Symposium Cafe
Durham, NC 27701
Phone: (919) 433-0320
Editorial Review for Symposium Cafe – by Alex Leviton
In Short
Started in Canada as a small chain restaurant, this is the first branch in the United States. It's located in an old brick tobacco warehouse that's been dressed up as a sophisticated European cafe. Come here for a burger, wrap or salad for lunch or pasta or a steak for dinner, or, just cozy up to a table with an espresso drink and dessert or at the snazzy bar with a "Killer Cool-Aid" or "Symposium Kiss."
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Insider Tips
Know Before You GoThe restaurant offers Wi-Fi for laptop users to work while they eat.
When to GoA full-service deli counter operates during breakfast and lunch. Deli hours: Mon-Fri 8am-2:30pm
Save MoneyPatrons of Symposium can get their $3 parking deck tickets validated with any purchase at the cafe.
User Reviews for Symposium Cafe
10/08/2008 Posted by beefnum1
had a really good time at Symposium Cafe on saturday. me and my friends went there after the beerfest at the bulls and we sat down on the padio. the server came and took our orderfast and said it might be a minute because we got like 12 tables at once. i said ok and the server brought the drinks after 2-3 minutes. ordered food and had the appertizers. they have on special 3/2 apps on saturday the best deal ever. i reccomend this place for big groups and alone time with the girlfriend. thank you Symposium
09/13/2008 Posted by kannx
This was one of the worst restaurant experiences I have EVER had. From the start, the service and presentation were horrible. We ordered an appetizer, a burger with fries and a salmon sandwich with crab chowder. Our meals came out less than five minutes after ordering, which would have been great if it had been right. The appetizer hadn't even shown up yet. The waiter looked confused when we asked about it. The burger came out with the crab chowder (it was supposed to be fries!) and the salmon sandwich had a Caesar Salad on the side (it was supposed to be the crab chowder!). The waiter did correct it by bringing out a plate of fries, but those were cold and soggy. The soup was lukewarm and spilling all over the sides of the cup. Finally our appetizer came out about the time we had finished our meals. It was some kind of shrimp and marinara thing with tortilla chips. The chips were stale and rubbery. Then when I discovered my saltines that were on my husband's plate (because he had originally gotten my chowder) I found that one of the packages was already opened and the crackers in that one were crushed. I went to speak with the manager and to top it off he didn't seem to even care. He had stamps on his hands that clearly showed he had been clubbing the night before and he seemed to be nursing a hangover. When I told him what was wrong, he waved his hands as if to say 'enough', mumbled something about how he'd take care of it, and then walked off. We sat there for five minutes wondering if that meant he was going to take care of the check or what? When something like that happens, the manager should bend over backwards to apologize for the poor food and horrible service. Other than the mumbled 'I'll take care of it', there were no efforts to make it right and try to get us to come back. I might have forgiven it if the manager was apologetic. He could have at least offered dessert. What a dump!
Pros: Beautiful location
Cons: bad service, overpriced food, cold food, horrible management
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