Which is the best local sports bar for March Madness in the Triangle? Vote now.
It takes more than a TV to make a great sports bar.
The best of them feel like some incredible combination of being at the game and being in your living room, drinks and snacks within arms reach.
There’s the collective pain and joy of every jump shot and every penalty, plus the deep fried comfort of onion rings and buffalo wings. There’s a culture and community to sports bars that seems to extend from the games themselves, stitching together generations of fandom and passion around a team and a game and the hope of sharing something timeless.
Also beer. There’s lots of cold beer.
The News & Observer has compiled 32 of the area’s most beloved and passionate sports bars for the Triangle Sports Bar Bracket. Now voters can help decide the very best local sports bar, narrowing our list of 32 down to 16 in the first round.
First round voting ends at noon on Friday, March 17, with Round 2 starting that day at 2 p.m.
Our full list of the top 32 sports bars can be found below the ballot.
Amedeo’s
3905 Western Blvd., Raleigh. 919-851-0473 or amedeosrestaurant.com
There isn’t a building in Raleigh that cares more about N.C. State sports than this Italian restaurant opened by former Wolfpack football player Amedeo DeAngelis. The walls are adorned with treasures from Wolfpack heydays and each barstool is cursed with the hope that the next heyday is right around the corner.
Backyard Bistro
1235 Hurricane Alley Way, Raleigh. 919-851-6203 or backyardbistro.com
Primarily known as a Carolina Hurricanes bar — maybe THE Canes bar — Backyard Bistro is located across the street from PNC Arena, but is almost like being inside at a home game.
The Boot Room
2501 University Dr., Durham. 919-748-3499 or thebootroomdurham.com
You know a bar loves sports when it takes its name from the odorous room where cleats are kept. The Boot Room mostly cares about soccer, but paired with its next door sister space Beer Study, any great game is paired with even better beer.
Bralie’s Sports Bar
1725 Carpenter Fletcher Rd., Suite 108, Durham. 919-806-1441 or braliesbar.com
4707 Hillsborough Rd., Durham. 919-294-9669
Two locations on opposite sides of Durham, Bralie’s is the kind of dark sports bar filled with dart boards and pool tables and lit by the row of TV screens behind a well-loved bar.
The Brickhouse Sports Bar & Grill
3801 Hillsborough St., Raleigh. 919-829-3666 or brickhouse-nc.com
This massive bar in the NC State atmosphere has nearly a dozen giant projector TVs, rows of craft beer on draft and an allegiance for New England Patriots football, if that’s your thing.
Bull McCabe’s Irish Pub
427 W. Main St. Durham. 919-682-3061 or bullmccabesirishpub.com
The back porch at Bull McCabe’s is lined with TVs so that even the picnic tables on the giant downtown Durham lawn can catch a glimpse of the games. For notable matchups, this Irish bar, where the Guinness comes in 20 ounce servings, pulls down a large projection screen.
Buffalo Brothers
Five locations in Raleigh, Garner, Wake Forest and Cary. buffbrothers.com
Known for some of the Triangle’s top wings, this local chain has five locations throughout the Triangle and sightlines for countless TVs.
Carolina Ale House
Seven locations in the Triangle, including Raleigh, Wake Forest, Durham, Cary, Brier Creek. carolinaalehouse.com
One of North Carolina’s most recognized sports bar names, Carolina Ale House backs it up with more than a half dozen popular locations in the Triangle. Perhaps the most famous is the upstairs Glenwood Ave. location, which seems like it never ends, while also offering a sunny view of Raleigh’s busiest nightlife districts.
Cleveland Draft House
6101 NC Hwy 42 West, Garner. 919-659-5500 or clevelanddrafthouse.com
461 Shotwell Rd., Clayton.
1420 E. Broad St., Fuquay-Varina.
This trio of bars in Western Wake and Johnston counties has one of the largest beer selections in the Triangle, offering something for the craft beer fan who can’t miss a game.
Cloud’s Brewing
126 N. West St., Raleigh. 919-307-8335 or cloudsbrewing.com
905 W. Main St., Suite 22, Durham. 919-251-8096
Cavernous and sprawling, Clouds is the kind of bar that can contain multitudes of allegiances rather than everyone inside rooting for the same thing. Find your corner and your people and yell or cry together.
Dain’s Place
754 9th St., Durham. 919-416-8800 or dainsplace.bar
Driving by Dain’s Place it becomes quickly clear it’s the kind of bar you want to spend time in. On its busiest nights and afternoon, regulars spill out onto the sidewalk, but there’s always a clear angle to a TV, the universe’s premier tater tots and popular burgers.
Devine’s Restaurant & Sports Bar
904 W. Main St., Durham. 919-682-0228 or devinesdurham.com
Tried and true Duke bars are rare, even in Durham, but Devine’s has been the torch bearer for Blue Devils fandamonium since before the first national championship banner was hung in Cameron.
Four Corners
175 E. Franklin St., Chapel Hill. 919-537-8230 or fourcornersgrille.com
This Chapel Hill spot isn’t as old as its reputation, but is a tribute to UNC lore, taking its name from an offensive play made famous by one of the greatest coaches to ever live.
He’s Not Here
112 1/2 W. Franklin St., Chapel Hill. 919-942-7939 or hesnotherenc.com
He’s Not is not the kind of bar with TVs in every direction, beaming every game from every angle, but it is the bar people want to be at when it counts.
Italian Pizzeria III (IP3)
508 W. Franklin St., Chapel Hill. 919-968-4671 or italianpizzeria3.com
The greatest sports bars feel like extensions of the arenas and stadiums themselves. IP3 isn’t a bar, but any major sporting event from UNC in a national championship to the final of the World Cup, the dining room is packed and electric.
London Bridge Pub
110 E. Hargett St., Raleigh. 919-838-6633 or thebridgedtr.com
Best known as downtown Raleigh top soccer bar, London Bridge took the World Cup so seriously it opened up for 5 a.m. games.
Mitch’s Tavern
2426 Hillsborough St., Raleigh. 984-200-0526 or mitchstavernraleigh.com
This historic Raleigh bar spent the pandemic closed, sorely missed by its legions of fans. Now it’s back and under new owners looking to carry on its torch and legacy for another five decades. Mitch’s is best known as the liveliest bar in the movie Bull Durham, but locals know the prices and vibe are right and it’s easy to feel like a regular.
My Way Tavern
522 St. Marys St., Raleigh. 919-900-8273 or mywaytavern.com
301 W. Center St., Holly Springs. 919-285-2412
This runner-up for best wings in the Triangle has a lot more to offer than flats and drums. Opened more than a decade ago in Holly Springs, look for ambitious pub food and TVs on top of TVs.
Namu Beer Hall
5420 Durham-Chapel Hill Blvd., Durham. 919-251-9794 or namudurham.com
This will be a refreshing experience for many sports fans, serving a menu of Korean drinking food, like ramen spiced fried chicken, in a spacious indoor beer hall with picnic tables, a wall of TVs and bar games.
Neighborhood Sports Bar & Arcade
301 N. Harrison Ave., Cary. 919-377-2344 or neighborhoodbararcade.com
Five years in, Neighborhood Sports Bar has built a following for fight fans, but is a destination for all sports. It’s the games set this Cary sports bar apart, including soccer pool and outdoor table tennis.
Players’ Retreat
105 Oberlin Rd., Raleigh. 919-755-9589 or playersretreat.com
Every city has that one bar that seems as if it was chiseled out of stone when they built the rest of the buildings. The PR is that bar in Raleigh, standing today more than 70 years after opening, a nationally famous sports bar and an NC State institution
RallyPoint Sport Grill
837 Bass Pro Ln., Cary. 919-678-1088 or rallypointsportgrill.com
Tucked in a Cary strip mall, RallyPoint’s back patio is where you want to be, built up like a backyard with TVs under the covered porch. The menu is more ambitious than most pub food, including a menu of craft cocktails, but the tots and burgers can’t miss.
Sammy’s Tap & Grill
2235 Avent Ferry Rd., Raleigh. 919-755-3880 or sammystapgrill.com
Located in the middle of Wolfpack land, Sammy’s has been around for two decades and today looks better than ever. Built like a lodge and stuffed with TVs and neon, Sammy’s has garage door windows that can be rolled up, turning its dining room into a breezy patio.
Sharky’s Place
5800 Duraleigh Rd., Raleigh. 919-783-5448 or sharkysnc.com
Around since the early 90s, Sharky’s has a culture and community devoted to sports, specifically the New Orleans Saints. There aren’t too many other sports bars serving a respectable gumbo.
Sports & Social
301 Fenton Gateway Dr., Cary. sportsandsocial.com/cary
This new giant entertainment space in Cary has kind of established a new level for sports bars, built with the largest screen in the Triangle, it seems to be an immersive March Madness experience.
Sup Dogs
107 E. Franklin St., Chapel Hill. 919-903-9566 or supdogs.com
Even among the historic bars on Franklin Street, Sup Dogs feels like it’s part of the beating heart of Carolina fandom. Getting a stool for a big game has meant camping out on the sidewalk, but sadly, UNC fans are already looking to next season.
Tobacco Road
280 S. Mangum St., Durham. 919-804-0764 or tobaccoroadsportscafe.com
505 W. Jones St., Raleigh. 919-737-2022
Named for the mythic connection between two great basketball schools, Tobacco Road has some of the largest projection screens in the Triangle, and the whole dining room is oriented to whatever game matters at the moment.
Top of the Hill
100 E. Franklin St., #300, Chapel Hill. 919-929-8676 or thetopofthehill.com
In the Carolina sports sphere, there’s Kenan Stadium and the Dean Dome, and then Top of the Hill. Barstools here are prized and coveted, the TVs numerous and the beer always fresh.
Village Draft House
428 Daniels St., Raleigh. 919-833-1373 or villagedrafthouse.com
This 20-year-old bar in the Village District has a dozen large sports-centric TVs and 100 beers on tap.
Wingin’it Bar & Grille
1625 N. Main St., Suite 109, Fuquay-Varina. 919-762-0962 or winginitbarandgrille.com
Unsurprisingly, it’s the wings that most people pair with the game at this Southern Wake sports bar, coming in 20 different flavors, including some you won’t see anywhere else, like spicy raspberry.
Wooden Nickel Pub
113 N. Churton St., Hillsborough. 919-932-0134 or thewnp.com
The line between sports bar and neighborhood local can be thin sometimes. The Wooden Nickel doesn’t seem to put its effort into being a sports bar, it seems to care more about beer and wings, yet people continue to seek it out for major games.
Woody’s Sports Tavern
205 Wolf St., Raleigh. 919-833-3000 or woodysportstavern.com
8322 Chapel Hill Rd., Cary. 919-380-7737
3107 Grace Park Dr., Morrisville. 919-650-3177
The indoors are mostly lit by TV screens and neon signs at this trio of popular Triangle bars. Woody’s is famous for its wings but the more impressive feat is making a large sports bar feel close-knit.
