Valhalla Pub and Eatery is a nice neighborhood pub with an appealing menu and a full bar…read more Unfortunately, for nearly every positive aspect of our visit, there seemed to be a frustrating inconsistency in how the pub was operated.
A couple of friends and I decided to attend a Charlotte FC watch party during the team's match against FC Dallas, which was being played just down the street at Bank of America Stadium.
Valhalla promotes itself as a soccer bar and a destination for Charlotte FC watch parties. However, that commitment seemed to take a back seat when other sporting events were on television. If you're going to promote yourself as a Charlotte FC watch-party destination, particularly through the team's website, you should be prepared to accommodate fans who come specifically to watch the match.
I arrived about half an hour before my friends and waited at the bar. The bartender was very pleasant and worked hard, assisted by another staff member.
When my friends arrived, we found a table directly in front of the largest television in the downstairs dining area. College football games were playing on all the televisions, and a Notre Dame watch party was taking place upstairs.
Before ordering, we asked our waiter whether he could put the Charlotte FC match on the television nearest our table. He agreed.
However, when the match began, it appeared on two smaller televisions some distance from us instead. We were happy to let the Maryland football game finish on the large television. But when that game ended, the pub switched it to the White Sox-Guardians playoff game rather than the Charlotte FC match.
We did our best to watch the soccer match from our table.
During the second half, the Charlotte FC match finally appeared on the large television in front of us. We were delighted! Other soccer fans even moved to nearby seats to get a better view.
Then, unexpectedly, our original waiter approached and said that fans were going to "kill him" if he didn't switch the television back to baseball. I didn't notice anyone nearby watching the baseball game, so I pleaded with him to leave the soccer match on. Fortunately, he did!
What puzzled me was that the baseball game wasn't subsequently shown on any of the other televisions, including those that were already showing the soccer match. It left me wondering why there had been such resistance to accommodating the Charlotte FC fans in the first place.
The staff operates as a team rather than assigning one server exclusively to each table. Some employees were outstanding, particularly the bartender. Others, unfortunately, were less accommodating, and the inconsistent communication about the televisions detracted from our experience.
About the food!
We shared Odin's Pretzel Bites, pillowy pretzel bites with garlic and Parmesan cheese. They were enjoyable!
Like me, one of my friends ordered Lodbrok's Lamb Burger. I really enjoyed mine, although my friend thought his was just okay. Our other friend ordered wings and said they were good.
A couple of things to know before visiting!
The restaurant automatically adds a 20% gratuity on special-event days. There is also a 3% surcharge for credit-card payments. I recommend checking your bill carefully so you're aware of these additional charges.
Finally, Valhalla is located in Uptown Charlotte, so be prepared to pay for parking.
Overall, Valhalla has some real positives: a pleasant pub atmosphere, enjoyable food, and several hardworking employees. However, our experience was disappointing because we specifically came to watch Charlotte FC at a pub that advertises itself as a soccer destination. Better communication and a more consistent commitment to its advertised watch parties would have made a considerable difference.