The Waiting Room
Phone: (919) 294-6130
This cozy bar at American Tobacco Campus was designed to be a place to relax before a dinner reservation or after a show at DPAC just across the street. With innovative signature cocktails like the Old Bull, made with Durham Distillery's Conniption Gin, mezcal, pineapple, lemon and orange, plus satisfying small plates and desserts, you can make a night of it here.
Hours
Monday: Closed
Tuesday: 5:00 – 11:00 PM
Wednesday: 5:00 – 11:00 PM
Thursday: 5:00 – 11:00 PM
Friday: 5:00 PM – 12:00 AM
Saturday: 4:00 PM – 12:00 AM
Sunday: Closed
Tuesday: 5:00 – 11:00 PM
Wednesday: 5:00 – 11:00 PM
Thursday: 5:00 – 11:00 PM
Friday: 5:00 PM – 12:00 AM
Saturday: 4:00 PM – 12:00 AM
Sunday: Closed
Map
Google Rating
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My go to place prior to shows at DPAC. You need to plan accordingly otherwise you’ll hit a mad rush, so come a bit early. They have my favorite deviled eggs in all of North Carolina. They switch up their drinks seasonally which always delivers on taste. I saw some complaints about service.. the service is overall great, sometimes they get slammed with a rush, so come with the right expectations.
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I wanted to enjoy this place more than I did. It was busy but not full, yet I stood at the host stand for about five minutes without acknowledgment. When someone finally came over, I was told that since I was alone I should sit at the bar, even after saying I preferred a table. The seats at the bar were slightly too low for how high the bar was.
Once seated, I waited a while to have my drink order taken, and people who sat down after me were served first, which was frustrating. The upside: their espresso martini was genuinely delicious.
Drink prices weren’t listed on the menu, and one cocktail plus a reasonable tip came out to $22, which felt steep for the experience. I like finding new spots near DPAC, but this one missed the mark for me, and I don’t plan on returning. -
The drinks were a hit, the service and the food were a bit of a miss. We came at 6 pm on a Saturday before our show at DPAC and were seated at the bar fairly quickly. The bar seats are a bit low which is a little odd but fine. We ordered some of the specialty drinks and some food. The drinks came pretty quickly and were delicious. The cheese plate we ordered was still missing after 40 minutes so we asked about it. And that was the first the bartender had even noticed that we hadn't gotten our food even though everyone around us had gotten their food a while ago (side note: they ran out of sliders by 6:10 pm which seems like poor planning). Granted it was busy but part of service is noticing when things are amiss and we had empty serving wear stacked in front of us with no food for a while. But after we asked, he checked with the kitchen and apparently they had given our cheese plate to someone else. He asked if we had time to wait for them to create another plate which we did (barely) and he went to help them make it. The plate was fine, nothing special and definitely not worth the extended wait. And while we got an explanation of why the food was delayed, we didn't really get an apology or an offer to take some cost off the menu because of their mixup. If you go, stick with the drinks and skip the food.
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A great place for a pre or post show drink when going to DPAC (unless you go on Sunday because they're closed that day). Great vibes and the cocktails are incredible, with a rotating menu every few months so you get to try new drinks frequently! They've expanded their food menu but it's still usually more small plates but anything we've ever gotten have been great. Charcuterie boards there are usually really nice! Limited seating and when they're busy it can sometimes take a while to get orders put in, but for the most part everything there runs smoothly. I enjoy sitting at the bar so that I can watch them make the drinks, especially the smoked cocktails! And their themed menus and special events are a lot of fun! We recently went to their Grinch pop-up and it was super cute!
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This is a really cute place with a great vibe. The food was fresh and delicious. Please note they have more of a small plates menu. I could tell the server was new, but she provided good service. If you are even in the area, it's worth stopping by. This place is located across the street from the DPAC.
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