elmo's diner

great hangover cure. i have been to elmos half a dozen times and have always eaten from their brunch/breakfast menu. the food is not gourmet, but they surprise you with some of the options. the specials frequently have things like sweet potato pancakes or chilaquiles. i have always enjoyed my food there.

you may have to wait for brunch so try to get someone there early to put your name in.

love this place for breakfast. think they could let you relax a little more instead of "can i take this plate? so much. the omelette are yummy. we think coffee is so so. the placed is packed! nothing like eggs and toast with fruit or potatoes

nobody can say no to good burger and a beer! started the discover around durham, nc. staff is helpful. they also have good service and price is reasonable.

service was excellent! greeted with eye contact and smile when i walked in the door. server / waiter was prompt and checked on me frequently. food came out hot and fresh! menu is large enough there's something for everyone! breakfast anytime! yes please! no real complaints the biscuit was a bit dense for me but it was fresh and warm. i'll be back!

delicious! the onion rings were some of the best we've tasted! california burger was cooked perfect and the chipotle sauce was on point. conveniently located near the hospital and love the location all around!

we were staying in the area and the front desk staff at the hotel we were at recommended this place!!!  good food and good service!!!  if we are ever in this area again, we could easily dine here again!!!

first time visit on a friday for dinner at primetime.  short wait for a table and enough free parking.  despite being tempted by the allday breakfast and the 9-10 posted daily specials (including pumpkin pancakes and granola/fruit pancakes), i went with the house elmo burger.  nice sandwich, juicy, well apponited.  fries solid.  we also tried the sw chicken salad (very good) and a chicken wrap.  service efficient.  a more eclectic and fun environment than would appear from the exterior.  will definitely return.  the weekend brunch is seemingly legendary....looking forward to that.  recommend.

june2017 update:  still the same awesome place.  still love those pancakes.  do not miss the huge menu and excellent food/service.

the "butterfly". an act of random kindess

walked from hilton garden inn & had a great sunday breakfast. thought there'd be a long wait, but a lot of patrons left at once to make noon tip-off of duke-army basketball game. had delicious sweet potato pancakes & wife had equally good greek egg-white omelette with english muffin & home fries. had cheerful & attentive service. nice diner setting in older building with brick walls & polished hardwood floors. tab with 20% tip, meals, one coffee, & two juices was about $25.

much improvement. i returned back to elmo's hesitantly since on my last visit the food was not up to snuff; however, this time around it was an amazing improvement. i ordered the reuben with home fries and it was on par, therefore i retract my thumbs down for a thumbs up. i hope they will continue to be up at a quality.


-----06 oct, 2013-----

not the same. years ago this place was a saturday morning tradition when visiting friends attending school in durham and it was always delicious. however, i recently visited again and sadly the food has just gone down hill. i ordered the loxs and bagel platter, the bagels weren't toasted and soggy. i split half with my girlfriend who ordered the eggs florentine which tasted bland and not fresh.

one more chance. i gave this place another shot and was happily surprised at how much better it was. i got the western omelet and my boyfriend got the reuben and both were fantastic. i highly recommend the reuben and the sunflower toast is a great choice too.they have completely redeemed themselves and i have changed my vote from dislike to like because of the great meal today.

-----05 oct, 2013-----

find something better. perhaps i expected too much. there was a small wait for a table, but not terrible, and i assumed that the wait meant that the food would be fantastic. it was so-so at best. i ordered the eggs florentine and my companion ordered the loxs and bagel platter and we split both. both the bagel and english muffin were soggy and un-toasted, the florentine spinach and special cheese sauce tasted like they were microwaved after being removed from a can, and the dill cream cheese for the lox tasted more like salty mayo than anything else. even the hash browns (which is basic diner 101 food) were disappointing; they were crispy on the outside but almost raw on the inside. also, while the waitress was nice, she never offered to refill the coffee until after we had paid the check and were getting up to leave. conclusion: would not go back.

when in durham - eat here! well done, great food. love a place that serves a good breakfast all day. yummy.

reminds us of the old city cafes before chains to over. my wife and i were looking for the ninth street bakery (moved from this site about 1994). so, we went in and had lunch. the chicken bbq was good, not over powered by vinegar. the french fries were excellent -- crisp and hot. the pumpkin pancakes were good. this is a nice place for diner type food that is tasty, competitively priced, and customer friendly.

doesn't meet the hype. i've been a few times and always left wondering what the hype is about the food. it's a standard diner with the standard (expansive) diner menu. omelettes, enchiladas, salads and a kid's menu. got their bases covered.

elmo's is what a diner should be. cheap food, friendly service, a menu with something for everyone, but the food isn't the star. atmosphere and service make the place.

i definitely recommend going, but do it without expectations of finer dining. simple inexpensive food that is served by an excellent staff in a busy bustling environment.

delicious turkey dinner!!!! i highly recommend this restaurant!