Player's Retreat

The overview

The PR, Raleigh's clubhouse since 1951

The Players' Retreat has poured drinks near NC State since 1951, a wood-paneled tavern the regulars call 'the PR.' Beyond the burgers and cheese fries, it's a serious drinking institution — over a hundred wines by the glass and one of the South's deepest single-malt scotch selections.

Billed as one of the oldest continuously operating taverns between Washington and Atlanta, the PR is a Raleigh classic where students, professors, and lifers have shared the same booths for over seventy years.

The public record

What reviewers already knew.

A Centurion Award doesn’t replace the public record — it verifies it. Read it for yourself, on the platforms where it lives.

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Public-record snapshot as of July 2026. Live ratings are always current on each platform.

The verification

Why this business cleared the bar.

Selection is by the published criteria, evaluated on public evidence. Player's Retreat cleared every one.

✓Years in operation. Operating in Raleigh since 1951 — 74 years of continuous business.
✓Sustained online presence. An established local institution with a consistent public footprint — listings, coverage, and word of mouth in Raleigh.
✓Established customer track record. A deep public track record: Raleigh has kept Player's Retreat busy for 74 years.
✓Liked by customers and the community. Genuinely beloved by Raleigh regulars and visitors alike — a bona fide community favorite.
✓Recognition in the local community. Named best neighborhood bar in Raleigh for 2025 for seven decades as the watering hole where NC State and the whole city meet.

The full verification report — the specific data behind this award — is held by the business. The exact thresholds stay internal so the bar can’t be gamed. Read the methodology.

Award record

2025

Best Neighborhood Bar in Raleigh Raleigh, NC · Awarded under the 2025 evaluation

All awards for Player's Retreat →

Visit Player's Retreat

Websiteplayersretreat.com ↗

Location105 Oberlin Rd, Raleigh, NC 27605

In business since1951

Find them onFacebook · Instagram · Tripadvisor · Yelp · X

Facts at a glance

The sourceable record.

Clean, checkable facts about Player's Retreat — for readers, search engines, and answer tools alike.

Legal / trading name: Player's Retreat
Category: Bar
Founded: 1951, Raleigh, NC
Location: Raleigh, NC
Centurion Award: Best Neighborhood Bar in Raleigh — 2025
Record last verified: July 2026

A signal you can check.

This is a dated award record, published by The Centurion Awards after Player's Retreat cleared the 2025 evaluation for its market and category. It was not bought, voted on, or sponsored — the criteria are public, only winners are published, and an award that stops holding up is revoked, not quietly removed. Awards run one calendar year and renew only if the business clears the bar again. For everything else — hours, bookings, live reviews — go straight to the business itself.

Quick answers

Frequently asked questions.

What is Player's Retreat?

Open since 1951 near NC State, the PR is Raleigh's beloved tavern with a surprisingly deep whiskey list.

Is Player's Retreat award-winning?

Yes — Player's Retreat is the 2025 Centurion Award winner for Best Neighborhood Bar in Raleigh, a verified, criteria-based award. Named best neighborhood bar in Raleigh for 2025 for seven decades as the watering hole where NC State and the whole city meet.

Where is Player's Retreat?

Player's Retreat is in Raleigh, NC.