The Speakeasy at Tyler’s

The Speakeasy has been updated, and it looks incredible. The taps are now far more numerous and well lit, with a larger bar area to boot. The beer selection is even more impressive now than it was before.
The rest of the bar also looks more spiffed up, with reupholstered pool tables, two bathrooms, and far more area to stand/​sit.
The key development though is the giant windows that open up when the weather is nice. Carrboro already has a lot of great outdoor bar business between Milltown, Steel String, that backdoor area at Cat’s Cradle, and The Station/​Southern Rail/​Tiger Room. The Speakeasy gives you the outdoor and the indoor in one fun combination, making people-​watching on East Main while drinking an IPA all the more fun.
The new Speakeasy is awesome. You should go.

After wondering to myself what could be behind its mysterious doors for weeks after moving here, I was invited in by a friend one night. Low-​lighting! Dusty floors! Games! Drinks galore!
And couches, which are quite nice for those unable to make it out until sober. Couched bars/​lounges also make for fine first-​date locations: all the intimate cozy comforts of home with the safety of public visibility.
Anyway, The Speakeasy has quite the appreciable setup: enjoy a meal with friends at Tyler’s, and then retire to the back for libations, billiards, or couch surfing. I am convinced it is not possible to dislike the place. Having been several times – and planning future routine visits once the renovation is complete – it has an admirable history (per the Unilocal reviews) of satisfying local townsfolk, and it is well prepared to continue doing so into the future.
The atmosphere is classic barroom, precisely what is needed in what is otherwise a neo-​modern-​hipster town that is either full of fakery or pretension. The Speakeasy gets it right and does right by you.
Will re-​review post-​renovation, in hopes that a star can be added for an extended bar. Right now it’s a bit cramped and always full. Here’s to hoping they swing the bar against the wall, opening up that floor space for more seats. Cheers!

This is a nice spot to play a little pool as long as you don’t try to use the table in front of the bar. On any given night the little hipsters hanging around with their pals will simply refused to get out of your way so you can take a shot. They make it fairly plain that «hey, you’re a stranger and we don’t care if you want to get a good game out of the time you paid for the table».
Other than the annoying little hipsters, the beer selection is ok and the food is passable.

Its easy to walk by this place or even be in Tyler’s and not even know about this back door. I guess it’s not the best kept secret as this place is hopping every time I’m in there and I don’t bring the party with me. :)
The doors are located a few doors down from Neal’s. There is no sign but that is what gives it a part of the speakeasy feel. It’s a fairly large size with enough room for 3 pool tables and some dart boards. Not tons of seating and a small bar but it’s spread out enough with people coming and going you can end up with something.
There had about 20 beers on tap plus fully stocked bar. I would use the restroom in the restaurant, ladies, because the one in the speakeasy is coed and it shows.

The Speakeasy may not be the place that is stuffed to the gills at 2am with raucous youngsters, but that may be just the way you like it. Much quieter, a little bit older, and, in my mind, a smidge cooler than some of it’s counterparts further east (and we’re not talking just a block or two further east).
There is a giant Carolina blue L-​shaped couch, great for watching the game with friends, but you better reserve it. (Aaand watch out for the baby roaches crawling across the pleather. You’re a big boy/​girl. It’s the South and we call them «palmetto bugs». Deal with it.) There are several pool tables and a fussball table. Music is played on the jukebox, or, later in the night, the bartender’s friend’s iPhone mix.
There’s a great variety of beers available, and for the most part, the price is right. If you’re looking to get wild and sow your wild oats, you may or may not do that here. But if you want to hear the people around you talk and yourself think, you might enjoy it.

I actually spent New Year’s Eve here, and I love coming back! They have a good beer and drink selection, and the live music tends to be good; the setting is pretty laid-​back though it does tend to fill up at prime time. I think it’s a reliable stop for a night on the town because there never seems to be a dull moment here, and you can sip on something excellent while being able to hear your company.

UPDATE!!- Returned to Speakeasy last night and again left happy. As promised I have bumped them up a star. We ordered cheese curds (Hey Milltown, somebody has stolen your thunder!) and they were awesome. The place was pretty busy, but the bartender made sure we were taken care of. Hot fries could make our break this place. If the fries come out luke warm I’m sending them back (they’re too good to be cold). Holla.
First time at Speakeasy last Friday and happy I was. Why three stars if happy? I’ve been burned by Tylers in the past by ehh’ food and even more pssst service. Speakeasy streamlined the Tyler’s experience. The revamped menu is a huge improvement over previous offerings. My buddy ordered the fried green tomato and pimento burger, which arrived without the fried green tomato. The oversight was addressed, apologized for, and corrected. I want to believe that the bar tender was hard of hearing, perhaps even half deaf. Yelling «hey!» to a person standing two feet away from you after failing (back to that missing tomato again) with the socially acceptable attempts («sir, please sir, mister please, etc) was a low point. The bar was not busy, as I know the rules go out the door when the house is packed. While it sucked that my friend’s order was minorly fungled, I was pleased with the vibe in Speakeasy. I plan on going back soon, and if all goes well, then I’m bumping them up a star. It is waaayyyyyyy better than the Spotted Dog. The Spotted Dog sucks.

Good beer selection and decent jukebox. The crowd is pretty friendly and the décor is interesting. If you’re looking for a spot that’s a little less college-​y in Chapel Hill/​Carborro, this is a fun spot.

Stopped in a few times while waiting for a table at Tyler’s. It has a pretty chill atmosphere and looks like it would be a fun hang out place in general as well.

This place can get kind of packed on the weekends, but that never stops the bartenders from seeing you and taking your order in a relatively quick amount of time — even if all you want is them to break your dollar into quarters for the foosball machine. There are few greater joys than a round of tipsy foosball with a group of friends, and because of the way they are oriented against the wall, they don’t impede the natural flow of the room or cause any uncomfortable moments of accidentally elbowing a stranger in the stomach. There are also pool tables and a few arcade games, although those aren’t really my style so I can’t speak to their quality. Nice sized television for game day viewing as well.

Tyler’s Speakeasy saved my life.
This not so little extension of Tylers was open on Thanksgiving night in 2008. That was so key, cause after we killed that apple pie we pretty much ran out of things to talk about and do. A couple beers at the speakeasy and some second hand smoke (think it’s gone smoke-​free since) and another T-​day survived.
Thanks Speakeasy for saving me from getting closer to my extended family!
It’s got pool tables and more hang out space than the regular restaurant so it’s good. they also have a different selection of drafts than the restaurant.

Why review the Speakeasy in Carrboro without reviewing the Tyler’s? Because there’s not much to set the Tyler’s here apart from the one in Durham. It’s a smaller, and therefore more crowded, with a little lounge area that gets taken quick on any given night; but beyond that roughly the same.
But where the Speakeasy section in Durham just feels like an extension of Tylers where you go to finish off your night, the Speakeasy in Carrboro feels like an entirely different bar. The atmosphere immediately changes to a darker, more smokey, more divey-​looking spot… but the mood of the room also changes. People just have more fun when they cross over into the Speakeasy. Maybe it’s the pool and foosball, but those are at other bars, so probably not.
Maybe it’s the couches, or the booths that somehow allow you to talk underneath the noise in the bar without having to shout. Maybe it’s that the first person in the bar is always laid back and that just trickles down to every subsequent drinker who comes through the door.
The only down side to the Speakeasy is that the bar area itself is small (though the Speakeasy has plenty of room), leaving it hard on a crowded night to get to a bartender who’s been cramped in that spot for long enough to be a little bit cranky (at least, that what I’m assuming has made the ‘tenders there always just shy of actually friendly).
Well, that and the smoke. There’s just nowhere for it to go except into your clothes. So if you’re not looking to impress anyone, bring an outfit you don’t mind sacrificing.

While I’ve never actually been into the Carrboro Tyler’s, I’ve been to the Speakeasy quite a few times. I really like the atmosphere, especially in the back room where the couch and armchair seating is. The décor is dark, but not too dark — perfect for a place called the Speakeasy. I also like the fact that, unlike Tyler’s, you can still smoke there.
The pool tables are nice, but it’s often hard to get an open table. Personally, I prefer sitting with a few friends in one of the wraparound booths in the back by the big TV, especially if a big game is on.
Drink prices are decent, but some pretty good specials are on tap. On Monday’s, you can get a tall PBR for just $ 3.00. If you have a slightly more ‘refined’ beer palate, you can get a HUGE 28oz Sierra Nevada for $ 6.00 on Thursday nights — they call it the ‘Bed Wetter.’ Let’s hope that name is not entirely accurate…
The jukebox is also great, with a good selection of tunes. Be warned, though, there seem to be a lot of old-​school Metallica fans. If you don’t like it, have another beer and stick your own buck in the machine… before long you’ll either be happy with the music or won’t care anymore.

I’ve been to the Speakeasy a few times, but I actually don’t think I knew it was attached to Tyler’s. In any case, the two places are quite different. The Speakeasy is larger than it looks from the outside — enough so to hold a large bar, pool tables, foosball tables, and several comfy couches. The staff is friendly and efficient, and the beer selection is decent. I always have fun there, but I’ll agree that the crowd kind of sucks sometimes. I’ve met more than my fair share of rude, pretentious buttholes here.

I have a really hard time with this place because of the smoke… I have a very harsh reaction to cigarette smoke, so staying here for any real length of time makes me quite uncomfortable. I’ve also kind of gotten a hostile vibe from the place sometimes, like they don’t appreciate outsiders (those being people who aren’t there at least 5 nights a week).
That being said, it’s a good place to go with a group (especially if you can grab the couch) or with a couple guys for a few rounds of pool (although Zog’s still remains my pool hall favorite). The bar staff are very cool, and the décor is kind of English pub-​inspired. Definitely worth a look.

Despite being invariably smoky and often crowded (and more than a little intimidating on the outside, windows blocked with unhinged doors and a pair of big evil-​looking eyes adorning the sign), Speak Easy has always been a favorite of mine. Efficient bar-​tending, pool tables, and a separate nook with ragged-​yet-​cozy couch and armchair seating. It’s also got one of the best jukeboxes in town. And if Tyler’s happens to be open, you can step down the hallway and enjoy some good food.

The Speak Easy is attached to Tyler’s, and provides several pool tables for its guests. It is also open late with a full bar, serving until the rest of the bars close in Carrboro. It’s a different scene, in that it’s much more dark than Tyler’s, but it has the same crowd that you might find in any of the other bars in Carrboro. There is definitely a relaxed vibe, but my biggest complaint is that people stay on the pool tables here way too long. I understand playing 2 or 3 games, but by game 10 I think it’s my turn to play. Because there are so many repeat customers, they all tend to know each other, and aren’t that welcome to outsiders when it comes to who gets the table next. I’d try Zogs in Chapel Hill if I was solely looking for a place to play pool.

This place is ok. I pretty much just go here for the pool and the taps. They have a decent selection, although not nearly as good as the resturant next door. I’m not a huge fan of the crowd here, but like I mentioned I’m not here to interact with anybody random so its fine. Yep, overall review– its fine.