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Cosmic Cantina

4.5

1920 Perry St
Durham, NC 27705
Phone: (919) 286-1875
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Hours:

Monday: 11:00 AM – 4:00 AM
Tuesday: 11:00 AM – 4:00 AM
Wednesday: 11:00 AM – 4:00 AM
Thursday: 11:00 AM – 4:00 AM
Friday: 11:00 AM – 4:00 AM
Saturday: 11:00 AM – 4:00 AM
Sunday: 11:00 AM – 4:00 AM

Price Range
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Cosmic Cantina
Mapped location of Cosmic Cantina

Google Reviews

4.5
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Photo of Joseph Swope Joseph Swope
May 20, 2019 5

This place is the real deal. It was for places like this that the tem "hole in the wall" was invented. Food is delicious. Comforting, filling, tasty. Even the coca cola tastes better than usual. Menu and pricing are a bit odd: some parts of the menu look really cheap and other parts look really expensive. Keep in mind that the "giant" burritos are truly giant: definitely big enough for two people. Digs have a local, hidden feel. Tables are in close quarters and when I went the place was full of people. There is a nice outdoor rooftop seating area.

Photo of michael mathews michael mathews
Jun 12, 2019 5

Today I had the regular Green Burrito. As usual it was huge and outstanding! I'd you haven't tried Cosmic, I highly recommend you check out this place. You won't be disappointed!

Photo of Torin Wade Torin Wade
Jun 11, 2019 5

Burritos. Fun. Late night munchies. Low key bohemian vibe. If you're in the mood for any of these things, this is the place.

Photo of Jonathan Fleming Jonathan Fleming
May 11, 2019 5

This restaurant is amazing. The delicious, traditional food is of the highest quality. Pair that with the old-style vibe and you have yourself a one-of-a-kind eatery.

Photo of Ken Ray Ken Ray
May 14, 2019 5

The Cosmic Cantina is one of Durham's greatest hidden treasures. Accessible to the kids living on campus at Duke University and open till FOUR in the morning, it is a locals only late night paradise. Owned by a Duke grad, the place sources all of its ingredients from only the best that can be found. Local and organic when it can be, and only top shelf for everything else. A burrito or chimichanga will fill you up, and leave you with enough leftovers to eat a good meal the next day. Order the chicken chimichanga, you'll thank me for it.

Photo of Kathy White Kathy White
Jun 18, 2019 4

Cosmic Cantina gets 4-stars for it's food and it's funkiness. It is very unusual so was glad we tourist were taken there by local friends. I do not think we would have found it on our own. One enters the place going through a utility closet, then climb to 2nd story by going up 3 flights worth of narrow, steep, stairs. Also, the pitcher of margaritas was good and the three of us made it back down the stairs without incident.

Photo of Kerry Graham Kerry Graham
Jul 6, 2019 5

This is one of my favorite spots in Durham to grab a beer and burrito. The food never disappoints. It's a dive for sure, but the graffiti in the stairwell and the rough-hewn tables are part of Cosmic's charm. With that said, I gave four stars because the ladies room had no seat on the toilet. A dive I don't mind, but no toilet seat pushes the limit

Photo of Ktktkt Tktktk Ktktkt Tktktk
Jul 7, 2019 4

The food was good. The only thing that I was disappointed in was that chips and salsa are on the appetizer menu, so if you are a person who puts salsa on your burrito, taco, etc order it because it isn't part of the meal. Also, unless I missed another entrance, there isn't a handicap entrance.

Photo of Josh Buck Josh Buck
Aug 9, 2019 3

Not the most friendly staff...but polite and efficient. The food wasn't too bad...way too much rice in my burrito and not enough of anything else (especially veggies). It was tasty, but I'm not sure I agree with their proclamation that it's the best Mexican food on the planet.

Photo of e g e g
Aug 13, 2019 5

Amazing food at amazing prices! There are plenty of vegetarian options and the vibe is really cool. There’s both indoor and outdoor seating although you do have to climb stairs to enter the restaurant and I’m not sure if there is an alternative accessible entrance. Home a must-visit while in Durham!

Photo of siyeducation siyeducation
Aug 12, 2019 5

Always the best food, and reasonable price. Gotta love that! Great staff as well. Very friendly and I have gone there for a number of years!

Photo of Kaya Bowling Kaya Bowling
Aug 11, 2019 5

The food is always fresh. Honestly it's the best Mexican restaurant in Durham. It's a great place to socialize with friends or just to enjoy the food, also the place doesn't close until 4 AM. I love me some Cosmic Cantina!!!!! Get you some... Lol

Photo of Minh Hung Tran Minh Hung Tran
Oct 7, 2019 5

This is a very fun place for a very late night bite. The place is filled with music - a very fun vibe. The stairway up to the place is cool and reflective of street art which was nice. The burrito was great. I may look smaller than a Chipotle burrito but it was tastier.

Photo of Boyce Currance Boyce Currance
Oct 15, 2019 5

I've tried the chicken and the steak and honestly they're better at making chicken. The burrito comes with chips but it's literally like six chips, if you like chips to go with your food your best bet is to just order a basket of chips for like $1.60. I'll be honest the burrito is kinda dry so order it with sour cream or salsa.

Photo of Jason McElroy Jason McElroy
Sep 3, 2019 5

Great late night spot!!! Fresh made to order food. Tasted exactly how I imagined it would! Delicious! Great customer service. Great food, and open until 4 a.m.! Would DEF recommend.

Photo of Joseph H. Vilas Joseph H. Vilas
Oct 9, 2019 4

Just about the best & cheapest place for late night food in Durham. 9th Street area. Not a lot of atmosphere, but that's not why you're there. Maybe you can sit outside if the weather's good.

Photo of John Thomas Kong John Thomas Kong
Nov 10, 2019 5

This hidden Durham gem on Ninth Street has the best food. The prices are low but the food so so good and the portions are huge. The steak burrito is the size of my forearm (5’8 and 160 lbs). The salsa is homemade and delicious when paired with corn chips. Also they have beer! Wash it all down with a beer or two. What a great way to start a Saturday night!?

Photo of Greg DeWitt Greg DeWitt
Sep 19, 2019 5

I stopped in today for quick lunch and was not disappointed. While I sat there eating a deluxe steak burrito, I tried to figure out when I first came to Cosmic Cantina. It must have been in 96 or 97 and I have been enjoying Cosmic ever since. Thank you!

Photo of Lisa Roman-Shaffer Lisa Roman-Shaffer
Nov 27, 2019 3

Definitely one of my favorite places to get an authentic burrito but tonight it was just missing the secret ingredient. Not sure what that was but after standing in line for forty minutes to pay for an order I called in 30 minutes prior. I want the first and last bite to be amazing.

Photo of Catherine Bhattachar Catherine Bhattachar
Dec 1, 2019 3

Overall, a disappointing burrito. It had a lot of rice, and not much of anything else. It was flavored with dill, which was unique, but not good. The tortilla for the burrito had not been warmed. Will not be returning.

Photo of spamset willy spamset willy
Dec 3, 2019 4

This Mexican restaurant is fast, good and inexpensive. It's that place you've driven by and had no idea you were missing a great experience. The burritos that are huge or others that are giant.

Photo of BRIAN MASSENGILL BRIAN MASSENGILL
Dec 29, 2019 5

Always great. My favorite Dive Bar in the word. Lines always long so be patient. With all due respect, it's such a cool "Dukie Bar"!

Photo of Robert Joines Robert Joines
Jan 4, 2020 5

Been coming here for many many years and I've never been disappointed. There's a certain charm and it always brings back good memories. The food is truly out of this world.

Photo of Nathan Miller Nathan Miller
Jan 27, 2020 5

The regular burrito was bigger than almost every burrito I've ever had. The prices are cheap but the food tastes great. It might not be the most sophisticated environment (or easy to find), but the roughness adds to the character. An excellent lunch spot to be sure!

Photo of Shannon Roy Shannon Roy
Feb 9, 2020 5

H.o.l.y C.h.i.t ....... It's like a Mexican food Paradise in here ...never order the giant. Everything is already giant. Service was wonderful. The young girl at the counter was really cool. Def coming back

Photo of Sarah Calabro Sarah Calabro
Mar 5, 2020 4

Great little hidden hole in the wall! Seriously tho, food is good and fast. It's a small place so when it gets busy it's really crowded. But they get orders out quick.

Photo of dennis denmor275@yahoo.com dennis denmor275@yahoo.com
Mar 4, 2020 4

Food was very tasty. Generous portions, but inside could use upgrade remodel.

Photo of Abdulaziz Alghanem Abdulaziz Alghanem
May 12, 2020 3

I just had three chicken tacos.. they tasted good, but honestly, they were a mess.. a huge mess.. I love soft tacos and used to them from taco trucks.. but this one cannot be eaten by holding it regularly.. they get torn very easily..

Photo of Anthony Henage Anthony Henage
May 8, 2020 5

Careful where you park. I had a drunken car full of undocumented leaving cosmic wreck their truck into the front of my car and then drive off leaving me with 3 grand worth of damage that I had to pay out of pocket because there are no cameras on the building. The food is amazing just park in a high visibility area at night

Photo of Luke Pietrowski Luke Pietrowski
Jun 8, 2020 5

A great place to get food to go. The entrance is in the dance studio door. Its hard to find but great food! I always support local businesses

Photo of Gerry Harrington Gerry Harrington
Jun 21, 2020 3

The steak nachos we ordered was good, but we wished they'd had lettuce, salsa and sour cream. I also wished the woman who took our order had been friendlier. She seemed rather uninterested to us as guests at the restaurant.

Photo of Rose Alford Rose Alford
Jun 14, 2020 4

Always love their food and always delicious. During COVID the employees have mask on and hand sanitizer in two areas. And order ahead the wait is shorter. I would give 5 stars but they've been skimping on the chicken in the chimichanga.

Photo of LaWanda Swan LaWanda Swan
Jul 5, 2020 5

It was around 1:00am in Durham and I was hanging out with #DistanceBae. We were watching the Evolution of Hip-Hop and I was desperately trying to explain the beauty of Southern rap to a Yankee especially how the documentary didn't quite do it justice. This debate left us both hungry and I found this place via google. I thought it was a joke due to the early closings on restaurants in the area and the small hoops of looking for the correct number. All worth it, I promise!!! Y'all, the food was so good we stayed up an extra two hours sharing bites of food and just talking. Chips were cooked to order, queso and guacamole were bomb! Fajitas were amazing. The location and ambience were dope. It's gonna be my favorite stop spot.

Photo of Dwayne Bryant Dwayne Bryant
Jun 23, 2020 4

Food was good but covid is changing the service delivery. Workers seeMed agitated.

Photo of Kevin Bland Kevin Bland
Jul 26, 2020 4

Guacamole was phenomenal. Burrito had great flavor. Wish I got more steak inside the burrito.

Photo of Daniel Zhang Daniel Zhang
Jul 23, 2020 5

The burritos are so good I go out of my way to pick up food.

Photo of Ashley Pendarvis Ashley Pendarvis
Jun 25, 2020 5

Best burritos in town! Hands down!