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Alley Twenty Six

4.6

320 E Chapel Hill St
Durham, NC 27701
Phone: (984) 439-2278
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Google Reviews

Photo of Julie Geyer Julie Geyer
Dec 22, 2023 5

By far the best cocktails in Durham - haven’t found a better spot! They have a great mix of accessible cocktails, and ones that are a bit more daring. Super consistently fantastic.

Photo of David Robinson David Robinson
Oct 25, 2023 5

Didn't eat here, but the cocktails are off the charts good. Buzzy, vibrant and the bar tenders were all super cool. 👌

Photo of Lennis Dionne Sample Lennis Dionne Sample
Oct 1, 2023 5

The ambience was cool!! The staff was SUPER friendly and very accommodating. It was my mom’s birthday and the live jazz band played the happy birthday song for her!! She loved her food too!! Nice portions as well!! Definitely a cool place to have brunch. I will be back with friends and even colleagues in the near future!!

Photo of Becca Gomez Farrell Becca Gomez Farrell
Aug 13, 2023 5

Had a lovely dinner & drinks at Alley 26 earlier this year, cooked up by the amazing Chef Carrie Schleiffer! One of the best gnocchi dishes I've had, for sure, with a super rich garlic cream sauce with herbs and a smacker of chili pepper for a great kick. The key lime pie with housemade tonic syrup? Also very, very good. And I would definitely have another Shipwreck Negroni with a blend of barrel-aged rums, burnt wine, and Braulio Amarao, please! Oh, and I can't forget the watermelon and sherry beginning apertif! Did I mention that I absolutely need to try the fried saltines and pickle dip sometime? Can I just carry Alley 26 home with me to the Bay Area, please?

Photo of Ashley Wolf Ashley Wolf
Jul 31, 2023 5

Alley Twenty Six has become one of our go-to spots for cocktails, and they rarely disappoint with their regularly changing and intriguing drink menu. We had a great time sampling from their "Islands in the Alley" themed list this last visit. We specifically went to try their Alley Burger, which is one of the best in the Bull City, in my opinion. The burger was flavorful, the bun was fresh, and the toppings elevated the overall taste. Plus, the steak fries were also top-notch.

Photo of jesse proctor jesse proctor
Jul 12, 2023 5

Alley Twenty Six offers quality food and cocktails that raise the bar for Durham eateries. This James Beard runner up impressed us with creative tasty drinks and food that was pretty good to excellent made with quality ingredients. Serving one of our favorite salads of all time (They call it “mandatory” for a reason…It was so good I had to stop myself from ordering a second) we were surprised by the let down of the poke tuna nachos which replaced the best parts of a standout bar food with plenty of room for elevation with not too crispy wanton chips and not enough additional ingredients or interesting flavors to be anything but mediocre. We enjoyed the blistered shishito peppers which made their way from very good to greatness with the accompaniment of a soy aioli that seemed to add just the right hint of several things. The coconut shrimp may not have tasted like coconut but the textures were spot on and the bang bang sauce and shrimp combo was an extremely well balanced , tasty bite. While I’d have higher expectations in a city known for good eats, these folks care about food and they know how to cook it. Your money is well spent here.

Photo of Ekta Aggarwal Ekta Aggarwal
May 18, 2023 5

Must try! We tried a bunch of stuff and EVERYTHING we ordered was amazingg! For cocktail we tried the Mexican herbalist , the for food we tried their fresh oysters (they were the besstt) , Nashville hot cauliflower, burrata and tinned fish . I loved everything. I miss those Oysters :)

Photo of Falan E Falan E
Apr 7, 2023 4

It has been on my list to try Durham's Alley Twenty-Six. The inside is cute and clean and has comfortable ambient lighting to match. There is a nice distance from the bar to the seating area. The staff is professional and personable and delivers great customer service. I had the Nashville hot cauliflower, which I enjoyed. I had the steak with a side salad. The steak didn't arrive with a steak knife, but it was worth the wait once I could cut into it. I was pleased that the steak was a perfect medium rare steak that was tender and tasty. The salad was delicious. The Pickled Red Onion, Radish, Reggianito, and Lemon Tonic Vinaigrette on the salad were divine. Everything I had was a perfect 5* on my flavor palette. I enjoyed my Accepting Fate with Hendricks instead of Bourbon. Changing the alcohol resulted in a pricey upcharge - be prepared. The cocktail was very good. I only needed one. The addition of the Angostura bitters in this cocktail was very yummy in every sip, and I only needed one cocktail, and I was feeling tipsy. Great food and a good time! As a James Beard Foundation Award finalist for the Outstanding Bar Program - Alley Twenty-Six did not disappoint. It's a YES for me. Alley Twenty-Six met my expectations as an outstanding bar I plan to visit repeatedly.

Photo of Mariss Mariss
Apr 6, 2023 4

I visited Alley in Downtown Bull City this evening by recommendation of my friend and fellow Elite. I heard about their James Beard claim to fame as 2022's best bar program in the Triangle. I see why. We had a reservation for 8 pm and I arrived ahead of time. The hostess was friendly and accommodating. While waiting I checked out their collection of in house made bitters, syrups and tonic. They also are accompanied by recipe cards. Very classy. I love the rustic New Orleans style of the dining room and bar. I fell instantly transported to the streets of the French quarter. I will return next time for their beignets. We were seated promptly near the full bar. The bar was at capacity for a Thursday evening. Our waitress recommended a few drinks to us that were refreshing. I decided on the strawberry G&T with their homemade Gin & Tonic. This was deliciously refreshing and really crept up on me ! Sip slow and careful. We decided on the Nashville Hot Cauliflower & Pimento Cheese spread, Pepper Jelly & Crostini. Both were excellent. I'm a Pimento cheese connoisseur, so this was excellent. It had a spicy smoked flavor, paired with the sweet and spicy mint flavored pepper jelly and crunch crostini, it was a hit. I had to order more crostini to finish off all the dip. I decided on the Ricotta Gnocchi served with spinach, bacon and almonds. This dish was flavorful and so comforting to me. Pure bliss. Plated well and tasty. My friend had the Steak served with a large salad. The steak was grilled to medium rare perfection. Our waitress and server provided excellent service throughout our visit. I can't wait to return to try the other cocktail choice and menu items.

Photo of Kylie Kylie
Apr 2, 2023 4

Came here for brunch, got the fat Elvis and wasn’t really impressed. The restaurant was empty but it still took forever to get service. My boyfriend said the eggs Benedict was good. I came here for a birthday dinner the following week and had a much better time. The place was packed, lighting was good and the food and drinks were fantastic. It was my friend’s birthday and the restaurant surprised the whole table with shots. The alley burger was delicious and the pot de creme and affogato for dessert were so flavorful. Our waiter was extremely knowledgeable and helpful, and food came out quickly once ordered.