Vlad V.
Yelp
As the self appointed king of speakeasies, I'm back at it with another one. This time was checking out a speakeasy located in the heart of downtown Gilbert on a Friday evening at 9 p.m. I parked for free on the street before making my way to The White Rabbit. There are some things I really love about The White Rabbit and some that I didn't.
Ambiance (3/5): When I think of a speakeasy, I think intimate. The White Rabbit is not that. It's pretty large for a speakeasy with a large bar and a good number of tables/booths. They weren't at capacity while I was there, but there were a good number of people there. Which made it pretty loud. To the point where you have to yell at your bartender when ordering your drink so they can hear you. Perhaps a much different experience on a week day.
Getting in the speakeasy was both a hit and a miss. If you're subscribed to their email list, as I am, you get a different password every month. I was excited about this. Upon approaching The White Rabbit, I saw a sign naming the establishment and pointing me in the right direction. This takes away from the spirit of speakeasies which are supposed to be truly hidden without any signage identifying the restaurant. You'll see a velvet rope blocking a stairwell where you tell one of the bouncers the password. I had a reservation. If you don't know the password, as another party there didn't, they ask you to access a QR code to find out or ask others who are waiting. I appreciated the dedication to the cause.
Once you get in, you walk down the stairwell, and then enter a cool hallway decked out with Prohibition-style decor. That leads you into the main room. The main room is also Prohibition-style though a bit unremarkable. The bathrooms are clean and also feature some cool paintings (and they also hide that they are actual bathrooms). With that being said, when I liked the hallway and the bathrooms better than the bar itself, that's a bit of an issue. Seats at the bar are bar stools without back support. Never fun for my old man back. I did, on the other hand, appreciate that they have free WiFi.
Service (3.5/5): The service was generally pretty good, though a bit slow. They start you off with some water without asking you which is always a nice touch. It was just one of those situations where you have to put some effort into getting a bartender's attention on several occasions.
Food (N/A): I had dinner prior so no food for me. I did check out the menu. They have a small selection of appetizers, flatbreads, and desserts.
Drinks (3/5): When I'm at a speakeasy, I'm looking for creativity and an interesting blend of ingredients and flavors. While The White Rabbit has a good number of cocktails, many of them didn't attract me. Part of it is a matter of personal preference. There were only two drinks out of about 20 that I was interested in. Overall, I wanted a little more, but with that being said, the drinks were reasonably priced for a speakeasy.
Not a bad speakeasy by any means, I have super high standards when it comes to these watering holes. Just not in my top five when it comes to speakeasies in Phoenix and surrounding areas.