‘Social playground’ to replace former Carolina Ale House in Glenwood South
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- LM Restaurants will open Smash Social Club in former downtown Raleigh Carolina Ale House.
- The 9,600-square-foot venue will offer pingpong, shuffleboard and darts.
- Menu features bar fare and drinks; gameplay reservations run $8–$40 per 90 minutes.
The building that formerly housed the popular sports bar Carolina Ale House will soon have a new tenant.
In November, Carolina Ale House owner LM Restaurants will open Smash Social Club, an “upscale social playground,” restaurant and bar, in the ale house space on Glenwood Avenue. The concept was previously announced in April as “a bold and vibrant concept that will redefine social gaming and nightlife in the city.”
Across 9,600 square feet, Smash Social Club will offer games including pingpong and shuffleboard alongside food and drinks.
“Smash Social Club is all about connection and play,” Amber Moshakos, president of LM Restaurants, said in a news release. “We mixed great food and handcrafted drinks with the fun of classics like table tennis and beer pong, plus tech-supercharged darts and shuffleboard. It’s an elevated, high-energy space made for Raleigh — perfect for groups, celebrations and unforgettable nights on Glenwood.”
Smash Social Club menu
Food offerings at the restaurant will center around classic bar fare: cornbread bites with honey butter, nachos with barbacoa or chicken tinga, sweet heat Korean wings, fries, salads, pizzas, sliders and taco flights.
Drink options will include cocktails, craft and domestic beer, wine and non-alcoholic beverages.
Games at Smash Social Club
Unlike Carolina Ale House, which drew sports fans — namely Carolina Hurricanes fans — wanting to watch games, Smash Social Club invites visitors to take part in the action.
In the main barroom, which features a 26-seat bar, the venue will have a King Table, a pingpong table with banquette seating for up to eight that can be reserved.
A Paddle Room will have an additional three pingpong tables, a projection screen, TVs and banquette seating.
On outdoor terraces facing Tucker Street and Glenwood Avenue, visitors can play shuffleboard on tech-enhanced tables featuring digital scoring and social media-enabled replays. There are also five pingpong tables and beer pong tables, plus a Dart Garden with electric dartboards.
While there’s no membership required to play games at Smash Social Club, customers will have to reserve gameplay either ahead of time or during their visit. The cost of 90 minutes of gameplay varies from $8 to $40.
Throughout Smash Social Club, the decor will match the games offered, with a neon paddle light fixture, ball-inspired hanging lights and murals by Durham-based artist Gabriel Eng-Goetz.
Smash Social Club location
Smash Social Club is located at 500 Glenwood Ave., on the third floor, in downtown Raleigh. Expected to open in November, its hours will be 4-11 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 3 p.m.-2 a.m. Friday, noon to 2 a.m. Saturday and noon to 11 p.m. Sunday.
This is the latest concept for the hospitality group LM Restaurants, which is behind more than two dozen Carolina Ale House locations, Taverna Agora, Vidrio, Birdie’s Barroom and Kitchen and a’Verde Cocina and Tequila Library.
This story was originally published October 30, 2025 at 6:00 AM with the headline "‘Social playground’ to replace former Carolina Ale House in Glenwood South."
