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    The Bison Bar

    3.7 (32 reviews)
    InexpensiveSports Bars
    Closed 4:00 pm - 2:00 am (Next day)

    The Bison Bar Photos

    THE BISON BAR ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Loud
    Outdoor seating
    Good for groups
    Happy hour specials

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    Recommended Reviews - The Bison Bar

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    My new buddy
    Sherry S.

    Two weeks ago I went to this bar while waiting on my bus to show up. The people were so friendly and they have a great bartender. I'd recommend this place to anyone who likes to talk to nice people (Ricky, Shawn, Herbie and Woodie) and great drinks. They also have a pool table and lots of other games to play too. I'll be back next time I'm in town! I have three pictures to share. May 2019 --Richmond VA. Gal

    Saturday Specials 5/20/17
    Wisco09 -.

    This is a GREAT dive bar with cheap drinks and specials. The staff is very friendly and funny. It will definitely be one of my regular Raleigh bars. -Shot and beer combos on Saturday for $5 - Tallboy Coors Banquets on Tuesday for $2 -$7 Banquet and shot everyday. -$2 Coronas on Wednesday

    The membership "card".
    Kristin A.

    This bar reminds me of my favorite old neighborhood dive bar in DC except this isn't in my neighborhood. The place has ALL the perfect components of a Cheers-like hole-in-the-wall: regulars, cheap drinks, a few board/electronic games, a couple of tvs and no food. I've only been a few times but there has never been a dull moment nor have I had a dull conversation. You won't find a group of uncomfortable looking people standing around in suits and heels drinking $15 drinks. You will find a bunch of cool laid people shooting the breeze with regularly priced beer and drinks. If want to eat, feel free to bring your own food in with you. Actually this is the only reason it lost a star. After I start drinking, I don't feel like going to get food. Also, it's a member's only club so you gain entry with a member or I'm sure you ask about getting a membership "card" which is nothing more than a business card with a stamp.

    Bison Bomb - three drinks in one!

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    Best place to grab a drink in Raleigh! Bartenders are cool regulars make you feel at home

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    8 years ago

    My favorite bar !!! The best bartenders hands down! Always entertaining never a dull moment!

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    8 years ago

    Came in on a Monday and made very clearly me by the bartenders attitude that if you aren't a regular here you aren't welcome.

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    This bar is a great dive bar. The bartender's are friendly and knowledgeable. They have great drinks for cheap prices.

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    Ask the Community - The Bison Bar

    Review Highlights - The Bison Bar

    Really the best/most unique aspects of Bison bar (at least to me) are the Bison bomb and the vodka red bull slushies.

    Mentioned in 4 reviews

    Read more highlights

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    Tobacco Road Sports Cafe & Brewery - Cobb salad with ranch

    Tobacco Road Sports Cafe & Brewery

    3.6(229 reviews)
    2.1 mi
    $$

    Came for Sunday Football and was met with lovely service and an amazing game day atmosphere…read more As a browns fan, finding bars in the area that play the game audio can be difficult. At Tobacco Road, browns fans meet in the dedicated Game room, a wonderful atmosphere and set up for football. Menu is expansive, although the wide variety of dishes may cause some selections to not be prepared with as much thought to the dish. I personally had the Durham Bulls burger, which was amazing and met my standards (you can't go wrong with freshly ground meat in house)! The highlight of my experience was our tender by a long mile. He alone tended to the entire room and was a very personable and detail oriented server. I would I would definitely recommend requesting to be in Evan's section if possible -- or come by for a browns game so you can watch with fellow fans!

    My company ordered Tobacco Road's boxed meals for lunch and dinner last week while we were working…read morefor the day from Raleigh. For my boxes, I selected the Tobacco Road Club and the turkey sandwich. Neither sandwich arrived dressed (pesto mayo, honey mustard), nor did they put dressings on the side. To be clear, absolutely no one in my group received dressed sandwiches. Fortunately, we found some ranch in the office fridge to share, but even still, the club had no cheese so it was essentially just floppy, sad meats with white bread, and the turkey could not have been more bland if they tried. The side salads that came with them were mediocre at best, and the dressing was not great, either. Literally the only good thing I can say is that the chocolate chip cookies were tasty. I have to wonder if they even make those in house. I was not the one to place the order and I'm glad there was no money out of my pocket, but geesh, if they're going to offer boxed lunches, they could try to be a touch more inventive. Perhaps their other food or their ambiance is good, but I'll never know because you couldn't pay me to try them again after that sad food day.

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    Tobacco Road Sports Cafe & Brewery - Bar

    Bar

    Tobacco Road Sports Cafe & Brewery - Crab dip with seasoned Ritz

    Crab dip with seasoned Ritz

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    The Players Retreat - Chop Salad

    The Players Retreat

    3.6(282 reviews)
    2.5 mi
    $$$$

    It took two years of living in Raleigh, but I finally experienced the PR. Well, once I finally…read morefound a parking spot up the street. I'm just thankful I did not have to parallel park! So I took one of the few seats left at the bar on a Tuesday night, and this really feels like the local neighborhood hang where people know each other. People of all kinds can feel welcome in there. They have drink specials every night, and I took advantage of several High Lifes. It was almost like I was living in the midwest again. I started with garlic parmesan wings. The menu said 6, but I got 8, all drums, which I had no problem with at all! Bleu cheese or ranch are added for free. One of the bigger wings had a little bit of pink though, that's not great. Then I had a Usinger's brat with peppers, onions on a toasted roll with a side of spicy mustard. Just 9 bucks. For my side, I got super thick onion rings with some horseradish sauce. Well worth the extra $2.75! The bartenders kept my water glass full. Even though the bar was quite packed, they seemed to do a very good job of keeping everything organized. It's a fun vibe for sure!

    Good place on Hillsborough street near NC State. This is a classic little base and digger place in…read moreRaleigh. Casual vibes and a friendly staff. Basic bar fair but done well. The burgers are the way to go. Although I had the discuss chicken sandwich today and it was bomb.

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    The Players Retreat - Cheeseburger with Onion Rings

    Cheeseburger with Onion Rings

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    My Way Tavern - The January special: Shrimp and Grits. Shrimp and andouille in a low country gravy over creamy grits. DELICIOUS

    My Way Tavern

    3.9(182 reviews)
    2.0 mi
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    We tried My Way Tavern for lunch on a spring-like Saturday. Being relatively close to NCSU and a…read moreblock over from Glenwood South, it definitely has a college sports bar vibe. There were lots of dogs present in the covered outdoor seating, including one sitting at the table with its humans. I tried the Freedom Dip, which was really just a French Dip served with French Onion Soup instead of au jus. It came with a very generous serving of roast beef and was served warm with melted cheese. The sandwich was good, although I think the French Onion Soup really didn't go very well; serving it with au jus would have been a better fit. My dining companion tried the The Bogart, basically a marinated chicken breast sandwich. Like my sandwich, the serving size was very generous. She rated it as good but not exceptional. Both of us thought the house-made potato chips were good, but felt that some of the chips weren't thoroughly cooked. Our server was having a bad day and complained about the workload. She explained that if they had enough people working, she would have done a better job taking care of us. For what it is, My Way Tavern is good. If the service had been a bit better, it would have earned a 4-star review.

    I went for lunch with a friend on a very cold Tuesday in January. I looked through the flip card…read moretable tent and noticed that the January special is Shrimp and Grits. It sounded hearty and perfect for a cold January day, so I ordered it. The Shrimp and Grits dish consists of shrimp and andouille sausage in a low country gravy over creamy grits. The dish was perfectly spiced--not too hot, just the right balance of heat and flavor. The shrimp were tender, and the smoky andouille sausage added just the right kick. Coupled with the Lowcountry gravy, the shrimp, andouille, and creamy grits came together beautifully, making this a deeply satisfying dish, full of Southern soul. I paired this with a cranberry and club--perfectly made, with the tart juice blending seamlessly with the soda. My friend had the Carolina Dog, at my recommendation (I've had this all-beef Old North State masterpiece here before) and thought it was delicious. My receipt said that Party was my server--maybe Patty, maybe Party--but all I know is that she was great. She was nice, friendly, a great conversationalist, attentive, and a pleasure. It was very cold outside, but our booth was very warm and comfortable. Every time I come, I notice something new--today it was the Chelsea banner on the ceiling. This is a great bar and grill with a warm, fitting atmosphere. Another very fine experience and yet another reason to return.

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    My Way Tavern - Classic sports bar atmosphere

    Classic sports bar atmosphere

    My Way Tavern - Side of Brussels

    Side of Brussels

    My Way Tavern

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    Yard House - Tap in to great food, classic rock and 100+ craft & local beers.

    Yard House

    3.6(890 reviews)
    2.2 mi
    $$

    Ian is the very best server ever! Great job!! He was very attentive and had a wonderful…read morepersonality! Food was good too!

    It's March Madness and we went to watch women's ball. We had a few appetizers and some beer. The…read morePizza was good and even better the next day heated in the oven. The Brussels were very tasty and nice and big. The drizzle was good and so was the dipping sauce. The Queso is always a hit, we tried it with the ground beef this time and yes it was great. I like it with the Pita, my GF likes the chips. There's never any left. Now let me tell you about this Tuna. If you like sushi if you don't like sushi, you must give this a try. It melts in your mouth and has the best taste. The cause is ginger and sesame with ginger on the side. It's so good. My beer flight. 1. Stone Buenaveza a pale lager had citrus notes and like a light beer and was probably my fav 2. Pauline's Pils is a Pilsner and just a little hoppy 3. Bavic Pils is really light almost no taste 4. Schwarzbier, German beer tastes like coffee but it was kind of good. The bar staff were great this day greeted us as we sat down and even changed the channels for us right away. It wasn't crowded as we went at the start of Happy hour but got busier by the time we left. The vibes are always good at Yard house.

    Photos
    Yard House - Lobster Garlic Noodles - Maine lobster, shrimp, shiitake mushrooms, spinach and parmesan.

    Lobster Garlic Noodles - Maine lobster, shrimp, shiitake mushrooms, spinach and parmesan.

    Yard House - Enjoy a variety of appetizers, like our Chicken Nachos, while watching your favorite sports games.

    Enjoy a variety of appetizers, like our Chicken Nachos, while watching your favorite sports games.

    Yard House - Mac + Cheese]² - With white truffle, bacon, chicken, crimini, shiitake & oyster mushrooms, parmesan and panko cheddar crust.

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    Whiskey Kitchen - Cracklin' Biscuits

    Whiskey Kitchen

    4.0(787 reviews)
    2.3 mi
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    Wow! I said I'd come back but I didn't realize it had been 8 years!…read more My husband Dan H and I had a great lunch with some friends today. We all shared an order of fries for the table, which were amazing. Then I got the grain bowl with shrimp, and everything was perfectly prepared and delicious. My husband enjoyed his biscuits and gravy with fried chicken- so tender and decedent. Our friends enjoyed their meal, too, and enjoyed the apple custard for dessert. The mocktails were also delicious- I loved one with hibiscus and ginger. So nice to have a bunch of mocktail options! The ambiance was just as great as it was 8 years ago- spacious and light. The server was great, and let us linger for a few hours without hovering. Hope to be back sooner than another 8 years from now!

    If bourbon and whiskey choices were a personality trait, The Whiskey Kitchen would definitely have…read morecommitment issues...because the selection is massive. Seriously, if you can't find a pour you like here, you may just need water instead. Started with the biscuits topped with crackling and house-made preserves, and honestly, that combo alone made me question why I don't eat more biscuits in life. Sweet, salty, buttery chaos in the best way. For the main, I went with the pork chop and greens. The chop leaned a little overcooked for me personally, but the sauce helped bring things back together and added good flavor. The greens had a nice little kick of heat, but I kept waiting for that deep smoky ham hock flavor to show up like an old Southern grandma entering the kitchen... and it never quite arrived. Overall though? Still a solid meal, strong whiskey program, cool atmosphere, and definitely worth checking out if you're in Raleigh looking for a bourbon-forward dinner spot. Travelin_Broke approved with a slight side-eye from the greens.

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    The Botanist and Paper Plane

    The Bison Bar - sportsbars - Updated May 2026

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