This place is great. Great vibes. I love how they are so gay friendly. A great community spot. Some of the best dance parties in DUrhaM!!! NO DOUBT!!! read more

This review is specifically for the 90s Dance Party on 12/09/16. I was expecting a lot of 90's big hits with diverse genre. Nope. From 11pm to 12am it was mostly little known RnB/Hip Hop tracks with very few big hits thrown in. After midnight, the DJ went straight up techno for 30 minutes and remixed some classic Hip Hop into techno. I heard little segments of B.I.G- Big Papa during transitions, but the DJ went right back into some wack techno. Decided to leave when the redundancy became too much. For the 1.5 hours I was there I did not hear any classic artists like NSYNC, Britney Spears, Third Eye Blind, Tupac, etc...Perhaps they played these tracks between 10-11pm or 12:45 to 2. Either way, they missed dropping these tracks during the crucial primetime when most people trickle in. I would have been way more satisfied if they unplugged their equipment and ran an AUX cable into a laptop to play a Youtube 90s power hour playlist. read more

I love this bar! it has a great (often queer) vibe to it. they have good music and when there's a DJ it's good dancing! the drinks aren't too expensive and the owner is a sweetie. read more

It's Friday night and you want to have a lil' fun... what is one to do? I used an app on my Android phone and stumbled upon this place. Met my "new" friend there and we had a real good time... the people were quite eclectic and friendly, it was karaoke night and the crowd was very supportive even though I did not have my trademark "autotune" to assist me with the vocals. I will definitely add this to my "places to have fun" list for when my "out of towners" come up/down. read more

First Sunday of every month from 12pm-2pm, a vegan cooks up vegan brunch and serves it up at Pinhook. The food is always great. Creative and delicious. For example, the upcoming menu for August is Crêpes filled with Grilled Asparagus and a Pea-Mint Purée, topped with a Roasted Tomato Ragoût served on a Summer Squash Gratin with a Coconut Milk Béchamel. Who doesn't want to try that? You get all this for $7. Also, at the bar, you can get bloody marys or other alcohol filled beverage to go with your meals. The only reason it is 4 stars is because 1) the food gets to pinhook pre-prepared. It's served out of a big tray, and so it tends to get kinda cold. Room-temperature food always takes something out of a good meal. 2) the Pinhook, as great a bar it is, is not the best brunch spot. It lacks some light, and can feel a little dark and dank for brunch sometimes. But maybe if you eat enough of the great food and drink enough bloody marys, you won't care! read more

I was here to see two Art of Cool Fest shows. Very tight, very hot... but very enjoyable shows... that's what I take away from this place. You literally come here for the artists/music. read more

I went here the other weekend and I noticed my bank statement this morning. I had to go dig up my receipt and I realized they had added an extra 9 dollars onto the charge. I paid cash to get in and I also left a cash tip! I know other people post stuff and I presumed other people may have been drunk, but since I was the sober person and paying I figured some drunk person might not remember - but nope! I called the Pinhook and they didn't call back. I've contacted my bank to handle this because they clearly don't seem to care, but I definitely wont be back. Kind of sad because they had good music and seem to be one of the few dance places in Durham. read more

Excellent independent music venue with friendly and fun staff. Bars like this are slowly disappearing in Durham. thank you Kym and others for making this gem an essential part of downtown Durham. read more

I visit The Pinhook regularly when I'm in downtown as either a destination or just to pop in and see what band/show is going on. The cover (if there is any) is usually low and the atmosphere is great. Really chill people from all walks of life. They regularly have awesome DJ's and you can shake it. My one complaint would be that it sometimes gets hot, hot, hot in there! But really, what bar/club doesn't have this problem? You can only fit so many hot bodies in one room and keep it climate controlled. I love the back patio area where you can cool off and/or sit with your friend while they have a smoke. read more

I kick it on the sofa in here when I'm waiting for 5 o'clock traffic to tone down. Pool table, arcade games, and giant owl mural greet me readily. The bartenders are friendly and commiserate about shitty Mondays with you. Delicious local beers, bands, and (what else starts with a b?) uh..vegan brunch. read more

I just wanted to write about an experience we had at this bar last night. We were celebrating my sister in-law's birthday and just happened in to the bar after a visit to Dogstar Tattoos. The door person was very polite along with the bar tending staff. We were having a great time talking to other customers and making new friends until the Karaoke event started. I won't even go in to detail about what happened because everyone involved surely must realize how badly we were treated. We aren't even from Durham and would have liked to be able to call this our regular bar for when we are in town. However, because of the lack of professionalism displayed there by the staff, this just won't be the case and I'll have to warn my other friends about the place as well. Good luck with your "locals only" mentality. It seems your ownership needs to think about having adults run the place in the future or you'll soon be out of business. It's too bad Pinhook, you guys lost some potentially long term customers who could have brought you even more business. read more

Super neat bar and music venue. My friend and I came here on a Monday night for their showcase event, and it was so neat to listen to all these local hip hop artists and rappers. Ambience is super chill and hip. I definitely plan on coming back. read more

So I've been to the pinhook about four times. It's a dive bar, not fancy, it has gender neutral bathrooms and the drinks are cheap. They have the best karaoke anywhere. Look at the calendar online because they don't advertise it any other way. Last time I went was Halloween when they had a dance party. Dance parties are highly recommended. Music was awesome and crowd was awesome! So yeah, go to the pinhook. read more

Amazing place!! Want to get away from First Friday crowds in Raleigh? Durham is only a hop and a skip away! We saw a show that night but the bar was welcoming and cozy looking. Staff was friendly, and they had a pretty good beer selection. Plus you cant beat cheap tallboys at a show. read more

Imagine this. A Monday night the bars at Southpoint already closed. What to do? Well, we stumbled upon this bar, somewhat reminiscent of a dive bar. How cool to find this place in Durham of all places. The old Victorian furniture and fantastic Monday night drink specials ($3 NC pints, and $4 well drinks). But best of all there was the friendliest and considerate bartender who was in good spirits and most accommodating. There is a smoking section outside and a large dance floor (though it was too quite on Monday to dance) and a large stage for live music! If you are on yelp.com looking for a chill place to have some drinks and chat with friends...a bit hipster even to preppy. GO. It will be worth your time. read more

Um, wow... If the downtown revitalization means more places like this Derm will be in good shape. This place is comfy, cool and smoke free! It also hosts some great events: lots of good music, movie nights(!) and dance. Be sure to make it when DJ Yammy is in charge. I'm looking forward to checking this out on a Tuesday night to see how it feels but, if the other two times I've been are any indication, this is probably the best place in town to hang out. read more

Best place to see a local (or national) band, or play a show (particularly with new sound system coming up!) nicest folks, comfiest patio, warmest atmosphere, and best yet, they serve up delicious soy white russians and host the monthly Fiction Kitchen vegan brunch every first Sunday. read more

I'm so happy with the development of downtown durham over the last few years. one of the highlights whenever I return to NC has to be the Pinhook. it's a nice relaxed bar with a great patio. read more

Luckily, the open mic night (on Mondays) was very entertaining since the bartender left a lot to be desired. The venue's appearance had a great vibe and featured a very nice stage. The crowd was not very friendly and the bartender had an apathetic attitude despite tips. read more

I went to Pinhook for the first time last night. It was a crowded noisy place but the music sounded great. I accidentally dropped my ring down the drain and thought for sure I would be laughed at when I asked the manager for help to get it out. He quickly and graciously agreed to help immediately. Daren is AWESOME! Thanks for making my night. read more

It's an alright place, because I've been here on some great nights for which they had booked awesome djs for party illegal. Sometimes (because they are very lgbt friendly) it's a great place to meet new people from the younger lgbt crowd as opposed to the older one over at The Bar. The outdoor area is nice for relaxing from the sauna that the dancefloor can be sometimes. They also book a lot of acts and events to keep the place hoppin' on the weekends. My one complaint is that they can really try to rotate the beer selection more or have better beer. It's decent, but there's not a wide range of styles so it's hard for me to find what I like there. read more

Pinhook seems to cater to a more mature and hipster crowd if that's your thing. Open mic night is a blast but make sure you get on the waitlist early if you want to sing. Very small venue. read more

Loved the hipster dive bar vibe. The place is small and can get crowded. The choice of karaoke was let's just say eclectic. They could use a bigger draft beer selection, but what they did have was at least local. They only had 1 bar tender behind the bar and it took a while to get a drink or your check. No dis on him, he was working hard, just he could of used some backup. Bathrooms are gender neutal which at first was a bit off putting, but then it was just like, cool, I get it. I'll be back when in town. read more

Wish we had more bars like this in Durham. The closest we got to a real (price point please) dive.

I like going here when there isn't a dance party, but when there is a dance party, I can't say I have enjoyed the music. The music was very beat-oriented, not a lot of good hits or quality songs were playing. But that's ok. read more

Hey Pinhook, You might want to activate your voicemail so people can actually conduct business with you. Duh.

Don't expect to sing karaoke if you come here on a Friday night and if you're not part of the inside "club" of karaokers. We waited for 2+ hours with our names on the karaoke list, and NEVER got our turn to sing. Total BS. read more

While visiting Durham I walked past The Pinhook. I knew nothing about it, but decided to stop in. I was so glad I did. A eclectic mix of people, suburb atmosphere, and great music. Traveling alone, I felt perfectly at home here. After a great first night there, I actually went back the next two nights due to the interesting music scheduled. I was not disappointed. Can't wait to visit again when I return to town. read more

Yes yes yes! I love this place. Great atmosphere and awesome events on the calendar here most weeks

Great bar to see live music and to dance the night away! Dive but hip and comfortable.

Great spot. Casual, friendly staff, good performers. Drink prices are very reasonable. Dying freak over gender neutral bathroom. The retro music Friday night was great. read more