by Lauren Kruchten | Nov 30, 2021 | December 2021/January 2022, Eat
A new board game bar and lounge is opening in Downtown Raleigh.
How’s this for a trivial pursuit? A new board game bar and lounge has opened in Downtown and it’s brewing up friendly competition, eats and drinks. Essentially, take the Warehouse District’s uberpopular barcade Boxcar Bar + Arcade, replace the arcade-style games with hundreds of board and card games, throw in a craveworthy (and drunchie-approved menu) and you’ve more or less got Side Quest Game Lounge + Bar.
The geek-themed environment will “put your parents’ basement to shame,” what with an ever-expanding game collection including classics like Settlers of Catan, Trivial Pursuit and Cards Against Humanity (“Santa now gives the bad children… Nickelback” FTW), as well as some other under-the-radar games worth a little friendly competition. You can even bring in your own games with the purchase of a Play Pass (available in daily, monthly or yearly incriminations) and/or participate in a tourney.
And in the game of Life… there’s always time for some food and drink. Between W’s, grab a cocktail, beer, glass of wine or a shot (maybe to help take the edge off any losses)—and when hunger strikes, make it an appy hour with the likes of cheese bread, hummus or nachos, to name a few, or really fuel up for the competition with sandwiches, flatbreads, salads and desserts. sidequestgameloungeandbar.wordpress.com
by Lauren Kruchten | Oct 31, 2021 | Eat, November 2021
Glenwood South’s Southern Charred gets a classy revamp and a new name.
Take everything you knew about Southern Charred (BBQ, axe throwing, etc.) and swap it with scenes reminiscent of a boujee NYC hotel bar. Owner Matt Kenner and Bunch of Fives Hospitality Co. (the hospitality group behind the Glenwood South bar and restaurant, along with Milk Bar, MOFU Shoppe and Dogwood Bar & Eatery), recently completed a total revamp of the space and reopened it as Glenwood Social Club in October.
“We wanted to completely 360 from Southern Charred,” says Bunch of Fives Hospitality Co.’s Director of Marketing Madison Donnan.
The now-uber-upscale space delivers finesse with dark green walls, neon signage, leather couches and plush pink seating, marble tables, old-timey antiques, and tons of greenery. In fact, the new digs are almost unrecognizable from what they used to be. “We molded [Glenwood Social Club] to be more classy and hope it maintains that way,” says Donnan.
To wit, instead of BBQ, the menu at Glenwood Social Club—developed by the same chef from Southern Charred, Phil Gibbins—focuses on charcuterie and small plates (think Mexican corn dip, wings, Brussels sprouts and tuna ceviche), as well as pizza utilizing the built-in stone oven that Southern Charred had no use for. And, to wash it all down, handcrafted cocktails and local beers round out the menu.
So the next time you’re eager to go out and socialize over delish eats and drinks on Glenwood, you know exactly where to go. southern-charred.goto-restaurants.com
