Goodfellows

This place is small, but it never got super crowded when I was there, though there are many possible reasons. 1) I went in the middle of the week 2) I went at a time when practically everyone was on winter break 3) the place just never gets super crowded. In any case, I went on karaōke night (Wednesdays) and had an excellent time. No cover. Great selection of music, but it takes FOREVER for your requested song to pop up. You can definitely tell who the regulars are. Plenty of room for dancing, but really, everyone just sings along to whatever song is playing. Curious to know what it’s like on a busy night like Thursdays/​Fridays/​Saturdays.

Horrible service. Someone put drinks on my tab without my knowledge and the owner said I was still responsible for them. Will not be coming back.

Best bar in Chapel Hill. Very laid back. I had some of the best times here.

I had a good time here on a Monday night which is unusual for a bar! They had entertaining video games including N64 MARIOCART! 4 stars for that alone. However $ 3.50 local drafts did not hurt! I would come back! I cannot comment on their food.

Typical College town bar (a good thing). No food. Just drinks and a rather respectable offering of draft beers.
All day specials, so early or late, there’s a good choice of specials.
As one of the more lively places on a Thursday at 1am, this visit found a work colleague & I strolling in for a couple beers. It was busy, but no prob finding a couple spaces at the barside. Music was good and friendly barkeeps keeping the glasses tended.
Darker lit, music on pretty loud, colored lights dancing on the walls/​ceiling and a decent sized crowd.
Reading the reviews, there seems to be an ongoing issue whether this place is a «Dive Bar» or not as if that makes it something specia or something to be shunnedl. Well, by virtue of my experience (and age) that is about double of anyone here, I’d say it is not a ‘Dive’ bar. The bar is too clean and frankly the people are too clean. It does help that it only serves alcohol & very salty popcorn for ‘dinner’.
I’d call it a ‘watering hole’. It is a few levels lower than a bar, but well above Dive Bar status.
Whatever folks like call the place, it’s worth appreciating for just the simplicity, the great beer drafts and that really good cajun-​salted popcorn.

They have some nice deals on SUNDAY NIGHTS. And the place isn’t swamped with undergrads (at least on Sunday nights) to make it a gross meat market. Reminds me of Linda’s, but with less space. Also, pee on Coach K’s face in the men’s room urinal!

Goodfellows is right off of East Franklin Street, in the area that’s frequented by the younger crowd of Chapel Hill. It’s sort of hidden because it’s just a door on the main street instead of a large storefront. I’m not quite sure how the crowd moves in Chapel Hill, but it seems like bars rotate from being super crowded to being practically empty. On an empty weekday night, Goodfellows has a really chill atmosphere and is a great place to grab a drink, sit in a booth, and catch up with friends. Then, on a weekend night when it’s crowded, the atmosphere normally changes entirely! The long, narrow bar gets packed! Literally packed – so it takes a good long while to move along the long and narrow bar to the restrooms in the back. There is a DJ and some dancing in the very front, but honestly it’s normally too packed to move – much less dance – on a really crowded night. There are also usually drink specials.
I definitely think it’s a good one-​stop shop to experience the undergrad UNC nightlife (it was one of the first places I went to when I visited friends going to undergrad at UNC). (Not that it’s only undergraduates – I’ve definitely gone there with friends in our later 20s).

Hooray for games. Seriously, take Jenga and Scattegories and blend it with Vodka red bulls, an awesome attractive and friendly bartender named Gio and you have a winning combination in my book. It was a cool and different little spot. I will be going again.

We come here when we barhop on Franklin, mainly because it’s one of the few bars that doesn’t make you pay cover. For this reason, there’s typically a line outside the door, as every college kid is broke and is trying to save a few bucks as well. You have to walk down a stairway to go in, and the space is really small so there’s a bouncer outside that will only let one person in per person that leaves (another reason the line is so long).
So when you finally get a chance to enter, you walk down and this tiny bar is just PACKED with obnoxious college kids trying to get drunk. There are only 5 – 6 booths, so you will most DEFINITELY be standing as youre drinking, and be prepared to get pushed around the whole night by people passing through. I’ve had so many beers spilled on me. so don’t wear nice clothes!
There’s a deejay playing old rock songs in the corner and a few crowd-​friendly hip hop songs. There’s no dance floor, just a little emptied out space between tables where drunk girls congregate to freak dance on eager guys, even if the music is totally not dance-​appropriate (yes, these people will grind to blink 182).
The bar itself specializes in craft beers, which isn’t really my thing either. What really makes me dock a star off is the $ 8 minimum for credit card. We usually only stay here for one drink and go to the next bar, so unless I buy a super expensive drink, I’m screwed. I usually end up having to buy for another person, or get someone else to buy for me, or worse, end up buying an expensive not-​even-​worth-​it drink. It’s just a pain in the butt, to have to go get cash, solely for Goodfellows. I guess this is how the bar makes money in compensation for not charging cover. Lame.

2.5 Stars
Who brings a DSLR to a bar? Who does that and just leaves it on the table? It was definitely some white girl getting her grind on that now has pics of me! Maybe this is the white person’s safety bar at UNC Chapel Hill. When the rest of the town was dead, this was bumping. It was definitely a safe haven for my very white friend. We were walking around looking for a pub to satisfy his whiteness and passed by Pulse Nightclub which was 100% black from what I could see. His Boston whiteness was extremely uncomfortable walking by it, but I could see he felt right at home here.
And this place is definitely not a dive bar. Just being in the basement does not make something a dive bar. It’s just a normal bar. Except maybe for the DJ they had that Friday night. He looked like someone you would see DJ’ing in Europe — a fat guy with beach blonde tips.
Also, I’m not sure if it was due to the holiday break or if this is representative of UNC but it was about 80% guys and 20% girls. Party on.

I would be here all the time if I lived in NC. Seriously. Sitting at that bar, sloshing some more pickle backs down. Have a nice calm, peaceful, run of the mill good time at a normal bar.
My best friend and I love pickles. We have a passion for them and when she moved to NC for school, she discovered the «pickle back» here. I had no idea what she was talking about. Someone will actually give you a shot of Jameson and a shot of pickle juice? You mean we don’t have to giggle in the kitchen, passing the jar of old pickle juice back and forth in the comfort of our own homes; this happens in public? It’s true, folks. If you slurp pickle juice in the privacy of your own home and chase it with a sad shot of whisky out of shame, you’ve come to the right bar! You can have both and shed your secretive life and habits! Order a «pickle back» and get a shot of Jameson with a shot of pickle juice to wash away that stinging whiskey and enjoy some delightful vinegar. Delightful, I tell ya!
But for real. I truly did love this bar for other reasons. (Even though I’m slowly begging bartenders around CLE to serve me pickle juice with my whiskey… that really did complete me.) The brick floor, the hidden nature of it, the fact that there wasn’t eardrum pounding top 40s spinning, there weren’t loads of frat boys invading personal bubbles, I didn’t (as far as I know) get mean mugged by a skankalicious drunkard, and the bartenders were nice and on their game!
I think if you’re looking for less of a dancy-​dancy-​fun-​fancy time, definitely stop here. It was more my speed than anywhere else and I truly enjoyed everything here. I can definitely say I’ll be back during future visits.

Goodfellows had been known in my old circle of friends as a college dive bar and we didn’t go here often because we didn’t want to hang out with the college kids. I tried it again after a few years on a Monday night. If you’re not into crowds Monday night is a great night to go at least during the summer. It was just me, my friend, and the bartender for a while. Monday night is game night where they get out all the old school board games like connect 4 and sorry as well as the Nintendo 64 to play. It was fun being able to play these games again and they have a lot of tables in the bar which make for great playing surfaces. I hope to go back and play more.
Drinks are cheap here. On Monday they were advertising a pepper infused tequila for just a few bucks. I know on Sunday it is half off everything They have a fully stocked bar. They offer specialty shots which are already made. I have had some in the past and they weren’t strong what so ever and tasted like Kool Aid. I would stick with shots made in front of you. I was happy to see they have cider on draft because while I enjoy a good beer cider is always my #1 choice.

Pretty good bar. Me and my friend had a fun time here. Drinks aren’t that expensive and it had a good dive-​y feel but not overdone. The people that frequent this bar are always pretty funny. I always have a great time when I’m here. Definitely making a stop here as soon as school starts up!

I really enjoy this bar. It’s a great little place to go to before a night dancing. They had pretty good drink specials and it is cleaner than most bars I am used to. I come from the North and when I read a few reviews that this was a «dive» I chuckled. It is not even close to being a dive.
There are bar stools and private tables you can sit at. They have a mini-​stage for a DJ and the regular bar stuff like darts and crazy lights. The music selection is NOT top 40, which I can appreciate – It ranges from alternative to 90’s…pretty sweet.
It was empty when we got there but by the time we left it was packed. We will definately be back to grab a drink.

This is a pretty good bar. The drinks are cheap, and the vibe is cool. The major drawback is they have a minimum on credit cards so make sure you bring cash.
It can also get crazy, crazy loud and super crowded. I went here on my 21^st (among other places) and it was pretty fun… the long island iced teas are too cheap though…
Oh, I remembered another drawback. There are tarholes everywhere.

Divey (but not overly so), underground but literally: Good Fellows is a fine (in the median sense of the word) watering hole in Chapel Hill, and after a quick bite next door, I dropped in for a sip.
I’ll give them this — Good Fellows is unpretentious. There’s a decent (but hardly overwhelming) array of beers on hand. In the end, I sampled a Sweetwater brew (the Sweetwater folks were throwing some sort of – pardon the pun — darts competition inside), and I can see how, if you’re in the area regularly, this would be an easy place to park it with friends and pour a few down.
The bar staff wasn’t super interested in whatever I was ordering, but then again, I kind of got the impression that most folks who hit this spot don’t care much to make friends with the staff. They’re here to lock arms with their pals and tilt back a tall one. And make, perhaps, some of the best memories they’ll likely forget.

Think THOSE nights in college. Think of the nights in which you get back from an evening out, completely content. Having spent the evening with good friends and stayed at just one bar because you were simply just having THAT much fun there and the vibe was just that good. BEHOLD… my absolute favorite bar in Chapel Hill…“Goodfellas!”
Goodfellas is somewhat harder to find if it’s your first time… it’s a «basement bar», similar to ‘Ginger Man’ in NYC or in Austin. While it doesnt feel like the most authentic Irish pub, fellas knows what makes it good and just focuses on being authentic and true to its own identity. Goodfellas (what most Tarheels refere to the bar as) never charges a cover (the only time I’ve ever paid to go in was during the 2009 National Championship), has a pretty low turnover rate in terms of staff and you get to know the bartenders and is the definition of solid. There’s usually a similar crowd there, which makes it feel homey. It’s not the same sort of people though, it wont feel fratty, or any stereotype… just plain fun!
For your convenience:
SUNDAY: not crowded. Drinks are all half off.
TUESDAY: TRIVIA
WEDNESDAY: :KARAOKE
THURSDAY: pretty crowded, but typically the most solid night for a fellas hang out sesh.
FRIDAY: Decently crowded
SATURDAY: Likely a line, but goes by fast. DJ’s there.
I graduated from UNC in 2010 and when I visited this past Winter.‘Fellas was first on my to do list and will forever be synonomous with my cherished days in Chapel Hill!

I had an excellent time here on a Wednesday night. I came for the karaōke and it was a top notch karaōke night. I ended up singing three songs (smells like teen spirit, add it up and somewhere out there).
The DJ was a really nice guy. He had 3 or 4 regulars that had special seating (just cause they arrived early and perhaps cause it was up by his equipment).
This place PACKS it up though! Around midnight it was difficult to move around the bar. Most of the people it seemed were grad school students. Definitely a college bar. There were your typical stereotypes there for sure but with that many people it was easy to ignore the people who were being a pain.
Can’t beat the 2 – 3 dollar beers they seemed to have all night and the 4 dollar bombs that my coworker seemed to adore.
They definitely check ID on everyone so make sure you have it on you. While this should be obvious it burned a friend of mine who is obviously over 21 but forgot his ID that evening.
Enjoy and Rock Out. Oh, and I think I heard them say that thursdays they do live rock karaōke. If you’ve never done that and love karaōke you should go… asap!

Goodfellows is an interesting downstairs bar in the heart of Franklin Street. It’s decently spacious, which probably makes it more appealing on non-​crazy nights, but even on a weekend, it can still be generally manageable.
In terms of dance room (if that’s what you’re up for), there is room here to do that, as well as room to sit down and room to just hang out at the bar. So overall, it’s not half bad.

Fellas, as many affectionately call it, is one of my favorite places to hang out in Chapel Hill — almost in spite of itself. It certainly has many factors that I find appealing in a bar: it’s dark, cramped, has a tavern feel, drinks are cheap, and there’s karaōke. The bartenders have always been friendly and chatty during the slow times before the crowd picks up. When the students pour in wall-​to-​wall, you’ll probably be waiting a few minutes for a drink — but not because of the bartenders. They’re always working hard and pouring drinks feverishly, trying to dole out booze to the masses vying for a spot at the bar. Of course, with drink specials like notoriously-​strong $ 4 LITs, it’s a wonder you can ever reach the bar at all.
As for the patrons, it is definitely a college crowd, but seems like a better mix than a lot of the Franklin Street mainstays. Trivia Tuesdays usually brings out a great crowd, and most everyone there is participating.
For those karaōke fans like me, Fellas has a karaōke vibe that’s rather unique to the area. You’ll be hard-​pressed to find any professional or semi-​professional singers and you won’t hear many slow songs. The singers and the audience are all about having fun. You’ll hear 80s mainstays, cheesy hip-​hop classics, and obscure tunes that somehow every college kid in the place knows by heart. Everyone sings along and if you’re a hit, the crowd cheers like Carolina just won the ACC tournament. If you can really enjoy karaōke without taking yourself or the venue too seriously, you’ll have a hell of a time at this underground haven.