Linda’s Bar and Grill

Chapel Hill, United States

3.7

Closed now

20 reviews

Accepts Credit Cards
Free Wi-Fi

Contacts

QR code, vCard

Telephone:
+1 919-933-6663
Website:
www.lindas-bar.com
Address:
203 E Franklin St, Chapel Hill, NC, 27514
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
500 ftRobertson Scholar Bus Stop
950 ftEZ2854
0.2 miEZ2784
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Bussiness info

Takes Reservations
No
Delivery
No
Take-out
Yes
Accepts Credit Cards
Yes
Good For
Late Night
Parking
Street
Bike Parking
Yes
Wheelchair Accessible
Yes
Good for Kids
No
Good for Groups
Yes
Attire
Casual
Ambience
Casual
Noise Level
Average
Music
Background
Good For Dancing
No
Alcohol
Full Bar
Happy Hour
Yes
Best Nights
Thu, Fri, Sat
Coat Check
No
Smoking
No
Outdoor Seating
No
Wi-Fi
Free
Has TV
Yes
Dogs Allowed
No
Waiter Service
Yes
Caters
Yes
Has Pool Table
No

Today

Today 11:30 am – 2:00 am
Closed now
Local time (Chapel Hill) 08:12 Monday, 2 June 2025

Business hours

Monday 11:30 am – 2:00 am
Tuesday 11:30 am – 2:00 am
Wednesday 11:30 am – 2:00 am
Thursday 11:30 am – 2:00 am
Friday 11:30 am – 2:00 am
Saturday 4:00 pm – 2:00 am
Sunday 4:00 pm – 2:00 am

Description

Specialties

Linda’s Bar and Grill is an American style bar with great food. Established in 1976 there is a rustic feel that is comfortable and well worn in. We have a ever evolving beer selection consisting of 15 drafts (with many local brews) and 20 bottles, wine, and delicious cocktails from our full bar. We have chef driven but inexpensive, simple, delicious food, and we use local ingredients in our cooking whenever available. We accept people as they are and always welcome new faces.

Come grab a bite, the laughs are on us!

All the best.

Chris Carini,

Owner,

Linda’s Bar and Grill

History

Established in 1976.

On Columbia St. originally, Linda’s moved locations in the late 80’s to the current area that resides the DOWNBAR which is the downstairs floor of Linda’s. The upstairs restaurant area came into being after Linda Williams, the original owner, purchased the building and the previous Sadlak’s sandwich shop left. Linda and her Husband Larry operated the business until the eventual sale to Rutland Tyler and Dennis Almond in 2003. Under their ownership Linda’s continued uninterrupted ownership for nearly 8 years. In the summer of 2011 after 35 years of proving that Linda’s would continue to be a staple of the Chapel Hill bar scene it was purchased by Christopher Carini. After a 2 week hiatus and refurbishments a plenty, the much needed face lift of Linda’s Bar and Grill ushered in a new group of bar loving regulars, and continued growth for a new era.

Meet the Business Owner

Christopher C.

Business Owner

The Current owner of Linda’s Bar and Grill is a recent NC transplant. A graduate of Penn State University, Christopher has a love of the hospitality business that has helped to shape his life. Prior to owning Linda’s he was a Interium regional manager for Ruth’s Chris Steak House eventually managing 7 restaurants between Wilmington, NC and Baltimore, MD.

Currently Chris seeks to make Linda’s one of the best places in Chapel Hill.

Linda’s Bar and Grill also recommends

Zogs Pool

51

reviews

Pool Halls

,

Dive Bars

Christopher C. says,

«Great place for a drink and Pool.»

Vivace

166

reviews

Italian

Christopher C. says,

«My Triangle Favorite. An elegant and contemporary take on the Italian dining experience complete with a beautiful patio and fountain.»

Ruth’s Chris Steak House

71

reviews

Steakhouses

Christopher C. says,

«Me Amigos still reside within. Old Stomping grounds.»

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20 reviews of Linda’s Bar and Grill

No registration required
Place rating: 2
Chapel Hill, NC
Nice drinks and food (but avoid the hot dogs — overcooked).
Why the low rating, then?
(1) Cramped interior.
(2) Credit card surcharge, which I didn’t realize until cleaning out my jeans pocket just now. C’mon, not cool. Even if prominently disclosed it would be bad practice. Just raise prices and offer cash discounts.
Place rating: 1
Durham, NC
Order some food with my co-​workers and it was unacceptable. I ordered the jerk chicken plate and the piece of chicken was so small and my sides were a salad with appeared to be the main dish and they forgot my sweet potato tots and when I got them they were burnt. The amount of money we spent on this food for the quality we recieve was mind blowing. I am not a picky eater at all for me to write this it had to be bad. My experience was horrible.
Place rating: 5
Chapel Hill, NC
Great sandwiches, great drinks, great atmosphere, great service. Love these guys.
Place rating: 3
Carrboro, NC
I’m giving this a three since everyone else liked their food though I was fairly disappointed with my experience. I judge a restaurant based on its veggie burger and this did not pass muster. It’s fairly typical of the ubiquitous black bean burger with the ever present southwestern slant. Because who doesn’t think Mexican food when you order a black bean burger? You? Or maybe you? I did order this, eyes open, since it did specifically say, cumin, on the menu. But that was all I tasted. If that was the extent of it, fine, but it was dry and crumbled as soon as I picked it up. I ordered cole slaw with it and tried to use if to add a little moisture before giving up and just eating the cole slaw.
The salad was very good and I thought it would be cool to have the French fries instead of croutons but these were straight from the freezer ore-​ida fries. That’s just lazy when even fast food restaurants use fresh potatoes.
I think they need to go back to the drawing board with that burger and add a few more vegetarian friendly options.
I definitely would bump up my rating if they added a self serve ICEE MACHINE though.
Place rating: 2
Cary, NC
Frozen, microwaved cheese fries. Not good. I don’t like to yank and peel my fries off the sides. Also, we could see into the food prep area, the man did not wear gloves at all, he continuously pulled out his phone, then continued to prepare food. My friend saw him *cringe* wipe his finger across a large bottle of salad dressing then stick his finger in his mouth. They have so many servsafe certifications because they actually have a «B» sanitation score, I presume.
Place rating: 3
Huntington Beach, CA
Eh… the food was ok, the service from the bartender was ok, not at all in awe but we were recommended to go eat there. The drink I had (paloma) was very concentrated and not at all what a real paloma was. It was rather much drinking tequila straight up with a little bit of concentrated grapefruit juice. I had the Buffalo chicken salad with grilled chicken and again, it was pretty good/​ok. The experience wasn’t bad but wasn’t great, so not sure if I’d ever return again.
Place rating: 5
Chapel Hill, NC
Love Linda’s! The food is always great, drinks are good and the staff is friendly. The chicken cheesesteak and the salmon cakes are my favorites. It is a great place to come for lunch, dinner or a late night snack while out on the town.
Place rating: 5
Chapel Hill, NC
Amazing cheese fries, Strongbow cider on tap, and two floors (one in the basement with great couches). Not much more that you can ask for from a late night stop, which is usually when I go because as I said before cheese fries. I’ve also been for dinner a handful of times and they have a great, fairly standard black bean burger and the usual bar food fare. But go for the cheese fries and beer/​cider.
Note: if you feel like torturing a birthday girl/​boy, take them to Linda’s for a birthday shot. It’s a shot of Jameson, then they turn the shot upside down, pour a little Jameson in the top, and then you snort it. I did say snort it. It’s not for the faint of heart, or the particularly sober. But they did play the 2 Chainz «Birthday Song» for me afterwards!
Place rating: 3
Allentown, NJ
Not a fav. Stopped in for a late dinner and most places were closed already. Got burgers that others at table loved but mine was under cooked. Beer was good as was the service. Consider it more of a dive with decent food and good service.
Place rating: 5
Clarksville, MD
I came here after a long, hot day of college visits looking for a good meal. This did not disappoint! The service was great, just like the food! If I end up going to college at UNC, I will definitely become a regular here!
Place rating: 5
Chapel Hill, NC
My boyfriend and I went here for dinner I had the chopper roast beef and he the chicks cheesesteak. Great food and good beer selection. It’s a laid back place and chill good place to come
Place rating: 3
Brooklyn, NY
The bar is fun and clean, nice staff. The buffalo wings were pretty bad though. They were probably mediocre the 1st time they cooked them, but tasted like they were either sitting out or reheated several times… the meat was sticky and sauce was really cheap buffalo sauce. I felt like it was their 1st time trying to make them. 4 for the staff. 2 for the food. I would go back, but definitely try something else.
Place rating: 4
Creedmoor, NC
Seriously awesome cheese fries. So many nights I’ve been on Franklin St and they all seem to end here with a plate of those fries.
The service is great, the drinks are strong, and as long as you can snag a booth its a really great place.
Place rating: 5
Waxhaw, NC
The service is the best. The servers are very welcoming and great conversationalists. Very much a casual atmosphere but the kind that creates a home-​like environment.
Southern to the max: from the music to the menu. There is a charm of innovation surrounding the recipes that create each platter. The affordability of each dish also makes you feel less guilty about enjoying a full meal.
My order: Pork BBQ Platter with sides of asparagus and fried okra. Oh my tastebuds. What an incredible explosion of flavor and fond childhood memories of growing up in the South. When food is powerful enough to remind you defining moments, you know you made a good lunch choice.
Place rating: 5
Durham, NC
The food was amazing! I absolutely loved the sweet potato tots. I ordered the Philly and it was mouth watering. Definitely recommend Linda’s and I will be back for the beer and food!
Place rating: 5
Chapel Hill, NC
This is my favorite bar in town. Great staff, yummy food, reasonably priced drinks. The owners are very kind to graduate students, and it has a very comfortable atmosphere if you happen to find yourself in that category. An easy place to get used to, and hard to stop going back. It’s like Cheers, for near-​hipsters. And I say that with a lot of love and respect – no irony. Honest.
Be sure to check out the downbar – especially if you show up on a busy Friday afternoon. Much more room to gather with friends, down there!
Place rating: 3
Lynchburg, VA
This place has a good feel to it, you walk in and seat yourself. There isn’t a waitstaff, no problem you have to ask for a menu at the bar. You can browse the menu while standing at the bar or return to your table in which we did. Once you figure out what you want approach the bar again and order and a tab is started with your name. Our food came out rather quickly. The chicken tenders were hot and crispy and moist on the inside. The honey mustard was my favorite. I got the Tar Heel burger, a burger with pickles, slaw, onion, and chili. It had really good flavor but the bun disintegrated by the time I got to the end of my burger and I had to finish it with a fork. The sweet potato tots were really good, crispy texture with soft sweetness on the inside. I got mine loaded and it only enhanced the flavor. It is a good place to stop whether it is pre or post game or if you are just hanging out on Franklin and want some good food. I will be back.
Place rating: 4
Charlotte, NC
Linda’s has been and will always be my go-​to late night drunchies spot. I don’t care where I am, what time it is, or how I’m feeling– I’m going there. It could be 2 am in NYC and I could be throwing up in the bar’s bathroom, and I’ll still go to Linda’s next for their combo basket with chicken tenders, sweet potato tots, and mozzarella sticks. They come with some really great dipping sauces. I’ve also had a few of their entrees and I’d recommend them all.
They owner and servers are really great. I think the change of ownership was a great move that helped revitalize the restaurant.
The atmosphere is really chill both up and downstairs. It’s a nice place to hang out super drunk with friends. I especially love when they have live music downstairs.
My only qualm is the drinks. I HATE their house cocktails. I think their Spicy Margarita and Pimm’s Cup are the worst drinks I’ve ever had. I’ve resolved to only go to Linda’s AFTER I’ve had drinks. Not for drinks.
Place rating: 2
Morrisville, NC
I’ve only been here at night so this review only for the bar and bar food. It’s usually pretty dead in here and it’s more of a casual place to hang on Franklin Street. There are darts downstairs and they host trivia on certain nights.
Me and a couple of friends stopped in this past weekend for a drink and the bar service was like pulling teeth. The bartender (and there were two) literally served every single other person at the bar, including a group that got there after us and a group that apparently knew him before getting to us. The wings here are also terrible — they are literally smothered with what tastes like some sort of cheap bottled sauce and the flavor is not cooked in at all. No one in my party was impressed and needless to say, we will not be coming back.
Place rating: 3
Raleigh, NC
I went to Linda’s for the first time on a bar crawl. Linda’s is extremely casual and very laid back, the kind of place you go to enjoy a beer before heading out to your more exciting destination for the night. The menu is your typical bar food, although they do carry sweet potato tots which is cool. I wouldn’t recommend this place as a great dinner destination, but if you were feeling snacky it hits the spot.
The upstairs is small without a ton of standing room, and downstairs is very much a dive bar. Down there it’s the kind of place where you don’t necessarily want to sit down, but you don’t mind standing around and enjoying a pint.
The beer is cheap, the food is cheap and the people are relaxed. They had a good local beer selections as well. Linda’s is definitely a good place to go to chill with friends.