The Best Takeout Restaurants in Durham (According to Us)

As people look to take a break from kitchen duties, feeding their families every night during social distancing, KaTom is suggesting some takeout restaurants for a handful of cities across the country. Some of these eateries were founded specifically for grab-and-go convenience, while others just got into the to-go business because of this new normal.

We're trying to limit this to establishments we believe always offer takeout, but we may miss the mark on a few, so we recommend you call to verify with the business before preparing your mouth for a specific cuisine. We hope these contributions to the pantheon of restaurant advice help hungry folks in these cities and give local businesses a boost. If we've left out your favorite eatery, please feel free to share it in the comments at the bottom or on social.

To say the food scene in the Bull City is hot is like saying Duke has had some decent men's basketball teams or "Bull Durham" is a nice baseball movie. I mean, you're not wrong, but you're hardly right. Culinary Durham has been lauded by everyone from The Washington Post to The New York Post, while Southern Living dubbed it "the South's tastiest town."

This selection is but a sampling of the wonderful cuisine that earned Durm, as the local vernacular calls it, all those plaudits.It includes places we love for their foods, their attitudes, and their drinks, as well as some locals recommend to any visitor who asks where they should eat.

Best Takeout in Durham

American Food

Elmo's Diner

We're pretty sure there's a city ordinance that says any list of the best restaurants in Durham must include Elmo's, but that's not why we're including it here. Elmo's is a Bull City institution, with more than 20 years of offering breakfast, brunch, and lunch that all taste exactly like happy. We know half the appeal of Elmo's is going in, ordering a bottomless cup of coffee, and hanging out while kids decorate their free coloring pages bearing the likeness of the restaurant's duck mascot. We're talking about the best takeout restaurants in Durham, though, so this is all about the food and that's never a bad thing at Elmo's. The menu is all delicious and comforting, so you can't go wrong, and you can probably ask for a few coloring pages to be thrown in with your order.

Elmo's Diner, 776 9th Street, 919-416-3823

Toast

I mean, it's essentially a restaurant all about the sandwich; what's not to love? The panini offer both surprising (Tuscan kale, ricotta salata, sweet and hot pickled peppers) and soothing (think three-cheese) flavor combinations. They make great partners for the daily soups, which are offered to-go in pints and quarts. If you're more of the small-plates type, opt for the crostini – little bits of toasted Italian bread topped with ingredients as interesting as the ones on the panini. There are also cold sandwiches, including a great egg salad and one with pancetta, arugula, oven-roasted tomato, and lemon aioli.

Toast, 345 W. Main Street, 919-683-2183

Tobacco Road Sports Cafe

This is another place that makes us pine for the days of eating in full occupancy, with its perch overlooking the outfield wall of the DBAP and elevated sports bar aesthetic. If your visits there have been mainly to nosh apps and drink beers while watching a few innings of Bulls baseball, there's an incredible menu to explore. The starters are great, don't get us wrong; we love any place that offers fried green tomatoes and pimento cheese dip as an introduction of itself. Beyond that, you'll find pork belly tacos, roasted butternut squash and shrimp pasta, and a bacon & bleu brussels salad worth ordering more than once.

Tobacco Road Sports Cafe, 280 S. Mangum Street, 919-937-9909

Bakeries

East Durham Bake Shop

For those who don't want to venture downtown to visit the other two bakeries on this list, East Durham Bake Shop offers easier access, with both on- and off-street parking nearby. Owner Ali Rudel, who started the business as a one-person operation under the name East Durham Pie Company (you'll still hear locals using that), renovated a century-old structure in the up-and-coming area to house the shop. The glass-fronted brick building became home to the cafe, funded in part by a Kickstarter campaign, in 2018. Since then, the bakery has earned a reputation for offering incredible baked goods and more, including the best pie in Durham, fresh produce from local growers, and piled-high sandwiches. The bagels alone are good enough to earn it recognition as one of the best takeout restaurants in Durham. Plus, during the pandemic they're offering grocery and pantry items, and will even deliver your order by bicycle.

East Durham Bake Shop, 406 South Driver Street, 919-957-1090

Loaf

The idea for Loaf, like bread dough, took some time to rise. It started when UNC post-doctoral student Ron Graff, a native of Ontario whose family owned a pair of eateries there, got himself a custom-built brick oven. From it, he and wife Jaimie offered neighbors in the OND loaves of fresh-baked bread. The next step was borrowing pizza ovens at the now-defunct Broad Street Cafe during off hours to bake the first items offered by Loaf, which now has its own bake shop from which it churns out bread, cookies, and countless other treats. If you have out-of-town guests to entertain, wow them with a towering gateau or grab a traditional German stollen at the holidays for a taste of the Old World. In addition to their Parrish Street location downtown, you can pick up Loaf goodies at the Durham Farmers' Market.

Loaf, 111 W. Parrish Street, 919-797-1254

Ninth Street Bakery

Out of an industrial-looking building bedecked with a mural of wheat at Five Points (not to be confused with Old Five Points) comes some mind-blowingly good baked goods. If you work downtown, you probably know Ninth Street as the place your favorite coworker brings breakfast from sometimes. If you don't, you've surely seen its made-for-Instagram country loaves that bear the name "DURM" in all caps stenciled on their tops. Froom cookies to pastries to whoopie pies, they've also got the treats to satisfy your sweet tooth. All of it's made fresh on site daily in their production plant that fills the rest of the building unused by the sparse cafe setup. Ninth Street's been around for 40 years, so you know they're doing something right.

Ninth Street Bakery, 136 East Chapel Hill Street, 919-688-5606

Barbecue

Backyard BBQ Pit

It wouldn't make sense for us to make this list without including barbecue and it wouldn't make sense to leave off a restaurant included on a Yahoo! Travel list of the best barbecue restaurant in each state. If you're familiar with North Carolina barbecue, this, like much of what's offered in the Triangle, is Western style – pork shoulders slow cooked over hardwood coals. They also offer ribs, pork chops, chicken, turkey, and brisket. Those can be accompanied by every side a good barbecue joint should have, including mac and cheese, collards, white slaw, and Brunswick stew. This one's way down south on 55, but you won't regret making the trip.

Backyard BBQ Pit, 5122 NC Highway 55 (Apex Highway), 919-544-9911

Picnic

Picnic, named for the cut of a hog between the Boston butt and the front leg, is the only Eastern-style joint on the list, but not because we're showing preference. Ironically, it's also the only one of the trio in West Durham. Picnic slow cooks its whole hogs in an outdoor smoker oven with slide-out racks perfect for handling the hefty loads. After a day of roasting, the pork is pulled, the ribs are separated, and you dig in. Start with the Picnic Deviled Eggs, which are finished with paprika and pickled shallot and secured to the plate when you dine in with a little dollop of the yolk mixture. They're piled high, delicious, and a little messy. If you're going a little lighter, the Fried Green Tomato BLT elevates the concept, with arugula, pickled onion, goat cheese aioli, and smoked bacon, which can be subbed-out with avocado for vegetarians. If you want the star of the show, though, the pork plate is generous and great with any of the amazing sides.

Picnic, 1647 Cole Mill Road, 919-908-9128

The Original Q Shack

The Original Q Shack, which claims to offer barbecue "tender as a mother's love," adjoins NuvoTaco (more on it later) on University Drive. Its pork shoulders, brisket, chicken, turkey, ribs, and sausage are slow cooked in a smoker oven watched over by folks who've each been doing this for longer than a decade. To keep things civil, Q Shack offers both Eastern- (vinegar-based) and Western-style (tomato based) sauces, and like Backyard, Q Shack delivers on sides, offering slaw, collards, mac and cheese, and potato salad. Important: If you do not save room for dessert, you will regret it. If you have a crowd to feed, they offer most of the menu in bulk.

The Original Q Shack, 2510 University Drive, 919-402-4227

Brews & Booze

Bull City Ciderworks

This isn't the cloyingly sweet stuff you might find in your local grocery store; Bull City Ciderworks produces drinks with character. They offer a great selection of their ciders bottled and ready to ride with you, including a dry original, the Rhize Up! made with ginger root, one with orange peel and hibiscus, a honey-sweetened black tea cider, and a seasonal that uses kiwi and Galaxy hops. If you want a creative way to fill extra time at home during social distancing, Bull City offers a cidermaking kit that includes a growler of raw apple juice, a bag of yeast, two bags of nutrient to feed the yeast, and an airlock that seals the growler to allow fermentation.

Bull City Ciderworks, 305 S. Roxboro Street, 919-237-2357

Durham Distillery

Durham Distillery is the home to the widely famous Conniption Gin. The American Dry (44 percent ABV) is a great foundation for countless cocktails and has been awarded many times over as one of the best gins in America. The Navy Strength, at 57 percent ABV, gives those cocktails a stainless steel backbone. It takes two steps – involving a vapor infusion and a custom-designed German pot still – to make the Navy Strength, which has been recognized as the best gin in America. Beyond the stars of the show, Durham Distillery also offers vodka, canned cocktails, and liqueurs. During the pandemic, they're converting some of their alcohol into hand sanitizer, which they offer for sale and provide free to local foodservice and emergency workers.

Durham Distillery, 711 Washington Street, 919-937-2121

Fullsteam

Fullsteam takes every flavor of North Carolina's natural and agricultural bounty and turns them into beers you'll remember and crave forever. They have the regulars – Pay Check Pilsner, Humidity Pale Ale, Rocket Science IPA, Coffee is for Closers Iced Coffee Porter, and Todo Vapor Cerveza Mexicana – but the attraction is the limited and seasonal releases. At the time of this writing, those include Malabar Hills, an oatmeal stout brewed with cocoa nibs and cardamom; Big Tent, a golden ale flavored with fresh North Carolina strawberries; Big Tent Blue, a golden ale with light hints of blueberry and foraged mulberry; and Wild Durham Urban Forage IPA, which is complemented by cherry blossoms, henbit, persimmons, redbuds, and rosemary flowers foraged right here in Durm.

Fullsteam, 726 Rigsbee Avenue, 919-438-2337

Honeygirl

Though some may think of mead as being something royals of old and Norse gods drank, Honeygirl brought it into the modern world and made it as cool as beer. These North Carolina honey-based tipples drink like wine but taste, in some cases, worlds different. Mead often is infused with fruits to add sweetness and flavor complexity. Honeygirl throws in strawberries, figs, blueberries, mangos, peaches, and a bunch of other produce to get its flavors. It also goes experimental for a few, including with the Strawbanero Mead infused with strawberries and habanero peppers that starts sweet and ends hot. It won a first-place ribbon at the state fair and a place in our hearts.

Honeygirl Meadery celebrates nature and the work of honeybees by making meads (honey wines) with seasonal fruits, flowers, herbs and honey. Made in Durham NC, Honeygirl meads are hand-crafted libations made in small batches with natural ingredients.

Honeygirl Meadery, 105 Hood Street #6, 919-399-3056

Ponysaurus

If you're ordering from the best takeout restaurants in Durham for some social distancing during the pandemic, Ponysaurus is one of a few places on this list where you can maintain that space on a visit. Seating is in their outdoor beer garden, where you can purchase booth brews and chews to enjoy. In non-pandemic times, they bring in food trucks and rent-out grills you can use to cook your own noms. Ponysaurus first showed up on many radars with its Don't be Mean to People: A Golden Rule Saison, a beer brewed in protest of the law dubbed the "bathroom bill." Its selection, available with drive-up service, includes a pils, an IPA, a stout, a pale ale, and a Scottish ale. They also offer a few limited and seasonal releases.

Ponysaurus, 219 Hood Street, 919-584-4265

Brunch

Bull & Bean

Breakfast is served all day at this cafe and market, so this is kind of brunchinner or something. They offer spreading table cakes (larger-than-normal pancakes), bowls, breakfast sandwiches, and the Famous Loaded Hashbrowns, which are topped with a half-dozen delicious additions that are layered with pulled pork or brisket. If you're going for something light, try the Sesame Teriyaki Edamame Bowl with its crisp produce and umami flavors. And, if you went a little too hard the night before, there's the Hangover Cure Breakfast Sandwich, with two eggs, BLT, cheddar, and chipotle mayo on wheat toast.

Bull & Bean, 3710 Shannon Road, 919-237-2398

Guglhupf

We knew Guglhupf had to be on this list, but finding the right home for it was a challenge. Is it a bakery? Is it European cuisine? Do we just make a category for "All of the Above?" Yes, Guglhupf offers an incredible selection of breakfast items, which Durham Magazine decreed both the best breakfast and best brunch multiple times. It also offers sandwiches and plates that will blow your mind, including German favorites in the pork schnitzel and grilled bratwurst, which is why it's snagged recognition for Best Sandwich from the same publication, as well as Best German Restaurant from Independent Weekly. It's been featured in Cooking Light's list of the best restaurants in the area, Our State magazine, and The New York Times. What we're trying to say is you won't be disappointed no matter what you order.

Guglhupf Bakery, Cafe & Biergarten, 2706 Durham-Chapel Hill Boulevard, 919-401-2600

Monuts

First of all, we love the guiding philosophies that underpin everything at Monuts, from its vow to pay employees a decent wage to its dedication to using local ingredients. Like Guglhupf, it could really land at multiple spots on this list. Like Bull & Bean, it offers a great breakfast menu all day. If you think the chicken biscuit from some chain is good, give the one at Monuts a try. Between the buttery biscuit layers are fried chicken (obvs), bread-and-butter pickles, chili-infused honey, and ranch. Our favorite might be the Bacon & Guac Breakfast Burrito, which wraps those two brunch-approved ingredients in a soft tortilla with queso fresco and scrambled eggs, served with maple-sriracha home fries.

Monuts, 1002 Ninth Street, 919-286-2642

Nzingas Kitchen

Nizingas, located in the Phoenix Crossing Shopping Center on Fayeteville, was opened in 2014 by N.C. Central grad Zuri Reynolds-Hester. Before setting up shop, she got a hospitality and tourism degree at Central – which is where she says she fell in love with cooking – and spent a year in the prestigious culinary program at Johnson & Wales University in Charlotte. Now, she offers Southern and Creole flavors, including chicken and waffles, shrimp and grits, and shrimp po boys. It may just be the sweet potato biscuits that keep people coming back, though.

Nzingas Kitchen, 826 Fayetteville Street. Suite 110, 919-680-2219

Burgers&
Dogs&
Wings&
Brews.

Bull City Burger and Brewery

First of all, how many burger joints do you know of with mission statements? And Bull City Burger's is big, leading off with their goal of creating "a destination burger restaurant which is considered one of the great burger establishments in the U.S." They push toward that goal by treating their employees well, sourcing local beef from pasture-raised cattle, and making everything in-house (with the singular exception of the ketchup, their site notes). That includes forming the patties and dogs, and cutting the fries by hand. The proof of concept is in the taste. Their burgers (including a veggie patty) and dogs are topped with the likes of pimento cheese, bacon marmalade, roasted poblano peppers, and chimichurri, among the many other options. Don't miss the apps, including an onion loaf, pimento cheese and kale dip, and "Cece's Bowl of Pickled Stuff," served with their house BCBB sauce.

Bull City Burger and Brewery, 107 E. Parrish Street #105, 919-680-2333

Heavenly Buffaloes

Heavenly Buffaloes has three locations now, but the little orange shack on Markham is the OG. Known to many Duke students and others in the area as HBuffs, this place was literally made for takeout, with a little service window in the front of the block building in the middle of a gravel parking lot. The menu is basically just wings, waffle fries, and drinks, but don't let that fool you into thinking your choices are easy; there are 19 sauce options, including the incredible sweet Thai coconut chili and a vegan buffalo sauce, and seven dry seasonings, such as ranch and a peri-peri blend. The wings themselves present another choice between bone-in, boneless, and vegan, with the latter made with locally grown soy protein. You can also get your waffle fries in Idaho or sweet potato versions, plain or dusted in a dry seasoning.

Heavenly Buffaloes, 1807 W. Markham Avenue, 919-237-2358

OnlyBurger

OnlyBurger got its start as a burger-specific truck in 2008 and kept that singular focus when it opened on Shannon Road and then in the American Tobacco Campus (ATC). You may have seen OnlyBurger on The Food Network, where it was featured in a contest to select America's favorite food truck, or in the pages of The New York Times and Martha Stewart Living. The foundational options here include beef, turkey, brisket, lamb, and veggie patties, and grilled chicken breast. You can pile on 39 topping options, from the usual ones, such as condiments and cheeses, to the surprising ones, including red onion jam, tzatziki, and even additional patties. Yes, as toppings. Side options include pickle chips, fried green tomatoes, and bacon-wrapped mac-and-cheese squares. House specialty options include the Famous Fried Green Tomato Burger, The Greek, and The Carolina, a classic topped with American cheese, onion, mustard, chili, and slaw. With the world turned upside-down, only the Shannon Road location is open and only for takeout and delivery. When (please don't say "if") things get back to normal, the ATC location is a great place to grab dinner before a Bulls or Blue Devils game, or just hanging out on the ATC campus.

OnlyBurger, 3710 Shannon Road, Suite 118 (Shannon Plaza), 919-937-9377; 359 Blackwell Street, 919-237-2431

East-Asian Cuisine

Bua Thai

Founded by four friends from Ubon Ratchathani province in Thailand who pooled their resources and their dreams of starting a business to create the eatery, Bua Thai seeks to bring an authentic taste of Southeast Asia to Durham. One thing it has that many others on this list don't: ample parking in the lot at Sutton Station. Here you'll find all the stir-fried and noodle dishes you're familiar with in Thai cuisine, including pad thai, krapow lamb, and a quartet of curries. Bua Thai also offers great salads and some of the best noodles in the Triangle.

Bua Thai, 5850 Fayetteville Road Suite 101, 984-219-7357

Dashi

Move over mac and cheese and pot roast, America has a new comfort food in the form of the rich-brothed, thin-noodled Japanese import – ramen. Dashi has perhaps the best to be found anywhere in the Triangle. From the porky tonkotsu to light miso soup, Dashi's ramen selection is exactly what you want in a bowl from top to bottom. Dashi also is home to an izakaya that offers small plates, including tendon crackers (crispy fried beef tendons with house kimchi), the Takoyaki hushpuppies that hide flavorful bits of octopus, and seasonal yakisoba. Call ahead: Dashi earned its spot on this list of the best takeout in Durham by offering to-go food and beverages early in the pandemic shut down, but opted in late April to temporarily discontinue all service.

Dashi, 415 E. Chapel Hill Street, 919-251-9335

Happy China

Happy China offers up traditional Sichuan cuisine, complete with its array of spices that range from is-it-even-there to what-have-I-done. Its lunch specials alone earn it a spot among the best takeout in Durham, with options including General Tso's chicken, curry chicken, and Hunan beef served with soup or an egg roll and rice, all for less than $10. If you're feeling adventurous, there are house specialties you'll want to browse, including rib meat with lotus root, stir-fried bitter cucumber, and chicken in Sichuan-spicy sauces.

Happy China, 2505 Durham Chapel Hill Boulevard, 919-237-2021

European Cuisine

Gussy's

Gus Megaloudis (aka "The Greek Devil") operated a food stand and then a truck on the Duke campus for years before deciding to open a permanent location on Miami Boulevard out in the county (trust us: it's worth the drive). Gus was born in the U.S. but has roots in both Greece and Puerto Rico and spent 17 years in Greece playing professional soccer. The menu is long and features what Gus calls "Greek-American Greek food" ranging from falafel and pitas to pizza and subs. There are also traditional Greek entrees, including pasticcio (sometimes spelled pastitsio or pastichio), keftedes, and yemista. Both Gussy's Place and the original Gussy's food truck are still operating. Check out Gussy's Facebook page for details on where the truck will be next.

Gussy's, 2945 S. Miami Boulevard #122 (and a food truck), 984-439-8455

Parizade

Parizade has served the Triangle some of its favorite Mediterranean flavors for nearly three decades, a stand it says makes it "a forever staple" in Durham. The eatery was founded by Girogios Bakatsias, the restaurateur behind Vin Rouge and Kipos, and its kitchen is now helmed by Executive Chef Jason Lawless. The menu displays the interconnections of cuisine throughout the Med, with Greek, Italian, and Middle Eastern accents. The burrata, a gooey lump of fresh mozzarella cheese hiding a liquid cream center, is a great cold starter, while the baked feta is a hot alternative accompanied by cherry tomatoes, olive oil, Greek oregano, chili flakes, and toasted cumin. From there, entree options include loaded salads, grilled and roasted meats, and pasta.

Parizade, 2200 W. Main Street, 919-286-9712

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Saladelia

Saladelia is a mainstay on the Duke campus, with locations in the Sanford School and Perkins Library, as well as the Hock Plaza building across Erwin Road from the DUHS campus. The operation is headquartered down the road on University Drive and has an outpost at the American Tobacco Campus that offers extended hours on evenings when the Bulls are at home or there's a show at the DPAC. Now that you know where to find it, let us tell you why you should. The topline summary is Mediterranean flavors made with the produce of North Carolina farms. And when Saladelia says "Mediterranean," it isn't just referring to Greek or Italian food as is often the case. Its menu features hummus, tabbouleh, falafel, baklava, and a bull's weight in delicious sandwiches, wraps, and salads. There are also build-your-own main-and-sides platters that enable combinations such as falafel croquette and kofta beef and lamb kabobs with beet salad and Moroccan couscous, for instance. Meanwhile, many Duke students know it for its all-day gourmet coffee service that has fueled many bleary-eyed undergrads.

Saladelia, 4201 University Drive (main location), 919-489-5776; 406 Blackwell Street (in the Crow Building at ATC), 919-687-4600; 2424 Erwin Road (in Hock Plaza), 919-416-1400

Italian Food

Cucciolo Osteria

Cucciolo Osteria, located in the Durham train station, is a sister restaurant to the well-regarded eatery of the same name in Seoul, South Korea. Cousins Jimmy and Julian Kim opened the restaurant in 2018 and devoted the limited menu to the Italian cuisine they came to love when each spent more than a decade in Europe. Julian started the original Cucciolo Osteria in Seoul, then came to Durham to partner with his cousin, who settled in the area following studies at Duke. The truffle tajarin is incredible, made here with subtler black truffles in place of the usual white truffles, as is the white ragu tajarin, with a beef and pork ragu and Reggiano. If you're especially hungry, start with the burrata and roasted hazelnut bruschetta, which is drizzled with truffle honey.

Cucciolo Osteria, 601 W. Main Street Suite C, 984-243-8744

Gocciolina

Gocciolina works so many local ingredients into its menu that it's basically Italy by way of Tobacco Road. The flounder, soft-shell crab, clams, and trout are all caught here; the beef, kale, and mushrooms grow in the Old North State and the cheese is so local it has an accent. There isn't an option on the menu we don't love, but we adore the spaghetti all'amatriciana and the whole grilled founder with Calabrian chili lime sauce. During social distancing, Gocciolina also offers take-and-bake meals, including Bolognese lasagna, backed gnocchi with tomato sauce, and even meatballs by the half dozen.

Gocciolina, 3314 Guess Road, 919-973-4089

Mothers & Sons

Mothers & Sons isn't one of those places trying to pass itself as an Old World-connected Italian eatery but with little if any actual connection to the continent. Chef and owner Josh Decarolis named the place for the closeness of mothers and sons in Italian families, which he noticed is particularly pronounced in time in the kitchen. It offers "regional Italian food with seasonal sensibility" and claims the title "first restaurant in the South to focus on fatta a mano – handmade pasta." That pasta serves as the foundation of some incredible dishes, including a squid ink tonnarelli with uni, North Carolina shrimp, fennel, and green onion that feels like an extravagance but doesn't have a price to match.

Mothers & Sons, 107 W. Chapel Hill Street, 919-294-8247

Mexican Cuisine

Cosmic Cantina

Popular with Duke students (it's owned by an alum, but that isn't the only reason), this place is part of the busy 9^th Street strip between the East and Central campuses. Commonly described as a "hole in the wall," the restaurant itself actually is located on Perry Street just behind Ninth Street Flowers, and its unique, outgoing personality hits you before you walk in. The eclectic interior often is crowded and noisy, even right up to the 4 a.m. closing time, and the air envelops you in amazing scents as soon as you open the door. If there's a bad choice on the menu, we've never found it. Undergrads whose metabolisms still rev make an easy choice with the flavor-packed chimichangas, available with veggie, chicken, and steak fillings; plus, it's legitimately a whole burrito fried, not those little sticks you get when you order chimichangas at some places. Chimichangas and burritos are offered in giant size and believe the hype: They're big enough for two. In addition to the classics, this joint also offers innovations, such as nori-rolled and green burritos proudly hailed as "Healthy & New" on the menu boards. No matter what you order, make sure you add some chips and queso to round out the meal.

Cosmic Cantina, 1920 Perry Street, 919-286-1875

Dos Perros

Dos Perros is doing things with Mexican food you won't find at every cantina. It's not experimental, but it is a bit elevated, despite the relaxed vibe of the place. The menu changes frequently, but the kitchen turns out plantain soup, chicken tinga tostadas, an octopus app served in a martini glass, and traditional Oaxacan tetelas, filled with black beans, sweet potato, Brussels sprouts, and cashew cream. Plus, they have a whole menu for vegan diners that includes flautas, enchiladas, chile relleno, and a half-dozen other Mexican favorites. The shop itself is located in part of an old brick building with a geothermal climate control system and a cool, outdoor dining space overlooked by some of downtown's biggest buildings, so if you decide not to get takeout for a meal, there's that.

Dos Perros, 200 N. Mangum Street, 919-956-2750

NuvoTaco

NuvoTaco opened in 2011 as NanaTaco, part of the Durham food empire of Chef Scott Howell. The name changed in early 2019 when Howell's partner in the venture, Jennifer Gillie, took sole ownership as Howell reopened the famed Nana's. From the beginning to now, the eatery has offered what it calls "simple, fresh Mexican-American food," much of it layered on a foundation of hand-formed corn tortillas. NuvoTaco focuses on, as its name implies, the taco – though the menu also includes a burrito and nachos. It differentiates itself on its meats, which may include pork butt, rotisserie chicken, vegan chorizo, fried calamari, hog jowls, and even crispy chicken liver. If you have a group to feed, they sell meats by the pound and have "quick pack" meals that include everything you need to make it.

NuvoTaco, 2512 University Drive, 919-489-8226

Taqueria La Vaquita‎

Drive down Chapel Hill Road until it turns into a residential street, then keep going. You can't miss La Vaquita; it's the only building on the street with a cow on top. The place is humble, only offering takeout or food on foam plates for eating on its outdoor picnic tables. But the food is worth it. It's authentic and serious, deserving of a palace with a cow on top. (By the way, they sometimes dress the cow in clothing. Santa cow, anyone?) The house-made corn tortillas are light but packed with corn flavor that makes the perfect setting for chorizo, carnitas, barbacoa, and even tripa (cow udder). With most tacos priced at $2.19 each and no menu item exceeding $15, this place is a treat for the wallet. Despite the size of the place, the menu is expansive, with 60 items listed. La Vaquita also operates a food truck you should keep an eye out for.

Taqueria La Vaquita‎, 2700 Chapel Hill Road, 919-402-0209

Pizza

Pizzeria Toro

Pizzeria Toro has become the stuff of Durham legend, and not just because it rose from the ashes of a late-2013 fire like a phoenix. Its offerings are a favorite among locals, from the antipasti – which includes salted ox tongue and crispy pigs' ears – to the extensive Italian wine list. Sandwiched between those two on the menu are the main events. The pizza starts with dough hand-stretched into irregular circles and is offered in recipes developed in house. There are options with red sauce, including one with lamb meatballs, kale, and Rustico Black Pepper, a creamy sheep's milk cheese from Italy dotted with black peppercorns. White-pie options get a bit more exotic, with chanterelles, clams, chiles, meyer lemon, and escarole showing up.

Pizzeria Toro, 105 E. Chapel Hill Street, 919-908-6938

Pompieri

The experience you'll miss by doing takeout from Pompieri is wonderful. This eatery is housed in Durham's first fire station, which converted beautifully into its current use. The line is corralled by massive fish tanks that feed an aquaponics system growing basil and other herbs used on the pizzas, and the pies come out with sturdy scissors patrons use to cut their pieces. Sometimes you must get dinner to go, but when you get it from Pompieri, it's going to be a good evening. Its Neapolitan-style pizzas are built on a pillowy, flavorful crust and fired in a stone hearth oven. They're offered in a host of signature combinations (e.g. The Barry White, Drunken Horse), but you can build your own. For apps, you can't go wrong with the Italian poutine or malfatti dumplings, housemade ricotta and spinach dumplings.

Pompieri Pizza, 102 City Hall Plaza, 919-973-1589

Sofia's Pizza

Husband-and-wife co-owners Jorge Gonzalez-Pena and Emily Berkeley opened Sofia's in December 2018 in a former gas station on Angier Avenue with historic preservation funds from the city. The shop offers pizza (obviously), along with wings, subs, pasta, and salad. If you're feeling a little adventurous, the East Durham with bacon, collards, and serrano peppers is a kick in the flavor sensors, while the Supreme provides safe harbor if you're looking for a guaranteed favorite. You can often find the El Rey Del Taco truck, which Gonzalez-Pena and Berkeley also own, parked in the gravel beside Sofia's, so everyone can get what they want.

Sofia's Pizza, 2201 Angier Avenue, 984-244-7584

Seafood

The Mayflower Seafood Restaurant

Allow a writer a bit of self-indulgence that may near new Olive Garden in Grand Forks territory. Mayflower is decidedly not the hip new place, nor is it a Durham-specific joint (the local outpost of this N.C. chain is dubbed "Mayflower XVI"), but for those like me who grew up eating at Mayflower and its kin, this is comfort food. Some of us can even name the age at which we realized flounder doesn't swim around the ocean in battered-and-fried form. And, for someone whose school achievements were celebrated with dinners of crab legs, a trip to Mayflower can still feel like an indulgence. Plus, there's a giant lighthouse right in the middle of the dining room. It may not be "the largest and most beautiful restaurant now operating" in Durham, but it's a tradition you can take home (for an extra quarter over menu price).

The Mayflower Seafood Restaurant, 3742 Durham-Chapel Hill Boulevard, 919-401-9888

Saltbox Seafood Joint

Saltbox is a place you take out-of-town guests, often at their request because of the vociferous adoration of countless locals, visitors, and publications. It's been featured in Saveur, Southern Living, Garden & Gun, and the North Carolina-centric Our State. (By the way, if you live in the Old North State and don't yet get Our State, do yourself a favor and subscribe. Trust us.) Southern Living even named it on its list of The South's Best Local Restaurants 2020, a distinction afforded just 10 legendary eateries in a region brimming with culinary talent. The Saltbox site confidently proclaims, "Good fish, that's the hook," and it's absolutely true. Saltbox's seafood is brought straight off boats on the North Carolina coast daily, so, despite being 150 miles of piedmont and coastal plain from the nearest beach, you still get it fresh. The secret at Saltbox is there are actually two hooks, the second being proprietor and Chef Ricky Moore. Moore worked in kitchens the world over, including Paris' Apicius and New York City's Daniel, but came back home to North Carolina (he was born at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point) to settle down. Here, fish such as sheepshead and mullet are griddled or fried in a vanishing-but-delicious batter, then dusted with the house spice mix, which includes toasted fennel and coriander. Most of the menu changes daily based on what's available from the coast, but there are some delicious mainstays, including house chips, Hush-Honeys fried cornmeal fritters, "good tea," and lemon punch.

Saltbox Seafood Joint, 608 N. Mangum Street, 919-908-8970; 2637 Durham-Chapel Hill Boulevard, 919-237-3499

St. James Seafood Restaurant and Raw Bar

In pandemic times, St. James became Jimmy's Dockside To-go, offering an all-new menu and providing curbside takeaway. The to-go options include fresh oysters, shucked-in-shell and vacuum-packed on ice by the half-dozen, as well as grilled North Carolina shrimp, a bucket of fried chicken, and a Maine lobster roll. For the seafood mains, battered and fried shrimp, catfish, or oysters, all fresh-caught in North Carolina, are offered on a po' boy or platter with hushpuppies, fries, and slaw. Don't skip the key lime or chocolate silk pie. We haven't seen an announcement from St. James yet on whether it will continue takeout after things get back to normal or when it might return to its regular menu, which has included seafood stew, Calabash black bass and shrimp, pappardelle in a lobster ragout, and crab pie. We're keeping our fingers crossed for a long-lived combination deal.

St. James Seafood, 806 W. Main Street, 984-219-7900

South American Cuisine

Alpaca Peruvian Charcoal Chicken

The unique flavors of rotisserie chicken seasoned with a traditional Peruvian spice mix have such a following that they've spawned multiple restaurant chains, including this small, Triangle-based eatery. The original is at 302 Davidson Avenue and, like three of its earliest locations, it bore the name "Mami Nora's" from its inception until a 2015 sale and name change. Its newer Durham outpost at 703A 9th Street has a coal-fired, manually fed rotisserie oven as its centerpiece – an element that's become a fixture in the newer stores. The menu includes whole, half, and quarter chickens cooked in that eye-catching oven, as well as crazy-good stir-fried rice with pieces of chicken and sausage. Pro ordering tip: Get the caramel flan and an order of fried plantains to dip in it.

Alpaca Peruvian Charcoal Chicken, 302 Davidson Avenue, 919-220-9028; 703A 9th Street, 919-908-1597

Guasaca

With at least one reviewer claiming Guasaca's offerings changed his life, you'll have high expectations for this operation that now has four Triangle-area locations. Fortunately, it lives up to those with its traditional Colombian arepas, as well as bowls and salads made with traditional ingredients. All are available with proteins (grilled chicken, crispy chicken, roasted beef, steak, pork, braised tilapia, and avocado chicken) or a vegetarian-friendly mix. This is a great option for those who like their food just so, because diners dictate everything that goes on every dish as they move down the prep line. Grab a side of guacamole; we promise it's worth it.

Guasaca, 2200 West Main Street Suite A-100 (and three other Triangle locations), (919) 294-8939

Luna Rotisserie & Empanadas

In a light-strewn spot with exposed brick walls right on Main Street, Luna offers food it calls "South American meets American South." The menu is loaded with traditional Latin American dishes made with authentic ingredients, including patacon pisao, a sandwich made with fried plantains in place of bread that can be stuffed with one of three meats or a vegan chili-braised jackfruit. Mixed in with the almond-crusted fried avocado and Colombian arepas are nods to Southern favorites, including side offerings of spicy bacon collards and pimento hominy "mac" and cheese. Obviously, the namesake slow-roasted meats and empanadas are worth navigating downtown parking, from which you can grab some of the best takeout in Durham.

Luna Rotisserie & Empanadas, 112 W. Main Street, Durham, (984) 439-8702; 307 E. Main Street, Carrboro, (919) 537-8958

Southern Food

Chicken Hut

Chicken Hut, like Roy's Kountry Kitchen just down Fayetteville Street, serves up foods deeply rooted in the Black community of the American South. Some originated here and others were just perfected here; if this is new cuisine to you, prepare for your life to be changed. With oxtails, pigs' feet, and chitterlings on the menu, Chicken Hut offers foods you're unlikely to find at more than a handful of places in the Triangle. Those are joined by more widely offered Southern foods, including fried chicken and fish, pinto beans, collard greens, and smothered pork chops. You can feel good about supporting Chicken Hut because of the many ways it supports Durham, from feeding frontline medical workers in the pandemic fight to ensuring local children are fed by providing them free meals.

Chicken Hut, 3019 Fayetteville Street, 919-682-5697

Dame's Chicken & Waffles

OK, we'll acknowledge it up front: There's debate about whether this combo actually originated in the South. Regardless, we'll claim Dame's as our own. Obviously, they have the namesake bone-in fried chicken over liege waffles, available with a variety of sweet cream butter and fruit "shmears." Beyond that, there's shrimp and grits from the South Carolina lowcountry; sides of grits, mac and cheese, and collard greens; and a plate of sausage, eggs, and grits drizzled with ketchup and hot sauce with "no exceptions," the online menu says.

Dame's Chicken & Waffles, 530 Foster Street, (919) 682-9235

GRUB Durham

At GRUB, they go hard all day. Breakfast includes offerings named Wonder Woman Eats Her Veggies, The Rocket, The Slammer, and, naturally, Blue Devil. We won't describe each dish here because we have limited space, but suffice it to say we wouldn't vote any of them off the table. Go later in the day and it's burgers, chicken sandwiches, and salads. GRUB earns its place in this part of the list for its blue-plate dinner specials, which include chicken-fried chicken, meatloaf, and mac and cheese with heirloom tomatoes. The breakfast menu also includes country ham, fried chicken biscuits, and grits, so you'll know you're home.

GRUB Durham, 1200 W. Chapel Hill Street, 919-973-3636

Roy's Kountry Kitchen

If you don't head down Fayetteville Street specifically looking for Roy's, you won't find it. Good news: It's worth the effort. Roy's has served the Hayti community and students from nearby N.C. Central since 1990, when U.S. Army veteran Leroy Brown fulfilled his dream of opening a restaurant. The menu includes the entire pantheon of Southern comfort food – particularly cuisine popular in the Black community rarely found on other menus – on a weekly rotation. That means mains of neck bones, oxtails, and pigs' feet, with sides including fatback: a pork cut of hard fat from the back of a pig.

Roy's Kountry Kitchen, 2514 Fayetteville Street, 919-682-0939

Vegetarian Eats

Happy + Hale

This bowl-centric joint, part of a small chain that started in Raleigh, offers healthy body fuel in mind-blowingly flavorful combinations. Three of the standard bowl menu items are vegan, including the Beyond Bulgogi, which is made with Korean barbecue-flavored Beyond Meat and jasmine rice, and the Hale Caesar, with flavorful accents including buffalo cauliflower and coconut bacon. Two additional bowls are vegetarian friendly, while an acai bowl (vegetarian) and avocado toast (vegan) on the breakfast menu are other crunchy options.

Happy + Hale, 703B Ninth Street, (984) 439-1790

Parts & Labor at Motorco

This menu has defined and refined the concept of elevated bar food, with a variety of flavors offered in creative dishes that can make the high-cuisine crowd take notice. There are several intentional offerings for vegan and vegetarian customers, which isn't something you see at the typical music hall bar. The vegan samosas, Crispy TofuBanh Combo, sesame udon salad, and falafel combo are all good enough to convince a carnivore to go meatless at least for a meal.

Parts & Labor, 723 Rigsbee Avenue, (919) 901-0875

Refectory Cafe

The current dinner menu at Refectory Cafe, an eatery focused on offering "clean food," includes a smattering of vegan- and/or vegetarian-friendly dishes, from Indian dal mahkani stew to hoisin Brussels sprouts. We say "current" because that menu changes seasonally to make use of ingredients sourced as close to Durm as possible, including jasmine grown around the restaurant's porch. There's also a pair of hot dishes for those avoiding meat and/or meat products: Try a spring risotto with Spanish cheese and a vegan mushroom Bolognese with sauteed shiitake and cremini mushrooms in place of traditional meats.

Refectory Café, 2726 Durham-Chapel Hill Boulevard, (919) 908-6798

Sushioki

Too often herbivores are left out when it comes to sushi. We get it – the dish has roots in the sea and swimming things remain a big part of it, but there are tasty non-meat options, as the folks at Sushioki know. They offer sushi burritos, filling wraps with traditional ingredients that are easier to nosh on the go. Among the veg offerings are the Veggie Blender and the Tofu Crunch, which includes pan-seared tofu, in-house teriyaki sauce, and tempura flakes. There are also nacho offerings that can be made meatless due to a teriyaki tofu protein option. Plus, the restaurant specifically provides stable jobs for the Triangle's significant refugee population.

Sushioki, 4900 NC Highway 55 Suite 510, (919) 405-7121