Halloween Week Specials: Spooky Cocktails & Late Night Eats in Raleigh

Make Element your Halloween-week home base downtown—color-shifting cocktails, late-night loaded fries and wings, 20 NC taps, and a 100% plant-based kitchen for the whole costumed crew.

Halloween week downtown has its own gravity, costumes everywhere, plans that mutate by the hour, and the universal need for a good drink and something to eat before, during, and after the chaos. Element Gastropub at 421 Fayetteville St, right on City Plaza, is built to be your anchor for all of it, with a full bar , a kitchen that keeps going, and a 100% plant-based menu so nobody in your crew gets left out. Cocktails With a Little Theater You don't need us to invent fake "spooky" drinks when the real menu already brings the drama. The Butterfly Effect, sweet blue butterfly tea, vodka, soda, and pink cactus lemonade, actually shifts color in the glass, which is about as fitting for Halloween night as a cocktail gets. A few more we'd steer you toward: Watermelon Margarita , Lunazul tequila, fresh watermelon, lime, and a chamoy-and-tajín rim. Deep red and photogenic under low light. Peachy Reaper , Creek Water whiskey, fresh peach, ginger ale and ginger beer, and house reaper syrup, with a heat that sneaks up on you. Pineapple Pepperita , Lunazul tequila, triple sec, pineapple margarita mix, cilantro, jalapeño, and tajín, for the chili-heads in costume. Prefer to stay clear-headed for the walk down Fayetteville Street? The Butterfly Mocktail and our Not-So-Jito and Margarinah give you the same festive glass with none of the proof. Late-Night Fuel Costumes make you hungry, it's science, probably. Our kitchen has the kind of food that hits exactly right when you've been out a while: Loaded Fries , beer-battered fries, queso, house bacun bits, ranch, and scallions. Peak late-night eating. Wings , six breaded boneless wings, six sauces, from sweet BBQ to hot scorpion. Smash Burger , two smashed patties, nacho cheese, and all the fixings on brioche, for the burger craving that always shows up around hour three. BBQ Nachos , a full order to split with the whole costumed table. Fuel Up Before the Night Gets Going Smart Halloween strategy starts with a real meal, and Element is a strong opening move. Before the costume bars and the wandering, plant your group at a table and actually eat, a Smash Burger or a Carolina BBQ Sandwich now saves you from making bad decisions on an empty stomach later. Split a round of BBQ Nachos, get everyone a first drink, and use the time to sort out the plan for the night while there's still a plan to sort out. It's the difference between a night that holds together and one that falls apart by nine. Come As You Are (or Whoever You Are) Costumes aren't just tolerated this week, they're the point. Whether you've gone full elaborate or just threw on cat ears at the last second, you're in good company. It's the rare week where the weirder your outfit, the better you fit in. Beer for the Costumed Crowd Cocktails get the Halloween spotlight, but our 20-tap wall is right there when you want to keep it simple. It's an all-North-Carolina lineup for the most part, Trophy, Lynnwood, Mad Mole, Compass Rose, and Carolina Brewing among them, so you can hand your crew a round of local drafts without much fuss. Something crisp like the Salvatierra Mexican lager or Czech Yourself pilsner drinks easy through a long night, while the Up & At 'Em! porter suits the mood if you want something darker to match the season. Ask what just tapped; the board rotates and there's usually something new worth trying. A Sweet Finish to a Spooky Night If you've got room after the wings and fries, the dessert list is a fitting way to end Halloween night. The warm Beignets arrive pillowy and buried in powdered sugar, and Lelia's Peach Cobbler comes à la mode with housemade oat ice cream and caramel drizzle. Even a warm-baked cookie on the way out the door hits the spot when you're winding down from a night in costume. It's the kind of small, sweet detail that turns a good night into one people actually remember. Start Here or Stay Here Element works both ways. Make us the first stop, get a drink, split some wings, and set the tone before you fan out into downtown Raleigh's bar scene . Or plant yourself here for the night; between the cocktail list, the 20 North Carolina beers on tap, and a kitchen that keeps the hits coming, we can carry a whole evening. Our City Plaza location makes us an easy meet-up point for a crew that's coordinating costumes and comparing plans. Bring a Group, Give Us a Heads-Up Halloween weekend gets busy, and if you're rolling in with a big group, a little planning goes a long way. Reach out through our contact page so we can be ready for you. Walk-ins are always welcome too, sometimes the best Halloween nights are the unplanned ones. Plan Your Night Element Gastropub, 421 Fayetteville St, City Plaza, downtown Raleigh. We're open Monday through Thursday 11am–9pm, Friday 11am–10pm, Saturday 8am–10pm, and Sunday 11am–9pm. Browse the full menu , round up your crew, and come make Halloween week the one you'll actually remember. Happy Halloween.