Our fathers day started out bad because of a terrible brunch experience at Papa Mojos (see other review). Â We were still hungry and decided to go into downtown Durham and try Alivia's. Â What a great experience. Â Great wait staff. Â Food was also great. Â We split an Arugula salad and salmon plate. Â Everything was fresh and tasted very good. Â We also had a some bloddy Mary's that were spiced just right. Â It was also nice to sit outside on their patio and just relax outside. Â We will be coming here more often.
Review Source:Awesome street sitting on a beautiful April day.
I really liked my food.
But the service wasn't very good. Several times the host has to walk over and help us out as our waitress was spaced out or something. Sat for a long time w/o having our order taken or drinks delivered. But we were in the mood to sit for awhile and soak up some sun.
Our food was great - I said that already, didn't I? And I enjoyed the free parking across the street. I could see this place being popular at night with the outdoor bar and ample seating with the fireplaces. I just hope the other wait staff are more attentive.
The patio here is great. It's a perfect Sunday brunch location. The food is consistently good, though the menu is a bit limited. Service is usually pretty good too. I give it 4 stars because of the atmosphere...its a great place to hang out and have good bistro food. The black bean burger and sweet potato fries are really good!
Review Source:I have tried and tried to like this place. Â I've given it second and third and fourth chances to win me over, but I have finally given up. Â
The food here is....ok. Â A bit pricey for what it is. Â Last time I got the veggie burger which was decent. Â My friend got the Eggs Benedict but her eggs were poached hard and she had to ask them to remake them.
Here's my real beef with this place: Â the service....or lack thereof. Â As someone who works in customer service it really irks me to see such poor service. Â My first time having dinner at Alivia's I only had a salad and as soon as I ordered my server, who had been so polite and attentive to begin with, suddenly became chilly. Â He proceeded to IGNORE me for the rest of the evening. Â Are you kidding me?
Last time I went there our server was chewing gum the whole time. Â He was inattentive and then when my friend asked for her bill he said "Do the rest of you want yours too? Â Cause I'm about to take a smoke break and if you don't get them now it'll be a while." ARE YOU KIDDING ME? Â
If I go to a restaurant I expect to enjoy my food and to have friendly servers. Â I do not expect my food to be average and for my servers to ignore me, be rude to me or tell me they have to help me now cause they're going to go smoke. Â
Well, that was the last straw. Â Time after time my experiences here have been mediocre. Â The patio alone is not enough to waste my money on a restaurant that constantly disappoints.
We were originally going to go to Parker & Otis but they were closed for some sort of construction. I'm glad they were as this got us to finally try brunch at Liv's.
Certainly being able to eat outside on a 75 degree day in middle of January didn't hurt, but they really do have a great patio in a fantastic location for watching everything pass by on Main street an interesting mix of different folks coming in and out for brunch. There were students from Duke, folks with kids, some older couples, and some brought their dogs as well (they had bowls out for the dogs there).
Even if the food wasn't good, I'd go back again just for the location. The fact that the food  (cheesy Shrimp & Grits) was full of flavor and yummy is just the icing on the cake.  It wasn't the most delicious place I've been nor was the service perfect but certainly worth a visit, especially when the weather is right to enjoy their patio.
Eh, decent. Kinda like the nice enough person you go on a date with that is nothing special and you can't put your finger on what you don't like about them- but they are just nothing special. Free parking across the street and a fabulous outdoor area- part of it heated. Their brunch menu was just too many dollar signs for two small portions and average food. Also, don't have huevos rancheros on the menu and not let me choose how I want my eggs cooked. No big crowd for an 11am Saturday morning brunch but maybe that's because they knew the heralded potato hash side was nothing special. $5 mimosas and bloody Mary's on Saturday. Nice. But not enough for a second look. Good place for drinks. Also lots of outlets at each table which is a nice touch.
Review Source:Food is decent, not s bad place for some wngs or a burger. However, the service is almost always subpar when I am here. Unfriendly bartenders and a slow wait staff.
That said, I still continue to come back because of the patio. Great location in the heart of Brightleaf Square, with fire pits and chairs to hang out in big groups. Love the outdoor ambiance!
Decent drink specials ($3-6), large patio with fire pits (if vaguely uncomfortable seating), and friendly enough service, but I just can't get past the total "Meh"-ness of the food.
They used to have the best grits in the area--which I know through extreme, careful research that involved way too many grits eaten in a single weekend--but even those changed.
I get really excited about their special events, which are typically too short-lived to actually try (I'm looking at YOU, Thursday Vegetarian Mediterranean buffet which lasted about two weeks), but their regular food is generally a Pass for me.
And given the pricing, I just can't justify going here over most similar restaurants on a given day. For the price of their brunch, I could go to Vin Rouge or Watts Grocery or most other places. For their dinner prices, I could go to Acme or Pop's or very nearly even Piedmont.
I appreciate it for what it is--a nice-looking place that marks the barrier past which Duke undergrads will not venture for fear of straying into Scary Durham.
Come here with a big group to drink beers on the patio sometime, but otherwise, ehhhh...
Alivia's is a great local place to come for food and drinks. The seating outside is nice. The restaurant is on the street corner so there is always something to look at passing by. They have low-top tiled tables with heaters, nice for the chilly nights. There is also a bar outside.
The covered area brings the outside in. They have a clear tarpe wall from the outside to the inside. It was a little chilly the last Sunday evening we went, but we like the feel of the place--good vibes and bar ambiance. Plus Sunday nights are $1 PBRs.
The staff is very friendly and at your every whim no matter how busy they are.
The food is very tasty. Nachos are generally hard to mess up, I know, but they are amazing here. I've also had the grilled cheese with sprouts, very good and filling. They have "adult slushies" with rotating flavors. It's nice to swing by with a few couples and enjoy enjoy and slushie and catch-up.
I would recommend Alivia's for either dinner, a snack,, or just for drinks--very versatile and good atmosphere.
The food was wonderful. Really creative and tasted amazing. Price is standard. The outdoor seating and atmosphere is cute and pleasant.
Unfortunately, the service is meh. The dude who greeted us was rude and acted like he was too busy to deal with us. He would come up with excuses for the wait and be very defensive about complaints even before we complained. Happened twice. The first time we just left but we actually stayed the second time. The waiter wasn't all that great either.
Fairly tasty but not super-stellar food, cool downtown vibe, not too incredibly high-priced. Â Almost, very nearly four stars. Â For the food, which is good, the price could come down a bit, but the atmosphere is the star at Alivia's. Â So close to four stars, and definitely a solid three.
I recommend it.
A solid Downtown Durham Showing. The food is absolutely mediocre but the atmosphere is totally chill and college-esque. The prices are cheap and the location is perfect for meeting friends out for low-key drinks. Great patio area with firepits in the winter. Definitely try it at least once- if only for drinks.
Review Source:I've been to Alivia's several times and had a to-go order once. Â The food can be pretty good, but every once in a while I feel like they have a bad day. Â I've had lunch a few times and it's always been good. Â Except for the to go order - the order got mixed up. Â They also did not have to-go silver ware or ketchup to give us.
I can say that every time we have gone for dinner, we have ordered from the daily special  menu and it has been amazing.  My husband is a huge fan of their dinners.
Suuuuuuper delicious and worth a round 2. Â We had heard good things and took friends here for a late brunch. Â Everything was hot and tasted really fresh and unique. Â Most times I equate tasty flavors with small portion sizes, but Alivia's was great. Â And of course, the porch is divine. Â The fire pits looked pretty nice for an evening visit. Â
Overall, great restaurant. Â Choosing my turkey club was hard, but thankfully I had plates of french toast, a breakfast burrito, and meat omelet to sample. Â Lots more to try, though. Â On a side note, I saw they had a food truck at the Farmer's Market. Â Watch out, Durham!
A dependable place to grab a sandwich, salad and drink with friends. Â They have a wide variety on their menu, and the atmosphere outdoors is fantastic for people watching. Â I'd heard that it was not so great, but I think that was from my food snob of a brother. Â I had a group pf friends meet up here when I messed up and forgot to make a reservation at Pop's, and the 6 of us were seated quickly. Â Everyone enjoyed to food and atmosphere. Oh yeah, they only get a 3 star rating bc the service was... meh... Â not terrible but not great.
Review Source:Alivia's has been a really solid spot over the last 2 years. My wife and I went here once maybe every week and a half. I really loved the spot. I've got to say though, we probably won't be going back for a while. We've had a long string of bad experiences. If it was just one thing here or there we would forgive it, but it honestly has been awful over the last few months. We've had people giving us the wrong drink prices, telling us things were on special that weren't and then charging us full price anyway, soups spilled all over our table, and still frozen macaroni brought out to our table. I'm really disappointed to write this review, but I just won't be going here to eat anymore. It is still a good spot to drink if you have medium sized groups.
Review Source:Stopped by for a beer and some appetizers with a friend last night, since the weather was perfect for sitting outdoors. Alivia's offers spacious outdoor seating, and if you can't get outside they open the big garage doors and let the fresh air in.
They have a great selection of beer and cocktails, and a nice variety of food fare as well. We ordered the calamari, which was tasty but a little on the greasy side. The bruschetta was okay, not the fresh traditional veggies I was expecting. It was warm, served on bread with mushrooms, onions, cherry tomatoes.
They lit the fire pits as the sun went down, and we enjoyed an evening sitting around the fire making new friends.
The service was fantastic, the atmosphere relaxed ... Alivia's does not disappoint!
I was in Durham for several weeks and my wife was coming to visit. I wanted to take her out for brunch so I did some scouting around and found this gem.
I went in the week before she arrived and had the steak hash and poached egg. It was delicious.
The next week we both went for brunch and had a great time and meal.
She had what I had the week earlier and I had one of their special omelets.
Bottom line. The food is great, the service is excellent and the atmosphere is chill.
Highly reccomend.
$5 martinis on Wednesdays = best happy hour ever!
Now that the weather is warm and the days are long, my friends and I have made Alivia's outdoor patio our hangout of choice on Wednesdays after work. Friendly service, great martini list, and generally good food -- so far the steak frites and the grilled cheese are my favorites.
I've been to Alivia's a couple of times and my experiences have been very consistent which is key in getting at least the four star rating. The staff at this place is fantastic. I came in with a large party and the staff did everything possible to accommodate our group which I really appreciated.
The service was good and the food was tasty. I got the breakfast omelette with steak mushroom, and onions with a side of grits...yummy.
Unfortunately, it was too cold today to sit outside, but overall, the experience inside was very cozy with a very friendly atmosphere.
Alivia's is one of my go to spots in Durham - if you haven't been you should go.
Damn it, Alivia's! Just let me love you already!
The food is... digestible and occasionally delicious, but the latter is few and far between. I adore the beer selection (but who doesn't?) and your decor is superb. Ordering a drink under a painting of Isaac Hayes? Oh, yes please! Meet my friends over by Hunter S. Thompson on a crowded night? Will do! But pay $1.50 to add avocado to the spicy black bean burger? Nuh-uh!
The Quattro Grilled Cheese is good, but let's stick to fresh, not-so-dried-out sprouts, okay? Your cheese toppings seem limitless and I'm a sucker for horseradish mayo, but your menu doesn't make me salivate like it used to. Experience has left me numb.
But keep stocking those Red Stripes, running some of the best taps in Durham, and pouring whiskey aplenty, and I'll just keep coming back. And as it gets nippier, I'll be praising your name by the fire pits.
I had great expectations for my dinner at Alivia's. I had gone there once before for the Monti, but had not eaten there. Like any good yelper, I checked out the menu and knew exactly what I wanted to get before I set foot on the premise. I ordered the spicy arugula wrap. I just couldn't resist the promise of brie, spice, cooked pears, and sweet potato fries. Unfortunately, I was disappointed. The wrap was 90% arugula and had ZERO spice. And the fries were on the charred side. The libations were "meh" as my first, second, and third choice beers were all unavailable. And the same happened for two of my fellow dinner goers. The service was also not so great.
Altogether, I wouldn't hit this place up again, especially knowing Durham has better places to offer.
Holy Guacamole, Batman!!
I am so excited!
Blue, the man who made Fed(eral) Food what it is today, lent his expertise to Alivia's Durham Bistro and recreated a phenomenal menu!
I have always loved the atmosphere and outside patio of Alivia's and the food was always good, not great. Â Now, though, I finally have another amazing option.
I went for lunch and had the Carolina pulled pork sliders..."with caramelized onion-peppercorn dressing on Hawaiian sweet rolls Served with sweet potato fries."
This was a very nice take on pulled pork. very different. Â The peppercorn dressing was killer and added that something special that Blue knows how to do so well.
The sweet potato fries were by far the best I've ever had. Â Sweet potato fries are really easy to screw up in my eyes. Â They were double fried, not to mushy, not too crispy. juuuust right.
The staff was friendly, fast and attentive. Â I sat at the bar and ate alone and they were able to give me some nice company.
A big success.
I love alivia's! Â I can't believe it hasn't gotten better reviews!
I used to live at West Village, and would come here for brunch almost every weekend. Â The challah french toast is super yummy, as is the shrimp and grits. Â
For lunch, I adore the ham and swiss melt -- it tastes just like you're sitting at a bistro in Paris. Â And the side salad is simple, but served with a delicious shallot vinegarette that I think they make there. Â
Plus, it's fantastic on nice days when you can go sit outside and bring your dog. Â The wait staff is always really friendly and will bring out a bowl of water for your pooch!
Because I work at Brightleaf, I eat at Alivia's regularly. Â We head over for work lunches, drinks after work, or, hell, sometimes a drink during work on particularly stressful days.
When I'm there on my own or with my husband, I usually sit at the bar. Â I like all of the bartenders. Â When I'm there on my own, it's usually an off time, like 3:00 or something, so it's slow and quiet, and the bartenders are generally quite friendly and loquacious.
The beer selections pleases me a great deal. Â It changes frequently, always to incorporate seasonals and local beers. Â I am happiest about their selection of Fullsteam and Triangle beers. Â They also offer a flight of local beers of your choice, a whole host of drink specials, and they're great about letting you try a beer before you order it.
Vegetarian food-wise, their house nachos are not to be missed. Â I usually order this as an app when with a group (it's a big portion). Â The hummus and pita plate is also good, and is served with pickled peppers, grilled onions, roasted red peppers, cucumbers, and romaine lettuce.
The baby spinach salad, topped with blue cheese, and candied pecans, with their homemade maple vinaigrette dressing on the side, is also very good, if not a little pricey for the portion ($8.50 for a whole / $6 for a half).
But that spicy black bean veggie burger people keep mentioning? Â It's Morningstar Farms, yo (I asked). Â And that, my friends, is why it's not knocking your socks off. Â Alivia's absolutely needs to start making a black bean from scratch. Â The ingredients are simple and cheap, and it would taste approximately one-thousand times better.
The Greek veggie wrap, on the other hand, is pretty much where it's at. Â It's a sundried tomato wrap stuffed to the brim with mixed greens, olives, banana peppers, roasted red peppers, grilled red onions, feta, and balsamic dressing, and it is so very, very good. Â I get mine with a side salad.
Alivia's is hard to miss: it's the bright-green building on the corner of Main Street and South Gregson, just across the street from Brightleaf Square (Satisfaction and Piazza Italia). Â Park in the lot in between Fishmongers and, well, Alivia's.
The few times I've been here, the first thing I think of is how awesome and full of potential the location/space is and how their food doesn't live up to it. Â The food is definitely a 3-star A-OK, but their menu doesn't really have anything that really stands out to me and their quality of food can use a little boost. Â
The one thing that made me happy was the fact that when you get a side salad to go with your entree, it's actually spring mix and NOT iceberg lettuce. Â I love their chicken sandwich, but I can't help but notice that the chicken they use just seems like chicken tenders you get from the freezer. Â Their shrimp po boy wasn't bad and they were pretty generous with the number of shrimps they gave you. Â Service is average. Â The last time I went there, our waiter wasn't rude, but definitely seemed like he didn't really enjoy his job, lol. Â Â
They have a lovely outdoor patio that I would recommend for the warmer months if you like dining outside or just want to swing by for some drinks. Â They usually have happy hour drink specials. Â They also have a TV out there too. Â Prices are very fair; most items are within the $8-$12 range.
I like what  Alivia's has going here:  good beers and drinks, coupled with easy to access bar and food area, as well as decent prices.  I was able to hang out with friends while downing a $3 Sam Adams... quite the good deal.
The space is also nice for hanging out, especially at night. Â Right in the middle of the whole West Main/Brightleaf area also helps a lot, as you can come and go from here to a lot of great places. Â
Definitely a nice place to grab a brew.
After a nice museum jaunt, my friends and I decided to hit up downtown Durham for some grub. Â There is that great stretch of Main Street that has a good many options, but tonight it was Alivia's Durham Bistro that stood out to us. Â They have a lovely outdoor seating area, but unfortunately, it was too oppressively hot to enjoy it this evening.
Inside, the restaurant is pretty much one big room with the bar smack in the middle and windows all around and fun Warhol-esque art where there are no windows!  We were seated in a comfortable booth and swiftly attended to.  Our waitress was friendly, yet a tad clumsy, spilling water on the table and bumping into chairs (made us sorta giggle to ourselves ;).  After perusing the menu and going back and forth between tempting sounding menu items, we had decided:  the Greek wrap with fries, the portabella sandwich with fries and the tender turkey sandwich  with a side salad. Â
Well, our food came out in no time at all. Â I talked a lot while my friends cleaned their plates (thumbs up, I'd say). Â I decided to then concentrate on my Greek wrap, which was good, very fresh and a nice size portion--I had to take half to go. Â I did manage to finish my fries, which were actually served up in a very reasonable french fry portion, not too many, not too few and they were seasoned to a paprika/salty perfection! Â
Also, I always pay attention and am delighted when places have other to-go options besides styrofoam and Alivia's came through with a cute little cardboard box for my wrap :)
Brit and I were in the Durham are and she was craving a burger. Â Not being a "Durham-ite" Â we leaned towards going to a place we've been numerous times prior. Â Granted this was our visit here for anything but brunch. Â
We were seated quickly, and Audrey came over to take our drink order. Â H2O for Brit and I had a Hoegaarden. Â The drinks came quickly and we placed our order. Â Brit ordered the Alivia's Sirloin Burger with the bacon on the side (for yours truly-because Bacon really is a vegetable) accompanied with a side salad and their balsamic dressing. Â I ordered their Spicy Chipotle Ranch Crispy Chicken Sandwich-try saying that three times fast. Â Needless to say what came out of my mouth was somewhat coherent as the sandwich showed up. Â
This sandwich had great flavor in what Brit dubbed a "Sinful sandwich". Â How can you go wrong with 2 chicken breast tenderloins breaded, fried and dunked in their wing sauce, slathered in chipotle ranch and draped with pepper jack. Â I think I ate my daily caloric intake here, but after a ride on the tobacco trail it was justified. Â The fries tasted good, but I prefer mine a bit more crispy.
Brit's burger also known as the "Alivia's 1/2lb Sirloin Burger" Â Chedder Cheese, sauteed mushrooms and onions with lettuce and tomatoes. Â A solid hand pattied burger. Â Decently flavored. Â
Brit shocked me when she wanted to look at the dessert menu-Brit doesn't do dessert. Â So I was more than happy to partake of the sweets. Â She ordered a slice of Key Lime pie to share. Â A solidly made key lime pie. Â Good crust, smooth texture with the standard tart key lime flavor. Â Whipped cream and slivered almonds rounded out the top of the pie. Â
Not a bad dinner when it's all said and done. Â A solid 3 stars.
Best way to pass the time while waiting for food at Alivia's? Â Try to guess who all the old celebrities are in the Andy Warhol-esque paintings scattered throughout the room.
There are many things I like about Alivia's. Â These include...
1. The nachos and black bean burgers -- both are delicious. Â The nachos are topped with mozzarella and I swear must have some sort of addictive drug mixed in because two full orders disappeared between 5 girls in about 3 minutes.
2. The location -- it's right on Main St., super close to Brightleaf Square, and three doors down from great pubs like The Fed and James Joyce.
3. The patio -- I love the fire pits. They're unique in Durham and great in the winter.
Things that I don't like so much...
1. The service is only so-so -- multiple servers seem agitated with the very thought of having to serve a table of 6 people...the horror!.
2. Certain dishes are overpriced based on the portion sizes.
3. It becomes more of a night club on Fridays and Saturdays and the music is way too loud. Â Not sure why since there definitely is not a dance floor.
I came here with a group of about 17 yelpers. What's always drawn me to the place is their large patio; but the reason we chose to get together there most recently was because of Alivia's awesome fundraising opportunities. They promote this on their menu and even the website, and I think it's just really amazing that they support their community in that way.
Unfortunately, we got off to a rough start. When I arrived at the venue, Yelp lunchbox and balloons in hand, the staff looked at me a little funny -- and when I explanined I was there for a fundraising dinner I'd organized with the owner, there was confusion. 'I think he thought that was taking place next month', they said. Eek! And we have a 20-top arriving at the same time as your group. Double eek! I've worked many, many a year in the restaurant biz and knew that the waitstaff and kitchen were probably super-stressed about getting crushed. But they didn't let on (much). And the server I originally spoke with helped pull some tables together to accommodate my group. It wasn't ideal -- we ended up in back-to-back booths with some two tops added on to the end of the booth tables -- but I appreciated them making room for us and being chill about it.
Considering our large group (about 15), and the scattered arrival times, the waitress did a pretty good job of keeping up with our orders -- and she even printed extra tickets for me so I could have a copy of all our receipts for the fund raising. As for the food, my chicken sandwich was a-ok. But my nachos (app for the table) came out after my entree. At that point I didn't really want it anymore (and thought that they should consider comp-ing it, since clearly there was a mistake either in taking the order or in the kitchen losing the ticket); but I didn't want to make a fuss.
All in all, a good place to come for a laidback meal. Their patio is huge and fantastic. Inside, the music started to get really loud around 9pm as the place transforms into more of a bar scene.
Neat place. Â The deck out front is great and comes complete with little gas fireplaces, which essentially extend deck weather another couple months. Â Big plus! Â The wait staff was really friendly and handled our large group as well as could be expected. Â My chicken sandwich was nicely done, but the fries are what stood out. Â Perfectly crispy and had a tasty seasoning on them. Â Also, they have a large reasonably priced beer selection to keep me entertained throughout an evening.
I had to take away two stars for the crazy noise level which increased as the evening progressed. Â It wasn't just loud, you literally couldn't hear someone beside you talk over the music/crowd. Â My ears were ringing after I departed. Â
Summing up. Â A great place to get something simple like a sandwich and beer, but definitely not a quiet date type of place (at least after 8pm).
I want to give Alivia's 4 stars for atmosphere in general and the food, but overall it is a 3 star. Â I had the black bean burger, this is slowly becoming my standard for rating a new place if they are made "in house", and I thought Alivia's was pretty good. Â The burger was lacking some texture, did not at all live up to the descriptor "spicy", and the bun was a little too big for the pattie, but overall good flavor. Â However, the fries stole the show!! Â
Atmosphere wise, Alivia's has one of those great, call your name for cold beer, kind of decks..... the fire pits were something I had never seen before in such a simple, urban restaurant/bar. Â My biggest complaint was the insanely loud music that started around 8:30-9pm. Â The music went from great background to our group's conversation, to not being able to hear oneself think!! Â I would go back to Alivia's for a beer on the patio early one evening, but I would probably leave before I got too hungry or the music got too loud.
Why can't it be spelled O-l-i-v-i-a? After numerous times calling this establishment 'Elvira,' I think that I can now say 'Alivia.' I enjoyed a wonderful lunch here with my best friend today and thought that this place was awesome!
On Wednesday, martinis are $5 ... yes, you read/heard right. They're $5 and are quite strong, which means you're getting a lot for your buck. I had the Flirtini martini and found it be delicious.
For our main course, I ordered the Alivia hamburger and the bestie ordered the smoked salmon sandwich. Both choices were good ones. What we noted were the great side salads that came with our meals. Fresh with a myriad of vegetables, it was a great way to get our daily vegetable intake. The presentation of our meals was great! I found the service to be excellent. We were served by Audrey, who was great.
I will most definitely come again!
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