Zogs Pool

Unilocal keeps hiding my reviews for Zog’s. Apparently they think that I am either not a real person, or that I am a shill fit this place. I am real. Zog’s is my favorite bar in town. The moderators/​algorithms at Unilocal are assholes.
I still love this place. It’s great if you like cocktails. They’ll make the best damned Sazerac you’ve ever had. No taps. Get over it. Drink your beer from a bottle and quit your Goddamned complaining.
There is a Martini on the menu named after me. Many of the regulars have similarly eponymous cocktails. That is because Zog’s is fucking awesome. If you want to attempt to be awesome too, then go there. It might give you a head start. It also might not. You might still be a tool. But at least you’ll be in better company and have good drinks.

A great atmosphere with a great mix of nice clientele and staff, always a safe bet.

This is my absolute favorite bar in Chapel Hill, and probably one of my favorite ever. I’ve had a hard time finding a place anywhere near as cool here in Chicago. Great drink menu, great vibe, good music, pool and games. I never make a trip to CH without visiting Zogs.

Crappy dart board but a great local crowd and bartender. The Soggy Bottom Cocktail is yummy and does the job. Open mic nite is fun and full of talent. A must see. Definitely a check place!!!

Cool little spot, with some good drink specials. Its open mic night on Tuesdays which was pretty fun and entertaining, but at times very awkward! ;) some of the cocktails were pretty overpriced but I guess most places are. The place gives off a good vibe but it is super trendy and, hipster so if that’s not you’re style you might not like it. Pool tables, and some other games available also. The décor was my favorite part, cool, NOLA, artsy thing going on.

Definitely a very cool place with pool tables, and great art work, and fun events… The evening I went by they were having a Ghost Story later that evening… Definitely a very cool place and one that I definitely enjoyed on my initial visit… The owner was very cool, and definitely has some great ideas… Plus she spent a lot of time in New Orleans so you know the bar has some cool New Orleans items… Definitely will be on my Chapel Hill stumping ground locations…

This is the hipster dive bar of choice in downtown Chapel Hill! Overall, this is a great place to hang with friends, especially if you are looking to do something more than just sit around and talk. This place is chalk full of board games ranging from everyone’s drunk favorites to some obscure games you may need to do some research on. All of these make for a great time and an opportunity for a different game on each visit. If you are looking for something more active, they also have 2 pool tables and 2 dart boards. While these tend to fill up during busy hours, if you come early you can definitely lock one up for the rest of the night. Also, insider tip: if you check in on four-​square you can get a free hour of pool! This definitely makes it worth the trip.
As far as the drinks go, I have never been disappointed. They make the classics well and aren’t afraid to explore. They have a great variety of fresh ingredients to spice up the cocktail which adds a nice touch. Some of the house specialties include alcoholic sno-​cones that absolutely hit the spot in the summer and a «random» beer draw that usually ends up with something you will like. My favorite way to participate in this is with a few friends and then by the time you end up swapping around everyone ends up with what they like at a discounted price!
This is especially a great spot for the graduate student community that want to stick around the main portion of Franklin St and aren’t ready to wonder down towards Carrboro.

Mandey runs a great bar! I love the New Orleans theme. I love the way she decorates. I love the art on the walls. I love how friendly everyone is that frequents this joint. I love being part of «Zogtoberfest». In fact, I’ll be back again on ¹⁰⁄₂₂ to Hostess her Ghost Stories event, so if you’re around, come join us!
Awesome drink menu. Great prices. Great crowd. There is even an Egyptian tomb in the shower (!!!) in the ladies room. Definitely go here if you find yourself in Chapel Hill. You will be pleased!

I am new to the area and decided to check out zogs with a friend for a Thursday night drink. The owner Mandy is very friendly and fun to talk to. The bar has a ton of really cool art and New Orleans nostalgia, there was free pool and the cocktail menu was filled with really different and fun drinks. But the best was the movie screen and that they were celebrating Halloween all through October! I will definitely come back

We are new to the area and were meeting some new friends out. After reading some previous review this sounded like a place right up my alley!
I was not disappointed. I was taken back to places I used to frequent in my home town. The unusual art collection, the vibe and the drinks were great! Over all loved the feel of this place.

Simply one of my favorite bars in CH. have had many a lively conversation with James behind the bar. Focuses on supporting local artists. Plenty of board games and hilarious drink specials (sno-​balls!). Welcoming, relaxed feel with few crowds and no stress.

Wow this place is so awesome! I was really taken aback by this place. It is absolutely one of the chillest and unique bars I’ve ever been to. I loved the atmosphere, the bartender (didn’t get his name), the patrons, the usually bar games, and most importantly the artwork. The artwork packed into Evey nook and cranny is very refreshing, I thought they were all great and was very tempted to by a bunch. Beyond all that the whole atmosphere is very welcoming and super comfortable, basically everyone here was super chill. For the drinks they not only have a ton of great bottled beers (I don’t think they had anything on tap), but they had a huge amount of unique cocktails, and even some alcoholic snow cones lol. Their mixed drinks are imaginative and some are very unique, plus they have a ton of special summer drinks… they all looked great. For my first drink here I decided to go with a off menu Yukon Jack, a Bourbon, basil, honey cocktail that was very delicious. Of all the bars I’ve been to lately this is the one I want to go back to first because its just super awesome!

I wrote my first review for Zogs almost 5 years ago, and the amount of stars hasn’t changed. Zogs makes incredible drinks, has a fun atmosphere and is full of great people.
The drinks at Zogs are top notch. They have a regular drink menu and a seasonal drink menu. Both are awesome. I love the winter menu with hot drinks. I’m also a fan of the fact that I can just ask for a «froufrou» drink and Mandey and James will make me something awesome. You won’t go wrong with those 2 as your bartenders.
The atmosphere is awesome. It’s a «dive» bar with a concentration on art. There is incredible art on the walls, in the bathroom, on the ceiling. You can find awesome art for your own home there, and Mandey, as an artist herself, values artist and is a big supporter of the art community. They also have skeeball, pool, darts, and board/​card games to play. If you can’t find something to entertain yourself, you’re not doing it right.
The regulars are awesome, the bartenders and door guys are awesome, and even though I don’t go out as often as I used to, Zogs is still one of my favorite go-​to bars when I do.

Extremely friendly staff, delicious custom drinks, and fun atmosphere. In general, I’m a huge fan. Plus, they helped me with an assignment for school, which was super nice.
My one complaint is that my friend heard Mandey (the owner) making fun of me when I wasn’t listening. I’d still go back though. Another of the bartenders, James, is usually there when I go anyway, and he’s one of the nicest people ever.

If you’re looking for a bar with a lot great individuality and charm, you need to go experience Zog’s for yourself. Where most bars in a college town say, «That’s good enough, we just need to sell beer.» Mandey Brown goes the extra miles beyond to create a «you belong here» type of atmosphere, and everybody who’s gone in there with me has noticed this. Zogs is about culture, community, art, music and good drinks.
I’m not in the bar business, I’m in the music business. Professionally, I really appreciate everything they’ve done for local music. Open mics, booking local and regional artists, and a diversity of music. While local and original music surely isn’t the main focus of Zog’s, they do a great job giving it a place to grow and be heard. It’s my opinion that Zog’s is one of the most important places for local music in Chapel Hill, simply because of it’s location. West Franklin St. has a lot of venues for music, but because of it’s location across the street from the University on East Franklin, Zogs is probably one of the first places that some UNC students find out about local music. That makes it pretty damn culturally important for this area!
Obviously I’m biased about local music, and I have a tendency to go on about that, but Zog’s doesn’t only support one kind of art. Zog’s is a huge supporter of visual art as well. Paintings and sketches are everywhere, and Mandey’s support of the the arts is priceless, and deserving of five stars and attention far beyond a little Unilocal review.
I’ve seen other reviews here suggest that Zog’s is a hipster bar, but I’d disagree. I’d say it’s more of a friendly, somewhat geeky vibe. However, because of it’s location in area with a diverse population, Zog’s is welcoming and fun for anybody who walks in, and I’ve seen this firsthand. It’s a place with a lot of personality, I cannot put a label on the customer base, and I believe that says a lot about a place having a lot of heart and kindness in it.
I almost forgot to mention that Mandey has made me some of the best mixed drinks I’ve ever had! Check this place out, even if you don’t play pool. You’ll be reminded that small businesses like this one are the heart and culture of a community.
I proudly and strongly support Mandy and James as a friend, business owning neighbor, and as customer.

Pros: Small, unique top shelf drinks selection, adorably (unpretentious) hipster environment, hilarious art, pool tables, awesome bar tendress /​owner, reasonably priced for the quality, old projector movie screenings.
Cons: Can feel cramped at times, is typically packed with hipsters (if that’s not your scene), on the «divey» side (only a con if you’re in the mood for that clean modern bar vibe)
I don’t know why, but when I think of this bar, I imagine a power ranger riding on top of an ewok, made of a thousand tiny ewoks. Of all the bars in the greater Chapel Hill/​Carrboro metropolitan area Zoggs is easily the most unique. This is one of the few, if only, bars for which it would be difficult to find a convincing doppelgänger in other major cities.
First drinks, the drinks are not only tasty and unique, but the price point is considerably lower than what you’d pay at the spate of fancy cocktail bars popping up all over the triangle (Alley 26, Fox Liquor Bar, Foundation, etc…). Think $ 7 – 8 compared to $ 9 – 13.
Then there’s the artwork. The walls are festooned with pieces by local artists, are generally priced reasonably and veer toward the graphical and hipster subject and style-​wise (currently the center piece is a mullet Jesus blow-​drying his divine locks). Most of the tiles of the drop ceiling are also individually painted (by who I don’t know) with wildly incongruous scenes and images and its not uncommon to see an artwork table in the middle of the space set with crafting options for patrons and reminiscent of middle school summer camp. All this coalesces to give Zogg’s a cozily schizophrenic character that I’ve never seen replicated in any other establishment.
The real heart of this place, though, is the owner/​bar tender and New Orleans native Mandey. She always has something interesting to say, poors a stiff drink, and isn’t afraid to give you the insider intel on the shady practices of your average watering hole. Occasionally her Dad, an old-​timey film buff, and projector aficionado will pop in and show 35 mm films that range from old adaptations of short stories to outdated sexual education videos from the 50s.
Bottom line: If you’re looking for a deviation from the basic bar scene and are a fan of unique drinks and unique conversation this place is a must try.

Mandey Brown is from New Orleans, meaning she learned how to drink before she learned how to drive. I’m not sure when she learned how to make cocktails, but thankfully for folks living in North Carolina’s Triangle area, she did and also chose to set up shop in downtown Chapel Hill. She owns Zog’s Pool Hall, and works behind the bar nearly every night.
Her take on our favorite drink is called «Mary’s Ghost» and she’s quick to tell you that it’s the «Spiciest Bloody Mary in the Universe» a claim that has yet to be challenged by any interstellar drunks. Made with a mix including Ghost Chili Peppper, Tony Catcheries seasonings, and habaneros and Absolut Peppar vodka infused with Carolina Reaper pepper! With all that fire and flavor, it’s not likely that anyone on this planet will be challenging her claim anytime soon.
We love Mandey, and her bar, Zog’s Art Bar & Pool Hall and if you are in North Carolina, you should totally visit her. Tell her Bloody America sent you!

I don’t have the vocabulary to explain this place. I live in DC and come to zogs when in town visiting. Time and time again I tell Mandey and James that I wish I had a «Zog’s» back home.
The place is covered in art that you can purchase and is a great way to display your work. Not only that but there are FREQUENT opportunities to make your own art! Mandey works really hard to make it a community environment.
However the TRUE art is BEHIND the bar. I find that when I go to Zog’s I ONLY order cocktails. Mandey and James really put a lot of craftsmanship into their seasonal cocktails. Though it would drive the typical bartender CRAZY to make so many different types of drinks for one person, Mandey and James make them with a smile on their face (when it’s not slammed) knowing that I’m only there for a limited time and want to try ALL the things!
As for beer: they’re really great and giving you the opportunity to expand your beer palette. You can go in clueless and learn something new without feeling like you were judged by a bunch of beer knerds. If you are a bit of a fanatic and have a unique beer that they don’t happen to have, just wait a few weeks and you may find that they have gone out of their way to bring that beer in.
I cannot say enough about the open hearted people who run and come to this bar. They really take care of you here. Just don’t be a tool and please keep your drinks off the pool table.

Zog’s Pool Hall, just off Franklin street is a welcoming, CRAZY atmosphere. With local art, lights everywhere, murals, pool tables, and the best collection of nice weirdos, cool geeks, & dope doormen.
I go there for a brilliantly casual night out involving CARDS AGAINST HUMANITY, pool, darts and killer drinks that the owner mandey creates — She’s a trip & a whip!
You have to see this place to believe it.
Zogs on henderson is my hands-​down favorite bar in the triangle.

One of a few places jus off Franklin that wasn’t closing a little early short of the 2am curfew here.
It’s a little beat up. Kind of dirty and grungy, but in a friendly way. Typical friendly service, a handful of pool tables in decent shape and a bevy of cheap beers and drinks consistently priced low.