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    Esmeralda's Cafe

    4.0 (87 reviews)
    Closed 6:00 am - 9:00 pm

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    ESMERALDA'S CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating
    Good for kids
    Good for working

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    Recommended Reviews - Esmeralda's Cafe

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    Nice sign, but the coffee didn't stay around long enough for a photo!
    Smythe R.

    Located in a strip mall near a mattress store and an ABC store, this place isn't in your typical location 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,

    Penne A La Vodka Pasta
    Roxana R.

    La comida es realmente deliciosa, el café es buenísimo y la atención es muy buena Lo recomiendo muchísimo

    Dining room
    Spencer L.

    Had a great experience here when I stopped in for a breakfast burrito. The customer service was excellent. Although I got the burrito, there were many items that looked really good. My burrito was hot, tested fresh and was delicious! The ambiance was cool. The price was extremely reasonable for what you got. There is ample parking as it's in a shopping center. I would recommend stopping by this place on your way in or out of a cool outing like the Duke Homestead nearby. (Feel free to check out my review of that place as well!)

    Empanadas, Baleadas de Carne Asada, Tilapia Con Camarones Only Waffle
    Joselyn F.

    The food was served in a timely manner and was very tasty. I was surprised by the size of the dishes, like this delicious fried fish with slices. We also ordered two baliadas de carne azada, but for some reason one had egg and the other didn't. I don't know if it was a mistake, but I liked it better without egg. The empanadas (beef) were crispy and delicious. The server was very friendly despite the fact that she was serving about four tables alone, simultaneously bringing out food, drinks, and taking them to the register for checkout. The place was very nice and has a warm, family-friendly atmosphere.

    Huevos rancheros
    Craig L.

    Always excellent, the huevos rancheros is on point. The coffee and service are always great as well. This is our go to Sunday spot.

    Chicken quesadilla
    Liz M.

    Think a Latin Denny's. When you enter take a seat, if a table is available. The waitress will arrive with menus and place a number stand on your table. The waitress was polite but a little hurried. You will hear Latin music playing and occasionally someone will sing along. There is a mixture of tables and booths. The bathrooms were unavailable during our entire meal. I believe they were being cleaned. I ordered the omelette with potatoes and toast. The other order was a chicken quesadilla. Drinks were gourmet tea and americano coffee. The meal was fine. I enjoyed the omelette. The potatoes were fork tender (which is good). I wouldn't classify the burrito as authentic, but it was fine. Not terrible, not great, fine. And that's perfectly ok. We didn't care for the tea - not quite sure what that flavor profile was. When we asked the waitress she stated it consists of many flavors "peach, mango.." Maybe that was an off batch. The toast had an artificial taste. Like it was basted in oil. I don't feel the need to rush back, but I'd eat here again. Would recommend 3.2 (Latin Casual)

    Cappuccino
    Kat C.

    My favorite Sunday morning tradition! Service is always fast, food is always amazing, cappuccino con azúcar is the best coffee treat you can get on this side of Durham. The baleada sencilla never fails to satisfy, ask for the habanero hot sauce!

    Cappuccino
    Vy N.

    Great, authentic place for Honduran breakfast like baleadas and desayuno platters. When you come in, it's pretty busy so you would sit yourself and have to flag someone down to get your order. Once you order, the food is fresh, hot and ready to be devoured. I got the desayuno plate with cappuccino. It was tasty and when I asked for hot sauce, they definitely delivered because it packed quite the heat. It is pretty authentic as 90% of the patrons are Spanish speakers but the servers are bilingual. I should give their American breakfast and other entrees a try but can't go wrong with the Latin-American food options.

    Cops are *always* here! Maybe that's good?
    Paul M.

    I have been here a few times and it's pretty good. Every time I'm here, the police officers are having lunch. So maybe that means something!

    French Toast platter

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    7 months ago

    My server was kind, but I found a hair in my fajitas. Told them about it but was offered no refund.

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    9 months ago

    Great menu, wonderful service and really good food! Everyone in the family enjoyed their dishes

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    4 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Baleadas are on point. I get chorizo or steak! Coffee is great too for the coffee lovers out there

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    3 years ago

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    Page 1 of 3

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    It's a Southern thing: Kitchen and Bar

    It's a Southern thing: Kitchen and Bar

    4.0
    (722 reviews)
    2.1 mi
    $$

    I love this place for consistently tasty food and a warm, inviting atmosphere. Every visit feels…read morerelaxed and welcoming, and the service is always on point. It's one of those spots where you can walk in anytime and know you're going to have a good experience. If you're looking for recommendations, the wings are a must‑try, and pairing them with a Bloody Mary never disappoints.

    So I asked yelp to recommend a place for a birthday dinner. This was the first on the list. So…read moresince I couldn't get a reservation on my birthday to the place I originally wanted to go, we decided to come here. There is plenty of parking on the backside of the building, paid parking out front, and be careful not to park in the apartment spaces on the side...they sounded pretty serious about towing. I had made a reservation but it was probably unnecessary as it was pretty empty when we arrived (it was about 5pm on a Saturday.) The waitress brought a bottle of water to the table and took our drink order. And I know that this place is literally call it's a Southern thing but can I mention how much I dislike drinking out of mason jars? I ordered the chicken n biscuits, my husband got the country hamburger steak plate, my BiL got wings, and my SiL got the crabcakes. We also orders charred jalapeno & sweet corn hushpuppies and frickles as an appetizer. I was VERY excited about my food. Y'all...the only thing that impressed me were the Frickles. Everything else was distinctly underwhelming. I also ordered Blackberry Betta Have My Money which was not that great. My SiL ordered a espresso martini that they said didn't come from a mix but she said it tasted like it was. The bathrooms were very clean. The decor and the vibe were great. Cute even. I really enjoyed that part of it. After dropping off our food, we never saw our waitress again unless we flagged her down for drink refills. It was especially frustrating since there was automatic gratuity added. And since the place wasn't that busy, it felt like she didn't feel the need to earn her automatic tip. Overall I was disappointed in my birthday dinner. I won't be coming back here.

    Photos
    It's a Southern thing: Kitchen and Bar
    Fried Green Tomatoes
    Fried Green Tomatoes
    Dinner menu

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    Dinner menu
    Aaktun Coffee & Bar

    Aaktun Coffee & Bar

    4.4
    (166 reviews)
    2.8 mi
    $$

    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

    Photos
    Iced autumn blaze latte with cold foam - lifewithhanny
    Iced autumn blaze latte with cold foam - lifewithhanny
    Jerk chicken
    Jerk chicken
    Iced dulce de leche latte with cold foam - lifewithhanny

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    Iced dulce de leche latte with cold foam - lifewithhanny

    Esmeralda's Cafe - cafes - Updated June 2026

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