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    Jean’s By the Sea

    3.7 (20 reviews)

    Jean’s By the Sea Photos

    JEAN’S BY THE SEA ATMOSPHERE

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    Arnaldo Palmer
    Zaneta R.

    Jean's by the Sea is the kind of place that makes you do a double take and say, wait... are we still in Durham? Tucked into Old West Durham, this brand new seafood shack feels like it was plucked straight off the Carolina coast and dropped right into the neighborhood. From the outside, the cedar siding and big painted fish logo set the tone. Inside, it is bright, casual, and nostalgic in the best way. There are wood paneled ceilings, checkerboard floors, minty green accents, and cozy booths lining the windows. The open ordering counter gives it that classic fish camp feel, and you can see the kitchen in action. It is unfussy, charming, and very intentional. You order at the counter, grab a seat, and settle in. Ordering in is easy, with great attentive, friendly service that you would expect. Now let's talk about the food because Jean's absolutely delivers. The Crispy Cod Sandwich was AMAZING. Perfectly golden, perfectly seasoned, crunchy panko crust on the outside, flaky and tender inside, topped with melty cheese and piled onto a soft bun. The side of coleslaw was fresh, creamy, and balanced the richness of the sandwich beautifully. Their tartar sauce needs a standing ovation as it was also well-balanced and really enhanced the flavor of the fresh fish. We also ordered the Calabash Platter with grilled flounder, and wow. The flounder was seasoned well and cooked perfectly with a nice char. The homemade cocktail sauce deserves its own shoutout. Tangy, punchy, and clearly made with care. The crinkle cut fries were dusted in Old Bay and fried just right, and the hushpuppies were golden, slightly sweet, and dangerously snackable. For drinks, the Spicy Margarita was crisp and refreshing with the perfect salty/spicy rim and just enough heat. You can tell the mix was homemade and not the pre-packaged stuff! The Arnaldo Palmer with tamarind Jarritos and lemonade was such a fun, bright twist. Sweet, tart, and incredibly refreshing. Jean's feels like a love letter to coastal fish shacks, but elevated just enough to feel fresh and exciting. It is casual, thoughtful, and absolutely delicious. This is exactly what Old West Durham needed. We will 100% be back and glad to be within walking distance of this fabulous establishment!

    Inside bar seating (booths on the other side)
    Tiff T.

    The food was delicious but the prices were kind of high for lunch. We both paid $30 for our platters. $10-$15 lunch specials would be great but they close early anyway. Service was quick. They call your name when your order is ready. Plenty of outdoor seating and a few booths and stools inside. I would return if I had a craving for soft shell crab.

    Crudo, catfish basket, blackened grilled flounder sandwich
    Carol R.

    Love the concept of a fancy but approachable fish camp. The crudo and grilled fish sandwich were delicious. My partner enjoyed his catfish basket. Great outdoor seating area

    $14 Margarita
    Jennifer H.

    I am very conflicted on how many stars to give, wishing I could have given a 4/5 but it fell a bit short for me. so here's what I'm thinking.....cute atmosphere with limited in door seating because it is what I would describe as quaint, however as the weather improves the fenced in area with picnic tables with white lights is an awesome space! Service was decent overall. I ordered myself a margarita and a calabash basket. My total ended up being $60 which I think is kinda high. The margarita was nothing special and don't think drinks are their strong suit, but at $14 I won't order it again. Now the seafood itself was good. I ended up getting fried oysters and blackened shrimp, both of which were really delish. The seafood was served on a generous bed of French fries and a few hush puppies which were sadly not provided to me but I never brought this to their attention so I won't hold it against them and my friend shared one of hers with me and it was good. I am not much of a cole slaw fan, so I can't weigh in on that. I ate every last bit of seafood, but wasn't able to polish off my fries. I would certainly consider returning in the future to try other seafood menu items!

    Ceviche- white fish

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    2 months ago

    Good food. Excellent environment. True to the name it does have that "by the sea" ambience. Get there early to get a parking spot, tho...

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    1 month ago

    Quite pricey. presentation could be improved and if a special is offered sufficient quantities should be ordered to support demand

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    Pour Taproom - Durham - Wall art

    Pour Taproom - Durham

    4.4(140 reviews)
    2.1 mi
    $$

    This self-service taproom has plenty of artisan beers in stock. There are some hard ciders and…read morewines available too. Check in at the register and pick up a red wristband. You'll use that to pour your drinks. Drinks are priced by the ounce, so feel free to build your own flight! Seating options include high tables, low tables, and a patio. All seating is community-style, so don't be shy and go meet some new people!

    Y'all I had a GOODT (and yes I meant to put the "t" on the end of good) time at Pour Taproom! A…read moregroup of my friends girls decided to get together to have some drinks and talk. I had never been or heard of this place, HOWEVER I love the concept! So when you walk in - you are greeted by the cashier. They provide a bracelet and ask how much would you like to put on the bracelet? Once you pay, they load your bracelet with the funds and then you are free to drink! They have beer, cider, and wine - no liquor. They also DO NOT serve any type of food, but there are plenty of restaurants in very close proximity. If I am not mistaken, you are allowed to bring food in...Anyhow, you find the drink you want, scan your bracelet, and then fill you glass! Just that simple. The name and price will be displayed on the screen for whatever drink you decide on. Each drink gives the ounce that will be provided for that drink. Check them out! The employees are really helpful & it's just a all around good time. HAPPY DRINKING!!!

    Photos
    Pour Taproom - Durham
    Pour Taproom - Durham - Outside. Storefront sign. Big Connect Four.

    Outside. Storefront sign. Big Connect Four.

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    Beer Study - Edmund's  Oast Pear sour

    Beer Study

    4.3(68 reviews)
    2.7 mi
    $

    This was a cool and accidental find for us. It is located next to the Boot Room where you can get…read morefood. It is in a strip type mall with limited parking. There is indoor and outdoor seating. This place is fairly deep and has arcade games as well in the back. There is a large selection of beers... some of it theirs and others from NC. We tried several beers over the weekend at different places and this one was the one that had the ones we liked the best. They have an excellent amber lager called Lily(which unfortunately they do not bottle or can) and a lager called Dance in the Sun. We came back on the second day there just to have another beer! Very nice atmosphere and the bartenders that we interacted with were helpful and nice. Definitely a place to try and to return to

    Ever since I found beer study, I have been enamored with the place! They have a nice selection of…read morecraft beer along with a nice selection of wine, another foreign and domestic beer. Adjacent to it is a place called the boot room which serves such a great and wonderful selection of food. Spacious & open air with decent seating and plenty of room for large crowds. Patio area in front of both businesses allows for outdoor dining and conversation over drinks. Not too pricey at all. Sampling of taps available as well. Bartenders are always nice, attentive and accommodating. Interestingly enough, they seem to have this strange fascination with Danny Devito.

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    Beer Study - Surprise Sour Beer number 2

    Surprise Sour Beer number 2

    Beer Study - Beer Study Swag wall

    Beer Study Swag wall

    Beer Study - Boot Room

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    The Federal

    3.9(448 reviews)
    1.5 mi
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    Yum! My boyfriend and I split some dishes at the Federal and thoroughly enjoyed our experience. We…read morechose the classic cheeseburger with Swiss cheese and sauce on the side, a cubano, and the fried artichoke salad. Both the cheeseburger and cubano came with hefty servings of French fries fresh out of the fryer. Despite being a little salt heavy, they were flavorful and complimented the sandwiches well. The cubano and burger were both 3/5 for me but I enjoyed both. I'm not a huge meat fan... My boyfriend said they were excellent though! The fried artichoke salad is where I feel like I found my peace. The olives, tomatoes, salad dressing, and all other salad components were awesome. It tasted fresh and the ingredients complimented each other. The fried artichokes were a nice crunch too! I would be back to the Federal for the hot food and good vibes. Service was excellent here as well.

    Bartender tonight was so accommodating. I came to watch the Duke UNC game and it was standing room…read moreonly. I'm 7 months pregnant and my feet started to hurt. There were customers at the bar who ordered a drink and thought that was enough to sit there the entire time. The bartender nicely asked them that if they weren't going to order more food or drink it would be polite if they gave up their seats to paying customers. I finally got to sit down and rest while I enjoyed the game. Great food and even better service!

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    The Federal
    The Federal
    The Federal - Cuban Sandwich

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    Ponysaurus Brewing Co - Cocktails are amazing!

    Ponysaurus Brewing Co

    4.4(320 reviews)
    2.6 mi
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    The brewery staff was great, the pizza staff was rude.. I have been here many times because I love…read morethe pizza and sour offerings. We have many breweries closer to home but we drive 30 minutes out of our way for the pizza. I always tip them well even though they don't serve you. Today when I went to pick up our pizza, one of the staff members was rude and snarky towards me. I don't driver 30 minutes out of my way for that. I will patronize a local business that's closer to me next time.

    Took an impromptu trip to a brewery we've passed numerous but didn't know the name, turns out it…read morewas Ponysaurus! I've been to the Raleigh location as well, check out the review if you want to know more. Panysaurus over all is a cool place (either location) but they have drastically different vibes - which in my book is a good thing. The Durham location brings you an awesome patio scene! The bar itself is a bit small but their indoor/outdoor approach makes it seem huge. The patio is two floors, both covered, one just off the bar and the other right about that which has a few TVs for those interested. Off of the patio is a nice size "beer garden" sitting area complete with picnic tables and a great view. If you are looking for chill family friendly patio vibes this is the place to be! I really love Ponysaurus beer, their pilsner is nice but their kolsch is my favorite. If you've been to the Raleigh location, the Durham menus is not the same. Yes they have pizza but it doesn't seem to have the same options - still good though. We went with a hankering for the hummus we got at the Raleigh location, again the Durham location had hummus but a different variation. One thing that's consistent with both locations is the amount of pita that came with the hummus, there is nothing worse than getting a huge bowl of hummus and only a few pieces of hummus or chips. Both locations knocked it out of the park. Plenty of WARM pita for everyone. This location is somewhat self-service, the bartender obviously poured out beer and there is a cute window for picking up snacks but no table service.

    Photos
    Ponysaurus Brewing Co - Our table

    Our table

    Ponysaurus Brewing Co - Outside

    Outside

    Ponysaurus Brewing Co - Flight and Swedish fish scoops

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    Flight and Swedish fish scoops

    Jean’s By the Sea - seafood - Updated May 2026

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