L8models
09-16-2005, 11:56 AM
You've heard of the Office. You know, the swanky, members-only dance club in downtown Raleigh where the meat market crowd goes to be seen while drinking fancy cocktails?
Well, this ain't that place.
"Young folks come in here and go 'Is this the Office?' " says Office Tavern regular Lamar Caulder. "And we say noooo, this ain't the place!"
This is the Office Tavern, a working man's bar that serves no fancy cocktails -- just beer in bottles and cans -- and the only meat you'll find is at the occasional pig-picking. And that's why it's the final stop on our summer-long quest to find Raleigh's best dive bars.
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In a small brick building less than a block from trendy Glenwood South -- at 710 W. Johnson St. -- the Office Tavern is the kind of place where nearly everyone is a regular. They all know each other and if a stranger enters, they're quick to start a conversation and buy a beer.
"This bar, compared to those a block down the street, this bar is a little more personal," says regular Jack Daniels (yes, that's his real name). "It's a more personable place. I'd relate it to an old country bar. When you come in, you feel very welcome."
The regulars sit on stools around the L-shaped wooden bar. They're an interesting group, made up of everyone from lawyers and politicians to musicians and blue collar guys. Most of them have been coming here for years, and it shows as they laugh and rib each other like siblings or best friends.
"I already know almost everyone who comes in here, and I've only been here two months," says bartender Jennifer Brown. "That's how close-knit it is here."
The bar's decor is pretty basic: lots of NASCAR swag and neon beer signs. There are a couple of pool tables and a jukebox that gets turned off for only two occasions: NASCAR races and "Jeopardy!"
"You need to know that everyone watches 'Jeopardy!' at 7 p.m.," Caulder says. "We make them turn off the music."
Shutting down for "Jeopardy!" is just one of the cool quirks that sets the Office Tavern apart. The wooden nickels is another. If someone buys you a beer and you're not ready yet or have already had one too many, you'll get a wooden chip that you can keep and redeem later for a free beer. It's just one way the bar makes sure no free beer goes to waste.
Although it's under the radar, the Office Tavern definitely has staying power. It has survived a move -- originally in Five Points, it moved to its current location in the late 1980s -- and managed to maintain the same cool atmosphere and loyal band of regulars.
"There's a lot of history here," Caulder says. "A lot of good times."
Well, this ain't that place.
"Young folks come in here and go 'Is this the Office?' " says Office Tavern regular Lamar Caulder. "And we say noooo, this ain't the place!"
This is the Office Tavern, a working man's bar that serves no fancy cocktails -- just beer in bottles and cans -- and the only meat you'll find is at the occasional pig-picking. And that's why it's the final stop on our summer-long quest to find Raleigh's best dive bars.
Have a topic idea?
In a small brick building less than a block from trendy Glenwood South -- at 710 W. Johnson St. -- the Office Tavern is the kind of place where nearly everyone is a regular. They all know each other and if a stranger enters, they're quick to start a conversation and buy a beer.
"This bar, compared to those a block down the street, this bar is a little more personal," says regular Jack Daniels (yes, that's his real name). "It's a more personable place. I'd relate it to an old country bar. When you come in, you feel very welcome."
The regulars sit on stools around the L-shaped wooden bar. They're an interesting group, made up of everyone from lawyers and politicians to musicians and blue collar guys. Most of them have been coming here for years, and it shows as they laugh and rib each other like siblings or best friends.
"I already know almost everyone who comes in here, and I've only been here two months," says bartender Jennifer Brown. "That's how close-knit it is here."
The bar's decor is pretty basic: lots of NASCAR swag and neon beer signs. There are a couple of pool tables and a jukebox that gets turned off for only two occasions: NASCAR races and "Jeopardy!"
"You need to know that everyone watches 'Jeopardy!' at 7 p.m.," Caulder says. "We make them turn off the music."
Shutting down for "Jeopardy!" is just one of the cool quirks that sets the Office Tavern apart. The wooden nickels is another. If someone buys you a beer and you're not ready yet or have already had one too many, you'll get a wooden chip that you can keep and redeem later for a free beer. It's just one way the bar makes sure no free beer goes to waste.
Although it's under the radar, the Office Tavern definitely has staying power. It has survived a move -- originally in Five Points, it moved to its current location in the late 1980s -- and managed to maintain the same cool atmosphere and loyal band of regulars.
"There's a lot of history here," Caulder says. "A lot of good times."