Pitmaster Wyatt Dickson is turning out true wood-fired Carolina ‘cue at Picnic, one of the Triangle’s go-to spots for pulled pork, fried chicken, and more. The barbecue plate is a great way to truly experience the restaurant (with collards and hush puppies obviously), as are the barbecue sandwiches. Other offerings change frequently but often include chopped brisket, a fried fish sandwich, and a burger special dripping with pimento cheese.

On weekdays Hong Kong Chinese Restaurant serves up typical Chinese-American fare, but on the weekends the dining rooms transform into a bustling dim sum parlor. Diners line up outside to wait for a seat as carts of sui mai, turnip cakes, steam rolls, and other dim sum classics pass from table to table. A cup of piping hot green tea is de rigueur, and the whole experience is best enjoyed with friends or family so everyone gets to try a bit of everything.

Bullock’s has served classic Eastern Carolina barbecue since 1952 and claims to be the longest continuously-running restaurant in Durham. The barbecue is obviously the draw here, but some non-porcine options include the Brunswick stew bread bowl, the Calabash shrimp appetizer with Cajun sauce, or the country style steak with gravy. This is old school Southern comfort food, served the way it’s always been.

Sometimes all life needs is a classic steak frites. Or maybe moules mariniere? Cassoulet? Vin Rouge’s menu reads like a classic French bistro greatest hits list. As the weather warms a table weekend brunch in their walled patio is a coveted reservation, and the wine list is an oenophilic Francophile’s dream.

With the exception of a year or two, King’s Sandwich Shop has been open since 1942 — long enough that it’s not unusual to find grandparents bringing their grandchildren for the same burgers and hot dogs they enjoyed when they were young. Griddled burgers with King’s sauce, hot dogs with all the toppings, piping hot fries, and ice cold shakes round out the menu. There are often specials, but it’s the classics that have brought people back for decades.

Rose’s has had a few identities over the years but its current iteration as a pastry counter/noodle joint/dumpling bar just might be the greatest. Katie Meddis offers incredible desserts, pastries, and ice creams while her husband Justin serves some of the best East Asian fare in the state. There is always some style of ramen on offer, as well as a katsu sando, a crispy fried chicken cutlet on pillowy milk bread with cabbage and tonkatsu sauce. An order of dumplings and some macarons to-go would round out the full Rose’s experience.

Goorsha is the place to bring friends and family and gather around generous helpings of expertly prepared Ethiopian food. Doro wat, timatim salad, awaze tibs, and more grace the menu, all waiting to be scooped up with hand-torn bits of injera, the tangy Ethiopian flatbread that serves as your utensil. Also worth checking out is the new Gojo by Goorsha, a cafe and sandwich shop right behind the restaurant.

Chef Mike Lee has created a mini M-pire in Durham (M Kokko, M Tempura, M Pocha), but M Sushi is the original flagship. A few steps down into the semi-subterranean space transports diners to a world of expertly crafted sushi and luxurious Japanese cuisine. The rolls and other items are available a la carte, but the full M Sushi experience is the omakase menu - the Lite Omakase is six courses, while the Grand Omakase is eight. A generous wine, cocktail, and beer list is available as well.

Mixologist Shannon Healy teamed up with chef Carrie Schleiffer for a craft cocktail and food combination that is as unique as it is tasty. Healy’s cocktails are legendary and rotate seasonally, while Schleiffer’s menu includes blistered shisitos, cornmeal-fried oysters, and crispy pork belly. The famous Alley burger (a half-pound patty, truffle cheddar, bourbon bacon jam, chipotle aioli, and arugula) is always available, and those in the know ask for it to be foie’d (a generous chunk of foie gras stuffed right in the middle). A selfie with a burger and a cocktail in the actual alley is a downtown Durham bucket list item.

The sister restaurant of the legendary (and now-closed) Nana’s, NanaSteak has charted its own path as Durham’s go-to steakhouse. Traditional steakhouse fare gets a modern facelift with main courses like the charcoal-grilled filet mignon, with Wagyu beef fat french fries, roasted Brussels sprouts, and bearnaise, or the crispy pork ribs, with quick “kimchi” Napa cabbage slaw and a miso-ginger glaze. An extensive wine list and expertly crafted cocktails round out the experience, and the restaurant’s location right next to the Durham Performing Arts Center make it the perfect spot for a dinner-and-a-show date night (when those come back).

“Just drive down the road and look for the cow” is how most people explain how to get to La Vaquita. Arguably the most famous of Durham’s many taquerias, La Vaquita serves a variety of traditional tacos on homemade corn tortillas. Think barbacoa, carnitas, lengua, al pastor, and more. There are platos tradicionales like mole poblano, ceviche, or polla a la crema, as well as tortas.

Head down 15-501 for Guatemalan cuisine like pupusas, grilled meats, and caldos. The cuchitos de pollo are traditional corn flour cakes filled with chicken, and the carne guisada is a beef filet served with special sauce and accompanied by a beet and cabbage salad. Other offerings include ceviche, tamales, and atol de elote, a sweet corn and milk drink commonly sold by street and market vendors in Guatemala. Part of the restaurant is also a market for those looking to stock up on Latin American pantry staples.

One of the few Zimbabwean restaurants in the entire country, Zweli’s has built a loyal following in its few short years of operating. Chef Zwelibanzi (Zwe for short) Williams turned a successful catering operation into a brick and mortar location offering samosas, piri piri chicken, jollof rice, and more. Many diners order a side of chakalaka, a spicy tomato and bean relish that Williams says is one of the most popular items on the menu.

(Takeout only)