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    The Bar Association

    4.8 (8 reviews)
    Closed 12:00 pm - 12:00 am (Next day)
    Updated 3 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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    3 years ago

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    2 years 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 Sycamore at Chatham Mills - Black Grouper

    The Sycamore at Chatham Mills

    4.2(58 reviews)
    50.4 mi

    If you are looking for an upscale restaurant with a great ambiance this is your spot. The…read morerestaurant is in an old mill and has unique brickwork and exposed beams to really set a fun experience. They have a piano player playing quietly to really create a lovely atmosphere for a quiet dinner where you can talk with your company. The menu is à la carte. The worst thing is deciding what to eat because you want to order everything on the menu. We had a group of 4 and we all ordered different entrees. We started with a bottle of wine but their cocktail list looked amazing and I will try that next time. The bottle we ordered was on the dry side but ended up complimenting our meal very well. I ordered the beef tenderloin with mashed potatoes and mushrooms and it was excellent. Perfectly tender. My table also ordered stuffed scallops, the ribeye, and the halibut. I wish I had taken a picture of the menu because the sauces served with each meal really brought out the flavors. The dessert menu was also excellent. They offered a gluten free apple streusel and it was so great to have a dessert.

    We enjoyed a delightful dinner at The Sycamore. Repurposing part Chatham Mills into a fine…read morerestaurant allowed the historic elements of the building create a unique atmosphere. While rustic, The Sycamore feels very upscale. Service was excellent! We were warmly greeted by the hostess and our server was engaging. She provided excellent recommendations for us. Drinks from the bar were deliciously crafted. The sides are sized for the table and I highly recommend the Mac N Cheese. We had the Winter Mushroom Ravioli, Butter-Poached Lobster, and the Grilled Bistro Filet. All three were perfect. Our dinner was completed with their impeccable Spiced Sweet Potato Cake. The Sycamore is a terrific choice for a fine dinner to celebrate a special occasion, for a date, or just to have a nice experience with friends. I'd love to take advantage of the Lounge which can be reserved for private gatherings. Definitely put The Sycamore at Chatham Mills on your short list...and move it to the top.

    Photos
    The Sycamore at Chatham Mills - Bar area before they opened

    Bar area before they opened

    The Sycamore at Chatham Mills - Hawe River Mushrooms

    Hawe River Mushrooms

    The Sycamore at Chatham Mills - Dining area before they opened

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    Dining area before they opened

    Nightingale Rooftop - CRAB TOTS

    Nightingale Rooftop

    3.9(71 reviews)
    30.5 mi

    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.

    Photos
    Nightingale Rooftop - Yellow Room

    Yellow Room

    Nightingale Rooftop - Sticky Toffee Pudding!

    Sticky Toffee Pudding!

    Nightingale Rooftop - Rum Merchant

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    Rum Merchant

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

    The Smoke and Barrel

    4.0(229 reviews)
    48.5 mi
    $$

    We came here to see a band we really enjoy and they were great! We hadn't been to S&B before and it…read morewas quite the drive to get there. Even tho we planned to arrive well before the band would start playing to have dinner, we were lucky to find a parking place, let alone a table. The interior inside is really lovely. The staff is terrific and the food was very good. I had the pastrami Ruben with the tomato & cucumber salad. Both were very tasty. My spouse had a BLT and a salad which she enjoyed. For dessert we shared the butter toffee bundt cake that has a caramel glaze and is topped with a small scoop of local ice cream. It was absolutely incredible!! We wanted to order another, it was so good! If we're in the area sometime I'd like to stop in for lunch and that mouth watering bundt cake. I would hesitate to come back in the evening, only because as the night went on there were some patrons so drunk that the atmosphere started feeling really amped up in a concerning way, like a fight was about to break out at any moment. It's not a big place inside so it could quickly get out of hand. I can say when something like that happens anywhere, it's not a situation to find yourself in as an innocent bystander. Had it not been for that element it would have been a really enjoyable night out, but alcohol and aholes don't mix well together. I'm still going to rate it high for the delicious food, friendly and attentive service, the beautiful interior, and the great music.

    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

    Photos
    The Smoke and Barrel
    The Smoke and Barrel - Brisket sandwich - not good

    Brisket sandwich - not good

    The Smoke and Barrel - Monthly bottle choice. Solid local cider.

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    Monthly bottle choice. Solid local cider.

    The Bar Association - cocktailbars - Updated May 2026

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