The food was horrible! I was soooooo disappointed! Dame's was the joint when I was in college. This was my first time visiting this new location in Durham. I talked the place up to my family, and I was so embarrassed at the quality of the food. The shrimp and grits had a 1/2 inch of grease floating on the top. The waffle was cold, soft, and doughy. The smear did not even melt a little because the waffle was so cold. The chicken tasted bad and so did the homemade potato chips. They tasted like dirty grease. I drove allll the way from Maryland and no one enjoyed their meal. Like I said, I was soooooo embarrassed and completely disappointed. read more

Dame's Chicken & Waffles - Shrimp and Grits. It was swimming in grease! - Southern Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

I took the ladies in my family out to Dame's Chicken & Waffles. This is hands down my favorite location to date!! We were greeted to heavy jazz inspirations and waited by a lovely new server (Abigail). She did an amazing job, the manager was awesome and was willing to assist his staff. Let me just say the chicken cutlet was juicy, full of flavor!! Adding the shmears and drizzle take these plates to another level. The signature mac & cheese, potato salad & greens are perfectly portion side dishes. They aren't heavily seasoned so if you have food concerns you should be safe. If you're looking for a filling southern styled meal this should be #1 on your list!! read more

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Placed a pick up order and tried the chicken and waffles, greens, and Mac and cheese. The order was ready upon arrival and fresh- everything was good- except the Mac and cheese was mediocre. read more

I've been here a few times and I would love to give Dames a good rating, but I just can't. However, let's start things in a positive note. The food is delicious! The chicken was cooked perfectly and the shmears are to die for. This time I had the chocolate hazelnut and it was so so good! You can't go wrong with the perfect combination of sweet and savory. Now to the bad points, every time I've been here, it's been fairly dead and every time it's been ~30-45min wait to get our food. With us being one of the 4 tables there, this order shouldn't have taken that long to cook. Also, this might be nit-picky but our plates were dirty with grease. If you take a look at my plate you can see the finger prints of the cook grabbing the plate. Idk something about seeing finger prints grosses me out if I'm out at a restaurant. Anyways, if we isolate the food in itself, it was realllyyyy good, but I don't know if I'll make a trip back out there again since it's such a mood kill to have to wait for so long for food. read more

Dame's Chicken & Waffles - Red crested rosecomb - Southern Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Dame's never disappoints, stopped here after going to a scrimmage at Duke! This is one of my daughters favorite restaurants (Greensboro location) she doesn't have to look at the menu. We ordered what they're famous for, chicken and waffles. Some of us had chicken wings and some chicken cutlets, with plain or gingerbread waffles and of course we had smears. What is smear you ask, it's a flavored butter that's like no other. We also had cheese grits and greens as a side and they were delicious. I had a strawberry moscato cocktail, it was great. Our server Chelsea was the bomb.com! The restaurant is always nice and clean, service was fast. read more

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I think I just found my new favorite brunch spot in Durham. Dame's has it all: comfortable ambience, friendly service, and phenomenal food!! I ordered the "What a Classy Hen," their original waffle with a 6oz boneless chicken cutlet and a side of vanilla-almond shmear. Good lord. So many other places do waffles wrong, but Dame's has got it down to a science. It was slightly sweet, ever so fluffy, and just warm enough so that the shmear melted on top. The chicken was also succulent and flavorful. You could enjoy each component of the meal separately, or spear the chicken and waffle together on your fork and enjoy the savory and sweet blend of flavor. I savored every bite, and the food coma that resulted was well worth it. Will be back again!! read more

Dame's Chicken & Waffles - "What a classy hen": waffle with chicken cutlet and vanilla-almond shmear - Southern Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

I took a brief trip to Durham for work and had one meal where I would be able to choose the restaurant myself. A friend recommended this place, and even my Lyft driver got excited when it dawned on him where he was dropping me off. So good! Across the shmear, hot sauce and syrup, there was so much to enhance the flavor of the chicken and waffles. I prefer my mac and cheese cheesy, not overly milky, with no overcooked noodles. This mac and cheese passed with flying colors! read more

Dame's Chicken & Waffles - Build your own--baby blueberry shmear, ask yo mama hot sauce, cheesy mac - Southern Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Our family dined here today, and we all had the chicken and waffles. The boneless, fried chicken is so tender and perfectly seasoned. The waffles are solid, and I enjoyed the maple pecan shmear. Prices are fine. I think portions have gotten smaller. Apart from that, we enjoyed the food and service was attentive. read more

Dames is always my favorite place for chicken and waffles when I am in town! Definitely recommend making a reservation! read more

First time here, really nice open air and bright restaurant with modern design and feel. Staff was very friendly, I was pleased with their respectfulness and kindness. Thank you Had the Orange Speckled Chabo, it was pretty good. Nice flavors. To be honest, the portion size was a little small for the price. Expect to drop at least $15 per plate. A suggestion would be use real maple syrup, it makes all the difference in the world. read more

Dame's Chicken & Waffles - Orange Speckled Chabo - Southern Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Great food. Great service. Nice atmosphere. Kind of busy but they keep up with orders & drink refills. 1 st time here with my hubby & another couple. Will be back. read more

Was excited but no one created, sat me down, or said today was free food day. Will not be returning. No pic because no food.

Service is quick and the food is good. My chicken from The Light Skin Leghorns was nice and tasty as well as hot. My waffle was room temp and I ordered the peach and apricot schmear, but they gave me the orange honeycomb instead. It was tasty, but I enjoyed the rest of my waffle and chicken with just the K-Pop Drizzle as it's slightly spicy and sweet. The Mac and cheese was good and I enjoyed the space. Weekends can be a bit much as we never got the coffees we ordered or the coffee cocktail because it needed to brew and that's ok as they were never added to our bill. The rest of the table enjoyed their grits as well for sides and their food. Will definitely be back read more

Dame's Chicken & Waffles - Modified The Light Brown Leghorns and did the K-Pop Drizzle. - Southern Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

We've eaten at Dames in the past and the food and service were great, today not so much. We arrived a little after 11, so it was not crowded. Our waitress was nice enough, and our order was taken quickly but we didn't get our food until 30 minutes later, which was after 3 tables who came in after us had already been served and were leaving. When we got our food, the chicken was burnt and the waffles were cold. One of the tables who had received food before us found a hair in their dish, and when I looked in the prep window, I could see that one of the chefs had long plaits with no hair net or restraint. We did let the server know of our issues, but we were not offered any comps, so we paid and left. Needless to say we won't be back anytime soon. read more

Great experience. I always enjoy my time at Dame's. I had the Carolina Cockerel. The peach apricot schmear was really good. I also had a side of seasoned grits which were 10/10. The chicken was very crispy (with a nice CRUNCH) and the waffle was soft but still firm enough for a great waffle. I also tried the mac and cheese which tasted more like a pasta dish. Overall our server was really nice and helpful. The atmosphere was great with nice jazz in the background which matches the aesthetic and decor. To drink I had the N. Manhattan which was strong but tasty. read more

Dame's Chicken & Waffles - Carolina Cockerel Dish- Peach-Apricot Shmear- Ask Yo' Mama Sauce- The Classic Waffle- Wings - Southern Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

I absolutely loved going to Dames. I was in town for a Duke basketball game and it was my first time going there. Since my initial trip I have been back several times while going through Durham. Food was amazing and the chicken cutlet was crispy and very juicy. The service was excellent and they were always professional and attentive. 5/5 Highly recommend. read more

Dame's Chicken & Waffles - Eggs and grits - Southern Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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Overall this place was good! The service was great and food delivered quickly. We had a reservation for right before noon but it looked like there was a wait for walk ins. It is a nice casual spot. Food wise it was alright, a 3.5/5 for me. The chicken was a bit dark/well done for my taste but it was really juicy! I got the gingerbread waffle with strawberry shmear and it was good. Nothing was stellar though, I wanted more from their trademark menu items. Mac n cheese was OK, not very cheesy. Visually the food also only looked OK. read more

Dame's Chicken & Waffles - Southern Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

The food was good. It was very busy when I went. I had to wait for long time. They had to forget to text me the table was ready. The food was good. I would try go next time when it early. read more

Dame's Chicken & Waffles - Menu - Southern Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

I really enjoyed this restaurant alot!! Literally the best food I've had at any restaurant in a very long time. I can say that because I literally ate everything on my plate and took no left overs! Everything seasoned and cooked to perfection! I will be frequenting again! BRAVO! read more

Best thing since Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles!! My aunt says the Durham location is the best of them all. The chicken was succulent! The sweet tea was pretty good. The vegan waffle was everything I didn't know I needed. We ordered the oatmeal vegan waffle with three wings, maple pecan smear, and I can't remember which sauce but it was delicious. I really enjoyed the macaroni and cheese. I'm pretty sure I'll be driving from Greenville to go back this weekend. Service was good, no complaints. Food arrived quickly which I appreciated. Loves the focus on black art......musicians, athletes, and the color scheme. Beautiful restaurant in a great location. read more

Dame's Chicken & Waffles - Front reception area - Southern Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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Open table took a reservation for 10/7 and the restaurant is NOT open!!!! Poor customer service!

Not sure what the hype is about. The waffles were very heavy and the chicken was over fried. I can make them better. The service was good but had to wait for a table despite half the restaurant being empty. The fruit cup was terrible as a side. Would not recommend or go back again. ‍ read more

Dames, wow!! Your reputation and recommendations are spot on as I was told by so many people to come here! I am not a huge chicken and waffles eater, so it was awesome to see so many different and delicious options on your menu for my rare self! A family friend and I got on the waitlist and were quickly sat down. Our waiter was nice and had a cool vibe, but seemed distracted at times. I got the shrimp and grits that came with a side. I got their mean greens. My friend got their salmon with a side of squash. Our food came out in about 20 minutes and we dug in. Every bite was better than the first and I had to stop myself several times. I had to remind myself that I could have leftovers--they definitely give you enough to take home. And everything made such a great breakfast the next day! Definitely recommend coming here for an amazing meal!! I love that they are local and Black owned!! read more

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Great food and customer service. The waiter went over and above to make sure our needs were met.

Love this a waffle lot. Dames serves godly chicken and waffles! We ordered: The Buff Brahmas - Two chicken cutlets with classic waffle, whiskey creme drizzle, and peach and apricot smear Orange speckled chabo - One chicken cutlet with sweet potato waffle and orange honey comb smear - so flavorful and highly recommend!! Carolina Cockerel - Wings with sweet potato waffle and maple pecan smear - my friend though the wings were difficult to eat lol so cutlet is better than wings Grits & Mac and Cheese sides - Lovee the Mac!! So creamy read more

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This place had some of the best chicken and waffles I've ever had. Probably THE best I've ever had. I loved their unique butter options. They were incredibly busy, so try to find an off time to go if you don't want to wait. Nice people and incredible food read more

Dame's Chicken & Waffles - Build Your Own Chicken and Waffles - Southern Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Came here for my friend's bachelorette brunch. We tried the chapel hill location together before and are both looking forward to trying "the real deal" in Durham so expectations were high. The location was very short staffed (and they don't have enough menu to circulate despite only 40% of the tables were occupied). Took a long time to get our food. My chicken & Mac was pretty good, and I enjoyed my K-pop drizzle a lot. One friend from my group, however, was asked to pay $10 just for two sides. If she had gotten a waffle meal, she could've had the deal listed on the menu "2 sides for $5". She didnt realize if she did not order a waffle, each side is $5 even though these were pretty tiny sides. We were all disappointed that 1) the menu was very vague since it did not say anything about price of the side except for the deal. This is a bit misleading. 2) our server didn't say anything like "If you want a full waffle meal it would only cost $1 more bc we have the side deal etc" when she decided she only wanted the sides. Thankfully, the little dilemma did not ruin anything and we still had a great time here with our bride-to-be. All the employees here were kind and friendly, most congratulated her after seeing her sash and white outfit. Still would come back, just wanted to share the menu so this doesn't happen to others! read more

Dame's Chicken & Waffles - The menu - sides are $5 each without the full meal! But it says nothing on the menu. - Southern Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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Since we were in the area, thought of trying it for myself to see if they are really good. It was really nothing special about the waffle and chicken. But I kinda like the idea of chicken and waffle combination. read more

Dame's Chicken & Waffles - Light Brown Leghorns - Southern Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

After the football game we were looking for a local place to eat. Being that my companion is a very picky eater, I let him choose the place. We weren't able to find anything that he liked in the place that he chose so we started looking in the a area and came across Dame's Chicken and Waffles. We loved the decor of historical musicians, and our server Kai was fantastic. He has the personality of a person that has never met a stranger. He was very accommodating and polite. I ordered a sweet potato waffle with cashew caramel drizzle and chicken wings, along with a cocktail called can't find my keys. The waffle was moist and flavorful, and the wings were well seasoned and fried to perfection. The drink was so delicious. All in all I was very satisfied with the food, service and ambiance. I recommend this restaurant. read more

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Great chicken and waffles with some new interpretations on smears, sides, and combinations. There was a food prep delay but the manager was immediately attentive to me, took care of me, and made me feel like he really cared about service read more

Dame's Chicken & Waffles - The Carolina clucker - Southern Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Food is consistently a great. Never disappoints! I wish the syrup offered was better.

Fun chicken and waffle spot - I really enjoyed being able to choose different sauces and infused butter to pair with your main dish. I ordered the "Light Brown Leghorns" and was surprised by how tender and juicy the chicken was! read more

I thought Dame's closed at 8PM!? On Wednesday May 31st My wife and I arrived at Dame's at 7:40PM The sign on the door had been flipped and said that they were closed. We could see people inside eating so we opened the door to be greeted by a young woman who said that they don't seat people after 7:30PM Dame's should change their hours on Yelp and one the website to say they close at 7:30PM if that's when they stop seating people. We will not attempt to go ever again. read more

Awful. Food AND service. 1. I checked out the vegan chicken & waffles on yelp & although an old pic it looked decent. A large cutlet that was possibly homemade, and when i asked the waitress she raved about it. What i got looked like a Morningstar vegan chicken pattie. Tastes like one too. I asked to swap it out for turkey bacon they declined. Then i asked to get another entree all together they declined. Then came back and said we'll give u turkey bacon we changed our mind. The turkey bacon arrived with the check. I was furious. It was at least 40 minutes after the original food was dropped off. The waitress was always close by but always empty handed. Sad... 2. Mac was very tangy. Tasted like they used ground mustard. Keep that in mind if that's not your thing. 3. Greens were very vinegar heavy. Also keep in mind if that's not your thing. 4. My sister had the breakfast plate and didn't care for the eggs or turkey sausage patties. 5. We both tried the sweet potato waffle and weren't impressed and the Smear spread we feel would be better on biscuits. It was underwhelming on the waffle. Overall we didn't enjoy the food. The wait was lengthy and the service was really lackluster. They made no attempt to give us a good experience. And that turkey bacon we had to negotiate for to only receive after we'd already finished what we tried to eat of our food was left on the table. We were in town for a wedding. Told everyone our experience & they all shared their gripes with us. Wish they told us BEFORE we came because we would certainly have chose another place to eat. read more

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We love Dames! The waffles have bold flavors and with a spread, you really don't need the syrup. Although their syrup is really good warm. I prefer the Sweet Potato waffle but hubby likes the gingerbread. The strawberry smhear is my favorite. The shrimp and grits have lots of flavor but not so much with the lac and cheese. The wings you can order al carte because they're tasty enough. read more

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Terrific food and our server was very knowledgeable and hard working with a great attitude! Our first visit and can't wait to go back. I never really understood the whole chicken and waffle thing, but now I get it!! read more

Dame's Chicken & Waffles - Best chicken and waffle with maple pecan schmear - Southern Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

On a roadtrip from DC to Charlotte I made a stop in Durham and Dame's Chicken and Waffles made it worth the trip! I had the chicken and waffles (sweet potato). The chicken was crispy, well-seasoned and juicy. The waffle was sweet - crispy on the outside and soft in the middle. I added the walnut honey butter and it added a perfect level of sweetness. The service was fast and professional. The inside was lively and welcoming. This will be regular stop on my way Charlotte trips. read more

Dame's Chicken & Waffles - Fried chicken and sweet potato waffles - Southern Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Dames is always a go to for me when I go to Durham! Definitely one of my favorite brunch spots! Their chicken and waffles never miss!

A good place to take visitors when in downtown Durham. I've been to multiple chicken and waffle resturants and keep coming back here as one of the best in the area. Staff are always pleasant and enough options to keep everyone in your party satisfied. I prefer this location (downtown) to the others based on past customer service levels plus its proximity to other things. Tip: You can customize almost any smear with any waffle/chicken type combo so don't be afraid to ask for what you want. read more

Dame's Chicken & Waffles - Southern Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Spent a date night here on a Saturday evening. It was fairly busy, but we only waited about 10 minutes to be seated. There was a good wait for the food to come out but, oh boy, when it did...it was very well worth the wait. My date and I both ordered chicken and waffles. I had a chicken breast cutlet and a waffle with strawberry schmear; my date had the same but got vanilla schmear. We tried one of the sweet and slightly spicy drizzles. Everything was delicious! The greens were just meh (I'm kind of a Southern-Belle greens snob though), but everything else made up for that. The ambience is nice. Cool art work of jazz musicians and nice color scheme. Great downtown location near street parking. Kind of loud so not the place to go for a quiet, romantic date. Perfect for brunch, a girls' evening out, a casual date or even a family outing. I would definitely recommend this place to a friend and will be going back again! I will likely visit the Cary location too! read more