This was my first visit to this restaurant, and I was unaware that it was not the traditional…read moresit-down type. The menu offered a variety of options, with the candied yams looking really good. I chose the pork chops, candied yams, and macaroni and cheese. My mother selected the turkey wings, collard greens, and macaroni and cheese, while my cousin opted for the fish and candied yams. The serving sizes were unexpectedly large, and the candied yams were every bit as delicious as I had expected. The food was superb. I was so impressed that I requested the hotel to package my leftovers, which I then took with me on my return flight home. I didn't think to take photos until after we began to eat.

Food - it was just okay. I think I liked them more in the food truck. The store front portions and…read more food line, doesn't match what you see online or actually get! But the Yams A+ Service- was cool, never met anyone with a bad attitude or not willing to give suggestions. For that I say, Thank You! Ambiance/Cleanliness- it's always warm with a ton of flies! Overall, it's just okay. If you want to go to cross it off your list, go for it.

Last night I was out in Chapel Hill visiting my cousin who invited me over to watch the Duke vs…read moreChapel Hill basketball game. After the game we went out and went around the different places on campus. At some point we decided that we were hungry. She told me there was a great fried chicken place near by and we ended up at Time-Out. Once we got to the place it was packed. The line was a little scary to look at, but we got to the front very quickly which was very impressive as I only saw 2 workers taking care of the register and putting the orders together. I ended up ordering Combo #2 which is chicken thighs and a side. I ordered mac and cheese as my side. Luckily we were able to find an open booth in the packed restaurant. When it came time to eat, I would say that the portion of the side was pretty generous. The mac and cheese was also really good and was up to my standards. The chicken was nice and crispy, and was very delicious as well. At one point it did feel like it was a little too salty, but I was able to look past that. I asked for some hot sauce on the side and it kicked it up a little and made it even better. For my first time here, I would say that I was very impressed not only with the food but also with the service. This place is open 24/7 which is a huge plus! I'll definitely be going back next time I am in town.

Don't let the low rating fool you--this place is a gem! Delicious!!! I'm honestly not sure why the…read moreratings here are so low. I almost skipped this spot because of the rating, but I'm so glad I gave it a chance! I stopped by on a Saturday morning and it was nice and quiet--only a few other people were there. I ordered the fried chicken, cabbage, and mac n cheese, and every bite was southern-style perfection. Also, if you like Bojangles sweet tea, you'll love it here! Get one of those square biscuits and the cinnamon roll! Must try! The biscuit was buttery and melt in your mouth and cinnamon roll had perfect amount of icing. The location is perfect--right on Franklin Street and super convenient if you're out hitting the shops. Definitely give them a try!

I found hair in my food and the price was high for four strips of bacon and a lemonaderead more

I love it! A 2 meat plate with bacon, salmon cakes, grits, eggs, and toast. Such a great place for…read moregood homestyle southern breakfast!

One of the top meals that I've had in the Triangle, and it was 100% vegan! The food was awesome,…read morebut what stood out even more was the service- the epitome of Southern hospitality. Since it was our first time at Pure Soul, the host gave us drinks on the house (we got Sweet Tea, Lemonade, and Root Beer). The tea and lemonade were on the sweeter side, but I enjoyed both. My sister liked the root beer, which was from Uncle's Scott's, a local NC brand. They also offer a discount for teachers, students, and veterans. For entrees, we got the: - Drumstix plate (BBQ, buffalo, or fried- included rice and a sauce): We chose fried- it was perfectly crispy, so tasty. Couldn't choose between hot honey and honey mustard, so they gave us both, again so nice. Rice was well-cooked. - Chicago burger (grilled onions, cheddar, pickles, tangy aioli): Classic! Enjoyed this overall. - Fried fish plate (includes rice, slaw & tartar sauce): This is funny, but this dish was a bit too fishy for me lol. But crazy how well they do their vegan alternatives. - BBQ plate ("pulled pork" in a sweet BBQ sauce, served with slaw): Probably my least favorite entree, I think the pork was too sweet for me, but it did balance with the slaw. We tried a bunch of sides, which from my most to least favorites were: Soul Mac (not too cheesy), Hushpuppies (crispy outside, pillowy inside), Rob's Favorite Cornbread (so moist), Sweet Potato Fries (classic), Bilbo's Greens, Blackeyed Peas & Veggies, and Nik's Candied Yams (too sweet for me). Ambiance is nice with both indoor and outdoor seating. Lots of parking available. 10/10 would recommend!

This is easily a 4.5 star spot but yelp won't let us do halves…read more Great attentive and helpful staff with plenty of options to choose from to curate your own plate. Our son had the kids impossible burger and mac n cheese. My wife had the Soul Rolls and I had the bbq (vinegar based) plate with slaw, mac and cheese and greens. We also had 2 drumsticks. The kids plate was devoured quickly- the burger is slider-sized and comes with onion, tomato, lettuce and pickles on the side (surprisingly the veggies were untouched but I claimed the pickles). My wife said the Soul Rolls were a 10/10- crispy eggrolls stuffed with mac, greens and sweet bbq protein. My plate was good too but I wish it came with bread instead of counting it as a side. Also wish it had a little sauce on the side. Greens were seasoned well and the mac was creamy. Drumstick was amazing but a bit steep at 4 bucks each. Only criticism is that we wish the side portions were a little bigger for the price. Still won't stop us from returning in the future when in town!

Great Food! Great Service! Hot and served fresh and with lots of warmth , Ambience was inviting and…read morefriendly and welcoming

The kid was home from college, and after we hit the local thrift, we were looking around for some…read moreOxford grinds. The street situation precluded a few spots downtown, and since we weren't in the mood for our go-to taco place, we decided to head out to the Family Diner. The walk-in was awkward on our part- cash register or hot bar line first? A sweet call from the kitchen of "Y'all's first time?" got us headed in the right direction. Full disclaimer: I've been nostalgic for the southern cafeteria lately. While talking to some food industry friends last week, we realized there is something powerful about the food we all remember from K and W. And while Family Diner doesn't have a giant dining room or a 5-snake velvet rope line to get to the counter, it does take me back. Here's how we made our choices: the hot bar was a choice of three types of chicken- the baked and fried were tempting until the gentleman serving us says: "We can fry you fish to order. Flounder, trout, and catfish." The chicken got skipped for a plate of flounder (plentiful plate, btw), and a side of the Mac and cheese and cooked cabbage. The kid sampled the catfish plate, same sides. Sweet tea. And yes ma'am, I'd like the cornbread. Done. We sat down at a table in the main, cozy dining room. The first thing that I noticed: this place is clean- tidy, even. There was a super polite young man moving around and busing tables, tidying up unassumingly and doing it in a way that is lacking in some finer dining places I've been in recently. The food came out, piping hot. I used one of the malt vinegar packets to douse my flounder (a cafeteria habit) and dug in. The first bite was light and flaky, cooked perfectly. Nothing greasy-tasting, at all, just clean. The sides were great- nothing over seasoned, and like cooking at home, there was room for you to season things to your taste. Well played, Family Diner. The owner (I think? She was the one who guided us down the right path when we walked in) came out to make sure that we were happy, and yes ma'am, it's great, and holy cow, you just dropped this cornbread into the skillet and fried it? Yes, we will be back. It's unassuming, and it's just what the doctor ordered. It's a cafeteria, but it's clean and polite and makes you feel good that you ate there. It's soul food, but not just from an ethnic standpoint- it makes me happy and full and feel welcome and I'll be back.

Awesome soul food. Super nice and good people and quality / taste is off the chain. They have…read morepretty much all types of proteins and sides you can think of, all homemade and fresh.

The food truck came to facility on Tuesday and they have GREAT food. We ordered a pork chop…read moresandwich, fish and wings. Everything was hot and delicious. I hope they come back to us again in the very near future!!! Sorry didn't snap any photos before we ate, but trust me it is well worth the money :)

My Afro-Latina heart was so happy…read more I've been searching for really good Latin food since moving to North Carolina, and Boricua Soul absolutely delivered. From the moment we walked in, the vibe was on point. They were playing great music that made the whole place feel lively and welcoming, and I loved that you can choose to eat inside or enjoy the outdoor patio. My husband and I both ordered the Boricua Soul Bowl. He got the chicken, and I got the pernil. The pernil was incredible it was tender, juicy, and packed with flavor. The bowl came with arroz con gandules, collard greens, mac and cheese, and I chose the tostones. I had honestly given up on finding good tostones that I didn't have to make myself, but these were exactly what I'd been craving. Crispy, perfectly cooked, and absolutely delicious with the Guava Lava sauce. Since, I couldn't pass them up, we also ordered a side of maduros, and they were perfectly caramelized and sweet. The empanadas easily made my top five. Crispy on the outside, flavorful on the inside, and gone way too quickly. Also don't skip the watermelon lemonade, it was so refreshing and paired perfectly with everything we ordered. We'll definitely be back. There are still so many things on the menu I want to try, but I already know I'll be ordering the Boricua Soul Bowl. One tip for first-time visitors: if you're sitting inside and trying to get back outside , the exit is the same door you originally came in through on the far glass door. There is a sign, but we watched three different people accidentally try every other part of the glass first, so hopefully this saves someone a little confusion.

I'm from Charlotte and my friend was in the southeast visiting so we met up in Durham. ChatGPT…read moresuggested Boricua Soul as a part of our girls day. First stop. We never made it anywhere else lol! I'm so excited to write this review!! We chose it because when I reviewed the Yelp reviews they were stellar. But mostly I was super intrigued by the sweet potato cheesecake empanada and y'all it was everything I hoped it would be. It's small, you can maybe get 4 or 5 bites. The filling is sweet but not overpowering, good balance. The crust, crunchy and delicious. Came with a side of whipped cream. Drizzled in caramel sauce. I had the restraint to save it for last. We opted to split the shrimp sandwich and house made chips because we weren't too hungry and wanted to save room for the empanadas. Perfect plan. The sandwich can be ordered with a garlic, jerk or buffalo sauce. We were given a sample of the jerk to determine spicyness. Super spicy (which I loved) but my friend doesn't so we went with buffalo which wasn't spicy at all. The shrimp were a nice size, coated and seasoned well. The restaurant itself is small with about five tables but there is an abundance of outdoor seating shared with other businesses. We knew we planned to relax and catch up so we opted to eat outside. Despite the 90 degree weather, the entire area was shaded with a little wind so perfect. We got a number and our food and drinks were served to us. (Peach passion froze----yum!) Now. Boricua Soul is a great example of why I love seeking out and patroning local restaurants. The founders, Serena and Tori Fredericks, were both present, Serena managing the front, Tori managing the kitchen and both in and out of the restaurant serving people outside as well as inside. They were all over! Very welcoming. We were there for four hours and Serena's smile never left her face. She personally checked on us throughout. It felt like hanging out at your family's for the day. When we came in just a few people there, no line. Serena was at the register. I told her I came from Charlotte and she graciously gave us samples of the mac and cheese and collard greens as she described the menu. Both by the way, amazing! I don't think I've ever been able to find delicious perfectly seasoned greens with no meat. Before we knew it the line was to the door. By then I had the chance to experience her love for what she does and her heart for the community. Clean restaurant, beautiful and personable decor. Clean gender neutral private bathrooms. I took pics of the article on the wall about them, well worth the read. You too will drive miles to experience this Caribbean and Southern inspired restaurant! Im coming back and bringing people. There's so much more for me to try.

The food here is soooooo good. I got a large portion of the brown stew chicken with rice & peas and…read moremac & cheese. $20 for the chicken with 2 sides, and a $3 upcharge for the mac & cheese. The chicken is dark meat served on the bone - and by on the bone, I mean falling off the bone, it's so tender and moist. There are also some carrots and potato bits in the gravy, and I would happily eat a whole bowl of just those. The rice and peas (beans) were perfectly cooked. When I ordered through the Toast tab screens they have set up, it gave the option of indicating whether and how much gravy you'd like on the rice. I did the standard amount, which I think is just right, as the rice balances out the saltiness of the gravy. The mac & cheese was also really good - creamy, with some chewy baked cheese crust, and a hint of tanginess. The large portion was a ton of food. I shared my plate with my toddler, who loved the chicken, and it would be enough for at least one more meal. I also got a chicken patty, which had a curried chicken filling that brought a bit of heat. Too spicy for little kids, but not so spicy that I was hurting from eating it. We ate in the restaurant, which is clean with several tables. It's counter service, and it seems like they pack everything as if it's to go, even if you dine in. For folks with kids, they do have a single high chair. I don't remember seeing a changing table in the ladies room.

Best jerk chicken I had in years. Got the jerk chicken rice & peas with the Mac and cheese and…read moreextra gravy. Staff is amazing and authentic. Gotta stop by if you in the area.