DSSOLVR was our final stop on the food and drink tour, and we wrapped things up with just drinks,…read morewhich worked out perfectly. It's very much a beer bar, the kind of place where you can stare at the tap list for a minute or two and still feel like you missed something. I had no trouble finding a draft and my friend found a cider she liked, so everyone was happy. And since it was one of those huge pours, we took the rest to go, which is one of the perks of being in Durham's Social District. I've got a separate review about that, but the short version is that carrying your beer down the street feels oddly civilized. It's a fun spot with board games and a relaxed vibe. The outside seating area is pretty cool, even if the view is mostly the street and buses rolling past. Inside or out, there are plenty of beer options on tap and in cans or bottles, so odds are good that you'll find something you enjoy. It was a nice was to end the tour and wind down the afternoon. While they don't have a kitchen, they do have snacks including ramen tubs and such that you can microwave on site. [Review 1168 of 2026 - 4817 in North Carolina - 26347 overall]

Brewery # 456 I had…read morebeen to the Dssolvr in Asheville a few years ago and I loved it. It was packed in Asheville, so my experience was rushed, but I remember having a great hazy and I loved their brand stickers (Cornholio and a zombie looking Bart Simpson) . Fast forward 4 years and I am in Durham on a random weekday afternoon. My buddies and I had the place to ourselves. This time I was able to get a flight. The lovely new bartender recommended the Absolutely Extraterrestrials Mexican Stout that had an ABV of 13%! I think she was trying to get me drunk! Anywho, I also got the Kolsch and 2 IPAs on the flight. They were all great but the stout (absolutely delicious and complex) and the Love Computer DIPA were my favorites. Dssolvr didn't have food and no food truck when I was there but there are plenty of places in the area. The beer is phenomenal and I wish we had time to get another flight to try more. However, Durham has a lot of breweries for such a small area, so we had to hop around. Any brewery hop in Durham or Asheville has to involve Dssolvr.

Great set up, everything is in good shape, nice drink options. We really enjoyed it and will be…read moreback.

The Clara Carswell Concert Hall is located on Meredith College's campus. It is in the Wainwright…read moreMusic Building and was dedicated in January 1977. Clara Horn Carswell was a graduate music student at Meredith College. Her $100,000 gift led to a fundraising campaign to fund the building. Harriet Mardre Wainwright left an endowment to Meredith College to "provide a means through which those seeking knowledge could benefit." Her husband, Irving Hudgins Wainwright, provided the remaining funds for the building. F. Carter Williams was the architect for the concert hall. It has around 175 seats. The seats were comfortable, and the intimate theatre provided great views of the stage. I liked the excellent slope of the concert hall, the exposed brick walls, and the gorgeous stained-glass art acoustic panels. I came for a Jury Experience rather than a musical performance, so I didn't get to hear the amazing acoustics for myself, but it was designed for sound purity. Classical pianists like the venue for its reverberation. The Jury Experience had many technical issues, so I assume those failures were on them rather than the concert hall. Parking was an issue that would keep me from seeing another performance here. Spots were very tight, and when the performance let out, everyone needed to exit in the same direction, creating a bottleneck. While the architectural and acoustic charm of the Carswell Concert Hall is undeniable, the parking situation is a significant deterrent to returning for future events.

The Holly Springs Cultural Center is still a great venue. It has plenty of parking in the front,…read moresides and back of the complex. The building is shared with a library. There was a snack area in the lobby that I didn't remember but it was in my photos. The offerings are expanded now with the popcorn, candy, chips, other snacks and a variety of beverages from teas, coffees, sodas. I was very happy to see the snacks as my first stop took way longer than expected so I couldn't stop for lunch. The prices were $3 for my large popcorn; $1.50 for candy and $1 for a water. The lobby also has several tables to sit and mingle. The theatre is a good size but not huge so I can see why so many performances sell out. I like the stadium seating and had a good view of the performance. The sound and lighting were also good. The performance was also affordable at $15. I am going to watch the calendar for future shows to attend.

I have been here for performances, using the library and an adult Easter egg hunt. They do such a…read moregood job here. Staff is very nice and informative. The events are fun. Always a great experience.

I have stopped by to grab some used books and am always met with friendly faces! I love this little…read moreshop so much and they offer so much!

hOMe Yoga Studios & Winebrary is the first yoga studio in Rolesville. I'd been following its…read moreopening for a while so was excited when it opened. There are many classes to take at different times and days. I've not made it to a class yet but did check out the yoga studio part when I was at the Winebrary for a comedy night. The Winebrary is part winery and part books (and a lot of books at that for the free community library) The Winebrary also hosts a lot of events from the comedy night I attended to painting classes to book club to game nights to much more. This newer business is a great addition to the area.

Airport food is usually nothing to get excited about, but the Beer Garden in Terminal 1 at RDU was…read morea nice surprise! Had the Hot Honey Pepperoni Flatbread, and it was excellent. Definitely recommend it! Really good beer selection and plenty of cocktails to choose from as well. What really earned the five stars, though, was the staff. Everyone was genuinely friendly and welcoming, which made the experience even better. Great food, great drinks, and even better service. Not a bad way to kill some time before a flight! And yes, the flatbread was good enough to deserve its own picture.

This satellite location of the iconic Raleigh Beer Garden is conveniently (or maybe too…read moreconveniently) located directly across from the Alaska gates in Terminal 1. Which means it's a great place to sit and enjoy a beer (or two...) while awaiting my flight home to the PNW. The service is friendly (shoutout to the lovely Leah who was my server yesterday!), the beer menu is vast (and cold), and the food is pretty good, too. My fave place to sit here is at the tables that face directly onto the airport walkway and gates. Talk about some great people-watching. You could seriously film a reality TV show from this spot. There are also outlets here, so I can top off my phone before the flight. It's also a good place to get a little work done on the ol' laptop before boarding. They also have a lively bar area, full of the usual talkative airport patrons. If I'm in the mood to socialize, this is a great choice too. Looking forward to more trips to RDU, and hoping Alaska doesn't move back to Terminal 2 just because I'd miss the beer garden experience!

Five stars for Liberty & Plenty, a true gem that we didn't even plan on visiting. We were headed…read moredown the street to somewhere else, saw the sign, looked at each other and said, "Let's check this out" and I am so glad we followed that impulse because it turned into one of those stops that completely makes your afternoon. What was supposed to be a quick pop in turned into two full hours of socializing, tasting, talking and working our way through a lineup of spirits that dhows just how much care and craft is happening inside this place. I need to say, Stephanie is a darling. She's not a bartender. She's a proper mixologist, the kind of professional who knows her spirits, knows her history, knows how to read a customer, and somehow manages to be both entertaining and deeply knowledgeable at the same time. She walked us through their menu with the kind of confidence that makes you trust every recommendation, and every drink she made had that extra flourish that tells you she actually loves the work. It's rare to find someone who can make you laugh, teach you something, and hand you a drink that's better than what you expected all in the same moment, but she does it effortlessly. Somewhere between the rum and the vodka, we learned that they're gearing up for a big move to Wilson, expanding from two stills to a dozen, which is wild and honestly well deserved because the quality here is already top-tier and the idea of them scaling up that much is exciting. You can feel the ambition from the crew here, the sense that they're on the cusp of something bigger, and it made every sip feel like you're getting in on a story that's about to blow up. That said, I'm begging. Please, please, please, find a way to keep a tasting room in Durham. You're awesome, the vibe is awesome, the people are awesome, and this city needs places like this where you can wander in on a whim and end up staying for two hours because everything feels and tastes just right. Expansion is great, growth is great, Wilson is lucky to have you, but Durham will really miss you if you disappeared completely. Liberty & Plenty is the kind of spot you stumble into once and then start recommending to everyone you know. If you're anywhere nearby, go. And if Stephanie is behind the bar, settle in, because you're in very good hands. [Review 1073 of 2026 - 4782 in North Carolina - 26252 overall]

What a lovely surprise to find this gem tucked away in downtown Durham! I had heard great things…read moreabout their espresso martini, so when we finally visited, we had to try it. And, it truly lived up to the hype. One of the best we've ever had! I also tried two other cocktails made with their house-distilled rum and gin, and both were delicious and perfectly balanced. The seasonal menu is creative and reasonably priced, we were genuinely impressed. The ambiance is charming and cozy despite a bit warm inside (the AC was pretty weak), but quiet and tastefully decorated with velvet couches, exposed walls, vintage touches, and fresh flowers on each table. We had fun flipping through their amazing cocktail book collection on the shelf too. The bartenders were very friendly and offered us focaccia from Ninth Street Bakery to pair with our drinks for free, which was such a thoughtful and tasty addition. We thoroughly enjoyed our experience and are so happy to see a micro-distillery thriving in the heart of Durham. Can't wait to return for an official tour and to sample more of their spirits!

A very interesting new bar for the West End in Raleigh! From the outside, you couldn't even guess…read morewhat's inside. But beyond the long bar and back room with pool table, you'll find an awesome assortment of Raleigh memorabilia. From signs, to mirrors, and more, you'll likely find an old favorite hanging on the walls here. Beyond that, the bartender Tony is super cool and great to hang with. Grab a beer, play a game of pool and just soak it all in! They are open from 5 to 2pm, 7 nights a week.