Home Plate is a great choice for southern food! The food is served cafeteria style, you just let them know what you want in your tray and they will load you up. It's a homey restaurant and you can eat your food there or take it to go. The staff is friendly and helpful. The meals are very reasonably priced; you get a main, 2 sides, and your choice of hushpuppies or a roll for $9.20 (as of March 2026). The tray of food was really heavy, they really pack it full! The BBQ Chicken was tender, juicy, and perfectly seasoned. I enjoyed both my sides, Mashed Potatoes & Gravy and Squash & Onions. The Hushpuppies were perfectly fried and delicious. I also tried their Banana Pudding, I loved the chunks of banana and the cookies. The menu/offerings change by the day and are posted on their website. I can't wait to try something new on my next visit! read more

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I saw the sign for this small family restaurant several times on my travels through this part of Durham. I was at a job near this location and thought to buy some dinner entrees to take home. The folks here load you up with good Southern cooking at blue-collar prices. They feature a rotating daily menu. For twenty bucks I got two entrees, each with two sides and hushpuppies. The staff prepare your orders for you like in a cafeteria. You can sit down to eat though most clients order take-out. I was in the group ordering take-out. Home Plate also has a drive-through window. read more

I didn't like the food. I don't like eating off plastic. . The cabbage was watery. The barbecue was cold and devoid of flavor and sauce. That being said, the people around us seemed very happy. It gets points for being open on Monday. read more

Excellent food great atmosphere friendly folks...like a family reunion. Great portions tasty flavors and sweet tea with the crunchy

We have eaten at this place for years. One of our favorite places to stop after a morning hunt. The food is all good and all home cooking. Nothing fancy at all but definitely good. read more

I've driven past this establishment several times. A friend suggested eating here, and I'm glad they did. We ordered 2 fried chicken plates w/ two sides in each plate(Mac & cheese, pinto beans, greens, and coleslaw). Additionally you have the option of either hush puppies or a roll. With drinks our bill was approximately $20. Meals are served cafeteria style, the menu is listed on the television screen. Workers were friendly and polite. This is an older building but everything was neat and tidy and I got the impression they took pride in delivering a solid product. The food was good. Think Bojangles chicken, not quite as crispy. Well fried and not dry. The Mac and cheese was good, not fancy, but better than some others I've had. The greens and beans were adequately seasoned. Overall a fantastic deal. Soul food can be bland if care is not given. I felt the care and pride. Would recommend 4.1 (Soul food) read more

Second time there. Tonight I tried the chicken. My God this was incredible. I ate my chicken dinner with mashed potatoes and corn like a savage. I'm a lover of Peruvian charcoal chicken, and this stuff beat it. And for about half the price. read more

Good Southern food! I'm talking real Southern food. I had the fish with hush puppies, cole slaw, and green beans. The fish was huge and perfectly fried. My husband had the fried pork chops, breaded perfectly and the seasoning was great. The restaurant is casual, sparse, with plastic utensils, styrofoam plates. If you're looking for "atmosphere ", this is not the place for you. But if your looking for excellent Southern food, local, country feel; then don't miss this place! read more

Home Plate Restaurant - Pork chop - Southern Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

I stopped by this place while visiting my Godmother for the weekend. The menu was really small, but the food was amazing! I knew it was going to be delicious from all the cars that were parked outside the restaurant and the steady crowd coming in. I ordered in the drive thru and it was a pretty fast and easy transaction. I got the bbq chicken, mac n cheese, greenbeans, and the cucumber salad. The bbq chicken is not "sauced" it has the vinegar bbq "sauce" on it. I thought it would have the traditional bbq "sauce" on it. Took me by surprise. Nonetheless, it was delicious and that chicken pulled right off the bone, was moist, and melted in my mouth. I really didn't have to chew the chicken! Mac n cheese was good. Cucumber salad was too chunky for me and I don't like when they cut the green (skin) away from the cucumber. Had the cucumber been sliced more thinly, I think it would have enjoyed it better. I did eat all the vinegary onions out of it! Only thing that I did not enjoy were the hushpuppies. They had a nice crunch on the outside, but it was too dense and dry on the inside for me. read more

Home Plate Restaurant - Baked bbq chicken plate 11.15.2020 - Southern Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

The food is amazing! The portions are huge! The service is awesome! We met some local bikers that recommended this restaurant and they were spot on! Sort of plain decor, but who cares when you have a plate FULL of great chow?! read more

I went here yesterday my first time and it will definitely be my last I just cannot figure out why people are here today or any day if this is not their first time.The food on the hot trays do not look good at all not much food to choose from and they can't even make it look appealing.I got the chicken and Dumplings which are extremely bland to the core with shreds of unrecognizable chicken that you can barely see the whole thing has zero taste which is absolutely ridiculous The hush puppies are the worst that I have ever had in my entire life they are extra dry amd tasteless I put them in the trash.The yams look a mess and taste even worst not a bit of love was put into making them they look exactly how they taste On my first bite the fried chicken tasted decent but after eating deeper it just got worst bland to the bone Publix chicken is way better all the way down to the bone.I did not get the greens they look like chopped up baby food they cut corners on those greens which is a darn shame My whole experience was absolutely awful just bad Soul Food Point Blank Period don't say you was not warned.Stop giving your money to places like this that don't put care into what they sell I know darn well the cooks don't serve this mess at home to their families if they do the owner need to shut down and improve and care more about their patrons wish I could give Zero Stars read more

Home Plate Restaurant - Their Hush Puppies are dry as the Sierra Desert no taste - Southern Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Best Hidden Southern Gem! What a best kept Southern secret this place was! Worth the 5 mile drive off 85-South, this little restaurant has plenty of happy faces behind the simple buffet, for quick comfort food. Different daily specials, but today there was fried chicken and fried fish. Our chicken was great, fried nicely and not greasy. Many sides. My broccoli was steamed, buttery and delicious, and deviled eggs were also a side. Husband said his mashed potatoes and lima beans were very good. Our hush puppies had a slight cakey sweetness, not burned or greasy. Coke products. Our tummies are happy and we did not break the bank! Posting pics of the buffet. read more

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Amazing food. Just amazing. Everything we got was super yummy and very very affordable.

Wow wow wow wow wow! Just eat here... just come on and get a plate ASAP! Fresh Tasty Food that tastes like it's made with love!! I wish we lived closer bcz we would go every week read more

Always good to stop in and get a good quick meal. Good prices and very personable. Depending on who's serving, you might get some good ole southern banter. But you always get good food. read more

The fried chicken is always delicious. The breasts are huge for restaurant chicken and the breading is always tasty. The restaurant itself could use a really extensive cleaning and remodeling but the food is great read more

We've been here a few times over the years and have always had good experiences. Today when we walked in, they had the bbq chicken and fried chicken options. What struck me today was how friendly the workers were - three older gentlemen, one white and two with a dark skin tones. They looked like three people who genuinely loved working together. It was a wonderful reminder of how awesome my city is, that people of all different backgrounds and ethnicities can work alongside each other and call this place home. The food was delicious, as always, and tomorrow (Wednesday) the special is chicken and dumplings, so we are planning a trip back tomorrow! :) read more

The Homeplate is one of those American places that don't exist much anymore. The food is all cooked there and it's delicious. The fried fish, doesn't get much better. Fried chicken that's good. The barbecue chicken, that's even better. The vegetables they are good too. To top it off even the people that work there are nice and it's a good value for the tremendous amount of food they give you. My uncle is 86 years old and he's been eating there almost every day for 10 years. He is doing well. It's a good place to eat. read more

Great meat and two restaurant. We got two orders with hush puppies that allowed a total of four sides: hush puppies, greens, mac & cheese, and pinto beans. It was a hit for the whole family, including small children. read more

Y'all this is why I love yelp! I was searching for something for a quick (but not fast food) lunch on a road trip to New York. With the new personalized settings on the yelp app it told me there was a Southern cooking restaurant near me. (Definitely recommend checking those personalized boxes on the new app!) And it was just a teensy detour off of my route This place is a diamond in the rough! It is nothin to look at but the food was very good! It's cafeteria style and they have daily specials They are so super generous with the meat that I decided to get the 4 veggie plate (with mac n cheese, turnip greens, cucumber and tomatoes salad, and green beans) and share it with my daughter...meanwhile she got the Salisbury steak special which came with two patties, and she got mashed potatoes and Mac n cheese with hers and we just split everything so we could taste it all. Everything we got was delicious!! Their prices are very reasonable also, $6-8 for lunch read more

Home Plate Restaurant - Fried fish plate - Southern Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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Food was amazing. Chicken was tender and falling off the bone. Mac and cheese on point and hushpuppies had just the right amount of sweetness. I also had blackeyed peas which were delicious. The staff was very accommodating and they had nice country charm. I felt welcomed and would definitely come back if I'm on this side of town. read more

I ordered a chicken plate today with dark meat. When I got home I realized they had given me two chicken legs. When I called to inquire why I did not have a thigh, they stated they quit serving them two months ago and they no longer carry them because people requested legs more than the thighs. I find that very hard to believe. It was a waste of money. I will not be returning. I feel like this is something they should probably tell you when you order your food. read more

They have good food . I try to support the Black business Poor service I was in line at the drive thru at 1:50 there was 2 cars ahead of me on Sunday By the time it was my turn to the window it's 2:00 The girl tells me that they are closed That would have never happened at a white independent business I'm handicap and A Black hungry woman I'm headed to Cracker Barrel now SMH read more

This is a simple mom and pop restaurant. Which is a good thing. The prices are good but the food is even better. I had the butterfly Pork Chop, mac-n-cheese and pinto beans. My order was to go so i didn't see the restaurant. read more

Home Plate Restaurant - Butterfly Pork Chop mac-n-cheese and pinto beans with hushpuppiees - Southern Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Always consistent country plate of food. Just good home cooking when you need it. This is often our go to when we don't know what we want but need variety or definitely when we just want a good home meal with vegetables and don't have time to cook. read more

When I want something quick, Southern and really tasty I enjoy Home Plate. It's a little local mom and pop local place around the corner from my home. I've been numerous times and have tried their fried chicken, BBQ chicken, mashed potatoes, potato salad, banana pudding, hush puppies and Mac n cheese. It's cafeteria style with a hotline to pick and choose from. For the price and convince it's worth it and everyone is really friendly and funny! Great old southern humor. You feel like family. I give 4 stars because the Mac n cheese can be a little bland at times and the chicken a bit dry like it say for too long on the steam table. Other than those things, great little local spot in Durham. There is even a drive up window if you don't want to dine in. read more

Yummmm!! This place is a no-nonsense southern style restaurant. If you wanted grandmas cooking or missed the cookout on Sunday, come here and it will satisfy all those cravings. Its cafeteria style, but I went when it was busy so everything was hot and fresh. The fried chicken is amazing, they have the recipe down. Mac and cheese and mashed potatoes are solid. Not the best I've ever had, but still so delicious and hits the spot. Baked chicken falls off the bone, though mine was a little bit dry (nothing hot sauce won't fix!). Green beans were okay, tasted a little bland and too soft for me. Hush puppies are sweet and on the crunchy side, which I love!! I had the chopped BBQ as well and it was on the sweeter side, just something to note if you like your BBQ more vinegar-y. I got this all as take out and I will 100% be back soon! Side note: they take credit cards!! read more

Five stars, but know what it is! It's basically a cafeteria style, meat and 2 veg Southern place. I usually do one veggie plate and one meat or fish meal to feed three adults. Portions are enormous. Prices are ridiculously low. Hush puppies is the right choice - rolls are from a bag! Some of the employees seem to be disabled/handi-capable, so please be patient. And good on you Home Plate! Menu changes both daily and seasonally, so you just have to show up and see what's on offer. Tea reminds me of my grandma's. read more

I'm pretty sure this is the only five star rating I've given on Yelp to date, and I'm doing so despite the sad fact that a roll of towels by the sink has been pinch hitting for the broken hand towel dispenser in the men's room at Home Plate for as long as I've been coming here. Ambience: nil. Location: inconvenient unless you live on the east side of Durham. Food: best of breed. This no-frills, cafeteria-style joint at the corner of Hwy 98 and Clayton Rd simply offers the best down-home cooking I've found anywhere in the Triangle area -- and believe me, I'm always looking. Nothing even close to fancy to choose from, but if a selection of perfectly prepared greens with batter-fried flounder or chicken is on your mind, this is the place for you. Every dish, every day, recalls fond memories of family gatherings at Grandma's when she was absolutely on top of her kitchen game. And although these days I tend to regret eating fried food an hour or two after the fact, that is happily never the case after a meal at Home Plate. It's almost an hour from my home so I can't go often, but anytime I'm headed west, I do my best to schedule my drive time to coincide with Home Plate's rather narrow hours of operation (11-8 weekdays, 11-6 Sat, lunch 11-2 Sun). read more

I've been eating at Home Plate since I was a child, as I grew up on this side of town. I love it. The food: Almost everything is tasty, but I love the fried chicken, cabbage, and Mac and Cheese. The sweet tea is always perfect. If something doesn't look tasty on that day, don't ask for it. Pick a new dish. Service: is that of a cafeteria. You pick your food and pay. Everyone is friendly and most of the people that work there have worked there since opening. Price: Under $10 feeds you a good meal, maybe even a little left over. They have a special for everyday of the week that is around the $5 mark. read more

This place is fantastic. Everything I had was delicious! BBQ Chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, fried okra and deviled eggs. Can't wait to go back. I have not stopped thinking about it. read more

We love stopping by Home Plate, either to eat there or for the drive thru. Their Mac & Cheese is fabulous! Love both the barbecued chicken and the chicken salad too, plus the hush puppies. Menu choices change during the week. The people who work there really care to make your order exactly what you would like. read more

Good southern cooking. I like the hamburger steak and onion gravy. All kinds of stuff from fish to bbq. Chicken several ways, fried, baked, baked bbq. You can get deviled eggs, cobbler, banana pudding. I spend $8-$10 I get a main, 2 sides, hush puppy's, a desert and a drink. It is not a glamorama diner. You are happy and full when you are done. read more

I visited home plate for the 1st time last week and have already returned. Food was delicious and service was great. The reason I gave it 4 and not 5 stars is that when I see a southern place I expect Mac and cheese on the menu. Maybe I am being too picky because the food they have is really good. read more

I work down the road from home plate and I eat there at least twice every week. I looove me some home plate and the people that work there. Food is great, portions are great, everything is always great. The only thing is... the girl with the green hair that recently started working there has GOT to go!! She has no clue what she doing. My coworker got the bbq and stew, this girl put the stew where the sides go and then put the bbq in the main part of the plate. When she got corrected, she redid the plate only to do it wrong again, and be petty and give her less than before while saying "nobody was specific" when everyone knows that shit go on top of each other... it's the home plate way. This girl ain't the home plate way... be gone!!!! She messing the routine up!!!! read more

The smothered steak and fried wings are great! Oh and the mashed potatoes also. But their rice and mac and cheese are terrible,whew. The rice is Saturday with better until it's mushy and the mac and cheese is just basically noodles and cheese. They have potential to be great if they get those sides together. read more

Home Plate Restaurant - Mac and cheese is HORRIBLE! It's basically cheese and noodles no kind of sauce,yuck. - Southern Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

I love this place! Whenever I want comfort food, like mashed potatoes and gravy, fried chicken or bbq chicken that tastes like homemade this is where I go! It's a local secret, don't pass it by. read more

I was dying for some fried chicken wings so I thought I would go to Home Plate since their food is generally good. I was EXTREMELY disappointed! The chicken wings were small and hard as if they were old or had been sitting around since morning. I asked for a four-piece dinner and was charged an $1.40 for an additional chicken wing. I went through the drive-thru and did not see my order until I arrived home. Had I gone inside the restaurant I would've certainly had a change of heart or requested a fresh batch. My advice: NEVER, EVER go to their drive-thru because you may end of disappointed like I was. read more

Southern fried deliciousness just like Mom used to make! My husband and I tried this place last weekend and were pleasantly surprised with some great "home cooking". They offer a yummy Southern fare served up cafeteria style, generous portions, and a price that can't be beat. We both had the catfish, two big pieces with collard greens and pinto beans, plus some fantastic hush puppies. And the folks filling your plates thow in some good old fashioned hospitality at no extra charge. The ambiance is what you might expect as you drive up, but if you are looking for great food at a great price, this is the place. A Southern hole in the wall at it's finest. read more

I wanted to like this place but it just wasn't possible. The chicken I had was WAY too big for my liking. I ordered a dark chicken plate and they were out of legs. The thighs were so big they had to put one in the box and wrapped the other in foil. That pretty much did it for me. One piece of chicken shouldn't be as big as 1/2 a chicken. I won't be back. read more