I had a really nice breakfast here today! I hadn't been in years, but decided to stop in after a hike. My dad and I both got the two eggs- he enjoyed his with rye toast and home fries, extra crispy. The breakfast menu isn't super creative, but that's not why you go to a diner anyway. They could improve the coffee- my dad was disappointed in it. I really enjoyed the turkey sausage, and I like how the oatmeal came with brown sugar and golden raisins. The biscuit was warm and fresh. I was surprised at how dead the place was for a Saturday morning! Compared to Elmo's this place has no wait at all. read more

The big breakfast, that I had for dinner was sooo good. Everything hot and fresh. The service was good. Servers warm and welcoming, especially Chip, who took my order. Lady server came to check on me as I ate. So gracious. Last server came and picked up the plates, too quickly, without asking if I was finished. I'll overlook that. I hadn't been here in years. The place is beautiful decorated and clean and filling up quickly as I was leaving. I'd go back again, possibly with my family as the ambiance was welcoming, food delicious. read more

I had breakfast with my family. This diner is cute and small. Good service and good food. Fresh, hot and reliable. This is one of our most frequent breakfast spots. I had a waffle, eggs and bacon. Bacon and waffle were made to perfection. Eggs leave much to be desired. Everyone else enjoyed their food as well. This is a Durham gem. read more

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Upscale diner that serves breakfast all day if that's your thing. We come here often. Service is always super friendly and fast. Drinks never run empty. Our food is outstanding! Best beef stroganoff I've ever had! We come for the fried banana peppers. Love the old fashioned decor and check board flooring very classy. read more

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"Nice comfort foods near Only Burger and Tutti Frutti in Durham" Came here on a Monday night at 6pm... it's nestled in a strip shopping center with Only Burger, Tutti Frutti, a post office, and more. Very unassuming location, but decent number of tables and brightly lit. My dining partner got the 4-sides dish (she's a vegetarian), and I got the shrimp platter with broccoli and the carrot souffle. Food came in maybe 15 minutes, which seemed fair. The fried shrimp was DELICIOUS. Flaky crust, but not overwhelming. I loved the carrot souffle too-- tasted like a sweet potato casserole. The broccoli was fine-- basically steamed goodness. My dining partner liked all of her dishes except the peas-- those were pretty bland. The broccoli casserole was good. I don't recall the 2 other sides she had except that she liked them. Price was fair-- about $40 for both of us with tax and tip. And service was friendly. Overall, I'd happily go back. read more

Still a great experience- waitress was attentive and got seated and fed fast. Was a bit disappointed in the chicken and waffle special because the chicken was not super flavorful and was a pretty small piece. For $14 without any other sides I wasn't super impressed and will probably stick to what I usually get next time. It was pretty loud in the restaurant because it was pretty busy but thankfully it cleared out some and I didn't have to shout to talk to my company. read more

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This is what they consider to be a grilled cheese sandwich: lightly toasted bread with unmelted slices of cheese. I brought it home so I could cook it properly. Very disappointed. Service was good. read more

My husband and I had lunch here yesterday and I've been sick to my stomach ever since . I think the Brunswick stew that I had , which was served cool and not hot , probably made me sick . The food was old , or bacon lettuce and tomato sandwiches had old lettuce , cold hard bacon that have been sitting around for hours , and the pie we had for dessert was tasteless because it was a Frozen crust, packaged chocolate filling, packaged topping . I would never ever go to this place again to eat not only because the food was awful but because I got food poisoning from one of those items . It's a shame because Rick's used to be a great restaurant . read more

We got there, we were seated, we waited..............cant review anything because we were never acknowledged. We walked out. Disappointed, the place had a bar and the food at other's table looked good. The place was not so busy that we wouldn't have at least received a "hi, be right with you" read more

Good breakfast option: tasty food and friendly service. Sausage had good flavor and omelet was thin, diner style. read more

Hope Valley Diner - Western omelette with a side sausage patty - Diners Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

The food was not that great. The prime rib was not cooked to order - asked for medium rare and it was blood red (We did not send back to be cooked more). I ordered the fried scallops and they were not fried, just lightly swimming in oil. The waiter was condesceding. Broccoli/rice casserole was just meh. read more

Diner style ambiance and food. Food quality seems to have gone downhill some over the last few visits over the last year (mainly cooked too long therefore dry or crunchy when it shouldn't be). At our last visit, our waitress was a bit clueless. I hope they can improve overall. read more

Had been there many times and today was a disappointment! Wilted salad and cold food was a disappointment read more

Several more meals at this establishment and I can continue to vouch for its quality. The ambience is very much diner with a side of regulars, who can walk in to reserved tables on a given night. The staff treat everyone well, that is, just like regulars! The style of cobbler isn't my taste (crust too thick, not enough fruit) but there are usually six or seven desserts listed on the board to choose from. As for mains, I keep returning to the chicken and dumplings or three veg dinner. Yum! read more

Hope Valley Diner - Chicken and dumplings, mac and cheese, string beans, roll. - Diners Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

This is a nice diner option for breakfast, lunch or dinner in Durham! A diverse menu, a full bar, breakfast served all day, and outdoor seating for nice weather days. We will be dining here again! Bre read more

Wow, it is really good. With me and 2 others, we had good service and excellent food. As expected, the Reuben sandwich was excellent -- nice meat and dressing and perfectly slightly crisp toasted bread. read more

I've been here a number of times over the years, going back to Rick's Diner days. It's been mostly good, though my last visit earlier this month wasn't up to its usual standards. (For example, service was slower than usual, though the restaurant wasn't very busy, and when I explained that my Diet Coke was flat, the server responded that all the soft drinks would be flat, then. I swapped for iced tea, which was okay, but his response made me wonder if they'd just serve flat soda for the rest of the day. Seemed like our server didn't care, or he didn't know how to fix it himself, so he didn't offer.) I usually get breakfast food there, but chose the Turkey Reuben this last time, and it was good.I'll be back. read more

HORRIBLE SERVICE. I will never go back. My daughter, granddaughter and I went to eat lunch on Wednesday, April 8, 2026. We were sitting by the hostess counter and waited 10 min. before anyone came to our table. We ordered 2 coffees with cream and 1 ice tea. Ten min later we were served our drinks, but no cream for the coffee. About 20 min later a different person came to take our food order, but still no cream. My daughter ordered from their menu biscuits and gravy. After 30 min we were served. Still no cream and we were never offered more coffee or ice tea. My order was OK. The biscuits and gravy were pathetic - ONE PLAIN DRY BISCUIT AND A SMALL CUP OF GRAVY THAT WASN'T ENOUGH TO COVER THE ONE BISCUIT. They offered to correct the order, but we couldn't wait another 45 min. My granddaughter had already left to return to work. My daughter tried to eat, but the biscuit was too dry. They did not charge for her order, but she still had not eaten after 45 min and we couldn't wait any longer. For your information the place was not even half full of people. We were disappointed and will never return. read more

Ugh. That 15 dollar burger just didn't hit the spot. It was dry and blah. I fed most of it to my dogs when I got home. The prices here are crazy. I won't go back. read more

Great food and a great variety! Service is also great!! They have really delicious comfort food.

Woof. Just had one of the worst dining experiences of my adult life, and we usually really like this place. We came for a late lunch, and soon realized it was the middle of a shift change. Our server took our drink order, then totally disappeared. Like 10-15 minutes pass. We ordered from someone else who apologized for the staff change. Cool, cool, "the rest of the meal will be fine", I thought. We needed a coffee refill. We asked for this 3 times, got an explanation that they had to make more. No apologies. We asked a 4th time, got attitude from our server that "I'm working on it, I'm just one person." So I worked in the service industry for about 5-6 years. This happens, we later found out they were short staffed. But if you take that frustration out on customers, they will just go somewhere else where servers are nice? And attentive? Or pretend to try & care even when things are hectic? We got our food 25 minutes later. We ordered a side that's technically a dessert at the beginning of the meal. That never comes out. The server notices and reminds the kitchen. It comes out another 15 minutes after we are done eating. Finally got fresh coffee. The table next to us was served a meat item that was literally raw in the middle--I saw it. The manager took it off their bill; did not apologize. I asked if I could speak to her about the service we received. She made a lot of excuses for why it happened, and vented about short staffing and a manager walking out before her. That sucks, i acknowledged the struggle, and asked why no one was able to stay late to keep helping customers. She clearly expected that no one would come to eat between 2:30-4 because it's not prime meal time. I suggest they close between meals if this is a regular occurrence. They chose to remain open to not lose money, and then lost money anyway because the person next to me had her food comped, we then had our dessert comped. Still minimal accountability or apology. I watched another manager/host/server just leave bc their shift was over, including one that rolled her eyes at me for asking for hot sauce, before she shoved it in my hand. I had to go the bar for that; no one ever came back to the table. Absolutely garbage service. Yall have decent food for decent prices and we've had good to-go experiences before, but I'm truly not sure we'll ever go back. Also, what diner gets annoyed that you want coffee in the middle of the day? ITS A DINER! I'd way rather support a small business here, but you need to try just a little bit to do your job and not make all your customers feel like dicks for asking for refills/condiments/general service. If I talked to my tables like they did to me and past jobs, I would have been fired or at the very least, spoken to about improving next time. Do better or close between your meal services, or keep losing customers. Your choice, HVD. read more

Had a great brunch with the family on a Sunday morning. We had a table for 9 that we didn't call in and they were able to accommodate within 20 min. The hosts were very nice and provided updates when our table was going to be ready. When we were seated, the waitress was very quick and professional with our orders and providing any additional requests. The food is good for diner food. No complaints, but it's nothing to go wild about. All portion sizes were well sized. They serve breakfast all day, have lunch options, and have a kids menu too. The price for the entire table was barely over $100, so it came to just over $10/plate. Very affordable! I will definitely come back, glad we have this place a try. read more

Hope Valley Diner - Big breakfast - Diners Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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We went with some friends because spouse wanted to try it. He's a diner-style meatloaf aficionado. The meatloaf met his standards. Everything was pretty ok. The desserts were diner-style excellent. read more

The staff are always so nice, friendly and very attentive! Food is always fresh and hot. Very fast service! And this place looks like a modern diner. NICE :) read more

Hope Valley Diner - Meaty omellete - Diners Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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Recently returned excited for another good meal, but I was sadly disappointed. I didn't ask for any changes to a simple roast beef sandwich with au jus except a loaded baked potato instead of a plain one. What I got was the sandwich without the dipping jus and a plain potato. The waiter wanted me to keep the potato and bring the loaded one and said he'd bring the au jus, but I discovered the sandwich was also missing onions and horseradish mayo as described on the menu. I asked him to return it all and ask the chef to prepare it properly which he seemed surprised by, but did. When he brought another with the strangest looking loaded potato I'd ever seen, he said the manager was going to comp my meal and talk with me. The assistant manager came over after I received another meal to apologize and ask what I needed to make it right. I said I already got a replacement and he kept pushing the issue and I just kept repeating what happened and how it had been handled, but he pressed on. Frustrated and just wanting to eat, I said you can go back to the kitchen and tell the chef to prepare a dish as described on the menu to avoid a situation like this and that it didn't seem like too much to ask. He said he would. Honestly, it was all just very bizarre. They were very busy & with lots of take out orders, which I acknowledged with the assistant manager, but my menu choice wasn't rocket science! My spouse did enjoy her meal completely, but mine was an exercise in futility. I think I'll take a break before returning anytime soon. read more

Hope Valley Diner - Fried scallops & oyster dinner. - Diners Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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I got hooked to Hope Valley Diner because they used to cater for my old work place, and now my new job is a few buildings down. I went to dine in here for the first time last Sunday and it was a no-wait, lovely brunch. I got the fried chicken platter with green beans and mac and cheese and a roll. My girlfriend got pancakes with eggs and hashbrowns. She dug the pancakes, the eggs were okay, but the hashbrowns were soggy. My fried chicken platter was tasty. Both plates took a long while to get to the table. A lot of the people eating there that Sunday were what you'd call "family-like" - older or "entitled" people, basically. You can kinda see that by reading through some of the lower rating reviews on here, honestly. Still, it was a decent enough time. If you go here, try the mac and cheese and the rolls. Definitely the best I've ever had (don't roast me if your mom or grandma makes it better.) read more

Hope Valley Diner - Fried chicken platter with a roll, green beans, and mac and cheese. Definitely some of the best mac and cheese I've ever had. - Diners Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

I had the chicken and waffles special. It took around 30 minutes for me to get my food, and my waffle came out cold to the touch. My chicken was also not hot and the flavor was nothing special. We were seated immediately and our waitress was nice. Overall food was just okay and cold, but service was decent. read more

We go here often so I'be been trying different things than my usual order lately. This fried shrimp did not disappoint! It was cooked well and batter was actually pretty light which is what I prefer. I wasn't expecting it to be so good as this isn't typical diner food, however hope valley diner is anything but typical. Service was quick, waitresses and host were great per usual!! read more

Hope Valley Diner - Fried shrimp platter with broccoli rice casserole, mac & cheese, and a roll - Diners Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Terrible service and rude greeting Would not go here again despite convenient location read more

Still a bit of a secret in the growing triangle area. This has been a staple of weekend mornings. Great breakfast. I usually get the omelettes or the pancake with link sausage. Only been for supper once and I got meatloaf, which was decent. The restaurant is much stronger with its breakfast though. Never had a bad meal there read more

Hope Valley Diner - Blueberry pancake - Diners Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

This is a favorite place for me and my husband! He loves the fact that they have a large menu with changing specials. He has tried all different kinds of options from a Ruben sandwich to the Chicken Cordon Blue. He says everything is always delicious. I stick with the fried chicken which is always hot and fresh. The service is always quick and friendly. We usually come here for dinner at least once a month. The drinks are really good as well! I will definitely recommend this restaurant for some food home cooked food! read more

I've been to this place a couple of times during my random drives back home. Each time the food has been good and I've never had to beg for a coffee refill. Average cost for two people is around $20-25. My only observation would be the improvement of service. If a customer needs something, they should be able to ask another waitress to assist or ask if they can have the original waitress come over. It's been observed that the wait staff will completely ignore a table that isn't their own. It's a small issue and I'm sure it will be improved in the future. If you ever find yourself off 15-501 or MLK, looking for a brunch spot, give this little place a try. read more

Hope Valley Diner - Diners Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Solid diner food, polite wait staff. All Around a positive experience. Each time we I've been (even when a bit crowded) no long wait. read more

I took a friend here for his 72nd birthday brunch last week. He does not eat fish or meat. The vegetable plat was perfect for him as was my omelette. This was my 2nd visit within the last 30 days and as previously noted service was good and the food was great. read more

Came here this past weekend in a group of 4. We had a good experience here and were pleasantly surprised that we were seated immediately at 10 am on a Sunday! Our service was not the best, but the food and coffee were excellent. They have a large brunch menu, but also serve lunch as soon as 10 am. I had the 1/2 stack pancake special with turkey sausage and hasbrowns. The pancakes were probably a 6/10, sausage was 8/10 and hash browns were 7/10. The only thing I was disappointed with was that everyone's pancakes except mine came out extremely large and fluffy, but mine were half the size and didn't taste great. Maybe they do smaller pancakes for the specific special I ordered, but I was displeased after seeding how large everyone else's were. Next time I will get something else for sure. My sister in law got the club sandwich with fries and it looked SO good and was HUGE! Might have to try lunch here sometime. Would come back here! read more

Hope Valley Diner - 1/2 stack pancake special - Diners Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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Came in for an early Sunday breakfast and it was overall a good experience with a few positive and negative standouts. I had the "poor man's club" which is the dish that drew me here in the first place. It's a huge sandwich with two slices of thick fried bologna, cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomato, grilled onions, mayo, and mustard. I love bologna and am a fan of places that aren't too haughty to include it on their menu and was especially excited to try this wild sandwich. It did not disappoint. Sloppy, melty, flavorful - a perfect hangover cure. I swapped the hash browns for fruit (at no extra charge) which was a good choice because the sandwich is plenty filling on its own. I will definitely get this again. Husband got the "big breakfast" as he does, which comes with a pancake, eggs, a biscuit with gravy, and a meat. He also added grits which turned out meh/instant. The pancake was fine. Bacon was a bit thin and crispy for my taste. The biscuit and gravy was the come-from-behind winner here. The biscuit was buttery and tender, and the gravy was flavorful and loaded with sausage. Coffee was a bit burnt but not terrible. But the price was right for a diner in this area so I can get on board. We were not wild about the service. There are big and I mean big signs on the doors that say "Wait To Be Seated" but when we walked in and waited awkwardly by the door for a while we were instructed to just sit anywhere. The system for waiting's being assigned tables is as follows: the waiters discuss whose "turn" it is each time someone walks in. We know this because we heard them do it every time. Our waitress was a bit rude/curt. For example, she walked away while we ordered drinks which was just bizarre. Service was prompt, however, if not friendly. Other waiters seemed fine. We did watch one couple walk out after being instructed to sit wherever and then never getting any service. Tl;dr: bologna yes, biscuit and gravy yes, grits no, service meh read more

None of us had been there before but one in our party wanted to try it out. After looking at the reviews I was somewhat leery, either they were great or not got. We were seated promptly and service was good. Nice interior. Unusual that they have a special's board with no prices. One friend had the flounder and wondered where all the fish was b/c of the small portion although he liked the flavor. The apple sauce and black eyed peas where both straight out of a can, commented can get the same at home. One friend had a chicken salad sandwich which was good with so-so fries. I had a Meaty omelette with hash browns and a biscuit. Biscuit cold and dry. Hash browns OK. The omelette was meh, almost flavorful but not bad. Everyone agreed that we probably wouldn't be back. Been to other diners that do better. read more

Hope Valley Diner - Inside - Diners Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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$12 cocktail that was a mere few sips of liquid apart from ice; $23 seafood combo plate-blackened fish and raw scallops were unedible and loaded with salt. I know blackened can mean spice and salt, but this was disgusting. The scallops were hardly cooked and transparent throughout. Fried Pickle Appetizer was good for one bite, but loaded with salt! When I politely complained, I was told that everything was as it should be. The waitress asked what I wanted, which made me feel like she thought I was scamming free food. Since she was so unwilling to give me a chance to have an opinion, I took the hit and paid full price and am sitting here hungry, even though I threw down $120 for a family of 4. When I think of what I could have bought for the money, it angers me! It would've been nice to not have to think of compensation but to be offered a discounted meal. She mentioned to me that I should have told her I was unhappy before I ate, but only after a few bites did I find it inedible. Hope Valley Diner, serve your customers better! Will never be back. read more

This place is great. You get a great atmosphere, and the servers are all nice. The best part is they serve breakfast all day. I'm a breakfast kinda gal. But if you aren't, that's fine, the menu is really big. It's hard to describe this place because it's definitely a more upscale atmosphere than a "diner". The place was remodeled recently and looks really nice. You can't go wrong with anything on the menu. read more

Hope Valley Diner - Seating - Diners Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

This is the second time I have eaten food from here and it was really good the French toast is a 10 you don't even need any syrup it tastes delicious without anything added . I went in for a pickup I was on my lunch break ! Service was really fast it was a Wednesday keep that in mind . But the fries had a really good taste the cheeseburger was also very good I didn't have time to eat it all so I warmed it up later in the day and the meat was not dry . The cashier was also nice she took care of me really quick and the wait was also not that long ! I recommend this restaurant try it out you will not be disappointed . I love good food and I do not hesitate to pay for a good meal and having good customer service is a big plus !!! read more