Alimentari at Mothers & Sons

went in for lunch. ordered salumi misti and pane e pannele. sandwiches were constructed with good structural integrity - properly layered and held together by soft, homemade ciabatta bread. nothing fell out or slipped around as we took bite after bite of our lunch, which is a testament to a solid sandwich. good ratio of bread to filling, a generous but not overwhelming inclusion of cold cut meats. the sandwich did have its downsides, in the form of excessive vinegar. it left the bottom bun soggy, reminiscent of a wet sponge left in the sink overnight by a forgetful roommate. the plate also showed evidence of this shortcoming - a shallow acidic pool of vinegar and tomato juice forming after i finished the first half of my meal. overall a well-crafted sandwich, kind servers, plentiful refills of tap water, and a slow going, dimly lit dining ambiance. all in all it’s enough to take you away of a busy day, even for a brief moment. good lunch.

We went here while visiting Durham because of the high google reviews, and let me tell you - it did NOT disappoint! We sat at the bar since they were pretty busy and being able to observe the staff at work was incredible - this place was a well oiled machine. Now the FOOD! Their soup of the day was a spicy sausage and chickpea soup and it might have been one of the best soups I’ve ever had. The frittata and the biscuit BLT were also incredible. If you’re in the area, check this place out.

Really enjoyed my sandwich and pasta salad. Had a spicy bloody Mary too. 🥵🥵 The finishes in this interior were so beautiful and classic!! We had a relaxing lunch and would love to return.

Love this place, I’m a regular. Staff is friendly and professional. Food is consistently amazing. Best brunch spot in town!

Wow! These are the kinda gems 💎 I love to find. Lunch here is fantastic. The atmosphere is welcoming and comfortable. I really enjoyed today's lunch special chicken parmesan on cibatta! The side Caesar salad was crisp, fresh, and refreshing. The Pumpkin Spice Lattes are seriously the best I've ever had. Grateful for the wonderful service and pesto! Thanks for the great experience.

Great atmosphere. Went for Sunday breakfast. Service a bit slow but food was decent. The biscuit sandwiches are good but the texture of the biscuits are different, so is the taste and it broke pretty easily making eating the breakfast sandwich a bit difficult. We liked the hashbrowns and quiche.

WOW! This place should be packed everyday, but people just don’t know about it yet. From the AMAZING chefs and restaurant proprietors of mother & sons comes this BOMB lunch spot. We have been in 5 times, and it always transports us to Italy. From coffee to sandwiches and salads, this is a TOP lunch spot in Durham 🙌

Great food, service and ambiance! We were in town visiting and stumbled across this restaurant as we ended up parking in front of it. Definitely recommend it! Local, fresh food and vibes!

We stopped in here a little bit later in the day during the weekend and were disappointed that they were out of most of their brunch items. It was a strata, pecan sticky bun and ginger spice latte for my husband and the caprese sandwich with a side salad and mimosa for me. All of the food was good but we really liked the brunch items so go early to check this spot out.

TL;DR: Took almost half an hour to get a slice of (premade) frittata during a not-too-busy Saturday brunch. Longer version: I came in around 11:30 on a Saturday morning and ordered food to go. They were only offering a brunch menu at the time - some basic breakfast sandwich options, plus frittatas/quiches and sweet and savory breads (all premade). The place was about half full, so bustling but not overly busy. Still, it ended up taking about half an hour to get my food. There was also a mix up with my original order (the staff member taking my order wasn't clear on what ingredients they'd run out of), which they didn't realize until after I'd been waiting over twenty minutes. The long wait time wasn't just me and my order snafu - there were folks who had ordered before I arrived and still had not received their food when I left, and some other folks getting takeout had just paid when I arrived and got their food just before I did. Based on the positive other reviews, I'd give them another shot for lunch, but they've got a lot of kinks to sort out with their brunch service. Maybe I just caught them on a bad day? As best I could tell, there was only one person (and maybe just one burner and pan?) able to make eggs at a time, which is likely why they were so slow.

I came with a friend for lunch. This is a great place for beginning of the week lunch as few places in Downtown Durham are open on Mondays. The ambience is gorgeous and we did not have to wait for a table. They have heavier and lighter options from a food selection standpoint. You can also get fresh made pasta and other items from their refrigerator by the counter.

We had an amazing lunch here! The staff was beyond warm and welcoming and went out of their way to make sure our party could get a table. The food was absolutely DELISH, so much so that we made sure to purchase some items from their market for home!

This European cafe and marketplace is an offshoot of Mothers & Sons similar to Alimentari in Transfer Co food hall in Raleigh. But the larger space (previously Lucky's Deli) allows for much nicer decor and seating. The space is long and narrow with counter seating up front, wood shelving up to the ceiling and 2-tops sitting in front of a blue-splashed wall. A deli case in the center shows off a variety of Italian deli meats, salads and more. But to me, it's all about the Italian-American sandwiches! At a little under $10, choose from a chicken parm, meatball parm and more. The sandwiches are built on fresh bread baked in-house and substantial. Pretty sure they use the marinara sauce from the restaurant next door, very tasty! If I lived in the hood I would definitely be dropping in from time to time. Alimentari at Mothers & Sons is only open for lunch hours which I think, has kept it a bit of a secret. But don't miss out on this fun and flavorful eatery tucked away on E. Chapel Hill Street!

I love the vibe here and friendly service. The food is all amazing. Go on Saturdays for breakfast and get a vanilla latte and the best biscuit you've ever had. Eat it by itself or with pepper jelly or on a sandwich as a BLT or with eggs and that good crispy bacon. Be prepared to take a nap afterwards. Also go on the earlier side. They tend to sell out of biscuits by 12. Also the best gravy. Mmm. Also the prices are great in my opinion.

Great lunch! Got the Italian Grinder and potato salad! Great space, great staff and an easy walk from American Tobacco Campus. If in Durham for work or whatever you should check this place out!

I sampled this menu with really high standards- and it was an absolute delight to experience. Clean, fresh, beautifully balanced flavors, perfectly prepared. Lovely continental-vibe spot to drink a glass of wine. Welcoming staff. A Durham food gem!

I always have a Wonderful experience. Always good food. I come once a week and it's always a hit.