Citizen R+D

If this concept was in a big city it would be a hit but this is Old Town.  We got there around midnight on a Friday and called the # and was told it would be 15-20 min and we should wait at the bottom of the stairs.  I don't mind waiting but the bottom of the stairs is right next to the smelly dumpster that has been sitting in the 110 degree sun all day.

My friend got tired of the smell and moved up to the top landing only to be chased back down by the hostess when she went to let out another group of people.
After 20 min we finally get called and head upstairs.  The cocktail list is AMAZING but be prepared to wait, our first round of 3 drinks took 15 min to get.  The place wasn't busy at all.  It seats 30 but there were maybe 12 people there.  They also have a separate late night menu than the one listed on the drink menu so we had to wait for the new menu before we could rethink our order.

I know it was their late night menu but it left a lot to be desired and if you don't like pork there is like 1 option for you in the hummus plate.  I got the porkbelly bahn Mi which was mediocre.  No flavor from the pork at all and the pickled vegetables overwhelmed the entire sandwich.

The speak easy concept is interesting but I don't know how it would ever work at this location  Guys aren't allowed to approach girls but are encouraged to send drinks to a lady they may be interested in.  With only 30 people in the room, that doesn't leave a lot of room for interaction with strangers.  Also would have been nice to be informed of the 20% service charge automatically added to all drinks.  Auto Grat makes for lazy servers.

So. Worth. It.

Definitely a "speakeasy". Find the staircase and call the phone number. Theyll ask how many you have and what your name is. A word of caution, if you try and bring a larger group here go right when they open. Cuz otherwise youre not getting in. This place in ti-ny and once youre there, youll be there a while.

We waited about an hour to get in, even w/ a group of 3. There were 2 groups ahead of us.

Their cocktail menu is impressive. We all had 2 drinks each, all different. Cuz why not right? My friend had a Hummingbird lane (delicious) and a Dolce. The Dolce was her fave. I was lucky enough to snag a sip and man, it was good. Cream cheese foam?! Yes please. Her husband had an Aztec (his fave) and a GI Joe. This is an interesting one. Its green and sparkly. If you like really dirty martinis, youll love this one.I had a Blue Eyed Swizzle (very sweet) and a Fallen Angel (loved it).

They serve a limited app menu from Citizen downstairs as well.

We had 6 drinks and 2 apps, and our bill was over $100. Thats the downside, they add gratuity to every drink.

The mixologists and door man were very, very nice and attentive. It does take about 10 mins per drink to make so yes, you will be here for a while.

I would wholeheartedly recommend this place for a small girls night, date, or otherwise.

I visited Citizen R&D in October 2012 when I was in Scottsdale on vacation. I didn't tell my girl friend where we were going because I wanted it to be surprise to her. It was our first time there and we absolutely loved it!. It was quite a cocktail experience. Yes, the drinks can be a bit pricey but its not just some bartender quickly throwing liquor into a glass for you. You are paying for the impressive experience of having one of a kind hand crafted cocktails. We tried about 3 and all were delicious. I also recommend the bacon popcorn! MMM!

The ambiance was nice, the staff was friendly and attentive. The reason I gave this place 4 stars instead of 5 is that we paid cash for our bill and usually change is given back or the server/bartender will ask if you need change back. This was not the case. Our bartender assumed the change was his for a tip and never returned with the change. He would have been tipped nicely but the change that we had leftover would have been quite a hefty tip! We finally caught his attention and he seemed a bit caught off guard when we asked for our change back but he did so and we still tipped him well.

Other than that, love this place and will be back anytime I am in the area.