My husband and I were in Charlotte for the evening and we took a chance on walking in to The…read moreDegenerate. It was a Friday night two weeks before Christmas, but it was only 5:45pm so I feel like we got lucky. We were able to walk in and be seated right away. We ordered cocktails and embraced the tapas menu, ordering too many things to sample and share. We sadly had to leave some of it behind. Our waitress was a sweetheart and though the restaurant space was big and open, the warm wood and exposed brick inside made it feel welcoming and cozy. There was enough room between tables that we didn't feel crammed in and the table was big enough to hold all the delicious goodness. I felt like two top tables can sometimes barely hold your water glass and bread plate. We head to Charlotte pretty regularly for various things, and I would like to bring our teenage boys back sometime. I think they would really like the menu and style of the restaurant. Nice enough for a quick date night before and event, but casual enough that I feel like we could bring the teens and not have to "dress up".

This is me and my lady's favorite date spot. Great small plates, great cocktails, rotating menu…read more Service is always quick, too. I do think the interior sometimes feels a bit too "open-concept," if you know what I mean... ...but who cares?! The food is great! Of the stuff that stays on the menu, I really like: the chicken sandwich, the tandoori carrots, the mussels, and the pierogis. As for the current menu: I really like the watermelon caprese salad, scallops, and curry chicken tacos.

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.

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.

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.

I saw this place advertised on TV & wanted to check it out the next time we were in Charlotte!…read more My husband was hesitate, but the was so glad we did! Make sure to make reservations if you want to come because it is very busy! We were lucky to go early enough where we got served in the waiting room. The bartender was really awesome & spot on with our drinks! This is a perfect place for those like me who are only social drinkers and not clear on what to order. I am not a drinker so not sure what kind of liquor I like, I just know I love sweet drinks! He made me 2 drinks that were right on the money with what I like! One was a Janet and the other was a margarita made in a small glass that tasted like a delicious grapefruity drink! My husband is an old fashioned guy and when we travel, he loves to try it everywhere to see what he likes best. The bartender made him 2 different types that were very good! We also decided to get a snack and got the ala carte chorizo, with bread, fig jam, & a cheese. I can't remember what the bread and which cheese we got but it was all perfectly paired with our drinks. We are fans and would love to return again if we are in the area. Thanks for making it a fun cool night!

What a delightful craft cocktail bar!…read more Came here to start out our Saturday night while in town visiting a friend. She says, "I know this cool place," so I said, " Let's go!! I love good craft cocktails, and this joint did not disappoint!. Unassuming from the outside, I was pleasantly surprised by the dark, moody interior! Lots of bar seating so you can watch the team work their magic in the shakers. The menu is inventive, and they execute these unique drinks well. There is something for everyone - from fruity, sweet, smoky, citrus, herby, or boozy. I can't wait to come back and try some more things!

Had a great date night here! Vibe is laid back but intimate. Staff is outstanding! Very friendly,…read moreand helped us make great choices. Tried the salt and vinegar martini, which legit tasted like salt and vinegar chips. Enjoyed every single one of our drinks, including the Make It Make Sense, You Mater to Me, and the Peche Punch. Their house seasoned cheez-its were addictive. We are absolutely looking forward to the next visit.

Such a great experience. I went on a Saturday morning not too long after they opened. I was the…read moreonly customer in there for awhile since it was so early. I was immediately greeted by the friendly young man behind the counter. I asked how the monkey bread pastry is and he highly recommended so I got that warmed up. Ordered a mocha latte and went to find a seat while he fixed my order. Shortly he brought everything over and he was not lying abt that monkey bread. It was delish! I settled into my cozy seat with my book and before I knew it was 11a. This place is truly so cozy time skips by. Since they serve cocktails too, figured since was still there might as well try one, I got the Poloma and it was refreshing, light and delish. Since it is in Noda, there isn't a parking lot, so parking could get challenging the later in the day it gets, but this place is perfect to check out any time of day.

Great first experience at Chief's! Such a homey environment and the staff is so welcoming and…read morehelpful. Love the mix of coffee and cocktail options. We tried their espresso martini and pisco sour - both were delish!

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..

Def some of the best fried chicken I've ever had & to top it off I mentioned it to the person who…read moredelivered our additional item we ordered... I asked her if she cooked the chicken we were already eating... because it was some of the best I've ever had and she said not this time but she was one of the cooks. Best of all she knew how sincere my compliment was ! Our server was awesome as well!

This was such a disappointment. found this place on tik tok and the found was absolutely horrible…read more I ordered the haber dish with a chicken thigh , macaroni and cheese"dressed greens" the chicken here is 70% fried breading and 30% stringy, unflavored chicken. the mac and cheese was decent! the dressed greens were literally cut off ends of romaine, dont waste your time. We also shared green beans and Brussel sprouts . the green beans were charred on the outside and undercooked ok the inside. The brussel sprouts were cooked to a crisp and lacked flavor. My boyfriend had the OG chicken sandwich and he couldnt finish/ stomach it, this includes the burned fries that were served with it. The restaurant itself is nice, I don't think their AC was working but its got a cool rustic look. Our server was kind and attentive as well. Maybe they had an off day but this was a pretty big waste of a $60+ meal.

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.

We pop in for bingo (second Tuesday of the month) and always have a great time!…read more Parking can be a bit of a challenge, so I often find myself parking across the street, though I'm usually going at a busier time. The bar is divey, and you can find very cheap drinks, especially if you go for the daily specials. The bartenders are nice - beware that they do keep your card if you keep your tab open - and seem to know the regulars. In addition to monthly bingo, they seem to host drag events, have video games and board games available to play, as well as several TVs. Plus, dogs can go inside and out. The bar does not serve food, though usually there is a vendor there. Looking forward to next month!

Part neighborhood pub, part dive bar, Hattie's has a reputation as a hipster hang out (I don't mean…read morethat in a bad way but I know some may take it that way). There is no food but they have cheap drinks, old school games, a spacious patio, and they host cool events like bingo night. Their motto is "Mind your P's and Q's" which I found amusing. I have only been in a few times so I can comment on if their patrons typically adhere to this code of conduct! Overall I think it is worth checking out if you've never been and maybe it will grab you and you will want to become a regular. Me personally it's a little out of the way to become a regular haunt located in between Plaza and NoDa but not walking distance from either. Also it's not that the service was ever unfriendly but I just didn't feel like it was my vibe. Still a cool bar though and I can see why other enjoy it.