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    The Refectory Cafe

    4.1 (442 reviews)
    Open 9:00 am - 8:30 pm

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    THE REFECTORY CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating
    Good for groups

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    Ricotta Gnocchi and Root Vegetables
    Nash I.

    I really enjoyed my food and experience at refractory cafe for dinner! There were plenty of spots available in the parking lot. We were seated almost immediately at a table for 2, despite walking in on a Friday evening. The waitress was very kind and answered all of our questions throughout dinner. We ordered the two vegetarian pasta items in the dinner menu (some items are seasonal i.e. the pumpkin linguini, so be sure to call ahead if you are looking for something specific) and the vegan chili as an appetizer. The chili was very hearty - and has apparently won many awards in the local area! The ricotta gnocchi with root vegetables was so flavorful, the herbs smelled and tasted very fresh and the gnocchi was well cooked. The lasagna was also delicious (I never considered putting brussels sprouts in lasagna before). The only thing I would warn you about is that the lasagna is surrounded by a pool of white sauce so if you want to go easy on the dairy, definitely request less bechamel. We each ate about half of our plates before we were full and took the rest home for leftovers. At the end of the dinner, do not be surprised if they bring a platter of all their desserts to your table to entice you to purchase one! We opted against it because we were too full for dessert, but they all looked delicious! They do have some vegan and gluten-free options as well. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Overall, I loved the local, humble feel of this restaurant - they were truly staying authentic to their style and cuisine without trying to be too trendy.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] This was very much appreciated and is actually what made them stand out to me! I will be returning in the future to try their brunch!

    Creamy Tomato Basil Soup Bowl
    Lynn R.

    [[HIGHLIGHT]]This is a nice spot for lunch in Durham.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] When you go in, you order lunch at the counter. They had a beautiful display of desserts and one thing they had was a Greek yogurt slice of cheesecake. YUM! But I restrained. I ordered the creamy tomato soup in a bowl as I was not too hungry. The soup was flavorful and creamy. It was a good base which I enjoyed. The soup was filling and I couldn't finish it. The other friends I was with enjoyed their lunch too. They had a lovely special ginger peach tea which was refreshing. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Cute place and lots of parking and tables out front.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]]

    Outside menu next to the outside seating area available with strong heaters for customers.
    Francesca J.

    Fantastic food & even better service. Everyone there was kind and welcoming. Not a local but frequently visit Durham so I will absolutely be returning in the future!

    Tomato & pesto sandwich
    Mike B.

    Delicious brunch at this freestanding spot in Durham. Order at the counter, they bring you the food. Pro tip - remember the table number you're sitting at, they ask you when you order. Varied menu of unique and interesting choices. Service is quick, about 10 minutes from order to service. Tried an heirloom tomato and pesto sandwich. 7-grain bread is filled with slices of gorgeous ripe tomatoes and mozzarella cheese. Its slathered with pesto and drizzled with balsamic. Then pressed in a waffle maker. The pesto/tomato combo is mouthwatering. The cheese is gooey, creamy and fresh. Not your standard grilled cheese Sammy - this is definitely up a few notches. Also tried eggs benedict with smoked salmon. Perfectly poached eggs perched atop thinly sliced lox on a toasted English muffin. Hollandaise sauce drizzled over the top. To me it could have used a little more hollandaise and the hollandaise could have been a little tangier. But that's minor - this was very good. Roasted potatoes and veggies to accompany the benedict.... These were great...as many veggies as potatoes, chunked and roasted. A good choice (among several in the area) for brunch. Go!

    Challah Cinnamon French Toast
    Kim G.

    I had a feeling when I arrived during Sunday brunch it would be busy. My feeling was spot on. I actually didn't have a hard time finding a parking space. As you walk in the front door, pay attention to the left. There is a small hostess station. A sign will tell you whether you should seat yourself or wait to be seated. Once you are either given a table or find a table, grab a menu and order at the counter. They have seating inside and out. I imagine if you come during a time where you seat yourself, you will need to find a way to claim your table somehow while you order your food. Luckily we were seated. They provide silverware and napkins at the counter after you order. I ordered the Rise and Shine breakfast. It came with eggs. I chose pork sausage, grits and a biscuit. The eggs were cooked perfectly. The sausage was delicious. The grits were the highlight of the meal. The biscuit was not as fluffy as I expected it to be. My daughter said her French toast was amazing. I know it was good, because she came home and told the rest of our family about it. The French toast was very thick, topped with fresh strawberries and the maple syrup enhanced the taste. They had to-go soups and desserts ready behind the counter. What a lovely place. Simple and good. This is my second time going and I will definitely visit again.

    Rock Shrimp Burger
    Sabrina C.

    [[HIGHLIGHT]]Cute, quaint & easily accessible on 15-501, Refectory Cafe was the perfect locale for a pre-holiday brunch.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] All the good brunch standards--including an array of egg-forward dishes, chicken & waffles, and shrimp & grits--plus interesting lunch options like the rock shrimp burger that I opted for. Nicely crisp tempura battered shrimp tossed in a very tasty & citrusy Thai chili glaze + a side of well-cooked & salted fries=no complaints over here. Absolutely added to my list of Durham faves!

    Breakfast Bowl $13
    Becky B.

    I can't even wrap my head around this place. I'm generously giving two stars because the food was okay. Just okay. We went for brunch this Sunday. It wasn't busy. We liked the ambiance and were looking forward to the food we ordered: Huevos Rancheros $16 Lemon Ricotta pancakes $14 w a side of eggs $4 Breakfast bowl $13 It's like diner food. The huevos rancheros were good but really just like two chalupas with eggs, black beans and meat, with a bit of pico and jalapeño on top. Lemon Ricotta pancakes were just two regular pancakes missing the blueberries we had added. The waitress even argued that the blueberries were cooked inside, although you could clearly tell that there weren't any at all. They did remedy this by bringing a dish of blueberries, about an ounce or so, then bringing out a whole new order of pancakes, which was great. The thing is, each of those pancakes cost SEVEN DOLLARS each and while they were good, they were not anything spectacular for that price. I had the breakfast bowl. It was a bowl of grits with cheddar cheese topped with two eggs and some crumbled bacon-maybe the equivalent of one slice. For THIRTEEN DOLLARS. Hey, I love good food and will happily fork over $$ for good food, but when I the food is basic and plain, I cannot justify it at all. We won't return.

    Pastry Case
    Jaime S.

    My friend and I came here for brunch on a Saturday afternoon around noon. It was rather busy and we didn't have a reservation, so we were ok to sit outside on the heated open patio. It was a decent day for the winter, the sun was out. You get in the line, like at a cafeteria and order your food. At the start of the line are soups and other hot prepared stuff, then there is a dessert case and a pastry case....everything looked so good. You then order everything at the register, and they bring it out to your table. Fostine at the register was great! Neither of us had been there before, so she was super helpful helping us narrow down our choices! The Signature Lemon Ricotta Pancakes were love at first bite. I had them add blueberries and omg! The presentation is basic, but as good as they were it didn't need any extra presentation. My friend had the signature breakfast and subbed the breakfast potatoes for sweet potato fries, which was awesome that she could. I couldn't resist the desserts, so I ordered a ginger snap cookie and lemon bar for later. Both were yummy. Everything was very good. I'm looking forward to going back and trying more things. They are open for dinner too. I also saw that they have wine dinners, so I'm excited to check one out!

    Carolina Cobb Salad
    Lauren M.

    I can't believe I've lived in the area for so long but this is my first visit to The Refectory Cafe. We sat outside and you can order from the QR code on the table. I had the Carolina Cobb Salad and it was so filling and delicious. A little bit on the pricier side for lunch, but a great portion. Staff were very attentive and checked on us multiple times even while we were sitting outside. FYI - Their sodas are not fountain sodas. If you're like me I prefer a fountain soda, it was a bottled soda.

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    1 year ago

    I've been here several times. They consistently have great food and friendly service!

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    Gia

    Gia

    4.2
    (327 reviews)
    52.9 mi
    $$

    I cannot recommend Gia more!! What a wonderful experience overall. We hosted a baby sprinkle here…read moreand every detail was perfect. We went a few weeks ago for lunch to check it all out and had the opportunity to each lunch there before the event. The owner, management and all of the staff are just delightful. The food: - Fried chicken sandwich: HUGE and incredible! - pepperoni flatbread: highly recommend - I have never tasted pepperoni so good - Risotto bowl with salmon and veggies: YUM!! - seasonal salad: fresh and delish - tomato basil soup: WOW!!! Must get. - homemade focaccia: I could have eaten the entire plate They made us a delicious mocktail for the sprinkle and it was a huge hit!! They have 3 different event rooms with a variety of seating options and the staff is so accommodating - will make your vision come alive!

    Came with my coworkers and had a great time!…read more One of my coworkers is gluten free and she was overjoyed at the amount of gluten free options. We learned that the chef's wife is also gluten free so they really make an effort to offer a great selection of GF options. The drinks were amazing, service was very nice, and the food was soo tasty, the portions were huge!! The fries with truffle aioli were absolutely delicious, crispy and perfect. The chicken Milanese was GF and soooo good! This was definitely the highlight of the evening. Overall a great meal, enjoyed the ambiance and service!

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    Tomato Bisque
    Tomato Bisque
    Fried Chicken Sandwich, Salad (GF)

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    Fried Chicken Sandwich, Salad (GF)
    Foster's Market

    Foster's Market

    4.0
    (705 reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $$

    Great sandwich and better dessert! We went there for a…read morecommunity meal after church. Service was good and food was great!

    I've driven past Foster's many times on the weekends and there's always a large crowd, so when a…read moredear friend suggested going for brunch I jumped at it. We arrived around noon on a busy beautiful Sunday! There's plenty of seating both inside and on their outdoor wrap around patio. Foster's has an old rustic charm, kind of like a general store but on a larger scale. So, you order at the counter with one of their many staffers, they call your name when it's ready if you ordered to go, or they walk around to the tables calling out your name if you choose to dine there! I had the Farm Plate, which was 2 eggs your way, a meat, their famous herb biscuit and your choice of grits or potatoes. I chose scrambled hard with cheese eggs, chicken sausage patties and cheese grits. It was just ok. The food was good, not like OMG! My friend had the Breakfast Burrito and it was again, just ok. They have a variety of options to choose from. Maybe we just picked the most basic ones. Nothing is out of the ordinary. Everything looks delicious and we really should have tried a dessert, but didn't. I would go back to give them another chance, but I'm not rushing. They have local goods, like honey, jams, chocolates, sauces for sale as well as wine and lots of other goods. It's super family friendly and a great place to sit and enjoy someone's company or your own, o just didn't have a spectacular experience.

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    Street view of outdoor seating

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    Street view of outdoor seating

    The Refectory Cafe - newamerican - Updated July 2026

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