This is a review for Debbie Lous Biscuit Sandwich Shop since I cant seem to add this part of the True Flavors family as a separate restaurant in Google. In the former location of Baby Scratch they have their menu board on the wall to the left. Lots of variety and monster biscuit sandwiches. We had the Dirty Chicken biscuit and Cajun duck biscuit and both were delicious. They are still in ther first few months of opening so not totally organized, but great service and food nonetheless. Most of the parking is down the hill behind the restaurant in the shopping center parking lot so lots of space. Well be back!
Food was really good but they don’t even have one vegan/vegetarian menu option that’s worth modifying so you can order from the sides. That said, some of the best green beans I’ve had. Parking in the main parking lot is limited to two spots and two handicap spots. Park around the corner on the street or in the dollar general parking lot.Update:Lowered my rating after another visit. The food is still amazing but the sever ice seems off. I had thought I was because of them just opening recently but they have had time to work the kinks out and they are still there.
Welp! This was a true testament of how an awful experience trumps great food. If the restaurant is open until 3, your attitude shouldnt check out at 2. Apparently they ran out of chicken, and given the BAD customer service, assumed that people should stop coming in. Managers plz tell Jabriah; that its ok to answer questions about the menu, its ok to be on one accord with the chef, and its ok if the guests have questions.... We Are PAYING to eat here!!!!
The chicken was juicy and good. It had a nice crunchy batter. Akin to the corn flakes fried chicken but I dont know what they used it just reminded me of chicken like that. The blueberry waffles were ok. They could have been a little more moist for me. But all in all Id come again and try something else. The ambience was nice and the staff were friendly. Id recommend and Id return.
My husband and I arrived, excited to try out True Flavors for the very first time. We read the reviews, and hoped to have a positive experience. Their Facebook page (see photo) listed Sunday brunch hours until 4:30 pm. We walked in at 1:45 pm on 6/16/19 (Fathers Day). We stood inside the front door for about 45 seconds, servers bustling around us, but no one greeting us. The hostess walked up to us, and stated, while looking at her phone, Let me see what time it is. OK, you all got here just in time. We are closing in 15 minutes. Follow me to your seat. My husband and I followed her to our seats but had blank stares and confusion on our faces. We were given menus by the hostess and proceeded to look them over. 10 minutes passed by before a server took our order. 10 minutes!!!! We were one of 3 tables seated. This server took our order because I stopped her. We were not her table, but she is the reason we stayed. We talked with her while she took our order. She apologized profusely and did her very best to make sure the rest of our visit was pleasant. IF my husband and I return, we will not stay unless she is our server. That is how much of a difference she made. Everyone else was busy with their side stations. Filling condiment bottles, sweeping rugs, rolling silverware, talking among themselves, etc.- The food - I really enjoyed my dish. I ordered the Blueberry chicken and waffles, but they were out of blueberries. I ended up having chicken and waffles. The buttery grits were really good too. My husband had the Shrimp and Grits. He enjoyed them as well. We did not get to taste the biscuits that True Flavors is knows for. They were out of those as well.- The service - Let me chat about the service again. We were about to walk right out with the hostess greeting we received, but hoped it would get better. The server explained why the restaurant was closing earlier than the posted time of 4:30 pm. The business volume was too light to support keeping the wait and cook staff on the clock. Their business model supports everyone working or no one working versus letting some people go home, while others stay, when business gets slow. That would have been great to explain to the two people that walked in the restaurant at 2 pm and were turned away. Afterwards, they locked the doors. I actually told the staff they should put out a closed sign. People were walking up to the restaurant, trying the doors and couldnt understand why they couldnt get in (I guess they saw the Facebook post too). For the sake of wanting more prosperous businesses in the Lakewood area, I hope this diner gets better. For now, here is my advice. If you are dining in after 12 pm, call before you go, to make sure they are going to be open.
Walked in and was immediately greeted by a very pleasant host! He sat us promptly. Our server was kind and upbeat. Our food came out quickly and was delicious. The food was also very visually appealing. Our daughters kids meal came out first and I wanted to dive in! We are vegetarian and substitutions were made easily. As I looked around, everyone seemed well taken care of and the rest of the wait staff had smiles on their faces. Would definitely recommend and will be returning!
The food was good, but the service was horrendous. We were a large group, and the place was empty, but were told they couldnt move more than 2 small tables together because they were about to get really busy. They squished 8 adults plus a baby into two tables meant for 2 people each. They provided a highchair which we flipped over and placed the carrier on. The food arrived and they wouldnt help us figure out how to make all the food fit on the table. They kept using the spot in front of the baby to place cups and pour the coffee. About halfway through the meal they inform us that we cannot keep the highchair like this and it must be removed immediately (while I understand they may not want this, it took over 30 minutes of them serving on top of the kid to realize this?). Ironically, the place never got any busier and they ended up using other surrounding tables to just hold coffee pots so they didnt need to walk back to the kitchen all the time. The small table beside us was also unoccupied the entire time we were there. Finally, they asked if we wanted separate checks. When I received mine, I indicated that there was a coffee I never ordered. They refused to remove it and explained to me that it was alright since they mixed it up and I was paying for a drink someone else at the table had. This dining experience was so bizarre, I can only conclude they did not want us there, and I am happy to never return.
I was conflicted about how many stars to give this location. I love the original location, and have gotten great food and service there. This one is closer to my house, so really want to like it.To start with the good: the space is open and airy, and there is lots of free parking in the strip mall right next to the restaurant. The fried chicken was well seasoned and crispy and moist. My daughter got biscuits and gravy. The biscuits were flaky and tender. Gravy well seasoned.On the negative side: one of our party had her pancakes come out raw in the center. My food was only lukewarm, and some of my potatoes were not cooked all the way through. It took a really long time for our food to come out, and it wasnt even crowded. Our server was really rude (I actually kind of wonder if she had something going on personally, she just seemed mad.)The food was good enough Ill give them another chance. Hoping these are just growing pains.
LUV the location on Hwy. 55, so I expected the same (or better) service, ambience and delicious food. Needless to say, I will not visit the Lakewood establishment again.My daughter and I went for my belated Birthday lunch on June 2, 2019. She had shrimp & grits and I ordered a lobster omelette. The server finally came to our table, no greeting and asked what we wanted to drink. She didn’t offer her name (short with a purple head band and black pants that needed a good lint roller). She finally brought the drinks and eventually the two little biscuits. I asked for more preserves and biscuits, only to learn that “extra” biscuits are 3 for $3.50”!!!One of the servers locked the front door at 2pm, so no one else could enter. They certainly don’t close at 2 and chose to ignore people (at least 8) who were trying to come inside.The server asked if we were done with our ketchup and proceeded to take the bottle. Another young girl gathered all of the ketchup bottles, sat at the large green, circular booth and refilled them, wiping the sides (from overflow) with a dirty towel. I wonder what ever happens to the bottom of the ketchup bottles, that never gets used?!?!From the dirty clothes worn by one of the cooks, to the unfriendly servers and the total absence of customer appreciation, this was my first and last visit to the Lakewood spot!!
Surprise! What a great place for a sumptuous breakfast at a reasonable price. Had the waffles and chicken - outstanding, and the coffee was excellent. The service was truly awesome. I highly recommend this restaurant!
Looked up the menu online to place a go-to order. They pleasantly answered the phone and when I requested the Farmers Hash with sweet potatoes I was told that had been replaced with Kale After asking for clarification if the there was still a Farmers Hash without sweet potatoes, the woman became rather short. I understandingly cited the menu online was needing to be updated and she became rather rude with no departing salutation even after I thanked her.Decided we wont be patrons of this establishment based off this experience.
I would not recommend under any circumstances and here’s why...After the year we’ve all had thus far and the challenges that businesses have faced as a result of this pandemic, the last thing that a consumer expects is that they would receive subpar service (over the phone) from a restaurant. Well, enter True Flavors Diner on Lakewood.After unsuccessfully attempting to order last weekend based on the hours listed on the website, I was turned around because they stated that they were closed. No problem at all, I just decided that I would try again today. After experiencing some technical issues with True Flavors website and multiple failed attempts at refreshing my computer and phone in hopes of rectifying the issue, it was to no avail. So I decided to call in my order.When I called and a woman answered the phone and I stated that I would like to place an order for pick-up. She said “you can do that online.” I responded by saying “I did try, but I’m experiencing some technical issues in accessing it which is why I’m calling to order over the phone.” She replied, “well I can’t take your order, I have to keep the phone lines open for curbside service. Try refreshing your screen.” I said, “Ma’am I did try that several times, but to no avail.” She then says, “well I can’t help you, I have 17 cars waiting outside.” I said, “well, may I come to the location and just place my order there?” She said, “you can come and scan the code that takes you to our website to order online.” I then said, “how would that help me if I’m currently experiencing issues with the website? Can’t I just order over the phone?” She says, “I don’t have time to take your order over the phone.” I then replied by saying “I will be quick, I actually know what I want.” She said, “it’s going to take too long because I have to get your credit card number and information and I don’t have time.”The first thing that I would like to note is that in the time she took to decline taking my order over the phone, she could’ve had my order and payment info completed. She clearly was just too lazy to do so. Second, to assume that (1) your website won’t have technical issues that prevent customers from ordering online and/or (2) not acknowledge that some customers do not have internet access is signs of poor management and ownership. My grandmother is 95 years young, still in great health, drives herself, cooks for herself, etc. She does not have a computer or cell phone to access online ordering. So for a business to disregard an entire subset of the population who do not have access to technology or know how to operate it is careless and inconsiderate on the True Flavors part. Third, I’m wondering how she could see 17 cars waiting outside and the “parking lot” only has THREE handicapped parking spaces? If you are trying to park there you either have to park on the street around the corner or in the retail parking lot that sits behind/to the side of the restaurant. The point is, it’s not possible for 17 cars to even be visible from the restaurants vantage point so this was a bold face lie. Lastly, I requested to speak to a manager before disconnecting the call and the woman replied, “Ma’am I am the owner, what can I do for you?” All I could do is shake my head.This entire experience is a bit mind-blowing to me, but if a business owner and a business does not have the “time” to meet your needs as a customer by simply taking a phone order then they are not deserving of your or my business. Marketing 101 teaches us that it is easier to retain an existing customer than it is to go out and find a new one. Clearly this business did not get that memo. Needless to say, True Flavors Diner will not see another penny of my money ever again. The food itself is not even good enough to overlook this incident.If you are anything like me, meaning you appreciate quality customer service and doing business with people who value your business, then take my advice and steer clear of this place—both locations!
The Turkey Hash was absolutely amazing! The ambience, decor, staff, and service all top notch! Although I rate this place as 5-star worthy is because they really are....my little bitty selfish complaint is the cost of the delicious coffee. Perhaps consider dropping it by .50 or 1.00! Nevertheless, I will be back...again and again!
Great location, friendly service. Clean. Breakfast includes a broad array of standards and crafted southern-influenced creatives. Menu layout needs a rev for clarity. Cloth napkins, lots of booths. Good drip coffee. Paper straws, casual atmosphere.
The food was incredible, the service equivalently remarkable- but not in a positive way. Our table was set with dirty dishes, when we let our server know he told us that wasn’t possible as they are sanitized at a high temperature. As a server myself, I know this response is unacceptable as well as disrespectful. The dirt on my plate should have proven this. It was a bad first impression for our first visit, not to mention brining my family from out of town here. I would like to say the delicious food made up for it... while it was great food, nothing could repair the actions of our snotty server. I won’t be returning.
We tried to eat there recently on a slow Saturday morning - at least 10 empty tables at 10am. There were three of us waiting on a forth and they refused to seat us until the last person arrived. I gently pointed out that our person was only a few minutes away and that there were lots of empty tables but the host snapped at me about that being their rule. It finally made sense why it was slow on a Saturday. We went to Hope Valley Diner instead and were warmly welcomed. Good luck with your rules.
Food was amazing. Very flavorful. Portions were very large. Sat down immediately on a Saturday morning for a later brunch. Service was great.
Drove to the Hwy 55 location for Fathers Day breakfast to find it was closed. Called their number and the recording said the Lakewood location was open. Drove to the Lakewood location to find they were closed too. There was no sign on either door or a notice online saying they were closed.
Oh my gosh! The food here is amazing! We love this place! And the service is always friendly and helpful.
Plate-sized pancakes with perfect eggs over easy and bacon would satisfy a lumberjack. Authentic diner ambiance (but not prices), good service, varied and creative menu. Well worth giving it a try. Booze not available until late Sept.
The food is great however the service has kept me from coming back. Ive been here 5 times hoping it would be better than the last. It wasnt. Ive never had a positive service experience here and one time even had to walk out. Save yourself the trouble and go to the hwy55 location. The service and food is always great at that location. Im honestly surprised this location is still open. The service is that bad.
This is the second location of this local diner. The food is great and the service was excellent. The complimentary biscuits make the meal and though the space could feel cold their ambiance keeps it from feeling that way. Highly recommend for a large breakfast or brunch. Will be back!
Delicious southern breakfast. Stylish interior. Waiter was very nice and helpful picking items. Reasonably priced.
The food is consistently good, but I was disappointed in the service. Example: Sunday afternoon the waiter declined to serve any hot coffee to patrons because it was getting close to an hour before closing time. Instead, he brought room-temp coffee and didnt charge me... How much can it cost to buy a jar of instant and boil some water? Management decision?
Awful experience. After ordering and waiting for 30 minutes we were told that our “ticket didn’t print” and that they just put the order in. Stupidly I assume that meant they would expedite the order since we had been waiting for a awhile. After waiting another 30 minutes with no food the manager/greeter happens to come by our table. After explaining the situation she goes to the kitchen to check on our order. Instead of returning with our food and/or an apology she instead acts like we had no reason to complain despite waiting an hour for our order. She was quite confrontational. At that point we leave without eating. The food may well be great but I will never find out. Probably my worst restaurant experience ever.
True Flavors is a hidden gem! The atmosphere is warm and comfy. The food is great! Quan, the manager, made was very accommodating and provide excellent customer service.
Pretty Great Food 👌🏾 Friendly service! Just one thing, if I will; cups and silver ware were a little unclean. My overall visit was excellent 😊
The food was tasty but sadly the service was sporadic. My boyfriends order was wrong and he made staff aware of that but he didnt get everything he wanted. Also our waiter seemed to focus on his larger table more than the smaller tables. And he was so preoccupied that the host was helping. There needs to be a better system of service and attention to detail.
Coffee creamer was sooiled, crab cake Benedict came out ice cold, Duke grit bowl was extremely salty and had enough sauce to call a soup. Food didnt come out at the same time even though the crab came out first cold. Service was fine though
One of the best brunches Ive ever had. The brunch staples are done incredibly well and there are also several unique dishes to try. Cant wait for the rooftop to open and hopefully some dinner hours once they get going.
Excellent food, service and decor. My husband and I were both delighted. The onion rings are a bit of heaven. Come with an appetite as the servings are generous.
Fun menu. Nice location. However, the food was overly salted. This was true for several in our party. Sadly, this was true even for the otherwise yummy biscuits & house made jam.
Visited for brunch. Our dishes came out extremely quickly. Unfortunately, my fried chicken was room temp at best. Worse yet, the grits were not properly cooked - tasted like someone added an extra scoop of uncooked grits at the end and just mixed it in. They were nicely salted, but were runny and otherwise inedible. Service was sufficiently friendly, but disinterested.
I love True Flavors! So affordable, the food is delicious and I always go home with a meal or two worth of leftovers. The biscuuuuits and homemade jam though...yum, I want to go right now!
Sad to see some negative reviews, because the food here was mind-bogglingly good. Service was fantastic too, but we went on a weekday that was very slow. Some of the best food Ive had in Durham.
Nice, low-key, informal place with really good food focused on breakfast/brunch items. Good grits bowels, both vegetarian and not.
Everything was OK until I ate a spoonful of grits ... THEY WERE COVERED IN SUGAR! The menu called them Creamy Buttered Grits and did not say anything about sugar ... I asked my dining companion to taste his and they were covered in sugar as well, so it doesnt appear to be an accident. I was so grossed out it kind of ruined my meal. Who puts sugar on grits?
The food is phenomenal. This is the True Eggs Benedict dish with cilantro hollandaise sauce, complete with 2 perfectly-poached runny yolk eggs also with candadian bacon and traditional bacon. It is quite delicious. My eating partner had the Blueberry Waffles and Fried Chicken breakfast and it was scrumptulescent! Watch out for the Roasted Green Tomato Bloody Mary though, it is extremely smokey and spicy with jalapenos.
Their duck omelette is to die for. Also their shrimp and grits. If you like fried chicke, the dirty bird or the blueberry waffles and chicken will definitely blow your mind.
Great new location. Not the same vibe as the orginal but still great food!
This restaurant was very disappointing. The location has essentially no parking. The wait staff are very slow and inattentive. The food was put together sloppily. They didnt get my order correct and when I asked them to help correct it, they did nothing to resolve the problem. The manager came by and asked if everything is ok and I also told her about the incorrect order which she did nothing as well. It was a very unpleasant experience.
I live in the neighborhood, heard about the restaurant and really wanted to give it a try. We waited at the door for a while, the waiter that was taking an order directly in front of us, never recognized us. Finally, I sat down knowing the section was probably closed off until the other was full. I observed the tables close together and didnt want anyone listening to our conversation. The couple that came in after us, was seated and served and we were ignored. My son felt that our race played a part... he said, see ma.
Everything on the menu is top notch, but the buscuits (and the rotating homemade jams) will the your life. The duck hash and lobster omelet are highly recommended.
Amazing food and service! Definitely going to be back soon! And black owned!
True Flavors is SO GOOD i cannot stress this enough!! And they give you huge plates of food! Im always taking food home 😂
Must go and try the hash, grit bowls, burgers or sandwiches. During the week the dinner plates are delightful.
All you need to know about this place can be summed up shortly: this is the best place for breakfast in Durham, hands down.
Food was delicious, great portions, amicable staff. I Quist place to have a chat and lunch with a friend
The staff was very nice and the grilled cheese was amazing.
Love your location on Hwy 55, cant wait to try your new spot in Lakewood.
Quite a long wait. Biscuits and gravy tasted only of thyme. Like a lot of thyme.
One of my favorite new places in Durham. I wanted to hate anything going into that building after what they did to our beloved Phoebe but the food is just too good!
I had a to go order, but the buildout is nice. I’ll eat in next time.The menu is creative but indulgent: don’t come looking for a low-fat egg white omelette! This isn’t that place.That being said, DO come here on a cheat day and get the Duck Hash. Holy smokes. After the first bite, I thought: “well, this is pretty darn good. Glad I ordered it.” Then I got a pork cracklin’ bite, and as I was rocketed toward flavor and texture Valhalla, I realized how next level this brunch is.Having lived in Charleston for a dozen years, I thought I was done with “Southern brunch food.” There’re only so many ways to make a Benedict, right? And once you’ve had [insert seafood] and grits for the jillionth time, you just yearn for a breakfast salad. Reading through the menu and having this ridiculously good Duck Hash has told me everything I need to know about True Flavors: the menu is creative, and the execution is on point.I, for one, hope they stick around Lakewood for a while. It’s a solid addition to the neighborhood. Welcome, y’all.
Great food! Comfy
Good food figured they would use more seasoning based on the name
Food is great, the service could use a little polish.
The food is outstanding, authentic dishes and hefty portions.
Me and a guest Waited over 15 mins to get seated on a half empty restaurant one I was going to get seated I asked the lady for a booth and she told me there only for party of 4 I insisted on sitting there since it was only us and 3 other tables she told us no in a rude manner so we walked out
Great food & atmosphere
This place is walking distance from my home. A little pricy, but definitely worth it. They are only open on weekends presently.
Food is usually ok, service is usually awful.
The creamiest grits, and amazing breakfast!
Bad service, mediocre food that took to long, and giant serving sizes with no real options for to-go boxes
Food was very good, service was ok.
Over priced. Terrible service. Marginal food
The food was good but the service was terrible. We couldnt order anything with chicken because they ran out.
Interesting and tasty menu items.
The chicken and waffles was amazing!
Omg Goodness.food was delicious.
Best brunch in the area.
Lobster chiliquilles was amazing
Wonderful unique food
Great biscuits!
Excellent experience.
Fantastic food!
Great food!
Chicken and waffles yall.
Great!
Fabulous!!! True Food!!!
- Address:2022 Chapel Hill Rd, Durham, NC 27707, United States
- Site:http://trueflavorsdiner.com/
- Phone:+1 919-294-9757
- Diner
- Breakfast restaurant
- Brunch restaurant
- Restaurant
- Pancake restaurant
- Monday:Closed
- Tuesday:Closed
- Wednesday:Closed
- Thursday:Closed
- Friday:Closed
- Saturday:Closed
- Sunday:8AM–2PM
- Takeout:Yes
- Delivery:No
- Dine-in:No
- Great coffee:Yes
- Breakfast:Yes
- Lunch:Yes
- Solo dining:Yes
- Wheelchair accessible entrance:Yes
- Coffee:Yes
- Comfort food:Yes
- Quick bite:Yes
- Dessert:Yes
- High chairs:Yes
- Casual:Yes
- Cozy:Yes
- Groups:Yes
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