I recently went here with my wife. Sounded like an interesting enough place and it certainly has potential. Â I ordered the Nathan Hale, a savory crepe, because it seemed like a signature dish. The crepe really seemed like an after thought in this dish. It didn't seem to add a vital role to the dish. It was also a bit over cooked. I appreciated the fresh basil but the chicken was very dry. Â My wife had the Olive Oil crepe which she said was "alright". Â On the side of the crepe was some pasta salad. My wife liked here pasta salad then tried mine. It was very undercooked and under seasoned. I don't mind al dente pasta but this wasn't al dente. I'd like to go back and try a dessert crepe seeing as those seem to get alot of good reviews. I also ordered a Mocha perkacchino. It was basically an iced 'frappicino' The coffee in it was very flavorful but they didn't blend the mocha in with the espresso. I basically had to attempt to blend it myself. Having working in a coffee shop for a couple years I know that wouldn't have passed as a proper blended drink. My wife ordered a peppermint version of the same drink and commented that all of the peppermint syrup was stuck at the bottom of her drink. Usually you blend the espresso with whatever flavor element at the bottom of the cup then blend in the rest of the ingredients. Makes for a good drink. Easy fix for Perk On Main. Its seems this place has alot of potential but perhaps I just got the short straw today. Nice space and I do love that they have fair trade coffee and Farmer's Cow dairy products however.
Review Source:Driving home from some outlet shopping, I took the long road home and wasn't disappointed. Â Searced yelp for a "local" java joint and stopped into Perk On Main. Â I decided to order some delightful crepes as I arrived for an mid-afternoon "treat"--too late for lunch, and "who wants dinner at 3 pm?"
I chose Jack's Berry Good Crepe and paired it with a decaf Vanilla Red tea, medium of course. Â Relaxing atmosphere. Â Love the fact that they are an eco-friendly business. Â Was also pleasantly surprised to have a warm, friendly woman clear my table for me, considering it's a "clean up your own act and take responsibility" kind of place. Selection of crepes is great.
If you're looking for a place to enjoy a Sunday afternoon, Perk On Main is the place!
Looking forward to trying more!
Fresh - something you will not get at the franchise establishments.
I decided to stop here this morning because I recalled having a chocolate chip/banana muffin a few months ago where the chocolate chips were still gooey because they were made only an hour or two earlier. Â
So what did I get, a chocolate ship scone and a plain croissant. Â They were both OUTSTANDING.
If you like products made by a machine in a factory, do not come here because they have only homemade items.
Perk on Main, as well as it's sister shop Perk on Church in Guilford, is known for serving crepes filled with a variety of sweet and savory fillings.
The crepes themselves are light and have a nice, mild flavor (making them excellent vessels for whatever you want inside).
I tend to prefer sweeter fillings for crepes rather than putting "real food" like eggs or chicken inside. My favorite is the Isabelle, with Brie and strawberry jam inside, topped with cinnamon and sugar.
The shop is right on Main St in Durham, in a small plaza. It's a cozy, comfortable place to hang out, eat crepes, and drink some coffee. They also provide free wifi, which is nice. There's a small patio in the back, which overlooks the Durham hillsides.
Big win for crepes at Perk on Main! I met up with the lovely Ms. Lisa M at Perk on Main, and after hearing so much about these delicate doughy treasures from several friends, I was not disappointed. At. All.
I'm quite impressed by the restaurant's commitment to being a responsible, eco-friendly business. They recycle, compost, and hell, even use wind power. The interior is bright, warm, cheery, and all those good happy adjectives that make me want to camp out with my laptop and a platter of crepes all day. Free wifi? Not sure but I hope so. In terms of location, the cafe is on Main Street in Durham, which took me forever to get to, but I later learned that it was the rerouting fault of my busted ancient GPS (as ancient as new technology can be).
On to the food! I started with a maple avenue at just $3.50, a simple sweet crepe filled with butter and local maple syrup. Divine, of course. Next I shot into lunch mode with a hearty chicken/ranch crepe, stuffed with chicken, broccoli, bacon, tomato, cheddar, & ranch dressing. Clearly all the necessary food groups.
Anyway, that said, I want to come back and try each and every one of these decadent delights. Somebody stop me!
Tom and I met up with Emily today and brought her to one of our favorite brunch spots. It was beautiful outside so the three of us grabbed a table on the deck so we could enjoy the view.
Tom broke out of his usual (Swiss Army Ciabatta) and had the Nathan Hale crepe, filled with chicken, tomato, basil, mozz and a hint of balsamic vinaigrette--he really enjoyed this and has decided he'll order crepes more often! He shared my crepes, as always--I ordered the Maple Avenue and the Rajun Cajun. The cajun is definitely a new favorite for me, chock full of chicken, tomatoes, cheese and ranch. Emily had the Maple Avenue as well, along with the Chicken Ranch--she commented on the crepe dough itself had a great flavor, along with creative and delicious fillings. I think we have another fan! All of our plates came with half a dill pickle and a slice of cantaloupe, rounding out a lovely brunch for all of us.
Both Tom and I enjoy the relaxed atmosphere here and the service is friendly and well-timed. Another thing I love about this place is that they get what they can locally and/or organically and they are very eco-friendly. All scraps are composted, everything that can be recycled is and they have filtered tap water free to the patrons. Definitely worth a stop if you are in the area looking for a nice, comfortable breakfast or lunch spot!
EASILY one of my favorite spots. Â First, they are doing awesome things by trying to be as green of a business as possible. Â That's always a bonus in my eyes.
Never met a crepe, wrap, salad or cup of coffee I didn't like. Â The veggie wrap, full of hummus, crispy carrots, fresh cucumbers, feta cheese and a tangy balsamic vinaigrette is nirvana to me, pure, simple goodness. Â Rajun Cajun crepe, phenom. Â Any of the sweet crepes are freakin delicious, and their french vanilla coffee tastes like a pillow of marshmallows - true story.
Everyone is friendly here, service is fast and no frills. Â Durham Spirit is right next door, and Perk allows you to BYOB.
Sit outside, bring a bottle of wine, enjoy the rolling hills/farmland and have simple, delicious grub.
Gets no better
Crepes in Durham CT? Practically in front of the fair grounds, where the typical fare is a corn dog and some fried oreos?!? Well, guess it's close enough to fancy dancy Guilford and all the cultured hominids who inhabit the CT shore. Nice selection of crepes and coffees when you're driving through Durham. Was there later in the day but noticed a pretty enticing array of breakfast selections as well.
Review Source:I had checked this place out online and picked it for a date night. The menu looked really good, and everyone said it was adorable and lovely inside.
It was pretty adorable, yes. Their tea is Republic of Tea, which is good.
I actually was not impressed with the real food crepes. My husband and I weren't sure if the problem was poor ingredients, or poor cooking. I thought my chicken was dry and basically inedible, and the spinach felt like it was either overcooked or was the frozen kind. Nothing was very flavorful, and I couldn't recommend the food. Perhaps it was just an off night.
I did, however, really enjoy the dessert crepe I had. I think it was nutella, caramel, strawberries, and bananas. It was delicious and perfect.
I'd probably go back for the dessert/tea/coffeehouse vibe, but I'm not sure I'd try the food again.
I liked my crepe a lot; I got the ham, swiss and onion and it was large, fresh and full of flavor. Yes, they used "sandwich ham" but that's not really a bad thing. But that's not all there is to enjoy . . .
I also really like the view out of the back room and I thought my latte was delicious - though I wish they'd served it in a coffee mug.
They were very busy - there were people in suits getting to-go coffees, and a group of chatty mothers and kids who were there for the duration, and everyone in between. But because of the way the space is divided up, no one got in anyone's way and the effect was a lively buzz, rather than a raucous din.
I spent a rainy spring morning having a quiet chat at Perk On Main, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat.
The only real drawbacks are the soft, forgettable, breakfast potatoes and the annoying parking lot.
Well, I can't review this restaurant because they were closed. Â I drove over an hour to get there after reading their hours on their web site. Â 5:30 pm on a Thursday, they should have been open. Â However, they were closed. Â No sign in the window or anything, mind you, just the fact that the lights were off was my only indication. Â Called their phone # and got a recording. Â Again no special message saying they would be closed. Â What a complete waste of 2.5 hours of my time, not to mention the $10 in gas. Â What an extreme disappointment.
Review Source:REVISION from 3 to 4 stars:
I've lived and worked in the US, Europe and Asia ... traveled even more extensively, am an athletic 'foodie' ... and had grandparents who owned 2 bakeries in NYC area, so I know something about overall healthy, well made, Â fresh, tasty and quality food / drink, but to be fair, I am not a formally trained chef or baker or expert.
Aside: Â That said, indeed we all know that taste is based on genetics, what you experience growing up, and our sense of adventure/curiosity. Â Life experience does modify these effects to give a broader perspective that fine-tunes or tweaks our tastes. Â Also, taste receptors do experience foods differently with age (child v teen v adult v elder). Â
I write this review as an adult:
1st - Excellent Coffee - with choice of dark / milder roast. Â Nice that one doesn't have to order a more expensive latte/cappucino to get hearty, tasteful coffee. Â Not sure why they refuse to put fat free milk in a pitcher as an option to add to coffee; ... I always have to ask for this, and then they literally hand me the gallon jug to pour at the counter and hand back - cumbersome and time consuming for them and me, and I feel like I'm bothering them. Â Not progressive in helping people to consume less fat!
2nd - Good muffins, scones, and croissants, but a bit over baked (too dark on outside), and a little too greasy. By 'greasiness', I mean a buttery / oily flavor that overpowers other ingredients and the presence of such on your fingers while eating. Â The usual baked good flavors are offered such as blueberry, 'morning glory', chocolate, 'coffee cake' - I'd like to see more creativity, e.g., peach-ginger muffins, strawberry-banana, ... anything beyond the norm. Â Size of baked goods is very good, however! Â Now here's a place that doesn't contribute [as much] to obesity in the US, by selling moderately-sized muffins and scones - these are not ridiculously large like most other sellers of baked goods! Â I applaud 'P on M' for their choice on size! Â In terms of croissants, these are the usual 'pain' offered in the US, unfortunately - soft all around and 'bread-like' ... not a true French croissant. Croissants need to be flaky, puffy, crusty on outside and soft air-like on inside. Â Other pastries are fine.
3rd - OK now for the Crepes, which range from fair to excellent (depending on who's at the crepe maker) - I do love a paper thin crepe and again am excited to find a 'creperie' in the middle of CT! Â But, before we get too excited ... their crepes are inconsistent, but they've gotten better about this. Â One day, these are thin and lovely, the next day a bit too thick and heavy. Â The reason for my prior lower rating: Â one day, I ordered a mozzarella, basil and tomato 'Nathan Hale' with plenty of cheese to give a lovely gooeyness upon each mouthful, Â but there were literally 3 tiny diced cubes of less-than-ripe, average tomato and literally 1 basil leaf in the entire crepe. Â This was stingy and not properly representative of what I ordered; the taste was unbalanced and lacking of course (I was too hungry and didn't want to wait longer during the lunch rush to complain.) Â Note: Â a woman on the next table did send back her quesadilla due to lack of adequate vegetable filling. Â Another time, my sour lemon crepe did not taste of sour lemon ... or lemon at all, for that matter - actually tasted a bit like cheese from the hot crepe maker?! Â Also, disappointing. Often when I ask for 'no butter' on my crepe, I still get butter. Â Additionally, crepe fillings and choices are not all that creative or 'home-made' - by this I mean, P on M uses out of the jar - nutella, jelly/jams (and not the 'all fruit' or low or no added sugar versions), and the usual suspects of fruit - banana, strawberry are only offered ... no blueberries or lemon pieces for the sour lemon crepe or other varied seasonal fruit choices.
I wish P on M would be more healthy (besides the moderately sized baked goods), with truly home-made 'from scratch' [fillings], creative and consistent. Â I still go whenever in CT, because there isn't much else in this genre of cafe-coffee shop nearby, and because often you do get an excellent crepe with excellent coffee and a satisfying muffin .. along with a relaxed atmosphere and pretty countryside view.
WiFi is free, but does have the usual occasional connection issues. Â Varied seating adds a welcome eclectic touch, i.e., couch, chair, armchair, table, outdoor deck-porch - w/ lovely green hillside view (bees can be a seasonal nuisance).
If P on M can address some of the above for the better, and continually strives for quality and improvement, it will be an absolute 'find' / 'gem' in CT. Â However, I highly recommend that you try P on M when in the tri-town area of Durhan, Northford, and North Guilford/Branford.
Such a cute place. We came here with Jeff's mom who had heard great things about their crepes. So we were inclined to order crepes. Â I don't remember if they had any sandwiches on the menu but i do remember there being a few varieties of cookies and brownies!!! They had a great variety of fruit and savory crepes. I went with a crepe that was stuffed with spinach, tomatoes, garlic, onions and chicken. Â I was fully satisfied with the portion and the quality of the food. Â I found it interesting that they collect food scraps in their composting bin.
We chose to sit inside, but they had a nice little outdoor patio. I would absolutely suggest Perk on Main to anyone who is in the area or anyone who enjoys new variates of crepes. We will def. be back for more!
Perk on Main is a consistently good place to stop if you are heading through Durham in the morning. The Bagels are from H&H, the crepes are always awesome, omelettes (love that veggie bomb) and  the coffee is always hot and fresh....  since they moved to the bigger place it doesn't seem as jam-packed anymore, even when it is packed. They do a good job of taking orders and getting food out quick. Glad to see a good alternative to a blah DD morning. awesome Crepes in Durham, that alone is worth the trip!! straight up, GOOD FOOD.
Review Source:I'm proud to say that I was the first ever customer at Perk when it opened back when I was in high school. I stopped in before school with my dad for a breakfest crepe, and went there for years before leaving CT. The atmosphere is cozy, and the food is always fresh. Now living in NY, I realize this is merely just an average cafe, gaining extra points for serving crepes.
Review Source:I have NO stock in this business, I did not get paid to write this review. I don't know why it is "filtered" except for its length and style of writing. - g
Ok
Except for this Suzette chick, I never knew what a crepe was, that it might taste good, or ever be the object of an addiction but WOW! Perk on Main Serves the BEST!!
I could stop here, but I won't. Located in Durham, CT, a lovely little town for most of the year and an over-populated agricultural nexus during the Durham Fair, Perk On Main is easy to find. Just off the main street, parking is plentiful, the environs are clean, and the landscaping pleasing. Walk (or wheel) through the door and find inside a bright, cheery, colorful happiness with comfy couch corner, tables and chairs that add a flair of bistro-bop, wonderful views of the surrounding pastures, and the smell of coffee and crepes being fresh made.
Then there is a menu loaded with delightful offerings. I have been here many times, and I must say the simple Maple Ave. Crepe (crepe, maple syrup, butter, and a dusting of Conf. sugar) is my hands down fav-0-rite. The Western Omelette, Ceasar fill-in-the-blank, Hungarian Soup (my Mom's fave), and most of their wraps I have had plenty of, and never a bummer in the lot.
Now I am a bit (ok WAY) Coffee Snob, and I consider it a character flaw, so take this with a grain of de-caf. Â I enjoy their mixed coffee drinks very much. My favorites are the Vanilla Perkachinno and it's Mocha sister. Â My wife thinks there is nothing better than a Loco-Coco on a chilly November day. And their regular coffee offerings? Well, maybe a step above commodity fair (where D.D. places sub-par). Now, there is nothing at all wrong with their grinds, to me they are not special. Does this mean you should skip it? NO! You may think it is wonderful like so many of the people I know, but I am spoiled.
Anything unhappy about this place? Not really. Sometimes the lines can get a little long (Yes their food is THAT good), and I wish they were open later into the evening. The service is Above and Beyond excellent, never an unhappiness there, and I supposed if I worked around coffee all day, I would be that happy (dare I say Perky? Â LOL) too. Â All in all a wonderful place to visit and eat. I told my mom about it, and now she is a regular too, but she has to drive further (12 miles) for a GR8 Crepe and a decent cup of Joe. Â My favorite place to caffeinate myself before embarking on a SubUrban Safari TagSale Adventure. See YOU there!
This bright, adorable cafe has comfy couches, gooey crepes, moist muffins, and warm drinks to perk you up. Â (Sorry, had to say it!) Â My mom was not thrilled with the cappuccino, but the hot cocoa was yummy and all baked goods inhaled within seconds. Â Cute neighborhood spot.
Note: correct address is 6 Main.
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