ALL ARE WELCOME
LOCATION
105 Oberlin Road
Raleigh, NC 27605
HOURS
Monday-Thursday: 11:30 a.m. – Midnight
Friday: 11:30 a.m. – 1 a.m.
Saturday: 11 a.m. – 1 a.m.
Sunday: 11 a.m. – 2 a.m.
On February 27, 1951…
…Bernie and Mickey Hanula founded the institution known as the Players Retreat. Less of a bar and restaurant, and more of a family, the PR remains a popular respite for the young and the old, the rich and the poor. It is a place where people from all walks of life rub elbows, share toasts, good times, and laughs. At 74 years old, very little has changed since its humble beginnings. In 1994 Pete Jarrell took over the PR and continued the tradition. Our friends Bernie and Mickey passed away several years ago. In their honor, our staff and our guests strive to keep the PR the way that it has always been and as it should always be. Thank you for your patronage and support over the years, and may the PR continue for another 74 years.
-Gus Gusler, Proprietor/Owner
WHERE THE KEG OF
KINDneSS
NEVER RUNS DRY
THE MENU
There’s something for everyone here at the PR-from the certified-Angus beef NY strip steak, to our almost endless wine list, we seek to serve the Raleigh community dishes made from high-quality ingredients, sourced as locally as possible…
THE STORY
In 2005, the PR nearly closed in the face of increasing competition from modern sports bars boasting gastropub menus and plasma screens by the dozen. Richard “Gus” Gusler, a Raleigh lawyer and loyal fan of what had by then become a local institution, came to the rescue…
Give the Gift of Great Times
Have You Heard of Our
SCOTCH CLUB?
PR HALL OF FAME
Honoring the People Who Make Players Retreat Home
“This list is for people who mean a lot to PR—and PR means a lot to them.” — Gus Gusler
Let’s. Go. Canes.
Official Canes Bar
KIDS EAT FREE SUNDAYS
SOCIAL HOUR
Beyond “Cheap Eats”: Why Value & Tradition Always Win at Players Retreat
First of all, we want to give a big THANK YOU to all of our incredible patrons, regulars, and INDY Week readers who voted Players Retreat as Raleigh’s Best Cheap Eats for 2026!
We’ll be honest—”cheap” isn’t usually the word we use around here. We ground our Certified Choice Beef in-house daily, serve up hand-cut steaks, curate one of the premier single-malt Scotch collections in the country, and craft Chef-driven weekend specials. But in a year where affordability is top-of-mind for everyone, we wear the “Best Value” crown with immense pride.
Continue Reading Beyond “Cheap Eats”: Why Value & Tradition Always Win at Players Retreat
Chef Angelica Barajas Mexican Weekend Specials: Available Oct. 1 – Oct. 3, 2026
October is here, but with highs reaching nearly 90°F this week, summer isn’t done with Raleigh just yet! Whether you’re cooling off after the Wolfpack game or looking for warm autumn nights with cold drinks on the patio, our Mexican Weekend Specials will do the trick.
Continue Reading Chef Angelica Barajas Mexican Weekend Specials: Available Oct. 1 – Oct. 3, 2026
The Crunch, The Curry, and The Crave
Forget played-out fall clichés—our kitchen is leaning into big, unexpected combinations that make zero apologies. From a gorgonzola-and-apple burger stack to a coconut curry tuna remix, this limited-run menu is built for pure flavor chasing.
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KNOW ALL PLAYERS
THESE PLEASANT PEASANTS PRESENT:
Whereas
for 25 years, a quarter of a century, Mickey and Bernie Hanula have provided a haven dedicated to the Democratic way of life and liberty in the pursuit of happiness and
Whereas
The Players’ Retreat remains an oasis in the parched wilderness where the keg of kindness has never run dry and
Whereas
like the post office, the PR has mugs on the wall and despite sleet, snow, and stormy last calls has always delivered its patrons of care and
Whereas
world famed players of field, floor, and footlights have found a true brew retreat from the world of computers and accounts
Now Therefore Be It Resolved That The Players’ Retreat Is Hereby Designated a Historic Sight and Sound of and by the State of North Carolina.
“Retreat, Heaven!”
Done This 27th Day of February in the Year of Our Lord Nineteen Hundred and Seventy Six, being The Two Hundredth Year of Our Need and Our Independence.
Thad Eure
Secretary of State
State of North Carolina
FOLLOW ALONG
GET IN TOUCH
