Best Restaurants in Durham, NC

In the mood for Spanish, South American, or American southern fare? Whatever flavors you fancy, Durham delivers the best of all worlds. The hard part is making a choice! To help you make the call, the Hendrick Chevrolet Buick GMC Southpoint team put together a list of our absolute favorite places to eat in Durham, NC. Check out some of our top picks, below!

The Restaurant at The Durham

If you’re visiting from Raleigh or Cary, we suggest you make a beeline for the Durham Hotel Restaurant. Undoubtedly one of best restaurants in Durham, NC, it’s also much more than a restaurant! Adjacent to the restaurant you’ll find an all-day coffee bar serving Counter Culture Coffee, house-made pastries, snacks, and lunch. When the weather agrees, meet up with friends for a drink at the roof bar, where you can also enjoy a raw food bar and a small kitchen menu.

The award-winning restaurant serves up elemental American flavors all day, with only the best quality local ingredients, like heirloom tomatoes, blue crab soufflé, dry-aged beef, raw and roasted North Carolina oysters, and artisan bread.

Mateo Bar de Tapas

Want to taste a little bit of everything? We love this tapas bar, where they serve casual-yet-refined Spanish small plates – with a Southern accent. The list of Spanish wines is extraordinary, but the sherry selection might be even better! Featuring beloved ingredients and dishes of the South, you’ll find everything from smoked North Carolina trout salad to fried chicken with hot smoked paprika dip. Small plates mean you can try more!

Luna Rotisserie and Empanadas

Here’s another take on southern fusion, but this time it’s South America meeting the American south. Owner and chef Shawn Stokes brings unique and varied South American ingredients to traditional dishes with roots in the American South. You’ll love the results: Peruvian roast chicken, vegan chili-braised jackfruit, eggplant empanadas with tomato, caramelized onion, and chevre, and passionfruit pie – to name just a few!

Pizzeria Toro

If you’re looking for the best Durham pizza, we have you covered there, too. This modern pizza parlour and neighborhood bar is popular for good reason. We love the thin crust on their wood-fired pizza, plus fresh salads and flavorful soups. Unique pizza flavors like sweet fennel sausage are definite favorites, and the appetizers change with the season to incorporate fresh, locally-sourced ingredients. You’ll find an excellent wine list here, too.

Juju Durham

If you’re in the mood for Asian flavors, we suggest you try Juju Durham! Juju tapas bar serves up small plates with bold Asian fusion flavors. Each dish is created with attention to an exquisite balance of flavors, with only fresh ingredients. Juju is also one of the best restaurants in Durham, NC to grab a drink: try their hand-made cocktails, extensive Sake selections, and well-curated artisan wine list.

Explore Durham with Hendrick Chevrolet Buick GMC Southpoint!

Now that you’ve got the insider scoop on places to eat in Durham NC, explore more tips for enjoying the Durham with the team at Hendrick Chevrolet Buick GMC Southpoint! Whether you’re in Chapel Hill or you live right here in Durham, our Durham guide is meant to help you make the most of your time here. Get in touch if you have further questions or want to learn more!

Always remember: If you’ll be enjoying a drink or two with friends when eating out at restaurants in Durham NC, utilize rideshare services like Uber or Lyft to get you there and back home safely. Or, check out Durham’s convenient public transit system.