The Northern Spy

Great place for cider and just to hang with friends and enjoy. They do have a great selection of both beer and cider. I found one beer from Oregon that I have been looking for for over a year and this place has it. I do wish they had more food choices. When you go park in the parking garage it will be a lot easier to get out when you leave.

Today was their grand opening(4-8pm). The Facebook page touted free pulled pork sandwiches and cider floats so being broke as hell I hopped into my car and drove 30 minutes to check it out. I got here less than 2 hours after the event started and they we're already out of sandwiches. I do admit the float was nice, but they ran out before 630pm. I was starving and here and I'd already waited in like 20 minutes to hear about the no sandwich so I asked about the burger...it's a steak and shake style Patty burger for $13. So I got the fried baloney sandwich.... For $14. Idk who didn't tell these people but baloney is a trash meat whose quality rivals spam. Well I figure I'll at least get a nice thick piece of meat for that crazy money. Wrong. I am pretty sure that these people bought the baloney value pack from Food Lion. Not only was it super thin, the one piece I did get was the texture of shoe leather. Maybe that's how people in NC do it? Regardless it was shameful. I will say the"highlight"? of this experience was the Jackson polluck cocktail. They have it on tap and still some how have the balls to charge $11 for it. It was very tasty, but I'm not even tipsy. For that much I should be having a nice time. I will not be coming here again.

This is a great new spot and I'm looking forward to seeing how things go this summer. We went on a balmy spring day, the kind of day where a cold cider or beer is real refreshing. Was disappointed they didn't offer flights for the cider - I wanted to try them all! But that was the only negative I found, the service and food were excellent, as was their selection of bottles. If I had one suggestion it would be to add some heartier sharable foods, popcorn just isn't that appealing to me :)

Northern spy has a limited food menu and an extensive canned and bottled beer selection. With a beer forward town like Durham, they have created a new niche in the way of beer selected from a cooler which takes away the pressure of ordering quickly to a bar tender. Burger was pretty good with fresh lettuce and a tasty aioli!

The Spy is the perfect haunt for beer (and cider) drinkers in the medical center. It has craft draft beers and a great can and bottle selection that can be consumed on premises as well. The Northern Spy is also staffed with great bartenders who know the regulars. The beers and ciders range from easily accessible to avant-garde to downright bizarre; it has something for the faint of heart and the adventurous alike. It's a great place to unwind after a long day at work.