This was my first experience at Juju and it lived up to its reviews. The vibe inside was great. Love the color palette and layout of the restaurant. We ate at the bar and our server/bartender was great! He knew the menu well and made great recommendations. On top of that his mixologist skills were on point. One improvement I'd like to see is their selection of bourbon and liquor overall. We started our meal with the oyster which were had a nice spin to the typical preparation. Since I'm Filipino we had to get the Sisig! It wasn't prepared how I'm accustomed to but they did a great job on their rendition of this dish. Lastly we got the pork belly buns and I've got to say, the portions on this dish are the biggest I've had for any bun dish over ordered. We passed on dessert because we were stuffed and short on time since we were headed to a show. Overall Juju was a great experience and I definitely will be back to try more of their menu. read more

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Bad experience with host. Had a reservation at 7:30 showed up 5 minutes early they had us wait the 5 minutes. Asked us if we wanted outside or inside. Said outside then proceeded to make us wait. Finally sat us inside and in the corner. Three people have been seated outside since then. Food is good but not for the price. Poor service overall much better places in Durham. read more

Atmosphere: Pretty dark interior, good for dates unless you get stuck at bar seating like my date and I did (see below). Service: We made a reservation for 2 beforehand, but we were still seated at the bar. Given that this was a first date, it was an awkward seating arrangement for conversation. Otherwise, service was standard. Food: The food was very underwhelming given the atmosphere, price, and hype from locals. We only ordered 3 tapas (gochugaru edamame, crispy beef short rib wontons, and salt & pepper NC shrimp) because it was pretty pricey. The edamame was literally plain edamame seasoned with dried gochugaru. The wontons were good but on the salty side. The shrimp was salty and peppery as expected but had good balance and a great crunch! Overall: Unless you have $100 to burn on mediocre tapas, do not come to Juju. The atmosphere is nice but we were very disappointed with the quality of the food. read more

Juju - Crispy Beef Short Rib Wontons - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Loved the ambiance, meat were tender and so tasty. Everything was beyond delicious. Parking: You can park at the Harris Teeter area for free. Staff: Very knowledgeable and friendly. Restroom: It's clean and well maintained. They even have free tampons, toothpick and cotton buds. Amazing! read more

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Every time we come here it's great! Make sure if you're dying to get in one night you make a reservation. The food is outstanding. Of course it's on the pricier side the dishes are to-die-for. I believe the prices are worth it for the quality you get. It's tapas style so make sure you order enough plates. But don't worry- you can always order more. It comes out quickly for the amount of people they get through the doors. The ambiance is good the lighting is nice and romantic. It's crowded but why wouldn't it be?! Best food in town, and the drinks are phenomenal. The service is very attentive and the staff is very personable and accommodating. We always have an amazing time no matter the occasion. read more

Food & service were wonderland well as the ambiance of the place. Great choices and terrific small plates to share.

Amazing food and ambiance. The service was impeccable. Every dish was very full and delicious. The drinks were also amazing, they do not skimp out on the alcohol with the old fashions. read more

Amazing Asian-inspired tapas in the heart of Durham. Slightly higher end location compared to nearby restaurants both in price point and ambiance, but certainly was worth the cost for a special event. We ordered many items from the menu since we were a large group and almost everything was above expectations. My personal favorites were the glazed pork belly buns, soy braised lamb, crispy brussels sprouts, and garlic ramen noodles. Reservations are recommended especially for large parties as it was very crowded even on a Monday night. It is also quite loud so it can be difficult to talk with those further from you at a large table. Service was excellent, food came out fairly fast despite it being a clearly busy night. Overall it was an excellent experience and I will certainly be back for a future special event/celebration. read more

Wow. This place is amazing. Over the past month I've ordered food as well as dined in. Dining in, I felt very safe. I ate outside on the patio. They have multiple heat lamps, but I would advise that you still bring a jacket. The staff members are very nice and accommodating. The food is. DELICIOUS. I loved every dish, drinks included. Of note, they do not serve tap water but you're welcome to bring your own. The bathrooms are very clean, as well. The food during my pickup order was equally as delicious. I can't wait to have Juju again. read more

I went here with a friend for dinner because of all the hype that it had in the Durham area. And while I wasn't disappointed, I wasn't amazed either. First impressions upon walking in, the atmosphere and aesthetic of the restaurant were very upscale and trendy. It has a dark, chill vibe to it and I think it fits the trendy theme of fusion restaurants. The service was very good and the waiters were very attentive. Now the food. The food was tasty. I really enjoyed the tapas style and the cute plating of it was very appealing. There are definitely some really cool fusion crossovers to try and my friend and I had a hard time choosing what to get. However, the portion sizes were small, even for a tapas restaurant. It does not help that the plates are very pricey. If you want to be full by the end of the night, you will need to be willing to drop a cool $40-50, and that's just if you're with 2 people. This to me is the ultimate problem. The food is good, the atmosphere is nice, but there just isn't enough food to justify the prices; there is definitely a lack of value for money here. So, unless money is not an issue for you, I would keep this restaurant as maybe a once or twice a year trip. read more

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Awesome service and the food was great! Bang bang shrimp is a must super relaxing and quiet environment. Perfect spot for a quiet lunch or dinner date. read more

Decided to go here with a group of friends for an early birthday gathering. We had a reservation for 7:45, and were seated promptly when we arrived. My friends brought a birthday cake for me and we were informed at the door that there was a $12 cutting fee, which was a tad bit ridiculous and knocked them down one star. We ordered chickpeas, summer rolls, tofu wontons, green beans, Chinese broccoli, and the fried chicken steam buns. All items were very delicious and flavorful. My favorites were the steam buns, Chinese broccoli, and summer rolls. We also ordered a carafe of Sangria for $25, and it was very very watered down and 1/2 full of ice. I would skip that option all together, and try something else. I though the food was reasonably priced, but the cocktails were not. Overall, it was a good experience, and I would come back again on a date night to try other options. read more

Juju - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

JUJU was absolutely amazing. The food, the service and the atmosphere were outstanding. I wish we would live a little closer to eat here more often. Everything we had was absolutely delicious and the portions are also reasonable. Our friends recommended us to try JuJu and we are so happy we did. We will definitely be back and try some more of the dishes we did not have. We had the fried chicken, short beef wontons, garlic noodles and tuna. We also had the butter cream dessert and it was so YUM! :) This was the perfect amount to order for two people. The brussels sprouts were highly recommended from our waiter and he told us that that is the most order dish. Unfortunately we did not have any more room left for the brussels sprouts. read more

Juju has got it going on! I haven't been to its sister restaurant Jujube in Chapel Hill for ages so I wasn't sure what to expect in the new Durham location. But let's just say I was pleasantly surprised. Inside the decor is mod, Asian and Japanese influenced with a lot of rich browns. And the place is popular already, the two of us get seated at a community table on a Monday night. The menu at Juju is small for small plates but no big deal as long as they're good, right? We order up chicken-kale dumplings, a short-rib with pear, bolognese noodles and some steamed pork buns. A small list of sakes, wines and cocktails round out the menu. And the food comes out quickly. Enjoyed the nicely pleated dumplings but the main stars for me were the short-rib and noodles. The short rib was tender, thinly sliced beef paired well with pear and citrus. And the bolognese noodles? Red-cooked, shredded pork with toothsome noodles. Great idea, I re-created them at home the week afterwards! Service at Juju was very professional and prompt. With the great food, excellent decor and lovely patio, I expect Juju to be a big hit for Durhamites. Juju, you've got some food magic going on here... read more

Juju - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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I've been to Juju twice now with friends, and I have mixed feelings. On one hand, I love the service and atmosphere. Last time, I was in a group of at least 8 people, and our food was out in less than 15 minutes! Can't beat that. And the servers are always very attentive and quick. On the other hand, I do think that many of the dishes are overpriced for not that much food. For example, $11 for pork buns? That's a bit much, especially for sharing tapas style. The buns are also pretty small. I have tried more than a couple of their dishes, so I'll just give my opinion on some of them below. Hawaiian Ahi Poke - Would not recommend! $19 is just too much. It didn't come in a traditional poke bowl form (see picture), which wasn't my main problem with the dish. It was just not enough food to warrant paying that much, and it tasted just alright. The dish looked cool, but that's about it. Poke isn't cheap but I know for a fact it's not that expensive either. Shrimp Summer Rolls - Pretty tasty, but nothing special. Just your standard spring rolls. Salt and Pepper NC Shrimp - Would highly recommend! Had a nice crunch and seasoning on the outside of the shrimp. Really great flavor and came with several shrimp. Hickory Smoked Pork Ribs - Would recommend! The ribs were thick and glazed in sweet hoisin sauce. The meat was also very tender with minimal fat, something I appreciate Chinese Broccoli - Meh. I thought this was going to be more similar to traditional Chinese Broccoli, and I personally prefer the traditional taste of garlic much better. I don't even know how to describe the taste, but it definitely didn't suit the dish and the crunchy peanuts on top didn't add anything but a weird texture. Crispy Chickpea Chaat - Would recommend! My friend ordered this, and I had a bite. Don't expect anything spicy, definitely more of a mild turmeric flavor. But I still enjoyed it, and so did my vegetarian friend! Overall, Juju is excellent in both atmosphere and service. However, my only qualms are the prices you pay for both the small plates and entrees. Some of the dishes are hit and miss, so you just have to be careful in what you choose. It's a fun place to come here with friends, birthdays, or a date. I would try it at least once, but I'll probably forget about this place after writing this review. read more

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Been several times. Always great service, consistent and super taste! I recommend for anyone to give it a try. I bet you won't be disappointed! read more

Solid restaurant. Although I'm not sure how "Asian" this place is (not very much), the food here is good. You won't find the typical Asian vegetables here, and the style is very much Americanized. Ambiance: 4.5/5 Very classy place. A bar is at the center and there are mostly smaller high tables and a couple sitting tables around. Service and speed: 5/5 Very fast and pretty good service. No long waits. Pricing: $$$ Definitely pricy. Don't come here expecting to pay less than $20 if you want to be full. While this is very much true of most tapas places, that is something to keep in mind. If you wanted truly authentic Asian food at a fraction of the cost, I would recommend dim sum instead. Food: 4/5 Most of the food was cooked very flavorfully. The ribs were wonderful with mint and a sweet barbeque sauce. Bulgogi and Brussel sprouts were good as well. Brussel sprouts came in a pretty carmelized sauce that was filling and sweet. The duck fat fried rice was nothing special really and didn't taste of much. Overall, solid restaurant. It is on the pricier end but it also a pretty nice/classy place to go. Food had good flavor even if it wasn't truly authentic Asian food. The fusion was done well, and I would return in the future. read more

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Ordered Kung Pao chicken and poke. Chicken was overcooked. Poke portion was expensive, very small, and bland. Was never asked how food was. Not worth the price paid read more

Great food, great service, nice ambiance, a little pricey. We got 4 small plates & a dessert to share between 2 of us, plus a glass of sangria each. Bill was around $100. Tuna bites: delicious. The decorative-looking orange sauce is SPICY. 4 pieces to the plate and each is 1-2 bites' worth of food. Shrimp dumplings: the filling is amazing and the presentation is gorgeous. Again, 4 to a plate with about 2 large shrimp in each. Bing bread: sort of like if a pancake texture had a baby with naan flavor. I scraped off the chives because I hate onion-y things, but the salt and butter transport the dish. Brussels sprouts: I have a love-hate relationship with this vegetable. These were decent. I preferred the browner, crisper ones in the dish. The apricots were a nice touch. Doughnuts: oooooommmmgggg. So good. The donuts themselves have an absolute perfect texture, warm and fluffy but slightly chewy. Generously sprinkled with powdered sugar. I wasn't sure how I would feel about chai cream but it was delightful. We sat at the bar and had perfect service from our bartender. I would definitely go back! read more

This place is OK, but nothing to make me feel like I have to rush back. As is typical with small-plates type places, the tab adds up VERY quickly because you fool yourself into thinking that at $8 or $9 a pop, it's cheap, but then six plates and/or drinks later, you find yourself looking at a bill that would choke one of the wild boar that is featured in a couple of menu items. I tried the grilled Asian Caesar, which was two strips of Romaine that had a nice char on them with some nice salty bacon and a tangy dressing. It was a decent flavor balance, but the lettuce ribs had to be so sturdy to stand up to the grilling that it was hard to completely disguise some bitterness. I also had the aforementioned wild boar dumplings, which were nicely flavorful, as well as the guinea hen dumplings, which had a nice amount of meat but were a touch dry. For a cocktail I tried the Love Child, which is one of those cutesy names I would normally avoid, but the combination of pomegranate, ginger and lime got me. It was quite tasty and well-balanced, with the ginger appearing as a candied slice on a toothpick garnish. The room is very modern and neutral with a large U-shaped central bar and tables around it, with some booths along a wall. At present, it's VERY busy so be aware you may need reservations or have to wait. The Yelp! app actually led me a bit astray trying to find it, as it tried to put the building a block away from where it actually is. Juju is located in the strip of shops in the Harris Teeter parking lot, facing onto Ninth Street, which places it a bit too close to Dook campus for my comfort, but sacrifices sometimes must be made to experience the Durham dining scene. read more

Juju - Bar - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Cute and classy place to grab drinks and tapas! The good: bbq pork steamed dumplings- I don't like dumplings but I loved these! So good Tried a bunch of other things and basically all of the desserts but wasn't super impressed by anything. Would only get those dumplings again. Love this addition to durham! My new go to place for drinks and small plates after work or on a Friday night:) read more

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The flavors here were great. We ordered the Brussel sprouts, beef wontons, shrimp dumplings, and cucumber dish. Each and every one was great. I don't agree with the price point to quantity ratio (that's specifically for the brussel sprouts), but the taste was great. Also, this is a great place for brunch with a nice/cute vibe. read more

All around fantastic! The food is delicious. Our go to favorites are spicy tuna bites, leek fried rice, garlic noodles, and bing bread, but you can't go wrong. We have now officially tried everything on the menu, and have not been disappointed once. We typically order 2-3 small tapas dishes per person, but there are also larger plates that can be eaten as a one plate full meal. Juju has the best asian food we've ever had, and is well worth the price. The service is second to none. We've been to Juju several times now and had great waiters/waitresses each and every time. While making reservations, we are always asked if anyone in our party has food allergies (my girlfriend has a nut allergy, so this is much appreciated) and the staff is always notified of those allergies before serving us. The ambiance is great for date nights, with a bar in the center of the restaurant that gets more crowded as the night goes on. If you find yourself craving extremely high quality asian food in the Durham area, you must try Juju. You won't regret it! read more

My boyfriend took me out here for Valentine's dinner. Definetely has a classy ambiance with low lights and elegant modeling, so if you're looking for an opportunity to dress up, do it! The portions were a little small for the price, which seems a little contradicting for its Tapas-style menu. We got the General Tso's Chicken (9/10, just a little small), the garlic noodles (8/10, a little salty but bigger portions) , shrimp dumplings (4 dumplings for $8, 10/10), and the leek fried rice (7/10, it was under-seasoned and mostly rice, not much add-ins). Service was prompt and servers were friendly! read more

Juju - Leek Fried Rice*, Shrimp Dumplings, General Tso's Chicken - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

I wish I could write out all the dishes I tried, but there were SO MANY. And even though the food is a bit heavy (okay, really heavy) it's very delicious. A MUST! Lemongrass Grilled Hanger Steak Pan Seared Collard and Wild Mushroom Chinese Broccoli Crispy Brussels Sprouts Blueberry Almond Cake Eh, I could skip it. Salad Rolls Crispy Chickpea Chaat Chocolate Mousse Peanut Butter Cup Would not recommend. Steamed BBQ Pork Belly dumplings Garlic Shrimp dish (unsure of exact name, but very very heavy) Crispy Beef Short Rib Wontons Wine (a red wine, don't remember which, but wasn't good at all). read more

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So far Juju takes the cake on my favorite place to eat in Durham! I've been to Juju twice now and both time tried quite a few of their entrees and nothing has disappointed me at all. This is a great place for a group meal, as it's tapas style, or a good date. The lamb has probably been my favorite thing here to date, but they have so many other great items as well. The service at Juju is excellent, the wait staff are all on point, the drinks are great, and so is the food. I don't think you can ask for much else when eating somewhere. The menu itself is modern asian so I think you can probably find something for every taste bud. Also, I highly recommend eating on the patio outside. The ambiance is great and they even have a table near a fire pit. read more

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First of all the service I was blown away with when we walked in. We did not have a reservation, but the host tried her best to accommodate us as we had my friends 70 yr old mom with us who could not sit at the high top. We ended up ordering food at the bar where she brought a low seat for my friends mom! There is some good leadership going on here when you take the time to assist us in this manner. We had an app which was delish! The tuna crispy app and duck fried rice is a MUST! We will be back:) read more

Ordered take out several times and the food was great. Would love if they had more desserts to choose from.

Food tastes good, and there's wide range if food. Vibe is amazing, price a little bit high

A surprisingly good asian fusion tapas bar in the suburban strip malls of Durham. Don't get me wrong, this place is a little pricey, but the quality and location of this place outshines the dent in my wallet. Atmosphere here is quite posh and romantic, while never taking itself too seriously. The wait staff are all veterans and can read the room with ease. I ordered a good amount, and I was actually glad that I did. Wontons has a great crunch, the chèvre was creamy and tangy, the pepper basil jam came off more like an herby mae ploy sauce, but offered a sweetness. Beef was moist, full of flavor, and had a good consistency in the wonton. The cilantro garnished on top offered a fresh veggie feel to the mix. It was crass in each ingredient, but everything was surprisingly balanced. Spicy tuna bites were pricy, but offered a twisted nigiri feel. The rice cake could have had more flavor infused in the rice, but the fried outside had a lovely texture. The tuna was fresh and had a great flavor. They offer just enough sauce to get some moisture and flavor, but damn if it doesn't leave the plate messy. The whole plate ends up in this smeared, sticky surface that's hard to move around. The pork belly dumplings are an absolute must. Don't be fooled by the other dumplings, because THIS is the one you should order. The filling is purely divine in its fatty pork taste. Make sure you brace yourself for the explosion of flavor once the filling touches the tongue. The dumpling itself was thick, starchy, yet moist and tender. The soy sauce was nothing special, but offered that distinctive umami taste. The fried oysters are much more elegant than what I thought. The breading on the oysters are not hard nuggets, but rather a delicate crust that cling on to the oyster. The herbs only salad was an interesting concept, although I did feel like I was just eating a mouthful of cilantro. The overall combo of oysters, citrus, herbs, and caramelized yogurt worked well. This dish could have been less wet, since the yogurt was a little runny and the citrus produce a good amount of liquid. In the end, the flaws are forgivable since there's quite a bit of character in this dish. Everything up to this point has been bombastic, heavy, yet fresh and dynamic in flavor. The dessert was not quite the approach I expected from the chef, but it ultimately was the highlight of the meal. Simple in construct, yet a symphonic arrangement on the tongue, the pot de crème offers sweet, buttery, salty, and tang all in one bite. The European level sweetness is quite welcomed, and works to allow the sour cream and lava salt stand out in the forefront. read more

So damn good. Don't sit at the bar the bar tender is too cool to say hello or to take your order (note there was only 1 person at the bar, but he didn't have time for us). But sit at a table, or better, sit late night outside with the cool breeze. The food was so good. Asian but it felt like it had a little southern sweetness to it. Tyson was the best server we have had in a long time. He was calm, told us stories and information about North Carolina, he greeted us right away. He made up ten fold for the douché bar tender. This place was the best food I had in a very long time with the best server, who made this more than just eating food, it was an event. Thank you Tyson! Thank you JuJu. read more

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Very good with a decent amount of food that is reasonably priced. Great selection of drinks as well.

As always quite happy with food and service! The Brussels sprouts are amazing. And a big fan of the hanger steak

With no exaggeration, this is the first restaurant where everything is 10's across the board for us! They were very accommodating with us being vegetarian. We got the general Tso tofu, garlic ramen noodles, and the bing bread. Our plates were empty at the end! A busier environment, recommend making a reservation. 10/10! read more

Juju - General Tso's Tofu, Garlic Ramen Noodles, Bing Bread - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Juju is one of my favorite restaurants in Durham! I highly recommend their Duck Fat Fried Rice, Mushroom and Cabbage Dumplings and the Lemongrass Grilled Hanger Steak. However, the best is the Whole Peking Duck. Don't forget to let them know that you want to have the duck in advance!! read more

Juju - Whole Peking Duck - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Brussels sprouts are the best and I hate vegetables. Service is decent. Easy to find parking.

SUPER delicious charred corn and king salmon hand roll dishes. The corn had a great sous vide egg and amazing gravy. Coupled with the crunch of the corn, it was sweet and salty heaven. The hand rolls were so fun to assemble yourself. There was plenty of salmon. And the best part of all was the homemade pickled wasabi - a true treat! Nice chickpea bites dish. Reminds one of a tea snack in Asia. Spicy not hot. Decent veg dumpling. Felt the edge of the wrapper could have been better and the spicy insides was okay. Didn't love it as much as everything else. Great vibes and service. Love the category, Asian tapas, and can recommend this place! read more

Juju - Chickpeas bite - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

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This is our first time to JUJU! Awesome experience...it's hard sometime to find something different around here but we glad we decided to try JUJU. It's only about 10 minutes from DPAC. They not gonna leave you dissapointed! Ryan was our server. Thanks so much Ryan to help us go through everything and everything was great. Service was fast....even they are so busy. I suggest to make a reservation and for the Whole Pecking Duck...it required 24 hrs notice. I love everything we order. My favourite one is the Garlic Noodles...I can eat 2 bowl of it...very light but so satisfying. We definitely be back to try some other menu. And if you haven't....go spend your special night there. I suggest go with couples friends...that way you can get a chance to try little² of everything. Because the whole Pecking Duck itself quickly fill you up. You won't have any space left for other food....ladies night would be great here! Nice place to hang out with special people enjoying very special food. And one thing....I love presentation. And they really know how to plate and present their food. Very nice presentation! Well done JUJU! read more

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Fun location on a funky side of town. Plenty of drink choices. The eggplant dish with fried tofu is new to the menu. It has a little kick to it, but was good. Overall a good choice. read more

Juju - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - Durham, North Carolina

Juju has been around Durham for many years, now. In total, I've probably been about six or seven times--and for various occasions. I've been there for business dinners, date night, friends night, and to just get drinks. Overall, I think juju has really improved over the years. When I first went more than five years ago, I was thoroughly unimpressed. Perhaps it's because my wife and I are Asian--we were expecting a much more Asian dining experience. Unmet expectations, I guess, as this place truly is Asian fusion. But then after not having gone again for a couple years, I found myself back there for drinks, and then for friends-night, and then for business dinners. Their menu has grown, improved, and diversified. While their food is still fusion, it's delicious. It's like a tapas version of Asian food. Lots of things to choose from. My only quip about this place is occasionally the service. Can be slow on busy nights, but if you're at the bar it's better. Parking is easy since you can park on the street or in the adjacent parking lot. Prices are a bit high for Durham, but in keeping w most of the other local tapas places. Still, I'd rather go to Mateo's or Mother and Sons on any given night, but this place is acceptable. Worth going to at least once if you live in this area. If a friend was in town for just the weekend, though, this isn't the place I'd take them. read more