Elmo's Diner Reviews

Delicious and quick. You get a good amount of food for the price and there wasnt anything we didnt love. Worth it to go! Go earlier and skip the line

Nothing to complain about... right portion, right prize, right service...

Food was decent after a return trip for half our order. Not the diner volume you d expect.

I like the atmosphere and the staff were friendly although at times a little too intrusive, and delivered a bill before we even wanted to ask for one. But, most importantly, the food was really bad, to this degree that I didn't want to finish it and went elsewhere to eat instead.

Milkshakes are great! Have had dinner and breakfast here on desperate trips and both times service and food were excellent. You're in for a wait on weekend mornings though.

Was sad that the food wasnt as great as we heard. Nice atmosphere but neither of us enjoyed our food and did not finish our meals. He had bacon burger i had shrimp and grits. Not great

My husband and I visited this dinner for the first time yesterday and it is wonderful!! Our food was fresh and delicious. I had the salmon cakes and I'm ready for more. We will definitely return very soon!!

Great service and friendly staff. Grits and potatoes were a little under-seasoned for my taste, but the pancakes and salmon cakes were good. Plenty of vegetarian friendly options.

We loved Elmo's! We had breakfast for dinner, it was great and very filling. We really wanted the blackberry cobbler but were too full. We went and walked around Duke gardens for a bit and came back for the cobbler with ice cream. It was awesome.

Have eaten at Elmo's when in the neighborhood for years. Not an elegant restaurant, but good food, interesting dishes, at surprisingly low prices. Well worth trying.

Back in 2004, I worked as front-of-house staff at Elmo's, busing tables and seating guests. To this day, it remains my favorite diner in Durham. Expected breakfast fare is always good -- the omelets are fantastic -- but so are the considerable set of Mexican-American dishes -- huevos rancheros, spinach enchiladas, and, on weekends, breakfast burritos. As for dinner, the meatloaf with red sauce is a personal favorite. They do all the gluten-free, etc., etc., things you would expect as well. And the burgers are pretty good if that's what you want.
I don't really go on weekends at all, since there is usually a 45-minute line out the door, but if you don't mind waiting, the process moves like the well-oiled machine that it is. Parking can also be tough, but there is usually street parking if you can't find anything in either of the lots. That said, it's great for kids and medium-sized groups, but not huge parties or anything like that -- it's a diner, people.
Finally, the ownership is highly supportive of community initiatives, including fundraisers for schools and for advocacy groups. Many members of the staff and management have been there a long time, which I'm sure reflects on the overall quality of the restaurant as a business entity.

Best place in town for breakfast. Only problem is that everybody else knows it too and the line might be long- but the wait is worthwhile. I highly recommend their omelets and their pancakes.

Delicious food and huge variety. I had the French toast which comes with two eggs cooked anyway you want them & your choice of meat for under $10. The salads were huge, buritos looked delicious and so did the hambuegers. They serve breakfast all day. Service could not have been better!

I love this place. It has a diner feel and tasty food, but not so noisy you can't hear the other people at your table.

The staff is always courteous, welcoming and have positive attitudes. Haven't had a bad visit yet, and I have been dining here for several years. Food is always on point.

Elmo's diner is a great place for true Carolina bbq, and other great food. the price of food is not bad for the amount of food you get I would recommend this place if anyone is in town.

I gave it a three because the staff is excellent. The food, not so much. Disappointing

Awesome.food and service . Well worth the wait . Shrimp and gritts where amazing

Foods pretty good, portion sizes on the smaller side. But a pretty good diner.

My new favorite place in Durham! The blueberry crumble is to die for!

Food was good service was quick food came out extremely quick

We get here once every few weeks. Low key, family friendly, tasty food. The girls like coloring Elmo the duck & the spot is convenient to downtown.

It's a very typical dinner place. No thrills but they do try to put some original specials which add reasonable diversity.

The employees are friendly and they got our drinks/food to us quickly; however, the food was cold as if it was waiting for us before we ever placed the order. My experience is likely not the same you will have so try it out yourself.

Great breakfast laid back.good selection
. not cheap

Good and reliable, go there every week. Relatively cheap, relatively healthy, great wait staff

I love this place!!! Coffee and comfort food like a BLT hits the spot.

Good food and efficient service. We'll be returning! The breakfast items with Mexican flair are good choices.

I miss really good diners, so it was such a treat for my son and I to find Elmo's. I'm giving it 4 stars not because of the food, which was not very good, but because of the atmosphere, friendliness of the waitstaff, and the camaraderie amongst the customers. My son and I had so much fun socializing and soaking in the positive energy, and can't wait to go back again! The pumpkin pancakes my son ordered were good, and he really loved the bacon, but I ordered the Mexican omelet with home fries. Well, the call them home fries but they were just chunks of over cooked potatoes. The omelet was just bad, unfortunately. Not sure if it was real egg they used or liquid eggs because they were very strange. All in all we loved the atmosphere so much that we are definitely going back again to try lunch. If that turns out to be a fail like breakfast then we will still go back and just have something safe, like a soda, because being there was just that awesome!

Good food, big portions, you won't leave hungry. The service is pretty fast too.

May have to wait sometimes. But well worth the wait.

All the best of a traditional American diner. Large menu, fair prices, and breakfast served all day by friendly and quick staff. Fair sized parking lot for the area.

Awesome diner atmosphere and diner food not worth a long wait but I would go again.

Wonderful comfort food, with excellent service. Good prices. Very crowded on the weekend

Tasty food, and friendly service. Always very fast, and accommodating. They have a large, varied menu, so there's a little bit of something for everyone.

The food was very good. We were seated immediately, the waitress was very attentive and the atmosphere was reminiscent of an old mom and pop burger place. We'll definitely go again.

Best branch place in Durham! Everyone is very welcoming.

The fly had a great breakfast salmon cakes were horrible. The spaghetti wasnt bad as long as u ordered extra sauce.

Good stop for lunchtime comfort food. Kids loved it too.

Absolutely amazing food, service, and atmosphere. Nostalgia and new age combined to make a refreshing ambiance.

I can always find something delicious to eat here. It's also good for little kids.

The dinner was very clean and neatly set up. However, what we had was not the best. The food looked great but lack the taste. I had the pull bbq chicken and was very disappointed not what I expected it to taste like being that it was our first time in NC, and this place was highly recommended. Nonetheless, the staff was nice.

Has a home town feel, dishes are simple but that is what makes it better

A Durham staple! Honestly, Elmo's is the last good homestyle diner in the area. Fast, friendly service, consistently good food, a great menu, and that sunflower toast makes my heart sing. I will always recommend Elmo's!

Our food was great but it was freezing in the restaurant. Asked why it was so cold and got some crazy answer about them having to keep the temp at a certain place. You know it's cold when servers are wearing their coats.

Excellent food and service. We were in town for two days and ate breakfast here the first day. This place was so good we came back the next day.

Great service and always great food. Wide standard selection with great specials mixed in.

mediocre food. great staff. they are not a real diner.

Their food is so delicious and very friendly service. I highly recommend the breakfast bowl spicy and add shrimp on top

Elmo's, was great. Had not been there in a while. We always like to go out and eat after we Vote. We did not want Covid 19, to stop us. My family enjoyed our meal, and the Service was great. Thank you

Great little dinner with yummy food and excellent service!

My grandmother is a big fan of this place, it was real quick.

Not sure why it has such a long waiting line because the food wasn't that good.

Always love Elmo's. Friendly atmosphere and great food!

Good food and friendly staff. Had a blind menu for my mother so that made for a good experience for her.

Great spot in Durham NC.. good food great staff well run establishment... coming from the North East a dinner is a comfort and Elmo's is a great choice.

We were here for a Saturday morning breakfast. Service was quick and our server was knowledgeable about the menu. We all enjoyed our food.

I have asthma and I cannot wear a mask and they would not let me come in to eat you can't eat with a mask on I was pretty upset I will not go back

Great atmosphere. Many items to chose from and can get breakfast all day!

I have been coming here for over 20 years and have always enjoyed their brunch and the service.