Let me give you a glimpse of the place on a Monday evening, before the potential crowds:
-my wife, outside, waiting for me to arrive, not daring to venture inside by herself, warning me that not once in her undergrad days did she ever patron this place.
-three trays of lost/forgotten debit/credit cards from the day before, a SUNDAY.
-youngsters in their PJs, hair mussed, with dazed looks in their eyes, coming in and asking, "Did I leave my card here?"
-rows upon rows upon rows of Aristocrat vodka.
-Natural Light...on TAP.
-relief. Sierra Nevada on tap.
-a giant, beautiful outdoor seating area
-a deep-fried bar menu (the food on the menu, not the menu itself although that would be interesting)
-townies with camouflage ballcaps, leathered skin, chuckling at the kids who leave their cards
-me, talking to my friend who works at the bar, asking her to "turn up The Doob."
good place to catch a game, evidently. but beware.
During the winter, I'd give this bar 2 stars but, when the weather clears up and the sun starts shining, the patio is a fantastic place to head for some day drinking. Â As far as the drinks themselves, there's nothing worth noting, but that's not unheard of in a college town.
During my undergrad years, this was the place my buddies would head to make out with frat boys. However, as someone in a committed relationship, since that's not really what I was looking for, the appeal was a little lost on me. Â Most of the time, however, if I wanted to go somewhere to enjoy the patio, I'd pop across the street to Los Pos for Margaritas. At least they come with a side of chips and salsa.... not a side of Sperry's and Old Spice.
Very much a college bar, and honestly not a good one. Basically an open room with rows of tables cafeteria style. UNC was playing Virginia Tech the night I went in, so the place was packed. Â My friend and I sat in the bar ( it seemed to be where the older of the crowd hung out) and got some very weak mixed drinks. Actually, she did and I got blue moons. This is definitely a beer pitcher kind of place so don't even look for anything really top shelf.
Mehh...I'm just passed the age when that type of place is cool.
I have to admit I'm pretty biased when it comes to Pantana Bob's; it is where my boyfirend and I feel in love. Â The out door seating is idle for game days and sunny afternoons. Â
The late night crowd is no longer my scene. Â Although I loved it when I was 21, the drunk crowd does not appeal to me any more. Â The staff does not put up with it either. Â
There is a TV in every corner of this bar, inside and out. Â Defiantly suggest Pantana Bob's for game days, but plan on eating elsewhere. Â The menu is not extensive and the kitchen is small. Â You must have patience if you order food a Pantana Bob's. Â
DON'T FORGET TO TIP YOUR BARTENDERS! They work hard and have put up with a lot.
Pantana Bobs is an undergrad bar. Â
That's really all I have.
I agree with William that this is not a dive bar. Â A dive bar emphasizes the "dive" aspect. Â If Pantana's was a dive bar it would, well, it would be more like Reservoir: Â a little on the "Out of the Way" side, decently-priced brews, regulars, interesting people, and interesting decor.
Pantana Bob's has none of these. Â It has a bar that looks like a college bar. Â It has a pool table. Â Yes, the beer is cheap, but you're not here to take in the atmosphere (well, maybe you are).
I'm not saying this is a bad thing: Â in fact, it serves its purpose as a college bar. Â But it's not my sort of place.
So I went to Pantana Bob's one time. Â A Friday afternoon for a group project around a pitcher of beer. Â This seemed like a fine idea. Â Well until one of the group members just spent all his time talking to other people who walked in.
This is when I realized that P-Bob's is an afternoon hangout for sorority and fraternity people. Â That doesn't make it a bad thing, just makes it a place where I never really fit in. Â It also explains why it never had occurred to me to go there before. Â It just kinda made me feel like I was at some party where I knew no one.
The service was great and the beers affordable, just not my scene I guess. Â I just rather would have had those beers on my porch instead of P-Bob's.
I really think that Pantana Bob's appeal is contingent upon the weather.
The inside is nothing special in terms of decor or atmosphere, but they truly boast one of the nicest outdoor seating areas in Chapel Hill. The folks at Bob's just renovated the deck area and opened a larger back bar, which is a definite improvement. Just a couple of years ago, the back bar was about the size of a closet, only served beer, and only accepted cash as payment.
If the weather is nice enough to take advantage of this newly remodeled area, Pantana Bob's can be a really fun place to spend the afternoon. The food isn't bad, and on Fridays they even serve BBQ for all the afternoon patrons.
Are we calling Pantana Bob's a dive bar now? Â Oh, my friends, if you think this place is truly thus, I would love to see the look on your face when you hit an actual dive bar.
Pantana Bob's is a happy place (fact number one that sets it apart from actual dive bars). Â The patio is the real draw here, at least in good weather... Only the vampires sit indoors, or those who are really plastered to the TV screen. Â It's a great patio as such things are reckoned, though it can get a little crowded for my tastes.
The drink specials are decent, but I would love to see one once that contained neither the word "lite" nor the word "panty."
Pantana Bob's is a great place to make your last bar of the night, when the porch lends itself to excellent "ten-beer philosophy" discussions.
On spring and summer afternoons, the deck at Bob's is like a magnet. College kids (and those with mid-day leisure time) just start drifting towards it...caught in some sort of tractor beam. I myself was there the day before my honors thesis was due. Don't judge; the siren song of Miller Lite and sunshine was too strong. Â Plus, from your outdoor perch, you can yell to your friends across the street and heckle them until they join you. In the evenings, the deck is a good space for bands to play, and the large screen TVs inside and out make it a good place to catch a game.
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