You know the sports bar that has wall-to-wall TVs, overloaded nachos, a great beer selection and comfy chairs? Tobacco Road is that -- and something wholly unique with its location overlooking the Durham Bulls Athletic Park. Watch for home runs, or stop in for elevated bar food before a show at DPAC. Pro-tip: when the Durham Bulls are in season, sitting on the patio offers a free fireworks show every Friday (and most Saturday) nights.
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Hours:
Monday: 11:00 AM – 11:00 PM Tuesday: 11:00 AM – 11:00 PM Wednesday: 11:00 AM – 11:00 PM Thursday: 11:00 AM – 11:00 PM Friday: 11:00 AM – 12:00 AM Saturday: 11:00 AM – 12:00 AM Sunday: 11:00 AM – 11:00 PM
Great experience last night. I usually eat lunch at the raleigh location.So it was interesting to try the dinner menu and experience the darm location. I was impressed that the wait wasn't that long due to a show over at DPAC and a college football playoff game. I was very impressed with my server Jay, I had asked for hot sauce with my entree, and she returned with a collection of four! My glass was never empty and the food came out quick and warm. A special mention for the shrimp and grits. If it was a nice update to a classic. Definitely merits a return visit.
Marsha Richardson
Jan 9, 2026
3
Visiting the night of a show we thought place would be busier so we added our names to online waitlist for next available table (in or out). We were pleasantly surprised to be seated immediately but hostess didnt bother asking our preference to in or out so we were ushered to the patio. Not a big deal but would have been nice to be given a choice since they were not busy. Order was taken and food arrived with good service but not great and good food, but not great. Burgers were very pink when requested Medium Well. Fried Green Tomato BLT didnt have mich flavor beyond the bacon. Fries were good. Refills of drinks were not offered until empty and we asked. But here's what got me: upon paying they use hand held card readers which is fine except they give you zero time or privacy to chose a tip amount when the machine is just shoved towards you (they dont let you hold it) while they watch over what tip you chose as if daring you to chose anything less that the top amount (25%) which is already lit up as the default choice. Trust me it was not 25% service given but i felt pressured to choose it anyway. If thats not rude enough, I am still waiting on my receipt that she had to go and get from somewhere. I finally left since we had a show to get to. So I dont even know if we got the show discount which dpac promotes them giving - since the machine shoved in my face only showed the total. Very disappointing.
Elizabeth Cottle
Jan 5, 2026
5
I loved their shrimp and grits. Also had a fruity IPA (can't remember the name) but it was also very good. Our waitress did a great job and we were a party of 13. We went the last day of the festival of Bull and were able to see it from our seats. It was beautiful! Good night.
Mary Boyd
Jan 3, 2026
5
Delicious! Compliments to the chef! We enjoyed a reasonably priced and fresh meal! Definitely try the fried green tomatoes, four slices of rich flavor and a new take on a country classic. The strawberry avocado salad was filling and beautifully plated. The ultimate nachos while an entree are big enough to share. Service was fast and friendly. Worth a stop and return visit!
Colleen Ellis
Nov 29, 2025
5
I cannot begin to explain what a wonderful experience my family and I had at the Durham location this evening. Not only were the hostess and server both incredibly delightful, my child's food allergy was assessed and addressed with the utmost care and diligence. The owner even checked in with us at the beginning, during the delivery, and at the end of my daughter's meal - on a busy Saturday night! Allergy families have a tough go. We rarely eat out because it is just too hard. Tonight, to be cared for like we were in someone's home, means THE WORLD. We will be back and we will be back often. If you are looking for a casual dining experience that surpasses all - look no further. Oh! And our food was excellent! SO yummy! Thank you, Tobacco Road!
Jabrier Lee
Oct 30, 2025
5
The food was great. I had the Bison burger and buffalo chicken egg rolls. The burger was cooked to perfection and the egg rolls were crisp. My server was Emily he she was very helpful and cheerful(she deserves a raise). The atmosphere seems like it would be great for game days. With plenty of TV and one massive screen in the middle. They also had recliners if you want to relax while having a drink. 10/10 I highly recommend.
Jessella Gaymon
Sep 7, 2025
5
Tobacco Sports Cafe is one of the best dining spots in Durham. The atmosphere strikes a perfect balance between laid-back and lively.
On my recent visit , Jada was my server, and she truly elevated the experience. She was attentive, personable, and gave excellent recommendations encouraging me to try the salmon and the country chicken. Both dishes were outstanding the salmon was tender and flavorful, while the country chicken was comforting with just the right seasoning.
Beyond the food, the service overall felt organized and professional, and the restaurant had a welcoming energy from the moment I walked in. I’ll definitely be coming back!
Stephen Wood
Sep 7, 2025
5
Outstanding service you couldn't ask for more. I believe our waitress was Emily and she was beyond excellent. We have never eaten here before which she recommended the 2 chicken breasts on top of mashed potatoes, with grilled veggies and a honey gravy and my with had the shrimp and grits which she couldn't stop talking about. WOW!!! I know you usually only give 5 stars for the service and food but I would give at least a million stars. Usually we don't eat desert but it was highly recommend to get the brownie with vanilla ice cream, a little chocolate sauce and cherries. Really it melted in your mouth and the brownie was slightly warm which really topped it off. I highly recommend anyone and everyone to go and enjoy the atmosphere, the outstanding service and the wonderful food. Best of all it is not expensive which really surprised us.
Tayja “Tay” Webber
Aug 10, 2025
5
This place was phenomenal! We had just left The Wiz broadway show at DPAC and wanted a little something to eat. This was perfect! We had the steak tacos and some fruit. The flavor of the tacos was amazing. My sister got fries and they were also good. A little similar to Five Guys but not as potatoe-y. It took a while for someone to come and serve us but everything else was good. The prices are also not too bad.
Christine Wei
Jul 22, 2025
5
I ordered a strawberry avocado salad that was light and refreshing. Didn’t weigh heavy on the stomach. Our waiter was very courteous and patient. This was the perfect place to go before a DPAC show!
Ambience was nice, kinda an upscale version of a sports bar.
Aaron Kellar
Jun 19, 2025
5
Great food, amnosphere, service! Team dinner went great. Amazing view of the ball field.
Lucas Daymont
May 27, 2025
3
Came with a large group of 30+ people.
Service was pretty slow but everybody was friendly and helpful. Even though the food was just okay, we all enjoyed the experience.
AD
May 19, 2025
3
The decor is nice, with the feel for Durham sports teams. Overlooking the ballpark is also nicw. I ordered the beef barbecue ribs, and what I got was beef bones with fat, gristle and barbecue sauce. I assume they use the meat for some sort of a braised short rib entree. It would have been nice to actually have some meat.
We ordered the loaded nacho appetizer, they looked good, tasted fair.
All in all, go for the atmosphere and the drinks--not for a good bite.
Ebk M
Apr 30, 2025
5
Wonderful experience! We came in from out of town to celebrate with my co-workers and the hostess and staff were extremely attentive & helpful! Food was good, service was friendly, and ambience was incredible!! Thanks for making a memorable evening!
Judi Maddox
Apr 12, 2025
3
Service was good, and the food was plentiful for the price. However, if you're going to bring me a bill that say "X" amount, and then charge me more because I used a credit card, AND not tell me you're doing it, I'm going to be miffed. Tobacco Road, you can do better! Are you hurting so badly you need to pass a credit card usage fee onto your customers! If yes, please instruct your servers to share this information with customers instead of allowing customers to find out after they've left on the printed copy of the receipt... which you don't freely provide. Future customers, you must ask for a copy of your receipt. They will not provide unless you ask. If you don't ask, you won't see the fee that's been added to the bill because you tap/swipe your credit card.
