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1950's chrome-wrapped dinette sets meet 1980's glass block wall remodel. Tunes from Grease and ABBA playing softly in the background. Hysterical!
Wow - I really don't understand the polarization that this place seems able to create amongst the Yeeps. The old adage that one man's trash is another's treasure apparently holds true. Quit 'cher bitchin' already.
Elmo's is a local diner filled with local people. At least, that's what I got from it using my powers of observation (okay, fine, eavesdropping) on conversations around me between staff and customers.
My friend and I split a couple of sweet potato pancakes and a delicious quiche with a side biscuit that was ever so slightly grilled before serving. Yum! It may not be overly fancy food, but it's nothing to scoff at, and it was served efficiently by a friendly fellah who kept our coffee mugs brimming with the good stuff.
'Nuff said.
OVER-RATED!!!!
Food - below average, service - way below average.
I had the Elmo Burger thinking it would be good since they named it after the restaurant. Big disappointment. The patty was razor thin - I didn't think anyone made burgers thinner than McDs - and wrapped by a giant bun to fill you up. It was both luke-warm and overcooked at the same time. How is that possible?
I ordered milk for my kids and got tiny little thimbles for drinks. At $1.25 per glass, you get a little 3 oz shot of milk. That's more per ounce than the beer! And my waiter actually had the nerve to charge for a refill on that!!! We also got the 'Noodles and Cheese' thinking it was your basic dinner mac n' cheese. Instead it was a plate of plain spaghetti noodles, a pad of butter, and a shaker of Parmesan. I know you're not charge much for it but the least you could do was actually prepare the meal - I could have boiled noodles.
$30 later I left hungry and disappointed.
I love Elmo's ..I don't really understand the bad reviews. Everything is reliably good that I've had. I think the Durham location is even better than the Carrboro one. They have one of the largest menus I've ever seen so sometimes deciding what to get can be an ordeal.
Their coffee is delicious!! The biscuits are huge!! the servers are sassy! I can walk to it!
What a zero place. it's neither fish nor fowl. Is it a "real diner" or a "hip, ironic diner". Apparently neither. It doesn't have the efficiency, self-confidence, reliabilityt or retro fun of a real diner, and it certainly doesn't have the quirkiness, quality food or inventiveness of a faux upscale diner. It's nothing. Nothing is very good, or very interesting, or the least bit campy. Food is marginal. Both Elmos are duds. Period.
I would have liked this place more if our waitress had not been so stupid. When I asked her if the chicken and dumplings was cream-based, she said she "wasn't sure" because she "wasn't from the South" (though she sure sounded like it). I also found her odd because she walked on her tiptoes.
Anyway, the food seemed to be of the 3-star variety. My chicken and dumplings was very thick, starchy, and did not contain any vegetables, contrary to what it said on the menu. It did come with a very large biscuit, which I found a little too dense for my liking. My friend seemed to enjoy her shrimp and grits. The menu is very large though, containing a lot of delicious sounding breakfast items among other diner food. I think brunch would probably be quite good here, if I ever came again.
The waitress also took about 15 minutes to come back and take the money after she brought us our check. We watched her meander around the restaurant on her tippy toes and found her just very strange.
This was our first visit to Elmo's and, being a Saturday, we expected a wait. Surprise; we were seated immediately and two great cups of coffee was a terrific start. I had the breakfast burrito, which was outstanding, and my wife had the omelette with bacon, which was perfect, with the bacon added last to keep the crunch. Server kept the coffee mugs full and we'll have to make this a "must do" when visitors come. It also appears really kid-friendly. There's a large menu so we'll go back to try lunch or dinner; but today's visit was a perfect wrap to a trip to the Durham Farmer's Market!
This place is great for diner food without all of the greasiness. My favorite times to come here are for breakfast and lunch (and that time in between, but I hate the word "brunch"), but it's always really crowded. The pancakes are my staple (with bananas, mmm), but I've also been known to stray and get the grilled cheese sandwich which is also very good. The staff is always very friendly and checks in a lot (or as much as they can when it's really busy). They also have other kinds of breakfast food, salads, sandwiches, burgers, and other diner basics.
I can't really recommend a good time to come because there always seems to be a crowd, but it's worth the wait.
Elmo's in Durham definitely doesn't measure up to the standards of the Carrboro location in terms of service. The food, though, is just as... um... good?
Elmo's has some great staple breakfasts: pancakes, waffles, omelets, etc. It's not five-star gourmet cuisine, but it's not supposed to be. It's just a good, solid diner. I really enjoy the fact that they've pretty much stuck to that model instead of swankifying over the years like some other places.
The shrimp and grits are great comfort food, and I'm pretty sure the Elmo burger is made from real Elmo... so you know it's good. I usually order a waffle with a side of bacon, even for dinner. It's the best.
I ordered the Salmon Cake breakfast and it was SO ENORMOUS I didn't eat anything else the rest of the day. The food was completely delicious, except for the grits. I was served delicious fresh melon, fluffy biscuits, slightly watery poached eggs cooked the way I asked, and a tasty salmon cake with dill sauce. The servers were all super friendly and on top of everything, the bathroom was clean, the prices were fantastic, the atmosphere was good, and the mugs are great. We'll take our parents here for brunch when they visit.
My husband was quite happy with his home fries, eggs, and turkey sausage. The menu is extensive; you can find anything you want here.
I would say that if you show up for brunch, you should be prepared to wait a while. Honestly, though, you can be prepared to wait either way. Elmo's is always hopping, and with good reason.
On a regular day, you can order any of the standards that come with a greasy spoon diner only with less of the grease. It's always good, cheapish, and fairly quick once you actually get seated. Since I'm too lazy to make my own omelets, I tend to enjoy theirs served with some gravy and a biscuit. Perfectly acceptable food.
For brunch, though, Elmo's is a pretty frequent Sunday afternoon destination. Their version of huevos rancheros, while not especially authentic, are quite good and you can't really go wrong ordering up the shrimp and grits.
You don't have to wait very long, even during the super-crowded brunch, if you have only two folks in your party and say you'd be willing to sit up at the bar. Plus, at the bar you really can enjoy watching the flurry of activity both at the kitchen door and at the host stand.
Disclaimer: from a vegetarian's POV...
this place sucks for vegetarians, and it's pretty dismal if you're vegan. you got three or so options, and even the veggie burger patty has dairy in it. if you ask for mushrooms with the burger, they'll give you grilled canned mushrooms. and if you tell them, they'll say it's not canned. right. just fresh slimy uniformly cut canned-food tasking mushrooms.
yuck!
but the saving grace, of sorts, was the hummus plate. it came with warm pita, carrots, and celery, and a big wopping bowl of hummus. but, i could always get that at home for half the price.
i did see a lot of people there enjoying their food though, so perhaps the experience is a lot better for meat eaters... :/
This was my first time at Elmo's, and I see why everyone raves about it. The atmosphere is fun, and the menu fairly creative. (It reminds me of my old haunts in Austin.)
The servers were the best -- friendly and prompt. The food came amazingly quickly and super hot! Eggs were done to perfection, the turkey sausage good but a tad salty, but the stuffed apple cinnamon french toast was a disappointment. The apples were yummy, but the toast was more of a soggy mess. Won't be getting that again.... However, the puffy, flaky biscuit my friend had looked to die for.
Prices are reasonable, food good, and atmosphere excellent. I'll be back.
Elmo's is grand, if you stick with the brunch menu. I once strayed in order to try the chili and cornbread. Big mistake. I've been faithful to the eggs and breakfast meat ever since, and I've saved myself some grief. There's typically a wait for Sunday, but it's never terribly long; and besides, they offer you free coffee and a stash of newspapers to peruse while you wait. (Thou shalt not carry thy coffee to thy table. I did this once and realized you are then charged for it. So: coffee while you wait = freebie; coffee at your table = 2.50).
I'm always surprised by the specials. Sometimes they have really delicious seasonal stuff -- pancakes with blackberry streusel topping, hot apple cider, etc. Prices are typical of a diner. Elmo's has two locations -- another in Carrboro if that's closer to you, or if you're looking for a patio.
I've been eating here since I was in grade school and love it for its home-style diner food. I would highly recommend a few items:
Cheese fries - covered in cheese, scallions and sour cream my mouth starts watering just thinking about them.
Nachos - I'm very picky about my nachos, but these are perfection. Baked with lots of cheese and black beans. Covered in lettuce, sour cream, salsa and jalopenos.
Vegetarian Grilled Cheese - Sunflower bread, two kinds of cheese, mushrooms, onions, tomato. Delicious.
Their coleslaw. A small portion of it comes alongside all of their sandwiches.
Oh I am so tempted to write this review in Elmo speak. Elmo LOVE breakfast! Elmo think breakfast all day GOOD idea! Elmo want to go to Elmo's Diner!
But let's be less presh, shall we?
Let me skip down to the pro forma question Yelp is going to ask me. Do you suggest Elmo's Diner for a group? I most heartily do! Show me a diner on a beautiful holiday weekend that can seat a group of 6 within half an hour and then doesn't pressure anyone at the table to pay the check and scram. I was truly impressed with the accommodating staff here, and even more impressed with the menu.
The eggs were fluffy, the french toast is flavorful, the fruit was fresh. Prices are fair. Maybe a couple dollars more than typical diner fare, however, you get a lot of food for your couple extra dollars.
My husband said the sweet tea wasn't as syrupy as he prefers, but this is a man who would happily live life with an IV of sweet tea injected into his bloodstream, so maybe the lack of syrupy sweetness was for the best.
Thanks, Elmo's Diner. Elmo think you the best.
We have been here a couple of times and always go for the breakfast items. Solid food, kid friendly and not to bad on the wallet. This will probably become a regular haunt for us.
Nice diner feel to things - they really don't seat groups bigger than 8 otherwise, you really have to wait a while. Either way, expect at least a 20-30 minute wait if you're coming here on the weekends.
Last time I came here, their cheese fries were something out of this world covered in that goopy cheese with scallions - YUM!
But I was good and made my own omelette with feta and spinach and sausage - they also have really good pancakes and waffles here. Service is friendly and usually pretty quick, too. And partake in coloring on the coloring pages that they pass out - it makes the wait go by super quick!
Definitely a "locals" type of place.
Very college diner feel, with local students filling most of the wait staff.
They have a nice selection of sandwiches (highly recommend the Vegetarian Grilled Cheese) blue plate specials, and fountain drinks.
It's very kid friendly with a feeling that many local families dine here for a night out.
The service is good but can feel a bit "rushed" on a busy night.
The food is good, prepared fresh, and served quickly.
My only bad comment is this place can NOT handle large parties. It has an almost "malt shop" feel, so more than a party of four seems to just freak them out. Totally forget it if you have more than eight, as they can't handle splitting checks. We had a large group of 15 once and literally blew up their register!
[4/16/2009 update]
Well I'm sad to say that they priced themselves out of my "neighborhood eating joint" range. They have excellent food, but it's just not worth the prices.
-Zac Morris
If I still lived in Durham Elmo's might have been, more realistically, a 4 star establishment but because I now live far far away and fantasize about Elmo's every time I try to get pancakes here it gets 5. Ok with y'all?
Anyways...best pancakes ever! Also very good...everything else. Elmo's just can't be beat for breakfast/brunch and it's pretty darn tasty for lunch and dinner too, too...that's why the looong line to get in.
Also, it's cheap, but not so divey you couldn't bring out of towners...take note all you students, this is the place to take grandma and offer to pay.
This Elmo's was what sneaking out of your NCSSM dorm before curfew was technically up was created for. I remember the first time I went was when a friend of a friend came to visit from Chapel Hill and he took me up there for breakfast. I'd walked past the place a million times to get to Whole Foods, Cosmic, and other places further up the street. It looked so unattractive, but the inside is so cute! After one bite, it became my favorite breakfast place in Durham. Even during my time at Chapel Hill, I'd take a bus over to Durham so I could eat at my favorite little diner.
Not to be confused with the Elmo's in Carr Mill Mall in Chapel Hill, this Elmo's diner comes up short when compared to its sister-store. They are constantly short-staffed, leading to long wait times, and sometimes cold food. The prices are reasonable, consistent with the other Elmo's, and the food is good when served promptly, but I can't say I would ever make the trip here as long as I stay mid-way between the two locations.
Great place for a filling breakfast by Duke University. Friendly staff, diverse menu, unlimited sweet tea and huge portions. It feels like a community place, and there are quite a few tables so if you go early it is easy to find a seat. The blueberry pancakes are delicious!
Maybe I'm too picky, but I've never much liked anything I've ordered here. And yet it is always packed (another annoyance for me), so I guess I'm in the minority about the opinion of the food. The breakfast food is a safe/easy bet, but there are plenty of places that do it just as well, without the extreme wait on weekends. UPDATE: I am liking the vegetarian burger as well, now.
I'm a huge fan of Elmo's. It's exactly what I want on a lazy weekend morning. I always get breakfast food, but they have tons of other options. It's ALWAYS busy and you can't make reservations so be prepared to read the Independent and sip on the coffee provided in the waiting area. The food and the service aren't spectacular, but always friendly and the food just hits the spot. My boyfriend and I normally sit at the bar, but it's good for larger groups and kids.
Went to Elmo's again and it was good. I had the shrimp burger and it was pretty good. Definitely a better experience than last time. Don't get the banana pudding it was cold and soupy.
Elmo' s Diner was just okay. I ordered the crabcake and biscuits. Here's the good and the bad.… Read more »
Great brunch! Their shrimp and grits was by far one of the best dishes I've tried in North Carolina... creamy, spicy grits topped with melted cheese and plump grilled shrimp, with a side of scrambled eggs, green onions, and tomatoes....the flavors go amazingly well together! Or try the pumpkin pancakes topped with whipped cream, or the cinnamon apple pancakes-- extremely fluffy, topped with a mountain of deliciously sweet cinnamon-baked apples! The quiche was also pretty good but the biscuits were not particularly fluffy. Also, no fresh juice... Despite these few shortcomings, it's a great place, and I highly recommend it!
If you're a vegetarian and craving diner food, you can't go wrong here. Better than average variety for a Southern diner.
Tried Elmo's based on other reviews from Yelp and was not disappointed. The shrimp and grits were as good as everyone said though the huevos rancheros left something to be desired.
If you go early enough, get the biscuit as one of your sides. It was flaky and buttery but I have a feeling they'd get dry as the day went on.
Overall, this is a pretty good place for breakfast / brunch in Durham. Be prepared to wait on a Saturday or Sunday -- this place is generally packed.
Yes this place was on Food Network but it's nothing special. The wait was very long and the prices / quantity / quality was pretty average all around. We had breakfast here and the food was okay but the service was slow. I wouldn't make a special trip to try this place out.
Great for breakfast but watch out for the crowds (often with many kids in tow). Very friendly staff that welcome you. Great service with standard breakfast fare. Good coffee and easy-to-get-to location on 9th street. Sometimes parking is sardine-like.
My favorite local place to eat any meal. Mostly because they have all day breakfast, and who doesn't love all day breakfast?? Good coffee and friendly waitstaff. Usually pretty crowded and parking can be a pain, but I can walk there, so that isn't a problem for me.
shrimp + grits are where its at. i even love waiting for a table cause of the coffee time. don't forget the elmo's in chapel hill, the menu is a bit different and there is outdoor seating.
definitely a popular breakfast eatery in the durham area. the place was packed when we were there for sunday brunch. the staff was very friendly and got us seated and served quickly. the food is good for the prices, but definitely not your 4 or 5 star fare. my eggs benedict were not poached so much as scrambled and the hollandaise sauce seemed a bit more like gravy (though the menu made no pretense at hiding either of these facts - it said scrambled eggs on english muffin w/ our signature special sauce...i guess i just wouldn't call it eggs benedict then). in any case, the food wasn't bad and the service was great.
food from elmo's was a staple part of my diet for the two years i lived in durham. menu items are the standard diner fare but generally made in a more healthy way (try honey's for typical greasy diner food). the counter typically doesn't have a wait (especially if you're alone) and it's a nice place to sit and chat with the regulars and staff. weekends for breakfast/brunch however are always super crowded (a lot of the sunday after-church crowd) so be prepared for a 20-30 minute wait for a table. the parking lot is small and scary when it's busy, so i always opted to park on the street. if you have kiddos (or maybe even if you don't), you can ask for a mug of crayons and some duck sheets to color in (and post on their wall).
Carrboro, NC
Category: Diners
Durham, NC
Category: Bakeries
Durham, NC
Category: Delis
Chapel Hill, NC
Durham, NC
Category: Mexican
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