Duke’s

5/24/2018 Updated review

• 1 check-in

Update on my previous review.... which I must point out that I have never "updated" a review because no place has ever been worth it until now.

The winning ticket is the turkey, havarti dill cheese, lettuce, tomato, and spicy mayo - just leave it cold. Must consume with chips (no oil & vinegar) and a cold draft beer. The local Hi-Fi cookies they sell are all pretty great too. I also may be biased by just loving the name HiFi.

But damn this sandwich is good which makes Duke's a great late night bar to hang in and eat.

1/16/2018

• 3 check-ins

After eating dinner in East Nashville, we were looking for a place to grab a drink or two. We found Duke's on Yelp and decided to give it a try. It's a small bar next to Marche. There is a small parking lot and by some luck there was one spot left when we arrived. It was a Saturday night around 9 so of course it was pretty busy. It's a pretty small bar. But I liked the vibe of the place. Simple in a great kind of way. Super hipster crowd (not saying this in a negative way, just the best way to describe the crowd). I think most of the men had longer hair than I did. At least none were in a bun. The bar menu is nothing fancy but I usually just drink beer so it was perfect. $5 for a draft beer?! Yeah, I'm down with that. And it was good beer. After grabbing our drinks, we went to the back area where the sandwich place is. We again were lucky to find the last 2 seats in the whole place. While we didn't eat, the sandwiches looked great. Nice idea to have food available all night. Liked the music choice. Quiet enough that we could still have a conversation.

I wish this bar was closer to where I lived. I would be coming here a lot more. It's a fun go-to bar with a nice comfy vibe. I'll have to go back to try the sandwiches!

7/13/2018

if you go to east nashville and you do not get a duke's sandwich, that is bad and you should go back and get one. i like the grilled cheese. honorable mentions: tiny bomb on tap and the awesome staff!
i love sandwiches.

3/21/2018

First bar I ever went to when I moved to Nashville. For some stupid reason I moved. Now I all I think about are their sandwiches, shot specials and canned rosé. And a certain bartender. But that's for me to know....

10/11/2017

• 1 check-in

I'm giving them 1 star, not because of the food, but because of the way I felt when I walked into this establishment. The sandwiches that I ordered were good but the vibe was very awkward. This was in July and I haven't been back since.

It was a little late on a weekday, maybe around 12:30 a.m. or 1 a.m. I was hungry and wanted something good that wasn't considered "fast food". As soon as I walked in I went to the bar, not knowing that they didn't take food orders there. The brunette bartender saw me standing there for about 5 minutes but continued to talk to a man and didn't acknowledge me until there was a break in their conversation. Even then I had to get her attention and she wasn't even friendly. -__- I asked her could I make a food order and she said "Oh, you have to go to the back." So at this point I'm hoping that this doesn't set the tone for the rest of my time here. Boy was I wrong.

So I start making my way to the back and all I could think about was how uncomfortable I was feeling. I usually don't feel out of place anywhere but it was the total opposite here. People were staring at me like I had two heads. I was the only person of color in the establishment and even though I'm fine with that, I couldn't help but feel like everyone else in the place wasn't. So I get to the food area and the man that was making the orders didn't greet me with not even half of the enthusiasm as every other person. I was watching very closely and making sure that I was not overreacting about the situation and unsurprisingly, I wasn't. I paid, got my food after about 15 minutes and darted out of there.

Sorry Duke's your sandwiches were good, but not enough for me to return after that extremely uncomfortable experience.

1/7/2018

MIXED. I came here by myself and ordered a seitan sandwich and was up all night sick. Honestly I feel like this was my fault though. The sandwich was so dang good, and those chips were so dang greasy!! I was trying to eat like a normal dinner, when honestly it should have probably been hangover food. It was really, really heavy.

It was also really, really delicious. The reason I think I overdid it is because I got halfway through the giant sandwich and I was like, you know what? This is good. We're good here. Let's wrap the rest up and enjoy it tomorrow.

BUT I KEPT EATING IT OMG.

It was just too good. I literally wrapped it up, drove off, and then unwrapped it in the car. Emotionally, I felt like a horrible human being. And then, yes, physically I felt terrible. I overdid it.

I brought a friend back a week later for drinks, which were delicious. I love the ambiance, the barkeep (Matt?), the sweet hipster dudes making the sandwiches, the little candles on the tables. +100 for offering vegan options at a Boar's Head counter. Next time I'll go easier.

10/27/2017

I LOVE their sandwiches. They take a few minutes (there's only one person running the sandwich station) but they are inexpensive and delicious. The staff has always been friendly and helpful too. As far as the bar goes, it's okay, a little cramped. I've had to wait rather long to get a drink, when the bartenders had a clear look at me. But that's most bars. Overall I like this place.

6/4/2018

Great service, consistently tasty sandwiches, crazy good value. I eat here at least once a week.

1/18/2017

I dig the vibe here. They have a DJ every night that starts at 10PM. This past Saturday, they had a DJ that did a great job of feeling the crowd. The energy is always good. The theme is very much hipster but they are friendly people. The dim lighting adds to the ambiance.

The sandwich station is a plus. They use Boar's Head deli meat. $6 for a regular. $9 for large. We tried the Italian and it was good, if I was more intoxicated it would have probably blown my mind.

Drinks-wise, you can get drunk for cheap or you can opt for a craft cocktail. They are equipped for both.

Happy Hour: Monday thru Friday noon till 8pm.  All draft beers $3, all well drinks $4.

They also have $6 beer and shot, all the time!
1. "Patriot": mug o' Coors banquet w/ shot of Four Roses bourbon
2. "Federale": can o' Tecate w/ shot of Sauza Silver tequila

Bartenders are friendly. Despite them usually having a good crowd, I've never had to wait more than a few minutes to get someone's attention over the bar.

If you're in East Nashville and sick of the sports bar scene, check this place out.

9/17/2017

Because sometimes a deli sandwich from a dive bar is just what you need. Cheap, delicious, and they even had a veggie option though I had to go for the full tramp. Did not disappoint.

7/25/2017

Came here a couple of times for their sandwiches and enjoyed it each time. They told me and then remind me that there is a bar attached but I was so focused on the sandwich that I forgot. This time a friend invited me to Duke's to listen to music until the wee hours.  Listen to music at a sandwich shop until the wee hours?!  Oh, yeah!  The sandwich shop was open late so I was able to eat and have a drink at midnight! How crazy is that? The drinks are relatively inexpensive and the sandwiches are just as good as they are during the day. The sandwich maker and the bartender were nice, friendly, and helpful. It is a tiny place so not great for big groups. I found easy parking in the adjacent lot.

3/11/2018

This bar confuses the hell out of me. Hipsters pretending to like 1950's country music. The sandwiches are dope af tho.  And that patriot deal is big winners type ish. You can get a shot of 4 roses and a mug of Coors banquet for $6. Also this is one of the few places in east Nashville that actually stays open til 3am. Despite the hipster Cowboys,  worth it.

8/18/2017

• 1 check-in

My coworkers and I came here for drinks after eating dinner close-by. We didn't get any mixed drinks, just wine and beer. We went around 11pm on a weeknight, and we were rather shocked that there was a nice amount of people in there, so we stood behind the bar because there were not any seats left. The bartender was ok, wasn't overly friendly, but did get us our drinks in a reasonable amount of time.

7/3/2017

Super hipster place - low key hole in the wall bar. Awesome bar if you're looking to get away from the country music scene :)

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  Interior

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3/8/2016

• 2 check-ins

I really can't figure out why Duke's doesn't have more reviews. It's in a well-trafficked area. It has plenty of libations. It serves awesome sandwiches. I'm confused. Do people not realize it's here? I know it has regulars because it's pretty well packed whenever I venture in. It's interesting. It's a bar model that's relatively unique in these parts; I'd think that more people would have something to say about it. Well, here's to hoping it gets some more eyeballs.

Not regularly would I think to pair Boar's Head sandwiches, a bar program that stands on its own (no fancy cocktails, just good beers, typical spirits and good pours) and a dark, tight bar space but, for some reason, it works well. One of the things I like about the East End part of town are all the pod malls. This system of incorporating a variety of businesses in a small, reclaimed area is a model that more urban areas should employ. It was in at attempt to learn more about this cluster that I first wandered into Duke's. I was greeted by a very friendly bartender who told me I could get a beer... or a sandwich... or both. What? I dug it. It reminded me of places in New Orleans I liked to frequent. At the time I got neither but made plans to fix that in the future.

Fast forward to a busy Friday night and I was in need of some food and a beer and I didn't want to pay an arm or a leg for either. Duke's to the rescue. Knowing that the bar got busy first, I headed over, asked some questions of the nice bartender (different person than last). I was on the hunt for a red ale. She didn't know which beer was what type but she let me try a few and figure out what I wanted. I did so and paid $5 for the pint. $5. Yessir. Beer in hand, i sauntered over to the sandwich station, encountered a nice gentleman making them (the people here are really nice if you haven't picked up on that), asked a few questions and, in a short time later, I had a heavy-handed custom-made sandwich, toasted. With chips.

Duke's is the neighborhood bar you didn't know you were missing. With good food, drinks and energy, this late night spot offers a bit of everything a person needs in a bar experience. And it does it all with a great attitude. If you come here, please don't wreck the vibe.

5/5/2018

hands down one of the best sandwiches i have ever had. super big shout out to the guy busting his butt on thursday night making orders for 20 people. absolutely fantastic!!!

3/23/2017

Full tramp!

But it eat it. Order another one!

All boars head products!

New Yorkers will love it!

8/27/2017

This is the coolest bar in the entire city of Nashville hands down. The staff is as real as it gets, and the music selection eclectic, yet on point every night. You feel the heart and soul of young Nashville manifested in the crowd. The sandwiches (served to 3 am daily) are fantastic just to top it off, and is easily enjoyed whilst drinking and enjoying the vibe with friends. Anyone with taste needs to stop here while in Nashville.

3/6/2017

Their subs are amazing, seriously. The italian sub is so good, I unbuttoned my dress shirt, put on a gold chain and played Bocce ball for the rest of the evening.

4/14/2018

• 1 check-in

I travel a lot and always look up local places to grab a sandwich for lunch. This was the closest to where I was at the time. Walked in and immediately got the feeling I was not welcome. There were four workers and one patron at the bar. No one looked up or welcomed me. I walked around awkwardly as it was unclear what the protocol was and eventually asked someone behind the bar how to get lunch. They pointed to the other room where I went and ordered and sandwich from their small deli area. I asked if I could buy a drink and the deli guy just pointed back to the bar. As he worked in my sandwich, I walked back to the bar and stood there for a few minutes. None of the three workers behind the bar paid any attention so I went back when my sandwich was ready, ate it and left without any further interaction from anyone. Seems there are other reviews with similar stories. Hopefully they will be more welcoming to others in the future, but I will not be stopping back.