Dain's Place

Quintessential dive bar....it is absolutely fantastic. This is a must visit spot. The service was phenomenal, the drinks were absolutely delicious and the mozzarella triangles were legit to die for. Gender neutral bathrooms labeled pee box 1 and 2! Love it! I will definitely be back!

Great atmosphere. Excellent food. Mozzarella triangles a must. Burger was juicy and delicious. Fried bologna sandwich very thick and tasty.

For me, the best part of Dain's Burger is the seasoning. If you're looking for that really flavorful pub style Patty in a classic bar setting then Dain's is the place for you. In my line of wandering, the atmosphere of this place really nails it down. Are you looking for that, sitting at a bar talking to a stranger, drinking a cold ass beer and eating a flavorful burger kind of afternoon?

Grabbed a dinner here with my friend The place reminds me of a nice bar Service was really good. The lady who took care of us was very attentive The food however was a let down The chicken sandwich according to my friend was just ok I didn't like my beef burger and didn't want to eat the patty The burger sides aka the mushroom and bacon were good The star of the meal was the delicious fries The mozzarella triangles , tasty but inconsistent.some filled some empty Overall may come back for fries but not really for the rest ,maybe a drink They comped me a bit for my burger but it wasn't the taste for me.

We came here on vacation and it was wonderful. The service was great and the restaurant had a nice pub feel to it. The food was cooked perfectly and the fries had good seasoning on them. We highly recommend this place.

Nestled into a row of retail near Duke East Campus Dain’s is a local favorite. Meeting a friend for a beer I decided to order the pierogies and they were great. I came back another time and got a burger people keep talking about. That I was good too so, for a hole-in-the-wall its solid.

It's a cool bar and grill in 9th Street in Durham. It's not a huge place. The service was great. I assume you just try to find a seat as it's a bit smaller of an establishment. Some pretty good bar type foods are offered. All the food we tried was pretty good. Big selection of bottles and can beer. Only a couple of draft selections and a full bar..

Absolutely amazing place! Very cool vibes, very chill atmosphere. I had the cheesesteak with tots and my wife had the Reuben. The cheesesteak is no doubt the best one you can find. The tots are 9/10 and are amazing! Reuben can be better but the overall experience is still 5 stars. Definitely worth checking out. We will be back.

We stopped in here after working a gig in Durham. We aren't drinkers but not much was open at the time. We thought we'd give it a try based on the good reviews online. We seated ourselves in a booth, the place is not very large. Immediately the bar tender came and sat down with us to take our order. The music was blaring 80s hits, it was a great atmosphere. Our food arrived crazy fast. We all ordered custom burgers with a split of tots and fries, and it was out of this world. The bun was Amazing !! So so delicious. This was a 4 napkin burger!! So juicy and full of flavor. The tots were perfectly crispy as were the fries. What a pleasant surprise to find such great food in a bar. We will definitely be back! Ray & Jose......keep up the awesome work. Thanks for a wonderful dinner and experience. See you soon !

Daub's is a Ninth Street institution. I've been here many times over the years, with my girls, with the whole family, by myself on a slow, hot afternoon during the week, and the service and food is always the same - frosty cold beer, hot tater tot's, and great sandwiches! There are some sidewalk picnic tables out front for the smokers, and they'll bring your food out or take orders there if they have staff covering. Inside, the entire left side of the small place is a wooden bar, with a TV in the upper corner over the can coolers, as well as at the far end, usually with a sports ball game on. A few tables crowd the center and booths line the right side. It's dark, without being unlit, but compared to outside, it's cool and welcoming. The fans over the bar seating is worth coming in to see. The Dainer is my go-to, a burger like you'd make at home with cheese, bacon, grilled onions, lettuce, tomato slices, and a side of fries, chips, or the aforementioned tots. Easy choice. Right now, there's a women's soccer game between the red and white jerseys. The room seems to favor the team in white. Shouting at the points. (Don't come here during basketball season if you're not a Duke fan!) I'm just here for dinner and a brew.

This is a true wonderful hole in the wall type of burger place! The interior is spartan but the burgers are delicious! Very juicy and perfectly cooked. I got the burger with pimiento cheese and it was as good as my favorite burger place in Greensboro (Big Burger Spot). The pimiento cheese was plentiful and tasted amazing. The bread is buttered and warmed. I got the spinach salad on the side and it was excellent. I tried the tater tots and they were yummy as well. Highly recommend this place!

Both of the burger places we normally go to are closed on Monday's, and we needed a place to eat. Happened across this place, and it's now our top spot. Service is good, but the food is phenomenal!

Food is very solid - recommend burgers and cheesesteak. Good beer selection on tap. Main issue here is the service. A lot of the bartenders (not all) are extremely rude. Past experiences include being told the bar isn't open (20 mins after opening), being yelled at for sitting down at empty tables (you are told to seat yourself), and just general poor attitudes. It stinks because this place is in a great location with solid food and cool vibes

We enjoyed burgers from Dain's Place this week while visiting Duke Medical Center. We saw Dain's had highly rated burgers and decided to give it a try for a to-go order. All three of us had the cheeseburger, two with fries and another with tater tots. Burgers were very good, although a little heavy with the mayo and mustard. I went in to pick up the food and loved the atmosphere of Dain's Place. Would've loved to actually eat at the restaurant and enjoy a beer at the bar. All in all a good experience, and maybe I'll have a chance to come back and eat inside!

Not sure what happened. This place used to be good but today is awful. The Ruben is pathetic. Though, low quality meat... so sad

Not really too much to say, it's a dive bar with a pretty good burger. It's a bit of a confined space and you're on top of other people pretty much anywhere you sit. Not necessarily a bad thing. It's a fine spot if you're looking to get a quick bite and burger then bar hop in your 20a I suppose.

I've been coming here off and on since 2014 or so, but never left a review. In a city where there's constant restaurant turnover, quality "neighborhood hangouts" are increasingly rare. Yesterday I was jonesing for a good burger and crispy tots and again Dain's delivered the goods. The music was doing it for me, and one of the owners was there working, and stopped to chat with us for a while, which rounded out an overall wonderful experience. I felt really connected to Durham, and had an amazing meal. Dain's Place is a total gem.

Their burgers are juicy and big. They offer top shelf liquor Cool little hangout spot Kinda small inside so no large gatherings I kept my mask on because they do NOT practice social distancing. Covid 19 is still Here people. Stop the spread.

We went here this past weekend and we knew we were going to like it once we saw the decor. Very eclectic and a regulars bars for sure. The bartenders aller extremely nice and fast. We saw the loaded tots before we went and we had to try them out. We. We're. Wowed! HUGE portion of food, but it was delicious. Mower will be making this a regular stop for us. The best thing that I love about this place is that they have a full menu Wednesday - Sunday until 1am!

Where to start when I have not had to write a review for a restaurant this bad in a long, long time.....but I've had a better meal at a roadside stand in Siberia, much better, and it was a dollar, not 26. So let me begin. Minor, but make the bread fit the meat. Bigger meat or smaller bread. I don't care which. It's mentally defeating to look at half size meat and think you probably used to offer a filling sandwich. This was not. Don't charge good money for rotten salads. Those tomatoes are rotten. You can see it even in the photos. I just got a made in USA tomato Wednesday that was perfect. I suspect you are using picked two weeks ago and sent from overseas tomatoes. Had they not been ROTTEN I would have given 3 stars for decent bologna. As for the rest of the two salads. Cucumber and cheese good. Croutons fantastic. Dressing fantastic just simply about 1/2 again more needed to cover up the barely edible wilted lettuce. Which in the end I ate 1/3 and quit. I hate I mean really despise restaurants that serve rotten salads in the take out. The cherry pepper looked ok but it was also a day being rotten. Soft and slimy. I'm not a picky eater. But today I am a captive audience. I had to have it delivered to the VA hospital. Think it through. That means I was in the service. That means I've eaten a lot of not perfect food. This meal ranks in the top 5 terrible meals I have had in my life. Usually a terrible meal is $3...$5....not $26. This meal was NC high school quality. As noted in the pics I threw most of it out, I'm still hungry, and now must walk the hospital halls looking for the vending machine.

It's hard to find a good Schlitz Cocktail in North Carolina, but Dain's makes the best one around. It's not on the menu, but if you ask for it they'll whip it up. It was made to order (not pre-made, like you'll see at some places). The beer was fresh, and the whipped cream had good lift (I hate when it gets runny). The first Schlitz Cocktail I had was at the Tee Off in San Francisco, but now I try to order one pretty much anywhere I go when I'm travelling. The server was very kind and accomodating. I did not order any of their other food, but it all looked pretty good and I'm sure would have been delicious with or without whipped cream.

Looking good a good dive bar with great food, check out Dain's. Went there for dinner, and the service was amazing. The food came out so fast I am it sure how they cooked it so fast. Everything from the tots with cheese and bacon to the burgers came out hot and fast and cooked to perfection. The only complaint is, they gave me way too much food. The portions were huge. I made the mistake of ordering too much. Next time I may just skip the app and just get the burger, except the tots were amazing.

I love dive bars. Dain's hit the mark for drinks after dinner with an old friend. Dain introduced himself immediately and got my first beer. Other bartenders were equally attentive and fun. Great vibe.

6 stars at least. This is the most fun bar & grill I've ever been in. Our bartender/ waitress, Bailey totally had her **** together... we are definitely going back our next time here. Wife got an amazing burger and I feasted on pierogies. Highly recommend

Dain's Place is a local staple of Durham. It's a small dive bar that has an incredible food menu from burgers to Phillies and don't forget about the loaded tots! They have a full bar and several beers on tap and cans. The service is always great and the atmosphere is inviting. Great place to meet up to have some drinks with friends.

The food is amazing. Great beer selection and the burgers are very good. Try the fried mozzarella triangles.

Overall: I would go again. The quintessential local watering hole. Fun fact- they were on Dinners, Drive ins and Dives Worth it for the price: Yes. What we ordered: Cider- I'm not a beer fan so the fact that I like coming here speaks volumes. They always have a good selection of ciders for me while my partner gets the beers on tap. Great price. Hot dog- solid Service: Friendly Ambiance: Truly the quintessential local watering hole. I love their outdoor seating on the weekends. Very low key. Great people watching. The inside is very much a dive bar.

Owned by Dain Cook, the comedian who was insanely popular for about 7 months back when I was hooking up with lots of college girls. Oh wait I still do. Cute little bar with not much room right in the heart of the College District of Durham close to Duke University. They have some attitudes in here but that's okay. Good looking servers. Cute with nice decor and the drinks aren't cheap but they could also be worse.

I don't write yelp reviews, I write journal entries. But OMG I literally had to do this cuzz it deserves the public to know. The "Dainer"... is what you want when you want a goddamn burger. And THE TOTS, ugh. Smh. I literally wrote about it in my journal. THAT'S how good it was. I know it sounds ridiculous but I'm deadass. -girl who likes FOOD.

Great staff good bar food, not a large bar but big enough for groups of 4-6 only negative would be they only serve domestic beers.

I'm going to kick off this review by saying -- I was a bit disappointed. I was craving a hot dog so I stopped in for a bite. I also wanted to try the tots on fire. It was a bit empty when I stopped in for dinner. There were less than 6 people there. I sat at the bar and was handed a menu immediately. I placed my order and the food came out pretty quick. The hot dog was ok and the bun was a bit tough. I didn't finish the bun. The tots were good but I wished that it was a bit more crispy. I finished my water and didn't receive a refill or anything. No one stopped to ask if I was doing ok or not. I had to stop someone and hand my card over to check out. It's a small and chill bar but I don't think it'll be worth to come back for the food. Thanks though!

Came here after work around 3 and it was busier than expected for a Friday. Only one worker out front to take care of the bar and all the tables--she did as well as she could for the amount of people in the bar and I applaud her. I ordered a Manhattan and it was great, loved the trophy wife, as well. I also had the chocolate stout on draft and I really liked it, as well. I ordered the hot dog with fries; the fries were delicious, the hot dog had split in half but still good. Overall, love the atmosphere here and a good selection of drinks.

Decided to stop in for a drink and something eat one evening while walking around the area. Really good food, decent drinks, pretty cool atmosphere. It was Sunday night football so it was rather loud inside but overall would def go back again.

Looks like Dain's is falling behind on quality... and charging more for less. I've ordered pierogies from here countless times and now instead of six you get five. I spent $20 for ten pierogies via DoorDash. I'll spend $3 for a dozen at any grocery store going forward.

Best bloody Mary's in the world, Must try, and the Dainer burger is very good as well! I walked past a lot of restaurants and just came in here for a drink. Glad I stayed for dinner and the drinks!!

I don't get in here often enough, because I enjoy it every time I'm in. The food is really quite good, and the tots are excellent. They always have a few ciders available, and a nice selection of dark beers. Too many bars in Durham go nearly all IPA for the hot months, and this place consistently has good dark options. So thankful. Service is always great, and the atmosphere is spot on. Sometimes a bit hard to get a table, but worth coming in at the busiest of times.

The food isn't bad but I had a termite on my burger, I've seen roaches crawl from up under my feet, as I was sitting at the bar drinking, the food is wonderful but I'm pretty sure it should be closed do to health protocols.

Ordered an 8oz Angus burger and a side of tater tots with cheese wiz, chili, and jalapeños. Burger was quite good - tasted fresh and the toasted bun was an added bonus. I was not too impressed with the tots. It would have been better with real cheese. The chili was also a little too sweet. The only thing that was good was the tots had a crispy exterior with the exception of the tots covered with chili. You would think the addition of the jalapeños would have made it spicy, but nope, not spicy. The major downside of this visit was the rude male employee named Bo. I waved at him to get his attention since he never looks at us to make sure if we need anything. I told him that my friend is ready to order and he replies he can't hear me. So since I have such a quite voice, I yelled, "she wants to order". Then this Bo guy snaps at me and says in a condenscending tone, "Can I take your order when I don't have all these plates in my hand??". Wow, I have never been talked to with such disrespect. When he did finally come back to take my friends order, he still had some attitude. With this poor rude customer service, I am definitely not coming back to this place and you can bet I will let all my colleagues know about my experience.

Dain's is legit! I enjoy the lowkey vibe here as well as the great food. This place is the perfect representation of Durham - divey, quirky, unpretentious, but overall, friendly. This is your local bar, your lunch spot, your joint to take your out-of-towners, and your place to meet your buddies after a long day at work. At Dain's they serve a bunch of local beers on tap, but they also do a lot to respect the food they serve. Complete with burgers, hot dogs, fries, and a bunch of other bar-staples, they know how to cover all bases. They were also made more famous when they were featured on Man v. Food for their "Defibrillator Burger" - a hot dog/cheeseburger hybrid. I recommend their "Tots on Fire"if you ever do swing by here. Thinking about my overall experience, I really wish I didn't have to give Dain's 3-stars. However, there wasn't enough to push me over the edge into infatuation. I do think that you should make your way out here to this Duke/Durham cornerstone, though. You may fall in love with Dain's as thousands of locals rightfully have.

As a Carolina grad I rarely strayed off of Franklin Street and certainly not into enemy territory up in Durham. Over the years I've gotten a bit better with my Durham visits but stopping in at Dains tonight had me feeling like a special forces paratrooper being dropped behind enemy lines! Despite all the Dookies about, the only real danger at Dain's is wrecking your diet and healthy eating habits! Inside Dain's you'll find some tightly packed booths, hi-tops and bar stools but hang in there my tater-tot loving friend because the wait will be worth it! I ordered up the two most absolutely, caloric items on the menu: the Defribalator burger along with the Tots on Fire appetizer. The Defribalator was covered on Man vs. Food, we're talking about a 1/2 lb burger with slaw, sweet chili, bacon, cheddar and drumroll please... a split hotdog! Seriously bad and good for you at the same time. Thankfully I split this bad boy with my friend April. As good as the sandwich was, for some reason the bun stood out to me as really good. Moving on to the appetizer, we're talking about really crunchy tots covered again in cheddar, sweet chili and jalapenos. Oh my this was a ridiculously tasty app but you know you're doing some damage to yourself! Tied in with the great food, good beer and friendly peeps, I totally gotta give Dain's Place a big thumbs up. Even after our group took a trivia beatdown tonight. The only saving grace was that the trivia winner was the team of UNC Yelpers led by John L who crushed all the competition... Rock on Dain's Place, rock on!

Great place to watch an Eagles game - especially for recent transplants to the area (like us). Good drinks, chill relaxed vibe and great bar food (with a sense of humor -- just read about the "healthy" tot option :) -- I tried the Impossible Burger and while it's not a burger "burger" it's an excellent option if you are trying to ditch eating meat. Love beer? they have a kick-ass list! See you soon Dain's!

Best burgers in Durham hands down! To be honest, I never thought about coming the Dain's for food, but I'm so glad I tried their burgers because this has become my go to place when I want a burger. It may look like a dive bar from the outside, but don't be fooled, amazing food to be served inside!

Dain's is a fun and local bar on 9th Street in Durham. We have come in to grab a beer and they always have fresh beer on tap and then a fridge full of bottles. There are always sporting events on the television (March Madness, Tour de France, football) and you can grab a seat at the bar or in one of their booths. There is not much seating and it reminds me of Wooden Nickel Pub in Hillsborough. Dain's also owns Heavenly Buffaloes and that is a great place to grab wings. I have not dined here but the cheeseburger that came out of the kitchen next to us looked amazing. If you are looking for a casual setting and great beer selection on 9th street, this is your place.

Dain's Place is a true Durham staple. A favorite for Dukies and Durhamites alike, it offers a great selection of beer and some of the best bar food in town. The burgers and philly cheese steaks are great, and they have the best tatie tots I've come across. I love coming here to catch a game or just for a drink.

Solid bar food here! Good place and vibe to watch sports games in the area as well. My friends and I came here on a whim, not expecting much in terms of food quality, but we were pleasant surpised! I'm a huge tater tots fan, and the tots here are a must. The burgers are all cooked well too, including the chicken breast, which is what I had. There are obviously a lot of options for good food on Ninth street, but if you're craving burger and tots, definitely stop here!

Nice bar and a good barman and he told me when I accidentally might have ordered a $15 beer.

I have to admit that the reason why I rounded up for Dain's Place was the ambiance. I LOVE how adorably quirky Dain's is and how it's dimly lit, but perfectly so. I like the whimsical wall décor and the cozy booths. Definitely want to come back here again - especially because I haven't had the burgers, which is what it's famous for. :O I got the steak soup and cheese & potato perogies with my roommate to share. They were definitely very filling, so we got quite a good value for our food. (My roommate did comment, however, that the perogies would've probably tasted the same if we bought them frozen. Haha). That said, I really enjoyed the perogies ... even though there were only 5 pieces. =( The steak soup was interesting and good, but since I don't like Mexican food all that much (which it reminded me of), I was not a huge fan of it. I definitely still drank it and enjoyed it, but I wouldn't get it again. The service was really good, too; they were really accommodating when we rushed in all breathless and said that we needed to be able to order and eat within an hour.

Dain's place charges seven dollars for a New Amsterdam (vodka) and soda. I would never order that but the bartender told me that it's was the ONLY vodka they had, busy weekend. Umm, Ok. My friend ordered some "tots" while the basket was huge it was a mix of 1/2 disgusting over burnt & 1/2 freezer burnt. This place is a definite pass. I don't understand any of the good reviews at all.

Where do I even start? I freaking LOVE this place. Drinks 5 stars. Service/Staff 5 stars. THAT PHILLY CHEESESTEAK 10 STARS. If you want good food, good drinks, and an overall good time look no further. Hell yes Dain!!! great place!!!

Wow, Dain's Place was definitely mind-blowing. Very nice and cozy environment. I was fortunate enough to choose Angus Burger, it was so flavorful, my favorite dish. Staff are very courteous. They're attentive, polite and always on their game. Don't miss Dain's Place.

Greatest bar ever! I've been coming here for years. Burgers are all excellent. The grilled cheese is absolutely perfect. Good fries, great tots (get them on fire), mozzarella triangles are perfection. Great beer list. And Dain is awesome. Highly, highly recommend. Confirmed: place is still amazing

I really liked this bar. It was a mix of a bottle shop with a regular bar. The best part was the location nestled right on 9th street so we were able to walk there after dinner. We were able to be seated at the bar right away and they have a huge selection to choose from. We didn't try the food since we just dined across the street however this place was perfect for after dinner drinks and conversation. The bartenders were extremely helpful with explaining the drink options and very attentive to ensuring we weren't low on drinks. The one thing that was interesting about this place...the cabinets on the back wall of the bar. The front of the cabinets were designed with pennies which I thought was unique and set this bar apart from others. I will definitely come back to this bar and try the food!

This place is a great local joint in Durham. It's unpretentious and very local. You can also get a really tasty burger, fries, and beer. If you're a beer snob like me, their beer menu is great. I got the "Daner", which is my favorite on their menu, and is really tasty. Come with an appetite! The only reason this gets a 4 out of 5 is that the place is pretty small inside so it's sometimes hard to find seating (especially on a Friday or Saturday night). We ended up having to sit outside in the heat because there were no tables left inside which was not ideal.

Well, I was with my husband and two friends when we decided to grab a bite. We saw the reviews about this place and we decided to give it a try. The waitress was so rude and we felt the she was rushing us, besides the fact that she was also not being courteous to other customers. We decided to leave after ordering drinks and we definitely we will not be back.

Came in for the Panthers game. Direct TV was experiencing blackouts. Unheard of....Zero stars for Direct TV. No service inside so I asked for the WiFi guest password. The waitress was pushy and wouldn't give me the password until I ordered something like she thought I was just taking up space at the bar. I came to drink and watch football haha give me a break! Unfortunately no football. Paid for the overpriced Bloody Mary and left...won't be back. Many better options in Durham. 1 star because I'm an optimist and believe things may improve and people will get nicer.

One of the best dive bars around! Strong delicious drinks and the perfect comfort food. The bartenders are attentive and hilarious. Love to go here and watch football on the weekends. Defiantly love the long islands as well :)!

Not impressed at all ! Service was good , the food was overcooked or under cooked. The mozzarella sticks were burnt. The grill cheese sandwich, cheese wasn't even melted, soup was warm at best. If your not hungry and you want a cold beer it's fine.

Came to this joint for a friend's birthday. The location is great on the food-friendly 9th street. Dain's place has a bar as well as restaurant seating. There are multiple tv screens around the restaurant that typically show sporting events. I ordered an angus burger and fries that were pretty decent, but the tots that we got for the table were delicious. A definite must order for the tot eater. I would come back again