Bella’s Casual Dining

What’s up with all the 4 and 5 star reviews? We had a Bloody Mary and a Sangria. Both were good, which is the only reason for 2 stars. Service was lacking. Food was horrible. Spinach salad was undressed with dry chicken on top. Meatballs had some fragrant spice in them and were tough. I make much better food at home, and I’m not a great cook! $ 45 before tip for a salad, sub and 2 drinks. Will not return.

My boyfriend and I frequent Bella’s for sit-​down dinner and also for take-​out. It’s the best sit-​down restaurant in Durham. Their food never disappoints and the portions are kind of insanely huge. There is definitely something for everyone on this menu, whether you’re looking for authentic Italian, a nice salad or a basic burger and fries. Their salads and specials are always inventive and delicious. I especially loved their salmon salad this past summer with arugula, fresh berries and goat cheese. YUM!
Atmosphere is casual and it can get very crowded, especially if it’s any kind of special weekend at UNH. In the summer is when it’s best because the college kids are mostly gone at that time of year. There is limited outdoor seating, but if you can snag one of those tables, I recommend doing so, weather permitting.
Staff are always friendly and attentive, often comically so. When picking up take-​out, my boyfriend and I will often tally how many times we’re greeted, offered water, seats, menus, etc. The staff is obviously trained to take care of anyone they see waiting and it’s kind of endearing.

Wow!!! I was so impressed with this restaurant! I got the cheese burger club with fries and it was fantastic. GET THE FRIES. They are outstanding. My GF got the BLT with homemade chips. The BLT was also delicious and the chips were okay. We shared the turtle cheesecake and it was absolutely amazing. The service was excellent and I would recommend this place to anyone.

Watch your bill closely. Bella short changed me $ 10. Said she was too busy to notice. Sorry she felt I was a possible mark. Her attempt spoiled an otherwise good meal.

Very nice restaurant we stumbled upon! Food was fantastic. I will definitely be going back. Kid friendly. They have a bar. Friendly wait staff. Hearty sandwiches, salads, soups. Decadent desserts! This is not an Italian restaurant as the name may seem. Check it out!

I ate here in a party of five adults and we had mixed reviews. The Italian Wedding soup was delicious, as were the liver and onions and handmade chicken fingers dinners. The fish and chips was okay but the fish cuts were pretty small. The chicken cordon bleu dish was not at all good. It was poorly seasoned and the garlic overpowered all other tastes. Their best dessert was the chocolate peanut butter cake. I would go back and try a couple other menu items in the future but not everyone felt the same way. It’s worth a try, though the prices did seem a little high for the foods quality. The atmosphere was a mix between a family style restaurant and a pub.

What a great surprise to discover this little gem. Full bar, decent selection on tap, friendly and attentive service, great food. I got the black and blue burger with onion rings and it was terrific. Had an adult crowd, which was nice given it was a Thursday night in a college town. Definitely recommend if your looking for something nice in Durham.

The Rueben Sandwich is made with just the right amount of each ingredient. It is perfect. I’ve never had s bad one and I order it about 50% of the times I go to Bellas.

Went for lunch here yesterday. It has been a while since I have been in. The food is really good. Ordered off the menu a buffalo chicken wrap with onion rings. They accommodated that request and onion rings especially were awesome. compare this with the main local lunch place Young’s in town and Bella’s is a clear winner. Not only is the owner and service much friendlier but the food and preparation is just a step above. Highly recommend

We ordered take out from Bella’s tonight and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised at how good everything was this time. I ordered the fish tacos, broiled, and they were fresh and delicious! Seasoned perfectly with a chipotle mayo on the side. I ordered the broccoli and rice for my sides and absolutely loved the broccoli. Again, cooked and seasoned perfectly! The rice was a miss for me but I loved everything else.
I will definitely return to see if the rest of the menu is just as good. Kudos Bella’s, what a great improvement.

Still Durham’s absolute best family restaurant. So popular locally you may have to wait a few minutes on UNH hockey game nights, but worth the wait. Has a cheers bar feel to it.

Love this place! Service overall has been great, the owner is always there when we visit! Super friendly and makes a point to ask how everything is! Great place for exactly casual dining, good beer selection and food is always awesome! Right in downtown Durham!

Stopped in for dinner before the football game.
Very friendly staff. I got seated at the bar quickly.
I ordered the salad special. A nice choice. Fresh and pleasantly presented.
I will stop here for dinner if I am ever in Durham again.

Great place, perhaps 5-​star for Durham.
Experienced wonderful service, a nice greeting at the door and no messing around with taking drink and food orders.
Went for the chick parm sandwich on special, and it was perfect. Good pairing with their French fries too.
Their front of house manager was very perceptive, and kept a great eye on the whole restaurant. She didn’t miss a beat. She’d point out if folks were ready to checkout or if a table needed extra attention. I was very impressed.
For this small town, it was perfect. I was very pleased.

This is the place to go in Durham, New Hampshire! Great food, great staff. Can’t believe how good the short ribs with the risotto were. And Jeannie the owner is so nice! The staff here really knows their stuff. They’re hard-​working and attentive. Highly recommended!

Love the great food, service is always good. I like eating outside when the weather is good, even if you are next to a parking lot, there is a lot of foot traffic that goes by, so people watching is great. Nice selection of beer!

Outstanding service, so much so that I want to come every night. They are friendly and highly efficient yet the timing is done right– never rushed. You feel like a part of the family. The food is tasty and I like that the specials menu changes daily.
The happy hour specials feature great drinks prices and half price on selected appetizers. This is the restaurant we’ve been waiting for in Durham! Love it.

A small restaurant/​bar at the end of a strip plaza just on the edge of the UNH Durham campus, Belle excels with great service, delicious food (including some of the tastiest onion rings you’ll ever find) and decent prices. Great place for a quick bite or a drink when in Durham.

This place is done up in the style of Home Goods/​TJ Maxx — the art, decorations, etc., make you feel like you’re in such a store, which is fine — I have nothing against such places, and that’s the vibe it’s going for. It seems to be meant to seem kinda homey, comfortable, family friendly.
The management/​staff was super friendly when we went. They were warm, they knew my friends (who have been in with their months-​old baby a bunch of times and always felt good going), and they seemed to really want people to enjoy the time there.
The breakfast, alas, was just not good. It took forever to serve five of us, to start. The eggs benedict was served on toast instead of an English muffin, and the hollandaise was just not appealing. The potatoes had peppers cooked in, and I don’t like peppers at all, and you can’t eat around them because the flavor just saturates everything. My french toast wasn’t saturated all the way through, so it was basically eggy on the outside and bread on the inside. The fake syrup was a sugar free packet of generic food service variety, which the server hadn’t even realized was sugar free until we pointed it out. The tea was probably Sysco brand or some similar as well — not very inspiring, and the coffee was just eh. At least it’s reasonable cheap, but it gave me no reason to choose it over Young’s. Maybe they’ll work the kinks out over time.

Rueben sandwich is to die for.