Durham is a great city. During our four years living in the Durham County portion of Chapel Hill, we went out in the City of Durham more than the Town of Chapel Hill. Parts of Durham are hip and progressive, reminding us of cities like Asheville and Decatur, Georgia. I think Durham may have the best food scene when it comes to the Triangle cities, even beating Raleigh (and Cary, which continues to rise). We spent a lot of time eating at restaurants in downtown Durham. In this Yelp review, I list my top 10 favorite restaurants in Durham from our time there from June 2020 through July 2024. 1. M Sushi - The best sushi in the Triangle. Try one of the omakases. https://www.yelp.com/biz/m-sushi-durham 2. M Tempura - Outstanding and unique. Get the kaiseki. https://www.yelp.com/biz/m-tempura-durham-3 3. Juju Asian Tapas + Bar - Consistently great food with a fun, comfortable atmosphere. https://www.yelp.com/biz/juju-asian-tapas-bar-durham-3 4. Nana Steak - I love prime rib and theirs is among the best I've had anywhere. https://www.yelp.com/biz/nana-steak-durham 5. Rose's - Exceptional ramen and ice cream sandwiches. Best ramen in the Triangle. https://www.yelp.com/biz/roses-durham-3 6. Mateo Bar de Tapas - Best tapas in the Triangle. https://www.yelp.com/biz/mateo-durham 7. Pizzeria Toro - Excellent Neapolitan-style pizza. https://www.yelp.com/biz/pizzeria-toro-durham 8. Namu - Terrific gimbap and other Korean food/snacks in a neat indoor-outdoor beer garden environment. They serve coffee too. https://www.yelp.com/biz/namu-durham 9. Eastcut Sandwich Bar - Amazing sandwiches. https://www.yelp.com/biz/eastcut-sandwich-bar-durham-durham 10. Viceroy - Fantastic, higher-end Indian restaurant. https://www.yelp.com/biz/viceroy-durham Honorable mentions: * Asian Kitchen - "Authentic" hand-pulled noodles, dumplings, and other Chinese dishes like ong choy (water spinach). https://www.yelp.com/biz/asian-kitchen-durham * Emmy Squared Pizza - Incredible Detroit-style deep-dish pizza. https://www.yelp.com/biz/emmy-squared-pizza-durham-durham-4 * M Kokko - Best Korean fried chicken we tried in the Triangle. https://www.yelp.com/biz/m-kokko-durham * M Pocha - All-around great food, "inspired traditional Japanese cuisine with Peruvian and Spanish influences." https://www.yelp.com/biz/m-pocha-durham-2 * Makus Empanadas - Superb empanadas. https://www.yelp.com/biz/makus-empanadas-durham * The Original Q Shack - I think this was the best barbecue we had in Durham. https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-original-q-shack-durham * The Parlour - Our favorite ice cream shop in Durham. https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-parlour-durham-2 * Saltbox Seafood Joint - Tasty fried seafood and chowder. https://www.yelp.com/biz/saltbox-seafood-joint-durham-3 * Sister Liu's Kitchen - Yummy, small Chinese dumpling and sandwich takeout joint. https://www.yelp.com/biz/sister-lius-kitchen-durham-2 * Szechuan Mansion Hotpot - Absolutely delicious Chinese hot pot. Make a reservation. https://www.yelp.com/biz/szechuan-mansion-hotpot-durham read more

This is for Stacy who works in Durham department of water services. She was an absolute gem. She was kind, sharp, helpful, peppy, all of the amazing things you want when you're calling a customer service rep. She got us easily setup in a timely manner. Absolute best person I've spoken to when calling a government service. read more

Visiting junior for parents weekend. My first trip to Durham. Upscale, trendy and multicultural -- this City has the college town vibe you expect from Duke University and its' world class medical facilities. Downtown is a nice combo of old and modern - hipster and old school, millennials and boomers -- living in seeming harmony side by side. Lol. But like any growing metropolis in the rapidly evolving Southeastern US -- expect to find a fair share of homelessness and anger on the streets from those marginalized by increased disparity in wealth and opportunity. Sorta like SF lite. I ate some excellent French bistro vittles here at Rue Cler -- Parisienne quality. Pulled pork, ribs and brisket at Bullock's is real deal North Carolina Q -- with vinegar based sauce and hush puppies and all the trimmings -- like momma used to make. Or if you crave shrimp and grits or biscuits and gravy southern style -- check out Elmo's. BOMB and INEXPENSIVE. Nightlife at Shooters in the downtown tobacco district is hopping with college age folks after 10pm with plenty to drink and room to move. Depending on your preferences, lots of smaller clubs abound that cater to just about every flavor of life. In short - Durham is a diverse and welcoming small City in every sense -- with accessible hotels to match every budget. Top Tip: Street parking is metered and tight, but the Indoor parking garage in the downtown district on Chapel Hill Street has plenty of room and is free weekdays after 5pm and all day on weekends. Most restaurants and entertainment is accessible from there on foot. read more

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This is where they filmed the movie Bull Durham - fun times, right? I've had some nasty experiences and some good experiences since my last review in Durham but some of them lean towards nasty - especially from Cops and security guards - and there's definitely a lot of racial tensions here, maybe moreso than in the other Triangle towns - and the service at my favorite salad place really went down the toilet. Lots of anger and lots of clashing between left and right wingers.. extremists really. So a microcosm of the whole country, then. For this reason, unlike Raleigh and Chapel Hill (which both have better foods and boba) and even Cary (same), I'll have to take a star off Durham, which was once one of my fave towns in the whole state. As I've said before - Much better than Dourham, which is about the worst ham you'll ever eat. Durham is an underrated and surprisingly awesome city. Durham is named after a city in North Eastern England. A beautiful Cathedral city with a University too, up in a very poor and cold, windswept and forgotten part of the UK. But this Durham is nothing like that, except for the world-famous University. You might know Durham for its College Sports Teams. I know it as a place with lots of multi-cultural food and immigrants. A clean, warm, lush place, part of the wonderful Research Triangle, my favourite part of North Carolina and one of the urban areas in the country I'd most like to live in. I particularly love the salad place in Durham - Happy & Hale. The girls working there make me Happy as Hale and as Durham Lipa would say, they're Hotter Than Hale. Plus nearby in Chapel Hill there are a few of the very best food places in the whole state. Merritt's Pimento BLT. Backyard BBQ $5 platter with pulled pork and mac n cheese. The Brown Sugar Milk Tea at Quickly. Try a Chicken Biscuit at Sunrise in Chapel Hill, too. There is a lot of great food here too, such as Rise and Sunrise (2 biscuit shops), Clyde Cooper's BBQ, and the amazing Cook Out chain, where you should always order Cajun Chicken sandwiches and fresh banana shakes. If you include Chapel Hill (where Sunrise is, home of the best chicken biscuit in the region), then you get the greatest BLT on earth at Merritt's, and the greatest BBQ in Carolina at Backyard BBQ Pit. Honeydew Bubble Tea at Crema, and especially the Brown Sugar Milk Tea at Quickly in Morrisville. Happy & Hale in Durham for excellent healthy salads. There are some great taco places (like Vaquita) and lots of little holes-in-walls all over the region that you will discover yourself. And that band are from here: Durham Durham. They did "Grills On Film" and "Hungry Like The Yelper" and "A View To A Kale." Awesome band. (if it wasn't for the racism against me it'd have stayed at 5) read more

City of Durham - I'm very durable, and so is Durham - Landmarks & Historical Buildings Near Me

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The Tobacco campus area is my favourite part of downtown Durham. They have done up this area really nice by preserving the history of the area. If you wander too far out from the Center of downtown some parts will look more run down and sketchy. There is a British-Indian style restaurant and acFrench place, those are my favourites and a place that has self serve beer similar to when you pump frozen yoghurt. Well that's what I remember from Durham. The baseball stadium is cool, even if the Bulls is losing most of the time. read more

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For my 400th Yelp review, I wanted to write about something special, something near & dear to my heart, something DIRTY. I couldn't think of a better place to write about then my dear old, tiny little city of the dirty D. Having lived in Durham for over three years, I feel like I've experience the hell out of this little place. Durham's got pockets, it's still changing and has a long history tobacco, baseball, crime and community. Durham is an ethnically diverse community, we are passionate about politics, change, acceptance and LOCAL. Durham is known to those living OUTSIDE the city for Duke University, but that comprises so little of what this city is. It is one of the most constantly changing places I've ever lived. Here are just some of the highlights: Best Activities: American Tobacco Campus + Durham Bulls + Sarah P. Duke Gardens & Duke University + Durham THIRD Friday + Durham Foodtruck Rodeo + Durham Farmer's Market + Durham Performing Arts Center + Museum of Life & Science + Durham Patchwork Market + Full Frame Theater + Carolina Theater. Best Cultural Activities: Alizarin Gallery + Durham History Hub + Golden Belt Studios + Nasher Art Museum + 21c Museum Hotels. Best Breweries: Triangle Brewing Company + Bull City Ciderworks + Bull City Burgers & Brewery + Fullsteam Brewery + Dueling Sloths Brewing Company. Best Dining Places: Kokyu Na'Mean + Mediterranean Grill & Grocery + Pizzaria Torro + Dame's Chicken & Waffles + Seafood Saltbox + Old Havana Sandwich Shop + Part & Labor + The Federal + Parker & Otis + MoNuts. Best Places to Grab a Drink: Bar Lusconi + The Glass Jug + Bar Virgile + Rx Wine Lab + The Counting House. Best Natural Places: American Tobacco Trail + Al Buehler Cross Country Trail + Durham Central Park + Valley Springs Disc Golf Course + Eno River. Best Shops: The Makery at Mercury Studios + Nomadic Trading Company + The Streets of Southpoint. Best Districts: Brightleaf District + 9th Street + DIY District aka The Warehouse District + American Tobacco Campus. So yes! Give Durham a try, come experience the food, culture, people and so much more. xox. / \ ((___,--"""--,___)) `--_---' '---_--' {_d\ /b_} \ ` / ): :( ( o_o ) '"-"' Go BULLS! Bull City!!! read more

I know as Yelp's official "mayor" of the Triangle, I'm not supposed to have favorites. But... when it comes to my first four-digit review, I'm putting appearances aside and making a public confession. "Durham, Love Yourself" -- that's what you might see on a local screen-printed tee -- or "Dur" + a hock of ham, or "Keep Durham Dirty." Together these conceptualize a few of the things that make this city a great place to live: a locally passionate community, a little quirk, and some urban grit. When I moved to the Triangle I didn't expect to stick around so long; but over the years, it's become such a fulfilling place to live. In Durham, a thriving food truck culture, world-class performing arts center, Eno River, Fullsteam, RTP innovations, Bulls games. Diverse and historic neighborhoods. Greenways. Museums. (Yeah, so maybe a bail bonds place or two; I'm getting to that...) Affordable! I feel lucky to live in a place with so many places to play -- and still be able to own a home. Downtown. With two stories. And tons of trees! How many metros is that even possible? With the free BCC bus system, and scale of the area, downtown is easy to get around in. And you'll see such a variety of people walking the sidewalks with their friends, families, & dogs. But if you bring your car, parking isn't hard to come by -- and often -- it's free. Just in from a trip to Baltimore, I'm reminded not to take this for granted! Fifteen minutes from Chapel Hill and thirty from Raleigh, you can still hit the sister cities easily. Of course, I think we'd all love to see more bike racks and lanes, and eventually a lightrail. And I think we're hopeful that the area -- downtown & beyond -- will continue to offer a growing list of unique restaurant and retail experiences. But the really wonderful thing about residing in Durham is the people, who truly embrace and celebrate the area and all that crops up. Difficult to describe unless you live here. But consider that our city nearly rocketed Only Burger to the top of the "by popular vote" nominee list in a reality TV show. Or that this year, it hosted an event where citizens could actually wed their beloved Durham, complete with a marriage certificate and a DT reception: http://www.yelp.com/biz/marry-durham-durham Should you ever move (not that you'll want to), don't worry, we've been advised "Durham is not opposed to just being friends with benefits." Durham gets a bad rep because of its crime rate -- but similar to how Seattle has a reputation for being rainy and dreary -- it's a little exaggerated. Greensboro, where I grew up (with no knife fights!), actually has a higher crime rate! Just as in any city, there are places you might not want to walk alone at 2am (bail bonds shops?). But I can truthfully say I've never felt unsafe. And I've been a proud Durhamite since 2005! CH and Raleigh may have more spit-shine, but neither of them have as much character. Besides, who doesn't love an underdog? Here's to the Dirty D: Home sweet home! read more

"Durham Rocks," "Durham, Love Yourself," "Keep it Dirty, Durham." These are just a few of the slogans you see plastered to the back of cars and trucks all over the Triangle area, and for good reason. The Bull City is an odd situation, when it comes to the Triangle, Durham is less of a shining gem, and more of the weird little sister that Raleigh and Chapel Hill like to pick on. Sure, Raleigh's better at hiding her low income population under a slick sheen of vapid nightlife, state capitolhood, and an oddly long-lived public schools districting debate. And, yeah, Chapel Hill thrives on PBR and hipster music venue goodness, and a bohemian spillover from Carrboro. But Durham, the weird little sister she is, doesn't care. Low income areas? Sure, but let's slap a fine dining restaurant right in the middle of it, why not?? Biggest commercial juggernaut of a mall in the Triangle area? You know it, but we don't care, we've got a local response for any store Southpoint has to offer. And don't even get us started about the food trucks. Oh, the food trucks, I could pontificate for hours on the virtues of these fantastic, free-roaming food-stops. And, if you like the destinations found in highfalutin Raleigh or hipster-haven Chapel Hill, Durham is smack between them, making either one an easy destination. As much as I love Durham for her own virtues, her location makes her the prime spot for a home base of anyone wanting to be a citizen of the Triangle area. read more

This is a review for the actual entity that is "City of Durham" & the services provided, not a general review about what it's like to live in Durham. I've been living in Durham for over six years. A lot has changed since I moved to the "Dirty D" in 2009, much of it organically and not through city initiatives of razing buildings for surface parking lots. While I disagree with many of the City of Durham's strategic initiatives and city planning & priorities (Police HQ's new location and plan, lack of sidewalks, huge swaths of dilapidated project housing in downtown), the people who work for the City of Durham and the different city services and departments are top notch. The Durham One Call number is such a fantastic service staffed by helpful & courteous people. They are who I turn to when I don't know who to turn to. The staff respond to emails and will call you back to talk about your Durham One issue. We had an emergency with our plumbing on a SUNDAY and called the City of Durham water management out of desperation. They came out within an hour and actually solved our problem that day. Amazing! I know it's not easy to run a city, especially a city such as Durham with a history of urban decay, collapsed industries, and huge socioeconomic divides. I really appreciate all the City of Durham employees and officials. I truly believe they care about the city and want to make it as best it can be. So for all the complaints the City of Durham must get, here is a big THANK YOU! from me. You guys are working hard and delivering a five star experience. read more

I wish it was possible to not even give you guys a star!!! This is the 3rd time our water has been disconnected due to YOUR mistake. I can't even explain the frustration I feel and getting someone on the phone is nearly impossible. Your customer service is a complete joke and so is your billing system!!! I've been waiting since 6/2 for a member of management to return my phone call.... I love Durham but I wouldn't recommend buying a home in Durham due to their water services. read more

We live in the city of Durham for the past 30 year, I try not to have anything to do with the city employees. I had to go to the water department, it is true what they say about government employees, they work for the government because they couldn't work for anyone else. I had never seen a ruder bunch of people in one place. They are rude, condescending, and disrespectful to the residents, if you have issues with your water don't talk to them, they make it seems as if you are bothering them. I had a water leak while I was on vacation, my bill was ten times my average monthly bill. I talk to the representatives about it, "she said I explained the process to you already and I am not going to explain it again, you will pay the bill or the water will be turned off". I said let me speak to your supervisor, it was like bringing out the angry pit bull, she said "sir didn't she tell you what our policies are, I work here I don't make the rules. I paid the bill and left, hopefully that's my last contact with the city. read more

City of Durham handles the water utility. Water is clean, although they did switch from chlorine to chloramines so it is difficult to filter. Standard Brita filters are useless for removing chloramine. i had to use a two filter KDF and Coconut Shell counter top system. Customer service with the utility is rather bad if you have a problem. Our water meter boxes need mosquito baiting and the utility won't do it. They are also slow to fix a leak. Worst of all are their fees. They have electronic meters so they only need to check them every other month for low usage accounts. When they upgraded meters they started checking them every month, doubling the service fee which for me is as much as the water itself. This is a huge scam. read more