On the way to an event and thought I would grab me a quick bite. I ordered 9 Chicken Wings (all…read moreflats) macaroni & cheese, fried okra, 2 pieces of white loaf bread, & a raspberry lemonade. I got the hot honey sauce on the side. There was a 15 minuter wait for my food, however EVERYTHING WAS HOT (temperature wise)! I was able to make 2 meals out of my plate! If I'm ever in the area, I'm stopping by and having a plate!

If you're not going to be open on a Sunday, can customers please be informed ahead of time instead…read moreof not saying anything? I was really looking forward to eating here after church on Sunday (5/31/26), so it was disappointing to find out you were closed without notice. I understand things happen, but updating your hours online or making an announcement on social media would really help customers avoid wasting a trip. Hopefully communication improves moving forward because I was genuinely excited to try the food.

Was excited to try a new place but beware, their hours vary by day. I arrived where their website…read moresaid they were open till 3:59am only to be told they closed at 8:30pm on a Saturday... I was also told the menu changes daily... whenever I'm on this side of town maybe I'll give them a try but I won't go out of my way to visit a place that says download Instagram to see if they're open/what they have for the day. You're a restaurant with a website wasting a domain ... at least ATTEMPT to keep that accurate! Also, to clarify: If you check sanitation scores like I do - they used to be listed as KALE'S KITCHEN but are now listed as KALES AT JOE'S DINER. They do have a good grade though!! Just something to be aware of if you check places frequently like I do.

I traveled through Durham for business and decided to stop at Kale's Kitchen. I've been following…read morethem for a few years on TikTok, watching their growth and all the amazing-looking food they post. So without a doubt, since I was in the area, we decided to stop by and pick something up. Upon arrival, we were greeted by the staff and looked over the menu. We ordered three meals, which totaled roughly $100: fried fish with double mac & cheese (which cost extra), fried shrimp with cabbage and mac & cheese, and chicken wings with mac & cheese and baked beans. From what I'd seen on Instagram and TikTok, I knew the plates were usually packed with food, so I wasn't worried about the $30 price point. I even told my family we'd probably be able to eat off these plates for two days. When we got to the car, I was hyping up the food and told my family, "Let's take a look." But when I opened the boxes, I was highly disappointed. The fish was clearly cooked in old grease--it was overcooked and very dry. The shrimp weren't crunchy and were also overcooked, likely in the same old grease. The portions were smaller than what we expected based on what we'd seen online. Paying $100 for burnt food was very disappointing. I understand that restaurants can have an off day, but please don't serve burnt food with a smile. I would've respected being offered a replacement or at least told before it was handed to me. I genuinely go out of my way to support Black-owned businesses, especially when I travel. I love seeing us win, grow, and represent excellence in food and service. That's one of the main reasons I was so excited to visit Kale's Kitchen after following their journey for so long. I really wanted to have a great experience and continue cheering them on. Unfortunately, this visit didn't live up to the expectations or the standard I've seen them showcase online, and that was truly disappointing. I still believe in what they're doing and hope this was just an off day. I'd love to see them continue to grow and improve, because the potential and passion are definitely there.

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.

We visited for lunch on a beautiful spring weekday. The place was hopping, both inside and out. The…read moremusic was great, the ambience was fast-casual. I love how they had a lot of drink options, including fountain drinks, and special lemonades. We got here on the late side for lunch, and found there to be several different options for ordering. You could wait in line and order with a cashier, you could do a self service kiosk, or you could order from a QR code at a table. We ended up grabbing a table and opting to do it with a QR code. Everything was very clear, and I like that they showed what was popular immediately. I opted for a Boricua Soul Bowl, which I'd sampled during a food tour a few years back- then I tried it with chicken, so today I opted for shrimp. I feel like you really should go with pork since that's the default, and a mainstay of Puerto Rican cuisine and soul food, but alas I have an aversion to pork so I can't. I was also intrigued by the jackfruit option- there's something for everyone! My husband went for a platter with pork, which he said was delicious and rich. The Mac and cheese was amazing, and the collards were to DIE FOR! They have four house made sauces, which were a very fun way to add different flavors (I doused mine in Guava!). Since I've now been, I understand that there are many different methods of ordering, but I'm not sure I understand if there's a benefit or staff preference to one over another. I think one thing I might do in the future is order online (if you're using Toast Tab anyway, might as well order in advance) and then sit outside after I arrive. It took about 30 minutes to get our food, which probably means everything is made to order and fresh (as opposed to sitting around) so that's great, but I was STARVING by the time we got our food. Will definitely be back!

Great experience and visit for the first time receive this information in the Major Taylor cycling…read moreconvention recommendation. And we were happy to visit and enjoy the delicious food. The food portions were large. We could've shared one plate. There were great delicious options for any appetite. the service was excellent and enjoyed our meal. Tip , please bring cash as this is a cash only business.

The customer service is good, They do not take Credit Cards, you do not know that until you are…read moreready to pay for you food. A sign on the door would have been helpful. Candied Yams, taste like they were from a can. The Mac and Cheese, was not baked, it tasted like processed cheese pour on top of the macaroni and the chicken had no flavor at all. The Hushpuppies were frozen. Not good experience for Juneteenth.

I love this place for consistently tasty food and a warm, inviting atmosphere. Every visit feels…read morerelaxed and welcoming, and the service is always on point. It's one of those spots where you can walk in anytime and know you're going to have a good experience. If you're looking for recommendations, the wings are a must‑try, and pairing them with a Bloody Mary never disappoints.

So I asked yelp to recommend a place for a birthday dinner. This was the first on the list. So…read moresince I couldn't get a reservation on my birthday to the place I originally wanted to go, we decided to come here. There is plenty of parking on the backside of the building, paid parking out front, and be careful not to park in the apartment spaces on the side...they sounded pretty serious about towing. I had made a reservation but it was probably unnecessary as it was pretty empty when we arrived (it was about 5pm on a Saturday.) The waitress brought a bottle of water to the table and took our drink order. And I know that this place is literally call it's a Southern thing but can I mention how much I dislike drinking out of mason jars? I ordered the chicken n biscuits, my husband got the country hamburger steak plate, my BiL got wings, and my SiL got the crabcakes. We also orders charred jalapeno & sweet corn hushpuppies and frickles as an appetizer. I was VERY excited about my food. Y'all...the only thing that impressed me were the Frickles. Everything else was distinctly underwhelming. I also ordered Blackberry Betta Have My Money which was not that great. My SiL ordered a espresso martini that they said didn't come from a mix but she said it tasted like it was. The bathrooms were very clean. The decor and the vibe were great. Cute even. I really enjoyed that part of it. After dropping off our food, we never saw our waitress again unless we flagged her down for drink refills. It was especially frustrating since there was automatic gratuity added. And since the place wasn't that busy, it felt like she didn't feel the need to earn her automatic tip. Overall I was disappointed in my birthday dinner. I won't be coming back here.

First class service! I stopped in on my lunch today and was greeted by the sweetest…read moreperson....Alexis. She was so patient with me..I never know what I want to eat. I ended up getting the 2 piece chicken entree with macaroni and cheese and cabbage. The chicken was seasoned so well and fried to perfection. The mac and cheese was oh so good. The cabbage was a little spicy for my taste but it was so still delicious because even though it had a little kick I still kept eating it. The restaurant was really clean and the music was a nice touch. I enjoyed my dining experience and will definitely return. If you want some good eats and you are in the Durham area, you should stop by and taste some of the best food in the area.

This was an extremely satisfying meal that hit the spot. I happened to come here on a Monday, which…read moreis also the day they have a turkey wing special. The turkey wings were huge, fell right off the bone, so good, and came with 3 sides. I also got the dinner portion. The mac and cheese was delicious and the cornbread was moist and had that perfect honey butter flavor. The sweet chili cabbage was also great. My friend got the fried shrimp and it was seasoned well and great. Everything here was perfect and I ate every bite. The prices were fair and everything came out in around 15 minutes.

This place does barbecue right. It's no frills on the outside or the inside, but that's because…read moreit's the food that shines. The collards might be some of the best in the state.

My son and I stopped in for some dinner, clean lots of parking. Stood at the counter for a few…read moreminutes before we were acknowledged, seemed a bit unorganized but we placed our order. Rib tip dinner, with Baked beans and collard greens. The ribs were pretty good, the beans and collard also good. The star was the hush puppies. My son had the wings which was pretty generic, nothing much to write about, he wanted chicken but they were out! Overall it was decent but not sure I'd come back if in the area.

Vittles has a shared parking lot outside and a large dining area and private room at the…read morerestaurant. We placed our order at the counter. The employees we engaged with were pleasant but not overly friendly. I ordered the wing dinner with two sides. I chose lemon pepper as my seasoning and got Mac and cheese with sweet potatoes and cornbread. My food was ready in a timely manner. I got a lot of wings and a scoop of Mac and sweet potatoes. Everything was good but the sweet potatoes were just ok. The wings were a little over seasoned but not terrible. My wings were served hot. I would come back.

Heard about this place from a coworker, stopped by and did a placed an order to go. The cashier was…read morevery nice, the place was busy and they have a nice selection of different items. I was upset they only do Caribbean food on the weekends. I opted for the Cajun catfish plate(two pieces of fish) and two sides. I got the okra and Mac and cheese. The Mac and cheese was one of the best I ever had, the fish was slightly overcooked, but still good. I want to try them on the weekend for the Caribbean food, which is what my coworker said she often orders.