The Society for Seventeenth-Century Music

The Society for Seventeenth-Century Music

2019 Guide To Restaurants

The New York Post has called Durham “the foodie capital of the South” and Bon Apetit Magazine described it as “the Tastiest Town in the South.” We list here only a small selection of the huge number of local restaurants, concentrating on nearby places and on those with which we are familiar (no, we have not tried all Durham restaurants!) Our list includes both places for coffee or a quick bite and places serving sit-down dinner. As a rule-of-thumb, places with a single $ generally do not provide table service and don’t serve liquor. For places with $$$ (and even some with $$) we recommend a reservation, especially on Friday and Saturday nights. Places are listed more or less in the order of their distance from the Garden Inn. Those in the Ninth Street/Broad Street areas are within a c. 10-minute walk; those “towards downtown” may require 20-30 minutes walking or a short cab ride. Places preceded by an asterisk are favorites of a member of the Local Arrangement Committee (who may, however, not be familiar with some of the unstarred places).

On Main Street, to the Right (West) of the Garden Inn

*Parizade, 2200 W. Main St, 919-286-7337 (0.1 mi) $$$
Sophisticated Mediterranean food, venue for the SSCM Banquet.

Local 22 Kitchen and Bar, 2200 W. Main St, 919-286-9755 (0.1 mi) $$
Upscale Southern-inspired cuisine, farm-to-table emphasis, local brews.

Guasaca, 2200 W. Main St (0.1 mi) $
Venezuelan Arepas, salads, rice bowls with South American flavor.

Shuckin’ Shack, 2200 W. Main St (0.1 mi) $
Seafood restaurant serving up shrimp, oysters, fish-n-chips, surf-n-turf dinners and more.

Ninth Street (Go Left on Main Street to the Next Light)

Bruegger’s Bagels, 626 Ninth St (0.2 mi) $
Reliable.

Alpaca Peruvian Charcoal Chicken, 703A Ninth St (0.2 mi) $
Peruvian rotisserie chicken.

*Happy + Hale, 703B Ninth St (0.2 mi) $
Great Poké bowls, salads smoothies and cold-pressed juices.

Triangle Coffee House, 714 Ninth St (0.3 mi) $
Ninth-Street’s answer to Starbuck’s, with great choice of coffees and vegan pastries.

*Blue Corn Café, 716 Ninth St, 919-286-9600 (0.3 mi) $$
Latin-fusion (much other than Mexican) restaurant with fresh organic ingredients

Juju, 737 Ninth St, 919-286-3555 (0.3 mi) $$
Asian fusion tapas.

Burger Bach, 737 Ninth St (0.3 mi) $$
New Zealand gastropub with grass-fed beef burgers.

Panera Bread, 737 Ninth St (0.3 mi) $
Reliable.

Starbucks (in Harris Teeter), 2002 Hillsborough Rd (0.4 mi) $
If you are desperate, in huge supermarket.

International Delights, 740 Ninth St (0.3 mi) $
Delicious Middle-Eastern fast food.

Metro 8 Steakhouse, 746 Ninth St, 919-416-1700 (.0.3 mi) $$$
Classic American Steakhouse with Argentinian flair.

Banh’s Cuisine, 750 Ninth St (0.3 mi) $
Popular Vietnamese and Chinese “hole-in-the-wall,” cash only!

*Vin Rouge, 2002 Hillsborough Rd (at 9th St), 919-416-0466 (0.4 mi), $$$
Authentic French Bistro, including steak & frites, one of Durham’s best restaurants!

blu seafood and bar, 2002 Hillsborough Rd (at 9th St), 919-286-9600 (0.4 mi) $$$
Upscale but casual, with extensive oyster menu.

Elmo’s Diner, 776 Ninth St (0.4 mi) $$
Breakfast all day and homey Southern fare.

Zen-Fish Poké Bar, 810 Ninth St (0.5 mi)
Made to order bowls.

Broad Street (2 Blocks East of Ninth Street)

Vine (Sushi Bar and Thai), 607 Broad St. (at Main), (0.2 mi) $$
Casual Asian food, good sushi

Mad Hatter’s Café and Bakeshop, 1802 W. Main St (0.3 mi) $$
Breakfast all day, pastries made from scratch, sandwiches and salads.

Wellspring Café (in Whole Foods Market), 621 Broad St. (0.3 mi) $
Hot bar with Southern and ethnic specialties, salad bar, pizza, sushi, all tasty and healthy!

*Watts Grocery, 1116 Broad St, 919-416-5040 (1.0 mi) $$$
Not a grocery store, but one of Durham’s finer restaurants, worth the 20 min walk!

Towards Downtown(C. 1.5 Mi, On Or Near Main St.)

Goorsha, 910 W. Main St, 919-588-4660 (1.0 mi) $$
Modern Ethiopian cuisine, vegan specialties

Saint James Seafood, 806 W Main St, 984-219-7900 (1.1 mi) $$$
Raw bar, extensive seafood menu.

Mothers & Sons Trattoria, 107 W. Chapel Hill St, 919-294-8247 (1.4 mi) $$$
Hand-made pasta and other authentic Italian specialties.

Mateo, 109 W. Chapel Hill St, 919-530-8700 (1.4 mi) $$$
Highly rated tapas bar.

The Viceroy, 335 West Main St, 919-797-0413 (1.4 mi) $$$
Indian cuisine meets British pub in colonial-era setting

COPA, 107 W. Main St, 919-973-0111 (1.6 mi) $$
Cuban cuisine and tapas.

*Counting House, 11 Corcoran St (at Main), 919-965-6760 (1.6 mi) $$$
Fine upscale restaurant in an unusual art-gallery setting.

M Sushi, 311 Holland St, 919-908-9266 (1.6 mi) $$$
Quality sushi from seasonal seafood.

*Dos Perros, 200 N. Mangum St, 919-956-2750 (1.7 mi) $$
Sophisticated Mexican cuisine.

Dashi, 415 Chapel Hill St, 919-251-9335 (1.7 mi) $$
Traditional ramen shop and small plates.

*Pompieri Pizza, 102 City Hall Plaza, 919-973-1589 (1.7) $$
Great Neapolitan-style pizza in a historic former fire station.