The Crunkleton

Went there to knock off a couple of stiff drinks on a Tuesday afternoon w a work colleague. Superb choice. Cocktails were perfectly mixed, good booze, excellent service. As I said to my buddy: "good thing there is not a bar like this near my university (workplace)."

It is such a shame that I am having to write this review, but it needs to be known that this establishment is very unwelcoming to people of color. I am not one to write negative reviews, or to claim that prejudices have been dealt against me, but the experience I had today at the Crunkleton simply cannot be left untold, and was unequivocally shameful. My group of 6 friends, all graduating UNC dental students and all Black, Brown, and Asian, visited tonight, and the host turned us away at the door, stating that the building was at capacity and we could not enter until others left. That made sense, so we exited without questioning and waited outside. However, immediately as we were exiting, a similarly-sized group of all white folks approached the entrance, and were allowed to enter. No other people had left from the building between our two groups. Now, I will leave that up to you to decide what the difference was between our two groups, but to me it is clear what that difference is, and it is so shameful that an establishment in Chapel Hill or anywhere would act in this way. This is not the only instance of such unwelcoming behavior either. I have other Asian friends who, on another occasion, have been repeatedly ignored and refused service at the bar (they luckily were at least let in) while other white counterparts were served around them. Suffice to say, I hope anyone reading this review thinks twice about the bar they choose to be a patron of, and stay away from the Crunkleton-- an establishment that is unwelcoming at the least, and racist at the most.

I like the decor and the cozy feel of this bar. Also, I noticed fewer college students here-which is a nice change of scenery after our bar crawl. The bartender we had was standoffish so that was unfortunate. I had the elderflower sour, which almost tasted like a Moscow Mule. For my second drink, I asked for a bourbon smash and our bartender was not pleased that I went off the menu. But he made a decent one despite being his first time making it. The cocktails weren't bad and the prices were comparable to other nice cocktail bars I've been to but the staff made it less of a welcoming atmosphere.

The Crunkleton is a good bar.I'm not sure whether to rate my experience three stars (OK) or four (good).The reason why I would rate my experience three stars is because the bar was too loud and crowded. I know bars are loud, but the music here was exceptionally loud. It was one of those situations where you had to talk really really loud just to talk to the people next to you. It's like we're screaming into each other's faces. Not ideal for me.As far as crowding, the bar was a few people deep almost all the way around. They stopped letting people in shortly after we arrived on a Saturday night around 10pm. I saw the hostess stop a group of what looked like undergrads from entering. I heard her say to them, "One out, one in." One of the guys replied to her, "One out, four in." Kudos to her for standing her ground. I imagine that's when the job's not fun.We sat in the chairs and sofa by the entrance, with a line of people out the door, waiting to get in. Not gonna lie - it felt a little uncomfortable and awkward for me with so many folks waiting and (sometimes) watching us, but I'm sure others didn't care. We left after 11pm. On the way out, we passed a line of people waiting to get in. The Crunkleton was at and stayed at max capacity.My wife and the friends we came with have been here multiple times. This was my first time and I have no desire to come back if it's always as packed and loud as I described above.However, I do think this is a very cool bar in terms of the aesthetic, overall vision/design, and service, hence why I think this is a four-star bar. This would be a place I'd love to come to if it wasn't so crowded and loud. I like the low-key storefront and its large foldable windows with bench seating that open up onto Franklin Street. The interior looks classy and sophisticated with old portraits, hunting trophies, and a dark wood/leather sort of feel. The staff are uniformed in dress shirts, aprons, and bowties.I heard and read that this was, is, or has a members-only component to it. It definitely wasn't members-only the night of our visit nor the nights of my wife's and friends' visits. I did see on The Crunkleton's website that the Charlotte location is a "private club, open to members and their guests. Memberships are $10 annually and can be purchased at the door or online."The Charlotte location opened in December 2018: https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-crunkleton-charlotte. It has a restaurant. This original location in Chapel Hill opened in 2008. It's a bar only. No restaurant. A third location is opening soon in Raleigh's Smoky Hollow mixed-use development. It will be a restaurant and bar like the Charlotte location.The crowd here was interesting. It was a mix of young and old. College students and folks in their 50s and 60s. And then there was us, right in the middle (30s and 40s). One of the first guys I spoke to here was wearing an old-school WWF Intercontinental Championship belt over his shoulder. Certainly a conversation-starter.The cocktail menu I was given by the host had 16 cocktails priced at $14-17 each plus six barrel-aged cocktails priced at $18 each. For each drink, the menu identified the bartender/mixologist who created it. I thought that was a nice touch. I counted six drinks by The Crunkleton's founder-owner, Gary Crunkleton.Here's what we had:* The French 75 popularized by Chris Hannah ($16) - cognac, London Dry Gin, curacao, lemon, champagne* Elderflower Sour by Gary Crunkleton ($14) - London Dry Gin, St-Germain, ginger, lime, cucumber* Gin Gin Mule by Audrey Saunders ($15) - gin, ginger, lime, mint, sugarWe got a couple of the Gin Gin Mules. Everything tasted great. The drinks were strong and delicious. I'm not a cocktail connoisseur, so I can't appreciate the finer details. What I do know is these drinks tasted well-made and high-quality. I've had bad and/or weak cocktails and these were not that. These were very good.The two Crunkleton employees I interacted at were pleasant/nice. Good service.If you like bars and have never been to The Crunkleton in Chapel Hill, it's worth checking out. It's established itself as quintessential to Chapel Hill's nightlife.We parked for free across the street, next to 411 West Italian Cafe, in the 415 West Franklin Street Lot. There are several places to park for The Crunkleton including on the street, in the aforementioned lot, and in other nearby lots. Street parking and the lot we parked in cost money Monday-Saturday, 8am-6pm, except town holidays. Enforced by the Town of Chapel Hill.

Stopped in for a quick drink and to catch up with some friends in the area. It was cozy and sexy with a casual flare. Clean bathroom, clean place, interesting music. A back in the day speak easy kinda place. A definite recommend.

Lovely little spot in North Carolina. Visited with my brother and we had a nice time.

If you're after rare bourbons and true craft drinks, this place is it. It's classy, comfortable and has some of the best mixologists in the area. Friendly and capable. Good spot for people watching. One of my favorite places around.

They're really great people here and they're very knowledgeable mixologist but still sit and chat for a while. If things settle down with the crowd I come here every time I'm in Chapel Hill I would never miss a trip to the Crunkleton.

Great spot to grab a drink and meet some new people! Collin the bartender there is amazing. Definitely a spot to stop by if you are in town, their selections are boundless!

I've been by when this bar was roaring--and I'd give it a pass. This is not what I want for a raver where you and your friends have to shout at each other and your elbow is being banged and you have to fight for attention--there are plenty of places for that on Franklin. I don't need 43 choices of fine bourbon if I am slamming it down and have to yell to be heard. BUT, BUT, BUT...on a quietish night where you have space at the bar, and the bartender mixes you an old fashioned that goes down as smooth as silk and you can take the time to sip it and quietly chat to the people you came in with, with people murmuring to each other in the twilight...this bar is magic and worth seeking out.