"We had such a great dining experience at Alley 26! The atmosphere is vibrant yet relaxed, with the brick-lined alleyway, string lights, and colorful flags making it feel cozy and special. It’s the kind of place where you can linger over a meal and enjoy both the food and the company. Food & Drinks: The cucumber and onion salad was light, tangy, and refreshing, a perfect starter. Both burgers were excellent: one topped with a fried egg and arugula, the other with bacon and melty cheese. The fries were crisp, golden, and seasoned just right. The crab dip with wonton chips was indulgent and flavorful, with the chips fried to a perfect crunch. And the key lime pie was the star of dessert—tart, creamy, and beautifully presented with whipped cream and lime zest. Service: The service was attentive without being overbearing. Everything came out fresh and nicely timed, and the staff made us feel welcome and unrushed. Overall: Alley 26 is more than just a cocktail bar—it’s a gem for a full dining experience. Whether you’re stopping by for drinks and small plates or settling in for a full meal and dessert, it delivers on quality and atmosphere. Highly recommend for a night out in Durham. 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟"

"Fantastic burger- and every single appetizer was an absolute treat. Immensely high quality ingredients and inventive combinations and recipe make for an overall innovative and tasty dining experience. Good portion sizes and not too pricey for the quality and quantity of food you get."

"We really did eat in the alley. It might not be the largest menu, but it has a whole bunch of interesting things on it. In fact, my partner and I could not decide what to get so we got a whole bunch of dishes and shared them it is up there on one of the best burgers I’ve had in recent history. My partner really enjoyed the pork belly with kimchi and the deviled eggs are tasty. They make their own tonic and we had some gin and tonics. It was a fun overall experience."

"We had a wonderful evening in this place. Cocktails, oysters, ribs and dessert - everything was so delicious! Friendly service and a wonderful atmosphere! I recommend it for a meeting with friends and loved ones."

"Atmosphere and staff are nice, very knowledgeable and skilled and attentive. Everything is definitely on the expensive side. Drinks and custom cocktails are around $15-20. We got the Mexican Herbalist and the Alley Cocktail both were very strong. The Alley Cocktail was a little overpowered with the whiskey flavor. We also got the fried chicken biscuit they made for the Biscuits and Banjos music festival. It was a sweet cornmeal biscuit in goat fat but it was a bit burnt, mild but nice fried crunchy chicken piece, and some tasty collard greens which could have been added in a higher quantity for its flavor profile. ******I noticed our biscuit chicken piece was half the size of the other customers, which I did not appreciate for paying $16 for it."