Raleigh Times Bar

Delish! I had the Hot Pot, yummy mix of pork belly, egg (different), bean sprouts, ginger, corn and ramen noodle. Husband had the loaded Raleigh times burger. The only thing that brought the rating down from a 5 to a 4 was that the fries were not hot but the bartender was quick to bring out fresh ones. Oh! And the Bloody Mary is awesome!

Let me start off with the good — what lured my me and some friends in on a Saturday evening. Times Bar is a superb multi-​level, classically American but modernly conceived bar and pub in a bustling downtown Raleigh. The three floors remind me of a terrific icon of Madison WI called The Old Fashioned but with the addition of a small if vibrant rooftop bar. The view is limited, being dwarfed by taller building around it but offering a great view of the street. This is a people-​watching bar.
The beer list is extensive, imports and domestic craft of all kinds. Food is inspired as well and the menu offers great later night dishes like burgers, fried pickles, Cubans, and more unusual takes on classics like Hot Pot, Salmon Fried Rice, and house braised pork burritos. My complaint with the food on this occasion was the lack of attention to small things, like freshness and balance. I enjoyed the Collard Kimchi on my house corned beef in a great if not greasy Rueben. The bread, however, was stale. The fries they serve are clearly cut in house, but they too lacked the luster I expected from a restaurant that clearly churns the side out constantly.
I think on a less bsuy evening, earlier when some of the dishes listed aren’t sold out I’d return. Or for a beer, really any time, I’d gladly take the time to stop in.

Watery mushy quesadilla and brown guacamole, where do I sign up? Step right up to the Raleigh Times Bar. Service is nice, menu is extensive, the potential to be great is right up there. Great central location that has me wanting to go back again… I mean, it’s right. there! But ugh, after extensive trials, I’d rather walk 10 blocks then eat here again.

Had a family lunch here after a race and enjoyed their outside seating with our dogs! The restaurant was very accompanying to dogs, which we love! We had a great waitress who quickly brought us waters and took our drink order. We shared the pulled pork nachos which were amazing! I wished I had orders them all to myself. My mom and I both got a burger and it had great flavor. My husband and dad both got the Cuban sandwich which they said was excellent. The interior is pretty cool considering the history behind the building. Also a lot of seating inside! We would definitely go back.

It’s the only bar I go to when I have the time to go out. I love the ambiance. I always get helped by Luis he is honestly the best and always makes sure that my mojitos are on point. So If you want a mean classic mojito Luis knows the trick to them… and honestly, best nachos I have had in Raleigh

I’m from out of town and I heard the food and beer were on point, but the service puts it over the top… Jobie was wonderful up top. Great place, I will definitely return on my next trip. Hope Jobie will be there!

On Memorial Day weekend I came in for Monday lunch. We took our seats towards the back of the bar area. Our waiter was nice. My friend ordered the Peruvian wings as an appetizer. She commented that they were cold. She said the seasoning was good but that since the wings were cold they did not taste as good as they had when she ordered them in the past. She ordered the Mac & Quack, my other friend ordered the Salmon Fried Rice, and I ordered the Salmon Fried Rice sans salmon. The Mac & Quack came was good, but my friend wished there was more duck and that is was served warmer. My friends said the salmon was great, and I thought the fried rice was pretty good but that the portion of rice was really small. My friend’s fried rice was cold as well, though mine was room temperature. Our waiter was really nice about it and they actually took one of the fried rice dishes and the wings off the bill. However, there was also a mistake with the checks and the waiter accidentally swiped my friend’s card for another table’s bill. It was fixed but the overall experience wasn’t wonderful. The interior is nice though, I like the old newspaper theme menus. I think the food offerings were pretty diverse as far as having Latin flavors, Asian flavors, and American staples.

Beware of their extremely huge portions. I was in town during Memorial Day weekend and came here for some Monday brunch. The line was not long and it was very spacy. The food was good but it wasn’t exactly delicious. The times nachos was on point tho. It was cheesy, meaty, with a kick of heat, and some sour cream and guac that tied everything together. I also ordered the duck Mac and cheese that wasn’t good. The order lacked a cheesy sauce you would expect and they used the spiral pasta instead of macaroni that one would expect.
If I were in town again, I’ll probably go somewhere else for brunch. However their service for drinks was very good.

Oh I love this place. Great for drinks after work, small groups and large groups. There’s no hostess so just walk up to the bar and say «I’m sitting here.» I understand there’s parking on both sides of the building but I always seem to get a spot upfront. If you can’t parallel park don’t even attempt it as the outside tables are right on the curb. Parking on the street is free after 5 I think. Might be 5:30?
The atmosphere is really fun. I would call it hipster. There service is pretty great too. I don’t remember the name of our server but he was really great.
The first time I came to RT I was with workmates. I ordered the pimento cheese sandwich. HELLO! It was magnificent. The next morning I was in the bathroom for longer than I should have been but it was worth it. The fried green tomato on the sandwich is a nice touch.
I like this place so much I hosted a party on the roof for what was supposed to have been 30 people but only 9 showed up. No matter. We all went home with amazing leftovers. On the menu that night was pimento cheese (of course), chicken quesadilla, make your own sliders, and my absolute fav, goat cheese and bacon wrapped figs. I ate so many I was nearly sick. I you picking up a theme? I love food so much I don’t know when to stop. Our server for the evening was Erica. She was really great. She put up with our obnoxious friend who had one too many pickle backs.

Awesome Grilled Chicken breast, cool sitting area, nice people. Definitely going back!

We had a awesome experience last friday night at Raleigh Times Bar. I ordered wing app, husband for fresh egg/​avacado sandwhich with bacon… both delish! Beers were well priced and cold! Great outdoor seating on the roof top. Wonderful date night.

As a normally satisfied lunch customer, I ordered the exact same order at night and had significantly less food/​meat and reduced quality. Disappointed by the lack of consistency.

Well done Raleigh! Well, medium rare I should say.
Popped in here hatter hearing they have the best burger in North Carolina. Not by some self proclamation or by some local taste test, I’m referring to the big hitters: the Food Network themselves. If The abode of Alton Brown says this place has it, then it merits a visit at least.
I was not disappointed. Came in and it was busy as hell on a race day for the Rock’n’roll tour I’m following (yes I’m running too).
I enjoyed two local brews, a lager from Lenoir, and a Pilsener from Winston-​Salem. Both helped me get my buzz on.
And then the Raleigh Times burger came. I ordered it medium rare, and boy was it. The only modification I made was to add bacon. Why add bacon to a masterpiece? Because bacon, that’s why.
Nice big bun, juicy meat that is raised and processed just outside the city, with crispy bacon, melty cheese with a nice sharp cut to it, and veggies that are so fresh it wouldn’t surprise me if they were stolen from a Farmer who hasn’t noticed his lettuce and tomatoes have gone missing as of yet.
The fries were… who gives a $h!t, meat and beer are the stars of the show, nobody talks about the extras.
The atmosphere is hipster with the beards and man-​buns and hipstery cover versions of songs playing just a hair too loud for my taste„ but for beer and burgers this good I’ll be willing to coexist with them and take the surroundings in stride.
The bill was $ 30 including tip, which I say is worth it for 2 quality pints and some tasty moo-​cow.
Service was fast and waiter was nice and courteous, so yeah. A solid 5 stars for this place, if you are in Raleigh, this place is a «must see».
Somebody notify the Michelin committee please.

If I am in Downtown Raleigh between 9 pm-​12 am. This is the place I’d be at. Usual hangout place with my friends. And at one point of time, it used to be every Sunday dine in place for my love for beer, this place’s ambiance and lesser crowd (you can actually hear what your friends are talking about and you do need that peaceful hangout after crazy Fridays).
I have tried most of the chicken and seafood dishes on their menu and my favorite is fried buffalo chicken sandwich. Spicy, crisp and filling. The fries which come aong taste home made and are my fav too. I also love the buffalo wings.
I love beer and people of Raleigh Times Bar introduced me to Mother Earth Endless River and I would be always indebted to them. I also loved the choices of beer they offer and if you don’t find what you drink, ask the staff and they would find you something which would match your taste. The cocktail menu keeps changing. I have tried a few of the cocktails as well and they are decent.
I like the open seating when I go on Fridays and its crowded. Gives you the real Friday feel :).
If you love to hangout at pubs, this should be surely on your frequently visited list.

Decided to try out the ‘Times’ because I recently had a great experience at the Pit, and found out they have the same ownership. Parking was a nightmare, even on a Sunday. Ordered Cuban sandwich, and it was very good. Ate at the bar, and the Bartender was attentive and friendly. Great logo. Liked it so much, I bought a Tee shirt. Enjoyable experience.

Hit or miss. I’ve been numerous times. This has been one of our favorite stops. The biggest draws were the outside patio and the sangria. The sangria is absolutely delicious. I’ve also enjoyed the buffalo chicken sandwich and the chicken tenders.
As for the staff we have been waited on by two big ginger guys. They were both fantastic. Once by a woman who came off as snippety. The last visit happened to be a warm day. The outside tables go fast so when a couple left we immediately sat down claiming the table. The table was cleared but never whipped down. Gross. My friend ordered a burger with an egg fried hard I the fish and chips. My friend bit into his burger to find yolk running down his chin. The server who had a ‘whatever’ attitude explained the eggs are cooked soft unless otherwise specified. Oh ok, we did specify. When I ordered the fish and chips I was looking forward to a big juicy fillet. What I got was three fish fingers. But I wasn’t too bothered by that until cut into them. All three were the dark grey part that has that fish funk taste to it. Basically the least desirable part of the fish, the part that should be discarded, was heavy battered and fried with presumably the idea that the customer wouldn’t notice.
I like this place, I do. I’ve had several good experiences. I’m disappointed that I’ve had a handful of crap experiences.

I’m not at all into this bar. The staff and security can be a bit rude. Maybe I’ve had the wrong bar tenders, but my drinks have always been pretty awful. I’m always disappointed when my friends want to go here.

Came here last night with a group and we got a table in the back next to the stairs. Someone ordered the Times Nachos and I ordered a gin and tonic, which was OK. The Times Nachos were amazing. It’s probably the best nachos that I’ve had anywhere. The guacamole, cilantro, and jalapeños were very fresh. The jalapeños are pretty spicy so do expect that going in. I’ll definitely order this the next time that I’m there for food.
Service was great. Our waitress was very friendly and receptive. It wasn’t the fastest service but it was pretty crowded last night so I’m not going to sweat that.

Salmon fried rice was delicious! Solid list of bottled beers and fairly good list of beers on tap. A couple of gems seem to be in rotation but whether or not it suits your taste will vary. For example on tap now is Samichlaus Schwarzes Euro Strong Lager. A dark lager that is complex, fruity and boozy enough to remind one of port or brandy. Very solid offering meant to sip and enjoy (partly due to the 14% ABV.). If you are in the mood for a nice IPA they have Knee Deep Citra on tap. Pretty good and not the heavy hitter like Simtra. This is a place worth a visit any way you cut it. Good food and drink.
Did I mention the Salmon fried rice has a fried egg on top? Yep.

Oh how it pains me to do write about this after a not-​so-​great burger experience on New Years Day.
Raleigh Times was once upon a time (2 & 3 years ago) in my Top 5 Burgers around the Triangle along side Chucks, Angus Barn, Bad Daddy, and Players Retreat. Absolutely love the bar and the atmosphere at RT!
The burger I received on New Years Day was not even close to being in the same league as the aforementioned as it was incorrectly cooked well done (ordered rare/​med-​rare) with a very cool and chewy fried egg on top.
The order was wrong to begin with having ordered bunless with egg, and was served on a bun without egg.
I don’t know if they pre cook the eggs and let them sit around but it was inedible — kind of gross.
The burger didn’t taste fresh unfortunately either. I can appreciate a good quality burger thats cooked well, but this was dry, and a little tough/​chewy.
Nothing like the juicy and perfectly cooked burgers in years past.
With all of the burger new comers around the area like Cowfish, NR Pub, BCBB, Federal and more… I think I will wait a year or two before trying this one out again.

Atmosphere is great, beer choices great. A little annoying your need the app to pick, but not a big deal. App would be great if you could improve sort by more categories like IBUs and people’s rankings. Food is average and limited, nothing special.
So basically a great place to just hang and drink beer, but that is what they were going for.

This place has a good atmosphere. They play great music and the staff is friendly. The problem I have is with the food; its subpar.
I ordered a medium cooked burger with fries. The burger was way over cooked. All I could taste was the char; it was completely burnt. Maybe I should order medium-​rare next time? But regardless the burger was not good. The fries were alright, tasted like regular normal fries.
I probably would not go back here again unless someone else invited me to go. Then I would give it another chance.

The Raleigh times is always our first stop when we go downtown. This is the first time we’ve had a Sunday lunch here, before going over to the Memorial Auditorium to see a musical for my daughter Julia birthday. The rooftop is the place to be although it is closed right now. They have great drinks here and a very good menu, I’ve always enjoyed the burgers and chips the most, but having bratwurst today.

I ordered a 1915 Old Fashioned early on a Saturday night, and they were out. I tried ordering a regular Old Fashioned instead, and was given a super sugary Manhattan instead. The bartender did not understand his mistake. What?
The only reason I came here was because I was joining a party that had decided to start the night here. Once again, I remembered why I never independently choose to come here. The cool/​convenient space does not compensate for the bad drinks and poor service.

Excellent place! Been here every night this week. The beer selection is amazing (draft and bottle lists)!!! Our group has also enjoyed the food here. We have not found anything we didn’t like. From the wings, cheese curds, quesadilla, salads, everything has been great!
Would recommend for anyone, especially beer snobs! It has a nice charm to it being the old newspaper place. Staff is top notch!

Situated in an old printing and newspaper building, this restaurant and lounge is filled with old world, historic Raleigh charm (while solid music selections and a large, open bar area will keep you entertained in line with all your modern expectations). The funky interior, complete with a scrolling wooden bar and pictures paying homage to days gone by, honors the building’s roots, while giving the sprawling interior a casual, neighborhood vibe that makes you want to pull up a chair with friends, dig into some fried pickles and pimento spread, and throw back a couple beers. The friendly bar staff will jump into your conversation, making you feel like this is one of those bars you see in sitcoms where you casually bump into your friends every night of the week. Raleigh Times is warm and inviting with plenty of fun personality for a casual night out and about.

This place used to be one of my favorite restaurants in which to eat in downtown Raleigh. I don’t know what has changed recently but it was not for the better.
The service was terrible. It took 12 minutes just to get menus and another 11 to get our drink order in. Neither my wife nor I received the drinks we ordered. The server was testy and couldn’t keep up with the tables he was assigned.
The food was improperly cooked and lukewarm when it came. Our appetizer, fried pickles, arrived after the main course was delivered and came as a couple clumps of tangled, breaded pickle strips.
At no point was an apology offered. Done with this place.

400+ reviews so I will try to get to the point. I have been maybe five times over a number of years. I had a friend fly into Raleigh for work and we ended up here.
The «Yes, let’s go to Raleigh Times»:
1)Excellent beer selection of 80+ craft. Their menu is separated well and would compare to a brewery in this regards. You could zero in on something if the number to look through is overwhelming. Beer nerds rejoice.
2)People have talked about the rooftop. Yes this is pretty cool however not unique. Greensboro has two venues that sport a rooftop patio. These would be Greene Street and M’Couls. I have been in major cities that have these too. But this is a cool thing and when the weather is nice, it would work. It did last night. If I ever return, I would immediately bypass all the other areas and come straight here.
The «I want to go somewhere else»:
Other reviewers have mentioned the crowd on a weekend night. *nods in agreement*
I feel like this place is maybe too big for its britches. It is a hotspot and pulls people for whatever appeal that it has. It has a reputation I guess is what I am trying to say. It got way too crowded and loud by about 9 pm and wasn’t somewhere I wanted to be for more than a couple of hours. Service got slower and almost nonexistent. I would come here on a weekday night and avoid this mess. I am glad we didn’t order food as we were not there long enough to hit the munchie feeling.
We left because of this.
I get the appeal of the place or whatever and I can see why it draws a crowd. But you would not catch me here on a weekend night again.

I’ve lived in Raleigh for almost 8 years now, so I guess it’s time to review Raleigh Times for my 350^th review…
I don’t mind it, but you probably won’t find me here on the weekend. I think that there is much better food available elsewhere. Sure, the beer selection is good, and the rooftop is pretty awesome. But, I feel like the Times nearly always has a hard time keeping up with the crowds that it attracts. I think that’s partially because the restaurant has a great name, and it’s top of mind when people think of going out downtown.
The food is pretty average bar food. The burger and the fish & chips are both good. I actually think their buffet option is great if you’re renting out some of the space for a party; you can rent the upstairs bar, or a room or two downstairs.
I’ve had several mediocre/​poor service experiences here. I recommend sitting at the bar if you want the best possible service.
Tip: Look for the beer glass used by President Obama behind one of the bars downstairs (the furthest one toward Fayetteville St. I believe).

This is a cool little place in downtown. It makes a great place to hang out on nice weekends on the outside patio. The menu is nice, I like the chicken tacos quite a bit. They have a very good beer selection and good service.

Stopped in last month for some beer, pickle chips, and poutine.
I’m originally from Buffalo NY, so there were tons of places to get authentic poutine back home. When I read that this place served poutine I had to give it a try! The service was just okay, we went during a busy holiday week so I understand why the servers were a little slow (and short) since they were perpetually busy. The place was packed. My boyfriend and I were kept interested by their variety of beer selections.
The pickle chips were very crispy and nicely seasoned; I appreciated the garlicky dipping sauce that they came with since I am a garlic fan. Now for the poutine… just wow. A few things were different from the way it’s typically made, but I loved the changes that this bar added. Wedge potato fries, thick-​cut slabs of bacon, thicker gravy, and an addition of chopped vegetables promoted this dish from an ordinary plate of poutine into a delicious, satisfying meal. In fact, all of the food that was coming out to the customers looked amazing.
The only negative I have to report about my experience was the downstairs bathroom availability. It’s too absurd to stand in a line for 20+ minutes in order to use it, so I didn’t. I can’t believe that a bar with such a high volume of patrons has a one-​person bathroom, yikes!

I’ve been here so many times I’ve lost count.
I really like the place for late night. Easy to get a drink, friendly bartenders, great prices. This is why they get a 4 star review.
I also work right by here and my boss will order lunch from Raleigh Times every other week for the staff. 90% of the time they mess up the lunch order (and we’re only ordering 5 lunches). IE last week, we received a salad with nothing but lettuce and shrimp (was supposed to be a chopped salad), one of our lunches did not come with the fries we ordered and somehow we received an extra salad? They need to work on their pickup orders but the food is always good!

This was one of the stops on my bar crawl. Second favorite of the night.
The bar is huge. I think there’s 3 downstairs and 1 upstairs. Not sure why they card and stamp you when you go upstairs. What’s so special about upstairs vs. downstairs?
That said, we ended up upstairs and had a beer while chatting with a nice local couple. It’s a pretty cliquey bar, but you can definitely mingle if you don’t mind feeling like an outsider.
$ 5.50 for a pint of good beer ain’t bad in my book, and they have smaller pours on most beers if you want to try more beers. I wish more bars did that!

Brad F. the bartender is amazing! He made my visit to Raleigh Times extremely enjoyable by keeping me entertained and answering all my questions about cider ales :-)
We exchanged our Chicago stories and he gave me some trendy places to visit.

The Raleigh Times is a special place in downtown Raleigh and I might even go as far to say it’s a must hit spot if you’re passing through. Being a Raleigh local I wouldn’t hit up this bar on the weekend evening but rather enjoy it on a Sunday afternoon or for a morning coffee. I always enjoy The Times varied beer selection, lots of imports and a hard to find selection, although you’ll pay an inflated price. I also recommend the bloody mary and just go for it and pay the additional $ 2 for the beer side car, definitely worth it. On warm Sunday afternoon’s I love sitting on the rooftop bar and ordering a carafe of sangria to share, it’s always seasonal and I’ve never had a bad glass.
On weekend nights, especially First Fridays or any downtown festival night, you will hate The Times, it’s crowded out the door and full of the worst type of downtowners in full party mode. But if you can overlook that they do have a great ruben sandwich and I love their housemade chips. The nachos are always a table favorite and the fish tacos as well as the fish and chips are delicious. They have a varied menu so there’s always something for everyone. For anyone visiting Raleigh, the Times is a must, with four bars, outdoor seating, a rooftop bar and the Morning Times next door, you’ve got to check out the bar that takes up an entire block on Hargett Street.