Aaktun Coffee, Restaurant, and Bar in Durham – A Tropical Interlude for the Bull City

If you’re a foodie in the Triangle, it’s likely you ate at one of the restaurants Chef Oscar Diaz has cooked at. From Cortez and Jose and Sons in Raleigh, to Little Bull in Durham, he’s helmed some of the best restaurants in the area offering twists on classic Latin-American eats. One of his newer concepts in Durham is Aaktun Coffee & Bar on Ramseur Street. This burgeoning area in E. Durham has been popping of late and after multiple visits to Aaktun, you can add one more great addition to the neighborhood! And while it’s hard to explain the Aaktun concept, I can certainly tell you it’s worth the time to visit. But I’m guessing when you visit can result in vastly different experiences. Read on and find out why, fellow foodie!

Aaktun Coffee, Restaurant and Bar, Durham – Location, Interior

If you’re visiting Aaktun for the first time, you might be surprised at what’s happening on this very busy section of Ramseur Street in Durham! From Ponysaurus across the way to Mezcalito on the corner, Aaktun sits in a low-slung charcoal gray brick with its name stenciled in white up front. Parking here can get tricky at times with all these businesses and eateries. But there’s usually a street space open on Ramseur Street, you just may have to go farther in.

As you head over to Aaktun, it’s hard to miss the large charcoal brick building with picnic tables up front. Pull open the front door and you’ll find yourself faced with a coffee counter and pastries on display. Now I’m sure the coffee and pastries are great at Aaktun but we’re here for a full meal! Wind your way down the hallway to the left, past the bathrooms and you’ll find yourself in a new space with hostess kiosk up front.

And here’s where the magic happens! While Aaktun is totally unassuming up front, the main dining room is beautifully designed and decorated. Soft pink velvet seating with green laminate tables are spread throughout the room with plenty of live greenery and plants for a tropical jungle feel. In the back you’ll find some large, semi-private tables tucked behind arches. A sinuous bar winds its way around the right corner with a beautiful backlit liquor bottle shelf which evokes modern Mexican art. You can tell a lot of thought and effort was put into Aaktun’s interior space and design.

 

Aaktun Coffee, Restaurant and Bar, Durham – Menu, Food

But if you’re dining with Chef Oscar, it’s all about the food amirite? Aaktun’s menu is focused on regional Mexican (Tulum inspired) eats and fruity cocktails. Start your meal off with one of their many beautiful cocktails, Aaktun does a great job with their drinkware and offers Tiki drinks in a variety of flavors, colors and shapes.

For starters, you can’t go wrong with the classic pan y butter, fluffy rolls dotted with pink peppercorns and served with soft creamy chili-butter! And the tots at Aaktun are spectacular, a meal unto themself. The totchos supreme is a large plate of crispy tots covered with cheese sauce, scrambled eggs, bacon, chorizo, beef and topped with avocado, delicious! Great for sharing with the table but keep an appetite for your mains.

Another menu specialty that Aaktun excels at is their seafood focused offerings. Think ceviche, poke, and more given the Tulum theme (coastal city) across their menu. The yuzu ceviche is excellent! Whitefish in a light citrus, wasabi wash with micro greens. The shoyu poke features tender cubes of tuna in a ginger-soy marinade and topped with mango. All the seafood here is fresh, well prepared and served up with bright, crisp flavors!

Moving to the main dishes at Aaktun, as you would expect, you can’t go wrong with their tacos (or pretty much any day or time in life). They come 3 to an order on a grilled corn tortilla and are well topped with sauce and accoutrements. And the loma saltado is a huge dish offering tender grilled steak on rice with onions and gravy, deelish! Overall I’ve found the prices at Aaktun to be well worth what you’re getting in terms of portion-size and creativity, a great combination.

 

Aaktun Coffee, Restaurant and Bar, Durham – Service, Conclusion

Over my multiple visits, service at Aaktun has been top-notch. The staff is well-trained, attentive and knows the menu well. Plates are cleared quickly and despite how busy Aaktun can get, the service levels are quite good. I’ve been dining at Aaktun for a while now and it definitely has evolved over time. Moving from a Latino-Asian menu to more of a tropical-Mexican slection. And I know that they often have DJs and dancing on the weekends, if you’re interested.

So what is Aaktun for you? It depends on when you visit! In the morning it’s likely a spot for coffee, pastries and a breakfast sandwich. From 11 to 9pm, it’ll be a brunch or dinner spot for you. And after 9pm, it’s likely more of a lounge or club. But all in all, it does an excellent job in the middle as a cafe, restaurant and bar. All in all I’ve been pretty impressed with how Chef Oscar (on Top Chef) has evolved this restaurant and it’s also pretty amazing to see all the development that’s occurred on this street over the past several years. While Aaktun may have been a bit of a novelty when it first opened, it’s quickly become a tried and true destination for Bull City diners!

 

Aaktun Coffee, Restaurant, and Bar
704 Ramseur St, Durham, NC 27701
919.251.9862

What is parking like for Aaktun Coffee, Restaurant, and Bar in Durham?	You’ll find street parking on Ramseur Street along with the side streets in the area. While it’s usually busy, you probably won’t have to walk more than a couple of blocks.
What is the ambiance like at Aaktun Coffee, Restaurant, and Bar in Durham?	The restaurant is beautiful and sensuous, perfect for a date or small group. Larger groups should make reservations for the handful of large tables.
What is the menu like at Aaktun Coffee, Restaurant, and Bar in Durham?	The menu is very seafood and Mexican friendly. Paired with their fruity tropical drinks, Aaktun is great for brunch and/or dinner.