Absolutely love this place! I stop in every time I’m traveling thru Durham, the drinks are amazing. The vibe is good and chill not too loud. I highly recommend for craft cocktails or any drink really.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
weasel funk
Delicious cocktails, chill atmosphere. Great place to grab a drink before or after a show at
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Kestra James
This is a beautiful bar located on American Tobacco Campus! I loved the ambiance and decor, very sexy!Unfortunately, the night I went, the bar was understaffed and experiend a lot of backup on orders. They got pretty busy around 5pm. We waited about 20 minutes for a cocktail, it was the special (some kind of jalapeño Cucumber tequila drink).I didn't like the cocktail, it didn't seem well balanced to me. We ended up leaving and not ordering anything else because of how busy they were.Service was great and our waitress kindly removed the drinks from our tab that we did not like.I'll try to come back another time and definitely order something else!
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 4
Jessica Bradway
Amazing service along with great cocktails and a delicious cheesecake!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Pumpkin Maple Cheesecake
Ashley Rausch
Awesome service, drinks, and vibe. The staff are SO nice and friendly. They genuinely want to provide great service and treat their customers like family. Our drinks came out great. Highly recommend getting their version of an espresso martini. They use an orange liquor instead of vodka that just adds a nice little umph to the drink. Will be going back soon
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Jim M.
What a great place for a late night cocktail. Be sure and take a stroll through downtown and stop by. The place seems to clear out at 11 PM. Plenty of room for you and and your friends afterward. Hand mixed cocktails of all sorts. Local and historic and brand new stuff.
Becky J.
We loved this place. The drinks were fantastic! And our server checked in with us multiple times. I think we had the best seats in a quiet corner. Super cozy!
Daniel B.
We had a great time at The Waiting Room, a relatively-new cocktail bar and lounge on the American Tobacco Campus in downtown Durham. The Waiting Room opened in December 2022 as a place for folks to get drinks before or after going to a nearby restaurant, the Durham Performing Arts Center (DPAC), the Carolina Theatre, etc. Hence, the business name. That's what we did. We came here after having dinner at Pizzeria Toro (highly recommended, by the way) and beer at Pour Taproom. The Waiting Room was the perfect nightcap for us. I liked the late closing time: 1am on Friday and Saturday nights. We were here well past midnight. It was busy when we arrived on a Saturday around 9:30pm. We got the last open table. The vibe was that of a speakeasy. Low-key, kind of swanky, but not pretentious at all. I liked that it wasn't loud. The staff was welcoming and friendly, and service was excellent -- just one of several things to love about this place. We tried a third of the cocktails on the menu. Here's what we had: Signature * Old Bull ($14) - Conniption gin, Vida mezcal, pineapple juice, lemon juice, agave simple, orange bitters * Wake Up Holland ($14) - Ketel One Oranje, Kahlua, espresso, Baileys salted caramel whip * The Smoking Jacket ($14) - Old Forester 4-year bourbon, dry vermouth, campari, triple sec, lapsang-souchong-infused creme de cacao * Miss Grey's Tea Time ($14) - Lady Grey-infused Conniption gin, lemon juice, agave simple Seasonal * Shut Up & Drink It ($15) - 21 Seeds Cucumber Jalapeno tequila, lime juice, lemon juice, agave, smoked pineapple juice All of the drinks were outstanding. They were definitely among the best we've had in the Triangle. Flavorful, balanced, creative, well-executed, and high-quality. My wife's favorite drink was Wake Up Holland because she loves a good espresso martini and The Waiting Room put their own spin on that classic drink. The spin being the whipped cream and orange zest (the latter wasn't mentioned in the menu description above). My favorite drink was The Smoking Jacket. It was a smoked old fashioned, but not just any smoked old fashioned. It was the best smoked old fashioned I've had to date. The smoker was locally-made by Oak & Iron. There was a strong smokiness in every sip and it was great, not overpowering. The drink itself was among the most complex old fashioneds I've had. Miss Grey's Tea Time is ideal for people who love tea. It's like a hard Arnold Palmer, but fancy and in cocktail form. The Waiting Room also serves beer, wine, champagne, and non-alcoholic beverages including coffee. Additionally, they offer food -- small plates and sweets/desserts. Tables next to us ordered the Deviled Eggs ($12) and Strawberry Shortcake ($12) and they looked good. It's table service here so you don't have to go to the bar to order drinks. Our servers were very attentive. I recommend this place. Note on parking: The Waiting Room doesn't have dedicated parking. One place I suggest parking is the City of Durham's Corcoran Street Garage at 110 E Corcoran St. It costs $2.25 per hour to park in that garage, Monday-Friday, 8am-7pm. Otherwise, it's free. Most hours The Waiting Room is open is outside of the enforced-parking hours.
Abel A.
I spend New Years Eve here and it was everything I expected and more. Great chill crowd with amazing cocktails. Music was mellow but at times just got you in the mood to dance. Friendly staff and the owners are extremely friendly. Can't say enough good things about this place.
We had walked by this place several times on our way to shows at DPAC and even tried going one Sunday but they were closed. We finally walked over from downtown on a Saturday in Durham just about the time the show at DPAC was starting. It was full when we stepped in but practically emptied out when theatergoers left. It slowly filled up again during our visit. We enjoyed a boozy hot chocolate, a In Fashioned cocktail, and some deviled eggs with furikake (delicious!). They also had other light bites but we had eaten dinner earlier. We had a nice chat with our server who I think is actually one of the owners. It was the holiday season so the decor was festive, and the vibe was energetic and fun but not too loud. We'll be back.
TarHeel
We had walked by this place several times on our way to shows at DPAC and even tried going one Sunday but they were closed. We finally walked over from downtown on a Saturday in Durham just about the time the show at DPAC was starting. It was full when we stepped in but practically emptied out when theatergoers left. It slowly filled up again during our visit. We enjoyed a boozy hot chocolate, a In Fashioned cocktail, and some deviled eggs with furikake (delicious!). We had a nice chat with our server who I think is actually one of the owners. It was the holiday season so the decor was festive, and the vibe was energetic and fun but not too loud. We'll be back.
Brian Ertzinger
Super nice bartenders and a great vibe. We were full and didn’t try and food but a nice selection on the menu. Try a smoked drink!
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Netu K
Great atmosphere. Cocktails are super yummy! Servers were kind. Enjoyed it.
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Business AsUsual
This was a nice find after the comedy show. Small, intimate, good drinks, great staff. Will definitely go again!!
Went for cocktails and this was a idyllic spot
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Absolutely love this place! I stop in every time I’m traveling thru Durham, the drinks are amazing. The vibe is good and chill not too loud. I highly recommend for craft cocktails or any drink really.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Delicious cocktails, chill atmosphere. Great place to grab a drink before or after a show at
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
This is a beautiful bar located on American Tobacco Campus! I loved the ambiance and decor, very sexy!Unfortunately, the night I went, the bar was understaffed and experiend a lot of backup on orders. They got pretty busy around 5pm. We waited about 20 minutes for a cocktail, it was the special (some kind of jalapeño Cucumber tequila drink).I didn't like the cocktail, it didn't seem well balanced to me. We ended up leaving and not ordering anything else because of how busy they were.Service was great and our waitress kindly removed the drinks from our tab that we did not like.I'll try to come back another time and definitely order something else!
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 4
Amazing service along with great cocktails and a delicious cheesecake!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Pumpkin Maple Cheesecake
Awesome service, drinks, and vibe. The staff are SO nice and friendly. They genuinely want to provide great service and treat their customers like family. Our drinks came out great. Highly recommend getting their version of an espresso martini. They use an orange liquor instead of vodka that just adds a nice little umph to the drink. Will be going back soon
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
What a great place for a late night cocktail. Be sure and take a stroll through downtown and stop by. The place seems to clear out at 11 PM. Plenty of room for you and and your friends afterward. Hand mixed cocktails of all sorts. Local and historic and brand new stuff.
We loved this place. The drinks were fantastic! And our server checked in with us multiple times. I think we had the best seats in a quiet corner. Super cozy!
We had a great time at The Waiting Room, a relatively-new cocktail bar and lounge on the American Tobacco Campus in downtown Durham. The Waiting Room opened in December 2022 as a place for folks to get drinks before or after going to a nearby restaurant, the Durham Performing Arts Center (DPAC), the Carolina Theatre, etc. Hence, the business name. That's what we did. We came here after having dinner at Pizzeria Toro (highly recommended, by the way) and beer at Pour Taproom. The Waiting Room was the perfect nightcap for us. I liked the late closing time: 1am on Friday and Saturday nights. We were here well past midnight. It was busy when we arrived on a Saturday around 9:30pm. We got the last open table. The vibe was that of a speakeasy. Low-key, kind of swanky, but not pretentious at all. I liked that it wasn't loud. The staff was welcoming and friendly, and service was excellent -- just one of several things to love about this place. We tried a third of the cocktails on the menu. Here's what we had: Signature * Old Bull ($14) - Conniption gin, Vida mezcal, pineapple juice, lemon juice, agave simple, orange bitters * Wake Up Holland ($14) - Ketel One Oranje, Kahlua, espresso, Baileys salted caramel whip * The Smoking Jacket ($14) - Old Forester 4-year bourbon, dry vermouth, campari, triple sec, lapsang-souchong-infused creme de cacao * Miss Grey's Tea Time ($14) - Lady Grey-infused Conniption gin, lemon juice, agave simple Seasonal * Shut Up & Drink It ($15) - 21 Seeds Cucumber Jalapeno tequila, lime juice, lemon juice, agave, smoked pineapple juice All of the drinks were outstanding. They were definitely among the best we've had in the Triangle. Flavorful, balanced, creative, well-executed, and high-quality. My wife's favorite drink was Wake Up Holland because she loves a good espresso martini and The Waiting Room put their own spin on that classic drink. The spin being the whipped cream and orange zest (the latter wasn't mentioned in the menu description above). My favorite drink was The Smoking Jacket. It was a smoked old fashioned, but not just any smoked old fashioned. It was the best smoked old fashioned I've had to date. The smoker was locally-made by Oak & Iron. There was a strong smokiness in every sip and it was great, not overpowering. The drink itself was among the most complex old fashioneds I've had. Miss Grey's Tea Time is ideal for people who love tea. It's like a hard Arnold Palmer, but fancy and in cocktail form. The Waiting Room also serves beer, wine, champagne, and non-alcoholic beverages including coffee. Additionally, they offer food -- small plates and sweets/desserts. Tables next to us ordered the Deviled Eggs ($12) and Strawberry Shortcake ($12) and they looked good. It's table service here so you don't have to go to the bar to order drinks. Our servers were very attentive. I recommend this place. Note on parking: The Waiting Room doesn't have dedicated parking. One place I suggest parking is the City of Durham's Corcoran Street Garage at 110 E Corcoran St. It costs $2.25 per hour to park in that garage, Monday-Friday, 8am-7pm. Otherwise, it's free. Most hours The Waiting Room is open is outside of the enforced-parking hours.
I spend New Years Eve here and it was everything I expected and more. Great chill crowd with amazing cocktails. Music was mellow but at times just got you in the mood to dance. Friendly staff and the owners are extremely friendly. Can't say enough good things about this place.
Restaurantji Recommends
We had walked by this place several times on our way to shows at DPAC and even tried going one Sunday but they were closed. We finally walked over from downtown on a Saturday in Durham just about the time the show at DPAC was starting. It was full when we stepped in but practically emptied out when theatergoers left. It slowly filled up again during our visit. We enjoyed a boozy hot chocolate, a In Fashioned cocktail, and some deviled eggs with furikake (delicious!). They also had other light bites but we had eaten dinner earlier. We had a nice chat with our server who I think is actually one of the owners. It was the holiday season so the decor was festive, and the vibe was energetic and fun but not too loud. We'll be back.
We had walked by this place several times on our way to shows at DPAC and even tried going one Sunday but they were closed. We finally walked over from downtown on a Saturday in Durham just about the time the show at DPAC was starting. It was full when we stepped in but practically emptied out when theatergoers left. It slowly filled up again during our visit. We enjoyed a boozy hot chocolate, a In Fashioned cocktail, and some deviled eggs with furikake (delicious!). We had a nice chat with our server who I think is actually one of the owners. It was the holiday season so the decor was festive, and the vibe was energetic and fun but not too loud. We'll be back.
Super nice bartenders and a great vibe. We were full and didn’t try and food but a nice selection on the menu. Try a smoked drink!
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Great atmosphere. Cocktails are super yummy! Servers were kind. Enjoyed it.
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
This was a nice find after the comedy show. Small, intimate, good drinks, great staff. Will definitely go again!!
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5