Parker & Otis

Nifty grocery-​food-​gift shop combo that exudes everything I think of when I think of North Carolina. Full of cute gifts and books for babies and kids as well as chotchkes for the kid at heart. They also appeared to have a nice selection of wine and a few grocery items. Plenty to browse while waiting for your food or to pass the time.
I went for the white bean avocado sandwich was delicious and a lot like something I often make for myself at home. Loved the coleslaw and could have eaten a lot more if given the chance. Paired with the fresh brewed Paris iced tea which was ok — but a little bitter. I don’t usually sweeten my tea but this could have used it.
Overall a great option for lunch in Durham.

Good food but kind of on the expensive side for what you get on the plate. Coffee is great though. Oddly a good spot for gift shopping however.

This place is absolutely breathtaking. I was completely overwhelmed (in a good way) as soon as I stepped inside. Brace yourself. You will spend a lot of time and money here. Cards, jams, candies, snacks, souvenirs, cook books, gourmet chocolate, stationary, bar accessories, kids apparel, bath essentials, wine, and beer — something for everyone! Some items are a bit pricey but completely unique to the store or Durham. I would give the store 5 stars.
The indoor seating area was located in the back. We wanted to grab a table since it was pretty packed for lunch time. As we were looking around a woman asked us if we ordered yet and we said no. She didn’t really approach us with the southern hospitality we’re accustomed to. Neither did one of women at the register.
I ordered the white bean spread, avocado and sprouts with red onion, and tomato on toasted wheat ($ 6.99) and a cup of pesto pasta. The pesto pasta was my absolute favorite. It had just the right amount of pesto, basil leaves, and peas! The peas was a great touch and I would’ve never thought to add it. The sandwich was delicious as well but I think the white bean spread could’ve been seasoned a little more.
Overall, I loved my experience here and would definitely love to visit again.

This is a super cute place, with lots of things to look at, play with, and read while you’re there, like a hipster Cracker Barrel. The food was wonderful: the iced tea is a stand-​out; the grilled pimento cheese filled me up for hours; the fresh mozzarella and tomato panini that my husband got was great too. Their breakfast looks amazing; I’ll get that next time. The prices are very reasonable, and the staff is friendly.

Came in with a friend for lunch on Black Friday after running from super early in the morning, and we were definitely looking to relax. We ordered a Shrimp BLT with caprese salad and a deviled egg (friend) and a Grilled Pimento Cheese sandwich with bacon and fruit salad (myself). I’m a little mad at myself for my bland order, but there is definitely some comfort in knowing your staples are satisfying!
The pimento cheese was a little spicy and not very mayonnaise-​y, my favorite. I need the ratio to lean a little cheesy for me to be content. Despite being starving from all our running, the sandwiches both tasted delicious, and we finished our meal in record time. Good thing too, as they are busy, and have a constant influx of patrons waiting for your table!
Ambiance-​wise, we chose an outdoor table, thanks to the very mild fall we had this year. It is a very calm and rustic environment that we really enjoyed after all the hustle-​bustle of the morning.
All-​in-​all, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. My only real complaint is the expense to change your slaw to another side. Two dollars to exchange house-​made coleslaw to a very small bowl of fruit seemed a little steep. Still, I will return again.

My favorite place for breakfast in all of Durham. It’s been years since I have been in this city, but coming back to Parker and Otis was like coming home. The quaint atmosphere of their shop, and all their goodies, is a great way to pass the time as you wait for your breakfast.
In regards to food– cheddar cheese biscuit. Yup, that’s it in a nutshell. Never will you find another biscuit that is baked to perfection like these, trust me, I’ve tried! I also highly recommend the bacon, peanut butter and banana sandwich. A simple and creative yet fulfilling morning sandwich. Also love their omelettes! Can’t say enough good things!!!
Also shout out to Candace for exceptional customer service!

Parker and Otis is a cute little sandwich and coffee place snuggled into a gift and knick knack shop. When I walked in I didn’t see the sandwich counter right away and thought maybe I went to the wrong address. There is a good selection of sandwiches to choose from, including breakfast and vegetarian. I ordered the bean and avocado sandwich and was very underwhelmed by it. Their house made cole slaw came with it and it was decent but a bit heavy on the mayo. I did love their molasses ginger cookie because it was the perfect soft inside with crispy edges.

Parker & Otis’s 300^th review belongs to me.
And I have to tell you, this place totally surprised me.
First of all, I have never imagined that this place had so many interesting stuff. They have great selections of wines on the shelf. They have tons of cooking books on the tables too. And little decorated stuff for thanksgiving. Plus, the innovative corner, where they have all those whisky kits, cocktail kits. Such a suprise for someone who is like me have 0 expectation before I came.
Also, they have coffe&tea& bakery counter for you to choose to have a cup of joe, or just eat up some great bakeries.
I am just in a mood of BLT, my southern life is back. And I saw the shrimp one, I was like, LOL way to go, my protein. And it did not let me down.
Shrimp is fresh, but it’s only fresh but not season. The BLT is okay plus their bacon is cooked very well.
I mean, the food is just average but every experience here I had just boosts up its stars and I ended up giving 4 stars.
I mean, if I have chances to come back again, I will try something more and give an unbiased food rating for this store. But now, I will be biased because they have so many great stuffs besides food. I love here!

I’ve heard good things about Parker & Otis, but I hadn’t tried them until a cohort of mine suggested grabbing lunch here to get off campus for a bit.
We found street parking between Parker & Otis and Lily’s pizza, but I can see how parking could be difficult during busier times or weekends. We walked in what I assume is the back entrance, the porch seating looks like a nice spot for a long lunch on a fair weathered afternoon.
We placed our orders to-​go and spent approximately 10 minutes browsing the store front. I got a quick glance of salads in a glass case, but I didn’t order any of them. I love the high ceilings and wood, it gave a very cozy feel. I shuffled over to the nice smells, it seems they sell soaps and lotions upfront.
My order was ready quickly and packed in a brown bag. I liked my white bean, avocado, and sprout sandwich a whole lot more than I thought I would. I ate mine like a ravenous wolf in my cubicle; fearful of having to politely offer anyone else a bite.

I came with my wife for lunch on a weekday, and we enjoyed it.
I ordered the Shrimp BLT, which was a grilled sandwich with bacon, lettuce, tomatoes, and shrimp. The grilling of the toast was spot-​on — it had a good crunch on the outside, but wasn’t hard to the point where it would break as you were picking up the sandwich or taking a bite. Putting shrimp in the sandwich was genius — it added a huge punch of flavor that complemented the BLT incredibly. I don’t know why I’ve never seen this done before or never tried it myself. Very well done. The bacon was solid — crunchy, but not burnt. It was a great sandwich, and I would highly recommend it.
My wife ordered the Turkey Bacon Avocado sandwich. There was a huge amount of turkey, and the bacon and avocado added the texture and depth that you would expect. But the bread was not toasted at all! It was good bread, but the sandwich really lacked another layer of texture that the toasted bread would have easily provided. I think the sandwich would more readily fall apart if the bread were toasted, since there was so much turkey /​filling, but I’d rather have a little less turkey and have another element of crunch to the sandwich. That was my biggest letdown of this sandwich. It wasn’t a bad sandwich, I just thought it could have been improved upon.
The setting is nice, with ample seating and cool items for purchase around the store /​restaurant. The service was quick and friendly. Depending on the time of day, parking might be an issue, but we were able to find a parking spot relatively easily. It’s a neat place to check out in Durham — I’d be willing to try it again, maybe for breakfast or another sandwich.

Went to Parker & Otis this morning for the first time and fell in love. Everyone I spoke to, employee or patron, was beyond kind. I ordered the smores mocha which was heavenly, and then some cheddar biscuits. Delicious! I mentioned to the woman that took my order that it was our wedding weekend and after I left and opened our bag and there was a giant cookie with a note that said «Congrats on your wedding! Enjoy your weekend!»
We live in Raleigh, but with that kind of business we will definitely be back! Thank you, Parker and Otis!

Bottom Line: If Papyrus, Anthropologie, Starbucks, a fancy toy store and a café collided you would have Parker and Otis.
Parker and Otis is a really neat store and I agree with Jill O. that every town should have a place like this. I surely wish my home town did!
Parker and Otis is a retailer of beautiful stationary, tasty candy, popular cookbooks, sweet children’s toys, high-​scoring wines, local art and fun gifts but Parker and Otis is also a coffee shop and café. When I first walked into Parker and Otis my eyes lit up and I didn’t know where to focus my attention. I was so excited with all of the neat and beautiful things that surrounded me in this large space. Knowing that I could browse in here forever my best bud and I decided to eat lunch first and then shop.
The breakfast and lunch options here are very café like — sandwiches, salads, etc. You order at the counter and then find a table either inside or outside. The staff will then bring your meal out to you. During busy times it may be tough to grab a table but with any luck something will open up before your food arrives.
Parker and Otis also have a very good coffee and tea bar. Although I implied its like Starbucks in my opening line I found it to be much better than Starbucks.
Overall, Parker and Otis is a great place to visit for gifts (for yourself and others!), coffee, tea and a light meal.

Parker and Otis is Pinterest in real life. They have walls of nice wines, children’s toys, kitchen supplies, chocolate, greeting cards, and random knick knacks that are too cute. They also have really good coffee and have cold salads and sandwiches available to order. I find myself coming to Parker and Otis for any birthday or occasion where I need to buy a gift, because everything is unique and will make anyone happy!
Their food is also really good. My favorite is the turkey with mango chutney — complete with lettuce, cheddar, and bacon. It’s soo delicious! I’ve also had their chicken curry salad, which is really good as well.
The space just makes me feel creative and productive, although students/​professionals beware — there is no wifi (although I can access wifi through «CableWifi» with Xfinity).

this place is really cool, in that it’s half store, half deli. throughout the store, you can find little food sections where you can order a sandwich, or buy some prepared pasta salad, etc. As you wait for your order, it’s nice to peruse the shelves and aisles of the quirky items. Feels very local.
I of course, got the pimento sandwich which was pretty yummy. I really liked the cold pesto pasta though. surprisingly delicious!

Definitely one of my favorite places that I have found in the Raleigh-​Durham area thus far! The breakfast options are awesome, the lunch options are awesome, and the coffee is awesome. ALSO you can buy the cutest things here. They have the most unique, cute items to purchase — anything from stationary, to bags, to kids toys, to wine! Great place to find a unique gift. Love the food and the service! Will be back here many more times.

Pretty decent food, although the atmosphere is a huge bonus for me. There is an large outside patio space and a very nice indoor as well. We really enjoyed the outdoor space and stayed for hours just catching up.
Between the four of us, we ordered Shrimp sandwich special, ham scramble and curry chicken salad. Everything tasted exactly as I would expect, not much special there. Overall, it was a good experience and I definitely would be back.

I’m torn… If I could rate their space and the boutique portion I’d give it a 5, but the food and dessert was kind of disappointing so I had to average it to a 3.
I had a huge smile as soon as I waked in! There is soooo much to look at it! It was like an etsy store on steroids!!! If I wasn’t meeting a friend, i would have forgotten all about eating! They sell an assortment of baby items, kids puzzles, well known children’s books, Matt and Nat purses, stationary, chocolates, little cute knick knacks to gift… The list is endless!!! All the items are expensive… My friend told me there was a package of 8 gift tags for $ 8… What?!? A dollar a tag?!? Anyway, if you don’t mind the steep prices, this is a perfect place to find a unique gift for a friend, kids or babies!
There is seating in the front, back and patio seating outside.
I ordered the fortina and artichoke panini with turkey. Ehhh… Not the best sandwich. The artichokes seemed old and soggy. I know the artichokes are supposed to be pickled, but it was just mushy, warm, and almost looked and tasted old:/. Turkey was fine… They gave a very generous portion of it. My friend ordered the mozzarella sandwich. I didn’t try it but she said it was just «okay». I did taste some of her bread and it was quite tasty! It was a flatbread that was lightly salted with a garlic taste! My husband said he loved his sandwich! He got a NO.26– turkey with chutney and bacon. The sandwich was thick with lots of turkey and bacon, and having a sweet chutney with raisins and a hint of curry mixed it up enough that it tasted more unique than it otherwise would have.
I also got a zucchini cake that… Wow… Kind of ruined my experience here. I get that I came an hour before closing and that they aren’t known for their cakes, but the cake was unbelievably dry. I wish they had kept the uneaten portion wrapped. The slice I got was so hard on the edges because it had been sitting out. I had to pick off the edges of the cake, but then the rest of the cake was so dry it really made no difference. It felt and tasted like a week old cake. Nobody should sell cake that old with that kind of consistency. Very disappointed. Waste of $ 4.50. Honestly, I love desserts but I wouldn’t eat that cake slice even if it was free.
So sad that my experience here had to end on a negative note:/ I was thrilled walking in, a little disappointed eating my sandwich, and then had that cake slice and was grossed out.
Shop for gifts, have a sandwich, but think twice about their desserts.

Great place for brunch. I also love the layout; it’s got all these little trinkets and books for customers to buy. I love the peanut butter and banana and bacon sandwich — it’s actually magical. This place is my go-​to brunch spot when I want to go out with my girlfriends. Has some super healthy foods and really well-​made options. Ingredients are fresh and local. Great experiences and fun times here.

Parker and Otis is one of the greatest places in the Triangle. I love it here. I work across the street from the old ballpark in Durham, so Parker and Otis is right up the road. I’ve gone in the mornings to grab a quick coffee on my way into work and have also stayed for breakfast or gone in for lunch. Each time I am there the service has been fantastic and the food even better. The line to order can get really long in the mornings and at lunch, so leave yourself a little extra time in the schedule. They have indoor and outdoor seating, and while it is often crowded, seating is usually easy to find.
While you’re waiting for your food, browse around their selection of fun knick knacks and great gift ideas. You’re bound to find something you like, candles, cookbooks, candy, soaps, they seem to have it all!
The perfect place for breakfast for a luncheon. Check it out!

Ah P&O, you were one of the first places I visited when I moved to Durham. I loved you then and our relationship has only grown. With your super cute local items and fancy shamancy beauty supplies. You’ve got everything from colorful straws and candles to any imaginable pickled item and all the bubby bath and chapstick a person could desire. I visit you when I’m looking for the perfect card, wanting some truffles or need a bottle of stellar bubbly in a pinch (champagne or bubble bath!). While your prices are much higher then I can afford often, I just keep my trips few and far between (but I love going back!).
Your baristas have skills in the coffee bar, from lattes to iced coffee, they deliver it all. And cases of Ninth Street Bakery goods are easy to grab on the go. I wish you’d put more «healthy» options in the morning ‘grab on the go’, is that too much to ask? But my true complaint lies in the made to order sammies and breakfast items department, I’ve definitely had better. Where everything else is stellar, this food is lacking. If you’re looking for a place to peruse or grab a coffee, P&O is your stop. They do have a good salad where you can pick and choose in a pinch. But go elsewhere for a hot lunch or breakfast least you be disappointed! And if you’ve got kids or nieces and nephews, make sure you make a quick stop to the candy jar!
Note: they don’t have WIFI, look elsewhere if that fact is make or break.