Durham, North Carolina Complete City Guide || Sponsored by Discover Durham

We had the incredible opportunity to partner up with Discover Durham and take a trip to the infamous Bull City. Going into this trip, we really had no idea what to expect, but we had an incredible tour guide named Veda who made our trip very special.

If you want a more visual representation of the fun we had, check out these videos…

Just to get you in the mood for a trip to Durham, we’ll share some super fun facts about the city.

First, something we were super excited to hear, is that Durham has been labeled as the ‘Startup Capital of the South’. It’s a very creative and progressive city that puts an emphasis on trying something new and finding a way to make the world a better place.

They have a business downtown called American Underground where entrepreneurs come to help build their businesses and get started on that journey. About 31% of the companies in American Underground are female led and 30% are led by a person of color.

As for why this town is called the Bull City, the name actually comes from the city’s rich history in tobacco, which we’ll talk about a little bit later. But the basics are this: John Green, a tobacco peddler in the 1850s, owned JR Green Factory and branded his tobacco with a bull, and later calling it Bull Durham.

One of the coolest parts of the Durham downtown is the American Tobacco Campus. Marking its entrance is the Old Bull Building. It was built in 1874 by William Blackwell, shortly after John Green (of Bull Durham fame) passed away. Blackwell had purchased interest in the company five years earlier and renamed it the WT Blackwell company. The factory had a whistle that sounded like a bull and could be heard for miles.

The American Tobacco company resided in Durham for several years and produced brands like Pall Mall and Lucky Strike. The company closed in 1987 and the buildings were vacant until 2004. During the time of vacancy, local SWAT teams would use them for tactical training.

Now the American Tobacco Campus is a place for people to relax, enjoy outdoor concerts, and grab a bite to eat. It even hosts an annual film festival and tree lighting.

This is also where you’ll find the Burt’s Bees factory and the replica of founder, Burt Shavitz’s cabin.

The downtown area of Durham is so creative and artsy.

There are murals around every corner, and even some cool decorative crosswalks called Snap, Crackle, and Pop. Super cool, right?

If you love street art, Durham needs to be on your list of go-to cities because there is so much to look at. Scroll through some of our shots from the city.

Where To Stay

Arrowhead Inn

While we were in town, Veda at Discover Durham set up everything for us from a place to stay to places to eat. She spent time choosing the best of the best as far as accommodations go, which is why we stayed at the Arrowhead Inn Bed and Breakfast.

It’s located about fifteen minutes from downtown Durham, which was actually quite nice. We had the chance to separate ourselves from the hustle and bustle of the city, and experience a little oasis at Arrowhead.

The rooms are so cute, and we loved the wallpaper and how light and bright it made everything feel.

Where To Eat

Dame’s Chicken and Waffles

The first restaurant we got to enjoy was Dame’s Chicken and Waffles, which is a Durham favorite. The wait for a table was over an hour, and most everyone was willing to stay the course. Our expectations were pretty
high honestly.

Joanie B. went for the ‘What a Classic Hen’ option. It was Dame’s classic waffle topped with a fried chicken cutlet and a vanilla, almond smear. Upon the waitress’s recommendation, she added the Sweet Whiskey Creme. Although it was tasty, Joanie B. said it was a little on the sweet side. A jalapeño smear would have been magic! The side of potato salad she ordered was actually really delicious!

Jenni B. decided to be boring and get the ‘Hold the Waffle’ and really enjoyed it. It came with three chicken legs and a side for which Jenni chose squash and onions. Pretty yummy, y’all!

Bull City Burgers

For our first dinner Veda had chosen Bull City Burger. The menu is quite extensive, and we couldn’t figure out what to order, so we opted for a dinner of appetizers.

First, the deep fried jalapeños stuffed with pimento cheese. These were absolutely delicious! Jenni doesn’t love pimento cheese, but paired with the breading and jalapeños, it was magical.

We’re pretty big fried pickle fans, so when we saw them on the menu we knew we had to try them. They were your basic fried pickles, but still really yummy.

The best part of the entire meal was the giant bag of duck fat fries. They. Were. Amazing.

Picnic

On our second day in Durham we enjoyed lunch at Picnic, which is a delicious local BBQ joint.

For an appetizer we went for the pimento cheese with fried saltines. Joanie B. loves pimento cheese, so it wasn’t a hard choice, but we were really intrigued by the fried saltines. They were so crispy and delicious. Highly recommend!

For our meals, we both went with a BBQ sandwich.

Joanie B. had the whole hog, which was basically just a pulled pork sandwich. She went for a side of fries, and they were those classic hand cut fries everyone loves.

Jenni B. had the chopped brisket sandwich, and it was one of the best she’s had. It had yummy brisket with pickles and shaved red onions. With a side of fried okra, it was heavenly.

Picnic was an easy 10 out of 10.

Luna’s Rotisserie and Empanadas

Veda really got us out of our comfort zone with this one. The night we went to Luna’s Rotisserie and Empanadas we scrolled through the menu on our phone and realized there was nothing we’d normally eat. Honestly, no big deal for us. We’re always up for a culinary adventure, so off to Luna’s we went.

Their concept is South American meets American South, and it makes for some of the most unique and delicious food we’ve ever had.

We let the manager take the lead on our meal, and he did such a good job.

First up was the Palomitas, which is fresh popcorn with herbs, spices, and lime zest. It’s kind of strange to have popcorn as an appetizer, but also so good.

Our second appetizer was something so unique and unlike anything we’ve ever had before.It’s the Camote Chimichurri. A chipotle roasted sweet potato topped with black beans, avocado, sweet corn, and a house made chimichurri sauce. To our complete and utter surprise, it was out of this world delicious. Proof that trying new things is so good for your palate!

Jenni B. opted to keep it safe and familiar for her meal. She went with a plate of two empanadas and black beans with rice. One empanada was filled with blackened pulled chicken, Yukon gold potatoes, and roasted peppers. The other had pork carnitas, caramelized onions, hominy, and collards. They were both delicious.

Joanie B. kept the out-of-her-comfort-zone theme going and had the Patacon Pisao. it’s meat, jack cheese, jicama kale slaw, and chili lime mayo between two plantain discs. It was actually so, so good, y’all!

For dessert we had a s’mores empanada and a passion fruit pie, which was similar to key lime.

Luna’s was so, so, so good! We can’t express enough how important it is to step out of your comfort zone and try something new.

Foster Street Coffee

We actually discovered Foster Street Coffee on our own.

After eating at Dame’s Chicken and Waffles we strolled down the street and stumbled into one of the cutest and most aesthetically pleasing coffee shops we’ve ever been into.

They also make a delicious iced latte.

What To Do

Museum of Life and Science

One of the best activities we did while in Durham (besides eating) was visiting the Museum of Life and Science and exploring all it had to offer.

You could easily spend all day here whether you’re a single adult or a parent with children. They have something for everyone.

Some of the highlights for us were the dinosaur trail, which has life-size replicas, and the farmyard where we enjoyed the company of some awesome animals.

Besides that they have a tree house area where kids can run wild and free, a lesson in wind where you can sail tiny sailboats across a pond, and so much more.

Thank you a million times over, Discover Durham, for sponsoring this trip. We had the greatest time and can’t wait to return to your beautiful city again soon.

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Complete City Guide to Durham, North Carolina