Watching (away) games in Durham

[southgater]

I'll be accompanying my high school daughter on a visit (unofficial) to Duke next Tuesday. When I checked back at a Duke basketball schedule somewhere on the web, I was momentarily quite excited to see we had a home game that night (I had thought that I had checked this much earlier and found none.) Of course the truth is that this is one of those mythical home games that is really on a "neutral court" in Kansas City. (I won't go into how playing Kansas State, our likely opponent, in Kansas City can be considered neutral, much less a home game.)

In any case, I'll be in Durham on Tuesday night and will want to watch the game somewhere. Can any one of you locals suggest a good venue for this? The game will be on ESPN, so I would think any place that shows sports should be showing it.
Thanks,
Southgater

[SharkD]

Satisfaction, in Brightleaf square, was always considered a great home away from Cameron by my friends and I, growing up in Durham. (In fact, in 1996 or 1997, I watched a Duke game while sitting at a table next to Cherokee Parks and his mom.)

http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/25/292015/restaurant/Downtown-Durham/Satisfaction-Durham

Devine's which is across the street is also decent, though a bit more of a dive bar.

[magjayran]

Definitely Satisfaction's. The food isn't great. The atmosphere isn't great. The service isn't great. But it's a great place to watch sports and a really great place to watch Duke Basketball.

[CY_devil]

I would recommend Dain's on 9th street. The food is great. The atmosphere is great. The service is great. And it's a great place to watch sports and a really great place to watch Duke Basketball.

(sorry magjayran for stealing your framework :)

S

[Dukeface88]

I was partial to Armadillo Grill in Brian Center (mostly because it was easier to get to), although I agree Sati's isn't a bad place to see a game either.

ETA: Now that I think about it, I wonder if Q Shack is a good place to watch. Never occurred to me to go there on game day (so no idea what the atmosphere is like then) but some seriously good eats.

[SharkD]

I would recommend Dain's on 9th street. The food is great. The atmosphere is great. The service is great. And it's a great place to watch sports and a really great place to watch Duke Basketball.

(sorry magjayran for stealing your framework :)

S

I couldn't remember if Dain's had a TV or not, so I didn't mention them. 'Great burgers' does not even begin to do the place justice.

[airowe]

Tyler's Taproom (http://www.tylerstaproom.com/restaurants/durham) is a pretty cool spot in the American Tobacco Campus also.

A new spot that overlooks the Durham Bulls Baseball Park is Tobacco Road Sports Cafe (http://www.tobaccoroadsportscafe.com/location/index.html). They have recliners that front a 20' wall of tvs and pretty good pub fare.

I've never been in Dain's but have always heard good things, although I'm not sure how high school girl friendly it is. Feel free to correct me there...

[detule]

Tyler's Taproom (http://www.tylerstaproom.com/restaurants/durham) is a pretty cool spot in the American Tobacco Campus also.

A new spot that overlooks the Durham Bulls Baseball Park is Tobacco Road Sports Cafe (http://www.tobaccoroadsportscafe.com/location/index.html). They have recliners that front a 20' wall of tvs and pretty good pub fare.

I've never been in Dain's but have always heard good things, although I'm not sure how high school girl friendly it is. Feel free to correct me there...

I will second this suggestion. Tobacco Road may not have the history, but it arguably is the best sports bar in town. Also, these two are 5 minutes apart (walking,) convenient if you feel like a change of venue is needed at any point.

IMO both of these have better food than Satisfactions. On the other hand, you may find a more "crazy like" atmosphere at Satisfactions, or one of the neighboring bars, as these are more often frequented by students than Tobacco Road and/or Tyler's.

[wolffnc3]

I love all the places that have been mentioned here. But for the game experience you have to go with Satisfaction's. The food may not be the best in town, but they'll have ALL the TV's tuned to the game, with sound, and the whole place is full of Duke fans.

Tyler's is the best place in town for beer selection, but their TV's are small and too far away from the tables.

Dain's has great burgers and good beer options, and they have 2 TVs, but it is a pretty small place, so it is often difficult to get a seat on a busy night.

Tobacco Road has by far the best TV setup in town, and the food is great. I've never been there for a game though, so I'm not sure what the atmosphere is like, or if they turn the sound on like they do at Sati's, or if they've got other stuff on some of the TVs that might be distracting.

[phaedrus]

Sati's is my go-to sports bar, too. It gets busy for games but it's usually big enough to accommodate crowds.

Dain's is great, but it's hard to get seating there even when it's not busy.

[DU82]

Remember that it's Thanksgiving break, so I would expect the crowds, especially at Satisfactions, to be down. That may affect you choice.

[DukeFencer]

No votes for Charlie's on 9th Street? Tons of TVs, all will be turned to Duke game, and the walls are like a satellite site of the Duke Basketball Hall of Fame :)

[DevilWearsPrada]

No votes for Charlie's on 9th Street? Tons of TVs, all will be turned to Duke game, and the walls are like a satellite site of the Duke Basketball Hall of Fame :)

The Bar Manager, left in the spring, after being there forever. Johnny was the best. Not many folks go there. The last time I was in there, fruit flies were everywhere. We had one drink, and walked over to The Tavern for a couple more.

Dains is small. But quaint. The food is typical bar food, but good.

Main Street offers alot of options. Devines (Gene Devine, Duke Football alum owns), Satisfactions, The Federal, James Joyce, and several other venues in Brightleaf Square.
Downtown Durham.... Tylers Taproom, and the new Tobacco Sports Cafe, beside the Durham Bulls ball park.

We ate at Devines, after the Princeton game on Sunday. I had a bacon cheesburger with onion rings. I took half home for the next day!! Lots of tvs, and the service was great!!

[MulletMan]

Your choices should boil down to Sati's or Tobacco Road. Sati's has the tradition, TR has the food. And TR will have the game sound on, and it'll be on their one huge screen surrounded by all the smaller screens. Sati's is much closer to campus.

Devine's - Love it, love Geno, they used to sponsor my softball team back in the day. I don't suggest it for you and your daughter... especially since it will not be T-giving break on Tuesday and it will fill with undergrads around 9:00.

Fed - Best food in the Brightleaf area. Love the bar, love the beer, love the staff, practically live my social life there. Terrible place to watch sports.

Charlie's - Haven't gone in there in 5 years. Don't know many people who have.

Dain's - Awesome burgers, great owner... simply good people. Smallest bar on the list, most limited seating, and only a few TVs. I know people who watch NFL games there, but I can't.

Seriously... Sati's or Tobacco Rd. Trust me, I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night.

[DevilWearsPrada]

Your choices should boil down to Sati's or Tobacco Road. Sati's has the tradition, TR has the food. And TR will have the game sound on, and it'll be on their one huge screen surrounded by all the smaller screens. Sati's is much closer to campus.

Devine's - Love it, love Geno, they used to sponsor my softball team back in the day. I don't suggest it for you and your daughter... especially since it will not be T-giving break on Tuesday and it will fill with undergrads around 9:00.

Fed - Best food in the Brightleaf area. Love the bar, love the beer, love the staff, practically live my social life there. Terrible place to watch sports.

Charlie's - Haven't gone in there in 5 years. Don't know many people who have.

Dain's - Awesome burgers, great owner... simply good people. Smallest bar on the list, most limited seating, and only a few TVs. I know people who watch NFL games there, but I can't.

Seriously... Sati's or Tobacco Rd. Trust me, I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night.

Great choices!!! Miss you Mullet Man and the Original Viking Guy in the Grad Student Section!!! You 2 were the best!!!

[southgater]

Thanks to all for the suggestions. Sounds like Satisfactions and Tobacco Road are the consensus picks. We'll head to one of those on Tuesday night.
Southgater

[kingboozer]

Satisfaction is awesome. I was there having some grub the night that UNC lost the final of the NIT, best experience I've ever had there, so much fun! Nothing like sharing joy in our enemies defeat!

[thenameisbond]

+1 for Satisfaction

I'll go to the Dillo before a game, but the viewing experience is much better at Satisfaction and it is usually crowded with Duke fans. I went there last year before a game and UNC was playing UK. My view was obscured by a large UNC fan, but he left quickly when Carolina got behind by a large deficit.

[HaveFunExpectToWin]

Satisfaction is awesome. I was there having some grub the night that UNC lost the final of the NIT, best experience I've ever had there, so much fun! Nothing like sharing joy in our enemies defeat!

Is there still the "King Rice still sucks" graffiti in the men's room at Satisfaction? That always made me laugh.