Highest-rated restaurants with outdoor seating in Durham by diners

The average person spends over 74 minutes eating and drinking on any given weekday. On weekends and holidays, that goes up to over 81 minutes. Where is a better place to spend that time than a restaurant?

Consumers agree. The National Restaurant Association states that 9 in 10 adults enjoy eating out at restaurants, which give people access to a world of great-tasting food that's often difficult to reproduce at home.

People choose restaurants to scope out the latest food trends, including deeper dives into Southeast Asian cuisines from Korea, Vietnam, and the Philippines, without trying to master these complex dishes at home. Chefs also have the resources to experiment with ingredients and bring new favorites like hot honey, spicy maple, matcha, and pickled foods to the table.

Dining out also offers unique, hyperlocal experiences featuring local farmers, food producers, brewers, winemakers, and distillers in a way that connects diners to the area.

When the weather's nice, diners flock to al fresco seating. At least 2 in 5 diners like eating outdoors and look for great ambience like skyline views, rooftop settings, and waterfront seating to enhance their dining experience.

Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated restaurants in the Durham area using data from Yelp. Data is as of Aug. 4, 2025. Only businesses marked as having outdoor seating on the Yelp website were included. Yelp's ranking system calculates an adjusted rating value that considers the number of ratings and the rating score itself. Only businesses with at least 20 reviews within a 10-kilometer radius of Durham were considered. Also, in an effort to highlight independent businesses and local chains, those with more than 10 locations nationally, based on our Yelp data, were not included. Read on to see if your favorite spot made the list.

M Tempura

1 / 30

#30. M Tempura

- Rating: 4.5/5 (117 reviews)
- Address: 111 Orange St. Durham, North Carolina
- Categories: Japanese
- Read more on Yelp

Sister Liu's Kitchen

2 / 30

#29. Sister Liu's Kitchen

- Rating: 4.5/5 (295 reviews)
- Address: 5504 Durham Chapel Hill Blvd. Ste 103 Durham, North Carolina
- Categories: Chinese
- Read more on Yelp

KoKyu

3 / 30

#28. KoKyu

- Rating: 4.5/5 (231 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 245 NC-54 Ste 105 Durham, North Carolina
- Categories: Barbecue, Asian Fusion, Beer Gardens
- Read more on Yelp

Saffron Indian Cafe

4 / 30

#27. Saffron Indian Cafe

- Rating: 4.5/5 (42 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2608 Erwin Road Ste 132 Durham, North Carolina
- Categories: Indian
- Read more on Yelp

El Chapin

5 / 30

#26. El Chapin

- Rating: 4.5/5 (170 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4600 Durham-Chapel Hill Blvd. Ste 38 Durham, North Carolina
- Categories: Latin American, Seafood
- Read more on Yelp

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Lime & Lemon Indian Grill & Bar - Durham

6 / 30

#25. Lime & Lemon Indian Grill & Bar - Durham

- Rating: 4.5/5 (316 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 811 9th St. Ste 150 Durham, North Carolina
- Categories: Indian, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp

Bulkogi Truck

7 / 30

#24. Bulkogi Truck

- Rating: 4.5/5 (116 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 5420 Durham Chapel Hill Blvd. Durham, North Carolina
- Categories: Food Trucks, Korean
- Read more on Yelp

Gussy's Place

8 / 30

#23. Gussy's Place

- Rating: 4.5/5 (91 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2945 South Miami Blvd. Ste 122 Durham, North Carolina
- Categories: Greek, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp

Barsa New Indian

9 / 30

#22. Barsa New Indian

- Rating: 4.5/5 (21 reviews)
- Address: 105 West Morgan St. Ste 100 Durham, North Carolina
- Categories: Indian, Bars
- Read more on Yelp

Succotash

10 / 30

#21. Succotash

- Rating: 4.5/5 (121 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3219 Old Chapel Hill Road Ste 200 Durham, North Carolina
- Categories: Southern, Cajun/Creole, Barbecue
- Read more on Yelp

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Sushioki

11 / 30

#20. Sushioki

- Rating: 4.6/5 (403 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4900 NC-55 Ste 510 Durham, North Carolina
- Categories: Sushi Bars, Asian Fusion
- Read more on Yelp

Pomegranate Kitchen

12 / 30

#19. Pomegranate Kitchen

- Rating: 4.6/5 (64 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 5504 Durham Chapel Hill Blvd. Ste 102 Durham, North Carolina
- Categories: Persian/Iranian, Caterers, Vegetarian
- Read more on Yelp

The Common Market - Durham

13 / 30

#18. The Common Market - Durham

- Rating: 4.6/5 (49 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1821 Green St. Durham, North Carolina
- Categories: Bars, Convenience Stores, Delis
- Read more on Yelp

Urban Turban Indian Grill and Bar

14 / 30

#17. Urban Turban Indian Grill and Bar

- Rating: 4.6/5 (103 reviews)
- Address: 1125 NC-54 Ste 301 Durham, North Carolina
- Categories: Bars, Indian
- Read more on Yelp

Sabor Latin Street Grill

15 / 30

#16. Sabor Latin Street Grill

- Rating: 4.6/5 (87 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 105 West Nc Hwy 54 Durham, North Carolina
- Categories: Latin American, Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

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Anjappar Chettinad Indian Restaurant

16 / 30

#15. Anjappar Chettinad Indian Restaurant

- Rating: 4.6/5 (32 reviews)
- Address: 201 East Main St. Ste 150 Durham, North Carolina
- Categories: Indian, Desserts, Seafood
- Read more on Yelp

Hawthorne & Wood

17 / 30

#14. Hawthorne & Wood

- Rating: 4.6/5 (223 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 3140 Environ Way Chapel Hill, North Carolina
- Categories: New American
- Read more on Yelp

Fount Coffee + Kitchen

18 / 30

#13. Fount Coffee + Kitchen

- Rating: 4.6/5 (462 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 10954 Chapel Hill Road Morrisville, North Carolina
- Categories: Coffee & Tea, Acai Bowls, Salad
- Read more on Yelp

Little Bull

19 / 30

#12. Little Bull

- Rating: 4.6/5 (123 reviews)
- Address: 810 North Mangum St. Durham, North Carolina
- Categories: Bars, Tapas/Small Plates
- Read more on Yelp

Seraphine

20 / 30

#11. Seraphine

- Rating: 4.6/5 (82 reviews)
- Address: 324 Blackwell St. Ste 402 Durham, North Carolina
- Categories: Cajun/Creole
- Read more on Yelp

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Mi Calvillo

21 / 30

#10. Mi Calvillo

- Rating: 4.6/5 (128 reviews)
- Address: 748 9th St. Durham, North Carolina
- Categories: Mexican
- Read more on Yelp

Szechuan Mansion Hotpot

22 / 30

#9. Szechuan Mansion Hotpot

- Rating: 4.6/5 (74 reviews)
- Address: 746 9th St. Durham, North Carolina
- Categories: Hot Pot, Szechuan
- Read more on Yelp

Mediterranean Grill & Grocery

23 / 30

#8. Mediterranean Grill & Grocery

- Rating: 4.7/5 (408 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 5114 Revere Road Durham, North Carolina
- Categories: Mediterranean, Grocery, Vegetarian
- Read more on Yelp

KoKyu Na'Mean

24 / 30

#7. KoKyu Na'Mean

- Rating: 4.7/5 (819 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 245 East NC 54 Ste 105 Durham, North Carolina
- Categories: Sandwiches, Vietnamese
- Read more on Yelp

Taqueria Esmeralda Taco Truck

25 / 30

#6. Taqueria Esmeralda Taco Truck

- Rating: 4.7/5 (60 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 413 Airport Blvd. Morrisville, North Carolina
- Categories: Mexican, Food Trucks
- Read more on Yelp

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Gossip Tea Lounge

26 / 30

#5. Gossip Tea Lounge

- Rating: 4.8/5 (36 reviews)
- Address: 5318 McFarland Drive Ste 130 Durham, North Carolina
- Categories: Vietnamese, Bubble Tea, Coffee & Tea
- Read more on Yelp

Lime & Lemon - Chapel Hill

27 / 30

#4. Lime & Lemon - Chapel Hill

- Rating: 4.8/5 (290 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 100 Meadowmont Village Cir Ste 101 Chapel Hill, North Carolina
- Categories: Indian
- Read more on Yelp

Berto's Chimis

28 / 30

#3. Berto's Chimis

- Rating: 4.8/5 (29 reviews)
- Address: Raleigh, North Carolina
- Categories: Food Trucks, Dominican
- Read more on Yelp

Ideal's Sandwich and Groceries

29 / 30

#2. Ideal's Sandwich and Groceries

- Rating: 4.8/5 (131 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2108 Angier Ave. Durham, North Carolina
- Categories: Sandwiches, Grocery
- Read more on Yelp

Pure Soul

30 / 30

#1. Pure Soul

- Rating: 4.9/5 (235 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4125 Durham-Chapel Hill Blvd. Ste 1 Durham, North Carolina
- Categories: Fast food, Soul Food, Vegan
- Read more on Yelp

This story features data reporting by Wade Zhou, writing by Jill Jaracz, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 327 metros.