This small bar & lounge is a great space for a nighttime hang-out. The violet lights create a jazzy…read moreatmosphere that's elevated when musicians are performing. I visited when a local jazz quartet was playing. The music had swing-dance notes to it. As one that chose to abstain from alcohol for a few days, I looked on Yonder's non-alcoholic drink menu. The Ghost Writer crossed my eyes, and it was great! I ordered two of them. Would gladly come again.

Love this little cocktail place. Small cozy intimate great selection personable bartender and they…read morehost live music performances.

There are various types of crimes, right? Crimes of passion. Crimes against humanity. And then…read morethere is this crime: A restaurant that is universally loved and acclaimed that has been a mainstay in Durham since 2019 (and survived the pandemic when others didn't) has to close their doors because the landlords are a bunch of greedy succubi that decided to double the restaurant rent from - not increase it, not negotiate it - but double it from $21 to $42 because this is Durham and Durham is blowing up. Now keep in mind, this isn't some cozy French bistro that seats three. This is a 4000 square foot establishment that probably seats about 70-80 people, I'm guessing. I spent the better part of three hours there the other night - I'm visiting from San Diego - and got to know Marquee (that is how you spell his name, OK?), Anthony, Christine (that may or may not be how you spell her name, OK?), and the owner, Lisa, and have never felt more saddened by, nor felt the love among them, so powerfully in just about any restaurant I've ever been to. This is truly a family affair. On a bittersweet note, they are still open until next Saturday, September 27 and you would be truly remiss not to stop by. And if you do, you'd be - how should I say this? - a loser if you don't try their buttermilk cheddar biscuits which are rhapsodic. The braised pork belly was inspired, too, served with their Carolina barbecue sauce and a wonderfully tangy purple and green slaw. I am truly fortunate to have caught them before things went south and feel honored to have not just met, but got to know, however slightly, the team behind Plum. Kudos, guys. And if the property landlords are reading this: You're homewreckers, have put people out work, robbed Durham of an extraordinary restaurant and are basically a bunch of assholes.

I came to visit Durham for the first time in a long time And was pleasantly surprised to see all…read morethe new and exciting restaurants. A friend suggested we try this place. We made a reservation and were seated upon arrival. Our host was Anthony, I think his name was, with a keen interest for ginkgo trees. He was very attentive, friendly and extremely helpful. He took her order and had some good suggestions. I was craving shrimp and grits which was probably the most unique shrimp and grits. I've had ever. Very distinct flavor and still very rich and familiar. The shrimp were large and juicy as well as remained crunchy overall cooked very well. We also had the summer tomato and burata salad which was really refreshing and delicious. My friend ordered the mac and cheese which is a hefty serving size. Definitely a shareable side or a main for one person. Our host came to check on us frequently, our Waters never went empty. Other hosts were also helping check in on us which was nice. The restaurant itself is large. Booth tables available, which made for a cozy environment. We ended the night with some brownie a la mode, which was the perfect dessert to have on a hot summer day. Overall the experience was amazing, great food and incredibly nice people. Definitely Miss miss the southern hospitality of Durham. Definitely recommend a try here at plum Southern kitchen & bar.

How did I not know about this place earlier???…read more Cute little restaurant in Hillsborough, adorable decor. Decent space perfect for a small group or a date night. The food was fantastic. Honestly the meat and cheese platter that came out sealed the deal for me. It was immense with excellent variety, jams, and plenty to share. Would come back for just wine and this platter. They have a seasonal menu but I had the black papardelle with seafood and was VERY happy with my decision. I'm not a huge dessert person, but their dessert was a variety platter with multiple different options and they were all impressively tasty. I will definitely be back either for a date night or a cute girls night!

What a fantastic restaurant. It took a little while to get there but once we were there it was…read moretotally worth it. The menu changes all the time and everything is locally grown and sourced. Everyone in my party was pleased with their drinks. For an appetizer I ordered a "pancake" made with lettuce, sweet potato and so many others yummy flavors I don't know what they were. We also ordered the bruschetta and the salad that were on the menu and everyone said they were delicious. I got the red drum fish for my meal and it came with an asparagus risotto that was mouthwatering and so flavorful. Dessert was a sampler of all things that the chef was making at the time and honestly the picture speaks for itself. Cannot wait until I am back in town and can visit again.

This is a decent four-star Southern bar near the Duke campus. We were driving through town, and we…read morestopped here before visiting the local botanical garden. There's plenty of paid street parking in the area. The interior is a bit dark inside, minimal ambient light from the outside, TVs around the bar. Lunch arrived quickly, I had the patty melt which was a bit over salted, but not too bad. Service from Makena was overall decent, nothing exceptionally bad or good. Pricing for lunch averaged just over $20 per person, including the "included gratuity." It's a fine Place to get standard bar food.

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.

The Wooden Nickel is a wonderful place with a historic atmosphere and a real sense of local…read morecharacter. The staff is incredibly welcoming and personable--they even remember your name, which makes you feel like a regular from the moment you walk in. The food and drink selection is distinctive, delicious, and offers something a little different from the usual options. It's the kind of place that combines great hospitality, character, and excellent food and drinks. Highly recommend stopping by!

We finally made it to the famous Wooden Nickel last night about 5:30. (New to the area). It took a…read moregood 4-5 minutes sitting at the bar before we were greeted, but after that service was prompt and efficient. We ordered the 1/2 order of fried banana peppers, dry rub wings, a bacon jam burger and tots. Oh! and beer! The star of the night was the banana peppers. Tangy and delicious, the small was huge! The wings were def done right and although I'm a blue cheese fan, the ranch was better. I'm knocking off one star for the burger. It was $16 (with tots) but it was tiny! It had one slice of red onion, a few shreds of lettuce, maybe a teaspoon of bacon jam and I'm not certain it had cheese at all. It tasted great, and the tots were perfect, but for that price I expected a burger that was bigger and more substantial than a $4 burger from Jimmy's. With all the other stuff (we shared) we were full but on its own, that burger would've been a disappointment. I'll go back for those banana peppers and wings, but I'll skip that little bitty burger.

Early Barber appointment in Hillsborough had me looking for breakfast soon after and Yelp reminded…read moreme of The Village Diner that was conveniently on my route back to the office. Not having the time to sit down and enjoy the meal (which I kind of regret after arriving to pick it up); I placed the order through the TOAST App and it was a very easy, straight-forward menu and ordering process. I went simple with a B-Y-O Biscuit of sausage and egg with a side of home fries. I really appreciated the choices of egg style on the biscuit customization menu and went with scrambled for this one. All of that washed down with a simple black coffee. Ten minutes later and I'm at the restaurant that's an easy, short jaunt from downtown on King Street. It occurred to me then that I'd been here once before when it was in the whole building but that was years ago. The new space is cozy, with a down-home feel of mason jar light fixtures, vintage signs, and just a nice diner vibe. A few minutes after arriving, I received my order and was out the door, pleasantly happy with an affordable breakfast in my hand. The food was excellent, the sausage tasted almost local, and the egg was perfectly cooked and proportioned. The biscuit was perfectly baked, slightly fluffy, with a buttery flavor that complimented the sausage and egg. Next time, I'll add a spoon of blackberry jam or apple butter and I think it would knock it put of the park. The home fries had good flavor, but I forgot to ask for any condiments, so eating them plain was a bit of a frustration, but they had a dusting of spices that worked. The coffee was piping hot, fresh, and what I would call standard fare diner coffee.... but you're not here for the coffee. All in all, highly recommended and I will be back, though maybe for a lunch meal next time.

I've been wanting to try this place for ages. I was in town so made a special stop. The building…read morelooked so new inside and out I thought maybe they relocated from another spot, but no, just updated the bldg. I think I caught them a a lull coz I was the only one there. It have me a chance to chat with the owner or mgr, not sure which, but either way, nice guy. They have a pizza joint next door that's open in the evening. I'm not really into biscuits so had a bacon, egg and cheese on potato bread. I was surprised that it was a half sandwich, but Bread Shop bread is so big I guess that's why. It was very tasty, although would have liked the bread a bit more toasted. They make their own pepper jelly on site so had that on the bread. It's not too spicy, but does have a bit of a zing. What I didn't use I brought home. If I'm in the area again I'd def give lunch a try.

Oh my gosh!!! A friend recommended us to Big Bob's. The first time my husband and I ate there it…read morewas so much food, we had to bring some home. We just happened to be near Hillsborough a few months ago, we stopped and got takeout. Again, enough food for two settings!!!! The service was pretty quick considering how many people they serve on a daily basis. Just wish it was a little larger. We have a big family and we all couldn't eat in at one time. But it's my go to place for a great meal.

Heard about this restaurant and decided to drive 30 minutes to check it out. When I had arrived, I…read morehad a few questions on the menu. The pretty young lady taking orders and money was very patient and her customer service was top tier! I order the Duke Chili Burger with crispy fries & a big slice of apple pie - and when I tell you, this burger is HUGE! I was able up cut on half and eat on for 2 meals. Next time, I'm gonna ask of I can get the hamburger bun on the side, so it doesn't become soggy. I got cheese, chili, onions, mustard with slaw on the side for my burger. It took about 15 minutes for me to get my order, because everything is cooked to order. The cost was $22.05, and it was WELL WORTH EVERY PENNY. The only down side or con I have for Big Bob's is the flies. I despise flies and there were quite a few. Next time I'll call ahead!

Visiting from Chicago for Black August (my first time in NC). My friend wanted to check this place…read moreout and so we did! We made a reservation online for Sunday brunch. We reserved for the rooftop but unfortunately they were short staffed and so we sat in the main restaurant area with live musicians! It was a nice pivot! The ambiance in the restaurant is very pleasant! It's bright, has beautiful Black art in the wall, and feels spacious, and yet cozy. I ordered the L&S loaded grits and my friend had the red velvet pancakes and chicken. I enjoyed the grits, very flavorful and filling. They were "juicier" than I'm used to but that may be a regional difference from what I'm accustomed to! My friend's chicken and waffles were amazing! The waffles tasted like a mix between a donut, cake and a waffle! Really tasty! Our server was also very attentive and kind! It was a great experience! Would recommend!

Y'all. This is truly a gem. A dear friend and I are having…read morea girls' weekend in Durham and were looking for an unpretentious dinner spot with great food. We frikkin' found it! Quaint, spotless, Frank Sinatra & Sam Cooke playing thru the speakers, a lovely server & bartender, and the food... For mains, I had the Duck Gumbo with a side of collards & my friend had the Angry Yard Bird Mac & Cheese. Everything was an impressively elevated version of familiar comfort food. BUT, Y'ALL, we shared the fried green tomatoes for a starter. Now, I've eaten fried green tomatoes many times in many, many places. These were the best I've ever had. Hands down. No contest. The pimento cheese just takes them to an entirely different level. I'm sure I'll be thinking about them long after I leave NC. Ugh. Can you make friends with food and then miss it when you're away? Apparently so. For your own sake, get yourself to Lula and Sadie's and order those fried green tomatoes.

We stopped in today for breakfast for the first time, having only been for dinner in the past. The…read morebreakfast menu includes a lot of variety, and we both settled on the egg sandwich. Offering a choice of bread or biscuit, cheese, meat, and egg prep (soft, hard, fried), there were plenty of options to choose from. Eggs were prepped just as ordered. Added a couple of scones which were still warm from the oven. Everything was great. As always, the staff is very friendly, and service is quick considering that everything is made to order. A very nice way to start the day!

I love going to this cute little market. The atmosphere is charming, the staff is friendly, and…read moreit's one of those local places you genuinely want to support. That's why it's disappointing to see the prices continue to climb while portions seem to stay the same. My most recent order was 2 pieces of cod, a small side of cole slaw, and 4 steak fries for $15.99 before tax and tip. By the time everything was added, it felt hard to justify the value for what was actually served. I understand food costs are up everywhere, but for a simple meal, the price-to-portion ratio just didn't feel worth it this time. I'll probably still stop in occasionally because I like the market itself, but I do wish they would either adjust portions or reconsider pricing so it feels a little more balanced for regular customers.

Here for dinner, party of four. The fried green tomatoes were excellent! Do yourself a favor- if…read moreyour party is larger than 2 people, order the hush puppies appetizer - the few you get with your meal aren't enough. Had a variety of the meats- the smoked turkey was superbly moist and just the right amount of smoke. Baked beans were the star of the sides- sweet, tangy and warming. Of the coleslaw options the mustard was the best, sharp, punchy and crunchy! Service was prompt and cheerful! Enjoy!