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It's a Southern Thing - Downtown Durham, Durham, NC

It's a Southern Thing - Downtown Durham

4.6
4.6
263 Reviews
$30 and under
Regional American (Southern)

Make a booking

2 people
20:30
Booked 10 times today
  • Good for groups
  • Lively
  • Great for creative cocktails
It's A Southern Thing is our owner's personal love letter to The South. Known for our unique take on traditional Southern fair, we welcome you with a laid back atmosphere, Southern hospitality, delicious craft cocktails and thoughtfully created, scratch made dishes. From our best-selling Shrimp and Grits to Sweet Tea Brined Pork Chops, Fried Green Tomatoes, Collard Greens, Chicken and Waffle Skewers and everything in between, you will find familiar flavors presented in an original way. Offering brunch seven days a week and dinner Monday through Saturday, we invite you to come in, stay a while and let us show you why so many customers love being part of our It's A Southern Thing family.

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Regional American (Southern), Barbecue, Comfort Food
  • Hours of Operation
    Brunch Mon–Fri 10:30–14:00 Sat, Sun 10:00–14:00 Dinner Mon–Fri 16:00–21:00 Sat 17:00–21:00
  • Phone number
    (919) 294-9632
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Private party facilities
    Perfect for business groups, meetings, parties, graduation, wedding rehearsals, etc. (up to 55 people)Lunch Events: $250 minimumMonday through Wednesday Dinner Events: $500 minimumThursday through Saturday Dinner Events: $750 minimumAll minimums are pretax and excludes gratuity 20%Minimums are subject to change: For holidays or special events
  • Area
    Durham
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Dog Friendly, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Outdoor Smoking Area, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeaway, Vegan, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 263 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.6
4.6 based on recent ratings
  • 4.5Food
  • 4.5Service
  • 4.5Ambience
  • 4.3Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Durham

    Great for brunch

  • Durham

    Good for groups

  • Durham

    Lively

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
It's a Southern Thing in Downtown Durham offers a vibrant atmosphere and delicious Southern cuisine. Patrons rave about "stellar food," especially the fried green tomatoes, shrimp and grits, and crab dip. The staff is "very accommodating," providing excellent service during brunch and dinner. A must-visit for an authentic Southern dining experience.

263 Reviews
  1. Linnea

    New York City

    3 reviews

    3.0

    3 reviews

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    I want to start off by saying our food was delicious and our waitress was great! BUT we had a 10am reservation and we arrived 4 minutes early. When we entered the restaurant via the unlocked door we were told they do not open for another 4 minutes and we are not allowed to be in there so we had to leave. Why give a 10:00 reservation if guests are “not allowed” in the restaurant prior to their reservation time? Also to add to this frustration this was not advised in a nice manner. This initial interaction really gave us a bad impression and we most likely will not return. Which is probably our loss since the food was delicious.

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  2. Carolina

    Mexico City

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 2 January 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Dinner was amazing, delicious and it was served really fast. I would definitely recommend the crab dip with pita, the fried chicken sandwich and the pan seared salmon, as well as the lime pie and the eggnog cheesecake. Also, the staff was super friendly.

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  3. Sarah

    Raleigh

    3 reviews

    2.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on 2 January 2025

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 2
    This location isn’t as appealing as the one near Ellis Crossing. The temp was a little cool, lighting for midday was a bit dim. Food reviews from our party of 3 are mixed. We all agreed the fried green tomatoes were very good. BLT salad was very cold, seemed to have been prepared in advance. Shrimp and grits looked like soup, and taste was not as expected. Service was unimpressive.

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  4. Kelly

    Raleigh

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 2 January 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    This place is awesome! Food and service was phenomenal. Will be back!!

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  5. Zarell

    Caribbean

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 31 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Everything about this establishment was 10/10!! I would absolutely return and recommend over and over again.

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  6. Dawn

    Raleigh

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 29 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great service, food and experience at brunch for our friends birthday!

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  7. Sarah

    Raleigh

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on 27 December 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Fantastic food, hip vibe, and good service! What more can you ask for!

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  8. Christopher

    Philadelphia

    19 reviews

    5.0

    19 reviews

    Dined on 23 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Holidays are a great time to try popular restaurants in college towns. The students are all away so it was visitors and locals. A bit quieter. The service and the food were excellent, the cocktail menu enticing. A great time!

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  9. Lara

    Raleigh

    5 reviews

    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on 20 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Atmosphere, food, lighting all made for a perfect evening.

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  10. Noni

    Raleigh

    1 review

    2.0

    1 review

    Dined on 13 December 2024

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 3
    Unfortunately, the service from Ebony superseded the food . The smoked chicken salad sandwich tasted like lighter fluid, the "home fries" where the best thing on that plate . The shrimp and grits was underwhelming, the grits were gritty and the shrimp was favorless . Not the food experience I was expecting , the meal was comped. I would not recommend or go back again, it was not worth it to me. Thank you Ebony for your outstanding customer service.

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FAQs

It's a Southern Thing - Downtown Durham offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (919) 294-9632.

It's a Southern Thing - Downtown Durham is rated 4.6 stars by 263 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking

2 people
20:30
Booked 10 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for It's a Southern Thing - Downtown Durham

605 W Main St, Durham, NC 27701

Additional information

  • Area
    Durham
  • Hours of Operation
    Brunch Mon–Fri 10:30–14:00 Sat, Sun 10:00–14:00 Dinner Mon–Fri 16:00–21:00 Sat 17:00–21:00
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Regional American (Southern), Barbecue, Comfort Food
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Dog Friendly, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Outdoor Smoking Area, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeaway, Vegan, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Phone number
    (919) 294-9632
  • Private party facilities
    Perfect for business groups, meetings, parties, graduation, wedding rehearsals, etc. (up to 55 people)Lunch Events: $250 minimumMonday through Wednesday Dinner Events: $500 minimumThursday through Saturday Dinner Events: $750 minimumAll minimums are pretax and excludes gratuity 20%Minimums are subject to change: For holidays or special events
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