You know it's good when you meet some people that know your home bar in a different city the minute you walk up. I went and paid no cover for three great local bands. Nice people good service. Small, or cozy depending on your pov. Prices a little high but not awful. $4 beer and $9 whiskey. Ask first. read more

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this is the worst bar I have ever been to. I was almost impressed by how bad the DJ was. it sounded like his Bluetooth was disconnecting for half of the show but he pressed on courageously. awful pool table with cheap sticks. read more

We came across this place after going to UFC in Raleigh. We walked into a nearby bar and were totally ignored and figured that would continue so we left and found this place. Very small but they had a good selection. The staff was friendly. It was super cool they had a pool table. Apparently we came on a night they were having a band and didn't know it! Super confusing because it was a country band? In a dive bar? But it's fine. We went upstairs to their 1 pool table and started playing with nobody around. After 2 games people started showing up for the band and people were gathering around the table. We played a few more and left because of the hovering. But they don't have space for another table. It has been so long since my husband and his brother were able to get together and play pool so, it was nice. We would go back if we went back to Raleigh. read more

Slim's Downtown Distillery - Dive Bars Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Locals only. No music requests. Shut up and drink. Everybody's having a great time. Mind erasers.

When I think of how to best describe Slim's, I keep coming back to the bar equivalent of your favorite old pair of jeans. They might be a little too tight and smell like an ashtray, but they're perfectly worn-in, you love the way you feel in them, and every time you step into them a million nostalgic stories come to mind. Like those old jeans, Slim's has seen a lot in its day. It's one of those places that can rightfully be called a Raleigh landmark. Hidden away in a Wilmington Street storefront, you might never know this place exists, but its stage has seen the likes of Raleigh's most heralded artists as well as the occasional national act (Butch Walker can ALWAYS be found here after his shows in town). Walking in the door greets you with the smell of smoke, the sight of walls covered with rock memorabilia and alcohol swag, and the sounds of eclectic rock tunes from either the jukebox or the tiny backroom stage. The crowd can range from college-age punks to emo kids to middle-age locals to aging hipsters, and I've never been when I haven't been chatted up by most everyone at the bar. The bar service is great, the drink prices are cheap, and even when crowded it's no harder to move around than most other venues in the area. If you're around the bar at last call, you'll want to order a PBR in a can...it's a bit of a tradition among the Slim's crowd. Take a look down the bar and you'll see that familiar red, white, and blue can in front of most every patron, signaling the end of one more great night at this time-tested downtown hangout. Slim's is a delightfully cramped, smoky, unintentionally hip and low-key oasis in the sea of downtown Raleigh. If you're a Raleigh native who's never been, I recommend you make your way there ASAP - and if you're new to the area, now's a great time to get your first dose of a Raleigh tradition. read more

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Honestly, you can't beat Slim's for an honest, unpretentious bar that not only features music, but actually serves the music scene. Van Alston is an absolute staple on the Raleigh/Triangle music scene and we are all better off because of it. I've been to more than my share of "dive bars" over the years and this one stands as the benchmark for them all. Just go. You'll be glad you did. read more

The phrase dive bar sometimes gets over used to any bar that isn't overly fancy. This is a dive bar in the true sense. The stickers, the writing on the walls in the bathroom, the down and dirty atmosphere (don't necessarily mean dirty in the uncleanly sense). That's what a dive bar is and what this is. Funny story. I checked out as I saw on a review this place had live music. Little did I know it was a band that played a type of music- not sure what it was but the phrase "grindcore" is what I would hazard to guess would describe the kind of eye drum bending music. So if you're going on a music night maybe call ahead and see what type of band is playing. Bottomline this place is nothing special but that's okay. A come as you are, no judgment if you don't look the part of a craft beer prepster is just fine. You need places like these to balance out all the other more high-end places. And heck they even had Simpsons on the TV on a Friday night which made my geeky parts tingle... read more

Someone once asked me: "How many days would it take to eat your weight in hot dogs?" So I did the math, and double checked it, my personal (and conservative) estimate would be 96.25 days. This is based off of 70 hot dogs equals 15 pounds, I weigh 165, and eating 8 hot dogs per day, if anyone needs to triple check me on the math it'd be appreciated. read more

This is my favorite place in downtown Raleigh. Always great live music, good drinks, and pool upstairs. My favorite feature may be that the restroom don't have genders assigned per se, just the word "whatever"written in sharpie. Definitely worth a visit, or not- don't make my favorite bar mainstream! Unless there's live music, then I'll suffer the claustrophobia to support local music. read more

Sometimes, years after his passing, Phil Lynott helps. I'm parked at the corner end of the bar here on a crisp Raleigh evening, long enough to overhear a conversation between a gal who's noticed that there is a photo of a gravestone back-lit through a light board. She asks who it is and before he can answer I hear myself chime in "Thin Lizzy," I say, and the bartender nods and the girl wanders off somewhere. Said barkeep and I devolve over the course of a couple of hours into my theories on how Thin Lizzy was the perfect antidote to all of the incessant Michael Jackson sonic assault on the weekend that one given singer passed. A little Thin Lizzy, I reasoned, was enough to get you through most music tough spots. And seasoned barflies would sing along, happy for the change. They seem to attract regulars here and I can see why: it's an unpretentious slot, a thin reed of a shotgun row of bar stools, and the company you keep these nights seems happy enough. And more days than not that's an incident worth chancing. read more

I swear, everybody at this bar except my friend and me was drinking PBR. Seems to be the patron saint of beers here...they even have a neon guitar PBR sign positioned right by the band for full PBR Shrine effect! My cohort had scored some free tix, so we'd made our way downtown to check out some tunes. Unfortunately the first set (supposed to start at 10) didn't go on till 11. And being the 'old broads' we are (the bouncer totally called us out on leaving before the headlining act!), we trudged out a little defeated at midnight. But the two hours I spent at Slims were still fun. They don't have beer on tap, but at least you can get Big Boss by the bottle. Head upstairs for a game of pool or to grab a couch with some pals. The crowd seemed to be a real mix of hipsters, young professionals, and old money who'd mistakenly wandered in from Cafe Luna for a post-dinner nightcap. And then there were the band members' parents (aw, cute!). You know, it's not the best set-up for live music -- long and narrow, and if you don't have a seat at the bar, you're going to be right (I mean :right:) in front of the band...on the positive side, it's up close and personal -- a little like watching a band play in their living room; and on the other hand, you will require ear plugs to prevent shouting to hear yourself talk all day the next day. read more

You might assume the "Downtown Distillery" in Slim's refers to industrial distillation used in the production of various petrochemicals such as kerosene, but the name actually stems from the large selection of spirits available from Slim's at decent prices. I wish I hadn't been the DD to this particular "DD" as the beer selection is not quite up to the same standards. Another consequence of my poor decisions would prove to be a visit to Slim's homage to the world's greatest nation - urination. I've seen cleaner restrooms at the Philly greyhound station. There was so much piss on the floor that I feared using the urinal would give the impression that I didn't respect local customs. I tried to plant my feet on some less soaked spots and leaned over the length of the stall, held up by one arm and prayed my shoes would not give way. Lessons learned: take cab, bring adult diaper. read more

If you're tired of the smooth, polished pretentiousness that is common in downtown Raleigh, Slim's is probably your jam. It feels a little like a college bar in the 90s--dim, be-stickered bar, tiny stage with Christmas lights to match. Reasonable prices (yay dive bar!) and decent selection of alcoholic products for your consumption. There's usually a band or two wailing it out on stage, and it's worth the $5 cover just to people watch, if not for the talent. read more

A lot of my friends absolutely love Slims. I had never been to the bar until a few weeks ago. I walked in and it was like one of those movie moments where the music stopped and everyone was staring at me-I was definitely out of place. The place bills itself as a musical venue (in fact Ryan Adams got his start here if I remember correctly). It's called Slim's however I presume because the place is essentially a giant hallway. You could never stand more than 3 or four people side by side, and the stage is exceptionally small. For a music venue, this is the worst place I've ever seen. There's nowhere to move, and the place gets packed pretty quickly (I would be surprised if it could hold 100 people). I also walked out of the place smelling like an actual ash tray there were so many people smoking and absolutely no air flow. They work themselves up from two stars to three because the bands that play here are usually pretty good, the cover is low, and the beer selection is plentiful and reasonably priced. On a less smoky and crowded night I might potentially like the place. read more

Slims is great if you want a dark place to have a drink. It's mellow. I hear it has music too... just not on a Tues night.

You will not find hand-blended 'mixologist' cocktails with farm-to-table ingredients, elegant art openings, or the soft strains of delicate chamber music at Slim's. If classy or fashionable is what you want, take your pick from any number of venues downtown. You want old school dive bar goodness with simple drinks at simple prices, varied niche bands from post punk pop to black metal, and an equally interesting assortment of regulars? You got it. Come for the no-nonsense bartenders; stay because you spent as much on drinks as you would at a stylish 'craft' bar but got twice as much for your money and the Uber isn't here yet. read more

Location: downtown downtown The Entrance: on the street duh The Bar: No rare imports, but a better catalogue of beer than most. Full liquer, decent prices. The Music: Usually strange local acts, cult bands, different all the time. The Sound: This place has no stage or lighting, the band is just right there in yo' face. There's just a PA for vocals/keys. Which is good, the band just goes up there, and sounds like they sound, without someone else tweaking and adjusting their presence. The Rest: This is Raleigh's standard for dive bars. It's the "Cheers" of music venues. More of a bar than anything else, with random shows, and pool tables and booths upstairs and a small courtyard out back. read more

Exactly what I was looking for. Dive bar but waaaaaaay less filthy. The bartender is great company. Love love love this place!

I had a dispute over my tab and when asked to see a paper copy of my tab was refused. The Bartender told me to "pay what I think is fair." Which leads me to believe he pockets the cash himself. Check your records boss man. read more

Slim's touts itself as the oldest music venue in Raleigh, and with The Brewery gone, that might be the case. Slim's is tiny for a music venue, which allows for a very intimate and personal experience if you so happen to be in the front row. If not, then you really won't be able to see much of anything since the stage is also very small. I would think that some bands that are made up of more than 3 members may have an issue fitting on the stage and more lively bands with good stage presence will probably find the stage cramped. The stage is also right along the path to get to the bathrooms/outside patio and access to the second floor, so if the band is playing, people will sit on the stairs or crowd the hallway. This effectively creates a nearly constant traffic jam at it's max capacity. For smokers, they allow smoking out back. The only reason I'm giving this venue three stars instead of two is because the upstairs is pretty nice and usually less crowded. There's a decent pool table and a nice couch to relax in. Listening to the live band while playing pool was pretty fun. The drinks that I have had there have also been pretty decent and very strong. Overall, this is an OK place to have some heavy drinks, a large PBR, or to see a band if you absolutely cannot miss them play. Otherwise, there's many places I'd rather go for both live music and drinks. read more

Came here based on a friends recommendation and it was everything he said. Divey, but cool as hell. Local bands playing on a Wednesday night. Great beers - including canned versions of Natty Bo and Schlitz. Great atmosphere and service. read more

Slim's Downtown Distillery - Dive Bars Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Every time we are in Raleigh we make sure to hit up Slims and it never disappoints !!! Alison puts up with our hijinks and shenanigans and keeps our drinks full. If you want to go to a place in Raleigh and have a good time, Slims is the place to go. I literally will never miss hitting up this spot. read more

Slim's Downtown Distillery - If you are looking for an amazing "Grape Panty Poop" shot, come to Slims and talk to Alison ! - Dive Bars Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

This weird dude keeps coming up to me and asking if I want something else to drink Now he's trying to get money from me... Wait, I think he works here read more

Pretty awful experience here. The bartender was very rude and overall extremely unfriendly. Got the feeling that those of us who don't look like hipsters aren't welcome. read more

If you're looking for a dive bar where the odor of thick smoke hangs heavy in the air (even though there hasn't been smoking allowed inside for years), then this is the place for you! Maybe I'm too old, but I'm just not interested in such places. read more

The only downfall to Slims is that: The drinks are too good, too cheap, too fast. The bands are fucking awesome. The staff is friendly and fitting. Clienteles rad. And you'll never wanna leave, But you'll have to. read more

The door guy with a pony tail tried to force me to pay an entire 5$ for the live music and I eventually gave in. There is an excellent draft beer selection. Problem is with the men's bathroom: the cold water handle doesn't work (no matter how many times I try) and I'm kind of offended by the things written on the wall. read more

If Slims is trying to be a dive bar where local shows take place and has a good selection of drinks aside from PBR, then it's doing an excellent job at it. For the alternative music scene without the electronic dance jams, Slims is definitely the place to be. This place was recommended to me from R/Raleigh as a cool music venue to check out while visiting, so we decided to check it out. It wasn't very busy but we were a little early for the show they were starting that night. The bouncer walked up to us and said we had to pay a cover. I asked him about the bands playing that night and what kind of music they were. I should have guessed he's tired of this question by now since the answers were "they're on the sign" and "it's rock n roll". Good enough, I gave the man $5, he checked my ID, and let us in. The venue is very small. Not the smallest, but it's long and narrow. If it was a sold out show I'm sure it would get very intimate and probably uncomfortable. The music playing in the background was fitting, the crowd was a mix of local grungy guys in their 30's and college kids from the bands that were playing. Since this was my only night to spend downtown, we decided to leave to check out the other music venues, but after a few drinks, we were back at Slims, head bobbing to the band, and drinking our PBRs. read more

It's like a home away from home. The back patio is great on nights to just hang out and drink. Decent bartenders and always good times. Yes, it's a music venue and I've seen tons of great shows here. The stage is a bit small but the sound is not. Great spot for beers and bands! read more

Went here for a show once or twice. Tiny place, but has never been busy enough to feel too cramped. Has some interesting beers, which I always appreciate. read more

Good for a drink if they are asking for a cover and you don't know the band I would say skip it. The bar tender is attentive and they have some nice sitting out back. One thing I have to give this place is that its got a clean bathroom. If this one a favorite for me to go I would give it another star but its not. Its good for a drink and a pee but not one of my favorite places to hang out. read more

Very divey and good selection of beers that were cheap. Wasnt too crowded when I went but took the two bartenders a very long time to serve me. They served other people right away though. I'd probably go back for a few cheap drinks but it wouldn't be my first choice. read more

Best dive bar ever...I go here after work atleast twice a week...as a new transplant it's nice to have a place where you can meet down to earth non pretentious people...after coming in a few times the regulars pulled me in and made me feel at home....the bartenders are awesome...Allison is a gem read more

Abe is number 1 bartender in all of land . Then Alison/mark and maybe then Roy if he would Stop playing SAd music on a Saturday Afternoon . Never change Slim's ! Ty for the umbrellas ! Nice to not get sunstroke whilst chain smoking out back read more

Yuppies need not apply. Slim's is traditional rock club venue. Its for people who like their PBR in a can and their whiskey straight up. There is a back patio and an upper room with booths and a pool table. Boxcar layout with a band area on floor level. I have spent many a night at Slim's. Free parking in the parking garage right behind the place on nights and weekends. read more

This was the worst experience I've ever had in Raleigh. The bouncer was a jerk. Everyone was paying a $15 cover just because BJ Barham was expected to come. The performing band was GOD AWFUL. Several people were coming outside just so they didn't have to listen to them. The bouncer told me I couldn't have my drink outside the door and that I had to leave it on a table inside.. which, I somewhat understand. But, he then waited several minutes to tell me that there were free earplugs behind the bar, but never brought any outside to me. He, himself, had earplugs already and spent the rest of the time inside next to my drink on his phone and drinking on the job. To top it off, BJ Barham never made an appearance. So my boyfriend and I spent $45 for about 5-10 minutes there (cover and drinks) and only able to take a couple sips of our drinks. Will NEVER go back here again. read more

Worst spaghetti I've ever had. Technically I never had it, because no one ever took my order. Ridiculous.

This is one of the best dive bars in Raleigh. Its a great place to hide and be anonymous after a long day at work.

Great place. BTW that is not the owner, that is his twin brother, Stuart Chandler. He is slightly off and can be mean. The owner is a great guy when he is in the country. read more

Slims is what you'd expect from the alternative music scene. Loud, close and different. Don't go if you're not into the music but try it out if your tired of the same old music and people. read more