Elmo's Diner

An old school diner vibe which was cool but the food lacks flavor. Nothing we ate had any seasoning. The service was the best part of our meal. Our waiter was great and the hostess was super friendly. Great people, but I would not return here.

I had a wonderful experience at Elmo's Diner! I tried the pancakes along with a plain omelette filled with turkey soy and American cheddar cheese, and I couldn't be happier with my choices. The pancakes were fluffy and delicious, perfectly sweetened and served hot. The omelette was cooked just right, with the turkey soy adding a nice savory flavor, complemented beautifully by the melted American cheddar. I also ordered the apple cinnamon on the side, which was a delightful touch—sweet and spiced, it paired perfectly with the pancakes. The diner has a cozy atmosphere, and the staff was friendly and attentive. I highly recommend Elmo's Diner for a tasty breakfast or brunch!

Amazing food and even better service. As a fellow restaurant manager I officially approve this place. My home fries were perfectly cooked, breakfast burrito was spot on with great sausage crumbles, tasted like homemade sausage. The grits were great. Simple wholesome food, served to perfection. Thank you Elmo's, I will be back!

The menu has excellent and very varied selection. We ordered the veggie burger and fiesta bowl. Both dishes tasted excellent. Staff is courteous and polite.

We had a wonderful breakfast at one of our favorite breakfast places period. My wife had biscuits with sausage gravy and scrambled eggs and she loved! I had a 4 ingredient omelette with home fries and a side of their pumpkin apple bread! Fantastic! Don’t miss the bread. My omelette was really perfect- just the way I ordered it. This place rivals Brigs! Would highly recommend it!

This place was amazing! Fast service, super friendly and GREAT FOOD... HIGHLY recommend!!

Durham remains my home away from home. Every time I am in town I have to eat at Elmo’s. The wait is always worth the amazing food. I have never had a bad meal but the Shrimp and Grits is my favorite. I have yet to find another place that makes them quite as good. Parking is tight and they have extended parking from the 00’s when I was a student. There are no reservations, you can’t call ahead and your whole party must be present.

We found our new breakfast spot! Everything was delicious. I had the Greek omelette with bacon added. Hubby had the apple cinnamon pancakes with bacon and eggs. Everything was cooked well. We got there early so we didn’t wait long. Our server Gwen was very attentive. Will definitely be going back!

An excellent place. I always try to make it to Elmo's when I'm in the Durham area. The staff is wonderful and kind. The food has always been exactly as I expected. It is busy, be patient and you will be rewarded.

My friend and I came for brunch on a Friday morning, and although it was a little busy, we were seated right away. The host and servers were friendly and I liked that the menu had tons of options - and that they were decently priced too! I ordered the custom 4 omelette with potatoes on the side and it came out quick. I wished that the add-in items I chose had been cooked into the omelette rather than just placed inside, but it still tasted good regardless. I wanted a latte, so I was a little disappointed when the waitress informed me that they don't serve specialty coffee drinks. I ended up ordering a black coffee with soy milk on the side instead which was fine, although I would've preferred a latte. If you want a good, quick, inexpensive meal this is the place to go, just keep in mind they don't do fancy coffees!

Nice little dinner we stopped in with a party of 6 at the end of breakfast and the beginning of lunch. We had to wait 20 minutes as they only have so many tables for 6. Excellent friendly staff very attentive to our table. The food was very good everyone cleaned their plates. Looking for a good dinner I will be back next time I'm in Durham

I absolutely loved this place! Came to Raleigh area for a short stay, Elmo's wasn't listed on any of the must try places but if you love diners and great food, you must stop by for a meal. Sat at the counter, had great service by Meagan, got the onion rings which were fantastic, a Greek salad and cornbread. The Greek salad was perfectly executed and delicious, saved the cornbread for the trip home and it was divine!

Atmosphere: Elmo's Diner has a classic and cozy atmosphere. A great spot for a casual brunch with friends and family. Service: The service at Elmo's is friendly and efficient. However, they can get pretty busy during peak brunch times on weekends, so be prepared for the possibility of waiting for a table. Food: We've tried several dishes at Elmo's, including their shepherd's pie. While it was good, it didn't stand out as anything particularly special. Their food is reminiscent of typical diner food, but the dishes we've ordered have failed to deliver that cozy, casual, feel-good experience we were hoping for. Overall: Elmo's Diner is well-loved by Duke students and Durhamites, and it certainly has its charm. However, based on our experiences, we can't help but feel that it might be a bit overhyped, particularly in terms of their food. It's a decent option for a casual brunch, but we found ourselves enjoying the ambiance and friendly service more than the dishes themselves.

The food was totally fine. The chicken Caesar wrap was different in that it had plentiful cabbage and nearly no chicken. The Greek salad was as usual and customary as were the eggs. Overall, average. The service was good, maybe a little shy in some instances but pretty much ok. The ambiance was quintessential diner. Good lighting and comfortable bench seating plus some countertop bar style chairs.

Affordable tasty breakfast They have all the diner staples and they do it right. Fast and efficient service. Sit down in 5 and get your food within 10 minutes. We got some eggs and a cali omlettte. For the sides, got fruit (very melon heavy unfortunately) and sausage. Homefries were excellent. Very affordable prices, overall great spot

We went brunch time on a week day and there was a wait. Nothing long, enough to know it's a popular spot. Food was hot, fast, and good! I am not a breakfast fan so having full menu all day is always a win for my family. Will return when we are in the area.

Elmo's is one of my Durham favorites. There is plenty of parking, be sure to follow the signs in the back. During this visit there was a short wait, but they move quickly. The staff is always great and friendly. They offer a mix of booths, tables and counter seating. A small group of 4-6 people should be comfortable. I wouldn't get much bigger than that, especially in the weekends. They have a big menu but not whelming. It includes the classic diner menu plus some specialty items. Their breakfast is all day and I highly recommend it. This time I had the Baked French toast (kind of like bread pudding) which comes with eggs and a meat. Everything Tasted great and was delivered quickly.

I loved Elmo's! Clearly a super popular brunch spot on 9th street. We had to wait for a bit but the atmosphere was so nice and service was fast when we did get a table. The cheesy grits and pancakes (both brunch specials) were clearly the highlights of the meal. They were super generous with the apple cranberry granola topping on the pancakes and it was delicious. We also ordered a veggie sausage (not pictured) with the pancakes that they make in house and it was so good. Definitely try it if you're looking for a vegetarian option. The omelet was just okay- the veggies were a little undercooked and it was undersalted, but overall this was a great spot for brunch.

Elmo's Diner in Durham, N.C. - A Breakfast Sojourn My latest excursion to Elmo's Diner, a quaint breakfast spot in Durham, was marked by both the familiar and the novel. As a regular, I've long been a fan of their sweet potato pancake, a dish that's never failed to start my day on a deliciously high note. On this visit, however, intrigue led me to sample their seasonal offering - the Betty cranberry apple granola pancake. In the spirit of adventure, I took a culinary gamble, but alas, it didn't pay off. The flavors, akin to a confused autumn symphony, didn't harmonize with my taste buds. Swift action from their amiable staff, a constant at Elmo's, came to the rescue. They facilitated a seamless swap to the pumpkin pancake - a subtle, yet comforting choice that salvaged my breakfast experience. Regrettably, in the midst of this flavor salvage operation, I missed snapping a memento of the pumpkin revival. My friends' culinary journeys paralleled my own - their reviews echoed a collective sentiment of "okay" regarding the food: satisfying but not noteworthy on this occasion. ‍ The chronic challenge of parking at Elmo's Diner remains its Achilles' heel. Combatting for a spot is almost as daunting as choosing from their extensive menu - patience is a virtue and a necessity here. The interior, though lacking awe-inspiring décor, is comfortingly decent, enveloping patrons in an ambiancethat feels just right for casual dining. In summary, Elmo's Diner still holds a place in my heart, and its sweet potato pancake will lure me back time and again. While not every dish can be a hit, the occasional miss is a small price to pay for the pleasant staff and the comfortable if not entirely convenient, dining experience. Rating: (3/5 stars) Would I return? For the love of sweet potato pancakes, yes, I shall. Would I recommend it? With the caveat of knowing the menu's hits and misses, absolutely. Dine at Elmo's for a reliable breakfast experience, where even the less impressive dishes can be swiftly remedied by an ever-accommodating team. Just be sure to plan ahead for parking and be ready to enjoy the simplicity of a diner that feels just like home. .

This place is always great. I went with a customized Huevos Rancheros. The service is always good.  Yet,  it's is usually busy. However, they move pretty quick. Highly recommend.

I love the California omelet with grits and sunflower toast. Staff is very friendly. It is clean for being an older restaurant

Really neat diner inside, I guess you could consider this your typical diner. Really friendly staff. I'd say if you're expecting unique food or more healthy options this may not be a top option. Good selection of food, had the BBQ Chicken Plate, wasn't 100% what I was expecting but decent. I'd come again, not sure when but at some point.

dropped into this cute little diner for a quick breakfast and I'm sure I will be back... It's everything you want from a diner. I don't think the food is especially remarkable but the coffee was good and I was a happy camper.

Great diner , old school but is decently sized! Usually when I think of diners I think of good food but small cramped places. Theres also a parking lot. Very cute ambiance & vibe. I'd return! 5 Stars to Casey!

We always eat here when we come to town for my annual appointment at Duke Cancer Center. Usually it is always enjoyable. Today was extremely disappointing! My husband ordered the biscuits and gravy, and I ordered the eggs combo. I requested that my bacon be super crispy almost burnt. The bacon was far from crispy and mine & my husband's home fries were burnt. Both of us were extremely disappointed in our visit this time.

Solid diner! Great service. Food is what you expect for a diner. Expect to wait about 30 min.

First time here trying the food service so far is great Would recommend it to everyone

This place seems to be a popular diner in Durham. There was a 15-30min wait for Sunday brunch time. The service was quick and food comes out fast. The food was nothing special, just basic.

Had a fantastic breakfast here recently. The shrimp and grits were perfect. Large, flavorful shrimp over the tastiest grits. All it needed was a couple of shakes of hot sauce. Served with a large biscuit. Service was fantastic and friendly. The restaurant was bustling but luckily we didn't have to wait too long.

A Durham institution. Not to be missed. Surprising find: best grilled salmon filet I've ever had.

We loved our breakfast here. Omelettes were great and service was excellent. Such a cute retro atmosphere. Highly recommend!

Excellent breakfast! Really enjoyed my omelette and they definitely know biscuits in the south! Super friendly staff. Great prices! Can't go wrong with this place! We'll be back!

Veggie breakfast burrito with home fries. Was one of the specials so not sure if they will have it every day. Was very flavorful and filling. I asked for home fries extra crispy and they were perfect. Service was friendly and quick. Harrison did a great job making sure all was good. I would definitely come back to this breakfast/lunch place when in the area.

Delicious food, good menu with lots of choices. Service was good, with great attention to customer satisfaction. Restaurant facilities were clean, retro/modern with local flavor and atmosphere. We greatly recommend you dine here.

Tried Elmo's Diner which serves a variety of breakfast items! Love how they open super early in the morning and how friendly the service was. We ordered: Warm blueberry compote waffle ($8.40) - Aesthetic! Greek omelette ($9.50) - Egg was kinda bland but loved the spinach, feta, and mushroom toppings! Big omelette with fries and biscuit Eggs all the way ($8.25) - 2 eggs with home style fries and biscuit Overall, food was mid but they give pretty generous portion sizes (we got food coma after) for reasonable prices and our waitress was super nice.

Exactly what you're looking for if old school dishes prepared with a modern flair is what you're after. This place was packed and it's obvious why. Very good food, excellent service and fair price.

If you are looking for the fastest breakfast that will fill you up this is the place. We came in Saturday morning right before the rush. We opted to sit are the counter. We had a wonderful waitress, I think her name was Denise, I could be wrong. Food was ordered and came out very fast. Like less than 5 minutes fast. Everything was affordable and tasty. You will have to add your own salt and pepper for flavor though. My husband had an omelet and it had some good things in there it just wasn't seasoned. And we are used to seasoned "home fries" or potatoes with peppers and onions and garlic etc. this didn't have that and they were a little dry. Other than that I can't complain. And when traveling to Durham will travel again!

Our new go to breakfast place when visiting Durham. Service was great. Filled my coffee cup often. Food awesome.

Tasty, Friendly, and real deal. The kinda breakfast spot to successfully appeal to everybody.

Great little breakfast/brunch spot. Attentive service and the food was great and reasonably priced. Will return!

If you're looking for a diner with diner food, this is the spot. If you come here looking for upscale brunch food, this ain't the spot. The food is here is reasonably priced and tasty, the service is fast and friendly, and the restaurant is clean. I'd recommend this place to anybody who is looking for a diner.

Great place for breakfast. I had the stuffed French toast. It was awesome. My wife had the shrimp and grits. It was equally as awesome. The young lady that was our server was spot on we didn't have to ask for anything and I never saw the bottom of my coffee cup.

This is a classic diner and I highly recommend sticking with the reliable pancakes, waffles, hash browns and eggs. If you go with those you'll have a great breakfast. If you get swayed by the fancier options in the menu (they make their own soy sausages) it is pretty hit or miss. I've had some of their baked goods (a pumpkin apple bread most recently) and it was just okay. My hunch is that most of the vegetables are canned - which may not appeal to everyone. Come here for a big breakfast of traditional diner food after you've stayed up to late and you'll be happy.

Tried this place out with the family on a Friday morning around 11:00. It was a lot of people in there but we didn't have to wait to be seated. The staff was very nice!! That's super important these days ti recognize because I know some of these restaurants are stretched thin with staff. So kudos to them!! I ordered the salmon cakes and it came with eggs, grits, biscuits and fruit (which was two slices of cantaloupe). It was good. I'm not a fan of eggs but my family said they were good. The salmon cakes weren't as big as I was expecting but still tasty nevertheless. I had water to drink so I can't speak on the mimosa but there was one on the menu. This place is classic diner food. THE PANCAKES WERE DELICIOUS!! I tasted some of my moms because I'm watching my figure but they were so good!!! The price was right too! It was 4 of us and the check was $52!! Unheard of these days and they weren't stingy with the food portions either! They do have a gravel parking lot that can be kinda full but there is street parking too. Go check them out you won't regret it.

Very friendly service (thanks, Emily!) and very clean. The hot coffee kept coming from multiple servers. The breakfast special pancakes with cranberry apple nut topping was unique and very tasty. Good value as well.

Kinda felt over hyped. They were busy on Sunday around noon and our waitress was probably having a bad morning. I ordered the shrimp and grits, which was way greasier that I was expecting. The shrimps were decent sized, only slightly over cooked. Scrambled egg on top and chopped tomatoes gave it a nice balance of flavors. My husband ordered a veggie omelette, it's was ok, wished the veggies were more fresh. The OJ mimosa was ok too. Overall, it's a place I'd eat at, maybe for a basic weekday breakfast or lunch, but not for Sunday brunch.

Great atmosphere and awesome diner food. Have been here several times during my trips to town both for dinner and breakfast. It is fast, courteous service and good food!

These were the best pancakes that I've ever had -- like literally the perfect texture and taste. I also had the California omelet, which was also delicious. The service was great and the prices were some of the best in Durham. I will definitely be back!

Ambiance: typical diner vibes, a little crowded but that's just the nature of the space since it's small with lots of seating. Service: quick, attentive and very delightful. My server was Denise (680) her energy made the experience that much pleasant,she also put us on to sunflower toast! Food: Our main entres weren't as flavorful as they look so I used a lot of salt but the grits were made to perfection. Sad about the waffles, a bit dry. Proportions were perfect though!

I am from out of state and I'm so sad that I won't be able to come back every day. I am a vegetarian and I tried the Santa Fe breakfast bowl from the specials menu, it was AMAZING. SOOOOO delicious. The fried corn fritters, mashed sweet potato, avocado, black beans, eggs, cilantro, feta cheese... Everything was so yummy and worked so well together. The waitress was also really attentive and nice. The food came out super fast! My meat eating friend loved her breakfast plate as well of which the biscuits and gravy were the star.

Truly Disappointed How can you louse up breakfast? How difficult is it to make an egg over easy? Completely raw runny yolk and burnt whites. Dried out hard over cooked potatoes that they call home fries and burnt toast. The salmon cake was different than what I've ever had in the past but it was acceptable. And it wasn't at the kitchen was overwhelmed with multiple requests; I was the first of three customers in at 7 AM. My first visit to Elmo's and most indisputably my very last.

Love this place. I always stop by when I visit Durham. Great food, awesome service, little bitty parking spots

Love love love! I am an enthusiastic foodie, but Elmo's takes the cake as far as I'm concerned...and the name of that cake is the pumpkin apple bread! What a great diner! Everyone was super friendly, the place was packed but there was still not much of a wait, and the food was excellent. I had the Santa Fe scramble, which was clearly the best item on a menu filled with excellent options. The Santa Fe scramble features black beans, sweet potato, corn fritters, eggs, feta, and tomatoes. Sweet fancy Moses, it was delicious! My husband got a breakfast burrito, and loved it as well. And that pumpkin apple bread? Out of this world!

Closest thing to an Nj diner. Always packed so be prepared to wait but the food comes quick and is worth the wait. Great for a classic waffle, omelette or sandwich. True diner vibes. A big menu and a lot of fun specials.

Affordable American food. Super crowded but have seats. I enjoy eating here. Maybe coming back next time.

Classic delicious breakfast! I went on a busy Sunday, but luckily they were able to seat us fairly quickly. All the workers were very nice, as well as fast. I'm gluten free and they have delicious gluten free toast. My friend always gets the French toast and loves it. Affordable, overall great food. Only con is that the parking isn't ideal, especially on a rainy busy weekend morning. My friend got there 10 minutes before me and they held our table. Will be our go to breakfast place!

Recently relocated to Durham and seeking restaurants. Came to Elmo's and loved it. We were greeted with a smiley hello like she was happy to see us. I choose to believe she was. Our server, I think Nathaniel, was terrific. My omelet (with a substitution and light cheese) was perrrrrfect. My wife was very happy with her choice. Now, I'm not a coffee snob. I just like it black. My order at Starbucks does not take 6 minutes. Elmo's coffee was terrific. Anyway, great atmosphere, nice people and terrific food at a very reasonable price.

Elmo's, while basic, is definitely a staple. It's pretty cheap as well, however, the food isn't mind blowing in any way. (Also their hot chocolate is really small for the price you pay). Their breakfast burrito, while messy, is good! And their French toast is just fine/good. For COVID, everyone wears masks, expect while eating, and the tables are spaced apart- but the booths aren't. If I remember correctly, each booth (back to back) is occupied by a group. While it doesn't seem particularly dangerous, although my, and your judgement isn't the greatest (because COVID is rarely expected), it doesn't seem particularly safe either. To top it off, they're frequented by college kids (who yell and stuff) that walk up to the door, then put masks on.