Entertainment

Saddle up, Cary. A new sports bar is riding into town, and it’s got a mechanical bull

Sports and Social in Fenton houses a 42 foot wide TV screen to broadcast sporting events.
Sports and Social in Fenton houses a 42 foot wide TV screen to broadcast sporting events.

The latest bar to arrive in Cary boasts a 42-foot LED wall, a kiss cam, and yes, a mechanical bull.

Hang on tight. Sports and Social, a national chain of luxury sports bars, is opening its first location in North Carolina this weekend. PBR Cowboy Bar is tucked inside, as kind of a bar within a bar.

The massive two-level space opens Thursday to the public in the Fenton development off Cary Towne Boulevard and has a slate of grand opening events, including a Super Bowl watch party.

Sports fans can gather to watch their favorite team on the massive LED screen at Sports & Social, located in Cary’s Fenton development.
Sports fans can gather to watch their favorite team on the massive LED screen at Sports & Social, located in Cary’s Fenton development. Colleen Hammond

Sports & Social, with 13 other locations in the U.S., is aiming to give patrons the in-person arena experience with a full sound system, theatrical lighting displays and even a kiss cam.

The LED wall is made for large watch parties, with split screen capabilities for multi-game sporting events, like March Madness.

There are over 30 TVs spread throughout the space.

Diners will find elevated bar food with a menu developed by James Beard Award-nominated Chef John Suley. The menu features everything from a Nashville hot chicken sandwich and beef barbacoa tacos to wings, burgers and ribs. Look for fries and tater tots alongside kale salads and cauliflower wings. Brunch is served on weekends.

The drink menu includes craft beer, specialty cocktails and “crushes,” which are fizzy spiked sodas.

PBR Cowboy Bar is located inside of Sports & Social in the Fenton development in Cary, N.C.
PBR Cowboy Bar is located inside of Sports & Social in the Fenton development in Cary, N.C. Colleen Hammond chammond@newsobserver.com

Upstairs features arcade-style video games and shuffleboards.

The upper level is also home to the PBR Country Bar, an in-house secondary bar with a full dance floor and an outdoor patio. (PBR is named for Professional Bull Riders, not the cheap beer.)

The PBR Cowboy Bar is opening in Cary’s Fenton area on Feb. 9, 2023.
The PBR Cowboy Bar is opening in Cary’s Fenton area on Feb. 9, 2023. Max Touhey | www.metouhey.com

That’s where you’ll find the “only professional endorsed mechanical riding bull.”

PBR Cowboy Bar in Cary, NC, is home to the first mechanical bull bar in the area. The bar is located in the Fenton development.
PBR Cowboy Bar in Cary, NC, is home to the first mechanical bull bar in the area. The bar is located in the Fenton development. Colleen Hammond chammond@newsobserver.com

Sports & Social will celebrate the opening with live music on Friday night, featuring country singer Morgan Evans.

Doors open Thursday, Feb. 9, at 4 p.m. The PBR Cowboy Bar opens at 10 p.m.

If you go

Sports & Social is at 301 Fenton Gateway Drive, Cary.

sportsandsocial.com/cary and pbrcowboybar.com/cary.

Upcoming Events

  • Feb. 9: Grand Opening
  • Feb. 10: Morgan Evans Acoustic Set
  • Feb. 11: UFC 284 Watch Party
  • Feb. 12: Super Bowl Watch Party. Doors open at 11. Pregame events, including a DJ and drumline, begin at 3 p.m.
  • Feb. 16: Girls’ Night Out
  • Feb. 18: Mardi Gras Live
  • March 11: St. Patrick’s Day Party

This story was originally published February 9, 2023 at 7:00 AM.

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Colleen Hammond
The News & Observer
Colleen Hammond is a graduate of Duquesne University from Ann Arbor, Michigan. She has previously covered breaking news, local government, the COVID-19 pandemic and racial issues for the Pittsburgh City Paper and Pittsburgh Tribune Review.
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