, was asked to pay $10 just for two sides. If she had gotten a waffle meal, she could've had the deal listed on the menu "2 sides for $5". She didnt realize if she did not order a waffle, each side is $5 even though these were pretty tiny sides. We were all disappointed that 1) the menu was very vague since it did not say anything about price of the side except for the deal. This is a bit misleading. 2) our server didn't say anything like "If you want a full waffle meal it would only cost $1 more bc we have the side deal etc" when she decided she only wanted the sides. Thankfully, the little dilemma did not ruin anything and we still had a great time here with our bride-to-be. All the employees here were kind and friendly, most congratulated her after seeing her sash and white outfit. Still would come back, just wanted to share the menu so this doesn't happen to others! read more

Dame's Chicken & Waffles - The menu - sides are $5 each without the full meal! But it says nothing on the menu. - Southern Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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Love this a waffle lot. Dames serves godly chicken and waffles! We ordered: The Buff Brahmas - Two chicken cutlets with classic waffle, whiskey creme drizzle, and peach and apricot smear Orange speckled chabo - One chicken cutlet with sweet potato waffle and orange honey comb smear - so flavorful and highly recommend!! Carolina Cockerel - Wings with sweet potato waffle and maple pecan smear - my friend though the wings were difficult to eat lol so cutlet is better than wings Grits & Mac and Cheese sides - Lovee the Mac!! So creamy read more

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Great chicken and waffles with some new interpretations on smears, sides, and combinations. There was a food prep delay but the manager was immediately attentive to me, took care of me, and made me feel like he really cared about service read more

Dame's Chicken & Waffles - The Carolina clucker - Southern Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

I thought Dame's closed at 8PM!? On Wednesday May 31st My wife and I arrived at Dame's at 7:40PM The sign on the door had been flipped and said that they were closed. We could see people inside eating so we opened the door to be greeted by a young woman who said that they don't seat people after 7:30PM Dame's should change their hours on Yelp and one the website to say they close at 7:30PM if that's when they stop seating people. We will not attempt to go ever again. read more

We love Dames! The waffles have bold flavors and with a spread, you really don't need the syrup. Although their syrup is really good warm. I prefer the Sweet Potato waffle but hubby likes the gingerbread. The strawberry smhear is my favorite. The shrimp and grits have lots of flavor but not so much with the lac and cheese. The wings you can order al carte because they're tasty enough. read more

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Outstanding food. Chicken is tender, crispy, and seasoned perfectly, and waffles were beautifully fluffy. So many options you can choose to customize your chicken and waffles. Jazz decor is nice. Service was great as well. Thinking about coming back to Durham just to go to Dame's again lol. Highly recommend read more

Since we were in the area, thought of trying it for myself to see if they are really good. It was really nothing special about the waffle and chicken. But I kinda like the idea of chicken and waffle combination. read more

Dame's Chicken & Waffles - Light Brown Leghorns - Southern Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

After the football game we were looking for a local place to eat. Being that my companion is a very picky eater, I let him choose the place. We weren't able to find anything that he liked in the place that he chose so we started looking in the a area and came across Dame's Chicken and Waffles. We loved the decor of historical musicians, and our server Kai was fantastic. He has the personality of a person that has never met a stranger. He was very accommodating and polite. I ordered a sweet potato waffle with cashew caramel drizzle and chicken wings, along with a cocktail called can't find my keys. The waffle was moist and flavorful, and the wings were well seasoned and fried to perfection. The drink was so delicious. All in all I was very satisfied with the food, service and ambiance. I recommend this restaurant. read more

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On a roadtrip from DC to Charlotte I made a stop in Durham and Dame's Chicken and Waffles made it worth the trip! I had the chicken and waffles (sweet potato). The chicken was crispy, well-seasoned and juicy. The waffle was sweet - crispy on the outside and soft in the middle. I added the walnut honey butter and it added a perfect level of sweetness. The service was fast and professional. The inside was lively and welcoming. This will be regular stop on my way Charlotte trips. read more

Dame's Chicken & Waffles - Fried chicken and sweet potato waffles - Southern Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Terrific food and our server was very knowledgeable and hard working with a great attitude! Our first visit and can't wait to go back. I never really understood the whole chicken and waffle thing, but now I get it!! read more

Dame's Chicken & Waffles - Best chicken and waffle with maple pecan schmear - Southern Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

What is the point of creating a waitlist if you're not gonna update it? We waited for one hour no update no text, checked before they close and they say we're closed without apologizing and in a very condescending manner. Well done customer service. read more

Dames is always a go to for me when I go to Durham! Definitely one of my favorite brunch spots! Their chicken and waffles never miss!

A good place to take visitors when in downtown Durham. I've been to multiple chicken and waffle resturants and keep coming back here as one of the best in the area. Staff are always pleasant and enough options to keep everyone in your party satisfied. I prefer this location (downtown) to the others based on past customer service levels plus its proximity to other things. Tip: You can customize almost any smear with any waffle/chicken type combo so don't be afraid to ask for what you want. read more

Dame's Chicken & Waffles - Southern Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Spent a date night here on a Saturday evening. It was fairly busy, but we only waited about 10 minutes to be seated. There was a good wait for the food to come out but, oh boy, when it did...it was very well worth the wait. My date and I both ordered chicken and waffles. I had a chicken breast cutlet and a waffle with strawberry schmear; my date had the same but got vanilla schmear. We tried one of the sweet and slightly spicy drizzles. Everything was delicious! The greens were just meh (I'm kind of a Southern-Belle greens snob though), but everything else made up for that. The ambience is nice. Cool art work of jazz musicians and nice color scheme. Great downtown location near street parking. Kind of loud so not the place to go for a quiet, romantic date. Perfect for brunch, a girls' evening out, a casual date or even a family outing. I would definitely recommend this place to a friend and will be going back again! I will likely visit the Cary location too! read more

As you can see, my camera did not eat first- I was so excited to dig in that I completely forgot about the snap! But no regrets here because boy was that first bite divine. Got the Orange Speckled Chabo (a chicken cutlet, sweet potato waffle, orange honeycomb shmear, honey dijon drizzle) with Ceci's cheesey mac. The cutlet was super crispy and tender, the waffle was great with a hint of cinnamon, the shmear had the perfect amount of sweetness, and the drizzle provided an awesome tangy contrast. But I would suggest booking a reservation if you're coming in during the weekend because the wait can get pretty long. 9.5/10 would recommend! read more

Dame's Chicken & Waffles - Orange Speckled Chabo - Southern Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

The waffle was good so were the turnip greens, but I was disappointed with the Cucumber salad side: it isn't actually a tradition cucumber salad, just big seedy old cucumbers sliced on a plate... nothing else? Kinda gross actually. read more

Great experience. Went early on a Friday. No wait. Server was nice. Food was great. You can never go wrong with the waffle and shmears.

Issac our server was great and had lots of suggestions. Yummy chicken and waffles----so many choices to make. Great food and a hearty breakfast in a rainy day. read more

Dame's Chicken & Waffles - Chicken and waffles with a schmear. - Southern Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Service was okay... waitress rushed us through our orders. Had a group of 6 where we were forced to only split the bill 2 ways (even though we had 3 groups of 2). Because we were considered a "large" group, they automatically applied 20% gratuity to our order. I always tip, but the service was obviously worse because she knew she was getting tipped automatically. Warm syrup at a chicken and WAFFLE restaurant was an UPCHARGE of $1.20 ... I really try my best to support "our" local businesses, but when you're treated like a nuisance instead of a supporter, it makes me never want to come back. Food was the major redeeming quality! All hot and fresh!! The chefs and cooks are amazing. Great flavor and texture. Front of House really needs some work. read more

July 30 around 3:30/4 Wait Time: there was a wait and a few people ahead of us. The staff did a great job keeping us updated on the wait. It didn't take long to be seated. We could've sat at the bar, but when asked, we were told the bar wasn't open for seating. Why?! This was strange. It would be wise to change this to improve customers' experiences. Food: the food was just OK. Chicken & Waffles are pretty easily prepared at home, but I've always enjoyed Dames, and this time it didn't taste the same. The chicken cutlet was overcooked. The waffle was undercooked. The mac and cheese were overly seasoned with Oregano, which should have just been the garnish. Cleanliness: there were crumbs from the previous customers, so this tells me no one cleaned. The ladies' bathroom needed attention. Server attitude after the food arrived: this experience with the server changed the entire experience from a possible 3 to an overall 2-star experience. Very condescending attitude and response towards me for simply saying, "When you have a minute, could you bring an extra plate over." He has plans to bring this out, but instead of saying sure, He implied that I thought he would allow/expect two adults to eat off one plate. This type of response was unnecessary. This person should learn to continue to be a kind and polite throughout the customer experience. He quickly flipped his attitude and it was a negative experience for me. read more

Dames is one of my favorite restaurants in the triangle for soul food. The Cary location being top tier for a dining experience. I have evaluated my full experience and finally gathered my feelings since dining here. I recently visited the Durham location for the first time, and will not return. I like the accessibility of this location. We were grateful to the host for providing a table for 2 on a busy Saturday. We arrived around 4:45. The wait was not bad at all. Where this location lost me was the lack of cleanliness. The tables and seats were not properly wiped down prior to seating us. Crumbs on the seat and particles left behind. The bathrooms need work here. The ladies room stalls should be looked after, Garbage should not be piling. I really should not have to recommend this piece of advice to you as a franchise. The Service here needs some work. I understand the shortage of staff throughout the pandemic. The poor attitudes of staff should not be reflected in the hasty service they provide. Our waiter was overworked and his service $ attitude reflected that. I witnessed families at tables that were not cleared and waiting to be served. I understand you do not offer a full bar but consider a bartender, so that we may enjoy a decent cocktail with our meal. It's 2022. Lastly, I did not enjoy the food. The Mac & cheese had extremely way too much parsley in the recipe. Who decided this ? The chicken breasts were over cooked. The waffles were cold and tasteless. While supporting my own people of color in their businesses is a priority for me, I cannot stand behind this location. read more

Dame's Chicken & Waffles - Art work in the ladies room. - Southern Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

The fried chicken is the best but the sides are okay. We went on a holiday, so the staff seemed a little overwhelmed.

Chicken and the vegan waffle yummy. The Mac with just runny cheese needs to be taking off the menu. It was my first time coming to their new location in Durham. The old location Mac and cheese was way better. The building was way too cold shivering the whole time while trying to eat. Mac was cold, my son's eggs, and grits cold. I'm going to just stick with Beasley Chicken and Honey and or Metro Diner. read more