Luna Rotisserie and Empanadas in Durham - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

Cute spot for lunch. Excellent service. The brisket arepas and kale were delicious…ask to try their hot sauce!

We were only in Durham for 24 hours and ate here both days because it was so good. Definitely recommend the chicken empanada with collards and rice and beans.

Ordered takeout to try their empanadas. Loved both the pork and the chicken! Even my little dude loved them! We will definitely be back.

Very nice restaurant! Excellent service! The food is very, very yummy! My favorite from now!

The best arepas in this style we have had and the empanadas were amazing as well.

Stopped in for dinner, everything on the menu looked inviting. The Camote Chimichurri was a great combo of ingredients. Roasted sweet potatoes, black beans, avocado and sweet corn with chimichurri it was an amazing dish to both look at and eat. Also had two empanadas with a side of maduros, it was actually a whole sweet plantain versus a couple of slices. Would definitely visit again!

Very good food that tastes really good. One of our favorite places to go to dinner. Love being downtown and walking around afterwards.

1st Timer, and it was a pleasant experience. Food Delicious ( the only thing I didn't really like was the greens only because they had a sweet taste) But the staff was nice and the restrooms were clean..... so it's a win-win for me. I'll definitely be back!

Good food, nice service. Our party enjoyed every bite.

Nice chill place. Open on Mondays. Very tasty empanadas

5-Star review based solely on the fried cauliflower. It's was unbelievable and everyone from the tri-county region should drive here and try it. That is all. Regretful I didn't take a picture of Cauliflower but once I started it it was Game On - used parts of rest of meal to literally soak up sauce on bottom after eating them. That good. Besides that most all else was great as well. LOVE the collection of sauces you can get with anything and everything you order. Half chicken was awesome - plantains were awesome - Caesar w chicken was really cool w pile shredded chicken on top - different approach and I really liked it - and an awesome Paloma. Highly sad they were out of pimento cheese grits. All ordered: half chicken, plantains, French fry things w different names, a chicken empanada, Caesar with chicken, and a Paloma.

This place is a hit! The menu is just the right size to make a quick selection and every item we ordered made the tastebuds happy. Lots of seating indoor and outdoor. The restaurant was nicely organized and decorated. Full bar with knowledgeable and quick bartenders. Definitely a recommended spot for me.

This place was super tasty. I loved the moon theme everywhere, and the service was really really wonderful.

Went after all the rave reviews on the internet. The food was ok. The jicama slaw was a disappointment, as all I got were cabbages in it, so it was cabbage slaw, not jicama slaw. The food order was mixed up with the wrong side orders on the plate. In short, I did not enjoy the experience.

Good food and service. We had patacon, brisket arepas and fish and chips. Attentive service. Excellent 1/2 & 1/2 tea. Bar missing a few brews and items tho.

Food was great as was the service

Excellent food- had the charcoal chicken, pork carnitas, jicama slaw, yuca fries, coconut rice and beans, and fried plantains. Would 100% recommend ending your meal with the Dulce de Leche Empanada!

The food is outstanding, with fantastic portions for the price, making it an excellent spot for lunch. However, one aspect I wasn’t pleased with is the hostess’s approach to seating. We’ve visited about five times, and each time, the hostess simply gestures to the tables and says, “Anywhere you’d like.” I don’t see the point of having a hostess if she doesn’t escort you to your table. It creates an unpleasant first impression. We will continue to recommend Luna and will surely return.

Stopped in after a condo showing per my client’s recommendation. Got the blackened chicken grain bowl and the mock mango mojito. WOW….was it delicious! Alright Luna…..I see you….

I was in Durham visiting from out of town and because of the reviews we chose this place for dinner. Unfortunately our experience didn’t match the reviews. We all ordered different dishes including chili shrimp with quinoa, carnitas, burger, arepas and a veggie bowl of some sort. To start off we ordered the arepas as an appetizer to share but they never came. We all got our food and nothing tasted as it should. No flavor. Bland. The carnitas were pulled pork NOT carnitas with again no flavor. And lastly we were unable to try the chicken which seemed to be the best thing on the menu because it was sold out at only 6pm.

O mi goodness‼ Found this foodie joint via on-line search for best restaurant in the immediate area and it did not disappoint‼ Check out the menu and then go check it out, you'll be glad you did‼ My waiter pictured, so personable and every staff mbr encountered was awesome‼ I sat by the window and watched the rain and enjoyed my meal‼

Great food, great service definitely worth it!

We asked a couple on the street for a recommendation and they suggested Luna. We were very pleased. The menu has a unique combination of options, as well as interesting cocktails and craft beer. The food was delicious and the service was great. The atmosphere is upbeat and friendly. We will definitely return when we are back in Durham.

Truly amazing food! The first time I came I had the arepas which were to die for!!! The second time I came I got the chicken empanada as well as the quinoa vegetarian empanada. The chicken one tastes like a pot pie so if you like pot-pie then it will be great for you. The quinoa empanada was my favorite and was well seasoned 10/10! Maduros were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. My coworker had the chili shrimp with quinoa which was a 100/10 (and I don’t even like shrimp, but this was amazing)! The shrimp had the perfect crisp, and savory glaze. The quinoa had pineapples, onions, and maybe turmeric which was a perfect infusion of flavors. Staff were kind and attentive. Loved everything, will definitely be coming again!

Food was delicious, service was amazing. We are definitely going back to celebrate another birthday 👍🏻👍🏻

This place was absolutely amazing! The food was outstanding, and the service was exceptional. I appreciated the concise yet exquisite menu selection, offering only the finest options. As an Ecuadorian, I adore ceviche, but I was so satisfied with my meal that I couldn't manage to order more. Thankfully, I arrived just in time, as it soon became crowded. The efficiency in serving the food was remarkable, considering other nearby restaurants' lengthy wait times of exceeding 20-35 minutes. The crayon set and paper for children was a delightful touch that kept our daughter entertained as we devoured our food. The attentive service at each table was commendable. Learning about the owner's passion for travel and culinary exploration added another layer of intrigue to the experience because it showed how passionate this owner was for his restaurant. I took a picture of the front of the menu to give a better idea of all the parties involved in making this experience more than what we expected. It was fascinating to see dishes from various countries grace the menu, like the Ecuadorian ceviche and the Dominican-style smashburger. The vibrant and modern music further enhanced the lively atmosphere. We're definitely planning to return and explore the dishes we missed last time to switch up the taste buds.

They cut back at least 90% of their menu. Very basic no longer had the veggie options they used to have.

Family-friendly restaurant in Durham! The service was professional and personal, the food was delicious and the bill was not bank-breaking to feed my family of 4. We were visiting the city for the day and decided to check it out, exceeded my expectations! Wish we lived closer, because we would be repeat customers. Highly recommend!

3.9/5 Above average chicken and empanada shop. I had the quarter dark chicken with 2 sides (pimento cheese grits and maduros) and a chicken empanada for $22. The quality of the chicken was pretty good and it tasted above average. The cheese grits and maduros were standard. Nothing special with the sides. I've had better plantains and Peruvian chicken. But it wasn't bad by any means. The empanada was slightly above average. Overall, good quality meat but not the best you'll have. However if you want an introduction to this type of food, it's a good intro. A bit pricey as well. Overall, wouldn't recommend based on Peruvian chicken I've had from other parts of the US and overseas.

It may look simple but this meal was amazing! Fabulous flavour, generous portions and very friendly service. I’m in Durham for a few days for a conference and will definitely come back as often as I can while I’m here!

I 100% recommend this restaurant. My family tried pretty much everything and it was all so good. The pimento cheese grits and arepas were the best items, but the empanadas, steak kebabs, and drinks were all amazing too. The guacamole that comes on the arepas was the creamiest I have ever had. As for drinks, I recommend the Mane Mojito, it was very refreshing. Our server was kind of quiet, but that's ok. The only downside was the bathroom because one stall was out of order in the women's room.

Flavorful, generous portions, so tasty and reasonably priced

Having enjoyed lunch the previous day at Luna Rotisserie & Taproom in Carrboro, we didn’t hesitate to eat here in Durham when we noticed the restaurant right in front of us when we parked. The menus were very similar, but Durham was slightly more expensive. It also lacked half portions of the grain bowls for lunch. Fortunately, Cherry Wonderdog was sufficiently hungry to eat a full portion. My blackened pulled chicken grain bowl was delicious – a healthy South American specialty, with quinoa, green rice, black beans, and plenty of kale. My better half consumed a single chicken empanada which, at $5, could have afforded a slightly more elegant presentation than total nothingness. Service was pretty good on one of the two outdoor picnic tables. The other one seemed to serve as a coffee stand for homeless people. Cherry Wonderdog gives the nod to Luna in Carrboro as the one most likely to get a repeat visit.

REVIEW UPDATE 2024 - This used to be a rare haven for celiac & gluten sensitive people in a place with few options. This year they decided to completely gut that accessibility and restructure the menu leaving customers and servers confused. This is so frustrating for an already incredibly limited audience, why Luna? No logic behind this. Doesn't help that the food has gotten worse over the years as the prices keep climbing.

Walked by and smelled the delicious aromas so I went in for lunch and had an absolutely delicious grain bowl with their spicy lemonade... great meal and staff. Looking forward to getting back next time I'm in the area. Still thinking about how tasty and fresh and clean everything tasted. Thanks for a great lunch.

Unbelievable food and great service too! Thanks to John our server who was on top of his game!

Lunch here is 10/10. Very cute atmosphere and absolutely stellar food! They also have an outdoors area, great for sitting in the sunshine. Their pineapple agua fresca is super refreshing (but if you don’t like pulp, I wouldn’t recommend it!)

Tasty food, unparalleled service! A very attentive and dedicated team of people work here. They worked super hard to accommodate all of the specifications of my complicated order (including remaking it when I told them I was running late!) Our food was delicious and I enjoyed the ambiance of the restaurant while I hung out at the bar, sipping a glass of cold water offered to me without question. Initially I wrote a negative review of this restaurant following a personally stressful day. I made a bunch of unfair assumptions. They responded very professionally and explained further detail behind my experience. These people definitely care, and I feel bad for the drama I caused everyone. I'm looking forward to ordering again in the future and apologizing in person. Cheers to all.

Really good chicken empanadas!!

Quaint place to meet with friends for dinner and drinks. Empanadas are really good, and the Elderberry drink was just as delicious as it was to look at! Very friendly staff

I convinced my family to try this restaurant. It was out of my comfort zone and I am working on trying new foods and support downtown restaurants. Upon arrival we were quickly seated at a booth. The menu consisted of fresh healthy foods. I ordered chicken arepas, my husband catfish with yucca fries and my daughter pulled chicken with plantains and rice and black beans. The food was very good and flavorful.

Deflating especially based on the price point. We were very excited to try this spot but found our food mostly bland. Additionally, the service was lacking.

This was my first experience here while visiting from out of town. It will definitely be on the "must" list The next time I'm back! The food was incredible, and the staff very friendly. My party and I all got different things, and we shared amongst each other, to get a little taste of everything. The chicken and pork empanadas were universally loved, but everything tasted great. There isn't one thing we ordered that would not be ordered again! Do yourself a favor if you're in the area, and pay Luna a visit!

My husband and I seen that they have empanadas so we had to try it and wow!!They’re so good! We like to get the pulled chicken and Yukon gold potato. Always try to stop here when we’re in Durham.

Everything looked and smelled so good it was hard to decide what to order. I cannot recommend the chicken enough, not only was it delightful at the restaurant but it was still delicious as leftovers the next day.

Creative and delicious southern and South American fusion. Stopped in for lunch and love it!

I chose to eat here simply because they had empanadas and I really enjoyed it. First, the bartender Alex was awesome, helpful and just a chill guy. I ordered the Camote Chimichurri as a starter, which is sweet potato slices with corn, gauc and chimichurri on top. They were so good! Then I got two blackened chicken empanadas with fried plantains, both were very good. I really enjoyed this place and will definitely return if I am in town again.

Great spot either way flavorful and interesting dishes. Indoor seating is nice but the also have outdoor. Everything was great even the jalapeño lemonade.

NO LONGER A GLUTEN FREE ESTABLISHMENT!!!! Silently becoming a non gluten free establishment by changing how gluten free orders are prepared is reckless and dangerous. If you have customers that trust you to provide safe food, INFORM THEM WHEN YOU CHANGE YOUR ALLERGY PREPARATION. In response to owner: I would advise you to take a look at your online order page which is still using the GF (gluten free) label as of 2/1/2024. I would also like for you to see that the pinned feature on your Facebook is also still using the GF label (gluten free) as of 2/1/2024. Additionally, no comments were made while ordering gluten free in person and informing the server that it was for Celiac disease. If you change your preparation procedures after being an establishment that used to be able to produce gluten free food (e.g. dedicated GF fryer) it is your duty to inform your customers that those safety procedures no longer exist. Once again, it is reckless and dangerous. I have Celiac disease and I have gone to your establishment as a regular for almost a year and have never gotten sick. The wait staff were happy to confirm gluten free items on the menu and would ensure that I would be Celiac safe. Since your recent changes to the gluten free prep I have been very sick after dining at your establishment. It does not give me pleasure to give a 1 star review because I loved this establishment. Final response to owner: It is good to see that this review prompted a change of the menu so that hopefully no one else with an allergy gets sick from your restaurant. There is 1 last item on the online menu still marked as GF (Papas Fritas appetizer). I would encourage you to also read into wheat allergies as the current Wheat Free labels could lead to someone with a wheat allergy thinking your food is safe when it is not being that everything is fried with the empanadas and cross contaminated as well. If you wish to appeal to fad dieters you should mark your menu as "mostly gluten free", "reduced wheat", "reduced gluten", or add a footnote saying that it is not an allergy safe space. I hope your pivot to empanadas serves you well and I hope this review will prompt more mindful labeling and behavior towards people who aren't following a fad diet.

New favorite place! Please open a location in Raleigh! Tried several things on the menu…all amazing! Will be going back!

As soon as I walked in I loved the place, super nice. They asked me where I wanted to sit which I loved because in many places they just take you to the table they want. Here there was more than just soda or alcohol drinks. Thank you! The service was great, he explained everything on the menu because it was our first time and he did it in a very friendly way. The food was delicious! We ordered brisket grain bowl, quinoa empanada, beef brisket patacon, passion fruit pie, Pinot noir and Ecuadorian horchata. The only thing I didn't like is that they charge a 3% fee for paying with a credit card, I would have liked them to let me know so I could pay with a debit card. They should not make decisions with other people's money. I highly recommend. I guess parking must not be very easy but that day being January 1st there was parking right in front of the restaurant. UPDATE: I went on Wednesday night and we sat in the bar, our waiter Mauricio was wonderful. We ordered bowls but sadly the green rice was hard as if it had been there for days, so immediately Mauricio changed it for coconut rice which was awesome! And also I saw that now they add a note in the receipt where appears the 3% charge on credit cards. Awesome!

Super chill and cute inside. Wonderful food and drinks. Will definitely be back!

Luna Rotisserie and Empanadas was a great date night spot. A nice selection of small plates as well as full meals. We had the Arepas and Yuca. Both were delicious! Definitely looking forward to a return trip to try the sweet empanadas.

One of our favorite Durham restaurants. Great for date nights, and also impressively family friendly for our 3 young kids. Fast and friendly service. Delicious (and healthy) food. I especially love the fish & yucca fries with purple cabbage slaw, coconut rice with black beans, and quinoa empanadas with kale salad. Great creative drinks including fruit waters for kids and hot cocktail options. What is not to love?!

One of our favorite Durham restaurants. Great for date nights, and also impressively family friendly for our 3 young kids. Fast and friendly service. Delicious (and healthy) food. I especially love the fish & yucca fries with purple cabbage slaw, coconut rice with black beans, and quinoa empanadas with kale salad. Great creative drinks including fruit waters for kids and hot cocktail options. What is not to love?! Thanks for being a family favorite Luna.

Solid empanadas with even better service

I got the chicken patacon and quinoa empanada. The chicken patacon was AMAZING, empanada was just okay

The vegan jackfruit has WAY too much vinegar. Do not recommend. The kale is also just okay at best. The grits are really good.

The best arepas in this style we have had and the empanadas were amazing as well. The beer selection paired well with the menu and was well priced. The service was excellent! We will definitely be back to eat here again next time we're in town. It's a must try for locals!

Wonderful service. Great cocktails. Cute & friendly atmosphere. Best of all, the best Jackfruit Patacon. Will be returning!!!

This place is amazing!! Great staff, great food, and great drinks!! Would definitely recommend this place to anyone!! My bartender was Hilary, Mayi was the DJ, and Nick was my server 10 out of 10 services!!

Very tasty food in a great athmosphere. Staff is very friendly and effective. Great for kids with a tasty menu and give them different taste compared to American cuisine. Highly recommend!

We had takeout deserts so I can only comment on those deserts. They were good. Average in quality. The people were very friendly.

Love it here! As a vegetarian it is very easy to get a delicious meal - each time the food is as good as I remembered.

the pork empanadas cured all my ailments

I would recommend the Arepas so that you can try four different things. The beef was our favorite. A number of the items were quite good. The sauteed kale was cooked perfectly and didn't feel too heavy. Filling sides including the grits tasted creepy, although not very cheddary or pimento-y. The rice and beans tasted deliciously coconuty; even Dad said they were "good". Both the yuca thick fries and fried plantains (maduros) were worth getting in the future. Even the collar greens were better than expected, then again I have never been a huge fan of traditional greens so the twist was good by me. I actually got the chili jackfruit, although my family tries each other's food. It was spicy (chili go figure) and wasn't my favorite item. At first, looking at the menu, I thought the place seemed gimmicky. For example, they have not just cheesey grits but pimento cheese grits which seems like trying to cram as much reginal items as possible, while at the same time having multiple kale sides and quinoa bowls which seems like trying to be really trendy. But when I tried the food, my scepticism was replaced because we liked a lot of things.

There is a culinary genius at work here that decided to fuse South American food with Southern cooking! I had the Patacon Pisao with catfish, maduros, and the avocado starter: DELICIOUS!!! Props to the bartender for one of the BEST mojitos I've ever had! Great service, nice ambiance, and fantastic food. Will happily drive an hour and a half again for this delicious delight!

Nice South American cuisine in a casual, stylish atmosphere. Friendly service and fairly priced.

Ran in for a quick lunch, and they were able to serve me quickly on a time crunch! Empanadas and sauteed kale were delicious.

Excellent taste of authentic South American food. Platains were incredible!

The staff were all very nice and helpful. The food and drinks were delicious.

Food was good. Decent. Would have preferred bigger empanadas, but overall... Nice

Absolutely amazing! Truly a unique location and quality of food was spot on. How has this place been open 3 years and I have not eaten here. Will be back for sure.

I came here hoping for a plant-based a little mix-up led to me eating a bit of pork by accident. 😕 The server, Max, acknowledged the mistake, and they not only comped my ENTIRE order but brought out dessert when they didn't have to. This place is wonderful, and I will gladly return to try the Jackfruit! 💯

Michael was a great server. Dinner was delicious, and the drinks were strong and tasty! The chicken and pork empanadas and black beans & rice were so good. Nice relaxed atmosphere..we were not rushed out at all. Love the scan and pay option!!

Interesting, but don't need to go back.

If you're in downtown Durham and maybe looking for a place to eat before heading over three blocks to DPAC. You have to stop by this restaurant as they have a menu that will entice most folks looking for a chill place to eat while out on date night or hanging out with friends.

We had a great time, the staff Maro & Faith were so much fun and accommodating !! We will be back tomorrow as soon as they open. Thank you.

We sat at the bar, our bartender was nothing short of fantastic. Friendly, patient and offered great suggestions to eat including condiments to our empanada. The grits are bomb dot com. I love slaw, and it was fresh and crispy. My beverage was not too strong. I wish we had more time, we would have ate there again.

My husband and I went to Luna’s to enjoy an afternoon lunch. After being seated (outdoors), no one ever returned to take our orders. I went in to complain. The young man who seated us said he forgot we were there. When I inquired about how he took the orders for the 4 young people behind us, he said he didn’t see us even though he was the one who seated us in the first place! WORST CUSTOMER SERVICE EXPERIENCE! Truly disappointed in the way the situation was handled and he never apologized for his”oversight.”

Good food, relaxed atmosphere.

Food was all great, we had plates (blackened chicken, brisket) and empanadas and really enjoyed it all. The cocktails were a real highlight and the food was tasty and authentic

The outside service was so slow we watched people sit down for an extended period of time and leave, never to be seen by a server. We too almost left but the server caught us right before we stood up and left. Food came out LIGHTNING FAST. It was good.

Luna is one of my go-to restaurants in downtown Durham. Nearly everything on the menu is gluten free, and all of it tastes fresh and wonderful.

They do it every time fast, friendly and fresh. It was actually pretty good. Every time I've gone I didn't expect to get a large meal. But the food was exceptionally good the fried avocado was amazingly smooth and crispy. The kale had a unique flavor that tasted great.😊 This is a great feeling I'd like to share. I haven't met the managers but I feel their decisions on several occasions one particular one is where I noticed a devil on the t-shirts (I will let them tell it.😉) upon further inquiry the wait staff told me a story about a bad review at another location. Talk about embracing your criticism and turning it into a positive. Just a note you're doing a lot of things right. And I appreciate you being in Durham.

Pros: -Service at the bar was great -My cocktail was delightful -Easy walking distance to DPAC Cons: -The food we got was super underseasoned -I absolutely haaaate the wildly uncomfortable metal chairs -Pricey for portion sizes

Amazing customer service before they even opened for the evening. Brought us waters while we waiting and was just so friendly. Food was incredible too!

Amazing menu for carnivores and plant eaters alike! We are plant based and love the variety of unique vegan and vegetarian menu options offered. We both had a version of the Chili-Brased Jackfruit and also an empanada. The Yuca fries were also delish! Full bar a freshly made fruit juices available. The atmosphere is casual and eclectic. We recently moved to the area, and I can't wait to come back!

Band-aid found in our collard greens. The manager made no effort to come to our table to acknowledge the situation. Absolutely stomach churning to think of all the patrons who order collard greens as a side dish on Saturday, 8/26/23.

Good food and a great atmosphere, perfect for a weekday lunch or casual dinner. The Yucca fries are very crisp and tasty, and the grits is delicious! Definitely a place to try with friends and family

Ate supper here during a recent stay in Durham. We couldn't resist going here because my kids name is Luna. (We can never find things with her name so we were excited they sell super soft tshirts with their name/logo!) The avocado appetizer was good, very creamy, but if you don't like almonds you probably won't be into it. My chorizo empanada was a little dry, but it tasted delicious (I have only had one other empanada experience to compare so I'm no expert). Luna got the kids rice, bean, & cheese empanada, and it was also good. Wonderful service, and it's so beautiful inside!

The Empanadas were very good, as we're the madros and yucca frits. My wife got the black beans with coconut rice and said the beans were well seasoned and delicious. The staff was friendly, helpful and attentive.

The eggplant empanadas are excellent. So are the pisco sours

Great little place in downtown Durham where you can get outstanding empanadas! The service was excellent, food was outstanding, definitely a place to stop again.

Got the sides plate so yummy! Friendly and professional staff

Pricing on menu is on steeper side but still normal for Durham area. Vegetarian quinoa empanada is a good choice Pulled chicken bit on salty side in my opinion, however still had good flavor (I also eat less salty foods so for some it may not be) Please note they do charge a credit card processing fee .

This place is phenomenal! Great service and excellent food.

Love all the food there!! Great cocktails too

Awesome experience at Luna! Nicely tucked away restaurant in Durham, NC. I stopped by for Bunch and sampled the Fish and Chips, Beef Brisket Patacon Pisao and Chicken Empanada. Great South American dishes cooked to perfection!

Ordered take out for a quick meal before heading to the train station and Luna was delicious! The yucca frites are crispy bites of joy and the chicken grain bowl was fire. Big portion sizes too so it’s really worth it! Loved the jicama slaw. I wish I could eat here every week—so fresh and tasty, I definitely recommend!