CALLING ALL TRIANGLE ALUMNI - '16 Viewing Parties

[AppDawg]

I was able to obtain some information and plot a heat map by zipcode, but am having trouble posting the picture here. Continuing to look, however Buffalo Brothers is definitely central to the majority of Alumni in the area. For what it is worth, the old Blinco's was just about dead center of the distribution. There is a clear band that runs between Wake Forest and Cary just north of the beltline, slightly skewed to North Raleigh inside of 540.

[EastHallApp]

Another possibility near the old Blinco's would be Lynnwood Grill & Brewing Concern. Have only been once, but in addition to the downstairs bar they have rooftop seating as well: http://www.lynnwoodgrill.com/about/

One plug I will mention is that both Lynnwood and Edwards Mill Bar & Grill have better beer selections than either Rudino's or Buffalo Bros. if you like craft brews. I know not everyone drinks and among those who do, not everyone is a beer snob like me. Just something to consider.

On the flipside, Rudino's and Buffalo Bros. have more open seating with more giant TVs. Basically I'd say those are true sports bars (like Blinco's), whereas the former two are restaurant/bars that attract sports viewers on game days.

[AppOrange]

Buffalo Bros. could be appealing for all the reasons AppOrange mentioned. Only bad thing to me is that it would be hard to make myself spend much $ there when there's better food (Guasaca) and drink (Bottle Revolution) to be had just a couple doors down.

Sounds like a postgame plan, live music, beer and Guasaca. Also, if your looking for something a little nicer, The Oak is 40 steps away and you can get a nice meal . . . OR you can walk another 30 steps and hit Vics for some good Italian (and they have AMB Boone Creek Blonde on TAP!).

[AppDawg]

Well, Buffalo Brothers is a no go. Just got off the phone with them and they said that it's unfortunate but they would not be able to accommodate us. They only have Roku access for the TVs at the bar and no sound is available. Said it would be hard for them to guarantee us spots each Thursday night and or Saturday with that set up.

[MtnMan09]

Another possibility near the old Blinco's would be Lynnwood Grill & Brewing Concern. Have only been once, but in addition to the downstairs bar they have rooftop seating as well: http://www.lynnwoodgrill.com/about/

One plug I will mention is that both Lynnwood and Edwards Mill Bar & Grill have better beer selections than either Rudino's or Buffalo Bros. if you like craft brews. I know not everyone drinks and among those who do, not everyone is a beer snob like me. Just something to consider.

On the flipside, Rudino's and Buffalo Bros. have more open seating with more giant TVs. Basically I'd say those are true sports bars (like Blinco's), whereas the former two are restaurant/bars that attract sports viewers on game days.

Lynwood is just down the street from my house and is an excellent spot. Not a traditional sports bar great set up and good beer. There is also Neuse River over in 5 points, but their TVs are kind of small. Downtown Raleigh really needs a few more sports bars come to think of it.

[97grad]

LBC is fairly close to me also, and is pretty central. I think it could be a good spot. No clue whether they can do streaming though since as you say, it's not a typical sports bar.

[AppDawg]

I have a call into LBC.

[jm18668]

Have you gotten in contact with the Triangle Alumni Rep Caitlin Singleton? Just want to make sure you're not duplicating effort.


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[AppDawg]

Have you gotten in contact with the Triangle Alumni Rep Caitlin Singleton? Just want to make sure you're not duplicating effort.


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Yes. I am on the board and have been working with Caitlin.

[AppOrange]

If I can help with anything, please let me know

[AppDawg]

If I can help with anything, please let me know

Thanks, Orange.

As an update, I am still trying to get in touch with LBC. I left multiple messages this week for the manager/general manager and have not received a call back.

[AppDawg]

Update:

Just talked with the General Manager at Lynwood. This appears to be a strikeout as well. They will not take reservations and ESPN3 would only be available when it doesn't conflict with an NC State game. We could reserve the party room, but we would have to guaranty $1,000 of purchases for each Gameday and I don't think we can do that at this time given the unknown headcount.

I did talk with Sammy. The owner of Sammy's. They can accommodate us for all games & have ESPN3 capability on all TVs. No fees or minimum purchases. Still looking at other locales, but I do know from personal experience, via my parents, that Sammy's does a good job working with Alumni Associations. My parents frequented Sammy's along with the UGA alumni association for many years and always had great things to say.

more to come.

[jm18668]

AppDawg
Another option that many might not have considered is Tobacco Road. They closed their location on Glenwood Ave and are in the process of moving to the Powerhouse Square building that housed Natty Greene's. They have been scheduled to try to open sometime this month. I'm not sure what the configuration of the new place will be, but it should have plenty of seating.

I served on Alumni Council a few years ago and would be happy to assist any way I can. I'll send you a private message.

[AppDawg]

A couple more places that have been mentioned and are being looked into - The pickled onion on Strickland and Chow Pizza bar on Creedmoor. I have not been to either of these locations however they are fairly central to our triangle base.

Common issues that we are running into is many places do not carry ESPN3 or if they require guaranteed minimum purchases.

[MtnMan09]

I think Sammys is a good option all things considering. Cheap beer, decent food and great owners. Given their proximity to State I am a little surprised that the olive branch was extended to us. Good news for us though, a true sports bar.

[AppDawg]

Thank you to everyone for the input and recommendations. There were a lot of good suggestions. After calling numerous establishments it was determined that Sammy's ability to guaranty ESPN3 made them the best choice for our viewing parties this season.

We have confirmed that the back room has been set aside for the Tennessee and ODU games. It is my understanding both games will be on an 80" LCD tv. Sammy claims it is the best TV in the house.

An official e-mail will be coming out from the Alumni Association in the next week or two. In the meantime, please spread the word. Let's pack the place on September 1st and show them what the Mountaineers are all about!

Here is a link to Sammy's (and yes, I am going to see if we can get a Block A on the site)
http://sammysncsu.com

Thanks again and I am looking forward to meeting each of you.

[JonW]

Sounds awesome! Should be there for the Tennessee game! Is there a seating capacity for the room set aside for App?

[AppDawg]

Sounds awesome! Should be there for the Tennessee game! Is there a seating capacity for the room set aside for App?

The backroom seats 45. However, there is a patio just outside that he said we can use for overflow if need be.