English: TL;DR: Beautiful atmosphere, fantastic coffee and…read morefood, thoughtful modern Latin flavors, amazing breakfast/dinner spot, and Fernando, the manager, is awesome. We've been to Aaktun in Durham multiple times for both breakfast and dinner, and it's honestly become one of our favorite spots. I'm Peruvian and grew up with Peruvian cuisine, so seeing lomo saltado -- a classic Peruvian dish -- on the menu immediately made me happy. Having also grown up in Mexico and lived in places like Miami, I really appreciate what they're doing with the menu: a modern, delicious take on Latin flavors that feels creative without losing what makes those cuisines special. The atmosphere is absolutely beautiful. You walk in thinking it's a stylish little coffee shop, then head toward the back and the whole place opens up -- gorgeous bar, tropical touches, cozy alcove seating, really cool vibe. One time we went with friends for a special dining experience they were offering, and it was excellent. The food, drinks, and whole experience were made even better by Fernando, the manager, who has always been incredibly warm, helpful, and accommodating. Highly recommend Aaktun for breakfast or dinner. Still haven't made it there for lunch somehow, but at this point we'd be shocked if it wasn't great too. Spanish: TL;DR: Lugar precioso, café y comida excelentes, sabores latinos con un toque moderno muy bien logrado, y Fernando, el gerente, es increíble. Ya hemos ido varias veces a Aaktun en Durham para desayuno y cena, y sinceramente se ha vuelto uno de nuestros lugares favoritos. Soy peruano y crecí con la cocina peruana, así que ver lomo saltado -- un plato clásico peruano -- en el menú me hizo muy feliz. Además, habiendo crecido en México y vivido en lugares como Miami, me encanta reconocer cómo integran sabores latinos con una propuesta moderna y de fusión. Se siente creativa, diferente y sobre todo riquísima. La atmósfera además es espectacular. Entras pensando que es una cafetería bonita y acogedora, pero luego caminas hacia atrás y el lugar se abre por completo: un bar hermoso, detalles tropicales, mesas tipo alcove... una vibra buenísima. Una vez fuimos con unos amigos para una experiencia especial de cena que estaban ofreciendo y la pasamos increíble. La comida, las bebidas y toda la experiencia fueron aún mejores gracias a Fernando, el gerente, que siempre ha sido súper amable, atento y servicial. Recomendamos muchísimo Aaktun para desayuno o cena. Todavía no hemos ido para almorzar, pero honestamente nos sorprendería mucho que no estuviera igual de bueno.

**Update 5/12/2026 - I made a reservation to take my mom to brunch on Sunday at 10:15. When we…read morearrived, the hostess said the reservation had been made for outside. I explained and showed her that I booked standard seating and she said that meant outside, which I thought was strange because I was very careful not to book either option that was clearly labeled outdoor. I told her that we wanted a table inside and she said "I have a table that has a reservation for 11:30, can you be done by then?" I laughed and said "sure" but thought to myself that would be up to them! She asked another hostess to seat us, and after we were seated, we waited about 15 minutes and watched staff walk by our table multiple times and no one came by. The original interactions had already put a bad taste in my mouth, so I called another restaurant downtown and asked how long the wait would be for two. They could seat us in the bar area right away, so we got up and left Aaktun to head there. The first two experiences that I had at Aaktun were great. I'm glad I got to try their food because I won't be back after Sunday's experience.

What a fun restaurant, I loved all their decor and art work. You order and pay at the counter and…read morethe food will be brought to your table when ready. I got the Asada Nachos and I loved the presentation! They come in a tall metal cylinder that you get to lift to reveal the nachos, it was really fun. The nachos were tasty, I enjoyed all the topping and loved the kick from the fresh jalapeños. The portion was HUGE. I brought home my leftovers, and even the leftovers were good (which is rare for nachos). They have a salsa bar with 4 different salsas, my favorite was the spicy orange peanut salsa. They ran out of their house green salsa which is made at the Hillsborough Street location, so I only got to try a little of this salsa. We didn't get any alcoholic drinks, but the bartender let us know that this Gym Tacos stays open late on Fridays and turns into a club!

Amazing tacos, lots of terrific sauces and great staff 10/10…read moreThe place is great for a quick lunch or to sit and hangout while having a beer.

An adorable Gastropub with fusion meals. Great for date night…read more Pros Various indoor and outdoor seating Brunch options Tapas style entrees Beautiful atmosphere Pleasant and knowledgeable staff Food timed well Great tasting food elegantly presented Cons Limited parking Smaller space with limited seating Highly recommend for brunch or a date. Lovely place to get dressed up and enjoy the day

This place is amazing. The brunch. The drinks. The breakfast. The decor (the mirror on the wall is…read moreespecially stunning). So far, the French Toast is my absolute favorite dish and it's a very shareable size but I didn't share lol My friend and I visited for her birthday and we shared multiple plates because we couldn't pick what we wanted to had to try several things, so of course the best way to do that is to order a spread and share it! The servers are always so kind and welcoming. It's even better when they don't assume how much food is for you, especially when you're ordering to entrees to yourself to balance out the carbs and protein Needless to say, they'll be seeing me often.

01/02/2026 My wife…read moreand I were in the area looking for lunch and originally planned to try another local spot. When we arrived, we were told they were already out of food for the day, even though it was about 20 minutes before closing. I asked for another recommendation, and they suggested Sofia's, which was just down the road. Parking in the area appears to be street parking only, but we were able to find a spot without much trouble. We walked in it's a small pizza and sub place, were greeted right away very friendly, the lady behind the counter gave us 2 menus said it's easier to read than looking up. So we sat down looked over the menu, we finally decided on sharing a steak and cheese sub with potato wedges for our side. Our order came out and this steak and cheese looked so good and the potato's look outstanding I went up to the counter and I don't know what made me ask for ranch instead of ketchup for the potato's but I did. I split the sandwich with my wife and picked up a potato and that first bite was WOW the potato's were cooked all the way through and very crispy all around. Then I dipped the potato in the ranch OMG this ranch was probably one of the best homemade ranch dressings I've had!! The steak and cheese sandwich we ordered it without lettuce and tomato I usually get extra raw onion but forgot to get them but the sandwich came with fried onions and mushrooms. There was a perfect amount of meat to mushrooms onions and cheese the bread was soft with a light crunch. I usually put a mix of ketchup and vinegar on my steak and cheese but this one needed nothing. And again if you like potato's these wedges are a MUST!! When in the area we will be back.

We were in the neighborhood one mid-afternoon and we were hungry so we stopped in here (we had been…read moreyears ago). It's a nice little locally owned pizza shop with some other Italian items -- nothing special, but affordable. The chicken marinara sandwich came with a little salad which was a nice touch. My wife's calzone was massive and we had to take half of it home to eat later. I read that they also own the little Mexican food truck in the parking lot, so we'll have to try that sometime. This is in a growing neighborhood with shops, restaurants and even a new wine bar nearby.

This is a very colorful and authentic Mexican experience. Big portions, excellent and friendly…read moreservice.

Wow, I love the decor (Sorry. Forgot to take video/picture) it makes you feel like you're not in…read moreDurham. The waitresses were very friendly and attentive to making sure we had everything we needed to enjoy our meals. They have a chip and salsa bar, which is a nice idea, but I really miss the basket of hot chips they usually offer at other restaurants, as these felt cold and a bit stale and the Horchatas we all got were to watery. Aside from that small detail, my meal was the Texan fajita, which is always my favorite. I recommend it 100%.

We came here on a Sunday for lunch and really enjoyed it. The portions are great and the servers…read moreare nice and well-versed on the menu. The ultimate nachos were a lot. It's probably meant to be consumed by more than one person and I did have leftovers. It was so tasty though. All the protein (chicken, steak, shrimp) was cooked to perfection and still had plenty of moisture in it. The only thing I wish is that they would add beans and rice as a layer to the nachos; however, it was excellent. The six tacos plate was so good too. Loved the carnitas and pescado tacos. They were flavorful and filling. The rice was sensational and well-seasoned. The black beans paired with the rice was also excellent. I will be back. The dragonfruit mezcalito was so good! The restaurant was starting to fill up with a lot of people, so it's a popular spot.

Fun place, excellent food and margaritas, great service! I could eat here everyday!…read more Large menus and incredible selection of margaritas of all sizes. You may need a ride home!

I did not know this place was here. Just started a new job off of TW Alexander, and looked on yelp…read morefor nearby restaurants for lunch. It's a southern thing popped up. I almost didn't go, because I thought this was the downtown Durham restaurant, which is nice, but parking nightmare. Glad I went, though. The food was solid. I had the fired chicken sandwhich and fries the first day, a buffalo chicken wrap the second day, and the smoked chicken wings the third day, yes, 3 in a row. That has to say something, especially for me. All lunch items were pretty spot on, although I like a little more vinegar in my slaw than most. That was remedied by the texas pete on the bar. The service staff were all hands on. If the bartender was not there, the manager or a back of the house person was always checking on me. Very nice staff. As far as the ambiance itself, nice setup. Good sized bar, nice big patio, clean indoor and restrooms... all in all, I could not ding them for anything. I need to go to check out the weekend brunch or dinner menu. I am sure that I will not be disappointed, however, I have been told to get to brunch before noon, as it gets very busy, also a good thing. Cheers. :)

We went to It's a Southern Thing on a Sunday morning around 9:30 and walked right in--no wait,…read morewhich honestly felt like a small miracle for brunch. Even better surprise: the patio was wide open and dog-friendly. Immediate bonus points. Service was great. She was friendly, attentive, and helpful with recommendations without being overbearing. I had the Shrimp & Grits, which came with plenty of large shrimp and really rich, flavorful grits. Definitely a solid choice. My date ordered the Blackstone Benedict -a sort of ham, poached eggs, and hollandaise, with breakfast potatoes and gluten-free bread. She was genuinely thrilled with it, which is saying something as she is a hollondaise stickler. By the time we were leaving, a line had started to build, so if you're planning a weekend brunch here, I'd recommend getting there on the earlier side. Parking is easy (big lot), and there's a grocery store right next door, which is surprisingly convenient. Overall, just a really easy, enjoyable brunch spot with good food, great service, and a relaxed vibe. We'll be back.

We were very happy with our meal at ThaiAngle. After visiting several Thai restaurants since moving…read moreto the area, this is our favorite. We started with shrimp eggrolls, which were wrappers rolled around shrimp and seemingly nothing more-4 for $12. I got the Thai beef salad, my go-to. It was fantastic. The meat was tender and flavorful and I had enough for two meals! Charlie had the trout in a garlic sauce and t was so yummy! The sauce was sweet and savory with veggies added on top of the fish. We had a slice of light and fresh coconut cake that was just delicious. The atmosphere was busy but not chaotic. All the waiters were attending to all the tables. Service was adequate. I can't wait to go back!

Tofu appetizer was delicious! The perfect amount of spice and the tofu was cooked perfectly, so…read morecrispy but still chewy inside. Hard to achieve this level of tofu! Eggplant no complaints! It was a very hefty portion and lasted a long time and had lots of vegetables in it. Tofu salad was good as well. The pad Thai was disappointing though, for a staple dish I was underwhelmed. The taste was bland and the noodles were overcooked. The lack of bean sprouts and green onions did not help either! It was also quite sweet

Came here to Nerra for their Salt, Sea, and Lime dinner--a four-course prix fixe experience--and it…read morewas such a treat! The ceviche was bright, fresh, and perfectly balanced, and the chips served alongside it were oh so good. The tortilla soup was the next course...and it was nicely spiced, comforting, and warming. The braised beef short rib tacos were great--the pickled veggies really added a punch of flavor that tied everything together beautifully. As far as the cocktails go...the winter pearita was delightful--I could have happily had a few more of those. Dessert surprised me the most. I'm usually not a tiramisu person since I'm not big on coffee, but their Mexican chocolate tiramisu won me over. The coffee flavor wasn't overpowering at all and it had almost horchata-like vibes. Overall, the menu felt incredibly thoughtful, cohesive, and delicious from start to finish. The restaurant itself is super cute and perfect for a date night. Service was fantastic as well--our server, Mikayla, was attentive, on top of everything, and made the experience even better. Would absolutely recommend.

Service was excellent. Staff was very friendly. Outdoor seating was nice as the seats inside were…read morevery close together. The band started and my friend and I had to yell at each other. We had the special drink that was yummy. Mint, strawberry and gin. The ceviche was overcooked and rough which is weird as it is ceviche. The calamari was meh. We split the shrimp and grits. It was really great and way too salty. I enjoyed the brussel sprouts.

The taco stand that downtown Durham needed. It's exceptionally good, make you wanna go back for…read moremore good, stop talking mid sentence good. Super chill and friendly people that work there too. Skip breakfast at home and stop here instead. You won't be sorry.

I really like the taco I had-it was a migas. It was delicious. What I didn't like was the cost. It…read morewas 8+ dollars for one taco after 'taxes and fees' were added. The taco had egg, cheese and tortilla chips cooked inside. I think $4 would cover the cost generously. $8.30 is ridiculous. Im glad I opted not to tip since I ordered from an app and retrieved the taco myself. One and done.