The Lenny at 555 — Restaurant in Durham

On Saturday, April 12th, our party of eight encountered a rather perplexing arrival experience for our 8:45 PM reservation. The establishment's location proved to be an exercise in wayfinding, with a distinct lack of intuitive signage. While GPS guided us to the correct parking structure, navigating from the first level required a multi-step process involving an elevator to the "555 courtyard," a subsequent traverse, and finally, the discerning eye to spot an attendant within a seemingly unmarked door – a stroke of luck afforded by visible interiors. The subsequent instruction to utilize a dimly lit hallway leading to another elevator, designated for the 11th floor, fostered an atmosphere more akin to clandestine entry than a welcoming arrival, evoking a certain cinematic suspense reminiscent of "The Menu." Upon reaching the 11th floor promptly at our reservation time, my partner and I were met by two additional hostesses who informed us of a delay in preparing our table. We were then directed to the bar, with the suggestion to commence with drinks while awaiting both the completion of our seating arrangement and the arrival of the remainder of our party. The initial cocktail service was marred by the unavailability of the final two selections on the drink menu – a surprising oversight given the establishment's recent opening. The Espresso Martini proved a commendable choice. However, their rendition of an Old Fashioned, while visually engaging in its preparation, leaned towards an uncharacteristic sweetness, likely due to the inclusion of vanilla. Once our full party was assembled, we were led to a table that commendably accommodated our additional guest. However, the ordering process revealed further inconsistencies. Both the scallops and oysters were unavailable, again raising questions about inventory management so soon after the opening. Our selections ultimately included the Chicken Ballontine, Pork Chop Ratatouille, Margherita Flatbread, Chicken Flatbread, Classic Steak Tartar, Classic Burger, Gruyere Burger, and Patatas Bravas "Lenny Style." Ranking these dishes, the flatbreads emerged as the clear victor, boasting a well-rounded flavor profile that required no additional seasoning. The Pork Chop offered generous portions and commendable sides, though a touch of salt and pepper would elevate the mashed potatoes. The Chicken Ballontine, while satisfactory, benefited from added salt, and its accompanying sweet potatoes were well-executed, despite an initial visual presentation that might be mistaken for bread due to the ambient lighting. The Patatas Bravas, despite being cooked to an agreeable texture, presented as bland, lacking seasoning and ultimately delivering a flavorless tomato-paste coated potato. The Classic Steak Tartar suffered from an overall lack of impactful flavor and a somewhat coarse texture. The presentation on bread, rather than the more traditional saltine crackers, detracted from the experience. Furthermore, the minuscule asterisk denoting the dish as raw was easily overlooked, and our server failed to verbally inform the patron who ordered it – a critical oversight. The burgers presented significant execution issues. Despite requests for well-done and medium-well preparations, one arrived rare and the other exceedingly rare, suggesting a lapse in kitchen precision. Both burgers were also notably bland, and the accompanying fries were reported as hard and under-seasoned. The exterior view undeniably holds significant potential, & visible preparations for outdoor seating, including heaters, suggest future development. The addition of fire pits would be a particularly welcome enhancement, capitalizing on the picturesque cityscape. In conclusion, this establishment demonstrates promise, particularly with its flatbread offerings and the potential of its ambiance. However, significant refinements are needed in menu availability, kitchen consistency, and fundamental aspects of service to ensure a dining experience that aligns with its apparent aspirations. For now, get drinks and flat...

Unacceptable Sanitary Conditions and Discriminatory Service at The Lenny

Tonight, I experienced one of the most appalling and unsanitary dining situations I’ve encountered in a long time—made worse by the dismissive and demoralizing service my party received.

I visited The Lenny to celebrate a milestone with friends. The venue came recommended by someone in our group, and though we didn’t have a reservation, we expected to enjoy the rooftop in a casual, flexible way—some of us at the bar, some at tables, some just mingling on the terrace.

From the moment we arrived, we were met with hostility. The downstairs hostess, instead of greeting us, pushed us aside and radioed for a manager. Meanwhile, white patrons—some also without reservations (b/c they were a smaller party)—were being checked in and welcomed while we stood off to the side, ignored and treated like an inconvenience. When the manager arrived, I explained our intentions, and he eventually took us upstairs, where the rooftop was visibly under capacity with plenty of open tables. Despite that, we were seated isolated in a far corner.

The service was disorganized and slow, which I might have overlooked as growing pains for a new establishment. However, what followed was inexcusable.

While dining, through the side window, I observed a female bartender stir a drink, remove the spoon, lick it, and then proceed to stir another drink. She then wiped her runny nose on the back of her hand—twice—and continued making drinks without washing her hands. A friend at my table witnessed this as well, confirming what I saw.

I immediately asked to speak to a manager, and a young man named Derrick came over. After I explained the situation, he responded in a loud, dismissive tone, claiming he had “never seen anything like that” at his bar. He said he would review the security footage and get back to me. However, he returned much sooner than expected and stopped to speak with the bartender first—who responded with noticeable expression and body language. They then pulled the shade down on the window, blocking our view of the bar entirely (clearly and rudely on purpose). If there was nothing to hide, why shield it from view?

When Derrick finally returned, he prioritized discussing other matters like our bill and food before I had to redirect him to the footage. He claimed he didn’t see the spoon incident and admitted he watched the tape at 2x speed. He did acknowledge that she sneezed from her nose and didn’t wash her hands but minimized the severity by suggesting she sneezed into her elbow (which was not true).

It was clear he was more focused on defending his employee than addressing a legitimate health concern witnessed by multiple guests.

Due to the unacceptable sanitation practices, dismissive management, and what felt like racially biased treatment from the moment we walked in, I will never return to The Lenny and strongly advise others—especially Black patrons—to be cautious. I intend to report this to the local health department to prevent further incidents like this from affecting others.

To make matters worse, I also became sick after eating. I developed a stomachache on the drive home that has continued since. I felt completely fine all day until eating at The Lenny.

This experience was deeply disappointing and should serve as a warning to those considering a visit.

Edit: I finally received a response from the events manager—three days later—which clearly reflects a lack of urgency or concern. The reply was generic and dismissive, with no real accountability from him or his team. I’ve now requested the names and direct contact information of the business partners so I can escalate the matter...

My husband and I attended the opening week of the Lenny at 555 Mangum. Overall, we had a great time, and I would definitely come back even though there were a few interesting elements.

Location: the restaurant itself is not the easiest to find, but with the map and instructions that the Lenny posted on their social media, it does make it substantially easier to locate the establishment. Once you arrived, I was greeted by a maitre'd and manager who led us to the elevators on the way up to the 11th floor. The view is worth the hype. Incredible sights and views of Durham Bulls Stadium and the nearby scenery.

Waiting for our table: I don't know if this was because the table times were off, but everyone then re-checks with us another maitre'd on the 11th floor and is made to sit at the bar first and have a drink. This is a little odd as it forces you to the bar, assuming you want a drink beforehand. It took 15 minutes after our reservation time to sit for dinner. The drinks themselves were good. I had the H20 Melon Mojito while my husband had the Smoked Vanilla Old Fashioned. We both enjoyed our drinks.

The food menu: is an eclectic mix of appetizers, small and bigger plates, as well as sides. I'll go through each dish we had and preface that while I didn't love each menu item, I didn't hate everything either. The food was solidly good, with nothing that blew me away. Our order was: Gruyere Croquette, Tuna Tartar, Gambas al Ajillo, Panzanella Salad, Seared Octopus, and the Pretzel Crusted Cheesecake for dessert.

Gruyere Croquette- this item was good; as warm, gooey, and crunchy as you'd expect for a fried food item stuffed with cheese 4/5

Tuna Tartar- what you'd expect in a typical preparation of fresh, minced Tuna plated on top of an avocado mousse. This item lacked salt, which would have really brought the flavors to life 4/5

Gambas al Ajillo- I wanted to love this item as it was packed with shrimp. But also, there was a huge helping of some garlic-like white foam served with the dish that just threw things off. The taste was too much, and I'm not sure if it was a garlic whip or cheese foam? Either way, it was weird. 3/5

Panzanella Salad- if you've had a Panzanella salad before, you'd quickly realize this was off. The bread pieces weren't prominently featured, the greens were under-dressed, and there was some mystery white drizzled sauce across the top. All in all, this salad was mid and didn't really do much for me. 3/5

Seared Octopus- this dish was well-portioned and cooked nicely. I particularly enjoyed the cabbage and potatoes it was served with. 4/5

Pretzel Crusted Cheesecake- this was lovely and very yummy! I loved the sweet/salty combo of pretzels and Salted caramel. Delicious way to end the meal 5/5

Side Note- our waiter, while nice, was visibly a newbie. He struggled to confirm if the bottle of Rosé wine we're ordering was still or sparkling. And when he brought the bottle over, he mightily struggled to open the bottle and needed to enlist another server for help. And the kicker, when we first sat down, the waiter let us know that the oyster bar was closed since they didn't have anyone to service that area.

All in all, the restaurant has potential, and we did enjoy ourselves. The Lenny has sleek vibes, good music, and a fun time! I hope their food kicks it up a notch in terms of flavor, but again, it's certainly not the...