Secret doors, underground worlds: 6 secret speakeasies hidden in Raleigh
During the Prohibition era in the Roaring Twenties, when the sale of alcohol was banned for more than a decade, the idea of a 'bar' fell by the wayside – but hidden speakeasies became the new norm.
In order for people to enjoy a taste of their favorite cocktail or liquor, they had to find these 'secret' locations. Known as 'speakeasies,' these secret bars had passwords and hidden doors. Some were even hidden underneath the city.
The term 'speakeasy' came into popularity as patrons were cautioned to 'speak easy,' or quietly, so officials wouldn't notice the illegal activities happening right under their noses. The illegal bars were also known as 'blind pigs' and 'gin joints' and many other code words to help them operate covertly.
Rumors of at least one speakeasy cloistered beneath Fayetteville Street in Raleigh were seemingly proven true in 2020 when construction workers renovating a senior living facility – which once served as a grand 1920s hotel – busted down a wall and discovered a secret door that led to an underground bar.
The allure and appeal of speakeasies has become part of American nostalgia, and in recent years, Raleigh has seen a revival of modern day speakeasies. Paying homage to these 1920s classics, some of the best speakeasies in Raleigh honor the old traditions: Hiding behind secret doors and bookshelves, using puzzles and passwords to help patrons find the entrance, or even cloistering underneath the city itself. Hidden down long, dark hallways and mysterious staircases and alleyways – here's a look at some of the best speakeasies in Raleigh.
1. The Merchant NC: Secret door hidden behind a soda machine
Address: 126 S. Salisbury St.
The Merchant NC is a quiet speakeasy hidden behind a secret door made to look like a vintage soda machine. It sits within an antique 1922 structure and pays homage to the building as a "forgotten piece of Raleigh's rich history," which once held the North Carolina Merchant's Association.
Their Instagram is covered with hazy cocktails featuring smokey steam rolling over the sides of skull-shaped glasses. They offer unique cocktails, like the Black Sails, Blue Waters, which features a gray cloud of cotton candy 'raining' a blended drink into the cocktail below.
Owner Jon Seelbinder told WRAL News that he often sees people wandering up and down the street in search of the bar, but they always seem to find it.
“People sometimes have trouble finding us, but that’s really the whole point,” said Seelbinder.
2. The Green Light: Secret door behind a bookcase
Address: 108 E. Hargett St.
The Green Light uses two of the best speakeasy tropes: A secret door hidden behind a bookshelf and a little green light to covertly let patrons know they're open.
This little speakeasy is actually hidden inside another bar – how sneaky!
If you've ever noticed a little green light shining in a shining alongside a bookshelf in The Architect – another bar and social house – that's your clue. If it's glowing green, then you can push the bookshelf aside – and step into a covert speakeasy hidden inside the walls of the bar.
Inside, you'll find a glossy wooden bar lined with tufted red leather chairs – and a world of cocktails glowing by candlelight.
3. FOUNDATION: Hidden stairs take you under downtown Raleigh
Address: 213 Fayetteville St.
A mysterious-looking staircase sinking into Fayetteville Street is your hint that this speakeasy is nearby.
A red neon sign reading "Foundation" is your next clue.
Step beneath Raleigh into this underground speakeasy, a world of classic Old Fashions and old-world cocktails.
4. Watts & Ward: Speakeasy hidden in the basement of a historic Raleigh building
Address: 200 S. Blount St.
Step out of Raleigh and into the 1920s in this hidden underground speakeasy beneath a historic building in downtown. With tufted leather couches and low lighting, the shadowy hallways take you right into the heart of speakeasy culture.
Watts & Ward was built in the basement of a historic Raleigh building with the intention of reflecting on the history of speakeasies and prohibition – right down to an antique, hand-carved walnut bar from an old church in Pittsburgh.
The speakeasy is broken down into sections, with each area taking you deeper and deeper into the past as you walk through. The first area is designed to reflect the mid-1950s. The section is modeled after the industrial era, while the final room, the library, is all about the late 1800s and early 1900s. Old books, shoes and even an old cash register help give this final room its charm.
5. Aunty Betty's Gin & Absinthe Bar: Tucked away inside a popular food hall
Address: 411 W Morgan St
I've walked through Morgan Street Food Hall dozens of times, but never noticed the speakeasy tucked away in the corner.
Aunty Betty's is an eclectic and colorful speakeasy that feels like stepping into an absinthe wonderland – and nothing screams roaring 20's speakeasy like gin and absinthe.
6. Atlantic Lounge: This Raleigh speakeasy required a key to get inside
Address: 620 N. Person Street
In the true spirit of a speakeasy, The Atlantic Lounge required a secret key to get inside. "Knock at your own risk" said a warning sign on the member's only lounge.
According to the bar's Instagram, it closed at the end of 2023, but "your keys will transfer" to the new space opening instead.
Award-winning Chef Scott Crawford is reportedly taking over and opening a new space called Sous Terre - which means 'underground' in French.
The less than 1,000 square-foot space will offer bar seating for 35 people. The new cocktail bar occupy the space beneath Jolie, a French bistro already owned by Crawford.
Raleigh's best speakeasies are secretive - did we miss any?
Did we miss one of the coolest and most hidden speakeasies in Raleigh? Let us know about it (and if you have photos, even better!) by emailing hleah@wral.com.
Step inside this lost time capsule - a real speakeasy from the 1920s that'd been sealed away for decades beneath downtown Raleigh.
Or, if you're looking for cocktail bars to explore in Raleigh, take a look at some of these over-the-top, striking, gigantic or unusual cocktails: The most Instagram-worthy cocktails in Raleigh.
