Yesterday after our tour of the Duke University Campus, we ate lunch at Parker and Otis. You can eat breakfast or lunch here or you can grab a cup of coffee, a bottle of wine or shop for specialty foods, cheese, candy, bath products, cookbooks, and stuff for your kitchen. It is a little like Dean and Deluca, only with a more funky, less-reserved vibe.

Parker and Otis was opened by Jennings Brody  in a renovated tobacco warehouse in the Brightleaf District of historic downtown Durham. The city of Durham has done a wonderful job of transforming itself from a place that there was no reason to visit and was known for its high crime to a place that was recently named by the NY Times as one of the top 41 places to go this year (in the world!).

There is not much parking out front (just along the street), but there is a large parking lot behind the building. Enter by way of the porch off the back which also serves as a large outdoor eating area. Upon entering the back door, there is a coffee counter to the right and a small nook to the left with shelves of cookbooks. Keep walking and there are 8,000 square feet of restaurant and specialty store intermingled together. The floors are pine, the walls are exposed brick, and the ceilings soar 30 feet high. There is so much stuff that it can be a little visually bewildering. In addition to all the stuff, there are lots and lots of people. It was crowded when we went and it apparently stays that way most of the time.

Assortment of Chocolates

Le Creuset Cookware- love the colors

Orders are placed at the counter and you are pretty much on the honor system as far as paying goes. You order your drink at the counter and then get it yourself out of the drink cooler which is nowhere near the counter. Once you order, you tell them whether you are eating inside or outside and they bring the food to you. We wanted to sit outside on the expansive patio, but there wasn’t an available table.  Instead we ate inside and it was a little noisy, but I passed the time waiting for our food by looking at all of the food products and kitchen gadgets for sale.

Line to get food- it really moves quickly

I bought a bottle of Cackylacky Sauce, a unique sweet potato based sauce made in nearby Chapel Hill.

Parker and Otis focuses on using as many local ingredients as possible. The eggs come from Latta’s Egg Ranch in Hillsborough, NC, dairy products are from Homeland Creamery in Julian, NC, bread is freshly baked at Rue Cler Bakery in Durham, and coffee is Durham’s own Counter Culture Coffee.

For lunch I chose the curried chicken salad sandwich with mango, grapes, and field greens on sunflower bread. It was a large sandwich with big chunks of white meat, lots of curry flavor, and impeccably fresh greens. The sunflower bread was fantastic with a nice, chewy crust – the way real bread is supposed to be.

My husband had the Salami and Cheddar Panini with red onion and pepperoncini on sourdough ($6.99).

My son tried the Muffaletta and we split a carrot cake cupcake. The cupcake was incredible with a frosting both lighter and sweeter than the normal cream cheese frosting.

Muffaletta with Mushroom Soup and Carrot Cupcake

Other sandwich options include Fontina, artichoke hearts, roasted red peppers and spinach panini on sourdough ($7.99), White bean spread, avocado, red onion, sprouts, and tomato on sunflower bread ($6.99), and Grilled Pimiento Cheese Sandwich on sourdough ($5.99).

All sandwiches come with a side of coleslaw which is composed of fresh, crispy green and red cabbage with just a light dressing that has a hint of sweetness. Substitutions can be made for an upcharge.

Parker and Otis also carries Blenheim Root Beer (made in South Carolina) and Pure Cane Sugar Dr. Pepper.

When we were finished eating, we walked outside to discover the rain had returned and it was coming down hard.

We remained on the covered porch for a while and took in the sights.

Alligators on building behind Parker and Otis

Parker and Otis

open 7 days a week

112 S Duke St

Durham, NC 27701

919-683-3200