One of the best things about traveling is discovering great places to eat. They're usually not very big, not part of a large chain, but they're full of magic. Mateo, a Spanish tapas bar in Durham, NC, has everything you could want in a good restaurant. You can't miss it! read more

Mateo - Tapas Bars Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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Mateo is a very comfortable tapa restaurant. The atmosphere and service make you feel at home and the food is excellent. Starting with the Datiles, which are dates stuffed with goat cheese and wrapped in Serrano ham, we could have stopped there. They are that good! We also enjoyed the Patatas Bravas, Gambas Al Ajillo, Ensalada and the Tortilla Espanola. With our meal, we also ordered a large Pan de Tomate, which included fresh tomatoes on freshly baked focaccia. We devoured every last piece! It was especially good to dip in the saucy broth the shrimp left behind. Our server, Aidan, was very attentive and was helpful when making selections. Having this assistance was helpful, as I could have made a case to order the entire menu! If you want excellent tapas, excellent drinks and a comfortable spot where you can sit and chat...Mateo has it waiting for you! read more

Revisited this place. Not sure if it changed or I changed. The pricing is still really great but the food was all just ok. I appreciate the cool menu options for unique small plates, but it was underwhelming this time. It was also really loud and service was just ok. I worry it's me, I'm just getting older that's all. read more

Everything on the specials board sounded so tempting that we ended up ordering most of our meal from there - pan con fresa, tortilla espanola, and hongos a la plancha. Everything was so delicious! The mushrooms were smoky and tasted meaty. Some of the staples like the albondigas, arroz frito, and pintxo platter were also hits. The chickpeas on the platter were light and crispy with a great punch of cumin. The cocktail menu has something for everyone including mocktails, and our basque cheesecake was a sweet finish to the meal. read more

Mateo - Tortilla espanola, albondigas, arroz frito, pintxo platter - Tapas Bars Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Service was friendly and attentive, ambiance was warm and inviting. Food was a bit overpriced for what you get. We went with the seafood paella ($60) based on other reviews, and I wasn't impressed. The shrimp was a little over cooked, as was the octopus. My favorite flavor was from the dollops of cheese. The pan con tomato was made with mediocre winter tomatoes and lacked flavor (hint, this should only be offered when tomatoes are in season!) The brussel sprouts had a nice sauce but they weren't crispy. I enjoyed the beet salad but it really needed more goat cheese to punch up the flavors (there was a tiny piece that was only one bite!!!). read more

Mateo - Cool bar area - Tapas Bars Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

This place was all the excitement when I was in Durham for it's tapas. Definitely a nice location right by Durham Convention Center. The place was busy and chattering all around! Service was prompt and waitress was very friendly at the beginning but then got busy and we couldn't find her for awhile near the end. We ordered the marrow, arroz frito, and a special I can't remember the name of! Overall, it was ok. I think the menu description is very detailed but you taste 1 or 2 of those ingredients primarily and minimally notice the other if at all. Marrow: This one was very hyped up! It was an interesting flavor with the marrow and the short rib marmalade. The bread was pretty much all crunch with very little give which wasn't ideal but to each their own. The short rib marmalade got in the way of the marrow and kind of hid how little marrow you actually got. The marmalade kind of took over the flavor and was very sweet and prominent while the marrow felt undersalted leading to it feeling underwhelming. We actually took the leftovers home, salted the marrow and added very little shortrip, and it tasted WAY BETTER. The primary flavor in this was the marmalade, not the marrow which was too bad. Arroz Frito: this was essentially a mediocre fried rice with way too much sauce, nuts and too mushy for my taste. This might be my bias so I certainly could be misrepresenting it. The duck lap cheong was a few very small pieces that do not at all taste like duck. The peanuts felt like it was half of the flavor and the other half was the yumyum sauce. Overall, I really wanted to like this place but it fell short of expectation. Maybe I ordered the wrong dishes for me or I'm not the audience they cater their tastes to. I'd probably give the marrow another try if I were to come back though. read more

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My expectations were pretty high for this restaurant. There were so much recommendation from Reddits. I'll start by saying the tomato Bread was nothing to write home about and neither was most of the Tapas. However, the Paella's was the best Paella I've ever had and I had a lot of different one before. The service was ok, and the place is relatively quiet. Over-all I'd only comeback for the paella because it's worth it. read more

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Delicious spot for tapas in Durham! They recommend 4-5 tapas for 2 people, so we ordered the patatas bravas, pork croquettas (special tonight), pork ribs, goat cheese stuffed dates, and cheeseburger (only available at the bar). Really enjoyed every dish- the goat cheese stuffed dates (wrapped in Serrano ham) and the pork croquettas were my favorite thing on the menu. They were both packed with flavor, and one plate of each was not enough. The pork ribs were my least favorite thing because they were ALL fat, and hard to eat. The atmosphere of the restaurant is cute and the bartenders were friendly. It definitely gets busy and a recommendation is recommended. read more

Mateo has the tapas bar atmosphere I picked up in Spain. Order two or three tapas per person and you're all set to share a feast. Prices are reasonable and were fairly similar to those I saw in Spain's tourist cities. The key to enjoying tapas is start small and share. You can always order more later. I told the story of my time in Spain to our server. She grew jealous. The small charcuterie board is a great personal sampler. I wanted to share with my friend but he had plenty of his own. We completed our meal European style with a post-dinner espresso. Mateo can get busy, so it's best to book ahead. read more

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This place is a must-do when you are in the Durham area! Always loved tapas because you get to sample a little bit of everything and not get too full! First of all, Aidan, our bartender/server, was awesome and so full of knowledge regarding the foods and drinks behind the bar. Not to mention, hilarious and super fun to speak with! My husband and I had about 5 different tapas and highly recommend their seasonal empanadas and Remolacha beet salad, so refreshing for a summer's day! Apologies that there are no photos, we scarfed down each one before we even thought about taking a picture! For 5 tapas, a flight of sherry, a mocktail, and a beer, we paid about $100. Definitely worth it! Food quality: 4.5/5 Customer service: 5/5 Value of cost: 4/5 read more

Amazing dinner! My friends and I came on Friday around 7pm and were seated at the bar (we called ahead because we could not find a reservation for a normal table available within a 2 hour window). Fortunately though we were able to get seated at the bar. It's a very trendy place, dimly lit, clean, sleek, etc. Also nestled in downtown Durham around a lot of other shops, bars, venues, so good area overall, very walkable. The bartender was nice and friendly and patient as we perused the food and drink menu. We settled on some spicy margaritas and martinis and ordered an assortment of tapas. I had the fried chicken and glazed pork ribs. I was tempted to get the deviled egg or the queso fritatta but I am glad I only got two plates because for tapas, they were generous portions. My friends got some charcuterie, octopus and calamari. We really enjoyed every single bite and sip here. I will definitely be back! Price wise, definitely on the higher end, but worth every bit. Parking is limited but I lucked out and got a spot in front on the street @azfitfoodfun read more

This is a fun place to go for date night. My wife and I always love the food here. Being a busy night, the service was a little slower, but it was worth it. read more

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We hadn't been here in about 5 years as it seems Durham had gotten father away. But it was great to be back! Everything we had was delicious, perfectly prepared and spot on. The service was very friendly and quite fast. Will definitely come back. read more

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Mateo is a cool, fun tapas bar in downtown Durham. If you get lucky, you may be able to snag a parking spot on the street or in the lot next to the restaurant. If not, there's a parking deck close by. A group of 6 of us came in for dinner right when they opened at 5 on a Thursday evening. I'm not sure you'd want to bring a group much larger than this here as it's a little small for large groups. It's cool inside, though, and the bar is spacious! The service is outstanding! Our waitress and everyone that brought our food out was awesome. Our waitress explained the dining concept to us and they really drive home the family style idea, to the point where splitting the check multiple ways isn't easy or favored. Totally understandable. She also made great recommendations! For drinks, we started with a Oaxacan Manhattan, Tiki Espana, Garden Party, and a couple Mocktails. Their cocktail menu is nice and they were all delicious! The mocktail drinkers didn't love their choices but personal preference. I also appreciated their beer and wine options. Food: we ordered enough for a small army I think! Patatas Bravas, Chicken Croqueta, Pato y Arroz, Calamares, Mata, Remolacha, Datiles, Huevo Diablo, Ensalada, Gambas Al Ajillo, Panceta de Cerdo, and Albondigas. All were beautifully plated and delicious! Extremely unique flavors and dishes. My favorites were the Patatas Bravas, Mata, and the Chicken Croquetas. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed our experience. There is a tapas bar 30 minutes over in Raleigh that I have to admit I prefer, but they are definitely different despite offering similar concepts and dishes. This is a great runner-up, though! Highly recommend! read more

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This has always been one of my wife's favorites but the last couple trips have left us underwhelmed. The food is very good and we typically stick to overdoing the tapas while passing on the larger plates. Highly recommend the bread/spread, papas bravas, and gambas if you give it a try. The service has always been good and conversational to help guide you through the menu. My biggest complaint would be the proximity of the tables where it can get crowded quickly. If you are looking to have a quiet night, this might not be the best stop. read more

Mateo Bar de Tapas is a very good tapas restaurant and one of the best, if not the best, tapas restaurants in the Triangle. Mateo opened in August 2012 and is from the same folks behind Mothers & Sons Trattoria next door (opened June 2016). Both restaurants provide a fun, "elevated casual" night out in Durham. If I had to pick between the two, I'd go with Mateo. Mateo doesn't have dedicated parking. For this visit, we parked behind the restaurant in one of our go-to lots: 111 W Chapel Hill St. At the time, parking in this lot cost $2.25 per hour, Monday-Friday, 8am-7pm. We visited Mateo after 7, so our parking was free. This restaurant is popular. You should book reservations well in advance. Mateo is on OpenTable and awards dining points, which is a plus since not all OpenTable restaurants do. We had a 7:30pm reservation for four on a Thursday. When we showed up, the place was packed. The restaurant has a nice design, floor to ceiling, with two levels of indoor dining. There's no outdoor seating. Mateo has a long bar with distinct, giant Edison pendant lighting. The atmosphere was loud (but not too loud) and lively at the beginning of our meal. By the time we left, around 9:45pm, the place had emptied out and was more mellow. Food-wise, there were well over 20 selections of tapas (both regular menu items plus specials) and other Spanish cuisine like jamon (dry-cured ham), paella, and whole fish a la plancha (pan grilled). Drink-wise, they had cocktails, beer, cider, wine, and vermouth. Below is a list of what we ordered. It should give you a good idea of what the menu has to offer and pricing. Cocteles * Rhubarb Revival ($15) - Reposado tequila, rhubarb, Montenegro, lemon, Crude fig and orange bitters * Pepino x2 ($16 each) - Conniption dry gin, Alley Twenty Six tonic syrup, cucumber, saline Sangria * Cheerwine Sangria x2 ($12 each) - red wine, seasonal fruit, brandy, Cheerwine Tapas * Datiles ($10) - goat cheese stuffed dates, crispy serrano ham, romesco * Queso Frito ($13) - fried farm egg and manchego, romesco, lion's mane mushrooms * Patatas Bravas ($10) - crispy potatoes, brava sauce, aioli espuma * Boquerones ($12) - Spanish anchovies, vinagreta, avocado puree, potato chips * Remolacha ($14) - beet goat cheese mousse, spring onion, citrus roasted beets, benne brittle * Bok Choy ($13) - chili crisp, fried garlic puree, pork belly furikake * Almejas ($16) - NC littleneck clams, shallots, garlic, guajillo chilis, jamon, boiled peanuts * Pulpo a la Plancha ($16) - octopus, romesco verde, new potatoes, black garlic aioli, spring vegetables * Marrow ($18) - roasted bone marrow, short rib marmalade, radish, pickled mushrooms, toasted baguette * Panceta de Cerdo ($16) - ginger tamari glazed pork belly, cauliflower puree, mustard greens, crispy garlic and shallot, fried cauliflower Especiales * Calabaza a la Plancha ($14) - Lyon's Farm zucchini and summer squash, stewed tomatoes, garlic bread crumbs Dulces * Banana Pudding ($9) - pecan wafers, PX cream, toasted meringue * Basque Cheesecake ($10) - peach compote, Graham cracker streusel, peaches and cream cloud The cocktails were tasty and creative. My wife absolutely loved the Pepino. It was refreshing, balanced, almost savory, and not sweet. My friend and I enjoyed our Cheerwine Sangrias. I recommend it for a unique, local twist. When it came to the food, we found the dishes to be equally satisfying, fresh, and delicious. The presentation was beautiful all around as well. The Datiles was a solid variation of stuffed dates. I liked the Queso Frito more than my wife, who thought it was just alright. She and my friend loved the Patatas Bravas. The outside was crispy, the inside was piping hot and tender, and the aioli enhanced everything. I really liked the Boquerones. It was one of my favorite dishes. It was like elevated salt and vinegar chips, with anchovies. The portions were too small, though. The Remolacha was yummy and the plating made it look like a work of art. Both the Bok Choy and the special Calabaza a la Plancha served as good side vegetables. They were light and cut through the heaviness of the other dishes. We couldn't get enough of the Almejas broth and ordered more bread to eat with it (no charge). Not enough bread came with it to begin with. The Pulpo a la Plancha was well made and well presented. I also recommend the Marrow. There was a generous portion of marrow. It was rich and gratifying -- exactly what you want out of a bone marrow dish. The Panceta de Cerdo was fantastic. The pork and cauliflower balanced each other out. The cauliflower puree was so good that our other friend asked if they could bring us a bowl of just that (they couldn't). Save room for dessert because the two we got - the Banana Pudding and the Basque Cheesecake - were both outstanding. The "PX cream" in the Banana Pudding refers to Pedro Ximenez Spanish dessert sherry. Both of the desserts were creamy and delectable. Service was A+. Kayl rocked. read more

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Nice find on accident! Fish Dip and Croquettes were really tasty! We shared the Paella and it was also quite good. We ate at the bar and the staff took good care of us. I would recommend. read more

Service: 5/5 busy but attentive and nice. Ambiance: 5/5 Food: 5/5 - Delicious. Might be the best food in Durham. read more

I was craving for tapas and this place did not disappoint. It is good to see this place has a lot of customers on a week night.

The restaurant insisted on playing music where all you could hear was a constant base. This thumping worsened and already loud environment making conversation near impossible. I asked them to change and they said they turned it down but it continued. The food was nice but the experience was stressful read more

I live in Spain for a year and this is as close to the real deal as you can get this side of the Atlantic. Super authentic and great service. Really like the ambience inside the food is excellent. Can't wait to go back. They always have really good specials. read more

I haven't been there for a while because of location and downtown parking, but the quality of the food, the interesting menus, and the waitstaff are very good. It's also a great place to go just for fun in the evening s though when I do go these days I am more inclined to go at less populated times. It's a good place to take a date or for meeting up with good friends. The bar is also very good. I'm remembering a time when I needed help with a particular cocktail and the waiter patiently explained the standard ingredients and also was interested in modifying the recipe for me, which was impressive. Definitely not a typical Mexican restaurant. Which is partly what makes it interesting . read more

I cannot wait to go back to this place on our next Durham trip! We did not have a reservation so I was there before the doors opened so I could make sure I got our family of 4 a spot! The plan worked! My mom is from Spain and I spent my summers in Spain eating all these yummy dishes! None of it disappointed!! My 8yo daughter eats "Cristina's" (pan con tomate) almost every morning and she gave these ones two thumbs up! The ambiance was great! read more

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Good tapas nut the bistec tapas was dry and tough the tomato and bahuette not good tje vostillas average the pulpo was delicious and papas nravas average love the carajillo read more

Mateo - Carajillo - Tapas Bars Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Had a great dinner at Mateo prior to a DPAC show. The food was amazing, super service and the price is very fair. Do not miss this amazing place. read more

Had a surprisingly bad experience at Mateo Friday. After waiting to enter at 5pm where my friend made a reservation. We were among the first to enter. My friend stepped away, to go the bathroom. Other people were shown in and were given seats at tables. I gave the name the reservations was under and was led to seats at the bar. The restaurant was still practically empty. My friend came back he asked why am I sitting at the bar. I told him this was where she sat us. He said "I'll be right back." A couple minutes later, he said "we are leaving." He was furious. He said the woman, simply stated the tables are taken and couldn't answer why we were given seats at the bar even though there we had reservations. I can't say it was a racial, but there was no apology, no attempt by the restaurant to fix it. So I can't explain any other way. Since I was the only black person in the space. It was odd and unfortunate. We walked around the corner and had a wonderful dinner at Viceroy, where we didn't have reservations but were told they needed the seats in an hour and a half. That is flexibility and good service! read more

Too-shelf experience from top to bottom. I finally tried out Mateo on a weeknight before a show at DPAC and the place was buzzing with concertgoers. Lively atmosphere that felt like it was firing on all cylinders Service was friendly and prompt, and our server steered us in the right direction on our menu selection. We opted to share 5 or 6 smaller plates instead of going for a big entree, and we left plenty full! The surprise highlight was the chorizo scotch egg, that thing was awesome! Pan con tomate was pure too. There's a reason this spot has been crushing it for well over a decade, a quintessential Durham restaurant in downtown that you need to check off your list, read more

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Service and food were great. Best dishes were the huevos diablos and tortilla espanol.

I came with a party of around 10 people for a birthday dinner. Thank goodness we had a reservation - the place was super packed! We ordered two orders of the following (except the paella - we ordered only one to share): calamares fritos, pato y arroz, paella, pan con tomate, patatas bravas, and the brussels sprouts catalan. I'm a huge fan of calamari, so the calamares fritos did not disappoint at all! The pan con tomate wasn't my favorite - I would forgo it if I returned. I was very surprised by how much I loved the brussels sprouts - would definitely get that again! The patatas bravas were exactly what I was expecting - nothing terribly special, but still good. The pato y arroz was really good - it was so flavorful! The paella was my favorite - there were generous amounts of shrimp and mussels! If you happen to be going to Mateo for a birthday dinner, and you bring your own cake, there is a cake-cutting fee that's $3/person which seemed a bit excessive. But, they do give a free mini cake! Overall, we had a wonderful time at Mateo! I'll definitely be back for another special occasion! read more

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Visiting Durham and Mateo was recommended to us. We ordered the chicken croquettes, goat cheese stuffed dates, Calamares Fritos (fried calamari), Gambas (shrimp), and Pan Con Tomate (grilled bread with mashed tomato). Of these, the croquettes were my favorite, hands down. Slightly crunchy on the outside, soft filling inside, with a light touch of honey. I could've eaten another order. The calamari, gambas and pan con tomate were also good. The dates weren't terrible but I wouldn't order them again. The restaurant was about 3/4 full on a Tuesday night, but it's a bit noisy. Service was good and the food came out quickly. My only criticism is they don't offer free refills on Arnold Palmers. It's a small glass so not really worth the $3.50. read more

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Someone we know recommended Mateo, so we came here while visiting the area. We made a reservation for dinner. There is street parking and a paid parking lot in the area. The restaurant is pretty dark (very dimly lit). They have music playing in the background, but everyone's conversations kind of over power it. When our waitress came over, she gave us a rundown of her favorite menu items and went over the specials. We ordered the Huevo Diablo, scallops, the Ensalada with apples, marrow, and Pato Y Arroz. The food was just ok. The chorizo encased the deviled egg and was thick. The Pato Y Arroz looked like oatmeal and was kind of soupy. read more

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I cannot believe how bland, below average and over priced food they served. A fried egg with a little bit mushroom cost more than $10. Several pieces of tough steak, no flavor, even not worth to taste cost almost $20. Overall if you don't want to waste your time, calories and money, do not ever dine in here. read more

We stopped by here without any booking and found available seats for 2. We were walking around to find a restaurant for dinner for about 10min until we found this place. Grateful for that. We were seated by the bar. Decor is nice. Staff was friendly. Food came up pretty fast. It's a tapas place so portion is very small and the price is not cheap. Food is just ok. Nothing really stands out for me. I was a bit disappointed because the reviews were good. I was disappointed with the clams, tomato bread, braised duck, deviled eggs, meatballs. The only thing I like was the Brussels sprouts. The 3 stars were for the decor and service. read more

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I loved this place. Everything we tried was really good but the winner was definitely the mata y pimienta gelatin. The cheese it came with was amazing and the waiter gave us extra bread to take home with the leftovers. Super nice cozy vibe inside too. read more

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Nothing really wowed me here, I think it may be a bit overhyped. It's more of a Spanish/American fusion as well, so the flavor profiles were somewhat confusing. read more

Excellent service and delicious food! The perfect place for date night or a celebratory dinner! The menu has options for everyone and the cocktails were delicious. We went for a birthday dinner and the server treated the birthday boy to a free glass of bubbly and free dessert which was so nice! read more

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We came to Mateo around 7pm on a Tuesday evening. The restaurant was pretty full, but we were able to get seats at the bar. This quickly turned into table seating after a couple didn't show for their reservation. The service was pretty inconsistent. There were several times where we were looking around for help with our water glasses that had been empty for quite some time. It also took an extraordinarily long time for our patatas bravas to come out (which thankfully they took off the bill). We ordered the ensalada, patatas bravas, chicken croquetas, calamares, pulpo, bistec, and pan con tomate. The dishes were also pretty inconsistent. The chicken croquetas were pretty bland with a canned tuna-like texture. The patatas weirdly came with a red sauce you would find on pasta. It was too overpowering of a flavor and felt like a completely different dish. The pan con tomate had a comically large proportion of tomato to everything else, made worse by them putting only a single boquerones on top. The bistec and pulpo both had a wonderful combination of flavors and textures, and both cooked perfectly. The issue with these two dishes were the portions. Mateo features some of the highest prices I've seen for tapas (I've been to tapas restaurants in Atlanta, DC, etc.), with some of the smallest portions. We enjoyed a majority of the dishes, but Mateo is difficult to recommend due to the high prices and inconsistent dishes. read more

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I went as part of a large group so we had the upstairs banquet space and the menu was already planned out. We were served family style and almost every dish was amazing. The pan con tomate dish was just ok but the asparagus dish (I don't see it on the menu) was out of this world! They have something for everyone. I didn't pay a lot of attention to the main restaurant but when I went downstairs to the bathroom and walked by the kitchen, the smell was intoxicating. The air was full of garlic, fire smoke, and delicious! read more

Lovely experience for our Friday night date night. We ordered an array of different dishes are we not disappointed. The cocktails weren't screaming for us to try but the extensive wine list was! From Service to appetizers-dinner-dessert everything was fabulous. We will be back soon! read more

It's not really their fault. I made the mistake of going on Mother's Day weekend on a Friday night. It's also graduation weekend for universities in the area, so they were not only packed, but had a special menu going, which was optional at the bar. Loads of confusion. I ordered the Señorita Fresca, which is a gin, Aperol, Raspberry-basil shrub, honey and lemon cocktail that is fresh, sweet, and has quite a personality. A very fresh young lady indeed! I first ordered grilled octopus, a personal fave anywhere. It arrived as a single perfectly grilled tentacle, surrounded by a sea of tomato, basil, oysters, garlic, and sesame seeds. It was fantastic! The folks next to me ordered it after seeing mine, and agreed! I then tried the Gambas al ajillo. In my Spanish class last week, the teacher asked "What food could you live on as your only food for the rest of your life?" Mine, without question, is shrimp. This bowl of a half-dozen beauties were swimming in melted butter, topped with chili slices, lemon zest, and a nice slice of bread for sopping up the sauce. I purposely cut them each into three pieces so they would last longer. Got a few more pieces of bread for sopping up the sauce from Kyle. He kept things going at the end of the bar I sat at - thanks, dude! Rounded out the evening with a Spanish Penny. Interesting combination (I'll order anything with Licor 43 in it!) of bourbon, amontillado and other flavors. Not the worst I've been served, but I won't be repeating it next time. I just need to accept the fact that, beyond a GodFather or a Cold Fashioned, I really don't like whiskey. Maybe a Rusty Nail. read more

Mateo - Señorita Fresca - ooOOoooo She Fancy! And quite tasty! - Tapas Bars Near Me - Durham, North Carolina