Pasture-raised hogs from farmer Ryan Butler, true wood-smoked Carolina ‘cue from pitmaster Wyatt Dickson, and an excellent menu from chef Christopher McLaurin make 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 McLaurin’s famous cornbread with sorghum butter.

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.

Generations of Durham families and bleary-eyed Duke students line up each morning for classic diner fare at Elmo’s. Pancakes, eggs any way, biscuits and gravy, and more. The food is fast and the service efficient, and while there can often be a wait to get a table, there is always piping hot coffee on hand in the lobby to stave off the sleepies or aid in recovery from last night’s party.

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.

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.

Sure there are now two locations of chef Ricky Moore’s famous southern seafood shack, but the OG Saltbox experience can be had at the Five Points location. Fresh catch comes in from the North Carolina shore and is transformed into sandwiches and plates that have people lining up daily. Offerings often include oysters, shrimp, catfish, grouper, red drum, and more. The twice-yearly Lobster Roll Day draws big crowds —it’s not unusual for people to plan their entire days around getting their hands on a roll.

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.

Billy and Kelli Cotter’s Italian-inspired “paninoteca” was part of the early wave of downtown revitalization and still has a lunch line out the front door all these years later. Choices include hot-pressed or cold sandwiches, open-faced crositini, salads, and often a soup or two. The three cheese sandwich (grana padano, asiago fresca, pecorino, and truffle oil) is the most luxurious grilled cheese in town, while the chicken salad sandwich with garlic aioli puts an Italian twist on an American classic.

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) 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 Chef Zwe says is one of the most popular items on the menu.

(Takeout only)