19 Best Southern Restaurants in Durham

“Fried chicken, greens and mac & cheese. Chicken fried to order deli y. Greens seasoned well added a splash of vinegar. Mac & cheese creamy and awesome flavor. Bug juice, like I remember as a child (a little too sweet for the adult me), still good though. Food was hot, the way food be. Everyone was very friendly, staff as well as patrons. Will be going back to try their Oxtails,yum!!!!“

“Food was good and served quick. Service was outstanding. We sat in the bar area and our server was quick“

“We came in to visit some friends and they recommended this place for brunch. It was absolutely AMAZING! They were really quick to get our food out to us and our server was very kind and attentive. I got the brisket and grits brunch option and WOW! The brisket was perfect and I'm typically pretty picky about meat quality. I also order grits anytime I go out to breakfast/brunch, because they are my favorite, and these were hands-down some of the best I've ever had! The only ones that came close were what I've had in New Orleans. 10/10 would come back to Durham just for this restaurant! We also got the beignets and my partner got the eggs Benedict with fried green tomatoes + blue crab! Everything was delicious! I just truly cannot emphasize enough how I will be dreaming of their brisket and grits until I can come back again.“

“Let me tell you chef ??!!!!! My daughter was there about 2 weeks ago for a college tour. She came home telling us about Vittles at the Park. She is a picky eater and she talked about was the Cajun Catfish. Here we are 2 wks latter, with other family members and we all were thoroughly pleased with those at the front counter to everything we ate. I had the flounder combo with 2 sides (collards and candied yams). I opened up my dinner and I know I wasn’t going to finish it all because there were 3 nice size pieces of fish. I started eating before you know it all was gone. That’s how good the food was. When we’re back in town we will definitely be back & we have more family members accompanying us as well.“

“This is a fantastic place to eat, especially the Sunday brunch. Fantastic Southern-style food with a uniquely modern twist. We take all of our out of town friends here, as it is always less crowded than the downtown location. Never had bad food or bad service.“

“Grub is one of our favorites, for many reasons. Great burgers, yummy grits bowls, …. more …. and I swoon thinking of their Brussel Sprouts! We love the staff too !“

“If you like home cooking. This place will not disappoint. I thought my momma could cook. I had fried chicken, turnip greens, and black eyed peas with hush puppies. I promise every mouthful was delicious.“

“⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I had the pleasure of visiting It’s a Southern Thing in North Carolina, and WOW—this place is something special! I was immediately drawn to their steak and cheese sub with pimento jalapeño cheese spread, grilled onions, and bell peppers. One bite and I was hooked. Being from Texas, we don’t have many spots that serve a steak and cheese sub this perfectly balanced and flavorful. This sandwich blew my mind—it’s comfort food with a southern twist done right. Highly recommend this place to anyone passing through, and I’ll go ahead and say it: y’all need to open up a location in Texas. We need you here!“

“My recent visit was an absolute delight from start to finish. What stood out most was their thoughtful approach to every detail, especially their cocktails and amazing cuisine. I ordered their seasonal cocktail, which was initially not what I expected. When I mentioned this to our server, the General Manager, Marcus, graciously offered to provide a new drink and received my feedback. What came back was perfection—a beautifully balanced drink that paired seamlessly with my meal. It’s rare to find a place that not only listens but also elevates the experience so effortlessly. The food was equally exceptional. It was hearty, comforting, and exactly what I didn’t know I needed. The ambiance, attentive service, and the restaurant’s ability to adapt and improve made this an unforgettable experience. I can’t wait to return!“

“The food is excellent here at Silver spoon. The employees make you feel so welcome and are helpful in every way. The owner is so welcoming. Also I’ve never had a bad meal here at all! iI’s our go to place for lunch with a group of friends after church every week.“

“╭━━━⚠️ 𝘐𝘔𝘗𝘖𝘙𝘛𝘈𝘕𝘛 𝘕𝘖𝘛𝘐𝘊𝘌 ⚠️━━━╮ 💥 𝙄𝙈𝙈𝙀𝘿𝙄𝘼𝙏𝙀 𝘼𝘾𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉 𝙍𝙀𝙌𝙐𝙄𝙍𝙀𝘿 💥“

“Excellent food and service. Always a pleasure.“

“I wanted to give a shout-out to Andre for assisting me with coordinating a Brunch, Learn, & Secure the bag: FAFSA event for my students at The A&T Four Middle College. He was very responsive and ensured that the menu was a perfect fit for my students & families! Kudos to Chris who made sure that the delivery & setup were on point! My parents and students raved about how good the food was. The event was a success and we are thankful for y’all.“

“Been coming here for years. Always excellent food and superb customer service! Calabash shrimp as good as any place in Calabash, NC! Menu has something for everyone, Greek, burgers, seafood, soups, and local beers on tap - what's not love?“

“Okay. I'm not local. I wasn't sure what to expect. But I've heard great things about Biscuitville. Great things. This was very good. I had the No. 1 combo. Cheese, egg, crispy bacon on a Biscuit! with a hash brown patty and some of the best coffee I've had in ages. This is a fast food joint. Very friendly counter staff. So busy that the food was fast and very fresh. A line of cars around the building. Bacon was smoky and crispy. I'll be back when I'm in town.“

“It’s my first time eating here and I loved the food. I had egg and cheese omelets, home fries, bacon, and a fish patty. It was all very good. The staff were friendly and the I liked the atmosphere of the cafeteria. The only con I can think of is that I live so far away. I stopped by here on the way to a doctor’s appointment and I’m glad I did. I apologize for posting a photo of a partially eaten breakfast but I was enjoying this meal before I thought to take a picture.“

“Really enjoyed dining on the patio! The food was great and they even have a kids corner with toys for toddlers!“

“The food is A1 definitely worth the wait and much better than Raleigh… we went right before closing bad thing to do I know right but guess what food was fresh and the staff was friendly“

“The staff here is always so friendly and vibrant. Their accommodations are always on point, like when they don’t have a certain side they will let you know and even go farther than needed with how they treat you. The drive thru is always so quick too. I love this place and always look forward to going here. I feel comfy as a person who hates social interactions cause of how cool the people are here.“