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The Bar Association

4.8 (8 reviews)
Open • 12:00 pm - 12:00 am (Next day)
Updated 2 months ago

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This is the vibe
Ben M.

This place pops up out of nowhere! How did this cool place pop up in Smithfield? Twilight Zone. Really cool bar in the middle of our highway/outlet/country/Ava Gardner/fill-up-your-tank-on-the-way-to-Florida little town. This review will be stupid because I was just gazing around this drink bar, being amazed, enjoying my drink in the comfy furniture. I totally glazed over. This is a cool place. Friendly people running it, and very, very chill. Smithfield for decades has been known as a little mill town and I-95 fuel stop. Between places like this (there are others popping up...) and Smithfield slowly modernizing, places like the Bar Association in Smithfield are like a Steampunk Renaissance. Yeah. Steampunk. Sherlock Holmes' library. Charles Dickens, Jack London, and Earnest Hemingway might meet here. That's the vibe. We'll be back.

Mural

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3 months ago

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2 months ago

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3 years ago

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3 years ago

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2 years ago

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1 year ago

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1 year ago

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2 years ago

Nice place, nice people. Drinks are fantastic Staff is great!! Tucked away in a nice corner too

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The Velvet Hippo Bar & Lounge - FARMERS ONLY - as smoky and delicious as a rancher's dating profile (Cerrissa)

The Velvet Hippo Bar & Lounge

(103 reviews)

$$

Great small bites. I recommend you trying the Elote dip it was AMAZING and perfect for sharing with…read moretwo or more friends! They have great drink specials for different days of the week! Very speedy service all of their bartenders are very sweet and will fix whatever drink to your liking The vibes are disco balls on the ceiling very open very Miami Beach vibes they have an indoor and an outdoor seating area not only that they have fireplaces. If you get a little too far from their heated porch area! The vibes just don't stop. They have an aesthetic fireplace in side as well as a fake tree in the middle beautiful for taking pictures Their bathrooms are adorable, but you might have to wait a little bit on a busy day. But this is the same problem with every bar. Very glad that they have more than one bathroom.

Okay, so wow. Durham has upped its game in terms of its social scene. We got to the VH at like 9?…read more9:30? on a Friday night and the line to get in was down at least one flight of stairs to the second floor. It did move fast for us so we were able to get in about 10 minutes later or so. It was latin night so the music was tailored to that so I won't comment on what that was like. The outdoor patio was wonderful. Not too loud. Some good seating options. You can access the bar from out there too. Took awhile to get to order while waiting in line. I had something purple... french 75? It was just okay. Jell-o shots were made with MEZCAL that night which my group found sooo gross. So beware. Overall I see the hype. But when we left around 10:30 or so the line was down the stairs, out the door, and down the block. I don't know if it was worth THAT.

Aaktun - View at the bar

Aaktun

(40 reviews)

Me and my husband love coming here for special occasions and just for date nights. We have gotten…read moresomething different each time we've visited and everything has been great - cannot recommend enough ! Waitresses are always so sweet and accommodating and food is always great. Def a spot I love to bring people to who haven't found out about it yet

I was finally able to try Aaktun today, and had a great experience! My husband has been hyping this…read moreplace up for awhile, as when I work during the week him & our daughter have had a few adventures here. I will say, it did not disappoint! Nestled in downtown Clayton (there is another location in Durham, as well), the spot is conveniently located and cozy. The decor is incredibly pleasing and lovely. We sat at a table which resembles a "cave." So unique and fun. The bar area is also really neat, if we were to go back for a date night, we'd sit there. We made a reservation one day prior for a 12:30 lunch reservation for the three of us on a Saturday and were seated right away. The staff is very friendly, and our server was stellar. The lunch menu is extensive: delicious dishes, fun cocktails and coffee drinks, and a decent wine list. We were provided waters to start and I opted for a glass of the Napa Cabernet. I really wanted to try their iced banana latte for a to-go drink after, but I surely will next time! We started with the appetizer of Brussels Sprouts. We were hoping the Coconut Shrimp was on the lunch menu, but unfortunately, it was not. Hopefully we will get that for a dinner appetizer next time. We are a huge fan of trying Brussels Sprouts at new restaurants and these were great! Served charred with tropical chili crisp, pickled pineapple, and a coconut salsa. They were a little bit sweeter than my liking, but still delicious and we both enjoyed them! For our entrées we went with the Lomo Saltado and Jerked Half Chicken. Both of these dishes were incredible. I ordered the Lomo Saltado and it was delicious, and recommended by my husband. Perfectly cooked steak atop rice and served with grilled tomatoes and Yuka sticks, which were amazing. Although this dish was delicious, I loved my husband's even more. The Jerk Half Chicken was perfectly cooked and flavored, and had the perfect amount of kick! UPDATE: We ended up stopping by the next day to pick up a breakfast sandwich & my Banana Pudding Latte! OH SO GOOD. We got the Bella mushroom and egg breakfast sandwich, so delicious, so flavorful, and huge. Hands down would order again. The Iced Banana Pudding Latte with Oat Milk was stellar: 10/10! I can't wait to have it again! I can't wait to go back to Aaktun to try more dishes and see what the dinner menu offers! Great experience and highly recommend.

Nightingale Rooftop - CRAB TOTS

Nightingale Rooftop

(72 reviews)

We celebrated my husband's birthday here this evening (Thursday) and were very pleasantly…read moresurprised! We were a group of 7 and had a big, round table in the open-air area. Beautiful setting! A perfect evening, weather-wise. We all loved our food selections (steamed mussels were perfect). No complaints on the very imaginative and yummy entrée selections. The drinks menu was fun and tasty! Dessert was delicious as well (creme Brule). Service was super friendly and efficient. We will definitely be back! Thank you for the lovely evening!

I visited Nightingale on a Thursday evening. The parking here is free and effortless, the staff…read moreprovided a warm and welcoming demeanor when I arrived. The ambiance here is lovely. Nice chic decor and a nice rooftop for cooler evenings. The patio has doors that remain open so the temperature inside was unbearable for me. Someone who does not have a good relationship with heat should not dine here in the heavy hot months. It was difficult to get cool. They don't serve anything in copper cups and there are not any frozen drink offerings. I ordered the crab dip. It was okay. Probably not the best option to go for here. I tried the focaccia which was very good. The Peruvian salmon was really good on the flavor. The rice was extremely overcooked (mushy) as if it had also been sitting. The carrots were pretty good. All of the food was lukewarm. I enjoyed the Queen's Park Swizzle as a refreshing and somewhat cold with plenty of ice. I recommend Nightingale if it's convenient for you. Nightingale is decent place for craft cocktails. I would not recommend on the food alone based on my experience.

The Smoke and Barrel - Clockwise from the top, thick cut bacon, pulled pork, chicken, beef brisket.

The Smoke and Barrel

(228 reviews)

$$

Stopped in around 2 with my husband after realizing we were headed in the wrong direction across…read moreNorth Carolina and needed a quick lunch. Found this place on Yelp and went with it. Seat yourself setup, but plenty of seating available. Our server, Madison, was at the table in under a minute with menus, and food came out in less than 12 minutes. She was efficient and attentive without making us feel rushed. This is a gastropub, meaning a casual bar-style restaurant that puts more focus on food quality than a typical bar menu. The space reflects that. Mix of standard tables with chairs, booths, and a small lounge area with cushioned chairs and a sofa. He ordered the Reuben, I had the pulled pork with collards. Prices were reasonable at $12 for the pork and $13.50 for the Reuben, each with one side. We both wanted the cucumber tomato salad, but they were out. The pulled pork came with a red, vinegar-leaning sauce. Not sweet and not strictly Lexington style, more of a house take on North Carolina barbecue. Still flavorful and satisfying. The collards were good with small bits of bacon that added flavor without overpowering. The Reuben was decent, but the toasted brioche bun stood out. Good texture and held everything together the way it should. The pasta side was fine, nothing memorable. Total bill came to $27.26. We both stuck with water, which keeps things simple and keeps the cost down. Overall, a solid stop for a quick, easy lunch. Nothing over the top, but everything came together the way it should. Must order: Pulled pork with collards Heads up: Sides may run out, have a backup in mind

The food was good, service was ok, the ambiance was beautiful…read more We're Texans so we are super picky about our brisket and this was most definitely nice tender brisket. The flavor was good but not earth shattering. If you aren't a brisket snob, you'll love this place! The bar aspect of this restaurant was really cool looking. We went at an off time and there were a good many people there. Service was pretty slow and not attentive.

The Bar Association - cocktailbars - Updated May 2026

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