Stopped by Little Bull when visiting downtown Durham. When you arrive parking can be difficult in…read morethis area. I'd recommend parking a few blocks away and walking if needed. Unfortunately, we happened to be in downtown Durham when an event was taking place at the DPAC. Walking into the restaurant it's beautiful with the exposed brick, the decorated dining room, the sassy and unapologetic identity of the restaurant, and the "pocho" cuisine. To be seated you'll check in with the host and then be shown to your table. You'll either be seated on the first/second level or on the second level rooftop. I highly recommend a reservation as we still ended up waiting for our table even with a reservation. For drinks, I started with the Mezcal old fashioned and later ordered the she was a fairy (with sea foam). Overall the drinks were excellent and perfectly balanced. For appetizers, we ordered the "Super Fancy" Devil Eggs, Chirashi, Ceviche, Octopus Al Pastor, Shorty Pan, Butter Beans, and the Ay Papa. Each appetizer had a great presentation and they were all excellent. I really enjoyed the Chirashi as you could essentially make your own sushi with the seaweed on the side and just the overall flavors were so good. For entrees, we ordered the Lamb & Mole and the Carne Asada. Again, the presentation was excellent and both entrees were excellent. The carne asada was well seasoned and in an extremely tasty sauce. The Lamb & Mole you could tell the Mole had several flavors within it and really enhanced the dish. Also the Lamb cut like butter and was so good! For dessert we ordered the Churro Clouds, Capirotada, and I believe the Crepe Cake. Great presentation and by far the churro clouds were my favorite. I highly recommend stopping by Little Bull if you are in the downtown Durham area looking for a good Michelin Star/James Beard nominated restaurant.

Little Bull makes a strong first impression, the kind where you step up to the host stand and…read moreimmediately wonder if you should have dressed a little nicer for whatever is about to happen. We weren't looking for fancy on this self-directed Durham food tour, but we decided to roll with it, and once the hostess walked us upstairs, the whole space opened up into something genuinely beautiful. The decor is polished without feeling stuff, the kind of restaurant where you can sit down, take a breath, and feel like you made a good choice even if you weren't planning on a big night out. We kept things simple. My friend had a customized mimosa, I went with tequila and soda, we shared the brunch ceviche. It arrived looking absolutely stunning and tasted every bit as good as it looked. The plantain chips were a delight and added just the right texture. One small note for anyone ordering drinks upstairs (and maybe downstairs too?), there's no soda fountain, so the ginger ale that came with my drink was a separate $3.00 charge. Something worth knowing before you order. If it's a nice day, consider the upstairs outside patio. It's a delight! [Review 1165 of 2026 - 4814 in North Carolina - 26344 overall]

Can't wait to try this place again . Every bite was amazing…read more My favorite was definitely the Mongolian beef and the crab fried rice very flavorful filled with aromatics. Perfectly seasoned. The beef was crispy. The waiter checked in frequently to see if we were enjoying the food.

Juju (9th Street - Durham) Although we live in North…read moreRaleigh, we've been spending more time exploring Durham's restaurant scene. This time we tried Juju on 9th Street for lunch. Parking couldn't have been easier. We found a space right out front in the lot off 9th Street and walked straight in. It was a quiet Thursday afternoon, so we were seated immediately. The dining room has an elegant, relaxed feel, and with only a few other diners it made for a peaceful lunch. Lunch for two came to about $80 plus tax and tip, making this one of the more upscale lunches we've had recently. We ordered: * Crispy Brussels Sprouts * Shrimp Dumplings (6) * Mongolian Beef * Grilled Lemongrass Hanger Steak Salad * Unsweetened iced tea The Food The Crispy Brussels Sprouts were a great start. They were crisp on the outside without being overcooked, and the mint, peanuts, and pickled onions added both texture and freshness. It was also a large enough portion for leftovers. The Shrimp Dumplings were excellent. The flavor was outstanding, and the Thai chili oil, garlic, scallions, and sesame worked beautifully together. My only criticism was the portion size. At six small dumplings, they felt a little pricey for what you receive. The Mongolian Beef was probably the best value of the meal. The beef had a nice sear while remaining tender inside, and the portion was generous enough that we had leftovers for another meal. It had a nice overall flavor as well. The Grilled Lemongrass Hanger Steak Salad was good, but not quite at the same level. The steak had good flavor, but the cut itself was somewhat chewy. The accompanying rice was simply prepared and didn't add much to the dish. The flavors were enjoyable, although slightly sweeter than my wife prefers. Service Service was excellent. Our server took the time to walk us through each dish, explaining ingredients, spice levels, and preparation so we could choose items that fit our tastes. We especially appreciated her knowledge of the menu and her attentiveness throughout the meal, my iced tea was never empty. Overall Juju offers an attractive setting, excellent service, and several very well-executed dishes. Our biggest challenge was simply that much of the lunch menu leans toward spicier offerings than we typically enjoy. While we probably wouldn't return specifically for lunch, the dinner menu appears to offer a much wider variety of choices that fit our tastes. We'll likely be back to give dinner a try.

I thought my visit here was great! I sat at the bar and the bartenders were wonderful. I started…read morewith the coconut shrimp and I absolutely cannot stop thinking about it. It was absolutely one of my favorite dishes I've ever had. I got the spam burger for my entrée and I thought it came with fries and salad but the bartender kind of confused me about it. Otherwise I felt like it was a little dry, but otherwise he was decent. Then I ended with the Keylime pie and I still think about it to this day. It was absolutely one of my favorite Keylime pies I've ever had.

Lovely vibe. Fantastic cocktails. Excellent service. Delicious burger. The shoestring fries are…read morekiller.

Everything at Bar Virgile was amazing! I ordered a cosmopolitan, while my date ordered the…read moreelderflower cocktail. I liked my drink a little more since it was sweeter. We also ordered three small plates to share: the Mac and cheese, brussel sprouts with bacon, and the fried oysters. The Mac and cheese was absolute perfection and I probably ate the most of that dish. It was hot out of the oven and I enjoyed the crunch from the breadcrumbs. It was perfectly creamy but not too indulgent. The Brussels and fried oysters were also really great. Both were perfectly seasoned and tasted fresh. My date said the oysters were one of the best he's ever had! I'll be back for their drinks and food ;)

Bar Virgile is a must-visit in Durham. The drinks were top notch--crafted really well and…read moredefinitely stand out. The burger is easily one of the best in town, cooked perfectly and full of flavor. We also tried a couple appetizers and they were amazing, especially the deviled eggs--honestly some of the best I've ever had. The overall vibe is great too, just a really solid atmosphere to hang out and enjoy a good meal and drinks. Definitely recommend checking this place out if you are in durham

Love hitting up parts and labor before a show at motorco. Their beer/ na options are great! Love…read morethat they show you what regular and ba option are in their main board to make things easier! The food is always tasty! The service has always been quick with plenty of staff on hand if they get busy! The location and set up is great allowing the inside outside environments to allow a lot of seating and room.

What a cool place! I visited with some girlfriends for drinks and lunch. I love the open concept of…read morethe space, it feels really inviting. We placed our orders at the bar, got our drinks, and they brought the food to our table when it was ready (which didn't take long). They have tons of outdoor seating which is great to enjoy with nice weather. I'm not vegan, but I love that they have so many vegan options! Cauliflower Nugs: delicious fried bites of cauliflower. We paired them with the ranch and motor-oil sauce, I loved the dual sauces! Moto-Bahn: yum! I loved everything on this sandwich, it was perfectly balanced. Each bite was crunchy & delicious. I loved the spice I got when I got a bite with jalapeño.

I honestly don't need to review this food. It always speaks for itself…read more Mazemen with extra broth, chili butter and meatballs... sake or Kirin to wash it down. Give their Izakaya a chance sometime. A little pricey, but worth it!

Dashi has been on my list forever, and it did not disappoint. I actually went right after coming…read moreback from Japan because I was missing the food and vibes, and this place really delivered. The ambience is beautiful and cozy, and the customer service was so warm and attentive. We sat upstairs in the izakaya during happy hour (Tuesday). The standout for me was the crispy tofu bao bun. The sauce in it was SO good, I honestly wish I had ordered more, especially since it was only $4. We also tried oysters for the first time (they were around $1.50-$1.99 during happy hour), and they were surprisingly delicious. We tried a few grilled skewers, shrimp, eggplant, and tofu, which were good, but not my absolute favorites of the night. The best was the egg sando. It might sound simple, but it was incredible, honestly tasted just like the ones I had in Japan, if not better. And the fries?? Perfectly crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. My new favorite fries in Durham.

Came here for the first time with some friends on a cold and rainy winter evening and got to…read moreexperience their rooftop igloo situation. The inside of the igloos was pretty spacious and warm thanks to a little electric fire and the couches were comfy. I wasn't personally bothered by the rain, but one of my friends was sitting underneath one of the zippers and got wet from the rain leaking in through the zipper hole. Food wise I just ordered a glass of moscato which was very nice and tried a few of my friend's fries which were fine, but nothing special and quite pricey. Overall it was a cool experience but the food and drinks were overpriced and took a really long time to come out so I don't know if it was really worth it.

I saw a lot of buzz on Instagram about dining in an igloo for the holiday season, so I wanted to…read moretry it since I thought it would be a cool experience! The food and concept were great, but unfortunately the experience was a little lackluster. I made reservations a few weeks ahead of time online because this does sell out. I did the prix fixe igloo dinner experience that's $65 per person. There are four courses included and you can add drinks for an additional fee. When you book the reservation for this, they also take a $50 deposit that gets applied to the final bill. I also learned later there is a 20% service charge added to your bill too. My husband and I got there a few minutes ahead of our reservation and were able to be taken to our igloo immediately. Sadly, that was when the superb service ended. Our igloo was right next to the hostess stand and the few times she was actually sitting at the stand, she was on her phone FaceTiming someone. The Igloo Prix Fixe is advertised as a 90 minute "leisurely" dining experience, but this was way too slow of service. It took almost 20 minutes for our server to greet us and take our order. When you order, you order all four courses at once. I ordered the bay gem salad, butternut squash ravioli, truffle steak (a $5 up-charge), and butterscotch pudding. They didn't have the ravioli, so they substituted it to for macaroni & cheese. My husband also ordered a soda. Course 1 came in about 5ish minutes; however, it took 30 minutes for my husband to get his soda. It then took 40 minutes after Course 1 for Course 2. Course 3 came 10 minutes later. Course 4 came 20 minutes after that. I will say all the food was great! I would only recommend they work on food timing. It felt that there should have been a longer wait between Course 2 and 3 rather than 1 and 2. The whole experience also took a little bit longer than 90 minutes, so people should be aware in case they had plans elsewhere afterwards. The inside of the igloo dining area was nice! There were 2 couches and chairs near a space heater so you didn't have to worry about the cold outside. Overall, this was a unique experience, but I probably would not do it again though based on the service.

Such a gem! I loved having cuisine I've never had before…read more I made a reservation, but when I arrived, i realized there would of been availability without reservation. They had my table ready and were very warm in their welcome. I hadnt had food like this before and the staff was kind in taking time to explain the dishes and make recommendations. I have the dova rice and pili piri chicken wings. The wings were spicy, nutty, juicy. So delicious! The rice dish went so well with the chicken. It had peanuts in it and the texture of the rice was so unique. It was a match made in heaven. The ambiance is so elegant and calming. I'm glad i was able to come in casual attire and not feel out of place. It was nice to see people outside the restaurant peacefully staring at the waterfalls. I'm so glad i got to try this restaurant during my trip in Durham I was so memorable.

Place has good ambience and nice feel to it. Service was average…read more It is a tapas kind restaurant so service is different than regular places. Food is served as it is cooked. We made reservations for four and it was easy. Though when we reached it was not busy at all Unfortunately the two tapas that we wanted to order were not available may be because we were there around 7, but that is not a justification because our choices got very limited Cauliflower was mediocre with a large floret on the top of peanut/coconut sauce, and vegan crab cake was average with a peri peri kinda sauce at bottom, but corn was really good though I had to use my hands to eat because cob was attached. Goat was good with tomato based curry and have bits in the curry and pieces as well but the qty of pieces was too less, chicken wings are extremely good, they melt in your mouth..mocktails were yummy but I found the quantity very less with lot of ice in the glass... my husband enjoyed his old fashion tamarind drink with bourbon, though we could not taste the tanginess of tamarind... water was at room temperature ...overall a ok place for a relaxing dinner but not compelling enough for me to drive again 40 minutes. Place definitely felt overpriced for the amount of food ...

WXYZ Bar is the bar that is located inside of the Aloft Hotel. It was raining when we left the DPAC…read moreso we stopped in here for drinks while attempting to run to the parking deck. I wish that they had a cocktail list but they did not so we had to ask if they could make certain drinks. I ordered a gimlet and my husband ordered a mint julep to start. Next I had a glass of wine. The service and all of the patrons were friendly. I hope that they get a drink list in the near future.

Great spot to pop in for a drink, play a game of pool and watch the game…read more Ronnie always has the cocktails pouring! I never know what I'm in the mood for and he always has a new and fun cocktail for me to try. If you like a good cocktail, this is the place you need to be!

TLDR: great bowls encompassing numerous cuisines…read more Love supporting local businesses and love eating yummy bowls. There's a wide variety of cuisine types making this perfect for a diverse group of eaters wanting a bowl style meal.

I've been to three Happy + Hale locations and while the menu is the same at all of them, the Ninth…read moreSt location consistently makes the best bowls! Employees seem genuinely happy to interact with you and in many instances, have made awesome suggestions for modifications if an ingredient happens to be out of stock. If the weather is nice, I love eating on the patio to get in a little sunshine and a little people watching. Their rewards program is pretty great--I don't feel that it takes an obnoxiously long time to earn rewards. The app is also super convenient in that you can order ahead and offers curbside pickup (clutch when swinging by during peak times as Ninth St parking can get a little dicey).