Opelika’s Own Speakeasy

By: Chloe Cory

As wind whips around the block in downtown Opelika, Alabama, a large wooden door looms ajar. A piece that looks out of place on the door is a black and gold circle medallion depicting an ornate sitting bear.

Inside sits a woman with a gaggle of friends pressed into a corner booth. They are wearing different hues of blue, green, and black. Lights flash as they take photos in the attire it took careful planning to put together.

"It is my 21st birthday, so I wanted to come to Sneak and Dawdle with my friends. It is the perfect place to celebrate and hang out with friends," said Grace Turney, a junior at Auburn University studying business analytics and aviation management.

If the light is shining on the medallion, Sneak and Dawdle is open. The "sexy cocktail bar" is tucked away at 717 1st Ave Unit B in Opelika.

Matthew Casey, the general manager and bartender, worked at The Hound in Auburn, Alabama, before joining the Sneak and Dawdle crew. Casey has served there for all but three months after they opened and the four months that Covid-19 closed the bar. Sneak and Dawdle opened on New Years' Eve in 2019.

"If I have time to make a drink I like to experiment and get people out of their comfort zones. I like being able to show what a drink can be," said Casey.

Other cocktails specials include the Sneaky Tiki. which is comprised of tequila, light rum, coconut and almond orgeat, lime and kettle sour ale. The Zombear is limited to one per customer and is comprised of lots of rum among other things.

However, if Sneak and Dawdle is slammed, his favorite drink to serve is a Bud Light. These nights are usually the jazz nights held twice a month. No electrical instruments are allowed on jazz night, adding to the atmosphere.

The owner, Matthew Poirier, also owns The Hound and The Depot restaurant in Auburn,

Behind the bar, alcohol is arranged by type of liquor and sliding drawers hide the garnishes for the menu. Casey slides from left to right on a traditional library ladder that is at least 15 feet tall and is attached to the selves as he entertains customers.

On the opposite side are small two-person booths with two larger ones at the ends. Bluish-green velvet curtains hang from the ceiling and can be pulled around the booth for privacy.

Sneak and Dawdle is unique to Opelika in that it is a speakeasy and is not a brewery or restaurant. The closing of 8th and Rail in November of 2021 left the bar without much competition.

The floors and ceilings mimic each other with light wooden slats. The walls are a deep ocean blue with lamps in the shape of seashells. Beyond this, blue floodlights light up the rest of the room with a soft glow. Overall, it gives the illusion of being underwater.

"It's a speakeasy, and those always add something different as a whole to an area. It was a really fun experience not seeing a sign and just walking in. It gives you a taste of what it used to be like during prohibition," said Madison Allen a senior at Auburn University studying public relations.

Plenty of upcoming projects are popping up as the summer months are around the corner. Casey is most excited about the new seasonal cocktail menu being released, he said.

Beyond this, the establishment is expanding to have an outside section with the addition of a closed-in patio. The hopes are that the fenced-in green space will bring in more daytime traffic as, in the past, there was a trend of people waiting until nightfall to come in.

The cocktail bar is open 5 p.m. to midnight Wednesdays-Saturdays and 8 p.m. to midnight on Sunday. Sneak and Dawdle does not have a phone number, therefore, to contact them direct message on Instagram @sneakanddawdle or email info@sneakanddawdle.com them for information.