What’s there to say about the ubiquitous sports bar? A place you can drop in for some wing and a beer, watch the game and cheer for your team. And for the most part they are all pretty similar but the new EO’s Athletic Club breaks that mold. Sitting on the corner of Durham’s Main Street where Beyu Caffe used to reside, follow the emerald green and yellow storefront for a different kind of sports bar experience. One that’s uniquely suited for the Bull City! Big screen TVs? All the local games? Affordable beers by the can? EO’s Athletic Club has all that and a lot more. Read on for the details!
EO’s Athletic Club, Durham – Location, Interior
Stepping into EO’s Athletic Club is a bit of a throw-back experience! The space is beautiful and the details and hints of a classic 1970s living room hits the mark. Lots of dark hardwoods and knotted pine paneling on the walls. Sports pennants hanging overhead with trophies and sports equipment scattered throughout the space. Scoreboard with their logo and some TVs, very cool. Love the retro green (not avocado, unfortunately), purple and silver metal speckled high-top chairs and booths. There’s even an old-school TV room in the corner, a super fun and cute touch. The space is all about sports but in an old-school way. Maybe it’s been themed after Stranger Things? All I know is that it’s fun and I love it!
EO’s Athletic Club, Durham – Menu, Food
If you’re up for some snacks and beer, currently EO’s Athletic Club is bar-order for both food and drink. Drop your order in with a bartender, grab a number and find yo seat! It’s all first come and first serve at EOs. The menu is smallish, maybe 30 items or so and everything under $20. Choose from apps, wings, sandwiches, pizza, potatoes, salads along with a couple of desserts. Drinks are super affordable at $4 (beer) to $11 (cocktails) so pick your poison! Everything I’ve tried has been REALLY good.
The wings offer 5 different flavors (Buffalo, Sour Cream & Onion, E.O.’s Spiced, Hot Honey Mustard, Cajun Lemon Pepper, Honey Bourbon BBQ) but they are perfectly fried and delicious! Served up with 6 wings per order, I can’t wait to work through them all. What might be even better are their bar pizzas! 10 inches across and full of deliciousness, they are cut as squares in proper bar style. The crust is snappy and crisp, I love how the cheese goes to the edges making for a salty veil of umami around the pie. And the cheesy bread appetizer is basically a pizza sans sauce (alla vodka on the side), I loved this garlic-laden round!
EO’s Athletic Club, Durham – Service, Conclusion
Service at the bar and at the tables has been really good for both my visits. The staff is well-trained, personable, and prompt for sure. The crowd at EO’s Athletic Club is super Durhamy and LGBTQ friendly, everyone is welcome here as defined in their name. Overall I think it’s a fantastic addition to Main Street in Durham and you can tell a lot of thought and effort was put into its design and the space, kudos here! They’re still pretty new and working though things so please be patient.
So what’s there to say other than that EO’s Athletic Club does things differently for a sports bars in a great way! Delicious bar eats, great prices and professional service in a kitschy throwback environment. Maybe it’s because EO’s is woman-owned but it offers a very cool take on a classic sports bar. And let’s face, who doesn’t like some 70s in their life? As an older Gen X, there’s something awfully comforting about EOs Athletic Club and hope you find it feels the same way for you!
E.O.’s Athletic Club
341 W Main St, Durham, NC 27701
919.384.7663
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