Tavern — Restaurant in Durham

So, I invited some of my friends I worked with to meet me here. None of us had ever been, but the reviews were pretty good, so why not? We came on July 26th. I loved the fact that they had pool tables and darts. The food.....we absolutely enjoyed it. That is the flavor I expect in a country bar setting. NOW, let me fast forward to this past weekend (Karaoke night) 11/10. Before I delve into it, a bit of background on my life. I have been around, worked with, and been a DJ literally since I was in my teens!! I am now 53. Music is still my ultimate enjoyment. So,I was absolutely looking forward to Karaoke night. And I must say, you all have the rudest, most disrespectful DJ that I have ever encountered in my over 30 years of music experience in the DJ industry!!! Any 5 star I would have given the Tavern is totally obliterated by the lack of people skills and respect that you guys hire to be your DJ which BTW isn't really DJ'ING. So, where I'm from, we would put our songs on paper, dj would rotate it out, we sing. But, in the midst of that, the DJ is also keeping the crowd entertained. So, anyway, I had never seen a Karaoke bar where you scan the QR code and put in your song. So, I did like I do on paper. I put two songs in online thinking it would rotate. So, he calls me up to sing, and immediately snaps at me for putting in two songs!! So, I'm trying to ask him the process of how it works seeing I had never been there on that night and he's like, "you need to read, the instructions are on the screen!" That was totally not my question. I had put in my other song because he deleted it out the system and it never came back around to me. Tons of people that came in after I got there and had been called up. I tried to then ask him how I would check the queue and he lashed out again with his disrespectful self!! Understand something, if you can't hire people with people skills, you shouldn't just hire the first available senior citizen that's tired of sitting at home and hates new people and being interrupted! He should have been grateful that new people wanted to add to the people count of your establishment which in turn, brings in revenue. Unfortunately, my first good experience has been dampened by your DJ and I won't be returning. I love music and people who love music. I am sure there is another spot here in Durham where the DJ personality matches his job...

The Tavern has gone through a number of drastic changes in the past year, and it's nothing like what it was when it first opened in this new location on Markham Street. The entire staff has been turned over, and it's all for the better. They've also opened a fully-operational kitchen and overhauled their menu with new cooks, which has been a huge success IMO.

The new food selection at the Tavern is excellent. I can't recommend enough that you stop in on your lunch break for one of their hand-stuffed burgers and house made chips. You also can't go wrong with the Tavern Chicken Pita or the Wings, but whatever you do don't miss the pickle chips! Easily the best pickle chips that I've EVER had, and trust me when I say that I've been searching high-and-low for a better version, which has been an insurmountable task.

The beer selection is also incredible. They have not only your standard domestic selection on tap or in the bottle/can, but they also have a huge and constantly evolving selection of local and craft beers. Their daily specials are usually very good, and the newest bartending staff is friendly and very attentive.

Another thing that I love about the Tavern is their selection of things to do. They regularly have bands come in to play on their big stage, but the staples of the bar are the pool tables, arcade games and the dart boards. You can even join the dart league that plays there weekly if you're feeling adventurous.

I've always left the Tavern happy, and it's the only bar in Durham that I visit regularly. The last reviews (from years ago) do not do this place justice, and I highly recommend that you stop in and judge for yourself what the "New" Tavern is like. (Check out the photos above to see for yourself how much it's changed from what was mentioned in those old reviews).

Oh, I almost forgot to mention that it's a great place to catch any sporting event. The owners do get the NFL package, and the place is always packed for college basketball games (though I'm usually the guy sitting in the corner watching hockey by myself). They have a good selection of TVs, and if it's a really special event, you can even get your game put up on the giant projector in the room...

I went to The Tavern today. It was an awful experience. I walked in with two colleagues and we ordered a few drinks. We walked in with food from another establishment and were immediately told that we could not eat inside. That was fine. We went outside with our drinks and casually ate our food on a table out front. There were several tables outside. All of the tables out front were completely empty. We were the only minority patrons in the entire establishment. Two white employees came out a few minutes later and started to chastise us for eating our food outside even though we purchased alcoholic drinks from the Tavern. One of the white employees was condescending and very rude. She was a shorter woman with dark hair. We were told that we cannot eat there because The Tavern sold wings. Then, another man came out to tell us to leave. He was the cook. He said we were “messing” with his profits. He was the only black employee there. There was a toddler child that followed him outside. I find it offensive that the company would use him to try to appease us. Additionally, there was a toddler just hanging out at the bar. I told him that I believed he was being used. Disgraceful especially in this climate....