Durham
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Durham is full of great places to eat and fun things to do. This page has sections
on food and attractions, as well as
an overview of Durham's main areas of interest (with directions). Hopefully this will
point you to some of our favorite spots , as well as resources for
finding more.
- Front Street Cafe
Extensive breakfast menu with some authentic greek dishes hidden inside. In Loehmann's plaza just north of the Courtyard. - Biscuitville
A regional chain serving delicious biscuit sandwiches. Nearby locations are at 1129 Club Blvd (across from northgate mall) and 3201 Hillsborough Rd. - Elmo's
A diner that serves all the breakfast standards. It is highly regarded among Durhamites, although we find it merely adequate. Located on 9th St. just north of Markham/Hillsborough. - Bean Traders
Laury's favorite coffe shop. On 9th St. - Foster's
Very popular for breakfast and lunch. Menu is varied but has a southern flavor. Mostly outdoor seating. Located at 2694 Durham-Chapel Hill Blvd. - Guglhupf
A German Bakery. Words cannot describe their pastries. They also have a cafe that serves breakfast. Next door to Foster's (above). - Pomodoro
We've never tried it, but it's right in front of the Marriott. - Piedmont
This is probably our favorite restaurant in town. Very creative and delicious. Entrees are $15-$20, however. 401 Foster St. in Durham Central Park - Pop's
More upscale Italian. The food is fantastic, but the menu is a little pricey. They just opened a takeout pizza counter out of their parking lot which is more reasonable, but still delicious. In the Brightleaf district. - Toast
An Italian sandwich shop specializing in grilled paninis. This is one of our favorites. 345 W Main St, near Five Points. Only open for Lunch on Saturdays. - Piazza Italia
A slighly upscale Italian restaurant. A little pricey, but the food is good. In Brightleaf Square. - Durham Pizza Palace
A real Durham institution. The building and decor are outstanding, the prices are low, and the pizza is great. Very convenient to the Courtyard. Head north (a left) on Hillandale. Turn right on Carver St. (about 2 blocks). Turn right on Guess Rd. The Pizza palace is an immediate left (building is set back from the road). - Cinelli's
Good italian food and great pizza. Entrees are a little pricey (>$10), but pizza is reasonable. Follow directions to 9th St. , continue to Main St. turn left on Main St. (a light, BP station on your left). Cinelli's is in a strip mall just before you get to the 1st light (Broad St.). - Mellow Mushroom
Great pizza, calzones, and subs, very reasonable prices. Located in the American Tobacco District which is worth a trip on its own. - Magnolia Grill
Rated the #11 restaurant in the U.S. by Gourmet Magazine. They don't really offer vegetarian food, so we've never been here. 1002 9th st. just north of Green St. - Watts Grocery
American with a southern influence. Named for a former grocery store in the same building. 1116 Broad St. - Rue Cler
Bistro style. 401 E Chapel Hill St. Follow directions for Durham Central Park, then follow foster St. to Chapel Hill St and turn left. - Vin Rouge
Provincial style. At the corner of 9th St. and Markham/Hillsborough. - Dain's Place
Our neighborhood bar. No frills food (burgers, hot dogs, fries), with a great beer list. J.p. always gets the grilled cheese. Laury recommends the veggie burger. Located on 9th St. near the intersection with Markham. - The James Joyce
Irish Pub style, dinner menu (no vegetarian options) plus good selection of European and domestic beers. Outside seating in front and back. Located in the Brightleaf District. - The Federal
Large beer selection and a gourmet menu. Outside seating in front. Located next to the James Joyce in the Brightleaf District. - The Down Under
More of a townie place. Beer is cheaper and there is pool. Located in the Brightleaf District. - The Green Room
A classic pool hall (seriously, think "The Hustler", although it was featured in "Bull Durham") with gorgeous tables as well as shuffleboard and darts (which are free). No food, bottled beer only, but its very cheap. 1108 Broad St.. - Tyler's Tap-Room
Popular with the young professional crowd. Has pool. In the American Tobacco historic district. - Chubby's Tacos
Simple but good mexican fare. We like the gorditas best. Located on 9th St. - Blue Corn Cafe
Latin American food, reasonable prices. The fried plantains are fabulous. Located on 9th St. - Toreros
All the typical mexican stuff plus some unusual things. On the corner of Main and Duke St.s in the Brightleaf District - El Rodeo
Another fairly typical mexican place. This one has outdoor seating. In Brightleaf Square. - Cosmic Cantina
Specializing in burritos. You can get a complete (and delicious) meal here for under $3. I'm not even kidding. Located on Perry St. Follow directions to 9th St. then turn left onto Perry St. (a flower shop will be on your left, The Duck Shop on your right). Cosmic is on the second floor (don't be frightened by the condition of the stairway). I look for the sign that says "9th street dance". Turn right at the top of the stairs. - Kim Son
Vietnamese food. Doesn't look like much, but it's great. Less than a mile from the hotel. Get on I-85 North, take the first exit (Guess Rd.). Head south on Guess (a right turn), Kim Son will be in a strip on your right. - Shanghai
Our current favorite Chinese. Follow directions to Hillsborough Rd. and turn right. Shanghai will be on your left in a strip with a Kroger. - Rainbow
Our previous Chinese choice (nothing wrong with it, just not as close). Limited inside seating. On Main St. in the Brightleaf district. - Hong Kong
We've never eaten here, but the Dim Sum is highly recommended. 3003 Guess Rd. From the Courtyard, head north (a left turn) on Hillandale Rd., then take a right on Fawn Ave. Follow Fawn to Guess Rd. (~2 blocks) I'm honestly not sure if you turn left or right from here because its hard to tell from the google map. Let me know if you try it. - Sitar India Palace
The best Indian food in Durham. Typical restaurant food plus south asian specialties (mmmm, Dosa). 3117 Shannon Rd. Follow directions for South Square, then turn right onto Shannon Rd. Take the first left off of Shannon, and Sitar will be in a (run-down looking) strip mall to your right. - Dail's
Indian buffet that's closer to the hotel. Follow directions to 9th St., in a large building on your right just south of Green St. - The Palace International
African food - from Kenya. A great meal at reasonable prices. On Broad St. - International Delights
A middle eastern place that also offers philly-style grilled subs. The best falafel in the triangle. On 9th st. - Fishmonger's
A Durham institution. We've never eaten there, but reviews are good. On Main St. in the Brightleaf district. The big sign in the window says "Oyster Bar". - Francescas
Great coffee, baked goods and gelato. Usually a scene, especially in the summer when the high school kids hang out front and smoke. On 9th St. - Amelias
Fabulous desserts and gelato along with Brazillian specialties. In Brightleaf Square. - Locopops
Mexican Paletas (that's spanish for "the best popsicle you ever had"). Fabulous flavors like Mango chile and chocolate rosemary. They will providing dessert for our Saturday night party. Follow directions for Hillsborough Rd. and turn left onto Hillsborough. Locopops will be on your left in a small strip (next to a locksmith) at the intersection with 15th St. - Ox & Rabbit
Just opened in an old drug store. Featuring an soda fountain with milk shakes and flavored sodas. On 9th St.
Food
A thematic list of some of our favorite places. At the bottom you can find directions to most areas from the Marriott Courtyard.Breakfast/Coffee
Italian/Pizza
New American (aka gourmet)
French
I don't think I've ever lived in a town with more than one French restaurant, but here I am. We have not extensively patronized either of these places, but their reputations are excellent.Bars
Mexican/Latin
Asian/Indian/Other
Dessert
Things to Do in Durham
Durham is not necessarily long on tourist attractions, here are the highlightsBenett Place State Historic Site
Site of the largest surrender of Confederate forces at the close of the civil war. Features a restored 19th century farmstead. For more information check out the web site.To get there from the follow directions for Hillsborough Rd. (aka Route 70), and turn right onto Hillsborough. After passing over rt. 147, bear left onto Neal Rd. Neal Rd will make a right turn after passing under Rt 147. Turn left onto Bennett Memorial Rd. These directions are approximate, so feel free to just follow the signs.
Durham Bulls
Durham's AAA team is a moderately priced way to spend an afternoon. There are evening games every day leading up to the wedding, and a 5pm game on Sunday. Details are available at the Bulls site. See directions to American Tobacco District.American Tobacco Historic District
The source of the Duke fortune, American Tobacco once had a de facto monopoly on tobacco products in the US. Their production facility has been recently restored to a mix of retail, commercial, and residential. Worth a trip just to check out the "Old Bull River" which is a series of fountains and cascades. The "Lucky Strike" water tower isn't bad either. Restaurants here include Mellow Mushroom and Tyler's Tap-Room. The Durham Bulls Athletic Park is across Blackwell St. Directions can be found here.Duke Homestead
Another NC historic site, we've actually never been here. More info is on their web site.Very convenient to the Courtyard. Head north (a left turn) on Hillandale Rd. Turn right on Fawn Ave (2nd right I think). Turn right on Guess Rd. (2nd right I think). Turn left on Duke Homestead Rd (should be the first left).
Duke Gardens
One small part of the Sarah P. Duke gardens will host our wedding, but there's much more to see. The gardens adjoin Duke's West Campus, but are supported by a separate endowment. A lot of dollars means a lot of flowers, so they look great 12 months a year. See directions to the wedding site elsewhere on the page.Duke Campus
Duke University has two campuses in Durham. Parking is difficult at both of them.East Campus is the original campus in Durham, with beautiful grounds and buildings in neoclassical and Georgian style. Duke currently houses first year students here, along with several academic departments. Your best bet here is to follow the directions for Broad St., then continue down broad street to Markham St, when you will see the campus on your left. You can park along Broad St, Perry St (which will be on your right after Markham), or in the lot in front of the Whole Foods shopping center (bordered by Perry and Main Sts.).
Duke's West Campus is the larger and more famous, built in a gothic style in emulation of Yale. The Duke Chapel should not be missed (J.p. likes to go there to commune with the spirit of Terry Sanford). The campus is a warren of dead end streets with no parking anywhere. I refer you to Duke's site for visitors.
Nasher Museum of Art
Just across the street from the Duke Gardens is this beautiful new musuem. The architecture is attraction enough for a visit. Thankfully, it has it's own parking lot. Check out the web site.Movies
Durham's historic theatre is the Carolina Theatre. Follow directions for Durham Central Park then turn right on Morgan St. Theatre will be on left.Mainstream movies play at Northgate Mall, South Point Mall, and the Carmike Wynnsong located near South Square. Listings are available here.
Farmers/Craft Market
Maybe you weren't planning on bringing produce back with you, but the farmer's market is a Saturday morning event, with food (including coffee and baked goods), flowers, music and crafts. Also, if you like dogs and/or babies, it's the place to be. After you're marketed out you can continue down Foster st. to Piedmont or Rue Cler for gourmet brunch at discounted prices.Follow directions for Durham Central Park but turn 1 block earlier on Washington St. Parking is in a large lot on your left (across the street from Measurement, Inc.).
Eno River
For those interested in getting out of the city, the Eno River runs through North Durham. Hiking and swimming are available at Eno River State Park. Further downstream is a city park with more trails and a resored grist mill (where you can buy stone-ground grits!) at West Point at the Eno.Golf
There are two golf courses within a mile of the hotel. Croasdaile Country Club appears to be private, while Hillandale Golf Club is public.Shopping
Durham has two malls, Northgate, which is convenient but has less, and South Point which is inconvenient but is full of high-end stores.If you need a target or similar big box store, follow the directions to South Square. From there Target and Sam's will be on 15-501 to the north, while many others will be south towards Chapel Hill.
For more offbeat shopping, Ninth St. has some boutique retail and some quirky (or junky, depending on whom you ask) gift shops, and a great bookstore named for a popular uprising.
For personal items there's a 24-hour drugstore on Hillsborough Rd. just across from Kroger.
Durham Areas
9th Street
One of Durham's original shopping districts, it's very convenient to our neighborhood and the Courtyard. It has several restaurants and stores. See above or check the web site. From the courtyard go south on Hillandale Rd. Take a left on Club blvd. (a traffic light after the golf course.). Follow club for about 10 blocks then right on 9th st. at the traffic light. The commercial district starts in 3 blocks, just south of Green St.Erwin Square is adjacent to 9th st. Follow directions above, then turn right off of 9th onto Hillsborough/Marquam St (Vin Rouge will be on your right, Elmo's/Barnes/Cozy on your left). Take the 1st left into the Erwin square development. Proceed past the apartment buildings to the commercial area.
Broad Street
One block east of 9th St, it's also very convenient to our neighborhood and the Courtyard. From the courtyard go south on Hillandale Rd. Take a left on Club blvd. (a traffic light after the golf course.). Follow club for about 11 blocks then right on Broad st. at the traffic light. Most businesses are in the block immediately on your left.Bright Leaf District
Brightleaf Square is a pair of converted tobacco warehouses that were turned into businesses in the early 80s.From the courtyard, get on I-85 north. Take the second exit (Duke/Gregson St.) heading south. Follow Gregson through town. The brightleaf district is centered around Gregson St. and Main St. Parking is available in lots on both sides of Main, and on most streets in the area.
Brightleaf Square occupies the Southwest corner of Main and Gregson and contains El Rodeo, Piazza Italia, Chamas, Niko's, and Amelia's.
Peabody Place is in the Southeast corner (behind the large parking lot). Pop's and Parker & Otis (location of our saturday party) front on Peabody St. to the south.
The northeast block has Fishmonger's, Toreros and the Down Under.
The northwest block has the James Joyce, the Federal, Another Thyme, and Rainbow Chinese.
Northgate Mall
People seem to think of this mall as past its prime, but its convenience is unbeatable. Has Sears, Macy's, a movie theatre, and some food.To get here from the courtyard, get on I-85 north. Take the first exit (Guess Rd.) heading south. Northgate is at the intersection of Guess and Club Blvd.
South Square
A former mall that has now devolved into a group of strip malls. Featuring chain restaurants, big-box stores (Target, Sam's), and the world's most misplaced office tower.From the courtyard, get on I-85 South, take the first exit onto 15/501 South. Follow signs for 15/501 business, a left exit.
To get back to the hotel its easiest to take 15/501 business north, then exit at 751 (Academy Rd.). This will lead back to 15/501 bypass, from which you can reverse the above directions (get on I-85 North, then take the 1st exit at Hillandale).
Durham/Chapel-Hill Blvd.
This is also known as 15-501 Business. Here you will find several restaurants, including Fosters, Guglhupf, Nana's, the Q Shack, and Thai Cafe.From the courtyard, get on I-85 north. Take the second exit (Duke/Gregson St.) heading south. Follow gregson through town. When you cross over 147 the name changes to Vickers St. Vickers will merge into University Dr. Shortly after passing through Forest Hills Park, University will bear fork with Durham-Chapel Hill Blvd. heading off to the right. Thai Cafe will be immediately ahead on your left, and Nana's and the Q-Shack will be ahead on your right. To get to Foster's or Guglhupf, bear right.
Five Points (Downtown)
Durham's downtown shopping area has been having trouble holding on to tenants, but it has some good ones. Toast (see above), Five Points Cafe, Bull McCabe's (an irish bar) and a great bookstore are among them. The streetscape here was recently remodeled, and the CCB plaza off Market St. is now graced by the city's mascot, a giant bronze bull. This is a great starting point for exploring downtown.From the Courtyard, get on I-85 North and take the second exit (Duke/Gregson St.) Follow Gregson St. south to Main St. Take a left on Main St. Chapel Hill St. will merge from the right to form a somewhat confusing five way intersection. Street parking is available on Main St.
Hillsborough Rd.
This is a modern commercial area with strip malls offering a variety of conveniences. Gas, groceries, pharmaceuticals, and other necessities are easily found here.From the Courtyard head south on Hillandale St. After passing Club boulevard and the water treatment plant, take a right at the next light. The ramp leads up to Hillsborough Rd. Most things of interest are to the right.
Durham Central Park
Centered around Durham Athletic Park (the home of the Bulls util the 90s), it's now the center of the Durham arts community. It also contains a nice park (hence the name), the Durham Farmers Market, and several nice restaurants (Piedmont, Rue Cler).To get here from the courtyard, take I-85 North. Take the second exit (Duke/Gregson St.) heading south. Then turn left on Markham St. (approximately 5 blocks south of Club Blvd). Follow Markham for 4 blocks and turn right on Foster St. (at the top of a steep hill).