The Green Room

This place is a paradox. It is without a doubt the crappiest building I have ever encountered. The floor looks like it has been used for testing jackhammers for the last 50 years, there are no beers on tap, there is a deep groove in the middle of the shuffleboard table that is almost inescapable (I dub it the gravity well), and the face of the dartboard we were using fell off twice. Also, the dartboards were so old that darts didn't stick very well in them and often bounced off, cruelly arcing back towards my foot. I seriously had two darts stick into the ground roughly 5 inches from my foot. It was frightening.

All that being said, the bartender was incredibly nice and awesome. Everyone there was super friendly, and there is actually stuff to do there, unlike most bars in Durham. I'm guessing that if pool is your thing this bar would be better. Pool is not my thing, so I just played the other bar games. Their beer bottle selection is great (though somewhat expensive). The bathrooms were surprisingly nice and super clean and the people weren't sketchy at all (like a million times less sketch than the tavern)

Overall then, I understand that they are going for a particular vibe. It is supposed to be a dive. That being said, leave the floor alone, don't paint the walls, and keep serving the beer out of a fridge. However, you really need to replace the shuffleboard and the dart boards. They are so old they are unusable, and especially the dart boards are not terribly expensive to replace. It would greatly improve the experience and would make me want to come back even more.

My home bar.

Is it fancy?  No.  Beer and soft stuff only, well-kept tables, sandy shuffleboard, and the constant presence of owner/operator Mike D. are the staples holding it together, but The Green Room stands alone as the best pool hall I'll likely ever step into.

I'm still not sure I know why.

The Green Room has this... thing... about it, a feeling that this Durham landmark has always been there, and will always be there, outside trend and time.  Just like the city, though, it's gone through some changes.  I remember when you could still smoke inside The Green Room, and I remember too when they instituted their own smoking ban 6 or so months before the government-mandated one took effect, perhaps to make the transition easier, perhaps just to do it on their own terms.

Individuality is something this place will never lack, not under the current management (and may he reign in perpetuity).  This place is as inviting a one as I can imagine, and a perfect place to make memories of your own.  So go out and grab a $2 bottle of PBR, and pay with your card if you wanna, just heed the $5 minimum with plastic.  And say hey to Mike for me.

The green room is our favorite bar/poolhall/gathering place in Durham and kick off locale for the 2012 Bull City Rumble on August 31st.