It's a Southern Thing - Ellis Crossings

Wonderful Sunday brunch! The fried chicken and waffle skewers was fantastic.

We haven't had a bad meal here. They are also super accommodating to dietary restrictions.

Nikko is my new best friend! Everything he suggested was great! Endless mimosas oh yeah. Such a great personality and great server! The menu was unique and the food was great. Bought some beers for the kitchen staff we were so happy. It was our first visit traveling from Cary and we will certainly be back!

Great place for brunch. Quiet but at the same time lively. Plenty of whiskey selections and the bottomless mimosas on the weekend are well worth it. Quick service, and they keep you topped off. The food was amazing. I had the Cajun salmon Benedict, and it was full of flavor. Price equals the quality. Will be back again when we visit from Fl next time.

Hidden gem. Reasonable prices, large portions, great food. Will definitely be back.

Every bite was packed with love.

Food, drinks, service, and restaurant were excellent. This was my first visit and they did not disappoint. This restaurant is testimony that Durham food scene (not just downtown) is heading in the right direction. To the kitchen staff behind the scenes … well done! I only gave one less star because I really wanted the kids Mac and fried chicken to be one dish instead of two separate dishes. Some children don’t like fries with the skin on it.

There were not a lot of servers there, even though it was a weekend. This unfortunately and slowed down food and drink delivery. The food was very good as well as drinks, but the dining experience took a lot longer than we would have liked. I definitely will continue to go there though but getting automatic 15% tip added with just the 2 of us was not appealing when they said only parties of 8 or more had that added on posted on the table.

Last night, my family and I visited A Southern Thing in Durham. We were a group of 8, including my wife, son, sister, nephews, father, and stepmother. We initially chose the restaurant under the impression it was Black-owned, but learned upon arrival that it wasn’t. Still, we decided to stay and enjoy the evening. From the moment we were seated, the service felt off. Our server, Ashlyn, approached the kids first to take their orders instead of the adults—a small but telling detail. I’ve worked in food service for 14 years, so I understand the pressures of the job, but I also recognize when service falls short. When Ashlyn came to take our order, she brought out mason jars with courtesy water, but never once offered us the actual drink menu or asked what we’d like to drink. The only reason alcoholic drinks even made it to our table was because my sister specifically asked for one—then my wife decided to order one as well. Otherwise, no drink options were mentioned. For the kids, drinks are included with their meals, but she asked them directly without first consulting the adults. As a result, my son ended up with a grapefruit drink he doesn’t even like. When I realized what happened, I gave the drink back and told her it needed to be replaced with sweet tea—explaining that any orders for him should’ve gone through me or my wife. I also asked for straws shortly after she brought the waters, but she never returned with them. It wasn’t until 20 minutes later that the manager brought them immediately after I asked him. During the meal, Ashlyn rarely came by our table, didn’t check on us during the meal, and showed very little engagement overall. Meanwhile, we watched her repeatedly and attentively cater to another table outside that appeared to be white guests. The restaurant wasn’t busy—just a few tables occupied—so the lack of attentiveness couldn’t be blamed on being overwhelmed. To make matters worse, a 20% gratuity was automatically added to each check (we had three), even though the service didn’t come close to earning that. When we were finally offered to-go boxes—by the manager, not the server—Ashlyn returned only to ask if we wanted dessert. By that point, we were too frustrated and ready to leave. The food itself was okay—not terrible, but definitely not worth the prices. The drinks were disappointing too; my wife and sister’s mimosa-style drinks were served in half-filled glasses. This was one of the worst dining service experiences I’ve had. I wouldn’t recommend this place based on the service alone. And if you do go, request a different server if you’re seated with Ashlyn. Respectfully, she did not do her job.

It's always a good time at It's a Southern Thing at Ellis Road. Bernard is great! It was a perfect way to celebrate our Mom's birthday. The food was delicious and beautiful. We walked right in for our reservation. It was a good evening...will definitely be back soon

The food is absolutely delicious. It was a tad noisy but we've experienced worse. Service was ok, although uneven. We will definitely go back to try additional items.

Always exceptional food and service. It really is a wonderful place to dine. We are there at least once a month. The Shrimp and Grits are out of this world delicious. As are the chicken wings and blue cheese.

Food good for the price. Restaurant nearly empty (Wednesday at 6:30). Service was very good. Not much ambience.

We had a great Valentine's Day dinner! The food was top notch and the service was great. We got the fried deviled eggs as an appetizer and they were the best deviled eggs I've ever eaten! Those should be a regular on the menu.

I had the build your own scrambled eggs with grits, which are amazing, and sausage patties. All four meals we had were excellent! I highly recommend this restaurant!!