If our community and culture are the bones of Durham, our beating heart is, without doubt, our restaurants, breweries and craft beverages. Believe the locals and the press — Durham’s food scene gives us life, every single day.

There’s more than enough to go around. Food and drink are Durham’s bread and butter. But don’t feel bad if you fill up on artisanal bread before the next course.

Rosewater ice cream. Ginger cider. Espelette pepper jelly short ribs. Hush honeys. You won’t forget these flavors. We’ve got ramen to warm the soul and fried okra to call home about. Award-winning cocktails and dishes from visionary restaurateurs make for meals that delight the senses… and keep generations of delectable Durham tradition alive.

Wind your way through our streets on your tour de tastes. Durham is where Korean barbecue food trucks blossom into brick and mortar botanical gardens and beer halls; and where spouses and siblings stitch together culinary dreams to form the locally born and bred delights we’ve come to love.

Many places brag that they’re the foodie capital or tastiest town. Perfect presentation is just a chapter; the story of Durham’s food scene extends to a comprehensive farm-to-table philosophy of sustainable practices and collaborative ventures. From coffee beans to curried international specialties, we’re layers deep in culinary magic.

Discover a delectable and delicious Durham.

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Dining in Durham

Durham’s Delicious Distinctions

Durham has been a culinary destination for years — long before the national media arrived. Since then, Durham's been hailed as the “Tastiest Town in the South” by Southern Living magazine and “America's Foodiest Small Town” by Bon Appétit, among other titles. Many Durham chefs and restaurateurs, including Matthew Kelly of Mateo and Vin Rouge have been nominated for major awards, including the James Beard Award. You can also find James Beard Award Winner Andrea...

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Breweries

Bull City? Beer city.

We brew it, sell it, and drink it (responsibly) here. With dozens of local breweries, bottle shops and craft beer-conscious bars and restaurants, you won’t need to settle for an uninspiring beverage. Naturally, Durham is also home to the annual World Beer Festival. If you're looking for a thriving local beer scene, Durham is the place. Durham's local breweries ensure that connoisseurs have plenty to explore while they're in town: Barrel Culture Brewing and Blending...

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Craft Beverages

Durham's got spirit — make that spirits.

Not to be overshadowed by a flourishing brewery scene, our craft distilleries, cideries, and meaderies are making a name for themselves in the beverage world. For the chic patron wanting to sip a classic gin and tonic, or the gluten-free traveler ready for a glass of seasonal mead or hard cider, here's where to find your next great craft beverage in the Bull City. Liquor Durham Distillery is leading a gin renaissance in the South...

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Food Trucks

Mmm… mobile magic

It makes sense — Durhamites like it when their food options keep pace with their adventures. Our tastes are as malleable as our passions; here, you’ll find mobile kitchens turned non-profits that help send local students to college (just ask the founder of So Good Pupusas). This community is replete with young entrepreneurs and culinary veterans alike, all of whom help bring dozens of mobile dining options to Durham: Latin American cuisine, pizza, Korean BBQ...

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Farm to Table

Durham's food scene is nationally lauded, and much of that praise centers on our local farm-to-table movement.

In other words, if you want to get to the root of Durham's food, you've got to visit our farms and farmers markets. That's what agritourism is: a way to let visitors tour and engage with agriculturally focused sites and activities. Here, you can see how local crops are grown and how those fresh ingredients are brewed into one-of-a-kind beers. You can enjoy a meal made up of peak produce grown just a few miles...

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