Wow what an experience! I'm in Charlotte for the weekend, and my good friend's colleague…read morerecommended we come here after dinner for drinks. There's outdoor seating, and initially we wanted to sit outside but we didn't have reservations. Luckily, they seated us at a small corner section near the back of the bar. It's very cozy and intimate inside. Just my type of vibe. The service was top tier. They were unable to validate our parking because of some sort of discrepancy with the signage outside and lack of having the proper equipment for validation. To make up for it, they offered us complimentary champagne to start. We were not expecting that, and pleasantly surprised! Their menu has an eclectic selection of cocktails, both full and mini. We opted to order from the mini cocktail menu, and we each ordered two drinks. I had the Creepy cucumber cocktail and it was refreshingly sweet and probably my favorite drink of the night. I also ordered the Don't Shy Away which was a sour and spicy rum concoction with carrot in it. It was definitely spicy and had a puréed texture. I really enjoyed it. And, then don't get me started on the music!!! The dj was masterful. He played all the types of music I love and he mixed them in such a refreshing way. I ended up asking him for his contact information before leaving, and whether he does weddings because my fiancé and I are currently looking for a DJ. He was just that good. This would definitely be my spot if I lived here in Charlotte. It was the perfect way for us to end the night.

Ugh, I so wanted to LOVE this place! It's in my friend's neighborhood and near some other spots we…read morelove. But it just hit me as average. It's a small intimate setting and I do love the dark aesthetic they did. Gives it a swanky vibe and makes a great date spot. But they were burning incense in the tiny space and it was overwhelming. The other bar guests sitting next to us agreed. *They did finally pick up on it and the staff moved it toward the kitchen door* Staff was friendly as well, though, it was busy and looked as if they had a trainee in tow, so attention was lacking just a bit. So why we came: The drinks were average to me. One was weird (Pineapple Fried Rice) and I just couldn't get it sit well on my palate - and I tried - sip after sip. But the mixologist saw my struggle and swapped it out for a different one. I did like the Don't Shy Away - it was an interesting take on a margarita with a strong carrot base. The Whispering Dove was a take on a Paloma and I couldn't find the lemongrass infusion on my palate. So I found it pretty basic, but pricey. So overall, decent. And I might stop buy if I was stuck in the area again.

This place blue my mind…read more I was visiting my best friend while in town for a conference on amusement ride standards. We had a reservation for Blue Door for Saturday night, and it was amazing. Now while she was vaguely aware of their "spirited kingdom" menu, I had NO CLUE. It was the best surprise! They have such a cool menu with a full theme park map containing 4 lands with 4 cocktails each. The cocktails all match the type of ride they are, it's honestly such a cool idea, and it was so well done. I loved the art. I will say, I was skeptical that all of their drinks would actually work and worried that they'd be too caught up in the theme to make results but . . . Oh my goodness I was so impressed by the drinks here. I think a lot of bars these days can get so caught up in trying to be unique that their drinks become nearly undrinkable. This place definitely doesn't suffer there. They brought us an aperitif when we came in, but unfortunately I have a blueberry allergy so we skipped that. We had 4 drinks between the 2 of us and they were all awesome. I ordered the star breaker and the green dragon (what can I say, I love gin and a good coaster), and they were both balanced and tasty. My friend got the diablo and the neon shift, and they were both fantastic as well! The neon shift was served with a black light too which was super cute. The one drink I have to call out specifically is the green dragon. There was something about this drink that was so unique, I have genuinely never had anything like it but I would order it a thousand times over. It's so good. It keeps me up at night. It haunts my every bar order. I will be writing home about it. What else can I say about this place - the service was great, the atmosphere was fun, and the DJ was amazing. I thought "wow this guy really likes sax covers" only to look over and see him PLAYING HIS SAXOPHONE LIVE?? Iconic. This place was perfect and I wouldn't change a thing about it. The spirited kingdom menu will only be around for 6 months according to the waitress, so definitely catch it while it's there! If I'd heard about it sooner, I would've maybe descended upon them with 200+ theme park engineers in town for the conference (maybe it's a good thing I didn't know they were there until after it was over), but instead I will just say DO YOURSELF A FAVOR AND MAKE YOUR RESERVATION NOW

3.5/5 stars. Went back to Blue Door to give it another chance with the new menu... it's still my…read moreleast favorite cocktail bar in all of charlotte. The menu this time is theme park theme... again, a fun concept but not well executed. Pretty overwhelming, especially with the bartenders explaining the menu to us twice with the same spiel there is too much to look at it makes it difficult to pay attention to the drinks. I really did not love my drink (starbreaker?) you could only taste the lychee The bartenders not a vibe, it was not that comfortable to sit at the bar. They now serve food, hotdogs... which do NOT match the vibe at all, so that was interesting that their only food (other than the free popcorn) is not hot dogs..

This place is so cool. It is down an alley with a bunch of other bars! It's upstairs. It's small…read moreand the drinks and service were amazing! Shay was our bartender and she recommended a drink that she created and it was amazing. It was sort of raspberry and citrusy! We loved the vibe and the quaintness!

The ambiance is trendy, southern-rustic mixed with wood and night lounge vibes. The aroma of the…read moreroom smells like roasted marshmallows. The service is great and the bartenders are more-so artists.

Crunkleton was great! Met a friend for brunch and we had a great time…read more Out waitress Nia was excellent and so was Trey. They provided excellent service. This how service at a restaurant should be. I ordered the Charlotte hot brown - which their version of a hot brown --- it was amazing! I nice blend of flavors. My bourbon bramble was also very good. My friend had the shrimp and grits and she loved it. The ambiance gives rustic and a little casual.

The Crunkleton has been on my list of restaurants to visit for quite some time and finally got my…read morefriends together to go. It's beautifully decorated (I fell in love with the bathroom decor) and the bar area is lovely and we stocked. Our server Natasha O was exceptional. She explained items on the menu and even made a drink recommendation that was not listed. For appetizers we had the fig salad and the large portion was more than enough for 3 people with leftovers. We shared the charred oysters and I really with we had gotten a dozen because they were perfection! I had the Wagyu burger which was 1/2 pound and I brought half of it home. It was complimented with truffle shoestring fries. Great portion sizes, amazing service and beautiful decor. I will surely come back. Hope I get sat in Natasha's section again she was amazing! Parking as always is tight in that area so plan accordingly.

This was an amazing find…read more A cool atmosphere and great service. We ordered appetizers and drinks and just relaxed. I recommend the Lamb Chops and the Steak. One of my dinner companions and I shared. I was able to enjoy the lamb, no sauce needed and an amazing steak. Even the desserts did not disappoint. I would definitely eat here again

This was such a lovely dinner experience! The restaurant/cellar is small but not too cramped, and…read moredimly lit but very lively. Perfect for a small group get together or a date night. The staff were extremely kind and friendly, and they even brought us free dessert for our anniversary! The food was nice, especially the shareables. The truffle fries and gyoza were both great, and the cocktails were delicious!! For mains, I had the scallops which were perfectly cooked and delicious (but portions were unfortunately small), and the NY Strip Steak was solid. I've heard that the burger is AMAZING so I will have to try it next time. Reservations are always filled up so you have to book them in advance, but definitely worth a visit.

Love this bar and the design. Great nod to the historic building in south end, shout out to the…read morestaff who work really hard with the heavy traffic of people on the weekends.

Fun, lively place…read more My friends and I were in town and wanted to have one last drink before we jetted out the next morning, so we ended up in trendy South End. First thing we noticed was how HUGE this place is. I feel like everywhere we turned, each section had its own vibe and its own designated bar. With the loud music, it was more loungey than anything and the crowd was on the much younger side. Canopy seems to be the go-to place in the South End. We did not encounter this kind of lines or crowds anywhere else in the area. Ordered a grapefruity drink (Our Flowerchild) off the menu and it was pretty good. Price was alright - definitely cheaper than what I'd pay in NYC (which is already atrocious in itself).

Cozy, cool ambience and delicious cocktails. The bartenders…read morehave a wealth of knowledge in their craft and can make something for even the pickiest of drinkers. Make a reservation or enjoy the standing bar space, as walk-in seating is limited, especially on the weekends.

Fantastic atmosphere, but genuinely incredible drinks. No menu here - you order what you're in the…read moremood for generally and the bartender creates magic for you. Had two drinks and both were absolutely delicious! Would recommend to anyone in the Charlotte area.

I finally got to check out Lorem Ipsum for a friends birthday a couple of weeks ago and it was a…read morewhole vibe. Being there felt like I was in my house, from the plants, to them playing Beverly Hills Cop on the projector and all of the Black artists on the walls. It was very refreshing!!! It's so rare to go to a business and see anything familiar so this was truly inspiring. We stayed for about 30 mins because we got there right before they closed. It was fun to explore the hotel rooms and just be in this dope energy. I didn't have a full cocktail, just sipped and tried a few of my friends. I can see this being a great date night spot, or some where to go to unwind and just catch the vibes. I wish it was bigger but it's a cute spot for sure!! I was super surprised about the parking lot in the back too. That has to be very helpful for them in Plaza Midwood area. Will definetly be back!!

So this place is very cool and very vibey. There are DJs and the projection is a really nice touch…read more The menu is small and drinks are interesting - I got something with sage in it and was good. The issues we faced were not having a reservation - the options online were wide open so we thought it was safe to show up - and had to wait a long time. In hindsight, I should've went ahead and made the reservation, so I'll take responsibility, but was disappointing for the experience to be so different than we expected. We were able to sit outside and waited for about 40 mins to get our table. Service was very slow. It just felt like they were really understaffed. We were there for probably 2ish hours and only got 1 drink (the one outside) as it was so hard to flag down our waitress, etc. I suspect that this place, having recently received awards / gone viral, is a victim of a huge influx of people stopping by. I wanted to love it! I'd go back during off hours and definitely make a reservation. The vibe was really cool, and the music was great. Parking is questionable, there's a gravel lot that is shared with the restaurant next door. We parked on the street, was unclear if they tow there or not.

I had high hopes for this restaurant when I made a reservation for Valentine's Day, but…read moreunfortunately, the experience fell far below expectations. While I take full responsibility for arriving 15 minutes late, I was shocked at how rudely the hostess--who we later learned was the manager--handled the situation. Rather than a simple acknowledgment of the delay, or improbability of getting a table, she made a point to shame us, emphasizing that accommodating us would be an extra burden for her. This set an uncomfortable tone from the start. When she begrudgingly seated us at a table that had somehow magically become available, she made another unnecessary comment, implying that I should do my part to not make her job so difficult again. My partner was immediately put off and suggested we leave, but I decided to give the restaurant another chance, assuming the manager might just be having a rough night. Unfortunately, things did not improve. The food, best described as uninspired frozen bar fare from the main Duckworth's kitchen, took over 30 minutes to arrive--and even then, it was served before our drinks. When the drinks finally did arrive, they were nothing exceptional. I ordered a French 75, and my partner had a Paloma, only to realize that even the drinks had come from downstairs at Duckworth's. Given the restaurant's supposed reputation, I was surprised that it didn't have its own bar, unlike how things are set up at The Cellar. The only redeeming aspect of our visit was our waitress, who was pleasant and professional. However, what puzzled us the most was that despite the manager's initial reluctance to seat us, nearly half of the restaurant remained empty throughout the evening. With at least three or four servers working in a relatively small space, it was clear that staffing wasn't the issue--so why the hostility? It was hard not to wonder if other potential diners had been similarly turned off by the manager's deplorable attitude and the underwhelming menu. Overall, the experience left a bad taste in our mouths--both literally and figuratively. Between the lackluster food and drinks, and the uncalled-for attitude from management (she is bald and was wearing a dress on the evening of 2/14/25 at 9:30PM-11PM), I cannot recommend this place to anyone looking for a pleasant dining experience.

Came here on 1/11/24 for their soft opening and man I can't wait for this new spot to fully open in…read moreSouth Park! It's going to be such a hit. The drinks were bomb and ambiance was perfect!!! When: Friday at 5:00pm, party of 2 Overall: 4.8/5 Food: 4.5/5 - we got the bbq chicken flatbread. It was pretty good but not a standout for us. The drinks are what really shine here but it was still very nice to have food to pick from since we were starving! Drinks: 4.8/5 - Same mixologist as the Cellar At Duckworths so i knew these dunes were going to be fire and i was correct. We got the paloma which was yummy with fresh grapefruit juice. I think i got the dirty collins which was a lighter drink but not overly sweet so it was perfecttt!! I was eyeing the pisco sour too but will have to try that next time. Service: 4.8/5 - Since it was their soft opening I either expected mediocre service or top of the line. Thankfully I received the latter! Saturn was a wonderful server who provided great recommendations for drinks and kept checking in on us. She was super sweet and hospitable! Vibes: 4.8/5 - definitely get a seat in the bar area if you can. It feels more intimate and cooler..! we were seated in the dining room which was still nice and more quiet but i think it would have been more fun for us personally to be closer to the bar to watch them make drinks and overlook the road by the windows. The place is just like a modern day cocktail lounge! Other: free parking garage in the same building! It is inside of Duckworth's but up the stairs.

I love, love, love a dive bar so the fact that the Thirsty Beaver has decline several multi-million…read moredollar real estate developer offers to buy their land makes me over the moon about them! Service and vibes have always been great. Seen great bands here, had awesome conversations, and just reading the wall signs is a treat but not for the sensitive. Affordable drinks and great vibes what else could you ask for!!!!!

A dive bar of dive bars, the Thirsty Beaver is the place to go for cheap beer and cheap drinks in…read morePlaza Midwood. It's quite the hangout complete with jukebox full of classic old tunes. Full of character and charm where you can hangout and no one cares. Yes, this is the spot where Mick Jagger popped in when the Rolling Stones tour passed through Charlotte and he was either not recognized or people truly didn't care. Parking is a serious PITA. We pregamed across the street at Moo & Brew, leaving the car there before coming here.