Honoring the Classics at Wolfe & Porter

This new bar on W. Morgan Street gets its name from North Carolina literary legends Thomas Wolfe and William Sydney Porter.
by Catherine Currin | photography by Forrest Mason

Wolfe & Porter is quite unassuming from the sidewalk, a blue-grey building with a white roof, fronted by a wide wooden deck populated with benches and barstools. Inside this W. Morgan Street bar, you’ll find bright-blue leather stools and banquette lining the wall, dark wooden shelves filled with liquor and curated tchotchkes that give the bar a homey feel. The menu boasts funky frozen cocktails — like The Reverend Doctor Pepper, a frozen Dr. Pepper with liquor and ancho chile, and the Hoptini, a concoction of gin, mezcal, grapefruit and IPA syrup — plus an extensive beer selection. Out back is a sprawling yard big enough to host a show.

On the weekends, you’ll find a surprise down a set of industrial stairs in the center of the building: The Cellar, a cozy cocktail bar with a mid-century modern vibe. Here, dark wood paneling and luxe velvet lounge seating create a more intimate, upscale vibe, along with a menu centered around old-fashioned spirits and more classic cocktails.

“There’s intentionally a different vibe upstairs and downstairs,” says general manager Richie Reno. He, along with bar manager Jacob Galant, are bringing the spot’s vision to life. Wolfe & Porter is the brainchild of three attorneys — Dan Bryson, Matt Lee and Scott Harris — who work right across the street. “We wanted to create a place to collaborate, support and showcase artists, plus spend time with old friends and make some new ones,” says Bryson. For years, they’d enjoyed hanging out at the dive bar that formerly occupied the space, Drink Drank Drunk.

When the building’s owners expressed a desire to sell in 2021, the trio went for it. “This neighborhood has meant a lot to us,” says Lee. “We were already invested in the community here and making sure that it thrived.” Bryson, Lee and Harris are all North Carolina natives, and their affinity for their home state permeates every nook and cranny of the bar, starting with its name: Wolfe & Porter is named for North Carolina literary legends Thomas Wolfe and William Sydney Porter (better known as O. Henry).

Not only does the namesake honor the team’s love for history, “it gives a nod to our affinity for creativity and artists,” says Lee. Raleigh designer Paul Tuorto, known for his branding work with Heights House Hotel, Nana’s and Crawford Hospitality, assisted in creating the the bar’s logo and curating of the space. Small details throughout pay homage to the past, including old editions of Thomas Wolfe’s The Lost Boy, antique cameras and vintage hair dryers (a nod to Atomic Salon, which also used to be in the building).

Local artist Taylor White created a mural to anchor the space, using bright, welcoming colors that riff on themes from Wolfe’s writings and references to the neighborhood’s past. In addition to serving as a watering hole, it was a priority for Lee to have programming at the bar to draw people in. “Since the pandemic, the way people go out has changed,” he says. “They’re more driven by events, so we want to create reasons for folks to come out.”

To that end, the bar will host live music on both the indoor and outdoor stages, as well as recurring events like trivia, music bingo and Frozen Friday, where all frozen drinks are on special. “The back patio has become a hidden Raleigh oasis,” says Reno. “It’s perfect for fire pit hangs and a great spot for music.” Reno, who’s bartended in Raleigh for more than a decade at spots including Ruby Deluxe and Trophy Brewing, is taking the lead on making Wolfe & Porter a destination for music as well as corporate events or private parties. “We feel a responsibility to bring a level of quality to everything that we are doing,” says Lee, noting that most of the bands booked at Wolfe & Porter are playing original music. “If you’re coming to see a band, we want you to be confident that it’s been thoughtfully curated.”

This stretch of Morgan Street has seen a recent boom, with newcomers Gussie’s and The Bend Bar joining longtime restaurant Irregardless to round out the neighborhood offerings. Bryson is here for it: “We collectively feel that rising tides raise all ships on W. Morgan.” Agrees Reno: “We all support each other. You don’t always get that in other cities. The camaraderie is so cool.” Bryson, Lee and Harris want the bar to be a place the city can use and a spot that compels folks to stay awhile in their beloved neighborhood. “We wanted to create the thing we thought that Raleigh needed, but do it in our own way,”says Lee. “We want to provide a space for the community to enjoy and a space where we can support local artists.” “If you have the space,” Reno agrees, “why not do it all?”

This article originally appeared in the February 2025 issue of WALTER magazine.