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Foundation - cool basement bar, non-smoking inside, homemade sodas, NC beers only, all other liquors and wines made in USA, small and friendly atmosphere.
Raleigh Times - lively atmosphere, good beer, good food, separate smoking and non-smoking areas.
Landmark Tavern - small neighborhood pub atmosphere, nice patio behind the building.
Tir Na Nog - very large Irish pub, decent food, live music and other events held there.
Flying Saucer - huge beer selection, good outdoor seating.
Boylan Bridge Brewpub - neighborhood pub, brew their own beer and sometimes feature other selections, decent food, non-smoking, awesome patio looking out on the downtown skyline.
^^ I like all those listed above. A new favorite of mine is The Remedy Diner. It is located just off Moore Square. It is a small place that has a nice homey feel. The bartenders are nice, the food is good, and the ambiance is awesome in that the place has an interesting color scheme, nice lighting and has large windows that allows for a nice transition to the outside area making it a great place to just pop in for a drink at the corner of the bar while enjoying some people watching. Another plus is they have a local beer on Tap (Aviator) and offer some vegan options on the menu.
I frequent all of the above pretty much for the reasons stated.
I also like the Players Retreat...classic, old dive with good food.
Zely & Ritz, great food, but the bar is overlooked and has about the best fresh fruit, but not 21 year old girl sugary and filled with cheap liquer, cocktails. Their cilantro tequila cocktail is incredible.
Sullivans -Okay, it is full of cigars, bourbon drinkers, waitresses in skimpy outfits, etc. but has jazz every night and when you are in the mood for that type of bar, it fits the bill.
OP, Are you looking for places like the above, or dance clubs, or what?
I frequent all of the above pretty much for the reasons stated.
I also like the Players Retreat...classic, old dive with good food.
Zely & Ritz, great food, but the bar is overlooked and has about the best fresh fruit, but not 21 year old girl sugary and filled with cheap liquer, cocktails. Their cilantro tequila cocktail is incredible.
Sullivans -Okay, it is full of cigars, bourbon drinkers, waitresses in skimpy outfits, etc. but has jazz every night and when you are in the mood for that type of bar, it fits the bill.
OP, Are you looking for places like the above, or dance clubs, or what?
I frequent all of the above pretty much for the reasons stated.
I also like the Players Retreat...classic, old dive with good food.
Zely & Ritz, great food, but the bar is overlooked and has about the best fresh fruit, but not 21 year old girl sugary and filled with cheap liquer, cocktails. Their cilantro tequila cocktail is incredible.
Sullivans -Okay, it is full of cigars, bourbon drinkers, waitresses in skimpy outfits, etc. but has jazz every night and when you are in the mood for that type of bar, it fits the bill.
OP, Are you looking for places like the above, or dance clubs, or what?
Puke, no not dance clubs, just a place to hang out and have a few relaxing drinks with friends and pref not dominated by college kids-ish and not a place you get choked out from the smoke. mb those sound like some good possibilities thx.
I like the large patio of Buckheads, for one, but they don't serve ANY food which I found odd.
How about Armadillo up the road? Looks interesting driving by.
I think there's a trend away from dance clubs nationally. This is evident to me in Raleigh as much as it seems to be in Miami Beach. Not to say that "dancing" doesn't exist but it doesn't seem to dominate the social scene the way it used to. The trend seems to be toward smaller, more intimate lounge type establishments for social get togethers with friends.
I think the trend is for two reasons: 1.) The average population continues to age and...2.) the younger crowd places less importance on dancing than we did when I was young. Full disclosure: I am in my 40's now.
But, if dancing is your thing, you will find it in a variety of places around town. Most "dancing" establishments are found in the Warehouse district of Downtown including The Office, Mosquito, Ess Lounge and others. The gay club, Legends, probably offers the most comprehensive dance experience in the Warehouse District if you are open to it. Still other establishments that are restaurants turn into quasi dance clubs after dining hours. Two that come to mind are 5 Star in the Warehouse District and RedRoom on Glenwood. Also in Glenwood South, several locations have a dance component to their overall formula but are not strictly dance clubs: Solas, Haven, Bassment, Napper Tandy's, etc.
I hope that helps. Would anyone else like to chime in here?
Puke, no not dance clubs, just a place to hang out and have a few relaxing drinks with friends and pref not dominated by college kids-ish and not a place you get choked out from the smoke. mb those sound like some good possibilities thx.
I like the large patio of Buckheads, for one, but they don't serve ANY food which I found odd.
How about Armadillo up the road? Looks interesting driving by.
If you are looking to escape the college crowd, I would advise against Buckhead, Stoolpigeons, Hi-5, etc.
Armadillo Grill is more of a restaurant, but they do have a small bar and the patio is nice. It attracts a diverse crowd from college kids to families, as does Mellow Mushroom.
Napper Tandy's and Hibernian are both Irish pub themed and offer food. Hibernian has a non-smoking room. Both of these will have some level of college presence, but it is not too bad.
Another nice place I forgot to mention is Mosaic. It is a lounge, so they do not serve food, but it is a very "chill" atmosphere and non-smoking.
You might also like Brooklyn Heights. It is casual and they have a nice patio out front. I think they do not allow members under 25, so you will not have the college crowd there. This is a private club, so no food there either.
Quote:
Originally Posted by rnc2mbfl
I think there's a trend away from dance clubs nationally. This is evident to me in Raleigh as much as it seems to be in Miami Beach. Not to say that "dancing" doesn't exist but it doesn't seem to dominate the social scene the way it used to. The trend seems to be toward smaller, more intimate lounge type establishments for social get togethers with friends.
I think the trend is for two reasons: 1.) The average population continues to age and...2.) the younger crowd places less importance on dancing than we did when I was young. Full disclosure: I am in my 40's now.
But, if dancing is your thing, you will find it in a variety of places around town. Most "dancing" establishments are found in the Warehouse district of Downtown including The Office, Mosquito, Ess Lounge and others. The gay club, Legends, probably offers the most comprehensive dance experience in the Warehouse District if you are open to it. Still other establishments that are restaurants turn into quasi dance clubs after dining hours. Two that come to mind are 5 Star in the Warehouse District and RedRoom on Glenwood. Also in Glenwood South, several locations have a dance component to their overall formula but are not strictly dance clubs: Solas, Haven, Bassment, Napper Tandy's, etc.
I hope that helps. Would anyone else like to chime in here?
I would just like to say that I love Legends! Best place to dance in Raleigh (that I've been to). The dancefloor is spacious, there is a variety of music, and for a straight female, I feel much more comfortable dancing there than at your average dance club. I've been to Mosquito, and while it is awesome that they've gone non-smoking, it is just too typical for my taste. It is pretty much exactly what you think of when you think of a dance club. Ess Lounge was terrible, IMHO (maybe the crowd was just too young for my taste, but then again I didn't care for the music selection, either).
I'm in my late 20s and did the whole dance club thing in high school having grown up in Miami, so I am pretty much over the club scene. But I do like to go dancing now and then, just so long as I don't have to wait in a line and flirt with anyone to get in!
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