Breakfast and coffee in Durham: Ninth Street, downtown and Lakewood

Last checked Oct. 12, 2026. Refreshed every three months.

Durham’s breakfast places and coffee shops cluster around Ninth Street and Broad Street by Duke’s East Campus, and downtown from Geer Street to the American Tobacco Campus. There is a second group in south Durham, in Lakewood, along Durham-Chapel Hill Boulevard and on Hope Valley Road at Woodcroft.

How we made this list. The places come from OpenStreetMap records inside Durham’s city limits, the same data behind our local directory, checked against each place’s own website on Oct. 12, 2026. Joe Van Gogh’s SouthCourt cafe was added from the company’s own site. National chains (Starbucks, Dunkin’, IHOP, Waffle House, First Watch) are left out. The Big C Waffles and Country Junction sites no longer load, and People’s Coffee’s site was blocked to us. For brunch, see our brunch list. The list is alphabetical. It is not a ranking or a recommendation, and nobody paid to be on it. Run one of these places? Write to us to correct your entry.

The list

The places

Cocoa Cinnamon is the cafe side of Little Waves Coffee, which roasts its own beans. Its three Durham shops, in Lakewood (beside the roastery), Old North Durham and Old West Durham, all say they have indoor and outdoor seating, and all take pickup orders online.

Elmo’s Diner on Ninth Street, near Duke’s East Campus, has served breakfast and lunch in Durham for more than 20 years, with weekend brunch specials. See also our directory listing.

Foster’s Market on Durham-Chapel Hill Boulevard is a cafe and market open 363 days a year, with dining in, outdoors or to go, and catering. See also our directory listing.

GRUB Durham on West Chapel Hill Street serves breakfast every day until 3 p.m., then a short evening service Friday to Sunday. It has an event space and caters. See also our directory listing.

Isaac’s Bagels on West Chapel Hill Street, west of downtown, is a bagel shop open six mornings a week.

Joe Van Gogh is a Triangle coffee roaster with three Durham cafes. The Broad Street shop near Duke was renovated in 2022, Woodcroft has big front windows on Hope Valley Road, and SouthCourt, off U.S. 15-501 in an office park, has an outdoor patio and weekday hours only.

Mad Hatter’s Cafe and Bakeshop on West Main Street is a cafe, bakery and caterer that also makes wedding cakes. See also our directory listing.

Monuts on Ninth Street is a doughnut shop and bakery that takes same-day orders and caters. See also our directory listing.

Nosh lists two Durham cafes on its site, on Erwin Road near Duke’s West Campus and on Broad Street, with different hours.

Press Coffee, Crepes & Cocktails on the American Tobacco Campus has an espresso bar, a cocktail bar and a seated crepe bar. It does not take reservations but offers call-ahead seating on weekends. See also our directory listing.

Yonderlust Cafe on North Gregson Street downtown is a cafe inside an outdoor-gear store. The store keeps shorter hours than the cafe. See also our directory listing.

More where-to-eat lists

• Where to eat in Durham: all the lists
• Brunch in Durham and bakeries
• Ice cream and desserts
• Patios and outdoor dining
• Restaurant inspection scores in Durham County
• Our local business directory

Frequently asked questions

Where can I get breakfast in Durham?

Elmo’s Diner on Ninth Street opens at 7 a.m. daily, GRUB Durham serves breakfast until 3 p.m. every day, Foster’s Market is open from 9 a.m. daily, and Isaac’s Bagels on West Chapel Hill Street opens at 7 a.m. Tuesday to Sunday.

What is the earliest coffee shop open in Durham?

Joe Van Gogh’s Broad Street and Woodcroft cafes open at 6:30 a.m. every day. Cocoa Cinnamon’s Old North Durham and Old West Durham shops and Press Coffee open at 7 a.m. on weekdays.

Which Durham coffee shops have outdoor seating?

All three Cocoa Cinnamon shops say they have indoor and outdoor seating, Joe Van Gogh SouthCourt has an outdoor patio, and Foster’s Market offers outdoor dining.

Where can I get coffee near the Durham Bulls ballpark?

Press Coffee, Crepes & Cocktails is at 359 Blackwell St. on the American Tobacco Campus, open 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for weekend brunch.