Toast

The food was great and the atmosphere was enjoyable! This place came highly recommended, but unfortunately the service I received felt notably dismissive. I waited almost 20 minutes for a glass of water after politely asking twice, while guests around me were offered refills without prompting. Seemed like the waitress had some sort of frustration. It’s hard not to feel singled out when the difference in treatment is that apparent. I don’t know what the reason was, but it left a bad taste in an otherwise good lunch :(

My wife and I have been coming here for years. Just had a mutual realization that we've never had a bad meal here. Toast is consistently good because the meals always include quality ingredients. Today, for instance, the broccoli had some kick and the caponata was excellent. Thank you all and hope you keep it up.

My absolute favorite place in Durham. Food is delicious, service is great! When I lived downtown it was a weekly staple, and I still make it a habit to eat. Everything on the menu is delicious and fresh. Perfect to eat in or take to go!

I have seen Toast many of times but didn’t realize they offered a soup/salad/sandwich type of menu until recently. I ordered delivery during peak lunch hours. I had the herb pesto with chicken, a side salad and the brown butter cookies. When my food arrived, surprisingly was still warm. Speaks to the freshness! I appreciated the flavor of the sandwich, found it well balanced. I liked that the salad was not iceberg. Dressing tasted homemade. My only criticism is the cookies: the texture felt stale so they were very underwhelming. Overall I found the food to be yummy and a fair price. Recommended, and would eat here again.

Super delicious panini sandwich shop which a lovely outdoor seating area in the middle of downtown Durham. Good, quick service even during lunch time rush. Great selections of paninis. Staff were super nice. Loved the pesto chicken panini. Solid crunch on the bread without being over-toasted. Toast toasts to perfection.

Toast has been on my list a very long time. I live in the county and it's harder to get in town during open hours. The perfect opportunity arose to have lunch before taking mom to see Chucago at DPAC. We got the special Crostini with goat cheese and a raspberry jam.. delicious and perfect combo. Mom got a chicken salad sandwich. The chicken salad was fabulous! It is hard to find a chunky version, but theirs has big chunks of chicken with the right amount of mayo. It was not a skimpy serving on the sandwich either which I liked. I got the rapini - sweet Italian sausage, roasted garlic, asiago fresca. Delicious and just the right size and flavors. Mom doesn't really care for sausage and even liked it. It was very busy, but the staff took good care of us as they rushed around to get everyone. I love they have both inside seating and outside. Great place for soup, sandwich or a salad. Give it a try!

This place is awesome in that they use real glassware, silverware, plates and bowls. The venue was clean and trendy with plenty of character and located in the heart of Durham. This is about all of the positive things I can say about Toast to be honest. We went to dine inside. Ordering was done outside prior to entering which is also fine. The gentleman taking the order was not fine. He was condescending to one of our party when she asked a question - he pedantically read the portion of the menu that answered her question and made her embarrassed. He also said to each guest "I assume you are okay to add %20 to your bill to support the servers who bill be serving you".. the tone was such that you didn't know if you should just walk away and leave or be a mouse and say "yes". It was a bad vibe. I ordered the Rapini with Sweet Italian Sausage and a bowl of the white bean soup. While everyone has different tastes, to me the soup tasted like Honeycomb Cereal (I have not eaten Honeycomb cereal for about 40 years but still remember it). A bunch of pepper later and it was "okay". The sandwich, while looking awesome, had large chunks of gristly meat in it that in no way was in the same timezone as "Sweet Italian Sausage". It was genuinely hard to chew and I had to hork those pieces into my mouth and pretend it was something worth eating. In hindsight I should have returned my meal and given clear feedback. This is my fault and a lesson learned for me. TBH, I was concerned it would become a debate with the staff. It is hoped that the leadership at Toast will also listen and learn that snarky or presumptuous staff is an instant "not going back" coupled with food that was far below the expectation.

This cute Paninoteca was really good. The atmosphere was comfy and the decor was calming. You go to the counter and order your food then we got a number for our table and waited to be served. It was clean and the workers were friendly. We waited for our food a little longer then I would have liked but it was fresh and delicious! That’s my 2 cents now you decide.

Loved this casual little panini shop/deli in Durham! Service was quick and staff were very polite and explained the menu well. Our table got a sausage and kale panini, a chicken panini, and an egg salad sandwich all of which were excellent! The salad and soup sides were simple and delicious and the whole thing was very decently priced! I'd absolutely return and try more on their menu.

Taste of Carolina - Durham Food Tour - 23 Dec 2023 Wow, Taste of Carolina really delivered some excellent bites in Durham today. Our agenda today included stops at: Toasted, Boricua Soul, Queeny's, Bull City Burger, sweets by Shayda. All restaurants did an excellent job. There were six in our party. Here are my individual notes. Toasted - Toasted has been thriving in Durham for over a decade. They offer unique soups and toasted bites/panini's. We were served a cauliflower soup and an avocado crustini. I loved the cauliflower soup. It was surprisingly creamy and tasty. Two In our party loved the avacado crustini, Boricua Soul - This place is special. The husband and wife owners have a captivating story to share about the historical and Philosophical origins of their culinary adventure. They served us a "lunch box" with perfectly prepared Puerto Rican roast pork, greens (soul food) , Mac & Cheese (soul food) and tostones (Puerto Rican). It was a huge bite and was the favorite stop for 5 people in our party. Next time we attend a Durham Bulls game we plan to eat here. Queeny's - is a friendly, creative bar / pub. They served us upscale nachos and a glass of dry cider. The nachos were very popular. The dry cider was interesting and unique. They owner made us feel welcome and encouraged us to try the many well designed drinks and bar foods. Bill City Burgers - The owner do an outstanding job describing his unique commitment to serving only Greason fed beef raised locally and making every item served here in house by his team of chefs. The burgers were excellent. They were bursting with beefy flavor and cooked perfectly. Be sure to try the deep fried pickles. So unique and loved by all. Two in our party picked this stop as their "Best Bite" selection. Sweets by Sayda - our last stop offered devine French Pastries. Macrons, croissants and other delicacies were shared. Share these pastries with those you love. They will treasure these treats. Lastly, I would like to share our deep appreciation to the folks at "Taste of Carolina" food tours. Our hosts had to manage finding a fifth stop today since their schedule included a venue who had to close due to kitchen staff all falling ill. In addition, I was recently released from the hospital due to foot surgery. These made waking very difficult. Our hosts did everything possible to make sure I was included in all of the stops. We plan on doing these Taste of Carolina Tours in the future: Hillsborough, Carrboro and Winston-Salem.

The food is hit or miss. I ordered an egg panini and the eggs were dry and tasted sour. The pesto however is fantastic.

Enjoyed a tasty lunch here at Toast over the weekend. Ordering out front was easy; service was friendly and very helpful. Grabbed a table inside because it was so hot and humid out. Sampled the blackberry peach sour from Ponysaurus and it hit the spot! I loved the pesto panini; herb pesto, roasted tomato, fresh mozzerella and I added thinly sliced chicken to it. Really enjoyed the homemade potato, lemon & leek soup; the chive oil on top really complemented the flavors of the soup, it was really delicious and luxurious. The variety of crostini toasts were nice to sample; my favorite being the one with roasted beets, orange, mint & robiola. The avocado crostini was a little bland and the mushroom & garlic was just ok. Overall, we had a very nice lunch here, would happily come back and recommend Toast to others; thank you!

Such a yummy mom & pop sandwich shop! They have a large variety of sandwiches! From paninis to tramezzinis plus they even have different sides you can pair them with! All their ingredients are locally sourced & their delicious soups are house-made. I got the pancetta tramezzini with the homemade chicken orzo soup of the day. It was sooo GOOD! The sandwich had just enough bite and salt from the pancetta, plus the bread was so soft. And the soup... chefs kiss! I would definitely go back there just to have some more soup. My whole meal was only $12, great price if you ask me! As of right now, they are only doing take-out or patio seating. I ordered online and just ate at the tables in front of their store.

Decent breakfast and lunch spot. I loved their mini toast flight when I lived in Durham. I've also had great soup here, too.

Fabulous just fabulous Sandwiches fresh well put together large The soups unique and all homemade The toasts small yet pack a punch This is a not to miss when visiting Duke

I didn't care too much for the selections that I chose. Strange combinations and I can't say that I enjoyed the flavors. If I were to go back, I would try different options, but I had the one with mushrooms on it, the one with sausage, and the one with a dried meat. Three, the mushrooms tasted better, but there was strange heat to them that did not add to the taste. The salad was OK. Service and staff are excellent. I may go back and try a different option. It is definitely strange that you have to stand outside to order, it was a cold windy day

Great food and attentive service. Will definitely put Toast on my rotation of restaurants in downtown Durham.

Toast has been on my list a very long time. I live in the county and it's harder to get in town during open hours. The perfect opportunity arose to have lunch before taking mom to see Chucago at DPAC. We got the special Crostini with goat cheese and a raspberry jam.. delicious and perfect combo. Mom got a chicken salad sandwich. The chicken salad was fabulous! It is hard to find a chunky version, but theirs has big chunks of chicken with the right amount of mayo. It was not a skimpy serving on the sandwich either which I liked. I got the rapini - sweet Italian sausage, roasted garlic, asiago fresca. Delicious and just the right size and flavors. Mom doesn't really care for sausage and even liked it. It was very busy, but the staff took good care of us as they rushed around to get everyone. I love they have both inside seating and outside. Great place for soup, sandwich or a salad. Give it a try!

So yum! I ordered the Tuscan Kale, ricotta salata, pickled sweet and hot peppers sandwich  and the Ricotta pound cake from their online site and was ready right when I got there (about 15 min later). I wasn't sure what to expect with the sandwich because kale is usually bitter but this was so delicious. I think the ricotta cut the kale's bitterness and the hot and sweet peppers were oh so good. It was spicier than expected but I am very wimpy. The ricotta pound cake was also delish and am trying to save half for later, but we will see how long that lasts. I was able to order online to exclude any utensils and they obliged. I appreciate them trying to be more green. Also, the staff to pick up was wonderful in our 1 minute interaction. I would definitely come back here to try their other sandwiches.

I wish I could give a more personal recommendation but they don't have anything GF, that being said: the amount of items my coworker bring in... I have consistently drooled at the aroma and decadence of their products!! I'm very jealous!

I bought frozen matzoh ball soup from Toast yesterday and ate it at home last night. It was absolutely superb. The chicken broth was rich and flavorful and the matzoh balls were light but not without substance. (They were a little smaller than typical matzoh balls, but size is an irrelevant characteristic in my book.) The broth was not too oniony (a common novice mistake). I have tried matzoh ball soup in many places and Toast's version is as good as my late grandmother's or the top delis in NY (Katz's or 2nd Ave Deli or Carnegie Deli). Good matzoh ball soup is hard to find in this area but Toast has nailed it.

Craving a "salad" sandwich but I wanted to be adventurous and get something other than chicken or egg which they both offer. I decided to go with the shrimp and sunchoke salad sandwich and was pleasantly surprised. I love that they have crustless bread (I know, I'm a child for hating crust haha). The shrimp and sunchoke salad was so fresh and lighter than a usual salad sandwich is but still creamy enough to satisfy my craving. The shrimp tasted really fresh and I loved the crunch of the sunchokes. The lemon aioli was perfect and gave a citrusy bite. I got their tomato soup on the side and it was so delicious! I opted for the cup instead of the bowl so I'm very excited to whip up a grilled cheese to enjoy with it later. The actual restaurant itself is not open for dine-in but takeout is still available. From what I could see waiting outside, the inside looked really cute! Lots of huge snake plants and trailing pothos. Looked a little smaller with just a handful of tables inside, but I can't wait until they open back up as this is going on my new lunch spots list!

Congratulations, Toast. A member of your staff somehow managed to do perhaps the most obnoxious thing I have ever seen a server do. In this case, it took both cajones and some serious effort. I don't offend easily, but that alone would make me never go back. Let me set the scene: it's lunch hour on a very cold, rainy day in downtown Durham. Neither of us brought an umbrella, because we thought we'd run into a sandwich shop, order inside, sit down, eat, and run back to the car. But oh no, Toast had a different idea: let's block off the entrance with a table, have an employee keep dry just behind the edge of the awning, and make all of the customers wait in line in the cold and rain while the employee very slowly takes orders and deals with several other things. Never mind that there is a counter and empty tables inside, where it's, you know, dry and warm. It's perfect -- just what we all want to do on our lunch hour. After 10 minutes of waiting while the disorganized employee got his act together and was actually able to help us, we selected our lunch orders. Wet and cold as a miserable cat at this point, we then received the most obnoxious line ever heard from the aforementioned disorganized employee: "Would you like to add a 20% tip for our excellent staff?" OK, Mr. Server Dude, let's have a chat. While I realize that "tips" supposedly originated as an acronym for "To Insure Prompt Service", it really doesn't mean that anymore. It is a reflection of the service received. Note that I said "service," not "servers." An what kind of service did we receive? You unnecessarily made us wait out in the cold and rain to order, when we could have just has easily done so in the warm, dry interior. That is the opposite of excellent service, particularly while you are standing in the dry area under the awning. Second, your question is incredibly stupid when I have no idea how your service is, beyond the display of massive inconsiderateness described above. Why should I take your word that the service or staff is "excellent" when every bit of evidence thus far screams the opposite. Finally, putting people on the spot in front of everyone else in line is patently obnoxious, as you are goading tips out of people out of sheer fear of embarrassment. Putting your customers in a position where they have to pay you avoid embarrassment is just unconscionable. Finally, the bluntness of the statement comes across almost as a threat, i.e., "we're going to spit in your food" or "we're going to give you skimpy portions" if we don't bribe you for your "excellent" service first. Given the full context of the situation, I have never heard a server say something so off-putting, and believe me, I've heard a lot. Ironically, but not surprisingly, after my friend who was picking up the check paid the 20% "bribe," our sandwiches took forever to come out. I got the grilled chicken, mozzarella, and salsa verde panini, the Goat cheese and honey crostini, and a bag of Cajun BBQ chips. The chicken on the panini tasted rubbery and strange, but the crostini was pretty good. I really don't feel any need to go further into the food, as the service was so off-putting that that is reason enough to never return. I've burnt toast many times before, but this was the first and last time that Toast will burn me.

okay food, horrible service We stopped by here on 4/19 hoping for a quick lunch on a chilly day. They only have curbside pickup and no dine-in. After we placed our order, the cashier asked us if we wanted to tip. In my experience, I typically would not tip for a curbside pickup so I declined. I think the cashier expected us to tip. Given that it was a chilly day, we didn't want to wait by the curb so I asked if the cashier could give us a call when the order was ready (so we could wait in our car). The waiter then said "just so you know, that is extra service". L O L. First of all, that is extremely rude. Basically was asking us to tip him to give us a phone call. Second of all, it just made it extremely awkward. The restaurant was not busy at all - is that really such a big deal to just hit us up when the food was ready? Anyways, he gave us a time estimate of 10 minutes. Food ended up taking 25 minutes. If we *had* waited outside, it would have been a miserable time. Food was OKAY. But this cashier made it such a horrible experience - will never be coming back.

This restaurant has gone downhill. Todays meal was equal parts, dry, greasy and bland.

You know when you go to a restaurant, and the staff and owner are genuinely HAPPY that you are there?? This is Toast. While there may have been a line out the door, everyone working there was the nicest person on the planet (no exaggeration, I swear). They have such a cool menu with plenty of veggie-friendly meals. I ordered the soup with 3 crostinis and haven't stopped talking about them since. It is rare to find a restaurant that encourages you to customize your order to that extent - more places should follow suit! If you need lunch in Durham, look no further!

Creative and delicious seasonal and classic sandwich/crostini combos with salads and desserts that are among the best in the Triangle.

Tasty sandwiches or salads with local ingredients. Try something - you're guaranteed to find something you like eventually. I've been here a few times with groups of friends. The tables are small but serviceable. Nice starters, or you can go for a full build-your-own finger sandwich menu. Salads and larger sandwiches are also available. Seating gets tight inside when it's cool or rainy, but it's a friendly atmosphere. I have tried almost every menu item, and they are all superb!

We stopped here for lunch on our way to Asheville. The sandwiches and soups were spot on. They were very flavorful. I would highly recommend the chicken roasted pepper sandwich and the spicy lentil soup

Amazing! Simple, flavorful food. I never thought I would love a kale sandwich, but this place pulls it off.

This place is so good! I've been wanting to try this place for years now and I finally had the chance and I'm kicking myself for waiting so long. I've tried two of their paninis and it will be hard to go back to eating a plain sandwich again. The chicken pesto is probably my favorite so far. Chicken was tender and the pesto homemade, garlicky with plenty of pine nuts. I've also tried the kale panini and though it's not my favorite it's still very good. Not as oily as the pesto so it's a nice lighter option. You have the choice between soup or salad as a side and I've always opted for the salad. It's basically just greens but the vinaigrette is delicious and makes for a good value as a lunch option. I can't wait to try yet more of their offerings.

Go here for the quality, not the atmosphere. And I do mean QUALITY. They are not scrimping on the ingredients. Soup, Salad, Sandwiches...a casual eatery where you order at the counter, get a number, they do their quality food prep and bring it to you. I really liked my rapini and sweet italian sausage panini, with added side salad. Rapini can be very tough to chew, but they prepared it well, and it worked beautifully with the sausage. Nice cheese also. Speaking of cheese, the shaved parmesan on my side salad was of superior quality. Loved the fresh herbs they incorporated...really nice touch...couldn't see them, but I detected both mint and parsley. Husband enjoyed his three-cheese panini with Voodoo Zapp's chips. Both of us liked their iced tea also. Atmosphere is super casual, with old tables...not particularly comfortable. It's a place to eat not dine. They do have outdoor seating as well.

It's... OK? I don't know what I was expecting but it's just toast. Maybe this was cool and hip a couple years ago but now it's really not that impressive. Could be a good place for a quick lunch or to get inspo for your own toasts at home, but it's very close to doable / not worth it for me. Everything was tasty but just didn't blow me away.

Great food, service, and employees are pleasant. Nice surroundings in area too.

The food is decent but the service is Ummm. Currently, there's a guy at the front door to make orders but he also asks you for 20% tips before meals. After I paid, I'd say the service wasn't good enough for 20% tips. Also no staff was wearing masks though they claim they do so on Yelp. Don't be surprised by that.

Toast is a convenient sandwich spot with delicious paninis! Sandwiches are great during COVID because they travel well, and these can be heated up in the oven. These paninis are no exception! I really enjoyed the prosciutto, mozzarella, and roasted tomato panini ($8.50). It's simple but delicious, and it is perfect on a warm day. The prices are great, and you can add soup or salad for just a couple more dollars. I'm looking forward to coming back and trying other sandwiches soon.

Was super excited to try this place out, but it was a let down. The food was fresh and hot for pickup. However the 3 cheese panini was so salty that I didn't even finish the sandwich.

Their sandwiches are pretty good! A little on the pricey end for how small they are, but still very good! Cute location and convenient pick up location at the front of the restaurant. Staff was very nice and professional.

I've heard great things about this place, but I've yet to be impressed. Was it good? Yeah. Was it cute? Yeah. But it wasn't outstanding. I love the Italian paninoteca setting, with the authentic menu and the definitions on the wall, and the location. I love the wine menu and the daily specials board. But somehow the food always seems underwhelming for both the price you pay and the expectations. It's as if all of the value were in the description, and the nutrition, and that first bite of new flavor, but not in the rest of the meal. I've had the crostini plate with soup, and the panini with salad (the salad was amazing, btw). But each time my mouth hurts from being cut by the glass bread, and I never feel fully full or satiated. It's all bread, very little substance (or at least not enough to keep you coming back.) And while it's probably very vintage Italian, I don't love getting pushed out of the way by the waitresses and customers headed to the drink machine because of the narrow space between the line, the seating, and the main walkway, because I have to squeeze up to the counter to read the chalkboard specials. Or the hipster vibe of impatience that I'm asking a dozen stupid questions about ingredients I rarely encounter, and taking too long to order because their menu is so very large. Do you love bread and paninis and always order the same thing? Then you should absolutely check this place out. But as a meat-eater who wants to be adventurous and full, I probably won't make the trip again. If I do, I think I'll get a soup and salad.

I stopped in on a cold night for some soup. I ordered the soup with the 6 crostini. my favorite was the avocado and pesto one. The sausage one had an interesting taste. These are a lot smaller in person versus what you see in photos. When my soup was brought over to me, I noticed that it was the wrong soup. I ate it anyways because I was so hungry. It was ok, nothing over the top or one of a kind. In my option, it's a bit pricey for what you get. The vibe was ok too, nothing over the top either. Overall, will I visit again? I'll probably make my own soup and toast at home.

Stopped by for the first time in over a decade. This is cute, quaint spot where you can stop in for a sandwich, soup, salad, or combination of any two. It's very noisy on the inside and busy during lunch. The food is pretty good and reasonably priced. I don't have too many complaints with Toast. The staff are courteous and the food is good. I'll be returning soon.

This is an excellent spot for lunch in downtown Durham. The staff is friendly, the prices are good, the portions are large, and the ingredients are superb. They have the daily specials listed on a chalkboard at the counter where you order, then they bring the food to your table. It's a nice place even though it's small and I didn't see a bathroom anywhere. They have lots of varieties of wine, beer, juices, and soft drinks for sale with plenty of local options. They also sell little packages of cookies at the counter. On our last visit, I got the sweet Italian sausage Panini with a side salad, and my brother got the special ( wagyu beef meatball marinara panini) with calabrian onion soup. Everything was delicious. They definitely don't skimp on the toppings on the paninis, and we could tell that the meat was very high-quality. We enjoyed the soup and salad as well. The salad was a simple arugula mix with shaved Parmesan dressed in a light balsamic vinaigrette, but it was very fresh. The soup was a tomato base that went perfectly with the paninis. We will definitely be back to try more menu items soon. Great value for a very tasty lunch!

I can here before and had butternut squash soup. It was nice. Today I had cauliflower soup. It would be nice if some crackers would be offered incase you dont want a sandwich or a little piece of bread. The soup was nice. I enjoyed it. Service was fast.

Sometimes when I really want to beat myself up, I remember with horror a time last winter when my coworker suggested we grab lunch at Toast. I skimmed the menu online and said, "Eh, let's go to Luna instead." I've been trying to atone for my terrible judgment ever since, and am now finally reviewing this lil' gem on my 9th trip. Since I work downtown, Toast is a mainstay for days when I need some breathing room, and my love for it is well-known around the office. I buy bottles of the vinaigrette to schlep home, where I make people comment loudly on its deliciousness, and withhold future servings from anyone I deem under-enthusiastic. But I'll be honest, I don't deviate much with my order. In fact, this trip was the first time I've ordered something other than the crostini lunch. But I'll tell you about my limited menu anyway! - The crostini and salad lunch. You get three flavors (six pieces) and a reasonably sized side salad for $10.50. The salad is the best supporting actor one could hope for, with big shavings of grana padano (yeah, no, it's not Parm! I know!) atop. Crostini flavors run the gamut from "I need all of that" (goat cheese & honey, avocado & lemon) to "that was super solid!" (pesto) to "never again" (garlicky mushrooms) with a few "mm, I don't think I want that" sprinkled in (merguez. Always merguez.) Best eaten there vs. takeout as the crostini don't walk well. - The rapini panini. Again, the side salad elevates the order. My generously sized panini (should I be saying "panino" here?) was perfectly grilled but awkwardly assembled. Do not eat this in front of anyone who has not already seen you be a grimy food slob. The Italian sausage was delicious, but long slabs of it were laid parallel to the sandwich cut, creating a not-insignificant amount of difficulty in taking a reasonable human bite. I changed feelings about the rapini multiple times during lunch. Ultimately, I forgave the sandwich, but I'll turn my love back to my crostini next time. I love the restaurant itself - intimate tables lend themselves to long chats, but it's definitely better outside of lunch rush, when the counter line winds throughout the main dining area. Fellow Cajuns, take note - they frequently stock Zapps. You're welcome.

I think a good restaurant can really change your perspectives on food and Toast is definitely one of them. Location: located in downtown Durham. Toast is kinda small but you can recognize them by seeing all the long lines and their unique outdoor seating. They are also close to cupcake stores, dame's waffle and Mateo. Such a huge competition between those outstanding restaurant, Toast still stands out. Service: the lady served us is really nice and understandable. Why? Cuz I know nothing about sandwiches or crostini and she is patiently give me info as well as waiting for me to decided which one I should order. Thanks! The line is long and seats are limited during lunch time. But it's worth waiting because I am about to tell you how good their crostini are. Food: I had crostini combo (choice of 3) with spice lentil soup. I love all my choices. I had the one with beets, which is light, sweet, fresh and delicious; Sicilian caponata, which is bot salty but eggplant is mixed too well with the toast that I cannot say it's bad; last but not least, the chicken liver. My favorite would be chicken liver, which is topped with bacon. The whole experience is like I had this smoothie chicken liver and then a surprised bacon enforced me to have another one more bite and.. It's already gone. Sad but satisfied! Overall: I appreciate the store, which illustrates a well designed Italian(?!) sandwich style? I never thought a small toast can have such an amazing stretch on my taste and cuisine perspective. Thank you and thank you!!

So today was my second time ever coming here for lunch-I'm surprised to see I didn't yelp about my experience but today's experience was perfect! We got there right before the lunch rush. So I got a panini and soup combo that was amazing! The 3 cheese sandwhich was probably the best grilled cheese sandwhich I have ever had and the butternut squash soup was AMAZING!!! The customer service was exceptional as well! I am very much looking forward to my next visit! Keep up the outstanding customer service and delicious food!!! Idk how I forgot to write about the goat cheese and honey Crustini-pure perfection!

WOW. i am so disappointed with this place. my experience at Toast today is a PRIME example of how common courtesy, politeness, or just plain ole' just being nice can go A LONG WAY. I came here today at exactly 12 p.m. I know because I checked my watch since I was parked in 30 minute parking. Walked in and ordered ONE sandwich and nothing else to go. I was told to wait at the ramp toward the back of the restaurant. There I waited... waited and waited. Fine, i get it. 12 p.m. is a busy time of day. what i absolutely DO NOT understand was the RUDENESS that was conveyed when I inquired about my order. I approached the cashier, who happened to be the owner of the restaurant (i assume this since i was able to observe her pictures plastered on the walls while waiting on the ramp in the back of the restaurant). I asked politely if she knew if our order was going to be ready. She said, yes they're still working on it. Okay. I wait longer. I returned to the cashier and asked again, politely, can you please check? her response.... "it usually takes 15 minutes on a busy day for to go orders to go out" My response, "it's been 20 minutes", HER response... and i kid you not.. "I have 18 minutes on my clock" REALLY?! ..... really. 18?! WHO CARES? Firstly, 18 is still longer than 15 minutes and not only that 18 is CLOSER to 20 minutes than it is to 15 minutes! Secondly, she was so crass and unapologetic. As if saying that it's been 18 minutes and not 20 minutes is an excuse for their SLOW service???! NO. Lastly, I'd like to point out that at the time of confrontation, my ONE sandwich was STILL not ready! It, in fact, DID take 20 minutes to receive my sandwich. When i finally got to EAT my sandwich... well let's just say the owner had left SUCH a bad taste in my mouth that the sandwich itself was not satisfying. it was oily, the meat was just bologna with a fancy Italian name, sorry lady. it's STILL JUST BOLOGNA... or should i say baloney. It doesn't matter how many stars you get on yelp, if youre rude you lose my business. will this review change any minds from going to Toast? probably not. But at least I had my say and that i can say, FOR SURE, that i will never be dining at Toast ever again.

In the pursuit of the best lunch spot in Durham, Toast just might take the cake. While their food is delicious, Toast really excels in terms of affordability and versatility. For just ~$10, you can enjoy either a hot or cold sandwich and choose from a variety of soup and salad options, none of which I've been disappointed by yet. I also have to shoutout Toast's daily specials, which are unique and just plain fun. But their greatest draw might just be their Crostinis, which I can't recommend enough. While they're all delicious, the avocado (boring of me, I know) is my personal favorite.

Out of all the dining places around DPAC, Toast is my favorite! Great sandwiches served with a smile... The lovely couple (the Cotters) that runs Toast are always working hard to bring you their wonderful sandwiches. Just had some pesto-tomato-mozzarella crostini and a chicken panini last night and they were both great. None of their delicious lentil soup for me, I learned my lesson after the last DPAC show... :-@ Toast is all about inexpensive, fresh and delicious food, a fantastic combo! Seriously. For the money, Toast can't be beat. I've eaten here at least eight or nine times and have always left happy... A tip of my Yelp cap to Toast, thanks for all the wonderful and reasonably priced food...

I've never had anything that wasn't absolutely delicious at Toast. You can always count on good food at a pretty decent price.

Yum!!! This spot is so tasty! If it was closer to me I would be in all the time! I got the potato leek soup and could have ate gallons of it. So freaking flavorful and delicious. The only problem is that they switch out their soups daily so there is no guarantee I will see my beloved soup again the next time I am in. I got the soup combo with the kale and ricotta panini. I thought the panini was good but all the pepper topping was kind of lumped din the middle and not spread out throughout the sandwich. I love all the little toast options, but could see how those might not be as filling as going with the sandwich. My dining mate got the big green salad and it looked quite good as well. If I am in the area for lunch I will be back!

Upon giving Toast a second third and fourth chance I knew I definitely needed to update my review to five stars and I totally ordered the wrong thing the first time I went. I typically will head here for lunch when I'm in the mood for good warm soup and a sandwich. I love the egg salad tremazzini and they always have one if not two vegetarian soups to choose from. It definitely can get pretty crowded here so I try to time it to skip the lunch rush lines but the food usually comes out pretty quickly and lightening speed if you order a cold sandwich to go! I'm happy I've given Toast another try because it's an awesome spot to have a great lunch!

One of the best places in Durham for lunch hands down. Great food every time I go with plenty of charm

Okay, so I learned that not EVERY single item on the menu is a must-get. I sort of realized this when my friend was picking off the vegetable (it was purple and bitter - don't know what it is) off of the shrimp bruschetta. Apparently it's good with the shrimp, but it's pretty strong if you eat it by itself. (I ate it by itself. It wasn't very good). I came here another time to try the merguez & chickpea bruschetta, which I was really curious about because I loved merguez sausage in Paris, but this was NOT the same thing. Oops. So it may just have been my disappointed expectations, but I actually didn't like the sausage very much. I took a friend here for the first time and we split it, and she actually loved it. So ... it's up to you. I also didn't like how messy it was. That said, I stand by my other reviews; I've gotten AMAZING food here. The grilled chicken panini, the mortadella, and the rapini are all excellent, excellent choices. I think I'm just partial to paninis. Lunch time can be hectic and crowded, but I've always been able to get a seat (in the nick of time though - they're not readily available). Also, get a lovely Italian candy. They're really, really good. (Only if you like hard candies and surprise centers :D). I got the hazelnut one, which was really a party in my mouth. A surprise party.

The crostinis here are great! You can get your choice of three with a cup of soup or small green salad for $10. One of my personal favorites is the goat cheese, honey and black pepper. The food is always fresh and delicious!

Solid 3.5 stars. Restaurant was cute but it didn't blow our minds. A few suggestions: - Bread was very average. Sourdough would have made the sandwiches stand out! - Soups: I would keep tomato basil on the menu as a regular item. The options were very obscure and even the minestrone was full of lentil. - Grilled Cheese: the flavors were too strong. There should be a basic grilled cheese, a kid's version, that is simple and has a less harsh flavor profile.

This was a MOST amazing meal! Super delicious crostini - you choose 3 plus soup or salad for $10! Had 2 of the soup specials plus the crostins aren't 3 - there is 2 of each! Absolutely delicious! Paired with a house recommended white wine. Superb summer dinner! Can't wait to return.