Clouds was originally conceived as a "German-inspired, American-made" brewery. Now, with a second full-service restaurant in Durham's Brightleaf Square, it offers beers in far-ranging styles. Enjoy the people-watching on the patio out front or settle in for a game near one of the many TVs inside the taproom.
Pretty good beer but the service left something to be desired, waited a long time between my empty drinks and the service from the staff. Went for the arcade, but the selection wasn't all that great either. Would recommend the carribean and the seltzer base they use with the flavor shots was decent. Prefer pre-flavored seltzer usually but the syrups they use are pretty high end. Great for a one time trips would love a reason to return though.
Jeremy Nyquist
Oct 7, 2025
5
Fantastic place. Plenty of indoor table seating and a huge bar with seating also. Clouds Brewing in Durham offers a huge selection of craft beers, including their own and guest taps, The German-inspired menu, arcade games, and patio make it an excellent spot in Brightleaf Square.
Patrick Slaughter
Aug 31, 2025
3
This establishment seems to be the perfect spot for a fun time with friends. While the food is typical bar fare, the great drinks, especially the margaritas, area definite highlight. The lively atmosphere, complete with a pool table, arcade games, and Thursday night trivia, makes it a great choice for anyone looking for a night of entertainment rather than a gourmet meal.
Laura Tripp
Aug 17, 2025
5
Returned here one year after my first date with my boyfriend and got stopped by the owner (or manager) saying they were closed after hosting a private event. My boyfriend explained why we were there and he ended up letting us come in for a drink while they were closing down! I appreciate the gesture and the service! Good date spot in Durham
Patric Dos Santos
Jul 1, 2025
5
Xavier was great! I’ve only been to the Raleigh location, but I’m glad that I came here because they actually have a food menu and many options for seating and great party space with arcade games and Photo Booth! Plus, a great outdoor seating and great prices for shots ;)
PS sorry my camera is damaged :/
Cole FitzGerald
May 11, 2025
5
Here’s a concise review for Ishmael:
“Ishmael was an exceptional bartender! He kept our drinks refreshed without missing a beat and anticipated our needs with impressive attention to detail. His friendly demeanor and efficiency made our experience truly enjoyable. Highly recommend!”
Let me know if you’d like to tweak it further!
Doug W
Mar 3, 2025
5
Yes, they do have a small arcade! We assumed that from the name, but couldn’t figure that out from the website or reviews.
We stopped by to kill some time with our little one and had a good time.
The service was good. Although its bar order, they were fast and friendly and the food runner was also super friendly.
We sampled several beers and ordered our favs and a big pretzel. The barrel aged stout wasn’t that great, but the remainder of the beers were all good. We were disappointed that the website beer offerings weren’t up to date so we couldn’t try some of the ones that caught our eyes (Thunder Down Under, Mango Weiss, The Merge).
The pretzel is truly one of the best we have ever had! It was crispy on the outside and slightly chewy on the inside… so good!
There are a handful of games to play; foosball, pool, electronic beer pong, pinball, driving, basketball, and some kids claw machines. While this made for a good time, they were very overpriced! $2 per game for most, with a discount if you purchase multiple up front. There were also TV’s all over with the Duke game playing
Overall a great place to enjoy a decent beer!
