Something abut The Sanctuary keeps drawing me back. It's a very NoDa place and I always feel at home there.
The bar feels very industrial with marble slabs for seats and finished wood planks for tables. A graffiti mural covers one wall while work by local artists hangs on another. You can play Wii Sports or Wii Play there, and they have a pool table.
The British bartender makes a mean mojito (though they're not always available), and The Sanctuary also serves a late-night menu of tasty Boudreaux's food.
My only complaint: Around 11 pm, they always seem to turn on heavy metal at full volume. You go from having a normal conversation with a friend to screaming at the top of your lungs.