Dame's Chicken and Waffles

The food here is amazingly delicious! The food has so much flavor.I had The Dueling Rosters with a side of Ceci's cheesy mac. I also had the Baby Blueberry and Strawberry Crème smear. Everything I ate was so good. It tasted so good that my youngest helped me finish my lunch. It's not often that I feel like I eat a meal and every item is the star but this was the case with this meal. The mac and cheese was one of the more interesting and different flavored mac and cheeses I've ever had and I loved it.The staff was friendly and the wait wasn't long when we arrived. I would be mindful of going during busy times.If you've never eaten here, you're missing out and should definitely go.

Went here after a recommendation from a friend. She recommended this location of Dames in particular. We stopped by on a weekend morning without a reservation with a party of 4 and were quoted a 45 minute wait - the wait was closer to 20 as we got seated quite quickly after walking around the shopping center. Service was good and fast. Food came out super fast too. There were so many options for butter, which surprised me as a someone from the dc area. Can't wait to come back!

The past few times I've been to Dame's it has been lackluster. Service OK, but hardly enthusiastic. Food good, but not great. But the WAIT times for food have been insane. Close to 45 minutes each of my last time visits from the time I ordered until the food hit the table. For WAFFLES and FRIED CHICKEN. There's no way it should take this long. As I looked around the mostly empty restaurant, I found that the other tables were all waiting for food as well. Dames is an institution in Durham and a place that I would *like* to want to take out of town guests and the like, but I just can't recommend Dame's anymore and sadly, I won't be going back again soon.

This restaurant is always a delight. Everything on the menu is worth recommending. While the service can feel a bit slow at times, the perfectly seasoned and cooked chicken, along with the flavorful schmears (flavored butter), make the experience fantastic. Though the ambiance is simple and not particularly fancy, the quality of the food and service more than make up for it.

I ordered some food to go here. The chicken was phenomenal! Because it was a pick up order, I got to choose one sauce. I ended up doing the Calypso sauce. It was more like a BBQ. I would've likely chosen something else because I wasn't expecting a "BBQ-esque" type sauce but it still had very nice flavor. The chicken was seasons and fried perfectly! I wish I was able to order a combination of drumstick/wings in a single meal order that was coupled with a waffle. The only way I could do that on an online pick up order would've been to order multiple meals. The service was quick and they gave me everything I needed in my to go bag that I requested. I wasn't a huge fan of the sides. The Mac and cheese had a strong seasoning that I felt overpowered the Mac and cheese. It was also more "pasta like" and less like the thick and creamy Mac and cheese I'm looking for when getting soul food. The waffle didn't travel super well. It ended up being a little soft because of the way it was packed in the to go plate. It was okay but I think it would've been much better if I ate it at the restaurant fresh. I also ordered fruit. And I like how they actually let you know what kind of fruit they will be giving you. "Fruit" can be vague without a description. It's helpful to know what's included so I appreciated that. Overall I'd go again and likely pivot and try new sides. Definitely add this to your list but I suggest dining in for a more elevated experience.

Some of the best chicken I've had in awhile. Everything was great. The Mac and cheese and greens were top tier. Customer service was great too. This was my first time and I'm not sure if it was the manager ? But he was helpful in making sure I knew about the menu. I come to Durham about once a month and I'm mad nobody has told me about this spot. I'll definitely be back everytime I'm in the city!

Food was great - and fun. The service is a little slow so this isn't a place to go when you're hangry - more of a leisurely brunch joint. It's a bit pricey but the food quality is solid so will still come again.

I'd been meaning to try Dame's Chicken and Waffles for a while and it just happened to be a few doors down from CapriFlavors. I was greeted when I arrived and seated right by one of the doors so it was cold at my seat and I noticed most of the other patrons had kept their jackets on. For some reason the door wasn't shut completely either. Service was friendly at first and my order came out fairly quickly but it was so slow to get the check. Groups that came in after me that had a different server left long before I received my check. There was a wait to get a seat at the restaurant by this point too. It was rather empty when I arrived. You'd think they'd want to turn over the tables. The tables did not seem too clean either.I went with the sweet potato waffle; a chicken cutlet and blueberry schmear. When it was brought out I could tell the chicken was overcooked. It wasn't just mine as I looked at what the other tables were getting. I didn't taste the sweet potato at all. I did like the blueberry schmear. I don't see myself returning here for a meal again.

10/13/23: My boyfriend raved about this place for the longest time. He was dying to bring me & swore up and down that I'd love it. I think that review was a bit overrated. Though I love chicken & like waffles, this place was underwhelming. We were seated quickly. The place had a decent amount of customers eating and waiting on food.I took my time reviewing the menu. I thought they'd have more for me to choose from, but they didn't. They had all kinds of smears to go on the waffle but I just ended up ordering a waffle, wings, and regular butter with fruit on the side. My boyfriend got a waffle and chicken cutlet. The food came out WARM. The waffle & chicken wings were soggy. I ate what I could and then asked for a to go box. The waitress was doing a lot, so she was slow to check back on us, to bring the box, and to bring the check. When she finally brought the check, she ended up venting about other customers she had earlier who weren't the nicest. We get it but keep that to yourself. For the price of that food, we could've went to Chick-fil-A, saved money, & I would've been happier. The food just wasn't fresh & I don't like soggy food. Luckily my boyfriend is greedy and ended up eating my leftovers later that night. So, it didn't go to waste. They need more staff. Maybe the hostess can get off of her cellphone and pitch in from time to time. Every time I looked up at her, she was on her phone. I don't plan to go back.

Restaurant full when we arrived but we were sat immediately. Maria S provided exceptional service. Very upbeat and sweet. Even brewed another pot of coffee for us. Chicken was hot and well seasoned. Mac and cheese and collards were the best we've had here. Our last experience wasn't the best but glad we gave it another shot today. Kudos to the wait staff and kitchen team.