Boricua Soul at American Tobacco Campus

The Food was trash. Not a real Puerto Rican flavor or restaurant. How you not even playing Spanish music? It’s a hippie /fake Puerto Rican restaurant. Don’t waste your money.

Fellow travelers, if you ever find yourselves around the American Tobacco Campus in Durham, NC, please try Boricua Soul.  A fresh take on Puerto Rican and Soul food, fusing them to create very interesting and tasty combinations.  We visited on a Friday afternoon, which coincided with a college baseball game at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park next door.  This contributed to parking spaces being somewhat limited although not impossible to find.

During our visit, we tried the following items:

-          Mojo Chicken Empanada
-          Greens, Maduros & Beans Empanada
-          Sweet Potato Cheesecake Empanada
-          Boricua Soul Bowl
-          Best of Both Worlds
-          Peach Passion Frose
-          Medalla Light Beer

Service was rather fast considering how busy the place was, we waited about 20 minutes for the food and drinks to arrive at the table.  All the items were great, our favorites were the Boricua Soul Bowl, and the Best of Both Worlds, the latter which, in our opinion, perfectly captures the “Boricua Soul” concept.

This food experience can certainly be enjoyed in the outdoor patio section in front of the restaurant.  We decided to sit indoors to also admire the art pieces that beautifully illustrate the history and heritage of the restaurant.

Best in the cut spot ever ✊🏾

Love the food! Got a recent delivery from here, and it is a great amalgamation of Puerto Rican and Southern flavors! The empanadas came decorated with cute tiny flags with a nod to the Spanish and American roots. Looking forward to trying at the restaurant next time!

Super place. Eli at the front is super nice and welcoming. Chefs in the back always smile and wave. Food is also great and while a little pricey, you get what you pay for.

Parking is hard to find but the food is really good. Authentic recipes and flavor. Definitely a go - to for authentic Puerto Rican cuisine.

First time visitor. Absolutely delicious meal. Reminded me in the most positive way of the great food I had in Puerto Rico last year. The pork was beautiful, the collards were sublime, and the plantains were perfect. Great space with very cool art. service was great and they didn’t rush us even though we stayed almost to closing. will definitely be back.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Vegan, Pulled Pork

The food is delicious and the portions are a good size. The downside was the dish we ordered came with maduros, or tostones. My son does not care for tostones, so he asked if he could just get extra greens instead. The lady (owner) said no that her kitchen staff would be upset if she asked for a substitution. Really? This review would have been a solid 5 had they honored a request that in my opinion was being made because of their lack of planning.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 3

Empanadas and beer battered garlic fries were amazing!

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Mojo Chicken Empanada

I went with my family thinking the place was Puertorrican authentic because of the name “ Boricua”. I was raised in PR and this food was 0 puertorrican style. Rice with chickpeas and pork was not it! No authentic flavor ,I ended up with a upset stomach. My husband ask for the Sandwich Cubano and ended up the same way. The name should be change cause Boricua is not represented at all in the food.

Atmosphere: 2

Food: 1

Service: 1

Shrimp burger with garlic and strawberry lemonade hit the spot!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

It isn’t the first time I have had customer services issues. I called because I was missing food from my order. It was a half an hour at least before closing by the time I had driven home and discovered it. I called to make it known in the hopes I’d be at least given a discount or free empanada on the house for my inconvenience
. The never picked up the phone. They screened the call and hung up on me once. And when I tried to get the eye toon through their social media, they responded just to ignore my request.

Service: 2

Easy casual place. Order on the ipad and food ready super fast. Indoor or outdoor seating available.

Parking: Parking structure near by

Wheelchair accessibility: Ada

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: 3 Empanadas, Boricua Soul Bowl

Food was good. I ordered 2 empanadas, the BBQ and the chicken. They were out of beef. They are located inside the patio of the American Tobacco Campus and they can be hard to find. Service should be no stars because there is none. You order on a tablet and then you pick up or it is brought to you. Feels like a gas station so the atmosphere is pretty crappy. I wouldn't go back. Also, they frown on cash and the tablet asks for a tip without any service.

Atmosphere: 2

Food: 4

Service: 1

This place is truly one of my favorites! The food is incredible, the atmosphere is vibrant, and they know exactly how to create an unforgettable experience.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5