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The 5 Best Lunch Spots Near Durham

Updated: September 21, 2022

With gourmet sandwiches and homemade soups on every corner, there's no reason to skip lunch in Durham. We analyzed the top blogs, restaurant review sites, and food publications to find the best lunches in Durham. If you need quick service tacos or you have time for a sit-down buffet you will find your next lunch spot here!

Find the perfect place

JP’s Grill

American, $$, DurhamAmerican, $$Durham
Google: 4.7
Yelp: 3.5

Village Pizza

Pizza, $, DurhamPizza, $Durham
Google: 4.0
Yelp: 3.0

If you travel further

Elephantine Bakery

Bakery, $$, PortsmouthBakery, $$Portsmouth
Google: 5.0
Yelp: 5.0

Earls Steak Sandwiches

American, DoverAmericanDover
Google: 4.9
Yelp: 5.0

Dos Mexican Eats

Mexican, $, DoverMexican, $Dover
Google: 4.4
Yelp: 5.0

How does it work?

Selecting the right restaurant can be really difficult, especially when you would like to find a new one. We looked at Yelp and Google’s ratings for 15185 spots across Durham, analyzed 823905 restaurant reviews, and sifted through 1052 lists and articles from the likes of – applying our boam magic to sift through results. For example, we considered as we sourced this ultimate list. We automatically update restaurants’ availability and services, so you can find a great meal as the industry adapts to COVID-19. Every restaurant shown earned its spot fair and square. With boam, money never makes the list. These ten options are sure to delight.

Common questions

Bamee, Thai Smile-2, and Hop + Grind are the highest-rated lunch spots for a pick-up meal in Durham.

Bamee, Thai Smile-2, and Pauly's Pocket are lunch restaurants with outdoor seating in Durham.

The highest-rated restaurants in Durham for boozy lunches are Hop + Grind, Clarks American Bistro - Durham, and Ciao Trattoria & Wine Bar.

Bamee, Thai Smile-2, and Pauly's Pocket are the highest-rated vegetarian-friendly lunch restaurants in Durham.

Bamee, Hop + Grind, and Clarks American Bistro - Durham are the highest-rated lunch restaurants that is good for groups in Durham.

Drink pairing tips

  • Enjoy banh mi with Cilantro Chile Cooler

    For an elevated experience, pair your banh mi with Cilantro Chile Cooler. This combination works particularly well because this cocktail cuts through the fattiness of the sandwich.


  • Mangose and banh mi


    If your food palns include Banh mi, then you should consider helping it along with some beer. We find that a Mangose, with its hits of fruit, serves as the best pairing to the dish.

  • A great drink pairing for banh mi

    Finding the ideal drink pairing for banh mi can be tricky. It’s worth exploring some white wine, particularly a glass of Kabinett. This, sweet, white wine balances the spicy banh mi.

Fun facts

  • An order for 290skewers of kebab?

    After eating 290 skewers of kebab on September13 of 2018 Mihriban Kadap set a new world record.

  • Once upon a time

    1900s was an interesting time, and it gave us the much cherished ramen noodle. We can thank China for that!

  • A delicious pairing

    Did you know that tea pairs perfectly with steak? Don’t believe us? Try it for yourself!

Parking info

Getting a good parking spot in Durham can be tough, and it’s worse if you’re hungry. We’ve partnered with SpotHero, a digital parking reservation system to help make finding parking in Durham quick and easy.

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