When it comes to restaurants, Durham cannot be beat. But with so much amazing food, it’s hard to play favorites. So we let the people vote. Here are the top picks for everything from coffee to pizza in Durham, NC, as chosen by Duke students.
Best Breakfast/Brunch: Monuts
This is THE place for donuts. And coffee and brunch and bagel sandwiches. We’ve never met a monuts we didn’t love.
Best Food Truck at Duke: Parlez-Vous Crepes
Photo by Abby Farley
One Wednesdays, we eat crepes. Parlez Vous Crepes offers an ever-changing menu of savory and sweet crepes on Duke’s campus every hump day. If you’re craving them the other six days of the week, you can find them around Durham.
Best Coffee/Cafe: Cocoa Cinnamon
A photo posted by Cocoa Cinnamon (@cocoacinnamon) on Aug 17, 2015 at 12:28pm PDT
Cocoa Cinnamon is not your ordinary café. Sure, you can get your cappuccinos and lattes and espresso shots here, but why would you when you could try the exotic-sounding Temujin, Aleppo Souk and Al Andaluz drinks?
Best Ice Cream: The Parlour
With flavors like peach-cardamom and Labneh (Greek yogurt with olive oil and mint), The Parlour is the place to go for quality and unique ice cream. They also have an ice cream bus (not truck) that serves their sweet treats around town, which means you’ll always have an excuse to indulge.
Best Fancy Food: Washington Duke Inn
A photo posted by @wadukechef on Jun 21, 2015 at 1:19pm PDT
Elected possibly out of convenience (the WA takes food points, after all), this is still one of Durham’s classiest joints. I’d recommend the brunch: appetizer, entree, and, best of all, dessert bar.
Best Pizza: Pompieri Pizza
“Pizza should arrive as if by dumbwaiter from the pits of hell. It should be charred, blistered, gnarled and smoky. It should not merely be hot, but seem racked—tortured—by heat.” A pizza place with that quote on their wall is bound to be phenomenal.
Best Bar: Bull City Burger and Brewery
A photo posted by Cortney Elizabeth (@thecort524) on May 27, 2015 at 3:55pm PDT
With their own microbrewery and on-tap beers, BCBB has a vibe like no other. Just don’t forget to pair your drink with Durham’s best burger.
Best On-Campus Eatery: Divinity School Café
Grilled cheese is the name and tomato soup is the game. We’d make a case for their vegan chili, too. And the daily special. Actually, order whatever you want. It’s bound to be the best thing you’ll have all day.
Best Southern Food: Dames Chicken and Waffles
A photo posted by Dames Chicken & Waffles (@dameschickenandwaffles) on Nov 15, 2014 at 8:34am PST
There’s nothing quite like fried chicken. But if you add a waffle, you’ve taken that sh*t to a whole new level of southern.
Best Sushi: Sushi Love
Another food points favorite, Sushi Love is there for you on long library nights. If you’re through midterms, order a spread for a sushi night with friends.