Dain’s Place

I am a burger lover! This place is a small, local bar/​restaurant. Service was great and welcoming, we had The Dainer Burger and the Tot’s on fire– extremely good, only bad part is we are so full

Have one of the best burgers in town and great beer selection. Only bad thing is the place is too small and not any good parking.

Our new favorite burger in Durham. You can customize with toppings. Be sure to get the tots as a side. It can get very loud so don’t plan to have an intimate conversation.

Dain’s is a nice spot on 9^th street to go grab a beverage and hang out with friends. They are known for their build your own burgers which are DELICIOUS. Burgers comes with fries or tots. I’d go with the tots, they’re always perfectly crispy. They have a really unique décor with nostalgic memorablia from your childhood including action figures and old stickers and pins from the 80s and 90s. The bartenders are always friendly and its a great location to go walk around 9^th street after!

It was good. I ate the sausage sandwich and it was flavorful and amazing. The beer was also good. It was crowded, but we still got seats. Cozy atmosphere and I like the fact that you have an old toy van thing that’s red and inside it is another red toy van thing. So meta brahhhhhhhh. #dainsplace

I went to Dain’s because people had been raving about the burger. This is a dive bar with dive bar food. Its not special, and it doesnt merit any applause unless you’ve had a few beers first.

I expected prompter service for a place that is so small and cozy. Was sort of ignored at the bar for a while. Once I ordered the burger was good.

I’m new to town and like a few drinks after work. I’ve made this my regular spot. Very friendly staff, the place has a good vibe, and the food is good. I’m a vodka drinker and the hard stuff is a bit on the pricey side but the craft beer selection is second to none in Durham and very reasonably priced. The food is average at cost but the portions are massive. The burger and grilled cheese are two of my favorite things on the menu. If you’re by yourself or with only one other person, make sure to order a half order of tots or fries. There is plenty for 2 in the half.

My type of spot. Chill vibe & good eats! Great local beer Incredible Homer Simpson quote on the beer cooler that made me feel warm inside.

Ordered the Reuben with fries. Absolutely delicious. The server was super friendly and attentive. I went there for lunch, but will be back for beers soon. They have a great beer selection.

This place is a great local joint in Durham. It’s unpretentious and very local. You can also get a really tasty burger, fries, and beer. If you’re a beer snob like me, their beer menu is great. I got the «Daner», which is my favorite on their menu, and is really tasty. Come with an appetite!
The only reason this gets a 4 out of 5 is that the place is pretty small inside so it’s sometimes hard to find seating (especially on a Friday or Saturday night). We ended up having to sit outside in the heat because there were no tables left inside which was not ideal.

I really liked this bar. It was a mix of a bottle shop with a regular bar. The best part was the location nestled right on 9^th street so we were able to walk there after dinner.
We were able to be seated at the bar right away and they have a huge selection to choose from. We didn’t try the food since we just dined across the street however this place was perfect for after dinner drinks and conversation.
The bartenders were extremely helpful with explaining the drink options and very attentive to ensuring we weren’t low on drinks.
The one thing that was interesting about this place… the cabinets on the back wall of the bar. The front of the cabinets were designed with pennies which I thought was unique and set this bar apart from others.
I will definitely come back to this bar and try the food!

We stopped in here while my daughter was at basketball camp. This place is awesome. We had my toddler son with us and he was mesmerized by all the memorabilia in the pub. He danced to all the music and had a big time.
They have a large selection of beer. But with the baby with us we didn’t sample. I built my own burger and it was fantastic. My husband had the defibrillator. He finished but is ready for a nap.
The service was top notch. Not sure he was used to waiting on babies, but he was great.
We definitely recommend.

Only THE BEST BURGERS EVER!
Yes I just gave a little bar 5 stars. The burgers are perfect.
You need tater tots — yes you do. You deserve them.
Order yourself a beer. If you don’t know what to get just ask the people here know their stuff and will help you choose.
My daughter loves the chicken too.

I got the Dainer burger and shared a tots on fire (which was HUGE — we had to take it home) with my hubby! They were both delicious, especially with a cold brewsky! :)

Best bar food I’ve ever had. The beer selection is great, and the staff is awesome. The décor is entertaining. The grilled ham and cheese sandwich is amazing, it’s huge! I recommend putting pimento cheese on it.
The tots on fire are great, but even better if you have chili with them.

Stopped by for some beers on a Friday night and liked the scene! Bustling and close — but we were lucky enough to catch three stools in a row at the bar. Good beer, low key bartenders, cool mishmash of décor. Can’t comment on the food, but I’ll definitely give this place another try!

Ordered an 8oz Angus burger and a side of tater tots with cheese wiz, chili, and jalapeños. Burger was quite good — tasted fresh and the toasted bun was an added bonus.
I was not too impressed with the tots. It would have been better with real cheese. The chili was also a little too sweet. The only thing that was good was the tots had a crispy exterior with the exception of the tots covered with chili. You would think the addition of the jalapeños would have made it spicy, but nope, not spicy.
The major downside of this visit was the rude male employee named Bo. I waved at him to get his attention since he never looks at us to make sure if we need anything. I told him that my friend is ready to order and he replies he can’t hear me. So since I have such a quite voice, I yelled, «she wants to order». Then this Bo guy snaps at me and says in a condenscending tone, «Can I take your order when I don’t have all these plates in my hand??». Wow, I have never been talked to with such disrespect.
When he did finally come back to take my friends order, he still had some attitude. With this poor rude customer service, I am definitely not coming back to this place and you can bet I will let all my colleagues know about my experience.

Food: 3.5
Beer Selection: 4
Ambiance: 4
Food/​Price: 3.5
Pros: Excellent Beer Selection, Unique funny atmosphere, Friendly staff
Cons: Limited seating, There are better burgers in the Triangle
My first Dain’s experience had me pitted against the Defibrillator, a ½lb burger with bacon, sweet chili, cheddar, coleslaw, and a hot dog all smashed between a fresh-​made bun, and featured on the show Man vs Food. I proudly and begrudgingly finished the whole thing, but I don’t know if I anyone really won. This paired with the Homer Simpson quote displayed behind the bar and the borderline creepy pop culture abomination of a sculpture made of children’s toys pretty well captures the light and playful air of the place. I once even found, among their reading materials, a book entitled Pornagami, which is exactly what it sounds like.
The burgers and toppings are solid and well priced though there are several other places in the Triangle with better burgers (Zinburger, BCBB, Chucks, Elevation Burger?). What makes this place worth a visit is the beer selection, atmosphere, and friendly and funny staff. Every visit the staff has had a knack for being available and helpful without being overbearing. And they always have good recommendations and are very knowledgeable about their beer selection.
Bottom Line: This is a solid Durham bar, and hands down the best place on Ninth street to get your drink and eat on.

Very cool Burger place. Blues music playing on the inside. You feel at home right away. A locals hangout w/​a few Bar Flys thrown in — makes for good free entertainment.
They also have a good variety of ales & full bar.