Downtown Durham coffee shop EverLou specializes in oat milk-based drinks. Think lattes, cappuccinos, and more all made with oat milk. It also regularly rotates specials on and off the menu, like the Princess Peach Tea (a peach blossom tea) and the Ferdinand (a rose and honey latte). During Pride Month it offers an entire Pride special menu, with $1 from each drink going to the Rainbow Collective for Change, a local nonprofit dedicated to creating safer spaces in schools for queer kids.

The intersectionality of queer life means a queer person often claims multiple identities at once, and Queeny’s is perhaps the best embodiment of that intersectionality. Co-owner Michelle Vanderwalker (who with Sean Umstead is also behind Kingfisher and Queenburger) has created a space that is uniquely Durham and uniquely queer — a neighborhood bar vibe with a library and podcast studio, late night eats, and cheap but delicious cocktails. Grab a burger or French dip birria sandwich, wash it down with a Cosmo, and watch as all walks of Durham life gather together.

Breakfast until 3 p.m. Classic Southern sandwiches. Blue plate specials. Grub Durham is unique twist on an old school diner, with double-decker seating and loyal following. Owner Wendy Woods, a lifelong Durhamite and local restaurateur, has transformed a former gas station into a mainstay of the West Chapel Hill Street neighborhood. Menu highlights include Maybelle’s brisket, the smoked barbecue ribs, and an affordable array of towering breakfast biscuit sandwiches.

Pinhook has been a staple of the downtown Durham queer scene since opening its doors in 2008. It’s back with live events after an extended pandemic closure, with near-nightly shows, regular drag performances helmed by hometown drag diva Vivica C. Coxx and her House of Coxx queens, and more. Think queer bar meets rock venue meets dive bar, with PBR tall boys, draft beer, and cheap well drinks. Owner Kym Register also fronts the queer country-funk band Loamlands.

Black books and black coffee — this queer-owned East Durham coffee shop and bookstore has embraced its identity as a place for those who may not always feel welcome in queer, white-centric spaces. A full coffee bar and snack offerings complement the extensive collection of fiction and non-fiction titles from Black authors, one of the only such collections in the Triangle. Owner Beverley Boitumelo Makhubele and curator Naledi Yaziyo continually strive to make the space a welcoming destination for all in a majority-minority neighborhood that faces rapid gentrification.

Every city needs a slightly dingy basement gay bar, and Raleigh has Flex. Pumping music, cheap drinks, weekly drag shows, go-go boys, fetish nights — Flex hits all the right notes. The karaoke nights are so legendary that the bar expanded them to three nights a week.

Legends Nightclub has been a leader in Triangle queer nightlife for more than 30 years. Think bumping dance club, strong drinks, and near-nightly drag shows. A more recent addition of a patio space and quieter back bar provide ample opportunity to make a night at Legends as crazy or calm as one likes. This is the place to be to dance the night away.

Downtown Raleigh’s the Hippo is a wine shop, wine bar, and a fully intentional neighborhood gathering spot. The queer-owned shop is a new addition to the Oak City’s impressive wine scene and focuses on low-intervention and natural wines. With no corkage fee, you might wander in to choose a bottle for home and end up staying a while.

What’s there to say about Poole’s Diner that already hasn’t been said a million times over? Perhaps that chef Ashley Christensen’s beloved restaurant takes its commitment to equality as seriously as its commitment to serving expertly-prepared, locally-sourced Southern food. A mural on the side of the building reads “All are welcome in Raleigh,” with the word Raleigh in rainbow colors, and Christensen along with her wife Kaitlyn Goalen have regularly spoken up in support of LGBTQ+ policies and raised funds for local organizations such as the LGBTQ Center of Raleigh.

Yes, this is also an AC Restaurant, but Poole’side Pies is worth an extra mention for two reasons — first, the Neopolitan-style pizzas and Southern-meets-Italian dishes are top notch. The meatballs made with local Lady Edison pork are worth a visit alone. Second, chef Christopher McLaurin (previously of Durham’s Picnic restaurant) joined as chef de cuisine, bringing his more than a decade of experience to the AC Restaurant Group. To make it a truly delicious (and queer night), start with a pizza at Poole’side and then hop next door to Poole’s Diner to continue the party.

A leader in vegan cuisine, the Fiction Kitchen owners Caroline Morrison and Siobhan Southern have garnered statewide and national attention for their commitment to community and their ability to transform Southern staples like chicken and waffles and Salisbury steak into delicious, meatless offerings. There are also more international offerings like chicken tinga tacos made with mock chicken, Lion’s Mane mushroom crab rangoon, and peanut-roasted tofu lettuce wraps.