Ugh! I used to love this spot but my experience this weekend has me debating never returning. Came around 7 on Saturday night. Could not move, literally packed like sardines. Tried to immediately leave, Couldn't come out the way we came had to get through the crowd out a different door. Took 15 minutes to go 50 steps. Floor was COVERED in spilled drinks my shoes were sticking to the ground after leaving. Then a woman patted me down to make sure I wasn't stealing a cup... I didn't even order a drink. There were also 20 people congregating in this door way just watching the pat downs lol, it was SO WEIRD! Look I don't go to night clubs for a reason, not my scene, but they are for some people. I've been here 10 plus times... but hadn't been in about 2 years. Is that what it is now? I did a Valentine's Day pop up and it was so romantic and nice. This was a college basement party lol. Could never recommend this as a speak easy (I used to always recommend it along with Dot Dot Dot), now I could only recommend it if someone said they were looking for epicenter right when it was shutting down vibes. read more

We did not see any food. It is next to a Mexican food restaurant. That the food looked good. The service was very nice. Th Ambience was Excellent! I would go back! read more

Visited Xmas Eve for the holiday pop up and loved it. I saw a post about this place from one of my followers and knew I had to visit. When you arrive I would suggest parking in the backside of Southbound and entering through the back door since it's kind of hard to find. Also, check the IG for the password to gain access into the speakeasy. My friends and I had the Backstage Sliders and the Fingerling Potatoes which were all amazing. The sliders were my fav, juicy and flavorful. The Elfing Around was my favorite of the cocktails that I tried. Service was friendly and attentive. read more

See all

After having a blast at the Mistletoe pop up, a group of girls and I came back for round two for galentines day! The experience was definitely elevated and the drinks were to die for. The up all night to get lucky was my favorite. With pink feathers hanging from the ceiling lights and a BSL Valentine's Day themed photo wall, this place is very instagrammable! read more

See all

Great little South End speakeasy with a cool vibe. This is my new favorite bar in Charlotte! Came on a Friday night around 9pm. They first seated us at a high top table underneath a speaker and it was really hard to hear our conversation. So we decided to grab seats at the bar instead. We ordered drinks and a charcuterie board. Lots of drinks. They were mostly good, but not all were winners. There was a DJ spinning tunes until midnight. The bathrooms are in a hallway and there is a chalkboard with the code to get back in written on it. read more

See all

Charlotte doesn't have too many "top knotch" speakeasies. Coming from NY, I've done so many different types of speakeasies. Verdict on Backstage Lounge: you're doing it RIGHT guys! Located at the back of a barber shop, obviously there are no signs or indications as to a bar being located here. There is plenty of parking outside and GPS leads you there accurately, even though there are no signs. You have to enter a dark booth, pick up an old school phone and this is how you will gain entry. It is very dark, very laid back, smooth tunes (dont expect to hear Cardi B or electro-funk in here.) The staff is friendly and the drink menu is pretty nice as well. As for the appetizers, the Shrimp sliders were my favorite. Very yum. This place is appropriate for dates, nights out with friends or even co-workers. I would leave the kids at home. It's dark and relatively quiet in here. Since it is a newer bar, everyone in CLT isn't swamping it so it isn't packed with 4000 people on a Friday night. Very chill, very classy speakeasy vibes. Disclaimer: make sure to ask a staff member for the door password when going to use the restrooms. There is a door you have to exit when going towards the restroom and it closes and locks itself. I learned this by locking myself out for a solid 7 minutes lol.... so be sure to have the door password BEFORE going to the restroom. Cheers and SHHHH, dont ruin the speakeasy fun! read more

See all

The chairs were child size, very uncomfortable. They advertised it to be like a speakeasy and it was not. The acting was okay but overall not a very pleasant experience. I was really hopeful for so much more. read more

I heard the vibe was speakeasy before I actually went , and thought , " Hmm, ok. This is different, hopefully in a good way," and it definitely was. Somehow you receive a passcode to give at the door ( a little dramatic , but cute ). Inside is quaint , and I believe most of the time there is live music. On this night, the vibe was very romantic. I enjoyed GREAT music ( pop, R&B, jazz , remixed live saxophone cover) and ambiance. To top it all off there was an interesting list of mixed drinks, but I chose a nice white wine and the raspberry cheesecake which was very fresh, soft . The almond flour crust wasn't bad either . read more

Backstage Lounge - Raspberry Cheescake, Burger Sliders in the back - Speakeasies Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

My boyfriend and I are new to the city and chose Backstage Lounge as our first date night spot, because we had heard such great things. Let's just say, this place fell extremely short of our expectations. We sat down and were not offered water, although the other patrons around us were. We were then served 2 mediocre and overpriced drinks. We decided to order food, which proved to be a mistake because we were seriously mislead by the menu. The steak skewers came with 1 skewer for $15, and the goat cheese was one giant ball of goat cheese on top of random greens. On top of all that, the staff had the most horrendous attitude and seriously dampened the ambiance. There was one waitress in particular who spent our entire time there speaking poorly about the place, which doesn't leave a great picture for patrons. The place was also pretty much empty. I don't know if it was an off night, but we be back after this. read more

We sat outside a few weeks ago and the heaters were not working very well on the patio. Our server was great and could tell she had a lot of experience. The food I ordered was 3 tacos with plantains. Let's just say the tacos need some work and we're not good I tried carne asada and pork belly and carnitas. The meat was hard and rubbery. I tried one drink of a smoke show - it was very light on the alcohol. I wish I could write a better review cuz the vibe here was awesome. I would say maybe better cooks. The most interesting part was the barber shop in the back by the bathrooms. read more

We used to love this place. They closed to remodel and revamp the cocktails. Well the seating is nice but the cocktails are terrible. As we were entering a couple told us not to bother that the place is not worth it anymore but we decided to give it a try. Yeah, not worth it. The cocktails were not good. The place we dead...that should have told us everything we needed to know. read more

So I love this place , yesterday was my second time going . I went for the Christmas Pop Up but they Out did themselves with the Cupid Pop up . From the staff to drinks to the ambience, everything was perfect . I highly suggest the wine pairing it was on point . This by far was one of the best date night experiences I have had in Charlotte read more

See all

Great service ! I went once on a Sunday with no wait and on a Monday and had to wait about 10 mins! Had a crowd but with a small time standing, a bar seat soon came available. read more

See all

A fun atmosphere during the holidays! They had a special drink menu with holiday flavors. Highly recommend if you are looking for something to do! read more

Backstage Lounge - Speakeasies Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Absolutely adorable. I love this and there were a few surprises along the way. Great place!

Painkiller was delicious I could taste every flavor as I took my sips and the nutmeg garnish added to the experience Great atmosphere for date night read more

So I was completely unaware of this spot until a couple of weeks ago. The entire concept of having to have the password the entire a Speakeasy was not new to me. For this reason after visiting an awesome spot with this concept in ATL, I was very skeptical. After entering and being seated my skepticism was proven wrong. The vibe is super laid back but upbeat, dimly lit but not too sexy/romantic. It was a cool after dinner spot. My wife and I split the pumpkin cookie skillet and it was delicious once it was placed on the table. Nice and warm with the perfect(I could have taken another scoop lol) amount of ice cream to cool it. The taste just warmed taste buds. The drink ordered, I can not remember the name if it(please see pictures) was on point. I usually hate ordering mixed drinks bc I like to drink and they never taste how I prefer. This drink was spot on. The cinnamon sticks were smoking when they arrived which added to everything about the drink and location! Overall, I would definitely recommend as well as return to Backstage. read more

See all

Love this little spot.... It's my new favorite place! The vibe was vibing and we had a great time. I NEED to know what scent and how they are pumping it in the air! read more

What an amazing night! We had a great time thanks to Scottie... the drinks were amazing, the ambiance super scary and lovely, according to this time of the year... ! points!!! read more

We came at 7:00 pm on a Friday night and the place was packed! We were hoping to have dinner and drinks and experience a cool vibe for the Halloween pop-up. After about 15 min of waiting we were able to get drinks, but there was barely any room to stand, let alone sit. There were no stools at the bar, or the bar table tops. The decorations were on point and I wish we could have stayed, but it was very loud and crowded. I have no idea how we would have even been able to get food, even if we wanted to. We had one drink and left. read more

The Xmas in July was so neat. The code to get in with the phone and the inside was put down to the max. The drinks were delicious and funny themed names. Recommend this speakeasy bar for a night night out read more

Really cool speakeasy in the heart of South end! To get in, you have to dial a telephone and say the password, very old school and the perfect way to get into a speakeasy. The inside is just as great, larger than you think with booth seating as well as regular seating. When we came on a Friday night, the wait for the 5 of us was about 10 minutes. There was also a DJ which was nice but a bit loud. Drinks were good but on the pricier side which we expected. I got the violet femmes which was good but strong! They even pour in the lemon juice in front of you which changes the color of the drink from dark blue to purple. friends got the mule and cucumber drink which they all liked so other good options. Overall a cool place to go out to! read more

See all

Took my fiancé there for a date night. We had a nice time. The Moscow Mule easily top 5 off all time

As a cocktail fanatic, I was really excited to check this place out but unfortunately, I found it to be a bit of a flop. I love the idea of a speakeasy and the secret entrance next to the barber shop and pay phone to enter is really fun. It is a bit bare on the inside, but that could be due to Covid. It felt kind of like a frat party between the lights, music, overall atmosphere but I can see that appealing to a lot of people in CLT. Next, drinks. We ordered the Grateful dead and along the watch tower. The watch tower was okay.. as a rye lover I was really excited about this one but none of the flavors were very pronounced and it was SUPER sweet. The Grateful Dead was horrible. Waaaay too much going on and honestly tasted like beer, cheap tequila and an ash tray. Our server was really nice and allowed us to take our time with drinks without bothering us. Another plus is that they have their own parking lot, which is hard to come by in south end. If you are looking for a fantastic drink, there are many other places in Charlotte I would recommend over Backstage lounge. However, for a fun one off date night it is still something new and different to check out! read more

Wonderful little speakeasy beside Southbound. The entrance is kind of hidden, so we only recently discovered this place. You enter like you're going into the barber shop, but you'll see a little corridor off to the left where you enter and pick up a phone to provide the password. (Follow Backstage on IG to get it). They've got a small cocktail list or you can order whatever you like from their well-stocked bar. We each had a cocktail from the menu and then had a bartender's choice - all of the drinks were top-notch. Great service and great vibes. Food looked good too, but we weren't eating that night. We'll have to stop back in and try that next time. read more

Backstage Lounge - Crush Punch - Speakeasies Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

My vodka soda was my favorite drink. The rest were too fruity. Booths were great for covid times, I would t be comfortable sitting at one of high top tables but each to their own level of comfort. The food was good. The sliders were great. Meat and cheese board was good as well. I try to give service staff a break in covid times, but the service was unacceptably bad. I'm not a fan of tiny water glasses but at least come by to fill them up every once and a while. Had to ask multiple times to have the table bussed. They literally brought a plat of food out with no where to put it, handed me the plat and walked away. At the end of the day it is exactly what I needed in Charlotte. Another overpriced mediocre cocktail bar. read more

This new bar, located next to a hip barber shop, was a fun spot to grab drinks with a fairly large group. We crammed next to the phone booth, made the call, and we were in! Six of us crammed into a booth and each sampled some delicious cocktails. The bartender came over to make sure we enjoyed everything, and no one had a bad beverage. I particularly liked my gin fizz! Membership is $20, I believe, and you get two free guests with that fee. So that's a biiiit steep, but we had fun. Worth it if you live in Charlotte! read more

Went yesterday with a group of four people for their valentine's day celebration. Made a reservation when they opened on February 3rd for 9pm. We arrived on time to be seated. There was a line when we arrived which we later found out was because they still had people from the 7pm reservation eating. Around 9:30 they started seating people from the 9pm reservation time. However, they only had two 4 people tables which meant everyone else got seated before us. They gave us each a champagne glass around 10:15 because we had waited for over an hour just to even be seated. Finally, around 10:40, they came and sat us. The manager was very nice and was trying to keep spirits high which I appreciated. However, after waiting an hour and a half to even be seated. The server didn't even come to our table for another 10-15 minutes. The server was not personable at ALL. Seemed very annoyed by our presence. She came by but didnt even take our order until she passed by about 5 times. She never came back inbetween to check on us or see if we need anything. They would ask if we needed anything and we'd say silverware, drink refill, etc. but they would never come back with anything. One person ordered the soup and they couldn't even bring a spoon for them. Drinks are way overpriced. They add on a 18% gratuity automatically based on the cost of the meal even though you pay for that in advance. That bothered me considering she came back to our table a total of 3 times and it was not worth the $40 tip they made us leave. It is extremely cramped and small as well. Definitely do not recommend this place at all. The manager and the person working the door were the highlight of this dinner. Don't waste the money, it is extremely overpriced. read more

Drinks for the Christmas themed event were on point. We were there on the second to last day of the event and there were out of some things but the selection was still very good. Nice spot to hang out for to have a drink and they have some food options we didn't partake in but looked good from what we seen. Will be back for a cocktail or 2. read more

I have to edit my review. I had not been to BackStage Lounge in 2 years. I loved this place, but unfortunately the ambience is no longer there. The new management brought in a new business model which does not fit the style or vibe of the bar. The staff was completely nonengaging. The charcuterie plate was completely disappointing and we had to wait almost 25 minutes to have it arrive. The only way to get the bar staff attention was to call them out to get service. Keep in mind, when we were there I counted 18 customers so it was not like they were overwhelmed with orders. Unfortunately I do not think I will return. read more

We chose this spot for a ladies night and what a fun spot! It wasn't too busy on a Thursday night, but was a perfect spot for a girls night, date night and there was even a boys night happening nearby. The manager came by and was extremely patient as we asked questions about cocktails and the menu, and while the cocktails take some time, they are worth the wait! I am not a fan of sweet drinks and was assured each cocktail was perfectly balanced and none are too sweet or too bitter - I started with the Grateful Dead and loved this drink! I went a little fruitier for the second one with The Cranberries, and while totally different, both delicious! I've already planned to bring some other girl friends to this place - so happy to find this hidden gem! read more

See all

Me and my friend went to experience the Valentines theme and it was beautiful and nice. The drink menu was amazing and it matched the theme. We did not try the food however we went to the front part and the food was amazing. You do need a password to get in. The service was great and we found this place on Tik Tok ! read more

See all

So far so good! A great little place for a date. The drinks are solid and I plan to come back again. read more

Backstage Lounge - Naughty shot - Speakeasies Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

See all

Very COVID safe which was nice, for sure should get a reservation before walking in. Had to use the telephone to say the password upon entrance which was neat! read more

Backstage Lounge - Violet Drink and Along The Watch Tower Cocktail - Speakeasies Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

See all

This bar is AMAZING. Such a fun speak easy spot. I went for Galantines day and I just moved here and the hostess had the door open, but humored us and closed it so we could use the phone. Our waitress was Joce, and she had such a fun and bright energy that made our girls night even better. She even took pictures for us when we asked! I will definitely be frequenting this place! read more

See all

Drinks were nasty, we tried 4 different ones and none were good. Inside was super cute though and worth the stop! Maybe get a simple drink not from their cocktail menu read more

We've been living in Charlotte for little under 3 years now, and this has become our favorite place to go for drinks and appetizers to date, and coming from two ppl who go to a new place every week, that's definitely saying a lot. The drinks were amazing. The appetizers were amazing. The service was AMAZING. read more

This is technically a speak-easy, so I feel a little guilty writing a review, but here it is. It's located behind Southbound, the restaurant. Follow the green light and pick up the phone. I wish it was a little harder to find to make it more fun, but it's a cool entrance. There is a $20 membership fee, but each member can bring up to 3 guests. There was four of us, so that worked out perfectly. The inside is cool, dark with high tops and booths with low lit lights. It looks like any other dark, swanky bar like wine loft, except the bathroom is in a separate area so you need a code to get back in. They have tapas and small plates in addition to very interesting cocktails. They're not necessarily my style, but if you're into lots of different ingredients to make your fancy cocktail, then this is your place. The price for the drinks is reasonable for what you get. I wouldn't come back, but our friends really enjoyed the experience. read more

This place can be a little hard to find, but if you ask someone at South Bound, they can usually point you in the right direction. To get there, you basically go to the back of the South Bound parking lot by the hair salon. The salon will likely be closed and have the metal bars down, but the door isn't locked and actually connects to a hall around the corner. Go down that hall (which looks empty except for some rugs) and turn into another hidden corner that seems like a dead end. Inside you will find a phone booth. Pick up the receiver and state how many are in your party. Warning, it can be hard to hear, so tell your friends to shush. Once inside, you will be asked if anyone is a member. It costs $20 for a yearly membership, but each member can bring up to 3 guests at a time. We hadn't originally planned to check it out, so we weren't exactly dressed for the atmosphere. They let us in (it didn't seem to be a strict dress code), but it was recommended no sandals or t-shirts for the guys next time. Us girls were already a little dressed up. After checking in, they will seat you (bar seats, high tops, or cozy booths) and bring everyone in your party a complimentary punch. We tasted rum, pineapple, cucumber, and something that was a little smokey. Their menu includes a number of classic cocktails as well as some with a twist. I ordered a Negroni, which came with a dollop of blood orange sorbet in it. The cocktails are well made and average in price for something like that anywhere else in Charlotte. When my group came around 9pm on a Saturday evening, there were a few patrons, but the place was pretty empty. The place is small, but the tables are cozy. The weirdest thing was that the restroom was actually outside the venue, so you exit out of a backdoor and need to ask a bartender for the code to return. It was 1313* for me, but I don't know how often they change it. read more

Go through the barber shop entrance to find this hidden speakeasy and have the password ready! Fun concept for a speakeasy, basic liquor options and cocktails inspired by bands. Presentation was very appealing and drinks pretty tasty. As the night goes on it does get loud in this small space which makes conversation a bit more difficult. read more

Backstage Lounge - Violet Femmes (left bottom), Green Day (top middle), and Crush Punch (right bottom) - Speakeasies Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

See all