I am the last barman poet / I see America drinking the fabulous cocktails I make / The sex on the…read morebeach / The schnapps made from peach / The velvet hammer / The Alabama slammer / The Singapore sling / The dingaling. / America you've just been devoted to every flavor I got / But if you want to got loaded / Why don't you just order a shot? / Bar is open. - "Cocktail," 1988 Do you remember Tom Cruise in that movie? When he went down to Jamaica and became a big shot? That used to be my dream! So when I found out there is actually a school in Raleigh that teach and certify students to be come full fledged bartenders, of course I jump on the first chance I could get. The school is located in a rather compact upstairs room in an office complex off Six Forks Rd, but it sort of give you a real feel of working in a real local, hole-in-the-wall, kind of bar. The instructor for my class is very knowledgeable, being in the business of going on 25 years of bartending, hosting parties, and instructing up and coming young bartenders. There is a solid structure to her method and course work, and always challenge to learn and practice more. I wouldn't be surprised if I can handle myself our there in the Raleigh nightlife after finishing my certification. So remember Coughlin's law: never tell tales about a woman, she'll hear you no matter how far away she is!

The school was good and helpful but they do not help you with job placement at all I took my…read morebartending class in September 2019 and I think I was scammed because he said I could bartend at 18 in NC & I spent about $500 on the course so idk if I would recommend.

The booklet was useful but pretty elementary. It was read aloud by the instructor, and some…read moreadditional information was dictated to us as "notes." The practice bar was not at all what one would encounter in a real setting. No sinks, ice bins, soda gun and the liquors on the speed rack were just colored water or plain water. There was not a full complement of types of drink glasses to use for practice and there was no mixer/blender that would normally be at a bar. It would be useful to practice in an actual bar before opening given the cost of the class.

Absolute fucking bullshit. Save your money and just watch YouTube or do flash cards at home, tweak…read moreyour resume and lie about having past experience because the truth is no one will hire you and this fucking place DOES NOT DO JOB PLACEMENT. I got my bullshit certificate emailed to me along with a list of local places that might be hiring. I can do that myself with Google. Its supposed to be a 3 hr long class for two weeks but the instructor cut it short and left after the first hr and half because she had to pick her son up from soccer. The whole thing was reading a work book out loud and playing fake kitchen fisher price style. And the test you take at home on your own time. Seriously, you could totally cheat on the answers and still ​pass. Seriously save yourself time, money and frustration. If you're currently taking the course, just ask for a refund.

A must do! Kate the owner is awesome. I don't know how she coordinates everything so calmly, it…read morewould honestly be my worst nightmare to have so many cooks in the kitchen haha! We attended the Summer Vegetarian class. Kate gave a brief intro to what each station entailed, and you could pick one that you wanted to work on. Kate and her assistant would walk around and help as needed, and call everyone over at certain parts to show how things were being prepared or cooked. Most of the food she was as using she had bought at the farmers market. We had some appetizers while finishing up the cooking, and at the end we all sat together in the dining room for a full meal. All of the food was delicious! Kate sends the recipes out via email after the class. I will definitely be trying some of them out at home, and looking to take a class in the future. Don't expect to master any of the recipes during this class, but you will gain some tips and come away with a full belly and some new recipes. You can bring your own beer and wine, and she also provided water and lemonade for us. Our class ran about 30 minutes over, so depending on how many dishes she has planned be prepared for class to go a little longer.

We had taken a dim sum class with Chef Katie many years ago at her old location and signed up for a…read moredumplings class recently on a Saturday morning. Classes are out of her home in a residential area, so follow the directions she sends you. She had done most of the prep work, showed us each recipe, and then let all of the participants wash their hands and get to work. Everyone wore a mask, and outdoor seating was available for anyone not comfortable dining indoors just. We got to rotate through various stations and Katie did some of the more intensive cooking, like the deep frying. She was very helpful with tips and checking to see how everyone was doing. After everything was cooked, we sat down to eat. Boy, there was a lot, and everything was delicious! We made gnocchi, pierogies, momos, potstickers, samosas, and apple dumplings. Water was provided and you can BYOB if you like. It did take a little bit longer than scheduled but not too much so. She followed up a few days later by emailing the recipes to us. A great experience for foodies!

We had a painting session arranged by our manager (therefore I have no information on cost). We…read morewere able to bring in our own food to enjoy before the painting fun began. Our instructor was Reagan. She was positive, kind, patient, professional, and very talented. We did a very simple painting as we were limited on time and none of us are artists. It was a great teambuilding activity. They did have a bar with beer and wine. The rest of the staff was also very friendly and helpful They are in a plaza so there is plenty of parking

Went to a large group party and had a wonderful time. I didn't realize they had a bar inside so you…read morecould order drinks. Nice! I had a great time and the art instructor was really supportive. We laughed a lot and I will definitely go back with friends! I have no skills but I had a lot of fun.

I had a great experience at ABC Bartending School's Fayetteville location! Ashley was…read moreamazing--knowledgeable, patient and encouraging throughout the training. The school provides realistic, hands-on experience in an environment that closely resembles an actual bar. I left feeling confident and prepared to work behind the bar. I highly recommend this program!

I highly recommend this class to anyone. the class was fun and she made sure we were comfortable…read moreand knew what we were doing.

Very reliable restaurant with great food and awesome service…read more I recommend their catering

Catering By Design catered a family reunion for me in Cary. The food was outstanding and I am a…read morevery difficult person to please! Michelle set up the entire buffet with disposable chafing dishes and sterno and everything stayed warm and delicious. Our menu was a 5 star Greek salad with strawberries and feta, grilled vegetables, penne with red peppers and basil cream sauce, mashed red skin potatoes and rolled chicken breast stuffed with mushrooms in a cream sauce. I would highly recommend every dish we had.

I had an amazing experience at ABC Bartending School in Greensboro, NC! I attended the 2-week night…read moreclass (4 classes total) and was actually able to complete the course by class 3 because of how well everything was taught. Tevin was extremely thorough. He didn't just teach us how to make drinks -- he broke down how to properly run a bar, handle real-life bar scenarios, and navigate challenging situations professionally. The hands-on training and realistic examples really made a difference. He also made the class fun and engaging, which helped everything stick. I created my own study guide from the notes I took in class, and as long as you pay attention and take good notes, you will pass with no problem. One thing I really appreciated is that they allow you to come back as often as you like for additional practice. That shows they truly care about their students being confident and prepared, not just passing the test. 10/10 experience. I left feeling knowledgeable, confident, and ready to step behind a bar. Highly recommend! Great experience from start to finish!

Instructor is great however who is working in the office has poor listening skills and bad customer…read moreservice skills. Highly annoying

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.

Stopped by the Velvet Hippo while out in downtown Durham. When you arrive parking can be a bit…read moretricky in this area as you'll need to find street parking or park in a nearby lot. When you walk in you'll need to either take the elevator or stairs up to the third floor. Once inside the bar you'll feel like you've been transported to an upscale, tropical bar. To order you'll need to walk up to the bar to place your order. I ordered the Hot Girl Summer (Olmeca Altos Reposado, fresh watermelon, Gran Gala orange liqueur, house-made habanero syrup, lime, salt half rim) which was so good. I also ordered a cheetahs do it in the dark (Astral Añejo tequila, Licor 43, Caffè Borghetti liqueur, espresso, orange twist) which was also excellent. I'd recommend walking out to the rooftop if it isn't too hot. There are several tables and the views of the city are nice. Definitely will come back to the velvet hippo next time I'm in Durham.

Chef Zacki has brought her cooking expertise to our group twice in the past six months. This time…read moreour session was Zacki's Fig Cook 'n Your Nook. We learned how to create delicious fig dishes. We all love figs, but didn't know what to do with them! We made an appetizer, main and dessert all with figs and some fun too. We highly recommend Chef Zacki to any foodies and those that love to cook and learn new recipes

Zacki was easy to work with and delivered our anniversary meal as promised. The food was superb,…read morealthough one dish was overcooked, possibly due to the distance traveled. Her deviled eggs were outstanding! Would definitely use again.