King's Sandwich Shop

Oh my days! I was headed to a brewery/burgee spot in Durham when Kings popped up on my map and the kid said he would rather try their burger. Thanks kid! Walk up counter style burger. You cannot beat the the value of this burger in Durham. HUGE patty, thick melty cheese, plenty of toppings. Single burger of this size for under $10 is hard to find these days. (Great for hungry kids) Next time I'll try the Philly. All they need is BEER! If you're a burger hound, this is a must stop

Awesome food today. Price was about $18 which I thought was high INITIALLY. But when my food came and I had a box of fries covered with fixings and a huge piece of chicken on my sandwich it immediately was justified. Food was very tasty. Will be back!!

Overrated. Simple food, terrible service. Ordered two burgers, hot dog, and fries. There were only a handful of other customers and after I waited for 20 minutes and watched people who came after me get their food, I finally got a staff member to acknowledge they forgot about my order and had to re-do it. Took another 15 minutes and additional reminders to get my food while staff sat around and did nothing. They advertise shakes on the building and their Google Maps posting, yet they don't do shakes anymore. Definitely false advertising. If you want a great shake, stop by The Milkshake Factory instead down the street at the American Tobacco Campus.

I came here because someone told me it was the best burger in NC. I can't go as far as to say that but it was a pretty perfect Burger. Big and the ingredients taste great. The meat is well seasoned. The burger is juicy. The house sauce tastes great. The fries are firm and well seasoned. I have nothing negative to say. I'll have to come back and try the Phillysteak. 10/10 would recommend. Definitely the best burger in Durham at least. The king's breakfast is my favorite thing on the menu.

Simple and awesome. One of the last OG spots in the neighborhood. Also the only place left in town where you can order a red hot dog. If you know, you know.

King’s was a great experience. They get thru the busy line of lunch goers pretty quickly. But if you decide to come during lunch, expect a decent crowd. The menu has the spectrum of grill foods- though when I went they didn’t have some items in stock (Pulled pork sandwich). It didn’t bother me as the server recommended a host of other items. I settled for the Philly cheese steak with some onion rings on the side, my wife opting for a single patty burger and tater tots. Both were really good. I was impressed by the tots being so crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. The onion rings are the battered versions, they are smooth on the outside and have a great crunch, the onion also doesn’t get pulled out which means it’s not over cooked. Burger and Philly cheese steak tasted good, nothing special to note but it hit the spot! They had a picnic table area to eat, it might be limited during lunch due to the number of people but maybe you can ask to split the bench.

Loved our lunch at Kings. Thanks to TJ the owner who was sitting at one of the tables. Food & service was terrific. We had been told about Kings before our visit to Durham & told it was a must see. Glad we did.

ALWAYS great food, people, and service. Burgers are always juicy, onions and jalapeños always seem to be super fresh. Fries are great, the hot dogs you can't go wrong with, and the hidden gems like the Philly are something you'd want to make sure you get!

Really good service. I got 2 fried chicken sandwiches with fries for under 25 bucks. The service was quick and other prices were relatively on the cheaper side. The fries were good and the chicken sandwhich was juicy. Would go again!

I've heard lots of good things about this place, and it certainly has a very nice retro vibe. You wait outside and place your order, and you pick it up at the next window. It's pretty straightforward. The day I went, their soda machine was broken, so I just went with a burger and fries. It's a solid burger, reminiscent of older times. The grilled onions were not very well grilled, so I would suggest skipping them. It's very juicy, and plenty of toppings. The parking is mostly paid on the weekends, so beware of that.

Yes, we know King's is an institution in Durham and we appreciate it's longevity. We also have to acknowledge that the food is decent but not outstanding. This place has its fans and that's fine if you want quick fast food in this neck of Durham. We've been here twice, once for burgers and once just for a quick snack of fried okra. I suppose the relatively low price point is another plus. For a long time, they never seemed to be open in the evening but it seems like they do have evening hours now.

This spot like wimpy's where bull city classic spots for year's something is missing in them both one lacks biscuits making skills and the chilli recipes are missing the mark.

No frills spot serving your classic American fair with a few extras. Burgers, hotdogs, fries and the like. I headed over on a Monday afternoon to give it a try for the first time. No one was at the window so I had to wait a little in the sun and definitely broke out into a sweat before someone notice me 5ish minutes later. I got a single burger with cheese and it came out fresh a few minutes later. I grabbed a seat at one of the three picnic tables next to the stand and dug in. Burger was hot, cheese was melted and it was nestled on a sesame seed bun. It was pretty good don't get me wrong, but for $9 with tip and tax, it left a little to be desired. Fries are an additional $3 and were run of the mill. For these prices, I'd rather trek to my favorite spot in Chapel Hill *cough, cough* Al's *cough, cough*. Overall, it was a decent meal, a little over-priced but I'm not upset that I gave it a shot.

A classic Durham quick old school burger shop. No frills cheeseburger is pretty tasty at a low cost. Cheap corn dogs, crunchy fries and a nice staff. Fun ambiance too.

Food: ordered a single burger with all toppings. Received burger with just lettuce and sauce. Service: Nothing fancy, as expected. Boxes came out greasy Ambiance: Dirty tables

Really solid working class place to eat. Prices are very fair and the food is good. The increased their hours recently which is awesome. All outdoor seating with shade. Nice spot.

Perhaps we went on an off day but the burger was comparable to a burger out the box nothing memorable. The fries were okay and I'm just not motivated to revisit. Gave 3 stars because the employees were nice.

Great burger and fries with no need for anything else on either in terms of seasoning Will be back!

Food was GREAT expect to go back and exhaust the menu. Service was great. The atmosphere...baseball across the street and people all around. Will definitely be back.

I was so excited to hear that they had vegetarian options because ya girl likes to eat. I ordered the Veggie Philly with a side of onion rings. I will say, I am also tired of having to pay extra for veggie options when the regular meat options are ways cheaper, but I digress. I feel for the amount I paid for the onion rings and what I got did not match, but the sandwich was GOODT, OKAY! It was very tasty. The bread was soft, the veggies were flavorful, and make sure to ask for the spicy mustard I added that to mine (it's not spicy at all). Now, I was expecting them to have a thin sliced veggie alternative but honestly, I think they just broke up a beyond patty and put it in a bun. I also asked before ordering did the veggie come with everything that the regular one did and it didn't. The cheese was different from mine. All in all I would definitely go back and recommend that you check it out.

I had a cheeseburger for lunch today and it was pretty tasty. King's is a Durham STAPLE and they never miss! I recommend trying the black bean burger, grilled chicken sandwich, crispy chicken sandwich, cheeseburger and lemonade/Koolaid. Quick, affordable, and delicious!

Fantastic sandwiches and burgers, very fast and nice. Nice place to eat. A true staple of Durham

So good if you want an old fashioned grease burger. The build your own was great. I will be back!

Recently stopped by this little joint while in Raleigh for a Carolina Hurricanes game and will now make this a regular stop while in the area. Not sure I've ever had a better double cheeseburger and the hot dog was great as well. You order at a window, receive your food at another window, and can then either eat at a picnic table or take your bag of deliciousness anywhere you choose. The guys in the kitchen seemed to enjoy what they do and really take pride in making you an amazing burger. Keep up the good work, guys!

First, it was unbelievably busy already at 11:15am on a Saturday with a lot of repeat clients (you can tell from the way they order their food). I thought that King's sandwich was just ok. We ordered two single burgers, and a King's red hot dog with everything and fries. My burger was extremely dry and tiny compared to the entire bun. Also, the beef patty was not salted at all. All of the flavor from the burger actually came from the grilled peppers and onions, so thank goodness I got that added or else it would have tasted so bland. The buns themself was not grilled or buttered, and just tasted like store bought buns. The hot dog had more flavor, but was extremely soggy because of the chili. Although the hot dog was perfectly salted, it was the soft hot dog variety and had no snap to it (disappointing). The chili included in the hot dog was good and the fries were crispy and perfectly salted. Overall, I would not recommend this place. You can get an $8 burger at another place with better taste. Taste: 2.5/5 Presentation: 2/5 - they dont care about it though lol Recommend to a friend?: No Consistent: 1st time Cost: $$ Parking: Find street parking - kinda hard for downtown

I lived in Durham for a while and have always been curious about kings. I had heard murmurings of a carrot hotdog. I wanted it to be weird and I wanted to love it. I wanted it to be divey but also quirky and solid. Alas, the fryer oil desperately needed changing and everything was pretty meh.

Cute little no frills spot with enthusiastic staff. You place your order at the counter and when your order is ready, they'll call out your name. It's mainly take out but they do have a few tables for you to enjoy your meal. The shrimp poboy was pretty good! Think it could have used at least one more shrimp to make it full (see picture) and I probs would ask for extra sauce. Otherwise pretty solid, hits the spot, and satisfies the craving.

I hate this place. Now, I've never actually eaten here, but at this point I have a legitimate beef...and unfortunately it's not the kind found in their supposedly great burgers. I have tried and failed FOUR times to go to this spot while in town, but it has been closed every time, with zero notice on their website, Google, or Yelp pages, and their phone is simply off the hook. This is indicative of a company that rests on its laurels and clearly doesn't give a damn about customers (especially potential new ones, like myself, who don't live in the area). Owners, it take TWO SECONDS of effort to post random closings and/or when you're on vacation. I give up.

The best restaurant in town and highly recommend it for anyone who wants to go to try there food

I have been a harsh critic of Our State Magazine's list of Top 10 Hot Dog joints in the state. And with good reason. I have now been to over two thirds of the 30 places they recommend (in addition to the top 10 they have 20 honorable mentions), and have found that I agree with their assessment only 43% of the time. The other 57% are recommendations for places that are merely average (JB's in Statesville plus many others), and some are downright bad (Bill's in Washington). And there are also some CRIMINAL omissions (PB's in Winston-Salem). That said, one place I generally agree with them on is King's Sandwich Shop in Durham. When I arrived, I was impressed with their menu and wanted to try everything. But I came here to assess the dogs, so I stuck with that. And a fried bologna sandwich for which they are famous. I ordered two hot dogs, both all the way. One was southern red and the other was Nathan's all beef. I also ordered a fried bologna sandwich and fries. Both dogs were very good, though I would definitely recommend spending the extra 50 cents and going with the all beef over the southern red. Both the chili and slaw were tasty and not too wet and not too dry--no soggy buns here. And it is always a positive when your buns are not soggy. Fried bologna sandwich: served on Texas toast, I found that the bologna, which was tasty but mild, was lost in the bread. It was not bad at all, but I think the bologna would have performed better on a burger bun. The fries were run of the mill crinkle, but had some nice seasoned salt on them and were perfectly cooked and tasty.  No nonsense here. A line will form and you'd better be ready to order. While she was not rude, I could feel "hurry up" rolling off the order taker. The hot dog prices were reasonable, but everything thing else seemed a bit high. So Our State got this one right. I don't know if I will make it to the remaining 9 places. I almost feel as though I have to if for no other reason than to see if their track record improves. Stay tuned.

I love coming here, the food is always fresh & hot! I like to get the King's sauce on the side to dip my fries in and it's so delicious! Single patty, no onion, add cheese, add bacon, sauce on the side w/ an order of fries

I've been meaning to go for years and finally stopped by with the family. My wife and I had the double cheeseburger with fries. Both were traditional and very good. My kids enjoyed the corn dogs and a vanilla shake. The service was very good and the little outdoor seating area was nice. We'll definitely go back.

It's so dang good !, I went there after a skate session ordered a double cheeseburger with onion rings and chili cheese fries, seriously this is my new lunch spot during a skate session.

Grew up in Durham so Kings has a long storied history but because I moved to Franklinton years ago, I haven't had a chance to check''em out until last week and I was not disappointed! Best Nathan's hotdog/chili/slaw and onion rings I've ever eaten and I've tried many in the triangle area over the years. Kings is still serving great food!

Terribly slow service, especially during lunch hour. Make sure to bring a book or your phone while you wait in line. And hopefully you don't have a short lunch. Love the food though. Hope the speed changes soon.

[INSERT DISAPPOINTMENT EMOJI HERE] This was our first visit to King's and until the morning of our visit we'd never even heard of it. Consequently, it is largely my own fault for getting excited that there was an old school sandwich shop in its original location serving burgers, shakes and even tots. Still, it would have been nice if they'd at least met my expectations. Instead, this is what we found, PROS - Hot, crispy tater tots. Better than fast food burgers. Soft, fresh buns. Original building near downtown. Good menu. Fair pricing. CONS - Brusque staff. Oddly long wait for food despite few others in line. Burned burger patties. Over cooked tots. Not fresh lemonade. Below average sauce. Outdoor only seating with no fans. Overall, the experience was fine, but I doubt we'll go back. Durham just has too many better options.

Great spot to pick up a quick meal in the area. My son and I enjoyed our meal and the service from the staff.

That was a delicious burger! I was impressed​ with the quality of the burger and look forward to returning to try other items on the menu. Please don't let the look of this little hut scare you away, it's actually a super classic and old fashion, burger joint! I love​ the atmosphere and how you order through the tiny window. It's hard to find places like this anymore. I​ ordered the King burger with a side of tater tots​ (the combo) + drink. The price point was great for a quality burger. The burger was moist and cooked perfectly. It came with the right amount of lettuce, onions, and tomatoes. I did wish that there were more of the special sauce on it. As for the tots, it was a bit too salty for my likings but it was edible. The lemonade was sweet but not too​ overpowering. I can't wait to eat here again!

Average burger from a cool little historic burger joint. Overpriced for what they give you. Probably won't return because there are too many other places to choose from, but I like to see small mom and pop places surviving in a growing city. But they better step up their game now that the competition is growing every day in Durham!

Always great food. I recommend the fried bologna and tater tots. The parking can be tough,but worth it.

I wasn't expecting much from this place but was pleasantly surprised. I got a double burger and was expecting the burger patties to be super thin. But each patty actually had a lot of beef in it. I also ordered some onion rings which were so delicious! They came with the King's sauce on the side which I preferred on the burger rather than with the onion rings.

Was in the neighborhood and found out this place was only a half mile away from where I was so decided to give it a try. The place was located on the corner of a street and the building was pretty small sized with only enough room for the cooks to work in. They had some outdoor seating located behind the building. Ordered a single patty king's burger with cheddar cheese, a grilled chicken sandwich, and a hot cheese sandwich. Also ordered a side of tater tots and fried okra. The service was very slow. There was a long buildup of people waiting for their orders. I probably ended up waiting for 30 min before receiving my order - wasn't too pleased with that. Now onto the food. Both the burger and grilled chicken I felt were way overdone. Both the beef patty and the chicken were so dry. The buns were just ordinary sesame buns. The grilled cheese was decent and served on buttered Texas toast. Overall, I was pretty let down with the food. Nothing stood out to me to make this place special or worth visiting again. It's basically a normal burger and chicken you could grill yourself and the food being overcooked to the point that it was as dry as a desert didn't help. The only thing good was the tots but those were probably not homemade. My recommendation would be to go elsewhere if you don't want mediocre food.

I used to love kings since I went to school around the corner, a perfect go to burger spot, recently after covid I've been going and the burgers just don't hit anymore. They're dry and just aren't the same burgers I used to love. Maybe new cooks? Whatever it is I hope it's fixed, sad to see one of my favorite places become average. (Also the vegetarian options are super limited, as my sister doesn't eat meat and she loved the bean burgers which they no longer have!)

Wow, I'm into this place!! We walked here from my office on a beautiful Durham day, and eating here was a real treat. Not only was my King's burger juicy and awesome, but the cashier was super duper friendly and nice. I loved that. The portion size for the price is also pretty awesome. I liked how they used really fresh looking romaine lettuce on the burger. Can't wait to try the fried okra next time. Only improvement I would make is the menu sign. The lettering was small and scribbly and pretty hard to read! Other than that, solid lunch spot!

Kings is apparently a downtown Durham staple! As a native, I felt ashamed I didn't know this. My boyfriend took me here for a midday lunch. I ordered the shrimp po boy with tater totes. The tater tots were bomb! I was glad we shared a side of them but could easily have devoured them on my own! The shrimp po boy wasn't the best I've ever had but was decent. I felt the flavors could be a bit more pronounced from a sauce perspective and the bread could have been crispier. I'd come again, but would maybe aim to try for the burger next time.

If you want a fried bologna sandwich and okra like your grandma made them, run don't walk here. Then continue to run after because you're going to put on some LBS with this stop. Totally worth it! Also - best lemonade in NC.

Great food, but please phase out the styrofoam boxes! It's horrible for the environment, and your food would be just as delicious in cardboard to-go boxes!

Visited this place with my out of town family, and we loved it! The food was delicious. Everything was fresh and hot. There was a line but it moved fast. There are a few picnic tables next to the order window and one small bathroom that was really clean. Lots of street parking nearby for a small fee. This is a great local joint, and we will definitely return!

All of the reviews for this place all mention it being a classic Durham establishment, and I am so happy to say that I have finally supported this business, and the food is, as you would expect, pretty darn tasty! This is a walk up to the outdoor counter old school sandwich/burger/hot dog spot over in the Geer street area of Durham. There is always a short line, but they get through their customers quickly. They have all of the usuals like cheese dogs, burgers, etc. but they also have pulled pork because this is North Carolina and fried chicken on sandwiches too! They even have vegetarian options, so the diversity of this place could not get any better. They have their famous king sauce too which is a must, and everything we have gotten from here is always delicious. We even bought lunch here for our movers recently and they were all so pumped! So come out to this no frills classic spot, support a long time historical business in Durham, and leave full and happy!

My favorite lunch spot. Bologna and cheese sandwich with fries. Yes!!! They never have given me bad service. It can get crowded but food is great.

I've always been curious about this place- it's been around forever. I finally got the chance to try them out on the day they opened their air-stream food truck. I got a burger and my husband got some hot dogs. The woman who took our order was super sweet, and the food came out quickly. Definitely a place to keep in mind if you're looking for a quick and casual bite that isn't technically fast food.

King's is a classic Durham spot North of Central Park. The location is great, but parking can be limited and so are the hours. The burger is good but not great. As far as best burger in Durham goes, it's still behind Wimpys (and behind that is likely Bull City Burger). I'd prefer a burger that isn't as well done and possibly a different beef composition, but you have to appreciate how classic the King's location and small back patio is.

I wanted this place to reopen for years after I saw it sitting lonely on the corner. Finally it did and although it took me a while to get over there to try it, I'm so glad I did! I sure with there were more places like this in town. I had the brat which was excellent!! It's cooked in beer (nice!) and they split it down the middle and then grilled it. I had mine topped with grilled onions and peppers (yellow peppers, nice touch!) and some brown mustard. It was so good I thought, this can't be your typical brat. I asked, and it's local. Really, it's sooo good and for $3.99 well worth the price. Also got an order of onion rings ($2.99) and very good too!! Crispy on the outside and perfect onion on the inside. Yum, yum, yum! Something I really like is rather than having your typical soda fountain, they use the kind of hose squirter like you see behind a bar. I mentioned to the owner I really like that, nice touch. He said, sometimes he likes it, sometimes not, but they didn't have room for a fountain. Well it was fine by me. A perfect blend of soda & water/carbonation. I suggested they have deep fried mushrooms w/ranch dressing and was told someone else mentioned that too. Hope they do, but no matter, definitely coming back! Super nice people who worked there too and really nice picnic tables too!

This is a funky Durham institution when it comes to sandwiches, especially hot dogs, and now that it has re-opened, the dogs are back. The prices are a little higher than under the old owner, but not outrageously so. This is truly a hot dog shack, there is no inside seating, you place your order at a small window, and pick it up at the same place. A small line is almost always there, and the service can be problematical because the person taking the orders at the window also takes the call in orders, and there are a number of these. But the Southern chili dogs are the stars, and it is worth the time to wait for your order to be called. The chili is meaty, if mild, and the bun soft. The wiener is not completely neon red, but close. They serve other good sandwiches, with the BLT probably the best, with the Burger close behind. They have a BBQ sandwich, but I'd chose something else. The FF are very, very nice, almost good enough to come here just for them. They do have some sheltered outside seating, but most folks seem to eat in their cars. You gotta love it.

A classic! The burgers are perfectly grilled, served with any condiments you might want and the ubiquitous 'king' sauce. The grilled chicken sandwich was well-grilled and juicy. Can't go wrong with either. Had not been to King's in a long time, but glad we stopped in on a Saturday afternoon. King's has upped it's game as this neighborhood has gentrified. The building remains the same, but the grounds have been cleaned up and the patio areas are also clean and neat. The building is now topped with a metal crown, and late night hours are coming. Looking forward to being able to get a bite in the early evening!

I started going to King's in the 60's. My grandparents lived two blocks away so we would often walk down past the tobacco warehouses and get a sack full of hotdogs. They had perfectly steamed buns, a good dog, intoxicating chili with mustard and onions, all wrapped in wax paper. I can still smell that bag. It set the standard by which I've measured every hot dog since, and that's a long time. Lol. A recent visit back to Durham found King's largely unchanged with just a larger menu. It's definitely a great throwback to a seemingly simpler time. Go there if you want something that's definitely off the chain (restaurants).

Love love love Kings! It's an old classic that we missed for a while and then when they reopened, we've been lining up each day. Their vegan options are superb.