Watts and Ward - Raleigh N.C.

We walked to the corner of E. Hargett and S Blount street and there's a gate around the stairs that go downstairs to the basement. There's a host who's seated at the entrance of Watts and Ward and will ask if you're a member. If you're not, you'll have to pay a regular price of around $6. The host let us know if we're not members we can sign up for a membership which is $2 for a year membership. As far as membership fees, the $2 for the year is excellent value. We signed up for the membership and entered. We walked down the stairs to the basement and had to push open a door to get into the building. Once in, we walked down a hall and at the end took a right which leads you to the main areas. What was surprising was how large the speakeasy is and there are different rooms that can each hold approximately 20-30 people. It's definitely different from your more intimate speakeasies which are smaller with more secrecy. 

Watts and Ward certainly has the appearance of a speakeasy with their dark furniture and walls accented with the amber lighting typically associated with the 1920s. The place is very nice and clean and there's plenty of seating in each of the separate rooms. The place has a nice, cool feel and there wasn't really any smell or scent in the speakeasy. It almost had a damp basement smell, but it was nice and cool. 

We went early before the crowds and there were already people there. At Watts and Ward, there's no dress code. We saw people in t-shirts and shorts with sneakers and it wasn't like some speakeasies where there's a dress code. I wish there was more of a dress code here. My thought is this is a speakeasy themed hidden bar, but it's open to just about anyone willing to pay the membership fee. There's no hidden entrance or secret password or code needed, but in a way, the entrance is hidden or guarded by a host and you have to be a member to enter. 

I didn't see any menus, but they did have a QR code you could scan with you phone to look up the website and drink menu. They have a variety of drinks and that include classics, house classics, bartender creations as well as other drink options including mocktails. We ordered the Old Fashioned and then I asked the bartender what they recommended. 

The bartender asked me a few questions, like, "What's your preferred alcohol?", "Are you looking for something strong, sweet, savory?" "Do you have any allergies?" I really appreciated how the bartender asked me good questions to see if they could make a recommendation. The bartender then proceeded to turn into a mixologist measuring ingredients and pouring them into the shaker. I asked our mixologist what drink they made and they said it was just something they made up and was "off the menu". It was delicious and I told the mixologist it should be on the menu. To which they laughed and said thank you. It had about 6 ingredients including tequila and egg whites and was very tasty with a perfect balance of flavors. The Old Fashioned was smooth and mixed perfectly. These two drinks hit the mark and validated my thought that speakeasy mixologists can really create world class craft cocktails. 

Watts and Ward is nice, clean with a huge layout that includes several different rooms. It has a great vibe and the ambiance transforms you back to the 1920s. They played music that wasn't too loud, but at a softer volume where you could listen and still have a conversation without yelling or straining your ears. The drinks we ordered were excellent and decently priced. Both drinks and a tip cost us $37. The customer service was great. Our first interaction was with the host when we first arrived and they told us about the membership. Our second interaction was with the mixologist who was serving other patrons, but made time for us to ask what we were looking for in a drink. Not over the top customer service, but simple and to the point in a good way. 

Overall, Watts and Ward is a great speakeasy themed bar. The size of the bar is a lot bigger than most speakeasies, and it does lose the intimacy most speakeasies have, but each room can be its own "individual" speakeasy if you want to look at it that way. As for the design and decor, it was on point and was reminiscent of the prohibition era. The drink menu was good and while I miss seeing and feeling a hardbound leather menu, the QR code to pull up the menu on your phone was a slight change bringing this speakeasy to the now and present. If you're in Raleigh, N.C., I recommend stopping by.