Downtown Drinkin'

[dmccall]

I am working on a list that would be the ultimate downtown beer golf guide. I have divided downtown into 4 quads. The axes are Hillsborough/New Bern and Fayetteville St/Govt Mall. The Glenwood South area is Quad 1, Krispy Kreme is Quad 2, Warehouse area is Quad 3, and City Market is Quad 4.

My goal is to get the names and locations right, then make a single list of places you can drink starting in City Market and working your way up to Peace and Glenwood (I can't think of a single watering hole in Quad 2. This would be a walking tour, BTW, so I think that Jackpot, Cameron Village, and Five Points are all too far out of the way. Lemme know if some of these are too "restauranty" You can be "the decider"!

Downtown Bars:

Quad 1

Amras

Lucky B's Around the Corner

Armadillo Grill

Stool Pigeons

Red Room

Crazy Vine

Mosaic (across from 518)

Mo Joe's

Enoteca Vin

Bogart's

Hi5

Mellow Mushroom

Hibernian

April & George

Second Empire

Dive Bar

42nd Street Oyster Bar

Napper Tandy's

South End Brewery

518

Sullivan's

Hard Times

Rockford

The Rouse Lounge 310 Hillsborough (clarion?)

Blue Martini 116 N. West St.

Quad 2

Quad 3

Ess

White Collar Crime

Poole's

King's

Retail

Jillian's

Five Star

Kulture

Flying Saucer

Oxygen

The Office

Alibi

Aura

Rush

Legends

Berkley Cafe

Nana's Chophouse

Humble Pie

Moonlight Pizza

Capital Room 112 Fayetteville St.

Alibi 14 W. Martin St.

Raleigh Music Hall 14 W. Martin St.

Aries Lounge 400 W. Morgan St.

The Capital Corral (CC Nightclub) 313 W. Hargett St.

The Bar 421 S. Salisbury St.

Flex 2 S. West Street

Mosquito Lounge 311 South Harrington St

The Borough

Quad 4

Rum Runner's

Pour House

Tir Na Nog

Zydeco

Times Bar

Duck & Dumpling

Woody's

Cafe Luna

Lincoln Theater

El Rodeo

Slim's 227 S. Wilmington St.

Sky Bar 119 E. Hargett

----END OF LIST----

Have I missed any?

[Justin6882]

I don't think "retail" exists anymore, but after just a quick glance, it looks good!

[thewhister]

Wow, that is quite a list!

You can probably add Sushi Blues, Zely & Ritz, and probably Cody's Bistro to the list for Quad 1.

I haven't seen anything in Oakwood/Mordecai to be listed. But there are some nice places to grab a bit to eat in that area.

[ncwebguy]

This is a *lot* better than the "live/work/play" maps!!!

I'm assuming the Quads are based on dividing DT along the Hillsborough-New Bern and Fayetville-Bicentennial Plaza/General Assembly/NC govt plaza/Halifax axis?

Additions/subtractions:

Quad 1

+ Sunflowers (almost quad 2, now open for dinner Tuesday - Friday till 8)

+ 2k Sports (on Peace just east of Glenwood)

+ Aura and Rush Lounge (remove from Quad 3)

+ Helios (has beer and wine)

+ Bistro 607 (though it seems to close earlyish)

? Is Office Tavern still open near the Paramount?

future addition - Seaboard station sometime soon?

Second Empire Tavern, below Second Empire Restaurant looks neat from the outside.

Quad 2

+ Oakwood Cafe - Edenton and Person, open for dinner on weekends, though is kinda small.

Nothing else till Blount Street redevlopment kicks in, which is sad (Person St. convenience store does not count)

A wine bar/dessert cafe associated with Conti's Italian Grocery would be cool, but not likely.

Quad 3

- AliBi is listed twice

- Aura and Rush (on Glenwood)

? The restaurant on 200 block of fayetville st. in the former Hardees.

? Cardinal Club (on top of Wachovia, but membership only)

Good call on The Bar, the Sheraton's Fayetville Street hotel bar/lounge

The Borough had furniture in it Monday, should be open soon!

Quad 4

- Sky Bar -- now Club Cirico (sp?)

+ Two Ts (100 block of East Hargett)

+ Vics Italian Cafe (City Market)

+ Mo's Diner (300 block of East Hargett)

? an asian bistro going into Progress 2, don't remember the name

? does sosta cafe offer wine?

? Capital Club, on top of Progress 1, membership only

Edit: added Bistor 607.

[Subway Scoundrel]

Great list.

What about Havana's ? on Glenwood south. Been a while since I was there. I think it is still opened?

And yes, the office tavern?

I have gone there since I was 16 when it was at the Lilly's pizza location.

[dmccall]

Great list.

What about Havana's ? on Glenwood south. Been a while since I was there. I think it is still opened?

And yes, the office tavern?

I have gone there since I was 16 when it was at the Lilly's pizza location.

Yes. Thanks so much. Havana Deluxe IS still open and I've added to the list. Thanks for the Office Tavern, too. I'll add that to the end of the tour.

I'm up to 70 places to go drinking in DT Raleigh. Impressive! I can only think of 30 on the infamous Franklin Street. This beer golf game is going to have to start at 6am with this many options.

[Justin6882]

Here's another question - of the list above, how many of the establishments have you actually patronized at one point or another? I counted 53 - and thats with about 5 on that list that haven't opened yet (also includes the list that was added after dmccalls)

[ChiefJoJo]

Awesome list!

I wouldn't add many of the bistro types though (like Mo's Diner, Bistro 607, Oakwood Diner, etc)... just IMO. I think we have 'em all on this list though.

[ChiefJoJo]

FYI:

One more coming to Quad 1--GlenSo. "Mosiac" a Moroccan Bar right across the street from 518 on Jones Street (across RR tracks from Southend Brewery). The owner, Samad, said he'll be open in the coming days or weeks.

[dmccall]

FYI:

One more coming to Quad 1--GlenSo. "Mosiac" a Moroccan Bar right across the street from 518 on Jones Street (across RR tracks from Southend Brewery). The owner, Samad, said he'll be open in the coming days or weeks.

Got it. Thanks.

Does anyone know what the deal with the Mosquito is? It looks like it is a long way from coming, and will be where Cork was, next to Humble Pie.? I noticed an Empire Properties sign in the window.

[Jerseyman4]

Anybody have opinions/thoughts/experiences on Club Oxygen at West Davie Street in downtown?

[Jones_]

You are including places yet to open? Is Sidetrack pub too far out to include now? Quad 3

[dmccall]

You are including places yet to open? Is Sidetrack pub too far out to include now? Quad 3

Thanks for this one. It's the place that will be at Boylan and Hargett, next to the bridge, right? Any idea when it'll be open?

[Justin6882]

^Doesn't look like they've done anything to it, except put a Sidetrack sign in it that they light up with a floodlight at night.

[ncwebguy]

I was looking through the old threads, due to a boring Friday afternoon at work...

Is this list still maintained?

Over the last year, there have been some additions, subtractions, and changes.

It seems to be a slight net gain, with a few places to come on line in the next few months.

Quad 1

+ The Dirty (between the train tracks and Harrington)

+ Haven (north of 510 Glenwood)

SouthEnd Brewery -> Prime Only

2K sports -> The L (on Peace, east of Glenwood)

- Crazy Vine, was going to be October Station, but the space is still empty.

? Primp salonbar (not sure how much of a "bar" it is), across from West at North

Quad 2

+ 18 Seaboard

+ J. Betski's

Quad 3

+ The Big Easy

+ Yancy's

Capitol Room -> Fayetville Street Tavern

Club Oxygen -> Sin City

- Jillian's

- Poole's

- Retail

- Raleigh Music Hall

? Kings - relocation?

? three other bars going into The Depot near Ess (May or Summer?)

Quad 4

+ Riveara

? Wild Ginger - I don't know if they have a bar. Hard to see inside.

? Fins - PE II (they have a "now hiring" sign on the door... April?)

? Dos Taquitos (still under construction, but coming soon... July?)

I didn't want to add The Mint or Sidetrack, since they're a long way from being open.

[RaleighRob]

? Wild Ginger - I don't know if they have a bar. Hard to see inside.

[DanRNC]

- Raleigh Music Hall

[cophead567]

so who's done the beer golf thing in raleigh? how'd it work out for you? i tried it once but only got through a few "holes" with some friends. the group kind of lost touch with the game and it never ended. now that its getting warmer i'm planning another outing. heres the route we took

9 holes:

ess lounge

white collar

tir na nog

raleigh times

fayetteville st tavern

flying saucer

dive bar

stool pidgeons

lucky b's

we only hit up places without a cover on saturday nights (if you go to ess early they dont charge). was fun while it lasted, i recommend it to anyone that likes to bar hop. whats your route like?

[Justin6882]

I've done the bar golf thing several times. We usually start in City Market and end at Armadillo Grill. There are plenty of bars to make a continuous run, and the bars that are further apart are near the beginning so its less likely people will get lost along the way. You also need a good group manager - thats usually my job - to keep everyone on schedule

[ncwebguy]

I don't know which bars charge cover on Saturday nights...

The drinks are expensive and there is a dress code, but I think Amra's doesn't have a cover charge. Big Easy might not either. The bar is small at Rockford, Mo Joe's, and Mellow Mushroom, but those establishments never have a cover charge. The Glenwood Hibernian has never charged a cover that I know of either.

[DPK]

Aura and Rush Lounge charge a cover. It changes depending on the night I think. Red Room, Bogarts, and Hi-5 also charge cover, but it's like a buy 1 get 3 free stamp. Buying cover for one of those will get you into all 3 as they are all neighbors.

[cophead567]

my wallet is getting thicker with all the memberships i'm acquiring. some bars enforce, other do not. other have you sign in. does anyone know the details about the memberships at bars? it seems like some places use it to control the crowds easier, others say that they have to have memberships by law? anyone?

[capitalapts]

my wallet is getting thicker with all the memberships i'm acquiring. some bars enforce, other do not. other have you sign in. does anyone know the details about the memberships at bars? it seems like some places use it to control the crowds easier, others say that they have to have memberships by law? anyone?

[Jones_]

my wallet is getting thicker with all the memberships i'm acquiring. some bars enforce, other do not. other have you sign in. does anyone know the details about the memberships at bars? it seems like some places use it to control the crowds easier, others say that they have to have memberships by law? anyone?

[DPK]

JackPot on Hillsborough Street charges $1 for membership. They say they'll send you a card but they never do. It's all computerized so they just look you up when you get there. I'm a member but I rarely go but once/twice a year due to the relative sausage fest that place is. Good people though.