Pour Taproom - Durham

Pour Taproom is a chain of bars which has a great concept - you pour your own beer and drink as much or as little as you want. You don't have to commit to a whole glass. This is a great way to sample multiple beers without drinking too much.My wife and I are familiar with this chain from its multiple locations in Atlanta (Pour is headquartered in Atlanta) and the self-serve beer concept in general from similar businesses like Pinhouse in Charlotte. They all use individually-assigned electronic wristbands to keep track of consumption. We're fans. At the time of writing this review, there are two Pour locations in North Carolina: Durham and Wilmington.This location opened in June 2017 on the ground level of Unscripted, a hotel that faces Durham's Main Square in the heart of downtown. This is a great location because there are many excellent restaurants, bars, and other places to go to within short walking distance. For example, I recommend The Parlour across the square for outstanding ice cream.I don't think this place has dedicated or validated parking. However, there's plenty of street, surface lot, and deck parking nearby. Metered parking is enforced Monday-Friday, 8am-7pm. At the time of writing this review, parking rates are $2.50/hour for street and $2.25/hour for lot/deck. We parked for free in Lot 32 at 111 W Chapel Hill St (free because it was a Saturday).We had a good time during our Saturday night visit. We were expecting this place to be busier than it was, especially since it was nice out. Pour has a sizable and enjoyable outdoor patio at this location. They did a really nice job with that. Lawn games included cornhole and big Connect Four. The inside was pleasant as well. The staff was really friendly, they had sports playing on the big screens, and the vibe was comfortable. I liked it because it wasn't crowded or loud. So, if you prefer more of a relaxed and relatively-quiet bar atmosphere, this is the place to be.There were many dozens of beers on tap plus a very limited selection of wine and cocktails. A lot of the beer was local/regional, which is what I think mainly sets the different Pour locations apart (menu). Drinks are individually priced. I enjoyed the Haw River Farmhouse Ales For Restful Death foeder-aged lager ($0.85/oz) and Fullsteam Brewery's Paycheck pilsner ($0.55/oz), both local. My wife's favorite beer was the Lindemans Framboise Raspberry Lambic Beer. She didn't like the cocktails (cosmopolitan, margarita) nor the wines that she got. Our friend tried the old fashioned and described it as "interesting" and about what you'd expect from old fashioned on tap.The self-rinsing mechanisms don't seem very sanitary, but more power to you if you use them.Pour in Durham partnered with local restaurant Lula and Sadie's for food. A group near us ordered a Tasting Board ($7.00) and it looked good.This place gets four stars out of me mainly because of the flexible ordering format, the atmosphere, and the friendly staff.

Hoping it was just an off day for this place but it was my first time going and it was so disappointing. Most of the taps seemed to be out of order and the employee didn't seem to care much, so we left. Another couple was in there with us, had a drink and left, too. I'll return another day in the hopes I can try more than one beer...

We came here to waste some time before our table was ready at a nearby restaurant. There were a lot of people outside and nobody inside. The girl explained how to badge your bracelet to begin pouring from tap. I tried a couple of drinks before we ended up going to the restaurant. We sat outside and it was pretty chill with everybody drinking and hanging out. Everything was good and I would recommend it.

Great place to stop by for an after-work pint, extensive selection of local and international drafts on tab in a unique self-pour concept.

Cool concept but as a consumer you need to be conscious of your bill. You can easily spend a lot. Tons of choices from cider to beer to sparkling wines. We stood at the counter for quite some time before we called it and said, "let's leave". That is when the employee came over and took care of us. If you are in this part of town it is a great place to hang out with your friends for some drinks.

This was a really cool place to chill out while we waited for the bulls game. They have a bunch of different brews that you can try, and it's pay by volume so you can try all of them if you want.

It is a beautiful day!Just got married Came here due to it being near the court house. It has outdoor seating which is a big plus. It looks really cool from the outside!The concept is fantastic. You are charged by the ounce. You are giving a bracelet which you use to turn on the taps. There are several options from light to darks. There is also wine.The have some board games as well. It is a great vibe. I would come back for sure!

Cool self-service beer spot. You come in and give them your card and they give program it to be associated with a bracelet. You scan the bracelet against the dispenser and it automatically bills you. Cool atmosphere. They had live jazz when I went on a Thursday night. They have cider, sour, Belgian, light, ipa, dark and wine.

Pour Taproom has a great selection of beers that you can try. You must obtain a bracelet which you tap on the beers on the wall and it keeps your tab that way.They also have a variety of food. They have tables outside where you can sit with your pets and enjoy the downtown view.Great place to try beers, hang out, and spend your day/night.

Atmosphere: Pour is a spacious taproom that has great options for indoor or outdoor seating. There are also games to play and TVs to watch while spending time with friends. Service: Though there is not a lot of interaction with the staff, they have always been friendly and make light conversation when it's not too busy. It never takes a long time to get your wristband from the register, and everything is self-serve! Food: We love the variety of drinks at Pour! They have a rich selection from fruity ciders to hazy IPAs, which means there's something for everyone to enjoy or discover. Pour especially appealed to us because they charge by ounce, allowing for us to try many of the beers without the pressure of buying an entire glass. Overall: Pour has the perfect welcoming and fun environment to enjoy on a night in Downtown Durham. The wide selection of drinks at a very reasonable price allows you to discover some new beers, ciders, and even wines. The wristband system is easy to follow, and our time has always flown by with great company, fun complementary games, and great booze!