Although this restaurant/bar has been renamed to something I can never spell (Rugaroo), it will always be Imbibe to me. Located in the heart of the UNC Chapel Hill campus, this establishment brings the feel of real New Orleans with the food and beverage selection. The owner Mandy is usually there working, is one of the nicest people, and makes you feel at home. Her mom makes the desserts (hence the rotating dessert menu). There is always a fun calendar of events featuring jazz musicians. read more

I ordered an astonishingly unique and delicious coconut cake for my wife's birthday. It exceeded my expectations by far! Nothing else like it around. Cindy was generous, easy to work with, super affordable and even offered home delivery since she passes my neighborhood on her way home. 100% recommend. read more

Imbibe - Wine Bars Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

A fun and funky bar in Chapel Hill. New Orleans vibe with food. We were happy to discover a live band playing ( piano board, accordion, bass player, drums) when we walked in. Audience participation. Food was good. Though Gumbo was a bit thin and could have been more flavorful bett Lots of fun ! read more

A little hole in the wall spot on Franklin street! My friend and I came here on a Friday night, and it was not that busy. The inside was a dimly lit, vibey space with posters and signs all over the walls. You seat yourself (there are no servers), and you order/pay at the bar. They bring your food over for you though, and it came pretty fast. I ordered the blackened fish po boy with a salad on the side. The fish was nice and tender and packed with flavor! It was pretty spicy but I think it had the perfect amount. The bread was crunchy and fresh, but I think it was a little too much bread compared to the amount of fish I got. It's a unique spot with pretty good food, so when I'm in the mood for Cajun food, I'll be sure to come back. read more

Imbibe - Blackened fish po boy - Wine Bars Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

The food was pretty good but the jazz and the New Orleans vibe was definitely the draw to this place. Our bartender was very friendly. We will definitely be back. read more

Only place around to get a true New Orleans fix. Delicious po boys and other creole favorites :)

This is a cool, little funky place right off of Franklin's main strip. Definitely a unique vibe! I went for lunch and found out they do $10 lunch specials - got a muffaletta sandwich with fresh sliced meats, seemed like a homemade giardiniera and cajun fries - fries were thick cut & curly and so so so crispy. Ordered at the bar and they brought my food right out to me. read more

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This food was absolutely amazing. It was fresh and tasted delicious. I could tell that the food was made with a lot of effort, care, and love. The dishes were well thought out and being that NOLA flavor here to Chapel Hill. The staff were all so friendly and helpful and I can't wait to go back! Excited for some of the live jazz. read more

Food is AMAZING. Art is also amazing. Order a muffuletta and add on some art for $5. You won't regret it.

The live jazz on Mondays is amazing, my friends and I love coming after class for the music and mulled wine. The gumbo was pretty good, too. They put goat cheese in it which is pretty unique, but still tasted hearty and savory. Excited to come back again for the jazz and wine! read more

Imbibe - Gumbo - Wine Bars Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Shrimp and grits: I liked the grits; they were creamy and cheesy. Cheese curds: Excellent. Fries: Interesting, though a bit softer than expected. read more

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We stopped here on a Wednesday evening on a whim - it was initially confusing (whether you seat yourselves, etc), but we asked the person behind the counter. He gave us a brief overview of how to order & how the menu worked and was very helpful in helping select our meals & alcohol (they have free samples which is a plus so you're not committed to a whole glass you don't like). It's super casual & somewhat dark to give that NOLA vibe - they have games at the table you can play with friends. We happened to also be there for live music, which was nice. The food & drinks were great - my falafel was a little cold in the middle, but it was fine since I was eating a salad. My husband loved his cajun chicken po' boy and his brother enjoyed the blackened catfish. We ordered some mini cupcakes at the end which were delicious. read more

Imbibe - Cajun Chicken Po'Boy - Wine Bars Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

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I really wanted to like this place. So many nights we've had a hankering for authentic Louisiana fare. However, this simply isn't it. The customer service was lacking. The online ordering isn't properly organized. All of this I could perhaps look past; but the food was barely edible. We ordered the crawfish fries. They had an off taste, as though the crawfish was bad/spoiled. The Thai chili shrimp were indiscernable, over battered and the sauce tasted of the grocery store variety. Was hoping to find saving grace in the dessert... the almond turnover looked oily and tasted oily. There was no finess. The entire meal was poorly constructed and seemed thrown together. I truly hope they were just having an "off" evening. read more

Imbibe - Oily almond turnover. - Wine Bars Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

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We brought a crowd to feed, and Imbibe did not disappoint. While our guests milled around playing games, listening to the spontaneous musicians, and just enjoying the ambiance of a little nook of NOLA in North Carolina, I overheard someone being corrected by another guest, "This place is not making you greedy; it is turning you into a glutton. " I elected the Chicken, and Sausage Gumbo served over potato salad instead of rice with all the toppings. You are reading this right. The hot spicy gumbo is poured over cool potato salad and served small-town style. OH MY GOODNESS, how did they keep this a secret for so long? Only turn my yummy into yuck once you try it. Or you can keep it vanilla and eat it over the fluffy white rice. Then the bill came. We had them check it twice! It was one of the least expensive meals we had during our trip to Chapel Hill. The wine list is excellent and reasonably priced. The Chateau L'Ermite D'Auzan was a fun Rhone white, and I think a J Lohr Petit Syrah was quite pleasing. Our guests were happy with the beer selection and sodas. read more

Well, hellooooo there, Imbibe! Enchantée! So I'm guessing I've never actually tried to find Cajun food in the Triangle before, cause I've lived here for 7 years and had no idea Imbibe existed until 3 days ago. Walking in, I immediately felt like I was 19 in New Orleans again (for better or worse) - the restaurant is tiny, cozy, and charmingly stuffed with Nola memorabilia. I loved looking at all the little details with my baby Cajun son, who's not been to Nola yet - he was obsessed with the vintage Saints signage from the 60s. Mandey is obviously fantastic, as basically every review rightly points out, and her mom, Miss Cindy, is as sweet as she can be. Crowd was surprisingly large at 5p on a Thursday, but we still grabbed a booth easily. Also nice: crowd did not judge me for feeding my child a blue raz snoball for dinner (perhaps they realized I would pay dearly for that decision later and cut me a break). We started with terrific fried okra & boss sauce, then everyone did a Lowerline platter with oysters and curlies - full agreement that the curlies were the best ones we'd had in years. Oysters were perfectly crisped and the remoulade was a true mustardy Louisiana version. Can't wait to go back to try the gumbo, and the poboys, and the muffuletta, and the butter cake, and the bisque, and also lots of other things. If the cooler had had more Abita selections than Strawberry, this would be a five star from me. Mardi Gras Bock would made it six stars ;) read more

Imbibe - Yes lawd - Lowerline platter, fried oysters and curlies! - Wine Bars Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

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I think this place may be changing its name from Imbibe. We heard a commercial on the local radio station. We ate here many years ago but don't know if it was under a previous/owner chef, or if they decided to focus more on Cajun food. This place gets great comments on a local foodie Facebook group. We were wandering around Chapel Hill on a Friday evening, got hungry, and stopped in. At first, it seemed a little odd since the place seemed pretty empty and there were boxes and bric-a-brack all around. We decided to sit at the bar, review the menu from the QR code, and place an order with the bartender. I think you also have the option of ordering and paying on your phone. My wife enjoyed her hot honey catfish bites basket and I enjoyed a half-muffalata. From what I can tell, this was legit New Orleans food. We also ordered a local craft beer and a sangria. They also have New Orleans snowballs (snow cones). There was another group socializing and ordering a few bottles of wine, then another couple came and sat outside, so it seemed to be picking up. Another patron came in to pick up a cake she has ordered. The decor is funky and fun. We'd recommend eating/drinking here. read more

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Imbibe is hands down one of my favorite spots in Chapel Hill, so much so that I even hosted my pre-wedding "happy hour" here several years ago! Let's start with the food -- everything is delicious and incredibly flavorful. "Bland" is not a word you will ever hear here! I also love that Imbibe changes up their menu pretty regularly, so that even frequent customers like myself can try out new things. It's hard to pick my favorites but here are a few: Filthy Fries; Cajun Pork Rinds; The Parish Breakfast; Jambalaya; and the Po Boys (duh). In normal non-COVID times, Imbibe also has a great drink menu, with lots of local beers on tap and unique wines available by the glass or bottle. (They also have great drink specials!!) I also really love the ways that Imbibe has pivoted in COVID, specifically the frozen to-go food. That means I can have gumbo and jambalaya at home more often :) This is not your run of the mill "college town" restaurant. At Imbibe, you will find unique dishes that you won't find anywhere else in the Triangle! read more

Please see owners complete meltdown for verification of experience. ! I hate to give this review and it's my first 1 star review. I wanted to love this place but to be an honest consumer... save your money. The service was good, it's just about the consumer experience and that's what I'm reviewing. I've had a ton of cajun/creole food, this is plastic bag gumbo and literally the worst rendition of a muffuletta I have ever tasted. I gave this place 2 chances before the review and after I saw the cockroaches behind the beer selections I had to be honest. It is a hard time for businesses right now and I get that, it's a hard time for consumers as well and in this case... SAVE YOUR MONEY! The owner has reached out in epic fashion... see below. The picture is of my first experience and pre pandemic. I gave you guys another go during Covid and the "gumbo" is literally from a can or bag, I have spent time for work in NOLA no less than 20 x I have had every muffuletta worth it's weight in lore from Cochon Butcher to Turkey and the Wolf. I will say that of the 30x cups of traditional gumbo I have tasted in NOLA, this really doesn't even resemble any of them. If you really want to pretend like I didn't see cockroaches behind your beer wall that's fine but we both know what happened. It's one thing to be a bar, it's another to serve processed foods to college kids and pretend like you aren't doing so. read more

I come of the jazz on Monday, when I have a Monday evening off work. They have a nice variety of beer and wine, even a couple of ciders. I usually make my appearance after I've already had dinner and I need to change that. The menu looks interesting. read more

Imbibe - What's not to love? The 2 regular guys inspire other jazz musicians to sit in. Monday just got dramatically better. - Wine Bars Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Really interesting little spot! The whole place feels just like a NOLA bar. Every night I've popped in there has been live music, and it's never bad. The Po boys are fantastic, and the potato salad is perfect. I only wish there was a larger beer selection. read more

The Po'Boys are beyond delicious here. Their service is always friendly and helpful, and they even had take-out cocktails during COVID. Worth a swing by the window! P.S. - The Cheese Curds! read more

Amazing place this a whole vibe I wish they don't change anything me and my friends went here and had a blast piano is cool read more

Imbibe - Wine Bars Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Good food and desserts. Will be back! Look forward to live music- and the bar opening back up! read more

First, the restaurant has changed names so perhaps new ownership. Feels like they don't quite have it together yet. Menu appears great but all items (apps and meals) were cold. When we asked for the dinner (shrimp and grits) to be warmed the cook brought it to our table and literally threw it at my husband, causing it to slide across the table. All of the hush puppies were so burnt they weren't edible. My son ate his cold catfish but wasn't impressed by the flavors. Gumbo appeared to have the right flavors but it was so cold I can't be sure. 2 tables in the middle of the restaurant had food products on them (like a delivery came but they chose not to put it away?). Just not quite there yet. I would surely suggest finding somewhere else to eat for now. read more

Mandey Brown has done it again! New Orleans' loss is North Carolina's gain because she repeatedly knocks it out of the park with each business venture. The upstairs bar is cool and divey, the downstairs restaurant is stylish and sophisticated. Plus, you can play Jenga with your food. read more

Imbibe - Chickpea jenga! - Wine Bars Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

I randomly got a gift card for this restaurant, and I'm so glad I know it's here now! It's such a gem and I can't wait to come back. The food is awesome (try the filthy fries) and the staff is super nice. It's rare to find incredible New Orleans food outside Louisiana, and this place is spot-on. Also, what's great is that it can work for just about any occasion: a solo dinner, a spot to catch up with a group of friends and they even have a jazz night on Mondays! read more

I ordered carry out lunch yesterday from Imbibe and I was pleased with the overall experience. I ordered the blacked shrimp po boy, gumbo and crab bisque. The shrimp po boy and bisque were very flavorful. I do wish the gumbo was a little bit spicier. I'd like to return and order some other dishes. read more

Imbibe - Blackened Shrimp Po Boy - Wine Bars Near Me - Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Our friends introduced us to this place, and we're so happy they did! We got there an hour after it opened, and it was already packed. We luckily were able to snag a table, and proceeded to hang out for close to 3 hours. I am absolutely not one to linger after dinner, something that annoys my sister every time we eat together, but this place just welcomes you and makes you want to stay and enjoy everything! They had a wine tasting, and we liked both the wines they sampled. We finished off two bottles of one of these wines. I ordered the BBQ shrimp, which is a Cajun dish, and it was amazing. Nice and big shrimp that were cooked to perfection! The sauce was literally good enough to drink. I also had the falafel (a little too done but still good) and hummus (very tasty). The crab bisque is delicious - smooth with just the right amount of kick. I appreciate that most of their meals can be ordered in small or large portions. They had a two person jazz band, who were great! They weren't so loud that you couldn't talk over them. I like that. Everything was good, it was fun, it's fairly priced, and you can tell that care goes into the food they prepare. I'm excited to have found a new (to me) place to eat. read more

Imbibe had the best food, staff, and desserts around! They are never scared to try need things and put interesting twists on dishes that always end up being insanely delicious. In non- COVID times, they also have live music! Highly recommend. read more

Imbibe is by far the best food in Chapel Hill/Carrboro! Yes of course there are other great restaurants in the area but Imbibe is the most consistent of any of them. I always know it's going to be a great meal and there's ALWAYS specials, which in my opinion many other local spots in town don't switch their menu up enough. My mouth literally waters just thinking about the Ellie Teller (catfish poboy and crazy fries) I think it's called. The bitchy pickles, the FRIES all of them, the oyster poboy... literally everything I've ever had is superb and Mandy and her team are always awesome and literally the hardest working folks! Right now they've been doing pickup AND delivery! You won't be disappointed so order all the things! Oh! Always just add on whatever dessert Mandys mom made that day cause it'll likely blow your mind! read more

I recently moved out of the Chapelboro area and Imbibe is one of the places I miss the most. The owner is one of the most down to earth, kind people on the planet - and the drink and food selection is always on point. Good drink specials during the week, but I'm happy to pay full price for the good selection of beers on tap. (Half off wine never hurts either.) In sum: Go to Imbibe, get the fries, get the beer, leave happy. read more

We got takeout a few weeks ago, and I tried their popcorn shrimp po'boy and gumbo. The popcorn shrimp had a great texture even after the trip home, and the sauce and pickles were tasty and balance well with the shrimp - it wasn't super flavorful but was a satisfying mix of salty, sour, and crunchy. The gumbo was flavorful and rich without being oily, the seasoning was good. We felt it was somewhat pricy for the amount of food, but I would probably eat their po'boy again in the future! read more

Imbibe offers a comfortable neighborhood bar combined with high-quality live music and a well-curated beer list. The only challenge is that seating was a little limited on a Monday night before a holiday, so I can only imagine what this place is like when the students are in town on a weekend...so get there early! read more

We came, unknowingly, on a Monday, when they have live jazz. This started things out on a really fun note- I love live jazz and haven't heard a group for awhile. These guys were awesome! Mom and I both got beer flights to start- I went with two ciders and a sweet potato beer they had. We also got the catfish nuggets app. The catfish was great- the breading was cornmeal based but had some sweet and spice added to it. Fish was nice and tender/flaky but not dry. Fries were super and fresh. (Gotta love a good steak fry!) Then we got the creole crab bisque and cheese curds. I really liked both of these, but I will warn you that the heat of the soup kind of builds. I ended with the complementary yelp check in snow cone, which was great after the soup! Heck, I'd pay for one just for nostalgia value next time. Yummy. Overall, a great, fun, happenin' spot just off Franklin to chill. 10/10 will make a stop here in the future! read more

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Open for curbside takeout right now, staff is wearing mask and gloves. I just grabbed the "Big Easy Gumbo" and it was DELICIOUS. Going to be my new lockdown goto! read more

Came here with my husband on our wedding night after our quaint little courthouse ceremony last week, and I'm so glad we did! It was perfect. Bartender was a little grumpy, but this didn't bother us. The place was packed as it was trivia night (Wednesday). We tried a flight of 6 beers which was awesome - you can get a flight of 3 or 6 beers for a decent price. The flight of 6 was around $12 and the flight of 3 was around $6. Not bad! We wanted to try the pork rinds, but they were out - we did try the pickles (yum) and the chips and hummus. Both great (and fresh) bar snacks! They have a diverse menu, too. Plenty of options. Will be back for sure! read more

Delicioussssss. I got the pork belly sandwich and although I wish there was a bit more pork on the sandwich like it shows in the picture online, it still filled me up and had amazing flavor. The crab bites were yummy and my friend got the po boy and did not disappoint! Imbibe is a Chapel Hill gem, definitely will come back read more

We loved everything about this place! Friendly staff, Cajun food that's some of the best I've had outside of New Orleans, and fun live music. The ingredients were fresh and the atmosphere was fun and we'll be back! read more

Cool little spot located just off Franklin Street. They only have beer and wine (no liquor), but they're selection is spot on for both, particularly their draft selection. They also have a small, if well curated, bottle shop area available for you to take to go. Food is limited, but very good--I'm from New Orleans originally, so the fact they fly in Gambino's bread and olive salad for their Muffaleta, as well as Zapp's potato chips, is an amazing taste of home. They have live jazz several nights a week--the music has always been good, and I particularly appreciate they don't blare it the way a lot of live music spots do. You can enjoy the music, and a conversation at the same time. When you're done being classy and cool here, go upstairs to Zogg's(same owners) and be a bit trashy and cool--it's always fun to finish a night out with one of their signature "zoggtails," most of which came straight off bourbon street. read more

I love this place. Especially the muffalata sandwich. The ingredients are authentic New Orleans ingredients shipped in. The fries are pretty great too. And the salads. And there are always interesting beer choices. It's a great spot! read more