This Main Street mainstay just celebrated is 15th anniversary. As the story goes, "in March of 2004, after three guys got together and saw a need for a solid neighborhood bar that celebrated Durham." Over a decade and a half later, they're still going strong. Open seven days a week, The Federal offers drool-worthy nachos, Buffalo chicken sandwiches and burgers – plus a late-night menu.
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Hours:
Monday: 11:30 AM – 12:00 AM Tuesday: 11:30 AM – 12:00 AM Wednesday: 11:30 AM – 12:00 AM Thursday: 11:30 AM – 12:00 AM Friday: 11:30 AM – 2:00 AM Saturday: 10:00 AM – 2:00 AM Sunday: 10:00 AM – 12:00 AM
I love the steak salad and the fries at the Fed. I took a friend here recently who had never been and she has a host of food allergies. The waitress, whose name escapes me, was incredible, and made sure that we were able to enjoy our meal and not worry about troublesome ingredients. Her attention to detail was very impressive.
Brian Chmura
Sep 14, 2024
5
We grub hub from the Fed a bunch but the Fed is best on premises. My son texted and asked if we could get fish n chips. It was a Tuesday at 5:30 and no crowd. Service was great as usual and we had the local figs with an Italian farm cheese as an app. Always cool stuff on available at the restaurant. It stays in our rotation.
Christopher Shaw
Jun 5, 2024
5
The wife and I found ourselves in downtown Durham today and discovered this quaint restaurant across from Brightleaf Square. The Fish & Chips were spectacular as well as the Prime Rib sandwich. This is now on our radar for the next time we visit downtown Durham 😎
Natina Harris
Feb 3, 2024
5
A neighborhood corner bar restaurant with amazing food and wonderful staff! My daughter put me on to this place. Ladies and Gentlemen! Without further ado, meet the best Buffalo Chicken Sandwich with special sauces in NC!! Hands down, one of the best in the world!! I can say that, too. LOL 😋😍❤️
Josh Brown
Jan 11, 2024
5
This place is the absolute best. The staff are super engaging and really personable. It's a cool older bar with excellent food that isn't bad food. Even the wings seem like something you'd eat at a ridiculously overpriced swanky restaurant.
Go for the alcohol if you like. Go for the food if that's your draw. But go. The people are the best part.
Natalie Roque
Nov 10, 2023
5
Loved this restaurant! We were leaving a nearby bar, and were so pleased this was open late. Our food was delicious, and the menu was expansive ( quesadillas, burgers with fried eggs, etc) and exquisite! Our server, Connie was incredible! We were visiting for family weekend, as our daughter is attending Duke. Connie told us about all the nearby hotspots, and made our night extra special. She was very patient, king, genuine, caring, expedient, and talented. We were lucky to have found this gem of Durham, with the kindest waitress we have met!
Donna Turner
Nov 4, 2023
5
Enjoyed a late lunch after getting to Durham. Plenty of seats and great bartender/server that was attentive. We started with pimento deviled eggs. They were slightly spicy and full of flavor. The tuna tostadas were large and packed with tuna and slaw. The aoili on top was a perfect pairing. The Federal burger was cooked perfectly to order and was super juicy. The fries were an enormous amount and crispy. Definitely worth a stop when in town.
Richard LaBennett
Oct 15, 2023
4
Nice local watering hole with a solid kitchen and friendly bartenders. The fries and variations of apps are pretty good. The nachos are excellent. I had the lamb burger special which was decent but wouldn’t order it again.
