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The NEW Town Tavern August 26th, 2009 Posted by Hunter Wilson
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The NEW Town Tavern opened up this past weekend in the old Brick & Barrel space at the corner of Tryon Street and 5th Street. I walked by with the intention of stopping in on Friday night, only to find a line out the door - certainly something Brick & Barrel never enjoyed. I was with some friends and we didn't feel like waiting, so I made a mental note to come back Saturday night and check it out.
I returned with some college buddies the following night, and was pleasantly surprised. Though I was expecting significant changes based on the new shiny blue paint job outdoors and all the construction crews I'd seen going in and out over the prior weeks, the bar doesn't feel that different on the ground floor. Aside from several new flatscreens (8 have been added in total), the decor is mostly unchanged. Most of the effort has gone toward revamping the lower level, located down the stairs to the right. What had previously felt like a fraternity house dungeon - dark and complete with beer slime on the floor - has been reworked as a much more welcoming space. The old linoleum floors have been replaced with large,clean stone tiles, and the area is much better lit. They've added a pool table and Golden Tee machine in the corner, and the room generally feels more like a place you'd want to go to hang out, rather than blackout.

The bartenders were all friendly, and the drinks were moderately priced ($3 beers if I recall correctly). The crowd was pretty typical for the RiRa/Phil's/Madisons corner - mostly young uptown residents. Town Tavern is billing itself as "Uptown's Neighborhood Bar", and will likely be a nice place to catch a game and a beer when you're not feeling up for an Epicentre experience. All in all, definitely an improvement.
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Hunter Wilson
Owner, CarolinaNightlife.com1 Posts
Charles is the Executive Director of Carolina Nightlife and very involved in the nightlife industry in NC and SC. He has been working with venues of all sizes, different brands and products, and countless events across NC and SC for over 8 years.