The Terrace Cafe – Duke Gardens

A cute place to take a break while walking around the gardens. Some select snacks are inside, but the best part is sitting in the back!

Friendly cute tiny shop. Provides a little relief from the summer heat. Maple Farms ice cream– need I say more? Get yourself a scoop and try not to melt in the summer heat. Tiny patio in the back for sitting and eating, but there’s plenty of benches in the surrounding area that offers a little shade from the scorching sun. Hours can be limited.

Stopped by today for the first time with my sweetie. Food is catered and pre-​packaged. Had the Greek Salad. Organic. Tasty. Staff friendly. Seating is outside with ⁴⁄₅ tables. Nice setting.

I’ve been at Duke for three years, and I was delighted to finally grab a meal at this café. Tucked away in the Sarah P. Duke Gardens, this cozy cottage is always open for lunch. Offering a variety of delicious sandwiches, wraps, and sides, it is the perfect place to grab a bite to eat — or a scoop of ice cream — while strolling through the Duke Gardens. The staff is pleasant, but there is usually one employee present at a time, and the inside of the café is quite small. Though it’s a great spot for couples or groups of three to five people, I doubt they could handle a large swarm of customers. There’s no indoor seating, but as long as you visit on a sunny day, there are tables to eat at behind the café (next to pleasant bubbling fountain) and the whole Duke Gardens to use as your picnic space.