Monuts — Restaurant in Durham

Exceptional brunch occupying the in-between category of ordering at the counter but having your food brought out to you.

Monuts new space is much larger but the food quality is still so good that it is often packed in the mornings on the weekends, with the line sometimes going out the door. That said, you can get through the line with more speed than you would expect, in my opinion, because of their system. You pick up a menu while you're in line, decide what you want, then get to the front and order with a cashier (credit cards accepted). That cashier will give you any donuts and drinks (coffee) that you ordered, and a number card for any prepared/hot food that you ordered. You take that and seat yourself. Sometimes seating is limited but on my last few visits I did not have trouble finding a spot for me and 2-3 friends. Then a server brings your dish out to you with some silverware and napkins.

The donuts are incredible. They change the menu often, so the best place to get an update would be to look them up on their facebook where they post photos of the specials menu every day. They offer around 4 "yeast" soft fluffy donuts and 4 cake donuts with a denser consistency every day. I had the North Carolinian, a sweet potato and bourbon cake donut, and a dark chocolate and sea salt yeast donut on my last visit. The North Carolinian was warm and possibly one of the best cake donuts I have ever had. The chocolate/sea salt one was also very, very tasty but not as memorable.

They also have different specials for prepared/hot dishes often. Usually they are of the biscuit or bagel sandwich variety and quiches are offered as well. I had the avocado toasts last time. Pick your bagel and they put smashed avocado, eggs-to-order, some chili flakes, and pepitas (pumpkin seeds) on there. Very simple, but delicious. The eggs were cooked a perfect over-medium. The whites were firm but not too crispy and the yolk was not running all over the place but also wasn't light yellow all the way through. Perfect.

I am not a coffee fanatic so I just order the standard drip coffee and it's good. You have a choice of dark roast or light roast. They also offer pour overs of different kinds and special lattes and things. Based on how often other people order these I would say that they are probably pretty good. I have also had a chai latte here in the past and it was a bit too sweet for my tastes but well spiced and good.

They do right by their employees, from what I understand. A few friends interviewed for jobs and did not end up taking them because they are looking for people to work closer to full-time rather than only a few days a week for a few hours as many students would like. But that comes with a huge advantage in that they pay high wages. The effect is clear because the employees are nice and polite. Not fine dining: they are not going to check in with your table, refill your water, take your order, etc. But that's why this place occupies a cool niche in the brunch market that is more casual and self-directed without being a grim take-out in a paper bag operation.

Generally the atmosphere is a kind of crunch-hip. There are earth-sciency children's books hung up high on the walls. The placards you get when you place your order are little flash cards about animals or dinosaurs. It's nothing too in your face but it works.

Limited bathroom space given how many people are in there, so you may end up waiting for the restroom for a few minutes.

Overall - very good choice for brunch if you are willing to wait and mingle with your friends in line for a bit before enjoying some really good donuts and...

Monuts Breakfast burritos are $12.50.

I cannot fathom a world where burritos should ever cost this much.

For one it's a burrito. It's a flour tortilla (the inferior kinds of tortillas but I digress that's another issue entirely around structural integrity). It wraps itself around breakfast ingredients and maybe this is where Monuts goes wrong here. In a breakfast burrito the main elements that bring it all together are cheese, egg, some type of breakfast meat, salsa and potato. All low-cost budget friendly ingredients.

Now I understand that in this day and age every millennial and their mother feels the need to slather avocado over every inane flour based object. I know that it pleases our generation to know we are abundant in the green. But I don't find this to be a necessary ingredient and this, Monuts, is where your cost goes awry. Try using something like spinach or any other leafy green if you feel the need to consider a green? Or a salsa that includes a cilantro?

When it comes to potatoes in a breakfast burrito, when taking each bite you'd like to be able to taste each flavor, each bit of egg. Now I can see how difficult this can be to achieve but might I say the potatoes in your burrito could be cut much smaller allowing for the rest of the materials to mix just slightly better? The potatoes overpower the rest of the egg and then you are in a world of potato. What world is there where you'd want to be surrounded by just potato? This is not Idaho!

Now lastly and most importantly- there was not an ounce of cheese in this burrito. Now I understand and agree you're appealing to a millennial and GenZ audience and people have sensitive stomachs and may not be able to handle cheese. But this my friend is an essential part of a great breakfast burrito. It's integral to the rest of the ecosystem. It lets potato's have a friend, eggs become a community, bacon or sausage a lover. Cheese is ... Cheese is life.

If you care about the laborers of the city make a breakfast option that's affordable.

Leave the avocado for the 1% and let it be known that it does not elevate an already great cylindrical breakfast item.

I do love Monuts and all that you provide in other sandwiches. I just really...

I'm in love! I actually happened to try this place because, I was in town with my best friend and she highly recommended that we stop. As a matter of fact, when ever she comes through Durham, she said that she always stops (if they're open) and I see why! The food is deliciously awesome! I lived in Boston and now live in the DMV area, and I love spots like this where the food is fresh and really good! It remind me of the coffee shops up north or little breakfast/lunch spots where you can get great food! The service was great and they were prompt! Anyway, I had the chicken biscuit and I was floored! It tasted like a flavor explosion in my mouth! Oh my gosh, the sweet with the savory sour buttery taste was amazing! The chicken breast was perfect, the garlic aioli was delicious, the biscuit was buttery and perfect, and homemade pickles set the sandwich off! I was living my best life on cloud nine after eating that sandwich! Alls of the flavors were complimentary to each other, it just worked! I loved it! Next, I had the Cinnamon Brioche (fabulous), the coffee cake (it was just a coffee cake, I mean it is what it is), and Strawberry Lavender. Now, I have to give it to straight and let you know, at first I wasn't feeling the Strawberry Lavender donut. Why you ask? Well, let me tell you, LOL! It tasted like lavender essential oils. But, wait! I kept eating and the taste grew on me. So, you get this nice chewy donut and then you taste the sweet, next the strawberry, and finally the lavender comes in and finishes off the flavor trip! It literally had a calming effect on me! I so happy after eating all of these goodies and treats! Wow! I'll definitely be a repeat customer in the future! Thank you, Monuts for my Sunday flavor trip! Note: The donuts didn't make it...