I wanted to like this place. I really did. I'm a big Matt Kelly fan, I cannot stop singing the praises of his Vin Rouge restaurant, and I tell everyone to go there instead of Rue Cler. And to be sure, the food at Mateo was, for the most part, delicious (I'd avoid the chicken skewers if I had to do it all over again, but the rest was great). But the service was Godawful. It wouldn't have been so bad had it JUST been that we got our food before our bottle of wine arrived. It wouldn't have been so bad if the one person who ordered a beer had to wait just as long, only to get told the restaurant was out of the beer she wanted. And it wouldn't have been so bad had it JUST been that our waitress was excessively busy. But no, when I tried to be nice to her and told her that it looked like the waitstaff was overwhelmed and that they needed more people to serve, she responded: "Really? I don't think so. I'm sorry you feel that way," and she was obnoxious for the rest of the evening. To add insult to injury, one of my dining companions asked her where the restaurant had gotten one of its decorations, and he never got an answer, not even a "The manager cannot remember." It was clear our waitress didn't give a rat's ass about us. It's starting to feel a bit like Durham's "foodie paradise" reputation is getting to the head of some area restaurateurs, and that they think they can do without regular customers. read more

We checked this place out on a Sunday evening, and found it packed to the rafters with happy diners. And why not? With a well-thought out menu, delicious food and an impressive sherry menu, this long-awaited spot has delivered something we've really craved here in the Triangle...a legitimate tapas experience. I applaud the folks at Mateo for bringing authentic Spanish tapas to the triangle. In the last decade or so, the term "tapas" has been co-opted by any restaurant wanting to cash in on the trend of serving small plates. But "tapas" means something very specific in Iberia, and it isn't just a small portion of any old food or cuisine. It means sharing those little portions, it means conviviality in a group, or romance between a couple. It's social and it's about awesome SPANISH food. Not Italian. Not pan-Asian. Not anything you can put on a small skewer, and serve with a mountain of puzzling garnish for an outrageous sum of money. It means delicious Spanish food, with enough to share between at least 2 people, and generally pretty affordable because it highlights local foods. Mateo has gone a long way to capturing the spirit of that. Everything we ate was spectacularly delicious, but there are a few more things that could be tweaked at Mateo to make this a truly amazing dining experience. Only a couple of complaints about this place. First off, there was not a single olive on the entire menu. Anyone who's ever been to Spain knows that olives are pretty darn important there. Please, Mateo, for the love of Iberia, get some olives on the menu stat. Secondly, and faaaaar more importantly, the portions are too too too small. Tapas=Sharing. The portions are actually comically small, and reminded me of some scene from a movie in which diners must pull out a magnifying glass to find their food at the overpriced joint serving twee little dishes of food. When our first dish arrived, I actually laughed out loud and thought "boy, this is going to be a looooong road to getting full this evening." And yes, as others have noted, the bill does add up. I'm sure the high quality ingredients are not cheap, but Mateo could go a long way in pleasing its customers by offering a little more filler on its plates. Would it break the bank to offer bread, or maybe a little salad on the side? Nothing fancy, just a bit more bulk on the plate to help fill up on. Hey, keep it interesting, and use whatever is cheap, seasonal & plentiful to bulk up the plates. We ordered a trio of dips and got only FOUR wafer-thin pieces of toasted baguette to go with it. Let's do the math: 3 dips, 4 toasts, 2 people...um, ridonk. And with our garlic shrimp? ONE PIECE OF BREAD. ONE! Ahem, people...tapas are for sharing. One slice of baguette is not going to cut it, especially with a dish that is *all about* the briny, garlicky oil leftover after the shrimp are gone. (You might think gambas al ajillo is about the shrimp, but that's merely a ruse to throw you off the main attraction. But i digress). I know, good food is sacred, but so is getting your customers to return. Often. Feeling full after spending $100 on dinner will make them come back. Not doing so will make them go somewhere else. On a more positive note, bravo to the sherry menu. Bra-vo. Seriously, it is high time Americans came to appreciate this wonderfully complex and varied beverage. The variety of types of sherry will astound anyone who previously only knew it as a teeny cordial for old ladies. You want your mind blown? Try an amantillado, and enjoy the buttery, pecan aroma along with a salty bit of jamon iberico. You won't be upset that you did. I recommend this place to anyone with a c-note to drop on dinner, or those who want take the edge off their appetite with a few delightful bites & a drink before heading elsewhere for dinner. read more

4.5 stars overall. Service was a solid 5 stars, food a solid 4 stars. Only complaint was that a little too much paprika (a very spicy/smoky paprika) was used on a few of the dishes. The calamari was delicious (could taste the paprika in the breading but not overseasoned with it - still very tasty). The costillas de cerdo (pork spare ribs) were amazing. I would go back just for those--fall of the bone tender with a fantastic flavor. My friend and I agreed the the patatas bravas had way too much paprika and the spicy tomato sauce they were served with them was very spicy. My friend really enjoyed her chicken liver pate and although she liked her octopus carpaccio, she thought it was a little heavy on the paprika. Desserts were great- I had the churros and my friend had the custard and they didn't stand a chance! ;) The interior is beautiful! Great lighting, beautiful wood finishes, long bar, cute bathroom. And the wooden clipboards holding the menus were a nice touch, too! For a restaurant that's only been open 48 hours, I thought it was great! Wish I had more spots like this closer to home! read more

Excellent. I have pretty high expectations and I think I set the bar even higher for Mateo. We had a 8:30 reservation but arrived a little early and were seated after a short wait. The space is fantastic, very comfy yet rustic and sophisticated at the same time. The atmosphere is definitely energetic so be prepared. I could barely hear the waiter across the table, but I do believe he was soft spoken (tisk, tisk.) The food and drinks were out of this world. Again, high expectations and every dish exceeded them. Our waiter didn't really explain the menu other than asking if we had questions, but 3-4 tapas per person worked out perfectly for us (I might lean towards three with dessert or four without.) Here's what we had: *Bunuelo - oxtail marmalade donut - excellent but I doubt I'd order it again *Quimbombo - crisy okra, sherry vinegar aioli - fantastic fried okra with a zippy sauce - perfectly battered and a good portion size *Ensalada de Mariscos - chilled shrimp, crab, mussels, scallops, sherry vinaigretta - fantastic, one of my favorites of the meal *Gambas - shrimp, olive oil, garlic, chili, lemon, parsley - unbelievable - I've had this at other tapas spots and this is tops. The lemon is super prominent which I loved *Queso Frito y Huevo - crispy manchengo, duck egg, romesco sauce - another favorite. Not sure I can return without getting it. *Costillas de Cerdo - pork ribs, sherry, honey, sofrito - another favorite. This will be ordered each time I return. *Mollejas - wood grilled sweetbreads, lemon-caper vinaigretta, migas - probably my least favorite. Not that it was bad but just paled in comparison to the others. *Almejas Pequenas - manila clams, sherry, garlic, boiled peanuts, ham - I had forgotten boiled peanuts were a component and wasn't a huge fan of this dish until I remembered. Once I realized the dish took on a whole new meaning and gave that tasty yet odd pairing that you couldn't stop eating (that's a good thing.) There were a couple issues I had, but to me its not worth knocking it off the five star mark (okay, maybe 4.5 but we don't have that option do we?) There were no explanations given when plates were brought to the table. They did say, here's the Bunuelo, but how am I supposed to know what that is? Pacing was also an issue; we ordered all eight tapas at once expecting the waiter to pace them to the kitchen (as has been the case with all other tapas restaurants.) Not so, our table was overfull almost immediately leading to cool-to-warm tastes towards the end. Lastly, the sauces and cooking liquids were amazing, very deep flavor and I would have loved to have bread, or more bread than was given (some dishes had one tiny piece) with those dishes. I've been to some excellent tapas restaurants from Philadelphia to Seattle and San Francisco and this one definitely ranks up there with the best. The portion sizes at Mateo are larger (which I think is necessary in the south) and I think with some minor tweaks this place will be untouchable. Definitely a great addition to downtown Durham and without a doubt the new hot spot to hit before a DPAC or Carolina Theatre show. read more

Went here for Valentine's Day. If you want to hear your spouse complain about a meal, bring her here. If you like salt, go here. If you like OK service at a premium price go here. Octopus was inedible with the heavy salt hand-- had to send it back and they only gave me half a plate. Salad dressing was a salt factory -- also inedible. The scallops are bay scallops -- that should be clear on the menu! If you are charging a high price, bring out GOOD scallops, not small cheap ones. Cook and prep the beef-- don't just stick it in the oven to brown for 2 minutes (with it raw inside and no searing on the outside). Mousse was good. read more

The service was shockingly bad. We arrived at 1:05 for lunch to a half full (at best) restaurant. We didn't even see our waiter until 25 minutes later and when we finally did he met us with a snobbish and unapologetic attitude. The quality of the food isn't worth mentioning in the shadow of their attitude, which clearly conveyed that we should be honored to simply be in their presence. Bad days happen in restaurants, bad attitudes are inexcusable. read more

The short: The food was underwhelming. Yeah, it's tapas but $10-12 should buy a little more food than their portions. Not many meatless options, most of the menu centers around one flavor: HAM. The see thru kitchen may be nice for transparency, but the staff was oblivious and I heard and saw things I'd rather not. To use the bathroom you have to walk through the expo window from where the food is run to tables. The long: Mateo has nice ambience. The blue awning, the dim light, the intimate (not too big) setting. I went there on a weekend for a late dinner (~10pm). My friend and I checked in with the hostess to get on the list for a table and it was still just busy enough for a wait, so we proceeded to the bar. Bar service was handsome, warm and friendly, and I tried a signature sweet tea sangria, which was delicious. After a few minutes I looked up and noticed that two tall bar-area dining tables were unoccupied and clean and the hostess was at her station but did not come get us to be seated. Instead, we gave it a minute or two and then approached the hostess and only then did she show us to one of those tables. Humph. I quickly realized that besides two, maybe three things, there was meat in everything on the menu. I asked our server for advice and he suggested the brussel sprouts salad. We both ordered one. The whole salad tasted like meat because of the smoked cheese it included, so I was disappointed that after disclosing that I'm a vegetaran and asking for a server-recommendation, he suggested a salad that tastes like meat. A salad that tastes like meat! :( We tried again and ordered some fried egg over kale thing that normally comes with chopped chorizo in the kale, but the server again suggested it and ensured that the dish would be made without the chorizo. When a food runner ran our plate she explained that here was our dish sans meat and left. I took one look at the dish and could see the chunks of chorizo throughout the kale. Seriously? How careless. Was it so dim in the place that even the food runner couldn't see that what she was leaving us was full of exactly what was to be omitted? When our server checked in, I expressed my disappointment and we had to wait until a new dish was prepared. It was a $10 plate consisting of a friend egg over a pie of kale. To use the restrooms you have to walk through the throes of the bustling and busy expeditie window, which, during flu season, especially concerned me. On my way back to my table, as I passed the kitchen I heard a chef say (almost scream) "Fuck!". Now, I'm no angel, I use "fuck" like a comma, but what if I'd found that offensive? The staff was oblivious to the customers and this kitchen showcases a totally open view of the operations. Next I watched a female manager in the middle of the kitchen take a utensil, dip it into something the chefs were preparing, stand there in plain view and eat it. At 11pm, I doubt that was a taste test for accuracy. I hate seeing staff eating in the middle of a shift, let alone management snacking from the stove top in the middle of service in plain sight of the dining room patrons. We decided that Mateo is not a place we'll visit again. Once was enough. Big Meh. I've definitely experienced better. read more

Mateo is like a prototypical college freshman girl. She's hot mostly because she's new, which overinflates her ego and makes her think she doesn't have to try. So she lets herself go a little, drinks too much beer, doesn't go to the gym... And before you know it, she's like every other washed-up sophomore with a spare tire and an overly high opinion of herself. I lived in Spain several years ago and had some of the best food of my life there, so was really looking forward to Mateo. The atmosphere was nice, but the service and food were really lacking. The Good: -Pan con tomate was lovely, just like I remember it -Pork ribs were rich, flavorful, slightly spicy The Bad: -We had 8:30 reservations and didn't sit until 9:10. This is Durham, not New York. -Heuvos diablos: I am a salt fiend and these were too salty for even me. Also, chorizo + eggs sounds much better in theory than it is in execution. -Clams with peanuts: Clams were delicious, peanuts were a mess: mushy, flavorless, and detracted from the dish. Note to chefs: sprinkle them in at the end if you want the texture contrast. -Beet salad was tiny and the dressing was way too acidic -Service was the biggest problem of the night. S-L-O-W and our waiter couldn't understand the Spanish names for dishes... what? In general, underwhelming and overpriced. read more

Third third time here and what a disappointment. When you only have the opportunity to go out once or twice a year on a date night, this will definitely not be the choice in the future. We had reservations, but had to wait about 15 minutes because they were so busy. We finally got seated but they didn't have enough clean place settings for us. Ended up getting food with no silverware with which to eat it. Had to grab some off of the table next to us because we also couldn't find our server. The food was pretty good, until we got to the frittata, Which was described as having sausage, but we didn't see nor taste any sausage. Since it did say in the menu that it had sausage in it we asked our waitress about this and she said that it was in there, and seemed to take our complaint to personally. She had a really bad attitude about it and our dinner ended on a very sour note. Sad when you are paying a lot for a nice meal. read more

My husband and I were on a date night together while our toddler was with Nana. We initially wanted to eat dinner at another downtown establishment but it was completely covered up. We had heard good things about Mateo and while I genuinely laugh at the "small plates" movement I wanted to give this a try since Madrid Spain was a pivotal food epiphany in my life. I understand Tapas and how they are traditionally taken so I was anticipating a chance to try a lot of dishes. Which we did... and expected to somewhat be full at the end of the evening. Mateo was busy that night but we were offered a first come seat at the bar within 5 minutes of arriving which we took. After about 5 minutes on that bar stool I looked longingly at those comfortably seated at tables. I had on a dress and trying to sit lady like and stay on those darn stools at the same time was a major lower body challenge. Not to mention UNCOMFORTABLE! My wine was splendid though so I concentrated on that, Hubs had a beer and we started peer into the darkness at the menu, complete with teeny tiny print and written in Spanish. It was difficult, and I took lots of Spanish in high school and college. After consulting with the bar ten-dress we made our first choices. Calamari - wonderfully done, not too greasy. Bunelo with bacon jam and molasses.. I make cheese bunelos at home so I had a point of reference. This was more like a day old donut filled with sweet bacon filling and molasses and nuts on top. It was also served at room temp or for bread "cold" We had the octopus which I anticipated to be bite sized chunks of octopus, instead we got whispers of tentacles sliced with onions and spices on top. It was nice, but for the price, I dare say they even used 2 oz on our serving! Another one was the duck egg fried with manchego cheese and kale. I enjoyed it and it was more shareable along with the calamari. By this time, I'm doing math in my head ordered another glass of wine/beer and wondering when I was going to be satisfied or really poor! We soon gave up ordering and asked for the bill and a basket of bread (no olive oil given:() to take the edge off. Our bill was near 80.00 and we ended up at home warming up leftover dinner. We won't be back again, very expensive and the portions were very very small for the prices paid. I would suggest that they add a dinner menu so people have some options. I love our foodie town and want these new places to succeed, I mean, how many BBQ , hamburger, pizza places can 1 town have? read more

Decent tapas that are way too overpriced. The venue and service are amazing, but you will spend 100$ to be almost full. The food is delicious though!! read more

Mateo has the potential to be a phenomenal restaurant. The atmosphere is pretty modern while sticking to the Spanish roots. However, the food is not consistently appetizing. They have the ingredients to make incredible dishes, and sometimes they succeed, but unfortunately the execution doesn't always match the expectations. read more

My co-workers and I started a "Supper Club" and Mateo was the 2nd place on our list to visit. We went on 03/07/17 and it was my first time eating Tapas. Mateo is a very small building, so it does get crowded very quickly. We had looked through the menu before arriving to get ideas what we knew we would want to order. We ordered a variety of different tapas and each one was different. Our favorites were definitely the Bone Marrow and the Brussel Sprouts. We tried the famous deviled eggs, but we found they were a bit too plain and that the yolk part was extremely too much on each egg. If this part had a little more flavor/spice, we would have liked it a little more. The farmer's cheese and pepper jelly was amazing, however, the bread was a little hard to bite into. The croquettes were yummy, they were also a little plain as well. We also tried the shrimp balls in crab broth and they were a bit too fishy tasting. We decided we would not order these again. For dessert we had the chocolate mousse, which I found was underwhelming. It was very bitter and in comparison to everything else the plate was not appealing to the eye. However, we also ordered the Banana Pudding and it was absolutely amazing. Would definitely never get anything but this dessert again. Overall, Mateo was a bit pricey for the quality of food we received. Don't get me wrong some things were definitely better than others, but we were expecting amazingly different food at the "Best Restaurant in NC". read more

My wife and I went to Mateo on a Wednesday to celebrate the birthday of my favorite Spanish motorcycle racer (of course, he couldn't make it). The place was pretty full, especially for a weekday, and we were seated at a hi-top in the center of the restaurant near the far end of the bar. First off, our water was awesome. I can't remember his name, but he had the most fantastic pompadour. We had another friend who would join us later, and our waiter switched from hinting that we were lying about our additional guest to speaking to his chair as if he was already sitting there. Aside from his great sense of humor, he was very knowledgeable about the beer and wine selections as well as the food. As far as the food is concerned, we ordered chevrelette (and ended up getting a second order later), the pan con tamate, the patatas y morcilla and the crispy fried pig's tail. Everything was unique, interesting and delicious. And, in true Durham fashion, the people watching was superb. read more

For an establishment to allow such poor customer service tells me a lot about how much effort they're putting into the food. I am saddened that so many people actually think the food here is any good. This only reinforces my belief that most of the restauranteurs in the triangle are riding the coat tails of the small handful of truly excellent chefs (Ben Barker -miss you, Andrea Reusing and Aaron Vandermark). Matthew Kelly thinks we are stupid and I find it insulting. And yes, I ordered almost every dish on the menu so I have a very good idea of what they're doing. Not even close to flavorful. The customer service was horrendous. The runners were literally sweating into people's plates. As no one would clear our table, my sister stacked some cleared dishes on top of her plate. When our waitress finally came around, she removed the plates from the top of the stack and left my sisters plate there for her to continue using. I suppose a clean plate was out of the question? Check out Solerno in Chicago if you really want inventive Spanish cuisine. Please do not let these establishments continue to insult us. Many residents of the triangle are pretty well travelled and see that there's a clear dumbing down. read more

Nothing beats food that warms the heart and fills your belly. Everything I ordered was packed with flavor, and proportioned perfectly so I could comfortably order several dishes. Being an LA native, I was blown away by the level of quality and flavor. I will definitely be back on my next trip to Durham. read more

Update - I've recently returned from a trip to Spain and I am happy to report that the food @ Mateo is just as good (if not better) than the tapas I had in Spain. read more

Stopped in after finding on the Yelp app. This place is the best tapas place in the triangle. Very authentic Spanish style. Manchengo cheese fried w/ egg was my favorite, along with the Iberico Jamon (one of the few places in the southeast that serves it). Service was excellent. I was not impressed by the sangria, but their wine selection more than made up for it. This is a new go to for me in Durham. read more

Small plates were unusually small. They should consider serving a bread or something small to start the table out. All the different chicken/duck/meat/fish that we ordered was dry. As if it had been sitting in the warming oven too long. The two stars here are for the deviled eggs, which were exceptional. I would still go back, just eat the deviled eggs and then leave. read more

The moment I stepped in, I was a convert. I love the bar, the clipboard menus, and the big windows in the front. Here are the culinary highlights and lowlights of my visits to date: - Huevos Diablos (or Spanish Deviled Eggs) are a winner! All carnivores should indulge on this delicacy. Not light, but delicious! - Bunuelo (oxtail donut) is a must try! While I was disappointed to note that they shrunk the pastry in half since my initial visit, it still shouldn't be missed! The sweetness is perfectly balanced with the rich, salty meat. - Gambas (garlic shrimp) turned my husband into a shrimp lover. The garlic sauce is so good you will be asking for extra bread to sop it up and then eventually just spooning it into your mouth; or is that just me? - Albondigas (meatballs) were just blah. Whenever meatballs are on a menu, I order them, but next time I will skip these. - Patatas y Morcilla (blood sausage) was kind of gross, even though I initially didn't know what it was. I am not really sure why this is on the menu? - Fideua (Noodle Paella) was a unappetizing pasta dish sad-looking seafood chunks in a bland sauce. - Cheerwine Sangria confused me. Maybe I just don't like Cheerwine? - Ferdinand Cocktail was my perfect cocktail. Not too girly, not too strong. read more

This place was really disappointing. We ordered the bread and tomatoes expecting a bruschetta but it was like they opened a can of crushed tomatoes and put that on top of bland soggy bread - no flavor at all. The calamari texture was chewy and the breading was soggy - it was like they didn't cook it in hot enough oil. The roasted squash special was too oily and the cheese on top was too salty. The dates were pretty good and the patatas bravas were just ok. We've eaten in far better tapas places and would not come back. read more

It was interesting food. It was very crowded. The hostess said something rude (and underserved) under her breath which I'm sure she thought no-one could hear. I ordered the bone marrow (and a bunch of other stuff) but was unsure how to eat it when it was presented. The person that dropped it off didn't know either..I would think that is something they should be able to answer without having to get someone else to answer that question. I was glad to check this place off the list but we probably won't be back. read more

I love this place!! Each time I've gone, they knocked it out of the park. The first time we went with a reservation during peak hours. We were seated promptly (table of four). We went to town and ordered four rounds (from savories to dessert) and shared around the table. The food came out in measured waves never making us feel rushed, but also not so long that we were anxious for the next round. As a vegetarian, tapas places can be dicey since they tend to be so meat-heavy, but we had NO problem finding many things to share for the table. In fact, there were still plenty of options left for me to explore, and I looked forward to going back. The omnivores at the table were really happy with their selections as well, which ranged from seafood to pork dishes. Table favorites included: gambas, patatas bravas, quesos, and tortilla espanola (which is more like a potato-heavy frittata/quiche). I've also gone during lunch with co-workers. We were one of maybe three parties in the restaurant -- such a difference compared to the chaos of the evening crowd! Again, there were many, many vegetarian options. I have yet to be disappointed by one of their dishes -- many of which usually include a nice mix of seasonal and standard/favorites to pick from. The wine selection is above average. Bon appetit! read more

we love coming to Mateo! It was my birthday this past Friday, and I have 2 other friends that share the same birthday as me! We all came here with our husbands to celebrate. Another couple met us for dessert, after the DPAC show. At the end of evening there were 10 of us total. The drinks kept pouring, and our plates were never empty until the end of the evening! We were loud and having fun! The atmosphere is vibrant and fun. I am an adventurous eater and love to try the "different" things on the menu (i.e pig tail, chicken skin nachos). This was my 4th visit to Mateo and it was awesome as usual. Our server was fantastic! He never steered us wrong and was so friendly! Thank you for making our birthday celebration so perfect! read more

I'm always a bit disappointed to this place and I've been here three times. The prices are a bit high and the food isn't that good. The sangria is the best deal in the house. $18 for a carafe w minimal ice and lots of fruit. The gambas shrimp were pretty good. Some of the other tapas were a bit disappointing. Overall nice place and ambiance-- I'm just not impressed by the food. read more

Had a delightful dinner here tonight! The waitress was very attentive and accommodating, and the ambience was perfect (I adore those big lamps by the bar). We started off with cheerwine sangria which was delicious -- sweet but not too sweet, and refreshing with bits of basil and citrus -- priced at $6 per glass. The food was incredible. Farmer's cheese plate was my favorite -- delicious bread with spreads of cheese and strawberry jam -- and I very much enjoyed the chicken croquetas (special) and costillas de cerdo (pork ribs, great sauce but not very filling). Patatas bravas was filling tasty, with garlic aioli and tomato sauce, but not very different from the same dish served at other tapas places. A few disappointments of the evening was Gambas -- shrimp was perfectly cooked with a hint of herbs and lemon, but there just wasn't anything very special about it -- and the dessert, which was a concoction of chocolate mousse (with sea salt bits?) and an overwhelming amount of orange peel (Tabernas Tapas a few doors down has an excellent mousse)... I'd like to try the sweet potato cheesecake next time. My wallet cried a bit tonight (+$40 per person, ouch!) but I'm hoping to come back soon.... just not too soon. read more

Revised 7/14/2014: we've been back a few more times and the business has won my heart! Service is almost always top notch and the food is the best in Durham (IMO). Yes it's still pricey but what a great dinner! We've also learned which tapas are our favorites: patatas bravas, remolacha asada, Albondigas, costillas de puerco, bistec and the calamares are the best anywhere! Yay for Mateo! I can be a bit of a tough critic and, as much as I like the "idea" of tapas, I sometimes get frustrated at how quickly the bill adds up. At Mateo, the bill added up much quicker than my stomach filled. I went last week with a good friend, another person who appreciates local dining and good food. We were seated on time for our reservation by a very pleasant hostess. We were seated at a tall table in the front of the restaurant and our stools didn't have backs. They were quite uncomfortable after a few minutes. I mean, doesn't everyone want a back on their chair when they dine out? Most chairs in the restaurant DID have backs, however. Our waiter (Brian, I think) was not in a real hurry to get to our table, although he seemed to be in a big hurry once he did get there. We ordered drinks, I got the rebujito on recommendation of a friend. It's a fizzy, sorta bitter lemon cocktail and it was really good. When I asked the waiter how bitter it was, he said it was not bitter, but that the drink used bitters. Well, same thing, right? Anyway, we ordered a few tapas, some cold, some hot. The tapas we enjoyed were: 1.quimbombos: fried okra with a really good sauce - decent portion, too, for $4.00 2. costillas de cerdo - these ribs really stole the show. There were six of them, a good amount of meat, just falling off the bone. really super delicious hot pepper jelly. Delish. 3. "Nest": a daily special made from potatoes (with paprika I think) and a fried egg. creative and good.. The ones we enjoyed less and wouldn't order again: 1. Pan a la parilla: bread with three dips - the bread wasn't soft at all, it was seriously see-through and we got about 4 pieces, each maybe 1.5 inches in diameter. For each dip, we got about 2 Tablespoonfuls. The olive was our favorite of the three. At one point we asked for more bread and got it, although only 3 more pieces of the same see-through teeny tiny hard breads. Not worth the price by a long stretch in my opinion. 2. ensalata de manzana y manchego - a basic salad, although the ingredient that most drew us to the salad (figs) were not available. No good reason for this, figs are definitely available now. The apple substitute was not really all that great. 3. Gambas - shrimp in oil, herbs and spices, this was a little boring and the shrimp were slightly overcooked. there were six shrimp. Finally, although it seemed like we were being rushed a bit by our water (clearing plates prematurely and didn't offer dessert/coffee), we did decide to get dessert. Each of us ordered the Dueto, which was a combination of chocolate mousse and dulce de leche mousse. The mousse was served in a tall slim shot glass, very difficult to get the mousse out, and impossible to eat both flavors together. Basically you had to finish one, then you get the other. It would be better, I think, to serve them in a wider-mouth glass, so people can dig into both flavors. Further, the consistency of the two mousses differed dramatically, which was weird. The flavor was good, though, for both. I think if we'd had better service (and more comfortable chairs), I could enjoy going again with a group of friends for light fare. But, I'm not likely to want to drop $50 a person to still be hungry and get blah service. I would go for those ribs again though. We're forgiving and adventurous, so will probably try this place again in another few months. Hopefully they are reading their reviews and will make adjustments. read more

Really favorable food. I do not very often go and actually appreciate the layers of flavor set up in the cooking process. But the food I had slapped my tastebuds into shape. I had a shrimp dish that was amazing. The hard boiled egg inside of a chorizo sausage was great too. The decor is great for dates and its not too loud to have a good conversation. Also what really won me over was the wonderful waiter we had, I'm a very hard customer to deal with. Lots of questions and kind of a jerk, but she was very knowledgeable and just made the experience better for both me and my date. I highly recommend this place. read more

As a native Spaniard I was very disappointed with Mateo. The whole American concept of Tapas is wrong, Tapas are usually free when you order a drink. The tortilla española almost made me cry...the wine and cheeses were fine but that was easy, no cooking involved. If you want to make fancy tapas, make them up, do not mess up perfectly simple and delicious dishes, please learn how to make a tortilla española! read more

This is no Cúrate, that's for sure. The server was fairly combative in our choices (she suggested not having multiple selections we made) and she was also difficult when it came to clearing off our table (she refused to take some plates away saying that her manager would be mad). She couldn't even come around often enough to see if we needed new drinks. As far as the service is concerned, this restaurant is negligent (this is my third time visiting and my second with similar service). The food is blasé. Compared to Cúrate in Asheville, this restaurant's offerings are middling at best. They're inferior at all of the similar dishes, and whatever they do that's different, it ain't that great. Their cocktails are crap. Their signature dishes are mediocre. And their daily offerings are good at best. Did I mention that their napkins "shed" all over my wife and I? We looked at our clothes upon leaving and noticed that there were pieces of the cloth napkins all over our shirts, pants, and my hoodie -- preposterously cheap and annoying. Have I mentioned that I was unable to hear my party by halfway into our meal? Once the establishment started filling out (we arrived around 5pm before it was really busy), the noise factor was off the charts. I've never been in a louder restaurant. And for an establishment that's based on sharing food, it would be nice to be able to hear your co-patriots as you try to dine together. There is also the small table factor. For a party of 2, the table size is probably perfect. But the tables also serve parties of 4, and they're impossibly small for the food and number of dishes that are likely to be served. It's just another silly aspect to a restaurant that seemingly hasn't thought through the necessities of a tapas style restaurant. I'm happy that others have enjoyed this facility, but I've been there 3 times with friends, and I have never had a good experience. This is my first review, and it will be my last time frequenting this restaurant. read more

One of my favorite dining spots in all of Durham. I don't think I've had a single item on the menu that I didn't love; lunch or dinner. The fried chicken sandwich on the lunch menu is the ABSOLUTE bomb! I leave and look forward to coming back again. read more

Mateo is currently my favorite place in all of the Triangle. Im so serious. That's how good their food is! You can't go wrong with anything you order here and I've tried so many dishes. They really focus on simple, fresh ingredients but the way their pair the ingredients in their dishes is really out of this world. For example, their open-faced sandwiches with simple pureed and saucy tomatoes and Serrano ham, all drizzled with olive oil. I really enjoyed some stuff of their weekly board, with chicken croquettes paired some honey and other deliciousness sauce. Their calamari is also very lightly fried and you can tell its fresh! I haven't found a place like Mateo anywhere else and it will continue to be my favorite! read more

Food was amazing, service was mediocre. There was a good variety of dishes and each one we ordered was better than the last. It's a bit pricey, but worth it for the delicious food. I'm a vegetarian and still found 4 plates that appealed to me. I recommend the bread with cheese and pepper jelly (don't remember the exact name, but look for a dish with that description) and the cod. Amazing! However, despite making a reservation two weeks in advance, the hostess was rude, made us wait around while she attended to other people and basically ignored us, and then we pretty much had to jog to keep up when she was seating us at our table, and the waiter was awkward and not very friendly. They should just hire nicer people and this would be the perfect restaurant, but because of the service I'm not sure I'll go back. read more

I love this place! Excellent food and service, every time I've been. It's nice to be able to experience some variety by ordering tapas, but not leave hungry. Delicious regular menu items and specials. I especially love the generous portion of paté. read more

I am quite late to the party on this one, but one thing I will add: the deviled eggs are ensconced in a boat made out of chorizo, and are worth every penny of the $4 you'll pay for two. read more

After eating at Mateo this past weekend, I found myself asking "Where was this place when I was at Duke!?!" Mateo is just another great addition to downtown Durham's growing culinary scene, alongside Toast, Pizzeria Toro, Dames, etc. Mateo has trendy decor, tasty drinks (although a wee bit watered down), and inventive tapas. They also do the staples well - hello, patatas bravas with romesco sauce! Overall, it made for a great place for a double date and we can't wait to go back. read more

YUM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Everything was delicious and served piping hot. We ate at the bar because they were packed with a 45 minute wait. Had one of the best margaritas ever - garnished with lime, lemon and orange! Absolutely recommend! read more

Every piece of food was awesome. Go in with the right expectations. Small beer menu but huge wine list. Deviled eggs were incredible.

Mateo has some tasty food and some interesting dishes. The wait staff are also really friendly, and it's a neat environment. The only downside is that it is a bit expensive for the food and experience. For instance, I would go to Toro or Vin Rogue any day and feel like I got a great dining experience with great food for a better value. But if you want to change it up from those places, Mateo is a good option. The food is great, and it's cool, so there you go. read more

Great food. First visit & I will be a regular. Pay attention to the Andalusian style Flounder, roasted beet, avocado and watermelon salad and steamed mussels roasted tomato and chorizo. This place rocks and is a welcome addition to Durham's already top shelf food scene. I'd definitely recommend a reservation (their on OpenTable) as seating is limited and their already super popular. Saw a tip on Yelp suggesting the low table and it's worth noting, the center higher cafe style tables have very uncomfortable looking stools. read more