I’m sure most of you have seen that non-descript white building just up the road from Fullsteam with the Lloyd’s Lounge sign out front and like us wondered what’s inside. This past Saturday night, overwhelmed by the crowds/music at Fullsteam and needing a break, we popped into Lloyd’s. And as it turns out – it’s awesome. We’ve been scoping around town for a go-to laidback bar since the Down Under closed down and in Lloyd’s we may have found it.

Pretty nice on the inside, Lloyd’s has a …

Like the Federal, Bull McCabe’s is just one of those places where we routinely end up for dinner. It’s affordable with a great atmosphere, extensive beer list and a cool, laid back vibe. Most of Carpe Durham readers have probably checked it out for themselves – popped in for a burger, played trivia or just spent some late nights having beers there.

So why the review? I wanted to make sure that folks aren’t missing out on some of the gems on the menu. As many of …

Nice sign, huh? Motorco is an almost two-month-old addition to the corner of Rigsbee and Geer, transforming a former car dealership into a rock club with a capacity for 500. I went for a show during Troika, and I thought the sound was fantastic, but I’m no expert on these things.

It’s got the classic, dark rock club feel in the main room, with a nice curveball of a full-length window that runs nearly the whole length of the establishment. It adds a wonderful, street-scene appeal to the …

Fullsteam Brewery’s tavern has been open since August, serving up beers that focus on Southern ingredients, from the grains to the produce that sometimes gives them a bit of extra flavor. I’m not a beer drinker, but I am someone who loves to try new things including interesting ingredient combinations. With a line of offerings that have ranged from Carver sweet potato ale and Hogwash hickory smoked porter to Summer Basil farmhouse ale, they’ve got plenty of that! Beers are available at very affordably …

Close to a year ago now, the Pinhook, a downtown Durham rock venue, started hosting vegan brunches on the first Sundays of the month. Chef Shirle was the cook for these relaxed dining events back then, but the cooking was transferred over to the Fiction Kitchen a few months ago. I’d been hearing about the brunches since they first started, and being someone who never minds when meat goes missing from a meal, I wanted to check them out. The stars finally aligned this past weekend. The first thing I …

Open just two weeks, The Blue Note Grill on 15-501 is already doing most everything right. We were seated by the owner’s daughter, who proudly told us that “everything but the fries” are made in house, with the recipes that she had grown up with. Later, her mom came out to welcome us as well, saying they are still working to tweak the menu – 5 changes in the past two weeks, mostly based on customer feedback. This included the addition of several vegetarian items to round …

So first off, Bralie’s doesn’t have food. Though each of the two times I’ve been there, I’ve been offered a slice of Domino’s pizza.

Yep, that’s the type of place this is. It’s a bar with a neighborhood feel and friendly service. It’s the type of bar where you can get pizza delivered, share it with your fellow patrons and no one bats an eye.

Bralie’s has cheap beer and lots of daily specials. It’s not fancy and it’s not trying to be. You can order beer by the bucket, …