2019 Food & Drink Almanac: The 10 Best Dive Bars in the Triangle

106 Main

106 East Main Street, Durham, 106main.com

It’s dark, it’s rarely crowded, the drinks are stiff and cheap, the bartenders are friendly, and it’s right in the heart of downtown Durham. What the hell else do you want? 

The Accordion Club

316 Geer Street, Durham, instagram.com/accordionclub

It’s too clean to be a proper dive, but The Accordion Club is also the kind of place where you’re better off ordering a shot and a beer than a cocktail. The beer selection runs the gamut from quality N.C. craft to canned Milwaukee crap, and the whiskey goes from decent to drink-it-fast. 

Bowbarr

705 West Rosemary Street, Carrboro

There are stools at the bar. There’s a long leather couch. There’s a TV and VCR player that both date to the eighties. There’s a good beer selection. There are good drinks at good prices. There are cymbals on the wall. There’s a working photo booth. It’s a good place. 

Dain’s Place

754 Ninth Street Street, Durham, facebook.com/dainsplacedurham 

There’s usually not much in the way of cell service at Dain’s, which makes trivia night all the more honest. There is, however, good beer at better prices, good-enough mixed drinks, and the best bar food on Ninth Street. It’s also one of the better places to catch whatever game’s on. 

The Federal

914 West Main Street, Durham, thefederal.net

The Fed is one of those unpretentious places where everyone feels at home, and that’s why it’s a Durham favorite. There’s a rotating list of top-notch crafts on the blackboard, pretty good cocktails, a full menu (go with a group, split the nachos), and the possibility, if not the likelihood, that you’ll bump into an acquaintance. 

The Green Room 

1108 Broad Street, Durham, facebook.com/TheGreenRoomDurham 

Were it not for the excellent selection of craft bottles behind the bar and the lack of cigarette smoke, entering this un-gussied-up pool hall would be like taking a time portal three decades into the past. (They shot a key Bull Durham scene there, and the place hasn’t changed much since.) There’s beer, there’s pool, there’s rock music, there’s usually a so-bad-it’s-good horror movie on the small TV; you play, you drink, you talk, you watch, you laugh. 

Havana Deluxe 

437 Glenwood Avenue, Raleigh, havanadeluxe.com 

Walking down the stairs is like discovering your Uncle Walter’s man cave. It’s a bit dark. There are overstuffed sofas and chairs to sink into. A small TV is tuned to an NHL contest. The distinctive aroma of cigar smoke permeates. Havana Deluxe has the comfort and feel of a beloved dive while offering top-flight bourbons, scotches, ryes, and, yes, cigars. Its unassuming, old-school vibe is best experienced on a midweek night. 

The Kraken

2823 N.C. Highway 54 West, Chapel Hill, facebook.com/KrakenBarChapelHill 

One part roadside dive, one part local hang, one part rock ’n’ roll clubhouse, The Kraken’s rough-and-tumble exterior belies a sweet and welcoming bar staff ready to offer up their corner of the Triangle to you for a suds-soaked, rock-filled evening.

Orange County Social Club

108 East Main Street, Carrboro, facebook.com/ocsc.carrboro

There’s a Yelp review for OCSC that pretty well sums it up: “OCSC may be a frequent hangout for the tragically hip crowd and the indie scene, but even a local yokel like myself can feel right at home.”

Slim’s

227 South Wilmington Street, Raleigh, slimsraleigh.com

At twenty years old, Slim’s is DTR’s oldest music venue—and intimate, too, at a hundred people max. But even when no one’s playing—bands usually start around nine—there are cheap drinks and a well-stocked bar.