Sawmill Tap Room

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7701 Lead Mine Rd
Raleigh, NC 27615

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(919) 845-7889
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Reviews
( 13 )
( 8 )
( 2 )
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( 5 )

Best

I've been going to Sawmill Tap Room for several years and it's the best Bar in town! All the managers are awesome. The entire staff is warm, personable, and will always assist yo...

Worst

The food is OK, but would stick to the bar food! The bartenders' all have an attitude and need to take a class in customer service. If you like to smoke this place is for you. The...

Editorial review from Citysearch 9/16/2013

not go back.the two managers chase some of the customers into the parking lot,they call them cheap stingy people not tip.start to yell and scream at them. the customers tell them they call an attorney for legal action.and can call the authorities for legal action.the owner and the manager.sat on the porch. the white female blond her waitress.she only nice to male customers.and she treated me and other female customers the same way.Interrupt,talk back rude,and try to start fights with them. Walk away from female customers.The female customers have to ask them come back and finish their job. female waitress said not want to write down the order.it is not a job requirement. she did anyway. she not volunteer to wait on female customers,give menu,bring food,glasses,silverware,drink, and bill. longer wait on female customer,the more angry she got at them. asked the waitress to stay while signed for the check.she walked away. threw the bill at me and other female customers.saw her get angry and yell not tip.after i left the table. the female waitress inside the restaurant. are rude to female tables.the same rudeness to me and other female tables,also male waiters are also rude.the waiters and waitresses walk away in the middle of meal not come back,said not want to write down order(did write it down),bring wrong order to table and not volunteer to correct it,not volunteer to bring food,bill,drink,silverware,and glasses.not want to come back to table to see if more requests needed by the customers. the female waitresses try to stick their finger in the food of the customers.saw a customer complain about to the manager.the waitress said she did not do it.and the customer demanded a refund for the drink for the problem.the management believed the customer.some of the waiters walk away from the customers to watch tv.and not want to come back and finish the job.the management sees it.and will not do anything about it. the customers alot of them seem to get angry and yell at the same waiter.the hostesses not volunteer to wait on and give menus to the female customers. when paying for the meal.the hostesses walk away from females .in the middle of waiting on female customers paying for the mea.. more

Still the best place for a burger 2/11/2012

The Sawmill has been a favorite place of mine for years. I crave the burgers. It is only one of few restaurants in Raleigh where a burger is grilled medium rare. Admittedly, the owner has implemented costing cutting measures, but most locally owned and operated restaurants that I frequent have done the same. BTW, if someone suggests a burger from Char-Grill, you'll be extremely disappointed in having a burger that is now overcooked and tasteless. Years ago, the burgers were juicy, grilled to perfection and worth the wait. more

Poor excuse for a neighborhood bar 1/21/2012

Overpriced drinks, cranky bartenders and a waiting staff that forgets you. The Sawmill Tap Room exceed my expectation in being the worst bar in Raleigh. I even saw them serving two ""kids"" that were clearly under age...didn't even check IDs. Go elsewhere... more

Managers DO care! 10/3/2011

I've been going to Sawmill Tap Room for several years and it's the best Bar in town! All the managers are awesome. The entire staff is warm, personable, and will always assist you with what ever requests or needs you have. The food is amazing and the atmosphere is so inviting. I met the woman that changed my life forever at Sawmill, my wife. All the managers and some staff attended our wedding, that's how special the Sawmill crew is. So if you want to avoid riff raff, go have a draft! Sawmill Tap Room Rocks!!! more

Managers don't Care 9/4/2011

We went to the Sawmill Tap Room for the NCSU v. Liberty game. The game was televised on Time Warner's extended sports package, which we don't subscribe to. A couple of our friends ended up at the Sawmill Tap room, however our friends said the game wasn't on there. So we called up the bar and asked them if they had the game on. They claimed that not only did they have it on, but they were currently watching it! So we just assumed that our friends were crazy... I mean, what bar in Raleigh WOULDN'T have the first NCSU game of the season! So we went to the bar. No Game. We brought it up to the manager, she simply didn't care and was too occupied with chatting up the ECU fans sitting at the bar to even offer us some sort of compensation or even a heartfelt apology. She did, however insist that she would correct the situation with the person answering the phones. Feeling jaded and brushed off, we decided to test her. I had my brother call up to the bar and ask if the game was playing. Again the hostess said yes and insisted that she was watching the game. Times are tough, but it's certainly not worth losing customers for life (me and my 4 friends) just to get them in the door one time. We will never return. There are plenty of sports bars in the North Raleigh area and even more downtown. If you're new to the area, check out the Downtown Sports Bar for a plethora of games on a whole wall of TV's. You may also want to check out The Hibernian if you're looking for a more laid back environment (their food is fantastic too!). If you're in North Raleigh check out the Carolina Ale House or even one of the other tap rooms (they are not all affiliated with eachother anymore). Just don't make the mistake of heading here, especially if you're a sports nut. more

Promised the Game was on - it wasn't 9/3/2011

I'm extremely disappointed with the Tap Room and its manager. We called ahead to see the NCSU game (6pm vs Liberty) and the hostess said it was on. Upon arrival, we find out it's not. Our friends, while on their way to the bar, called with the same question and the hostess responded by saying ""I'm watching it right now."" When we talked with the manager, she apologized for that mistake but said she ""wished she could"" comp us a round of drinks and that she would tell the hostess to not say that anymore. Our friends' brother called 20 minutes later only to be told that the NCSU game was on and that she was watching it. We again talked with the manager before we left, and again she apologized for the mistake but gave us some attitude. She was too busy having fun talking with the ECU fans at the bar. more

Best service at a Bar in years 9/19/2010

Best service at a Bar in years, Food is awesome too. Waitress ask want another bear. i look at my three sips and say, ""Na, I'll wait for a cold one."" I know she'll be right back. I'm so Impressed my Twin visited from Chicago and I fought for this place to be the meet up for our friends. I made a good choice and everyone was very satisfied. : ) more

Not as good as it used to be.... 9/7/2009

I've eaten at Sawmill Tavern dozens of times over the years. Recommended it to others - a true family favorite \r \r However, the quality has become more and more inconsistent - smaller burgers - fewer fries - stale buns heck they are even cutting back on the onions, lettuce, and tomato (as the food gets more and more expensive)...\r \r It doesn't make sense to increase prices and decrease the amount of food. New customers may not notice and not care - but us ""old timers"" remember the huge juicy burgers - you had to cut them in half just to get a bite of it !\r \r Quite honestly, we won't be back for awhile if ever. \r \r Its a shame because they used to have the ""best burgers in town.""\r \r Pros: Convenient North Raleigh Location - Cons: Why is the non smoking dining room always so smoky? more

not a good time 4/18/2009

I walked up to get waited on. The white young male waiter asked me if I wanted anything. I told him what do you think. The white young ,long hair blond hostess almost started laughing. I told him I do not want him as a waiter. He said it was ok. My waiter ,a white young male,high school student was rude. He was sarcastic. He told me not want to write down the order. I told him I am paying for the meal. AFter I told him what I wanted on my hamburger. He asked me if I wanted something else. I not answer the question. HE gave me my bill and ran away. And not come back. He wore an earing in one of his ears. Pros: parking Cons: employees more

Great burgers and fried pickles 6/21/2008

The food is great most of the time. If the owner is cooking. The bar can be real loud and the regulars at the bar are annoying. Nasty old men chomping on cigars and drinking heavily. The staff is usually pretty good, though. Billy the bartender is thorough. If you bring your family DON'T sit in the bar area. They have a fireplace in the winter and it is nice. Pros: Great hamburgers Cons: The regulars more

Great Local Place to Eat! 6/3/2008

I honestly love this restaurant. We have always had good service. They have a wonderful patio dining area. Great beer selection on tap. Burgers are cooked to order, and very good sized!\r If you are looking for a good relaxing place to eat on a Sunday afternoon, try the Sawmill Tap Room! more

absolutely HORRIBLE service 5/31/2008

this was the worst experience of my life, i usually love the regular bar/grill dinner but the service was absolutely terrible. We were left at our table for 30 minutes before we were even seen. Then the waitress comes up and utterly RUDE. Then they got our meals wrong and we sent them back and waited 30 minutes only to receive cold food. We asked to speak with the manager and it took 30 minutes before he came out. His name was Gary and he was more rude than our waitress was. He laughed whEn we told him we had problems with the service along with the food. It was absolutely ridiculous. There is so much more but I think you get the point. DO NOT i repeat DO NOT GO TO SAWMILL TAPROOM !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Pros: the outdoor seating Cons: the manager Gary and some of the wait staff more

Good beers, good people, great burgers... What more do you need? 8/26/2007

Putting my feelings about this place into words is tough. Some people meditate, some people jog, I go to Sawmill. Imperial stouts, unfiltered hefeweizens, IPA's on nitrogen, must I go on? In short, they have a solid beer selection provided by a knowledgable staff. You can get burgers with crabmeat and bearnaise sauce, or avocado and bacon, or just good ol' american cheese, but great burgers, great appetizers, lots of TVs, all of these things pale in comparison to the atmosphere provided by the regulars, the beer selection, and the amazing staff. I would name my first child Sawmill, if my wife would let me. Nothing in Raleigh in this price range and this class comes close. There is no posturing, and no desperation. Just good simple fun.\r \r Oh, and p.s., if you sit at the bar, there just might be people smoking there. Pros: Beer, Parking, Location, Staff Cons: um... more

iF YOU LIKE A SMOKE FILLED ROOM 8/16/2007

The food is OK, but would stick to the bar food! The bartenders' all have an attitude and need to take a class in customer service. If you like to smoke this place is for you. They have a decent beer selection, but who doesn't. Some people say the place is run by Yankees, they are nevr there. It's run by a BUNCH OF KIDS!! Pros: Bar food Cons: Smoke, Unfriendly bartenders more

#1 Neighborhood Bar in all of Raleigh 4/24/2007

The Sawmill Tap Room is by far, the most neighborhood bar in all of Raleigh. Best burgers in town and the wings can stand up to anyone's. Hint, it is run by Northerners, yes Yankee's. All walks of life and ages frequent the bar. The restaurant is great for the family and Sunday for the ""Church"" crowd. Sunday is the Church day for the regulars at the bar. 7 TV's with a different game at the 1PM NFL kick off. The Bar is definately Adults only. Parents keep the kids in the dining room. Can be a little overwhelming at times with smoke, but hopefully NC follows suit and does away with that! The deck is spacious and quite fun. Could use a TV out there though. Staff is great and they will learn your name and drink quite quickly. If you frequent enough you might end up a nickname whether you want one or not. Scottish Dave, Minute by Minute, The Mayor, Fish, and English Eddie to name a few. NC State is supported strongly there along with UNC to a lessor degree. Even have some Syracuse University support from staff and regulars. Big Carolina Hurricanes support as well. Nascar is popular on Sundays too. All in all, my favorite place to go and I highly recommend it. Cheers. Pros: Ambience, Sevice more

If everything else is closed . . . 4/16/2007

. . . .you might as well come here if you really need something to eat. There's nothing remarkable about this restaurant, but it is a local joint. Hang out on the patio on a cool night. Pros: a few cute female servers, fairly inexpensive, but you get what you pay for Cons: unresponsive service - you can pretend that you're the invisible man! more

The BEST Burgers and Pasta Salad!! 3/22/2007

This is the best restaurant I've been to that offers friendly service and GREAT sides along with the... more

The BEST Burgers and Pasta Salad!! 3/22/2007

jenzyjen Provided by Partner
This is the best restaurant I've been to that offers friendly service and GREAT sides along with the burgers. The burgers are what is known for..bu... more

Best Burger By Far!!! 11/9/2006

One of the things I miss most about living in Raleigh is this place!! Best burger...onion rings to die for and a very friendly staff. Burgers cooked to your liking....that's the way it should me...Man it's lunchtime now and I sure wish I was about 4 hours closer! more

Best Customer Service in town and best neighborhood sports bar and grill 7/27/2006

The Sawmill Tap Room is the ""Cheers"" bar of North Raleigh. There's a Sammy, a Norm, a Cliffy, a Diane and who's the surly one? Oh, yea, Carla. It's true, all those characters are right there. The food is the BEST for American grill favorites. May I recommend the Blackened Chicken Quesadilla (Out da dis world), or the BLT served on grilled Texas toast? Darn, I wish they had the hot dogs there...well, they do have the bratz. Now, Matt is my favorite there, and man, he knows just when you need a cold beer, and has it set up in my signature leopard koosie (beer huggie). During football season, he bobs and weaves through the Sawmill stadium and never misses a beat! It is amazing fer sure. If you want to meet new, great friends and hang out with old friends too, head for the Sawmill Taproom. I'll have another! The Social Light Pros: Thumbs up on service, friendliness, food and clientele Cons: It gets pretty smokey in the bar area and the bar is not for children more
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Menu for Sawmill Tap Room


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Editorial
  • In Short
    Known for its burgers and beloved for its bar, this hangout has a large dining area, a cozy bar and a fantastic deck. There's an energetic vibe here that can only be found when...

  • 7/31/2006 Provided by Citysearch
Additional information
  • Hours: Sun-Tue 11am - Midnight Wed-Sat 11am - 2am
  • Payments: Visa, Discover, Carte Blanche, American Express, Master Card
  • Neighborhoods: North
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