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    Hard Hat Tavern - Durham

    3.4 (67 reviews)
    Open 11:30 am - 11:00 pm

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    HARD HAT TAVERN - DURHAM ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Live music
    Outdoor seating
    Happy hour specials

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    Fried Mozzarella
    Jennifer E.

    I want to give this place 4 stars. There were 5 of us on a Saturday night. We sat away from the bar in a nice room with a fireplace. It was pretty empty. Some of the party were there before we arrived. When we ordered drinks,they said the already had but never got them. Our server, Dante, was really pleasant and helpful with the gluten free items and any thing we needed. It just seemed to take quite a bit of time for things to come to our table. Drinks came a few at a time. The cocktails were delicious, according to those drinking them. We ordered some appetizers: hot honey brussel sprout, fried mozzarella, and wings. We got 6 buffalo and 6 garlic parmesean wings. It took a whole but they finally arrived, one at a time. The wings are fried crispy and the sauce is delicious. The fried mozzarella also good! The Brussels, although tasty, didn't seem to have the hot honey flavor. When our dinners arrived, the also came a few at a time, with 1 plate taking longer than the rest. When Dante returned to check up on us, he immediately noticed 1 dish missing and ran to get it. My dinner was a the Hard Hat wrap. It was fresh and delicious, although bit sticky with excess apple cider dressing. The fries were hot and crisp. My husband got the lobster sliders, which looked delicious with chunks of claw meat,but the lobster was dry and bland. There was no butter on the lobster or any to dip. He was disappointed. My nephew got a fried chicken sandwich which also looked good. There was a thick slice of tomato that was too much. The avocado mayo? made the bun soggy. He ate the top only. One of us got a grilled chicken sandwich which was OK. She asked for hot honey on the side and it's more of a BBQ sauce which really isn't what she wanted. The Nashville hot chicken sandwich was good,but the chicken was small on the bun. The food is OK. I see how it could be much better. But we didn't leave hungry. We ordered 2 desserts. The lava cake...which did have lava! The cake was moist and chocolaty. My nephew ordered fried ice cream. But, after bringing out the lava cake, he was told they were having a problem with the freezer and couldn't do the fired ice cream. He chose a cookie sundae instead and it was on the house. The cookie in the sundae was hard. It could've been better if it was soft and warm. But, it was free. Nothing here was bad. Just a few things that weren't perfect. The staff was great. Friendly, helpful, and accommodating. I would give them another try in the future.

    Allison C.

    Cozy spot with good comfort food! I really love the vibe here, especially visiting in the fall - the decorations were adorable! Their new fall menu and drinks are perfect for the season, and it's a nice spot to come watch the game. They even have a really good BOGO happy hour deal on wings that's worth checking out! Some of my favorites were their signature doob style wings, loaded nachos, and the sweet potato fries with a unique marshmallow sauce! The personal pizza was really tasty too.

    David H.

    Food quality / price (value) rating 8.5. The atmosphere is contemporary tavern. The menu is exactly what you'd rxpect, and there doesn't seem to be any surprises. The prices are reasonable, and the pkace is new since 2023 and very clean. I had a Grilled Chicken Caesar Wrap with onion rings, and everything was good. They have a small selection of draught beers. They have live entertainment every Friday from 6 to 9 pm, They have a Happy Hour Monday through Friday 3 - 6 pm.

    Meatloaf...not as good as mine, but not bad.
    Janice M.

    I talked my guys into dinner out! We grabbed a table on the patio. It was airy and welcoming. Let me start by saying that the Doobs didn't last long enough to take a picture. I've never eaten at this location, but their wings were just as good as the other two locations. They were pretty amazing. Our son tried the All American Burger which he called, "bangin". My husband ordered the yellow fin tuna. It was cooked properly and tasted fresh. It lacked a marinade, but was served with a spicy mayo. I went traditional and opted for the meatloaf. I was expecting a less dense loaf. It is very heavy and mostly meat. It was served with real mashed potatoes and Al dente asparagus. Terry was our waiter and he was very helpful and friendly. We're all looking forward to going back.

    Chicken tenders
    Michelle S.

    My husband and I really enjoyed this Hard Hat location. Really nice atmosphere, and a well curated menu consisting of bar food, sandwiches and entrees. The steak and cheese eggrolls with a spicy aioli dipping sauce were excellent. Looking forward to returning to explore more of the menu.

    Strawberry Balsamic Pecan & Roasted Beet Salad
    Lindsay N.

    Had an excellent evening at the Hard Hat Tavern in Durham. I was with a group to celebrate the holidays and were seated in their dining room. The restaurant is split in half with a bar area that is separated from the dining room to give more privacy. The restaurant is decorated with modern-rustic vibes: farm & animal artwork, mix finishes of woods, but also felt welcoming and family-friendly. Our server was absolutely lovely. We first started with our drink orders: mixed drinks, beers and wine while we waited for everyone in our party to arrive. The menu is very simple and to the point for pub food. We ordered a few appetizers to share. The Garlic Bread with Gorgonzola Sauce was very yummy. The warm Gorgonzola sauce was a tasty choice. We also got Fried Calamari and Buffalo Wings. The calamari was perfectly fried and crispy. I loved it the best dipped in the marinara sauce. For our meals, everyone got something different. All served was very fresh and tasted gourmet. Grilled Chicken Caesar Wrap, The All American Burger, Caesar Salad with Chicken and Strawberry Balsamic Pecan & Roasted Beet Salad with Chicken to name a few. I got the Creamy Mac and Cheese that was so rich and filling. I had to take half of it home with me so I could save room for dessert. Dessert was an amazing finish to our night. The Caramel Apple Pie with Vanilla ice cream was delicious. Sticky, but warm and sweet. Paired with a coffee, it made it even better! I was very surprised how busy the Hard Hat Tavern was for a week day night. It must be the prime local spot in the area. I will gladly return for lunch or dinner.

    a burger and fries
    Terri D.

    Decided to come try Hard Hat Tavern last night for dinner. It was a solid 15-20 minute drive from us. Upon entering the parking lot, there wasn't a single available parking space. We giggled a bit that they have a valet service...which at the time no one was attending. It was around 6pm at this point, not sure any other restaurants around and our son was quite hungry. We were a bit nervous that the place would be packed, but we chose to keep circling the parking lot until a family came out and a spot became available. Once inside, there was all of like 4 tables full in the dining room and tons of empty ones. All of those cars must have been the workers and those on the other side at the bar. We were immediately seated. At this point it did take a hot minute for someone to come over to our table. So much so that I kept making glances at two waitresses nearby and when we locked eye contact, she came over to take our drink order but said that our server will be coming shortly for the rest of the order. Our server shows up and apologizes that he was also taking care of customers in the bar. I had the rose sangria and it was great. We ordered the Doob style wings to start and they were amazing. The best flavor and I started day-dreaming of potentially ordering them to go one day for Superbowl or as an appetizer for New Year's Eve. They were just so good. I'm a big fan of a dryer wing. Mind you they didn't come out as appetizers, they showed up the same time as all of our meals. I had the Chopped Steak Salad, it was pretty good, but felt a bit drowning in the dressing. My husband had a burger and said it was your typical burger. Our 3 year old son had the kids mac and cheese. It was Kraft, basic Kraft, not even deluxe. Now don't get me wrong, my son loves it and ate every bite of it (it also came with fries), but it was $10.95.....for Kraft. I'm gonna assume if we ever go back, it will be for those wings for sure.

    Len H.

    Really good Sunday afternoon. I'm back at Hard Hat! Cozy and welcoming atmosphere with super friendly staff! Fantastic beer selection. Started with Philly Steak Egg rolls. "Shaved steak and American cheese served with chipotle mayo". Then Chopped Steak Salad "chopped greens, candied pecans, chopped tomatoes, hardboiled egg and red peppers tossed with balsamic blue cheese vinaigrette and sliced Bourbon Sirloin". I had The Triple Crown "Perfectly cooked medium burger; BBQ sauce, bacon and cheddar cheese on a brioche bun". Terrence was our server and was terrific but the whole team was attentive and helpful.

    Newly refurbished
    Jim L.

    I'm not sure why I only gave this a three. It's all new inside and out. The servers were friendly. The sandwiches were well stuffed. Lots of pastrami etc on the Rueben. Thick slices of turkey on the club. This was our first time since they reopened. It's in a location where there aren't many dining options. But in spite of all these niceties there was just no WOW, nothing special. But it is a good solid eatery.

    Nothin left in that plate...it was yummy!

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    3 months ago

    They have consistently delicious food. Also, their menu is diverse. They offer so many choices. I highly recommend.

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    Great pics too!

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    Thank you Hannah for your review it makes us better!

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    Page 1 of 2

    Ask the Community - Hard Hat Tavern - Durham

    Review Highlights - Hard Hat Tavern - Durham

    I had the Chopped Steak Salad, it was pretty good, but felt a bit drowning in the dressing.

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    1741 Pub & Grill

    1741 Pub & Grill

    4.1
    (78 reviews)
    2.7 mi
    $$

    The service was great and very helpful. Came to us quickly whenever we needed. We were here for…read morelunch and all of our food was really good. The salad was nice with added protein. The sweet potato fries were tasty. Buffalo chicken wraps were perfect. You are able to look out at the golf course depending on your seating. Overall would love to go back when in the area

    Came here for New Year's Day Brunch as we saw their Facebook ad and it looked like a cool place to…read moretry. Was a bit of a process to get a reservation. Called a few days prior to see if we could get a table and they kept saying they were booked unless we wanted to come in at 10:00am. I said no thank you and tried again the next day....they said no again but to call again at night to see if there were any cancellations. So I called again and they said we could come at 12:30 which is the time we preferred (it was either that or 1:00 - can't remember the exact time). Upon arriving, the room down below appeared to be full, but there were many tables up top that were empty. Maybe there weren't enough servers to accommodate more tables, but it definitely wasn't booked up so not sure why they kept telling me they couldn't accommodate us at the time we preferred. Ambiance really nice - overlooking the golf course. We walked around after brunch around the cart path. Nice walk - even in the cold. I got the Lyman's Egg Benedict with gluten free bread and fruit on the side. Boyfriend got the Western Omelet with bacon instead of ham. Home fries very tasty however lukewarm. I would like to come back for one of their events as they seem to have a lot going on. Their drink menu looks cool too.

    Photos
    Lower Grill Room - Available for Private Events
    Lower Grill Room - Available for Private Events
    Dry Rub Wings
    Dry Rub Wings
    Sunday Brunch - Buffets available for certain brunches.

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    Sunday Brunch - Buffets available for certain brunches.
    The Hideaway Pub & Grill

    The Hideaway Pub & Grill

    4.3
    (16 reviews)
    11.0 mi

    Such a fun local bar that is cozy inviting and welcoming. My fiancé and I are local to Cromwell and…read morealways come in when the grandparents take the babe! Clean kitchen, delicious bar bites, and we love that there is touch tunes (jukebox) and pool! Makes for a quick and fun date night. Love the bartenders and they know us by name.

    A friend had recommended The Hideaway for wings a while back. Since then, a number of people…read morementioned them too. I recently visited. The Hideaway is a cool neighborhood bar. Not fancy. Just functional. I was there on an NFL Sunday. There were lots of regulars. There was good interaction with the staff. I didn't catch her name, but the woman who was the only person working the bar and waiting on the tables was amazing. She was super friendly to everyone. She hustled to meet everyone's needs. It wouldn't surprise me if she is an owner too. It's hard to find people, who aren't owners, who are that committed. I asked for a wing flavor recommendation and she said "Montreal Honey" first. I ordered 6. The wings are part-baked and then finished in a fryer. Good inner and outer texture. The Montreal Seasoning was right on. The Honey didn't have much of a presence either visually or flavor-wise. More was needed to balance the salt from the Montreal Seasoning and to justify the Honey in the name. I tried both the Blue Cheese and the Ranch. I'd recommend the Blue Cheese. I'll definitely return to try more wing flavors. I also ordered a crock of chili, which was full of ground beef and topped with melted cheddar and chopped red onions. The chili was solid. I'd probably try something else before I ordered it again though. I'm a fan of Hideaway and I'll be back. 4.25 Stars

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    Fried Pickles
    Vodka Soda Lime

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    Vodka Soda Lime

    Hard Hat Tavern - Durham - pubs - Updated June 2026

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