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Restaurant & Bar Reviews » Durham

August 16, 2021 by Ron Wen Leave a Comment

Now Open: Boxyard RTP in Durham

Boxyard RTP in Durham - nctriangledining.com
Boxyard RTP in Durham – nctriangledining.com

As the Triangle continues to grow and develop, the area around RTP, I-40 and Rte 147 has seen a glut of building activity. Given the upcoming Apple campus in this area it probably shouldn’t be a surprise! And one of the newest developments is Boxyard RTP: a complex built from shipping containers next to the Frontier corporate office space.

Boxyard RTP in Durham - nctriangledining.com
Boxyard RTP in Durham – nctriangledining.com

I visited a similar development in New Mexico called Green Jeans which utilizes standard shipping containers that are usually 8′ wide by 8′ high and 20′ to 40′ long. It’s a cool concept and good option to re-use these commonly, discarded containers. And while the complex officially opened in June, not all scheduled vendors are open yet and will do so over the year.

Vendor directory at Boxyard RTP in Durham - nctriangledining.com
Vendor directory at Boxyard RTP in Durham – nctriangledining.com

But for right now (November 2021) you can enjoy four food vendors, two drink vendors (and some retail) ranging from barbeque to baked goods, coffee, beer and sweets.

  • Lawrence BBQ (Smoked meats)
  • Lagoon Leisure Bar (Cocktails)
  • Buzzy Bakes (Bakery)
  • Beyu Caffe (Coffee)
  • Wonder Puff (Cotton Candy)
  • Fullsteam RTP (Beer, Pizza)
  • Carrburritos (Mexican)
  • Bulkogi (Korean)
Buzzy bakes at Boxyard RTP in Durham - nctriangledining.com
Buzzy Bakes at Boxyard RTP in Durham – nctriangledining.com
Wonderpuff at Boxyard RTP in Durham - nctriangledining.com
Wonderpuff at Boxyard RTP in Durham – nctriangledining.com
Lawrence Barbecue at Boxyard RTP in Durham - nctriangledining.com
Lawrence Barbecue at Boxyard RTP in Durham – nctriangledining.com
Smokers for Lawrence Barbecue at Boxyard RTP in Durham - nctriangledining.com
Smokers for Lawrence Barbecue at Boxyard RTP in Durham – nctriangledining.com

Once you’ve gotten your eats or sweets, head on over to the covered patio to enjoy! Boxyard RTP also has a second level with more seating and a catbird view of the main hangout area. The color palette of bright reds, whites and blues are super patriotic and work well for the space.

Lagoon Bar at Boxyard RTP in Durham - nctriangledining.com
Lagoon Bar at Boxyard RTP in Durham – nctriangledining.com
Lagoon Bar at Boxyard RTP in Durham - nctriangledining.com
Lagoon Bar at Boxyard RTP in Durham – nctriangledining.com
Fullsteam Brewing at Boxyard RTP in Durham - nctriangledining.com
Fullsteam Brewing at Boxyard RTP in Durham – nctriangledining.com
Fullsteam Brewing at Boxyard RTP in Durham - nctriangledining.com
Fullsteam Brewing at Boxyard RTP in Durham – nctriangledining.com

Two of the newest businesses at Boxyard RTP are focused on adult beverages: Lagoon Bar and Fullsteam RTP.

Bulkogi at Boxyard RTP in Durham - nctriangledining.com
Bulkogi at Boxyard RTP in Durham – nctriangledining.com
Bulkogi at Boxyard RTP in Durham - nctriangledining.com
Bulkogi at Boxyard RTP in Durham – nctriangledining.com
Carrburritos at Boxyard RTP in Durham - nctriangledining.com
Carrburritos at Boxyard RTP in Durham – nctriangledining.com
Carrburritos at Boxyard RTP in Durham - nctriangledining.com
Carrburritos at Boxyard RTP in Durham – nctriangledining.com

Covered seating at Boxyard RTP in Durham - nctriangledining.com

And while the vendors continue to spin up at Boxyard RTP, expect more and more activities and events here. Over the course of the past two months I’ve run into a pop-up market, yoga class, and DJ spinning tunes for the crowd.

2nd floor at Boxyard RTP in Durham - nctriangledining.com
2nd floor at Boxyard RTP in Durham – nctriangledining.com

Don’t miss the cool dragon mural on the side of the building along with the dog park out back!

Lion mural at Boxyard RTP in Durham - nctriangledining.com
Lion mural at Boxyard RTP in Durham – nctriangledining.com

I’ll be adding to this post over the upcoming months as businesses open up at Boxyard RTP. And while there’s still work to be done, the development is off to a great start and I’m looking forward to upcoming vendors like Fullsteam Brewery and Carrburritos.

Boxyard RTP

900 Park Offices Drive

Research Triangle, NC 27709

919.549.8181

Location on Google maps


Filed Under: Durham, NoRSS, Overviews Tagged With: Barbeque-Smoked Meats, Patio

December 26, 2021 by Ron Wen Leave a Comment

Fullsteam RTP Thinks Outside the Box for Beer and Food in Durham

Fullsteam RTP in Durham - nctriangledining.com Fullsteam RTP in Durham – nctriangledining.com
When it comes to the OG of the NC Triangle beer scene, Fullsteam Brewery was one of the first along with Big Boss and Lone Rider Beer. When Fullsteam opened up its original location on Rigsbee Street in Durham, they transformed the entire neighborhood. Beer lovers and families would swarm Fullsteam Brewery on the weekends and warm nights, encouraging other businesses to set up shop in the neighborhood. Businesses like Geer Street Garden, Cocoa Cinnamon, and more. With the additions of Liberty Warehouse Apartments, Hutchins Garage and the Durham Food Hall, the growth just continues in that neighborhood corridor. So I was curious to see what Fullsteam with its new space out in Boxyard RTP. As the anchor tenant for Boxyard, I had high hopes, here’s what to expect when you visit!

Bar at Fullsteam RTP in Durham - nctriangledining.com Bar at Fullsteam RTP in Durham – nctriangledining.com

Located on the right-hand side of the Boxyard complex, Fullsteam RTP covers two floors with the main bar and kitchen on floor one and a smaller events space (TopBox) above on floor two. Inside, you’ll find a neat, tidy, and modern space, albeit basic. The overall dimensions of the shipping containers it was built from, visible through metal panels in the floor and of course, the corrugated metal sidewalls. The bar in the back has a neat, wood inlay front face and a tight cluster of beer taps. Overall a very different feel than the old-school Fullsteam on Rigsbee!

Front of Fullsteam RTP in Durham - nctriangledining.com Front of Fullsteam RTP in Durham – nctriangledining.com
Interior of Fullsteam RTP in Durham - nctriangledining.com Interior of Fullsteam RTP in Durham – nctriangledining.com

Seating consists of some four-tops to the side and longer tables upfront, with access to the Boxyard courtyard through swinging glass doors. In warmer weather, I imagine this interior space will be quite open and similar to a covered patio. Mod, textured, white chairs match those outside placed neatly around the interior. And like the original, Boxyard RTP is offering up some food, in this case, fresh flatbread pizzas, and snacks (fries, breadsticks, peanuts, burrata).

Food menu at Fullsteam RTP in Durham - nctriangledining.com Food menu at Fullsteam RTP in Durham – nctriangledining.com
Beer and pizza at Fullsteam RTP in Durham - nctriangledining.com Beer and pizza at Fullsteam RTP in Durham – nctriangledining.com
Margherita pizza at Fullsteam RTP in Durham - nctriangledining.com Margherita pizza at Fullsteam RTP in Durham – nctriangledining.com

The pizza I tried felt clean and tasty, the classic with tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and basil. They pre-bake the crusts and then top them and heat them up for service. It’s a light and airy bite with plenty of tangy tomato and fresh green, basil pop. I’m sure the menu will continue to evolve in the months ahead as the kitchen gets settled in. Overall, I’m pretty happy with what they’ve done here, just expect a Fullsteam experience that’s WAY different than what you would get downtown. And it makes total sense given how new and novel the Boxyard RTP development is. But great to see a Durham classic go beyond where it started and expand to new locations. Good luck Fullsteam RTP, you’re off to a great start!

Courtyard view at Fullsteam RTP in Durham - nctriangledining.com Courtyard view at Fullsteam RTP in Durham – nctriangledining.com

 

Fullsteam RTP at Boxyard

900 Park Offices Drive

Durham, NC 27703

919.295.2337

Location on Google maps

Filed Under: Durham, Restaurant & Bar Reviews Tagged With: Beer - Brewery, Boxyard RTP

August 25, 2018 by Ron Wen

Hutchins Garage is Fixing Up Top-Notch Pizzas for Durham!

Front of Hutchins Garage in Durham - nctriangledining.com
Front of Hutchins Garage in Durham – nctriangledining.com

Over the past several months, business has been booming out on Geer Street in Durham! This neighborhood hot spot which already counts Fullsteam Brewery, Motorco, and the Accordion Club amongst its local businesses, has had several major announcements for a future arcade bar and ax-throwing entertainment place. So I was excited (and surprised) to hear about one new business that had snuck under my radar screen, Hutchins Garage. I had spotted a couple of quiet announcements on social media but had no clue what it would be about besides a bar. Luckily a visit to Durham left me with some free time on my hands so I spun out to Geer Street to see what was going down at the new Hutchins Garage!

Garage interior of Hutchins Garage in Durham - nctriangledining.com
Garage interior of Hutchins Garage in Durham – nctriangledining.com

With only a handful of parking spaces up front, be aware that this end of Geer Street is getting pretty tough for finding a parking spot! From the front, Hutchins Garage exudes a minimalistic face with a creamy utilitarian brick storefront along with several, white pane garage doors. A small doorway (an old service door?) to the far right is the main entryway in this small and jam-packed parking lot. There is parking on some side streets so you may need a bit of time to find a spot and do a short walk when you visit.

Dining area at Hutchins Garage in Durham - nctriangledining.com
Dining area at Hutchins Garage in Durham – nctriangledining.com
Exquisite bar at Hutchins Garage in Durham - nctriangledining.com
Exquisite bar at Hutchins Garage in Durham – nctriangledining.com

Stepping inside, I was amazed at how nicely redesigned the interior is at Hutchins Garage. Small dining area in front of me and a bar to the left in the first room. The building is all concrete and painted brick walls staying true to its industrial and automotive origins. The space is sprayed in industrial green in the first room along with fascinating blown-glass lamps overhead. There’s also a handful of quirky neon signs displaying “HOT and “Pizza Made Me Do It” showing off some tongue-in-cheek humor. Some industrial signage and details (phone) remain in the space in homage to its past life as an automotive garage.

Menu at Hutchins Garage in Durham - nctriangledining.com
Menu at Hutchins Garage in Durham – nctriangledining.com

The second room is where diners can order their pizzas for dine-in or take-out eats. Overall it’s a very comfortable space for hanging out and meeting up with friends! While Hutchins Garage is primarily categorized as a bar, its short menu of salads, pizzas, sandwiches and more make it a destination for a quick dinner or late-night bite (open until 2am). I’m curious to see how the menu may morph over time!

Arancini at Hutchins Garage in Durham - nctriangledining.com
Arancini at Hutchins Garage in Durham – nctriangledining.com

Margherita pizza at Hutchins Garage in Durham - nctriangledining.com

Over the course of several visits, I’ve had a chance to dabble across their menu, a bit. Enjoyed some arancini and of course, their pizzas! While you can certainly start with the margherita pizza base and build on it, I tend to order up their custom house pies since they usually sound interesting. On a recent visit I did a beautiful pie with ham, sausage and Calabrian chiles which was wonderfully spicy. But even the base margherita pizza here at Hutchins Garage is excellent with great cheese coverage and snips of basil. At $11 for a margherita ($4 for 2 toppings, $5 for 3 toppings) it’s all pretty reasonable for a substantial individual pie. I’d say they were 14″ to 15″, thin-crust but not Neapolitan. The pizzas here are more of a traditional Italian with a crispy crust, really delicious and well done.

Pizza with ham, sausage, calabrian chiles at Hutchins Garage in Durham - nctriangledining.com
Pizza with ham, sausage, calabrian chiles at Hutchins Garage in Durham – nctriangledining.com
Crisp pizza crust at Hutchins Garage in Durham - nctriangledining.com
Crisp pizza crust at Hutchins Garage in Durham – nctriangledining.com
Grandma's pie at Hutchins Garage in Durham - nctriangledining.com
Grandma’s pie at Hutchins Garage in Durham – nctriangledining.com

All in all I have been pretty impressed by Hutchins Garage over the course of several visits. Great space, great food, well-trained staff and this neighborhood in Durham was in need of good za! The decor is fantastic and remains true to its automotive origins. And the pizzas are top-notch! So welcome to Bull City, Hutchins Garage. You’re doing both the bar part and pizza part of your business really well, so glad to have you in the hood!

Hutchins Garage

402 W Geer Street

Durham, NC 27701

984.219.6578

Location on Google maps

 

Filed Under: Durham, Restaurant & Bar Reviews Tagged With: Beer - Brewery, Pizza

April 1, 2022 by Ron Wen

Hot Dogs, Peanuts, Beer and Other Fun Food at the Durham Bulls Ballpark

Durham Bulls Ballpark - NC Triangle Dining Durham Bulls Ballpark – NC Triangle Dining

Nothing says summer time like a beer and hotdog at the ballpark and thankfully we’ve got one of the best minor league teams in town, the Durham Bulls. The Durham Bulls are riding high after winning the 2021 Triple-A National Championship. And while you might not find Crash Davis or Nuke LaLoosh at the Durham Bulls Athletic Park, what you will find is top-notch baseball and great ballpark food! While I covered some of the great food choices around DPAC and the American Tobacco Campus next door in earlier posts, let’s dive right in to find out what the best eats are behind those brick walls. Whether you’re in the mood for a hot dog, shaved ice, fries, or more, it’s time to eat AND play ball!

Durham Bulls stretching before a ball game - nctriangledining.com Durham Bulls stretching before a ball game – nctriangledining.com

(Post updated for 2022 season!)  If you’ve got tickets to a Durham Bulls game, gates open an hour before the game. It’s a good time to catch all the pre-game warm-ups and get autographs from some rising baseball stars (especially if you’re a little kid). The Durham Bulls always run a lot of game specials: Fireworks on Friday and Saturday night games (starting May 28), Kids run the bases on Sundays after the game, and Bark in the Park (bring your dog into the outfield seats).

New in 2022 for food is Kids Eat Free on Wednesdays! Check in at the Lowes Food Guest Services stand and children will get a voucher for a free hot dog, chips, and soda. Afforda-BULL Thursdays are also back with $2 hot dogs and Pepsi products, $3 nachos with cheese, $4 sausages and chips, and $5 burgers, chicken tenders, and select beers.

Boom boom hot dog at Durham Bulls Ballpark - nctriangledining.com Boom boom hot dog at Durham Bulls Ballpark – nctriangledining.com

Also new for 2022 are the unique concessions food items, below:

  • Carolina Cue Dog: Sahlens’ Grilled For You hot dog topped with BBQ pork and coleslaw
  • Boom Boom Hot dog: This hot dog includes slaw, Boom Boom sauce, bacon and is topped with crunchy Cheetos.
  • Pig Kahuna Sausage: Lowes Foods Sausageworks pineapple teriyaki sausages topped with pineapple slaw and sweet & spicy boom boom sauce
  • BBQ Loaded Sweet Potato Tots: Sweet potato tater tots topped with BBQ pork and nacho cheese
  • Street Tacos, Nachos, Chips and Guacamole, and Roasted Corn from El Jefecito: Durham’s own El Jefecito food truck and restaurant will be set up near the Compass Real Estate Left Field Gate with street tacos, nachos, chips and guacamole, and roasted corn

The Durham Bulls will also be having monthly foodie experiences – Wine Pairing (April 27), Brunch (May 30), Low Country Boil (June 15), Caribbean (July 6), Fiesta (August 25), and Oktoberfest (September 5) along with a foodie mini-plan to enjoy these special events. The new concessions and food map (above) will help you find some of what you need.  More menu pictures from the 2022 season are below to help you get a feel for concession prices at the ballpark.

Climb up the concrete steps at the main entrance and you’ll find the concessions stands are all decorated with a consistent, wood siding motif, all looking quite spiffy. You’ll find your usual hot dogs, burgers, sausages, pretzels, fries, and beer options along the 1st and 3rd base sides of the stadium concourse. Note: There are more concessions on the 1st base, right-field side of the concourse since it’s the home team side!

The concessions are all well-marked and usually offer candy, peanuts, popcorn, and more. Pretty much all the eats at the Durham Bulls ballpark are under $10 (most $4 to $8) so it’s not expensive to eat at this ballpark! Note that some Durham Bulls tickets come loaded with $5 worth of concessions and beer credit, double-check your ticket. What’s really cool is that the Durham Bulls Ballpark has brought in some local businesses for concessions so keep an eye out for these specialty spots!

Pie Pushers pizza at Durham Bulls ballpark - nctriangledining.com
Pie Pushers pizza at Durham Bulls ballpark – nctriangledining.com

Hog Heaven BBQ at Durham Bulls ballpark - nctriangledining.com
Hog Heaven BBQ at Durham Bulls ballpark – nctriangledining.com

In the center of the concourse, you’ll find the very popular Pie Pushers pizza! Pie Pushers does an excellent NY thin-crust slice of za, and it’s only $25 for a whole pepperoni pizza! Hog Heaven Barbeque is also in the front of the concessions area, serving up NC barbeque and other Southern favorites. There’s also a Foothills beer garden for a leisurely sip of beer.

At the front of the concourse you’ll also find a variety of local food stands. It’s really a fun way to enjoy some uniquely Durham spots and their eats! Lemonade, funnel cakes, cotton candy, and more. There’s a bit of a state fair feel to these little stands.

El Jefecito at DBAP in Durham - nctriangledining.com El Jefecito at DBAP in Durham – nctriangledining.com

Out on the left-field side of the park, you’ll find El Jefecito, a Mexican restaurant that’s also a food truck. An attached bar makes for a nice space to hang out and enjoy a drink.

Jackie's Landing Bar in right field at Durham Bulls ballpark - nctriangledining.com Jackie’s Landing Bar in right field at Durham Bulls ballpark – nctriangledining.com

Out in right field you’ll also find a terrace area offering up some other delicious options underneath blue skies. First up is a full patio bar (Jackie’s Landing) complete with craft brews and cocktails so you can have an adult beverage in style! Behind the bar you’ll find Smokebox Barbeque serving up barbeque and smoked meats. And further in you’ll find the Wool E. World children’s play area along with some additional food stands. Note that there are also two beer stands down the left and right-field sides of the ballpark seating areas on the walkway. Super-convenient for a craft beer and they save you a walk to the concourse.

Durham Bulls Ballpark- $1 dog night with popcorn Durham Bulls Ballpark- Hot dog with popcorn

The Durham Bulls have quite a few promotions and specials going down, check their promotions schedule for the latest information!

In addition to the great ballpark and food, I really love how the Durham Bulls entertain the crowd beyond the action on the field. Sumo-wrestling, gunning t-shirts into the crowd, kids catching bean bags in their pants, Wool E Bull racing around the field in a go-kart, there’s always something happening between innings! And fireworks on Friday and Saturday night games are always super festive. The Durham Bulls are really minor league baseball at its very best…

Sumo guys doing dizzy bat at the Durham Bulls ballpark
Sumo guys doing dizzy bat at the Durham Bulls ballpark
The Blue Monster at Durham Bulls ballpark - nctriangledining.com The Blue Monster at Durham Bulls ballpark – nctriangledining.com

Now how can you not enjoy a great night of Triple-A baseball, food, and fresh air?! Given the Durham Bulls are part of the Tampa Bay Rays farm system, you’re guaranteed to see a future major-leaguer during your visits here. And I really can’t think of a better way to spend a warm summer evening than at the Durham Bulls ballpark munching on fries, dogs, and custard, bon appetit!

 

So what’s your guilty pleasure at the ballpark? Fess up people!

 

Durham Bulls Baseball

409 Blackwell Street

Durham, NC 27701

919.687.6500

Location on Google maps

Filed Under: Durham, Restaurant & Bar Reviews Tagged With: American Food, Hot Dogs

November 13, 2017 by Ron Wen

Saint James Seafood, Durham: A Dazzling Culinary Cruise for Oysters, Fish, and Ambiance

Front of Saint James Seafood Restaurant in Durham - nctriangledining.com
Front of Saint James Seafood Restaurant in Durham – nctriangledining.com

If you love the food scene in Durham, you sometimes think it can’t get any better. But every now and then, you still run into some very impressive surprises. Take the new Saint James Seafood Restaurant out on W. Main Street! While I knew that Chef Matt Kelly (Mateo, Mothers and Sons, Lucky’s Delicatessen) was leading the build-out of the space and I was impressed with his resume, there have been so many new openings of late, I lost track of the Saint James. And located in the old Fishmongers space, I had concerns about what the Saint James would be about given how basic the decor had been. But as luck would have it, I was in Durham the day Saint James Seafood opened up and decided to change my dinner plans to see what all the hub-bub was about!

Front of Saint James Seafood Restaurant in Durham - nctriangledining.com
Beautiful interior at Saint James Seafood in Durham – nctriangledining.com

As I approached the Saint James from across Main Street, I really wasn’t sure what to expect. Bright Duke blue awning, large plate glass windows, I spied a handful of diners inside at 5:30pm. Peering inside, I’m met by the host and hinted that I was probably only going to stop in for a drink, so I’m seated at the bar. But I can tell you for sure that the decor and interior of Saint James Seafood is totally unrecognizable from the previous tenant. Gone are the long and worn wooden benches to be replaced by a beautiful and modern nautical theme throughout the dining room. Black and white tiled floors, patterned white globe lamps overhead, deep blue and yellow leather seating and stools show off splashes of color and style throughout the space. The white tiled back-wall behind the bar is classic seafood restaurant style and reminds me a bit of my trips to New Orleans.

Bar area at Saint James Seafood Restaurant in Durham - nctriangledining.com
Bar area at Saint James Seafood Restaurant in Durham – nctriangledining.com

At the bar I take in the whole scene and it’s a breath of fresh air. The staff here is decked out in colorful Hawaiian shirts while the kitchen is in classic navy and white aprons. There’s several displays of fresh seafood on ice and the beautiful brass lamps overhead resemble spotlights that you might find on an old merchant ship! I put in an order for a Fog Cutter drink (rum, gin, brandy with fruit juices) and start to take a closer look at the menu. And it’s a really interesting menu covering raw seafood, baked oysters, 10 or so appetizers and 8 seafood entrees along with some Calabash-style seafood plates. It’s all quite ambitious for a new restaurant but after perusing the menu, I realize that I’m eating dinner at Saint James tonight! 95% of the menu is seafood-focused along with a smattering of vegetable and meat dishes. I put in my order for baked Oysters Ashworth and a red drum fish dish. As I wait, my tangy Fog Cutter shows up in a ceramic tiki tumbler along with a dish of spicy crackers!

Oysters Ashworth at Saint James Seafood Restaurant in Durham - nctriangledining.com
Oysters Ashworth at Saint James Seafood Restaurant in Durham – nctriangledining.com

My Oysters Ashworth appetizer is placed in front of me and it’s a beautiful dish! Bright yellow, seared Hollandaise sauce covering up spinach, bacon and the oysters all served on top of rock salt. The hollandaise shows off a lemony tang which cuts through the richness of the butter, oyster and bacon. With four on the plate, there’s a lot to eat here for a solo diner. And I’m definitely looking forward to trying some raw oysters here, sometime soon!

Red drum with crawfish butter at Saint James Seafood Restaurant in Durham - nctriangledining.com
Red drum with crawfish butter at Saint James Seafood Restaurant in Durham – nctriangledining.com
Calabash fried seafood at Saint James Seafood Restaurant in Durham - nctriangledining.com
Calabash fried seafood at Saint James Seafood Restaurant in Durham – nctriangledining.com

My red drum entree is next and it’s a stunning plate! The fish is served on top of crawfish “butter” and fried dirty rice, you get a New Orleans etouffee feel here. The red drum is a large, perfectly seared meaty whitefish that plays off well with the savory crawfish and spicy rice. But what really makes the dish are the long slivers of fried okra on top which give an awful lot of delicate flavor and texture to the meal, very inventive. Overall it’s a very creative and well-executed plate taking advantage of this fleshy and firm fish. And Saint James even offers more traditional NC seafood dishes like Calabash plates that are perfectly fried. Entrees at Saint James Seafood run in the $20 to $32 range with appetizers from $8 to $14.

Second floor dining room at Saint James Seafood Restaurant in Durham - nctriangledining.com
Second floor dining room at Saint James Seafood Restaurant in Durham – nctriangledining.com

As you can guess, service was solid throughout the meal. Saint James Seafood was heavily staffed for its opening day and I suspect they will do well here given the overall dining experiences I’ve had in their sister restaurants. After the meal, I explored the upstairs area of the Saint James, called the Captain’s Quarters. Take the stairway on the ends of the dining room, up the non-slip metal stairs and through a narrow hallway to reach it. While it’s primarily for private parties, there were seated diners in here when I visited. It’s a very cozy and more traditional space compared to the downstairs, showcasing a lot of warm woods, nautical paintings, three beautiful circular chandeliers and portholes that look out on the main dining room. Very cool and very well designed, a quiet spot compared to the bustling main dining room.

Stairs to second floor at Saint James Seafood Restaurant in Durham - nctriangledining.com
Stairs to second floor at Saint James Seafood Restaurant in Durham – nctriangledining.com

All in all I can say that I was VERY impressed with Saint James Seafood Restaurant on its opening day. The team here knows what it’s doing and everything I experienced was sublime. From decor to food to service and the entire meal, it all just feels comfortable, modern and impeccably well put together. But I guess I shouldn’t be that surprised given the success of Mateo and Mothers and Sons. So welcome to the Bull City, Saint James Seafood! I’m pretty sure that you’ll be dealing with very long lines of excited diners, soon enough…

 

Saint James Seafood Restaurant and Raw Bar

806 W Main Street

Durham, NC 27701

984.219.7900

Location on Google maps

Filed Under: Durham, Restaurant & Bar Reviews Tagged With: Seafood Restaurants

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