The Hunt for the Golden Bulls will start on March 1, 2022.

Follow us on social Media for the most up to date information and clues.

As big fans of Willy Wonka, the original movie with Gene Wilder, we thought we’d have our own golden tickets, err bulls that is.  We hide five golden bulls (okay they are brass, we couldn’t afford solid gold) at different times throughout the month in and around Durham. Five lucky winners who found a bull, win a free meal each week for a year*.  How do you find a bull?Throughout March, we reveal clues here on our website and in social media regarding where to find a Golden Bull.  If you find one, follow the directions below to claim your prize.  Full details in the “fine print” below.  Let the hunt begin!

Ground Rules for the Hunt: Please do not destroy any personal property.  No bull will be hidden in a location which requires going inside a non-public space.  No bull will be buried or sealed inside anything.  Nothing will need to be damaged, broken, taken apart, busted, cracked, or dismantled.  Please respect any and all people, businesses, or property while you search.  Thank you and good luck! Teams are welcome, but there can only be one winner on the team.
​I found a Golden Bull, What do I do?
  1. call BCBB and talk to a manager (919) 680-2333
  2. arrange a time to bring in your golden bull and claim victory
  3. bring your photo ID and be ready for a photo to go on the wall
  4. within 24 hours email a description of how you found the bull (moocow[at]bullcityburgerandbrewery[dot]com)
  5. please do not send a photo of the bull or take photos of you with the bull. You may be disqualified if you take or post any photos of the bull.
*The contest begins March 1st and ends when all bulls are found. The first free burger day for winners is April 1st or the first day in April BCBB is open. The last day of free burgers is March 31 the following year. Must be 18 years or older to claim a prize. IDs will be checked. Bring your ID. One Golden Bull winner per person and per family. If you find a Golden Bull redeem it in person at Bull City Burger and Brewery during regular business hours. Please call us to let us know you are coming in at 919-680-2333. Winners receive one hamburger or veggie burger per week with one specialty add-on topping, one regular dirty fry order and one non-alcohol beverage of choice. No substitutions for specialty burgers or special features. Can’t be used toward a specialty burger. No alcohol included. A week is defined as any hours BCBB is open for business Sunday through Saturday. BCBB cannot be held accountable for acts of God, weather, and business interruptions during any week. Only one free burger meal can be claimed per week. Cannot be used online.  Multiple burgers cannot be saved up for redemption in one week. Only the person claiming the Golden Bull can receive the free burger each week. No family members, spouses, former spouses, children, cousins (kissing or otherwise) can claim your prize. Winners consent to the use of their names and photos or likeness by BCBB to promote the contest on the website, in the restaurant and in print. Again, we will check your ID. No employee of BCBB or Pompieri Pizza or Pie Pan Inc. can win. No employee of a business we partner with for the Golden Bull can win. One winner per family please. No repeat winners. No scammers, no loophole finders, no twisters of the rules. It’s free burgers for about a year, that’s pretty good. That’s our fine print.
“I, the undersigned, shall forfeit all rights, privileges, and licenses herein and herein contained, et cetera, et cetera... Fax mentis incendium gloria cultum, et cetera, et cetera... Memo bis punitor delicatum!” - Willy Wonka

golden Bull #1 (Found)

The hunt for the first Golden Bull begins on Tuesday, March 1. Check back here for new clues.

Golden Bull #1 was  found by Sam D.

Here's the story in his own words:
The hunt for the Golden Bulls is back!!!

My wife and I have been following the hunt religiously for the last 5 years, but the Golden Bull has always felt just out of reach — sometimes inches from the place we looked. We’ve gotten close plenty of times, searching the right location and returning the next day when subsequent clues confirm our suspicions. We’ve been stumped our fair share of times, too, but we always give it a shot. There was even a fruitless attempt on our wedding day. We’re so excited to have finally found one, and look forward to playing the puzzles to come (you guys have some really great puzzle makers on your team) without the stress that comes with trying to win.

The puzzle for Golden Bull #1 was familiar. We’re very much like the rest of the world and are still playing Wordle every morning, so this felt straightforward. I’m sure a traditional game of Wordle would be harder with six letters, but narrowing down the options to Durham businesses left only one answer that I could see: BCBB’s own sister restaurant Solera.

I had been planning a bike ride on my lunch break, so I rerouted myself to Solera to try my luck at spotting the elusive Bull. I had little hope of finding anything as this is hardly the first time I’ve been in the right place, but after a couple laps of the building, there it was! I rode straight to BCBB to claim my prize and have a celebratory pint of the new and delicious Hop Gauntlet IPA!

Here’s to a year of good food and good times at our favorite Triangle burger joint. Happy hunting!!

GoLden bull #2 (FOUND)

One Day Only --> Here is your clue. Good Luck!

GOLDEN BULL #2 WAS  FOUND BY Tate R.

Here's the story in his own words:
It seems you have to pay your dues to find a golden bull! I started searching for bulls around 2014 and like others have been so close so many times (including running into Sam D. as he was leaving Solera with Bull #1).  Of all the bulls I thought I had a chance to find, this was not one of them…

During the weekday I was checking the BCBB website religiously to make sure I had a quick jump when bull #2 dropped. However, on Saturday I was working with my wife in the garden until around 4 pm and had just sat down on the couch when I noticed that the “bull hasn’t been found” post on the BCBB Instagram. I jumped over to the website to check the clue and immediately recognized it as the crown painted above the new Rubies on Five Points bar which is in the upstairs area of the old Criterion. Although I knew I was well behind, I decided to drive over and check it out. Since the bar was closed, I started out back (since this is how I missed out on a previous bull at Viceroy) and saw some other bull hunters coming out of the bar who had no luck inside (the employees let them in to look!). I went around to the front and finally noticed the sign in the window with the BCBB logo and another clue! After seeing this, I realized it was a multi-clue bull and that maybe I still stood a chance.

The second clue looked Mandala-esque and a quick google of “Durham Mandala” quickly pointed me to Sacred Mandala Tattoo shop just across town, so I quickly headed that way and found the next clue. At this point, it was also clear that the clues were Durham Business logos with the letters removed. After a bit of googling (focusing on new Durham businesses), I matched the 3rd clue with the Press logo, a great new crepe spot in the Tobacco District. 

At Press, I found two other hunters, Alex and his dog Houdini who had been there for a while and could not find the next clue. My interaction with Alex is why I really love the golden bull community. Alex was on Instagram and trying to figure out why there was no clue where there should be. Someone that was a few clues ahead confirmed that the clue was in the window earlier and must have been taken down by an employee when they closed at 3pm. The mystery Instagram person was nice enough to share the pic of the 4th clue since we had proven we were at the right spot. Since I held Houdini while Alex ran inside to get water for both of them (Houdini got 3 compliments in 1 minute), Alex was nice enough to share this info and he even shared the answer as we stood there figuring it out together. The next clue was Letters Bookshop, which is not new, but had recently moved to a new, larger location. Since Alex was illegally parked and had Houdini, I agreed to shoot him a picture of the clue I found at Letters. 

I have lived in East Durham for 6 years, which proved very helpful for the last two clues. I recognized clue #5 as the Ideals logo, an awesome new sandwich shop in Old East Durham. I drove there as safely as I could given the building adrenaline. I pulled up to Ideals and didn’t even get out of my car as I recognized the last clue as the Rofhiwa Book Café’, just 4 doors down! 

I ran over to Rofhiwa and no one was there which was either a great sign or a bad sign. After about 5 mins of searching around their back deck, there it was in the grass under the steps in all of its free burger glory!

PS. Alex and Houdini,  I owe you a burger and a beer!

 golden Bull #3 (FOUND)

This is a multi-day hunt - new clues will be released daily until the Bull is found!
Day 1 - Clue #1
Day 2 - Clue #2
Day 3 - Clue #3
Day 4 - Clue #4

GOLDEN BULL #3
​WAS  FOUND BY Nicholas F.

Here's the story in his own words:
First time Golden Bull Hunter alert!! I will be the first to admit my rookie status regarding the infamous search for the Golden Bull. However, maybe it was written in the stars as Taurus was shining brightly upon my fiancé (Cailin) and myself when we moved to Durham in early January and ate at BCBB for our first meal after moving in! 

I did not learn about the Golden Bull contest until the second bull had already been found this year, but once I had caught myself up with the process, my inner Indiana Jones was in full force.  We waited patiently for the third bull clue to drop.  When we saw that first image, I immediately focused on the lab, the shamrock, and the word “Lucky”. The funny thing is, Cailin actually brought us within 10 feet of the bull’s location with this clue, but we determined that we were not looking at the correct aspects.  We decided to then focus our search on the American Tobacco Campus and Lucky Strike. We were determined that the clue led to this point but could not explain how the yellow lab reference fit in, until we stumbled on this. A yellow lab under the gaze of the Lucky Strike tower!​
We both jumped for joy, thinking this must be it! We immediately searched the surrounding area but found nothing. Ultimately, we both determined some much more seasoned bull hunter/Durham resident knew of this mural and found the bull hours ago. When we awoke the next morning, we were ready to start the search for Golden Bull #4 but noticed that the page had yet to be updated. Then the second clue dropped. A second clue?! So, as I said before, total rookie, I truly did not know about multi-clue bull scenarios based on how quickly it seemed the first two were found (and we were looking before the second Golden Bull story was posted). However, it was all for naught as we were both leaving town for the weekend and knew it would be found before we returned. But it wasn’t. When I returned on Sunday the fourth clue had just been posted and it was more difficult then the first three. By this point however I was certain the Gem Dog Food mural was still the correct starting location, so my search was still focused there and actually Big Spoon Roasters, as they had a WAG line of dog food peanut butters.  I was fully prepared to find their factory, but the 4th clue did not fit. At that point, I sat in front of the mural and looked for inspiration, a sign, or someone to just tell me to stop. But then it hit me like a ton of bricks, the lab, in ALL four clues. I instantly thought about that first night of searching and looked up the Glass Jug Beer LAB’s beer list and there they were. Irish Dry Stout, Peanut Butter Porter, Quadratic, and Transparency. The rest is Golden Bull history. 

Important Note: Big shout out to Abe. A big help along the way. 

 golden Bull #4 - Clues on Social (FOUND)

Clues have been left on our social media...  

Bull City Burger and Brewery - Instagram
Bull City Burger and Brewery - Facebook

GOLDEN BULL #4
​WAS  FOUND BY
​Logan C.

​Here's the story in his own words:
Golden Bull #4 2022 began with social media posts about musicians performing around town for Durham's Third Friday Art Walk. We looked for social media accounts for the four artists listed. We found instagram accounts for the first two and some info listed for the third, but we couldn't find info online about the fourth artist in the lineup: Rick Dicker & the Incredibulls. However, we did find that Rick Dicker is a character in the animated film The Incredibles. What could it mean?

We looked at the website for Third Friday Artwalk (thirdfridaydurham.org), and saw the same lineup of four artists. However, the name for the fourth—Rick Dicker & The Incredibulls?—had a question mark on the end when displayed here but not in other places. Also, the first three artists had times and locations listed, but Rick Dicker only had the time (5-8pm) but no location. The plot thickens!

We assumed that we'd just need to make it out to the art walk from 5-8pm and see what we could suss out. In fact, earlier that day, my incredible wife (Cayla who just happened to have found Golden Bull #5 in 2019) had already suggested we meet some friends for the art walk to enjoy the gorgeous weather, so we were all in on the hunt.

Throughout the afternoon, we were teased with cryptic tweets from BCBB about Rick Dicker's origin story. I did more Google searches for "Dicker" and "Pecker" than I was comfortable with, but you know what they say: "You have to get your hands dirty when chasing that sweet golden bull." The final post came out from BCBB inviting fans to come down to Parrish Street to check out the art walk, so that's where we decided to start.

Quittin' time came and we made our way downtown and drove down Parrish Street to take a look while we found a place to park. Lots of people were out for the art walk, and I noticed a solo guitar player busking in the park. Two things stood out about this. First, as mentioned before, only three performers listed on the art walk website had locations listed (CCB Plaza, Five Points Plaza, and the Arts Center), but this guy was playing on Orange St beside M Tempura. Second, he was clearly wearing a very goofy looking wig under his goofy hat. It piqued my interest, so we parked and walked over to check it out.

When we walked up, the man appeared to be just finishing up a song, and another couple stood nearby looking a little confused. The man introduced himself as Rick Dicker and pointed to a guitar case on the ground filled with stuffed animals and introduced them as The Incredibulls. Surely, we were on the right track!

I initially assumed that the lyrics of his songs would guide us to the next clue, as these hunts typically require some legwork around town, so we patiently awaited the next song to start. I figured I might as well look around, maybe there's a clue hidden around him somewhere. I started looking on the ground and in the planters along the sidewalk. There was some public art there on the sidewalk, a birdbath made out of concrete and tiles. I saw a glitter in the leaves under the birdbath, and thought "no way, that can't be it." I plunged my hand into the darkness and immediately felt the golden horns poke my fingers. I yanked the golden calf from the darkness and held the idol aloft for all to see, cheering bafoonishly as I tapdanced on the sidewalk! It's a surprising rush that only a select few bull finders will know.

Rick Dicker shocked us all by removing his wig and sunglasses to reveal it was in fact Seth Gross in disguise, BCBB founder and lead mysterioso! He wasn't playing any songs, he was just strumming his guitar. That man was going to stand there in that wig and sleeveless Canadian tuxedo for three hours. That's dedication!

We found out about it 2018 and were immediately hooked. We came so close that first year, one time we were even right there when someone found it. It's a sting that lasts. In 2019, my wife found Bull #5 at the future Solera, so the Cason family is now a two-time bull champion dynasty! The BCBB Golden Bull Hunt is quite literally in the top ten awesome things about Durham. Seth and his team are providing a real public service, and they deserve some real kudos. We hope they keep it going for a long time. Thanks Bull City Burger and Brewery!

golden Bull #5 (FOUND)

***UPDATE: Thanks to everyone who played along this weekend, but you didn't truly think it would be that easy, did you? Now that you've studied and familiarized yourself with our beer list and Durham's history, here's your final puzzle:

First Clue: 
1-2-4-1, 3-7-1-2, 2-1-4-17, 4-7-5-7, 2-3-1-1-2, 1-8-3-12, 5-1-1-9, 5-1-2-4, 2-8-4-15, 1-4-4-10

Second Clue:
​1-1-1-1 = Littlen

The final Golden Bull challenge is all about BCBB beer. We have always said that at BCBB “the more you drink, the smarter you get,” and now we put that to the test. Below, we have created a list of BCBB beers and information about their namesakes. Your task is to head out into Durham and get pictures of yourself (or a teammate) with the namesakes of as many BCBB beers as you can. In order to show that the picture is current, you need to be holding the current issue of Durham’s IndyWeek in the photos that you submit. Submit a folder of all your photos by Tuesday, March 29, 2022 at midnight EDT. Judges will deliberate and the winner of the fifth and final Golden Bull challenge for 2022 will be announced on Thursday, March 31. Please read the following rules, and then get out there and discover historic Durham!
  • All photos must have a copy of the current IndyWeek (from Wednesday, March 23) in them - see the example photograph of brewer Luke on Parrish Street (Pale Ale).
  • Photos must be labeled with the beer name for clarity.
  • All beer names are not created equal - check out the pdf to see the point values of different beers.
  • Earn bonus points by posting photos on social media (Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter) and tagging us @bullcityburger or by featuring the BCBB logo somewhere in your photo (our merchandise, stickers, bag of food, pint glass, etc.)
  • Please do not destroy any personal property. Please respect any and all people, businesses, or property while you are taking your photos. Teams are welcome, but there can only be one winner on the team.
  • All submissions must be made by midnight on March 29, 2022. Create a shareable Google Drive folder and e-mail the link to [email protected]. Please include in the email the name of the contact person and a best phone number so that we can reach you if you are the winner.
  • Judges will deliberate and announce the winner on March 31, 2022, this person will receive a free burger, dirty fries, and a drink once a week for a year, beginning on April 1, 2022. We may also give out runner-up prizes for creative photography. (*no person/team will be given their point total or how many points they earn per photo.)
  • All judges decisions are final. By submitting your photos, you agree to have them used on our social media platforms or posted in the restaurant. No scammers, no loophole finders, no twisters of the rules. It’s free burgers for a year, that’s pretty good. That’s our fine print.
  • “I, the undersigned, shall forfeit all rights, privileges, and licenses herein and herein contained, et cetera, et cetera... Fax mentis incendium gloria cultum, et cetera, et cetera... Memo bis punitor delicatum!” - Willy Wonka

PArrish Street (Pale Ale) 
Example Photo

ACTIVE BEER LIST Document
see Point values listed

Active Beer List - Click to download PDF
File Size: 274 kb
File Type: pdf
Download File

GOLDEN BULL #5
​WAS  FOUND BY
​Tylor L.

​​Here's the story in his own words:
I have attempted several Golden Bull hunts over the past few years, but have never felt as close to actually finding one until this year. I had been in the running for several of the previous 2022 Golden Bulls, including making it to Ideal’s Deli (the second to last clue) for Golden Bull #2 and listening to “Rick Dicker” play music for ~15 minutes for Golden Bull #4. Yet, it was actually my previous experience with the 2021 Golden Bull hunt that allowed me to bring home the bacon (or should I say, burger?)! Last year, there was a similar clue that consisted of several numbers and dashes. These numbers each corresponded to a certain letter that was found in a certain number line, word, then letter in a piece of text. For example, 3-2-1 corresponded to the third line, second word, and first letter of that text.
 
With this expertise under my belt, it was time to identify what the four or five digit numbers corresponded to. It seemed natural that the piece of text to look through was the current active beer list, but it was unclear what the digits referred to. The first digit was always between 1 and 5, which coincided with the number of pages in the PDF of the beer list. I then surmised that the second digit likely corresponded to the number of beer on that particular page. The third digit was a bit harder. Did this correspond to a line or perhaps a word? I eventually figured out that digit four must correspond to a word number... these digits ranged from 1 to 17, which seemed incredibly long to take the place of a letter. Therefore, the third digit had to be the line of text in that particular beer. The biggest stumbling block I had was in the clue “2-3-1-1-2”. Why did this have 5 digits and not 4? Was this a typo? It was only when I started assembling the words that corresponded to each clue that I figured it out. I had the words: “FIRST, BLACK, OWNED, C, ?, A, FIRM, IN, NORTH, CAROLINA”. This text instantly rang out at me! After studying the beer list for quite some time, the Garrett & Sullivan Certified Public Altbier was named after the first black-owned CPA firm in NC! It turns out that the five digit number was indeed correct, and the fifth digit corresponded to the letter of that word (i.e. in order, each of the numbers corresponded to a page, beer, line, word, and letter).
 
After having solved the riddle, it seemed I had to go Garrett & Sullivan CPA… except that this didn’t exist anymore! Lo and behold, what had taken its place but Bull City Burger and Brewery (as described in the beer list). After learning this fun historical fact, I raced off to BCBB to look for the Bull. Despite my adrenaline running, I couldn’t help but stop and order a beer first (I was thematically hoping that the Garrett & Sullivan Altbier was on tap, but, alas, it was not). Having sat in the back garden numerous times, I thought that would be the most logical hiding spot for the Golden Bull. Braving some intense rain, I searched around the area before I finally laid my hands on it! More adrenaline coursed through my veins and I couldn’t believe it! I took a celebratory sip of my beer and headed in to claim my prize, while looking forward to visiting the back garden now each week for the next year!