Durham

King’s Sandwich Shop
King’s Sandwich Shop is located in a distinct red
and white building and has been serving hot
dogs, burgers, fries and shakes since 1942. The
Boston Globe lauded the menu as “a ‘Happy Days’
flashback with modern touches.” 701 Foster St,
Downtown Durham, (919) 682-0071; www.
kingssandwichshop.com
Loaf
The New York Times’ mouth was practically
watering when it described finding Loaf bakery at
the Durham Farmers’ Market. “For breakfast, try a
hearth-baked loaf from Loaf, a stall so popular that
it opened a nearby bakery in 2011.” Loaf serves
artisan breads baked in a wood-fired oven along
with a selection of pastries. 111 W Parrish St,
Downtown Durham, (919) 797-1254; www.
facebook.com/pages/Loaf/102663859807344
Los Comales
A “bustling” taqueria “where the tortillas are made
to order” made a Gourmet Magazine writer feel as
if he was actually in Mexico. 2103 N Roxboro Rd,
(919) 220-1614
Mad Hatter Bakeshop and Cafe
Visit South complimented The Mad Hatter Cafe
for its “delicious lunch,” and “festive atmosphere.”
Serving fresh, home-made cuisine and using local,
organic ingredients, the Café menu features all-day
breakfast, sandwiches, salads, soups and entrées.
Mad Hatter also offers a delicious weekend brunch,
a dessert counter and a full gourmet coffee bar.
1802 W Main St, Ninth Street District, (919) 286-
1987; www.madhatterbakeshop.com
Parker and Otis
Southern Living describes Parker and Otis as “a
gourmet grocery store, restaurant, wine store, and
all-around cool place to hang and be seen.” Bon
Appétit featured their Pimento Cheese Dip recipe,
saying, “this spread makes one heck of a sandwich.”
112 S Duke St, Peabody Place, Brightleaf
District, Downtown Durham, (919) 683-3200;
www.parkerandotis.com
Rise
As a new addition to southern Durham, Rise
has made its mark in with unique and flavorful
biscuits and doughnuts. Tasting Table admired
Rise, saying that while they preferred a simple
glazed doughnut, “a chocolate-mousse version...
is a worthy indulgence.” 8200 Renaissance Pkwy,
Renaissance Village, I-40 Exit 276, (919) 248-
2992; www.risebiscuitsdonuts.com
Scratch Seasonal Artisan Baking
Noted by Southern Living, The New York Times, and
several national food magazines, Scratch Bakery
has carved out a niche for both savory and sweet
seekers with a seasonal cafe and sweets menu.
111 Orange St, Downtown Durham, (919) 789-
9431; www.piefantasy.com
Six Plates Wine Bar
Noted by The New York Times and tucked into a
cozy spot near Duke’s campus, Six Plates offers a
rotating selection of small, locally sourced dishes
created to pair with featured wine from around the
world. 2812 Erwin Rd, Ste 104, (919) 321-0203;
www.sixplates.com
The Original Q-Shack
If chili-rubbed sliced brisket, hand-pulled pork,
smoked turkey, and ribs aren’t enough, the
desserts “expertly prepared by two serious pastry
chefs take this barbecue restaurant to another
level,” says Southern Living. 2510 University Dr,
(919) 402-4227; www.theqshackoriginal.com
The Parlour
The Parlour sells hand-made ice cream from North
Carolina milk and cream out of a pink bus. The New
York Times raved, “The ice cream sandwiches made
with soft chocolate chip cookies and hand-made
salted butter caramel ice cream are superb.” 117
Market St, Downtown Durham, (919) 627-7235;
www.theparlourdurham.com
DCVB
QUICK SERVICE
American Meltdown
Cosmopolitan dubbed it “a meal he’ll drool over,”
and Food Republic raved, “Whoever believes that
there is no such thing as a gourmet grilled cheese
needs to take a trip to American Meltdown.”
This roaming business serves melted cheese
sandwiches on fresh locally baked breads out of a
flaming orange truck. Mobile truck see website
for location, www.americanmeltdown.org
Chirba Chirba Dumpling
In Mandarin Chinese, Chirba Chirba means eat eat!
That’s exactly what customers do when they get
dumplings from this mobile vendor which was the
subject of a half hour television show, "My Family
Recipe." Mobile truck see website for location,
www.chirbachirba.com
Firsthand Foods
Deep South Magazine lauded this mobile food
truck for connecting North Carolina’s “pasturebased
livestock farmers with local restaurants and
retailers,” and enjoyed the mobile Sausage Wagon’s
“country breakfast link with maple butter and
apples.” Mobile truck see website for location,
(919) 599-6659; www.firsthandfoods.com
KoKyu BBQ
Kokyu BBQ is a Durham-based Korean BBQ
truck among the ranks of Durham’s nationallyrecognized
mobile food operators and has been
recognized for its quality in a write-up by The New
York Times. Mobile truck see website for location,
(315) 796-5330; twitter.com/kokyubbq
Locopops
Feted by Food & Wine for their “wildly popular”
Mexican popsicles (paletas), Locopops also offers
ice cream and sorbet in traditional flavors, such
as mango-chile and tamarind, and quirky ones,
like honeydew-lavender and chocolate rosemary.
2604A Hillsborough Rd, (919) 286-3500; www.
ilovelocopops.com
Monuts
Monuts Donuts makes hand-crafted, seasonally
and locally-inspired donuts. The New York
Times called Monuts’ donuts “sublime” and
recommended “seasonal flavors like pumpkin
chai and maple bacon bourbon.” 110 E Parrish
THINGS TO SEE & DO
St, Downtown Durham, (919) 449-6786; www.
monutsdonuts.com
Only Burger
As the first food truck in Durham, Only Burger
has racked up accolades from The New York
Times to Martha Stewart Living. Only Burger has
a loyal fan following and now boasts a brick and
morter location along with its mobile truck. 3710
Shannon Rd, Hope Valley Square & mobile
truck see website for location, (919) 724-1622;
www.onlyburger.com
Sympathy for the Deli
This mobile food truck makes deli sandwiches
that use locally-sourced, sustainable meats that
are hand-cured, roasted and smoked in Durham.
Deep South Magazine recommended the peakles,
which are house-made pickled sugar snap peas.
Mobile truck see website for location, () ; www.
sympathyforthedeli.com
Taqueria La Vaquita
“The barbacoa is so good at Taquería La Vaquita
-so juicy and dark and perfectly seasoned - that
it might almost be some long-cooked daube
at a reputable bistro in Provence”, according to
Gourmet Magazine. 2700 Chapel Hill Rd, (919)
402-0209; www.lavaquitanc.com
Wimpy’s Grill
A Durham landmark “known for big breakfasts
and even bigger burgers.” According to the Travel
Channel’s “Man vs. Food, “the “meat magic” from
this takeout joint is often enjoyed curbside,
“because it’s just too good to wait ‘til you get
home.” 617 Hicks St, (919) 286-4380; www.
wimpysgrillnc.com
Local Favorites
In Durham, people are
proud of their local eats; so
proud, in fact, that there are
several media-run polls to
determine which businesses
are the most popular in a
variety of categories.
DCVB has compiled
the food, beverage, and
shopping categories into
one online resource to make
it easier for visitors to see
where Durham’s locals
frequent.
Scan the code
or visit bit.ly/
localfavorites
to check out
the list.
WWW.DURHAM-NC.COM