The Cave — Restaurant in Chapel Hill

Popped in early yesterday while the place was still empty, so took a bunch of pictures to post while had the opportunity. Enjoy!

Oldest bar in town, and it still retains so much from its 1968 founding. If you've been here before over the years, you'll notice a few changes, such as updated air venting and, of course, furniture, but in essence, little has changed.

Biggest change? No thick clouds of cigarette smoke obscuring the view as it was in yesteryears; no smoking and better ventilation make for a very pleasant upgrade!

Can still have a game of pool, pop out the back door, enjoy a good variety at the bar, and catch an ever changing eclectic mix of local talent and living legends live on a stage that really makes for an intimate experience. With so many restaurants and shops nearby, there's every reason to make an afternoon and evening of it!

Oh, and as for those restrooms,... they are unusual, rustic, small... but not actually bad... they just aren't up to 'modern expectations' of slick uniform construction and display.

With so many changes in the world today, it is great to know some...

COLLEGE STUDENTS BEWARE.

The ambiance is definitely "dive" which we loved. At first. The live music was nostalgic; the bar wasn't busy at all.

Regulars (friends of the bartender/staff) approached us and seemed friendly while we were there. One was a professor at Wilmington, one was a local business owner. They were a middle aged couple. I'm in my late 20s.

For the next 2 hours they hovered around us, dancing. 2 more of their friends showed up and they kept asking to hang out after (already 1am).

My partner and I decided to leave at that point. My last drink of the night, club soda and lime, was spiked.

I was able to make it home, but I was disorientated, dizzy and sick throughout the night. I only had 1 drink with alcohol the whole night.

Thankfully we got out of there when we did. We'll never go back. What scares me is that these regulars knew everyone at the bar, everyone that worked there.

This should go without saying but avoid this bar at all costs or only go with a group of people (3+). Seems like a hotspot...

I had a deeply disappointing and upsetting experience at The Cave. When I noticed Pride flags around the venue, I politely asked if they were doing anything special for Pride Month. Instead of a friendly or even neutral response, the staff member I spoke with, a white man in his 30s with medium-length brown hair, was incredibly rude and dismissive. When I then tried to order a drink, he flat-out refused to serve me. He didn’t even ask for my ID (I’m 27), just immediately shut me down, purely because I’m gay and had asked about Pride. He wouldn’t even make eye contact with me. It was blatant discrimination, and I left feeling shocked and humiliated. For a bar that displays Pride flags, I expected basic decency and inclusion—not hostility. If you’re part of the LGBTQ+ community or support it, I’d strongly encourage you to reconsider visiting this place. No one deserves to be...