Dame's Chicken & Waffles

The food was good. We used to go to the old place and this was our first time at the new place. The atmosphere and vibe were great. The waffles were still good. The chicken was really good even though the spices were changed somewhat but not always for the best in my opinion. Nonetheless, the chicken was good. It’s a great place to visit to celebrate a family milestone like a graduation, birthday or anniversary. Food prices are on the high end but worth it.

Good place to eat comfort food. Chelsea is an amazing server. Clear to the point, super sweet and has great charisma. Food: Chicken was delicious. Great flavor and cook. The breading on the chicken was perfect crunch. Nice and succulent. Waffle is okay, not my favorite as I prefer a lighter batter. They a variety of smears and drizzles for your waffle and chicken to help enhance the flavor. Customize to your hearts desire. Mac n cheese had a nice herbal seasoning in it. Greens were solid. Beer options limited but I did enjoy my Italian Pilsner. Try their lemonade and tea. Paid street parking is available and there is a lot as well where you can validate your ticket. Interior pays homage to jazz with the greats.

These people refried chicken that someone else didn't want and reheated a waffle that was rubbery. Food came out fast as 3 mins after ordering it. Im sitting here sick now. I just left yesterday. Instead of the waitress letting manager know I wasn't satisfied she didn't say nothing about it to them but kept asking if I want a takeout box. That's nasty. Won't go there anymore

I’ve never dined in so I can’t vouch for the service or atmosphere, but I can definitely vouch for the FOOD. I’ve ordered delivery from here 3-4 times now and it is consistently delicious and filling. The portions are huge, the chicken is always well-seasoned, and the grits are perfectly buttered. This has quickly become my favorite breakfast spot in Durham. 10/10 - Highly recommend!!

Flavorful chicken and waffles - loved the peach/apricot butter. Our sides - collard greens, mac & cheese, and squash were good. Salmon was okay but overcooked and burned on each end. I realize that chicken and waffles is the specialty, but if something else is on the menu, it should be good, too. Chelsea was our attentive server. Unfortunately, when we arrived, we waited three minutes before anyone acknowledged us. Chelsea noticed us and ask the host to seat us, so we were fortunate to have her as our server.

4/29/25 11am 3 women, it was my mom’s birthday. At first the waitress was cool a little short with us but nice. We ordered chicken and waffles. Three plates of chicken was dry and warm after we waited 20 minutes. I call over the waitress and she played dumb like she didn’t understand. She did take the chicken back I asked her to send the manager. She said she’ll take care of it. It was literally 2 tables of customers. She comes back and say the manager said even if he takes the chicken back it will come out looking the same. SOOO we finished our other items we ordered and long behold a new table of customers got light golden chicken. The cooks In the back was all looking at us and having side conversation. I called the waitress over and asked her how come out chicken don’t look like the other tables. She just stared and said idk.

Food was good... First time eating here. Chicken cutlet was pretty large and took half home. Waffle was good too although it could have been a little hotter (it was warm and did not melt butter). Sweet tea was good and sweet nectar.

I will no longer be eating from any of the Dame’s locations. This restaurant used to serve great food with solid service. Now, every time I order take out the order is wrong. Today they forgot my drizzle, gave the wrong shmear, the chicken was overdone, and the Mac and cheese is burnt, nevermind the fact that the food wasn’t even started at the time that I arrived at pickup. This is not the quality of food or service that made Dame’s a Durham staple, and I have given them enough chances to correct this issue. I do not recommend going there anymore

"What a Classy Hen?" Is what I ordered but substituted the maple-pecan shear. It was DELICIOUS! I ate every last bite and was very happy and would order the same again. Reasons I loved it: boneless chicken, sweet shmear, waffle & regular syrup contrasted the fried chicken perfectly. I ordered collard greens as my side and they were very tasty as well. My friends loved their choices as well, although I don't recall their order. The service was very friendly & very patient explaining the menu. She was willing to provide lots of suggestions. The ambiance is a mixture of chill and a tiny bit bougie. The venue appears to have maybe been an Asian restaurant in the past. I opted for street parking which I think is metered on weekdays but I'm uncertain as I was just visiting the area for a few hours.

I wanted to love it Good: ordered chicken and waffles and a cocktail. The food was just okay, not the best chicken and waffles I've had. Service: the food took a really long time! Service was extremely slow and confusing. My vegan partner had a hard time placing an order as they were weird about some of the substitutions and they ended up brining out the wrong order for that dish but didn't really do anything to change or remedy that. I didn't feel the meals were worth the price listed. They charge extra for syrup as the waffles come with butter only which was also odd, as I've never had a place charge or your serving of syrup with you waffles Ambiance: it is a nice open space with plenty of seating. Upbeat vibe with a lot of chattering.

Chicken and waffles were a staple for me when I lived in the South! Glad that I got a chance to check out the Durham classic, Dame's Chicken & Waffles. I love how they have lots of different options for chicken, waffle, syrup, and flavored butter. They cook to order so the chicken came out pipping hot. I actually appreciated how they served us with most of the chicken pieces, but gave us more freshly fried chicken in the middle so our food was always warm. The four leghorns featured 4 drum sticks and a chocolate walnut spread. The batter was not too heavy. The meat was tender, juicy, and flavorful. The waffle was fine and didnt taste that much different from my partner's sweet potato waffle. The chicken wings were good but I still preferred the legs. The spreads and syrups were interesting but I think I still prefer the traditional syrup and butter. For sides, the collard greens actually had a nice kick to them. The cheese grits were fine and could have been more seasoned. The sweet tea definitely took me down memory lane and loved how they can do half and half (half unsweetened, half sweetened)! I've heard lines can be really long but my party of 9 were lucky that the additional dining room in the back was available. Our server was polite and informative. Its important to know that all menu items are based on the chicken!! You can modify your waffles, spreads, etc but same chicken. Food came out at a reasonable time for our large party. Overall tasty chicken for sure but the waffles didn't speak to me as much.

The food was horrible! I was soooooo disappointed! Dame's was the joint when I was in college. This was my first time visiting this new location in Durham. I talked the place up to my family, and I was so embarrassed at the quality of the food. The shrimp and grits had a 1/2 inch of grease floating on the top. The waffle was cold, soft, and doughy. The smear did not even melt a little because the waffle was so cold. The chicken tasted bad and so did the homemade potato chips. They tasted like dirty grease. I drove allll the way from Maryland and no one enjoyed their meal. Like I said, I was soooooo embarrassed and completely disappointed.

The chicken was crispy and well-seasoned (a bit too salty for my personal taste). The waffle was soft and the batter had a hint of cinnamon. The orange honeycomb shmear was delicious! The sweet citrus flavor pairs well with the savory chicken and waffle. The collard greens side had a slight kick to it. The staff was very friendly. I came on a Sunday morning half an hour after they opened and it was quite empty. There is bar seating and regular tables.

Great food. Great service. Nice atmosphere. Kind of busy but they keep up with orders & drink refills. 1 st time here with my hubby & another couple. Will be back.

A Durham classic! The chicken and waffles are amazing! Came here multiple times, usually there is no wait. The interior is nice, and the service is great! Any chicken and waffle is a great combination. The chicken is tender and the waffle is fluffy! Id recommend the cinamon butter - that with the maple syrup is amazing! I would definitely come back.

If you're in Durham and haven't hit up Dame's Chicken & Waffles, you're doing it wrong. This place is everything! The chicken? Straight-up amazing--crispy, juicy, and seasoned to perfection. Pair that with their fluffy waffles, and you're looking at a plate that's nothing short of magic. And don't even get me started on the schmears--they take the whole meal to another level. The vibe inside is laid-back but still buzzing, like a spot that knows it's the go-to for comfort food done right. Whether you're a local or just passing through, Dame's is the kind of spot you'll keep coming back to. Trust me, this is the real deal!

We've eaten at Dames in the past and the food and service were great, today not so much. We arrived a little after 11, so it was not crowded. Our waitress was nice enough, and our order was taken quickly but we didn't get our food until 30 minutes later, which was after 3 tables who came in after us had already been served and were leaving. When we got our food, the chicken was burnt and the waffles were cold. One of the tables who had received food before us found a hair in their dish, and when I looked in the prep window, I could see that one of the chefs had long plaits with no hair net or restraint. We did let the server know of our issues, but we were not offered any comps, so we paid and left. Needless to say we won't be back anytime soon.

Not sure what the hype is about. The waffles were very heavy and the chicken was over fried. I can make them better. The service was good but had to wait for a table despite half the restaurant being empty. The fruit cup was terrible as a side. Would not recommend or go back again. ‍

Second time same slow. Second chance. Call ahead tables open. Walk in, it'll be 5 minutes. Me being ne, why? There's several open tables. Oh waitress times. Hmm. Wait to be seated just to wait 20+ for a simple pitcher of mimosas. See a big guy th a t we noticed his ass showing when we walk in. Go figure, this is the owner. I digress. My lady thought just a local , - WHO THE WAITRESS HAD POP OUR CHAMPAGNE BOTTLE. Hmm multiple locations. This is your roots. Wtf. You're better than this? Hour in.bitemy tong,hopefully biting food soon

I've been here a few times and I would love to give Dames a good rating, but I just can't. However, let's start things in a positive note. The food is delicious! The chicken was cooked perfectly and the shmears are to die for. This time I had the chocolate hazelnut and it was so so good! You can't go wrong with the perfect combination of sweet and savory. Now to the bad points, every time I've been here, it's been fairly dead and every time it's been ~30-45min wait to get our food. With us being one of the 4 tables there, this order shouldn't have taken that long to cook. Also, this might be nit-picky but our plates were dirty with grease. If you take a look at my plate you can see the finger prints of the cook grabbing the plate. Idk something about seeing finger prints grosses me out if I'm out at a restaurant. Anyways, if we isolate the food in itself, it was realllyyyy good, but I don't know if I'll make a trip back out there again since it's such a mood kill to have to wait for so long for food.

Cool neighborhood. Paid street parking with 2-hour max. Nice decor inside and friendly wait staff. I came for the chicken and waffles. They have a design-your-own plate with different kinds of waffles, compound butters (they call them shmears), and chicken (wings or fillets). Upcharge for "drizzle" for chicken, which came in a plastic cup on the side. Optional sides are available, but I didn't try any because I figured what I ordered was plenty for lunch. The wings are naked and have a nice coating. It tasted fine and I dunked morsels in the sauce, which was just okay. The waffles were nothing special, and the compound butter was also just okay. No drink or anything else, out the door for $18-ish, which is kind of pricy for lunch for one. It is unlikely that I would return.

Slow service, but great chicken and waffles!! It's kind of the only option for food but if that's what you're looking for then it's perfect. Lots of creative flavors and varieties of cuts of chicken for everyone. Easily modifiable as well

I was passing through Durham, NC and was told that this place was an absolute must. My fiancé and I decided to swing by. We went closer to store closing but was seated within a few minutes. The menu is very repetitive. It is mostly chicken and waffles as a base with different combinations of flavored schmear (spread). I ordered The Buff Brahamas and was very pleased. The waffles was good, but the chicken cutlet was spectacular. It was well seasoned and crispy but not overly salty. The apricot schmear was very subtle and spready very easily on the waffle. It all works really well with each other. We also ordered the mac and cheese and southern grits with cheese. Both sides were just okay. I don't think I'd get both again. Flavor fell very flat.

Stopped here for lunch on a Saturday and even at 2 pm, there was a wait. Comfortable open dining area, ladies room very clean. We ordered a tequila sunrise, a big breakfast and a hold the waffle with two sides. The cutlet was very good, juicy. The mac and cheese was pretty disappointing, lacked flavor. Fruit cup was pineapple and orange with one strawberry. The butters are pricey, $1.50 each. Kind of surprised. The strawberry lemonade was delicious. Our server Isaac was funny, friendly and attentive. Parking was a bit of a hassle, we found a pay parking lot and grabbed a $5 spot. Overall, a pretty average meal. Lunch for two was $58! Not sure I'd visit again.

Dames is always my favorite place for chicken and waffles when I am in town! Definitely recommend making a reservation!

The waffle was good so were the turnip greens, but I was disappointed with the Cucumber salad side: it isn't actually a tradition cucumber salad, just big seedy old cucumbers sliced on a plate... nothing else? Kinda gross actually.

Dame's used to be my gold standard for chicken and waffles years ago. I moved to the PNW in 2017 and never had chicken and waffles as good again. I happen to be in town for the holidays and thought it would be the perfect opportunity to get the chicken and waffle scratch itched, but was left pretty disappointed and underwhelmed. I got "the frizzled fowl" and it was so mid. The waffle was straight up rubbery and dense. Not like the fluffy, airy waffles with the nice crunchy edges that I remember. The waffle was also not hot enough, making the shmear just collect in the pockets--not a pleasant eating experience. The panko crusted cutlet was fried too long and the chicken borderline dry. They also didn't have any maple syrup left in the whole restaurant so you're left to use high fructose corn syrup sauce or the drizzle as your waffle dressing... Speaking of drizzle, the kpop drizzle sounded like it would pair so well with the cutlet but it was such a generic sweet and sour sauce flavor; really unimpressed. Sadly this place seems like it either has in fact gone down hill or maybe a very off day. My friend that was trying it for the first time left saying that they wouldn't come back.

This place had some of the best chicken and waffles I've ever had. Probably THE best I've ever had. I loved their unique butter options. They were incredibly busy, so try to find an off time to go if you don't want to wait. Nice people and incredible food

Our family dined here today, and we all had the chicken and waffles. The boneless, fried chicken is so tender and perfectly seasoned. The waffles are solid, and I enjoyed the maple pecan shmear. Prices are fine. I think portions have gotten smaller. Apart from that, we enjoyed the food and service was attentive.

Food is consistently a great. Never disappoints! I wish the syrup offered was better.

The food was good. It was very busy when I went. I had to wait for long time. They had to forget to text me the table was ready. The food was good. I would try go next time when it early.

The fried chicken is the best but the sides are okay. We went on a holiday, so the staff seemed a little overwhelmed.

I absolutely loved going to Dames. I was in town for a Duke basketball game and it was my first time going there. Since my initial trip I have been back several times while going through Durham. Food was amazing and the chicken cutlet was crispy and very juicy. The service was excellent and they were always professional and attentive. 5/5 Highly recommend.

Dame's never disappoints, stopped here after going to a scrimmage at Duke! This is one of my daughters favorite restaurants (Greensboro location) she doesn't have to look at the menu. We ordered what they're famous for, chicken and waffles. Some of us had chicken wings and some chicken cutlets, with plain or gingerbread waffles and of course we had smears. What is smear you ask, it's a flavored butter that's like no other. We also had cheese grits and greens as a side and they were delicious. I had a strawberry moscato cocktail, it was great. Our server Chelsea was the bomb.com! The restaurant is always nice and clean, service was fast.

Service is quick and the food is good. My chicken from The Light Skin Leghorns was nice and tasty as well as hot. My waffle was room temp and I ordered the peach and apricot schmear, but they gave me the orange honeycomb instead. It was tasty, but I enjoyed the rest of my waffle and chicken with just the K-Pop Drizzle as it's slightly spicy and sweet. The Mac and cheese was good and I enjoyed the space. Weekends can be a bit much as we never got the coffees we ordered or the coffee cocktail because it needed to brew and that's ok as they were never added to our bill. The rest of the table enjoyed their grits as well for sides and their food. Will definitely be back

I think I just found my new favorite brunch spot in Durham. Dame's has it all: comfortable ambience, friendly service, and phenomenal food!! I ordered the "What a Classy Hen," their original waffle with a 6oz boneless chicken cutlet and a side of vanilla-almond shmear. Good lord. So many other places do waffles wrong, but Dame's has got it down to a science. It was slightly sweet, ever so fluffy, and just warm enough so that the shmear melted on top. The chicken was also succulent and flavorful. You could enjoy each component of the meal separately, or spear the chicken and waffle together on your fork and enjoy the savory and sweet blend of flavor. I savored every bite, and the food coma that resulted was well worth it. Will be back again!!

I took a brief trip to Durham for work and had one meal where I would be able to choose the restaurant myself. A friend recommended this place, and even my Lyft driver got excited when it dawned on him where he was dropping me off. So good! Across the shmear, hot sauce and syrup, there was so much to enhance the flavor of the chicken and waffles. I prefer my mac and cheese cheesy, not overly milky, with no overcooked noodles. This mac and cheese passed with flying colors!

Great experience. I always enjoy my time at Dame's. I had the Carolina Cockerel. The peach apricot schmear was really good. I also had a side of seasoned grits which were 10/10. The chicken was very crispy (with a nice CRUNCH) and the waffle was soft but still firm enough for a great waffle. I also tried the mac and cheese which tasted more like a pasta dish. Overall our server was really nice and helpful. The atmosphere was great with nice jazz in the background which matches the aesthetic and decor. To drink I had the N. Manhattan which was strong but tasty.

Awful. Food AND service. 1. I checked out the vegan chicken & waffles on yelp & although an old pic it looked decent. A large cutlet that was possibly homemade, and when i asked the waitress she raved about it. What i got looked like a Morningstar vegan chicken pattie. Tastes like one too. I asked to swap it out for turkey bacon they declined. Then i asked to get another entree all together they declined. Then came back and said we'll give u turkey bacon we changed our mind. The turkey bacon arrived with the check. I was furious. It was at least 40 minutes after the original food was dropped off. The waitress was always close by but always empty handed. Sad... 2. Mac was very tangy. Tasted like they used ground mustard. Keep that in mind if that's not your thing. 3. Greens were very vinegar heavy. Also keep in mind if that's not your thing. 4. My sister had the breakfast plate and didn't care for the eggs or turkey sausage patties. 5. We both tried the sweet potato waffle and weren't impressed and the Smear spread we feel would be better on biscuits. It was underwhelming on the waffle. Overall we didn't enjoy the food. The wait was lengthy and the service was really lackluster. They made no attempt to give us a good experience. And that turkey bacon we had to negotiate for to only receive after we'd already finished what we tried to eat of our food was left on the table. We were in town for a wedding. Told everyone our experience & they all shared their gripes with us. Wish they told us BEFORE we came because we would certainly have chose another place to eat.

Chicken and the vegan waffle yummy. The Mac with just runny cheese needs to be taking off the menu. It was my first time coming to their new location in Durham. The old location Mac and cheese was way better. The building was way too cold shivering the whole time while trying to eat. Mac was cold, my son's eggs, and grits cold. I'm going to just stick with Beasley Chicken and Honey and or Metro Diner.

Fun chicken and waffle spot - I really enjoyed being able to choose different sauces and infused butter to pair with your main dish. I ordered the "Light Brown Leghorns" and was surprised by how tender and juicy the chicken was!

First time here, really nice open air and bright restaurant with modern design and feel. Staff was very friendly, I was pleased with their respectfulness and kindness. Thank you Had the Orange Speckled Chabo, it was pretty good. Nice flavors. To be honest, the portion size was a little small for the price. Expect to drop at least $15 per plate. A suggestion would be use real maple syrup, it makes all the difference in the world.

Overall this place was good! The service was great and food delivered quickly. We had a reservation for right before noon but it looked like there was a wait for walk ins. It is a nice casual spot. Food wise it was alright, a 3.5/5 for me. The chicken was a bit dark/well done for my taste but it was really juicy! I got the gingerbread waffle with strawberry shmear and it was good. Nothing was stellar though, I wanted more from their trademark menu items. Mac n cheese was OK, not very cheesy. Visually the food also only looked OK.

Came here on a Friday afternoon. This service is horrible here. It took over an hour for us waiting for the food and we also saw people just get up and leave because they were just waiting with no servers bringing out food. Would not come here again. Please work better on getting better servers or faster cooks

On a roadtrip from DC to Charlotte I made a stop in Durham and Dame's Chicken and Waffles made it worth the trip! I had the chicken and waffles (sweet potato). The chicken was crispy, well-seasoned and juicy. The waffle was sweet - crispy on the outside and soft in the middle. I added the walnut honey butter and it added a perfect level of sweetness. The service was fast and professional. The inside was lively and welcoming. This will be regular stop on my way Charlotte trips.

Great experience. Went early on a Friday. No wait. Server was nice. Food was great. You can never go wrong with the waffle and shmears.

Best thing since Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles!! My aunt says the Durham location is the best of them all. The chicken was succulent! The sweet tea was pretty good. The vegan waffle was everything I didn't know I needed. We ordered the oatmeal vegan waffle with three wings, maple pecan smear, and I can't remember which sauce but it was delicious. I really enjoyed the macaroni and cheese. I'm pretty sure I'll be driving from Greenville to go back this weekend. Service was good, no complaints. Food arrived quickly which I appreciated. Loves the focus on black art......musicians, athletes, and the color scheme. Beautiful restaurant in a great location.

Service was okay... waitress rushed us through our orders. Had a group of 6 where we were forced to only split the bill 2 ways (even though we had 3 groups of 2). Because we were considered a "large" group, they automatically applied 20% gratuity to our order. I always tip, but the service was obviously worse because she knew she was getting tipped automatically. Warm syrup at a chicken and WAFFLE restaurant was an UPCHARGE of $1.20 ... I really try my best to support "our" local businesses, but when you're treated like a nuisance instead of a supporter, it makes me never want to come back. Food was the major redeeming quality! All hot and fresh!! The chefs and cooks are amazing. Great flavor and texture. Front of House really needs some work.

Dames is always a go to for me when I go to Durham! Definitely one of my favorite brunch spots! Their chicken and waffles never miss!

The food was kinda bland if I'm being transparent. My legs were not hot when they arrived to the table. The collards needed a bit more seasoning . I went to the kiosk in the restaurant to put my name in via yelp and someone behind me walked in and got seated before me. Our server was super sweet and bubbly which was nice!

Issac our server was great and had lots of suggestions. Yummy chicken and waffles----so many choices to make. Great food and a hearty breakfast in a rainy day.

You will spend literal hours in waiting. Got on the waitlist at 12:05 pm, writing this review at 3:08pm and according to the site here my place in line has not moved in 3 hours. I asked the front person about the wait and his response was "I don't know either, they won't let me clear tables". There were 4 tables empty, 3 were clean and ready to be seated. Additionally staff was not moving with any purpose or urgency compounding the problem. Unless you're willing to post up directly infront of the counter for literal hours they will skip you without even the courtesy of a text notification.

I love the atmosphere of Dame's. The decor is very trendy and the food is amazing. The drinks are to die for and the staff is also super engaging and funny. I am definitely going back.

Stopped yesterday. Service was fine but chilly. Their rule about waiting for your entire party to get there before seating is silly when there were 6 tables with no one there and my reservation was in 10 minutes. Then they looked at the dining room for a few minutes after I said we were here and couldn't decide which of the 4 person tables of the 6 that were empty to give us. Server was knowledgeable but not warm in any way. Person dropping our food barely spoke and we weren't sure what she was saying. Ambiance is what it is. I'm not familiar with that chain but it has a newer restaurant vibe. The food was solid. I think the chicken was cooked too long. Waffles were good. Grits seemed undercooked. Better ways to spend $110.

Great chicken and waffles with some new interpretations on smears, sides, and combinations. There was a food prep delay but the manager was immediately attentive to me, took care of me, and made me feel like he really cared about service

Dames, wow!! Your reputation and recommendations are spot on as I was told by so many people to come here! I am not a huge chicken and waffles eater, so it was awesome to see so many different and delicious options on your menu for my rare self! A family friend and I got on the waitlist and were quickly sat down. Our waiter was nice and had a cool vibe, but seemed distracted at times. I got the shrimp and grits that came with a side. I got their mean greens. My friend got their salmon with a side of squash. Our food came out in about 20 minutes and we dug in. Every bite was better than the first and I had to stop myself several times. I had to remind myself that I could have leftovers--they definitely give you enough to take home. And everything made such a great breakfast the next day! Definitely recommend coming here for an amazing meal!! I love that they are local and Black owned!!

One of the absolute best chicken and waffles I've ever eaten. The staff are attentive and so accommodating. I love the open space for dining and once the food hits the table, everyone fades out.