Elmo's Diner Reviews

My sisters and I favorite place for lunch we sit at counter end she always has a salad and I have whatever, we truly enjoy it Heather usually waits on us or at least comes by and says hello, rest of staff very friendly and helpful

Basic diner fare in a nice diner setting. This is the perfect place to get breakfast all day and sit and enjoy a cup of coffee. Does get quite busy on the weekends so be prepared to wait, possibly outside due to a small entryway.

A lot of food for a really reasonable price. I enjoyed the huevos rancheros the most, the veggie hash was a little dry but good, and the apple cinnamon pancakes needed more flavor. The syrup of all things had no taste! Not sure what it was but it definitely wasn't maple, it tasted sugarless. The service was ok, waitress was accommodating. I would go back and recommend, especially considering the low cost for descent food.

Great place to take kids or larger groups with many different dietary requirements. Large diner menu. Food is good but not spectacular, and portions are large with low prices. All servers we've had are excellent and the atmosphere is very tolerant of and caters to young diners.

Such warm and wonderful cinnamon apples! And great carrot ginger soup, too.

This is our favorite diner in Durham. Great food, family friendly, inexpensive and friendly staff.

The Sante Fe bowl I had which was a cornbread cake topped with peppers, beans, salsa, scrambled eggs, and crumbled sausage was fricken fantastic!

The menu deliver and is the pinnacle of dinner food. Only real areas of improvement lie with their options for dairy free milk. I mean c'mon it's 2021, people live in space, and we made a vaccine in less than a year--can a girl get some soy milk with her coffee?

Great food. Service is slow. Not wait staff's fault, just too busy for kitchen to get food out quickly. Just plan on it taking a while when you visit.

Can't go wrong with bacon and eggs - beats a big plate of dirt or something.

Best place in Durham great food you can find just about anything

I absolutely love this place everything I've gotten here I have enjoyed this place has very good waiting service and if there's a weight you can get coffee for free by the door

It was good; went when my daughter was in high school; het circle of friends still go & they love it; not enough choices for me

Rude service....acted as if we didnt belong there. Friends enjoyed the food but the shrimp and avocado quiche made me VERY sick.

I m surprised so many people said this was the best breakfast in Durham. It was quite possibly the worst breakfast I ve ever had in Durham. Biscuitville is better than this. However, the service is amazing! And the restaurant is very clean. I also appreciate all the precautions they re taking due to COVID. The host and my waiter were very friendly and accommodating! They saved the entire experience! My waiter s name was Dontae BTW

Loved our breakfast!! Wait staff were very nice and attentive!!

I love this place, the food is always great and service is amazing. I enjoy taking my kids there for breakfast.

Great small diner feel with great original items on the menu

This historic diner with locations in Durham and Chapel Hill has totally kept with the times! They make their own veggie sausage, and it s good! Watch out though, it s a bit spicy so I kept it away from my 1-year-old daughter. The whole family loved our orders, and our very friendly waitress was constantly there warming up coffee and making sure we had everything we needed.

Great food reasonable prices. Great atmosphere. Good mix of items for brunch. Top tier brunch in the triangle.

Great food, great prices. Neat place, but be prepared for a wait.

Warning to fellow vegans: grilled hummus is grilled in margarine that contains whey and the hummus contains honey. Still delicious and would highly recommend, but since there's a lack of clarity about the veganness of certain dishes that seem vegan, thought I would mention it for others.

Enjoyed the atmosphere. Quick seating, very good food, super nice server. Highly recommended.

Food is acceptable but not outstanding. It use to be better. Service is good.

This diner was very well managed. The food was delicious! The waitress was on top of things and had a great personality. The place was packed but they got you in and out fast. It was a great experience.

Been there a couple of times. Very good food at a reasonable price Excellent service.

Such a relaxing and inviting environment. Wonderful menu with plenty of choices for everyone. Our waitress was extremely helpful and accommodating. Great experience would recommend for casual dining.

Got the biscuits and gravy. Very good but I m picky with my biscuits. Service was great and interior was clean and well decorated. Much different than what I was expecting. Lots of locals present which is always a good sign.

Food was great, service was great, and their coffee was fantastic.

Love the laid back diner and nondescript crowd, but my food was not good. Maybe I didn't know what to order but it's not like their breakfast menu is huge...

I love the food here, and thankfully they recently added more parking spaces. The staff are always nice and accommodating. One of my favorite restaurants in Durham!

Elmo s was awesome! The customer service and food was amazing. The shrimp and grits was a Hit. I m in from out of town but will be back.

Had the Baked French Toast w/Apple & Cinnamon! WOW MY NEW FAB!

Always a joy to visit Elmos. You should expect a 10 minute wait on average if you go anywhere near breakfast time on any day. But it's really worth it. The food and service are always great. I go on Saturdays for the shrimp and grits.

A healthy alternative to Cracker Barrel and just as inexpensive. The wait staff is on the ball too.

I take my mom here after her doctor's appointments every time we come through Durham. Because of the limited ingredients she is able to have, Elmo's is the perfect breakfast or lunch spot for us. The food is amazing every time with exceptional customer service to go along with it.

Family friendly and good service with nice menu selection - a little something for everyone. Don't take Discover card though .

It was nice
Enjoyed it

OMG, let me tell you... I was like... woah, and I was just eating and then all of a sudden it just went black... everything, my eyes my hearing, and I was transported through space and time, I saw everything, the world, the beginning the end (which I only use these words because your minds comprehend them (in reality it doesn't exist)) but yeah... sooo that all happened after I sat in both 27 of elmos diner and ordered a water with 4 cubes of ice... I don't know why.. but that was the most amazing water with 4 cubes of ice I have ever had in my life...

great food, excellent service. good place for meetings, family outings, and first date.

Excellent funky little diner. We had breakfast and everything was delicious. Highly recommend Elmos!

I loved this place and the service was spectacular! Even during COVID, the host and waitresses were lovely and helpful in their breakfast recommendations!

I got the spicy breakfast special with cornbread fritters, chilaquiles sauce and sweet mashed potatoes (among other things). I highly recommend Elmo's!

The best way to describe my breakfast is WOW!!! It was awesome, I got the Biscuit and gravy deal and I'm really glad I did. The staff was very friendly and attentive.

I also really enjoyed the coffee, I drink my coffee black so it has to be really good for me to enjoy it.

I will definitely be going back the minute I get a chance!

The burger was not satisfying dry too many beans the tomatoes weren't fresh the bun was dry too much bread the slaw and pickle was great I wouldn't recommend anyone to order the veggie

Real diner food, massive menu, polite staff. No pizza burger, tho!

Great place to go and have a great home cooked meal. Awesome environment and even better staff.

Nice little spot for a weekend breakfast or a quick weekday lunch. My wife had an amazing omelette and the coffee to greet you at the door is a nice touch considering you may find yourself waiting.

Second time there.......This time I had the shrimp and grits......And let me tell you they were goooooood ......yeah boy!...My wife and I lucked up and got there before the rush. Once again the waitress was EXCELLENT... Although we are from Philly, I am so glad we have family in Durham. Elmo's is definitely OUR spot to eat at. Tell them AL B sent you.

Great food and service! California burger was to die for! It had half an avocado on it!

This place is very cozy and the food is awesome. The wait staff is also very accommodating!

The food is always very good here. It is usually extremely busy for weekend breakfast but they do an awesome job of moving people pretty quickly. The kids menu has quite a few options compared to other eateries.

Love Elmo's Diner! The seating, quick service, and food are all great.

It's a local staple. All the usual diner fare you would expect.

The best part is they now do curbside takeaway. Call in, place your order, show up and someone brings it right out to your car. Great if you are trying to social distance and still want pancakes.

Food was okay. A slightly creative take on typical diner fare, but a little disappointing in actuality. Atmosphere was fun, and staff was wonderfully friendly and helpful. I was there for breakfast,but the beer selection looked impressive.

Good food, friendly staff, fast service! I always enjoy eating here and live how friendly everyone is!

Great variety of great food. My favorite dish is their sweet potato black bean burrito.

Great diner experience! From the minute we walked through the door, we were treated like regulars (tho had never been). Food was really fabulous...fresh ingredients. Diner food with a flair! Breakfast all day! Staff appear to enjoy working at Elmo's. Very helpful with suggestions as menu is quite extensive and it all sounded very good. We liked it so much, we ate there 2 days in a row!!!!

Cheap, clean, delicious, but just a little too crammed.

Great food and great service!
They were very accommodating to my food allergies. I highly recommend and looking forward to hiring back and try something else!

You'll definitely have to wait for a table, but classic American fare with a local flavor spin and decor.

My husband and I have been to Elmo's twice and had a stellar experience both times! We'll be back again. Friendly service and great food.

Breakfast is the
But everything is good. Try the quiche of the day!

Always delicious. There is often a wait but it is well worth it.