Federal

October 5, 2008
Visited here the night before the World Beer Festival. Small place, but with a good amount of tables inside, a decent sized bar and outside seating. Lots of retro beer decor on the walls a couple of tvs and lots of wood set the decor. Customer service is efficient. I heard other people say the food was good but my nachos were average at best. 15 or so tap selections, all but two dedicated to craft beer. I had Foothills Oktoberfest and Founders Dirty Bastard. Extensive bottle list as well, but is more macro oriented. Definitely draft was the way to go while we were there.

April 28, 2008
Went for the first time a few days ago with friends. I guess I had expected it to be more of a restaurant but it was a small (500 square feet?) bar-type place with some table seating inside and a half dozen tables outside. The draft selection was not large, but the offerings were all pretty good- Duck Rabbit porter, Hennepin. Ate one of the specials for dinner- grilled rabbit with wild cherry bbq sauce, yams and summer squash. It was very good and well prepared. Service was prompt but not exceptionally warm, maybe because my friends were being borderline belligerent and cussing a bit. I will return sometime with my wife to chill and try some other dishes.

March 16, 2008
There were about 15 beers on tap, and some very good ones at thatfor about $4-$5. When I was there, they had bell’s two hearted ale, a small but good selection of local beers, and a mix of big and normal beers. They also have some interesting glassware for the Irish beers, and a good bottled selection. The atmosphere was college/Bohemian, and quite smoky. It was dark, a little dingybut not too much, and there is ample bar seating. The food was very tasty, but quite expensive. My wife had trouble getting her second beer, but overall, service was okay.

March 4, 2007
Has the Fed really not been rated in over a year??? Unbelievable. Anyways, though it lacks the selection you can find at Tyler’s, the Fed remains my favorite local for the combination of good taps, food, and ambiance. It’s not *that* much of a hipster joint, thankfully; more of just a neighborhood joint, with old school signs, dim lighting, comfy booths, and a mellow staff. The food is just silly good for the price, miles beyond bar food (try the carnitas!). And the taps are usually just fine, with local offerings from Highland, Foothills, and Duck Rabbit alongside Belgians and other goodies.

December 30, 2005
i kind of have a thing for this place. it’s a hipster bar, but there menu rivals any $25 a plate joint in town. plus, their selection of beers on tap never fails to excite me: hercules and dead guy are a pretty leathal combo. try a special, get some almonds.

September 29, 2005 [ Updated December 5, 2007 ]
Cool place, have only been here once although a friend dj’s so I might need to come back. Can’t remember what i had but I do remember they had a decent beer list.

July 30, 2005 [ Updated April 2, 2006 ]
Cool place. 15ish taps. More bottles. Several local North Carolina brews and numerous other craft brews from elsewhere in the US and abroad. Great food specials. Staff is nice. Mostly hipsters work there. Patrons consist of 20-30 somethings mostly, but quite a mix of different people. Great place.

March 5, 2005 [ Updated November 22, 2005 ]
What this place lacks in quantity, they make up for in quality. Hampered by NC’s 6% ABV limit, they still managed to get ahold of some very good beers. Tap selection is mostly microbrews and quality imports. Somehow got a hold of Maredsous on tap which I had previously never seen in the area. Food is much better than your typical pub fare. Definitely worth checking out if you’re in the area. Now that the beer laws have changed in NC, their selection has gotten even better. Definitely my favorite bar in Durham.