15 Best Bars in Charlotte
From rock solid craft beer to innovative cocktails, Charlotte delivers plenty of options to wet your whistle. This list of the 15 best bars in Charlotte serves up a guide on where to go for a chic date night, a celebratory post-work drink, or a a great TV situation with ideal sports viewing. The bar scene in the Queen City has expanded as quickly as everything else around here in recent years, so drinkers should expect no shortage of high quality brewed, shaken and stirred options. Whether you're in on business or a local looking for a new regular Wednesday night spot, we got you.
Courtesy Dilworth Tasting RoombarDilworth Tasting Room
$$Housed in a former 1940s dry goods storage building–turned–billiards hall, Dilworth Tasting Room is one of the city's most picturesque atmospheres to sip a glass of wine. Inside the vibe is cosmopolitan and chic, but the ethereal back patio is a different world entirely with low-hanging trees and stone-lined paths. The wines are all selected by owner and sommelier Jaffer Kovic who has put together an impressive list by the bottle and the glass, including a number of Croatian selections that pay homage to his heritage.
Dhanraj EmanuelbarAngry Ale's
$A low-key neighborhood spot with plenty of TVs and a great patio, Angry Ale’s is ideal when you’re in the mood to grab a beer and a bite. Weekly happenings include trivia on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, and live music on Fridays and Saturdays. The rest of Montford Drive is peppered with bars, restaurants, and even a karaoke, so the area is a good one to zero in on if you’re in the mood to bar-hop.
Laura Tully/PheNOMenal PhoodsbarThe Crunkleton
$$$The Crunkleton, a new craft cocktail bar in Elizabeth, embraces cocktails of a bygone era. “The old-timey drinks are a fulfilling endeavor," says owner Gary Crunkleton. "I like to think that who we were is a part of who we are today. Plus, these old drinks are simply timeless." Crunkleton himself has created lots of inventive drinks, but The Roycroft, with bonded rye whiskey, green chartreuse, cherry Heering, benedictine, fresh lemon juice, and Peychaud's bitters, is a standout. Just know that in order to reserve a table at the bar you'll need to buy a membership that runs $10 a year.
barSelwyn Avenue Pub
$Thirty years ago, Jim Foster and his father converted an old house into a pub. They knocked out walls and built a large patio, then added TVs outside on that patio. Selwyn Pub is now a Charlotte institution, one known for its homey, welcoming feel and relaxed atmosphere. Today, Foster says the bar is all about “sipping and socializing, like a tailgate party.” It's also been widely reported that Michael Jordan is a fan of Selwyn's pizza.
Courtesy The Cotton Room at Belfast MillbarThe Cotton Room at Belfast Mill
$$Tucked into a historic, century-old building that was once an open-air cotton market, the aptly named Cotton Room is a beautiful, speakeasy-style bar with a European vibe and an intimate feel. The wood-paneled, high-ceilinged space oozes history, from the pre-WWII skylight to the original flooring that’s still slightly crooked. The most popular drink here is the house Old Fashioned, made with rye whiskey, orange bitters, and dark brown sugar, then topped with a flamed orange peel.
Dhanraj EmanuelbarGraham St. Pub & Patio
$$A much-needed complement to the uptown sports scene, Graham Street Pub is the perfect pick if you’re headed to a Charlotte Knights or Carolina Panthers game. The bar, which opened in 2018, has a rooftop with ballpark views so good you feel like if you jumped off you’d land on home plate. Even when local sports are on pause there's plenty to do here: music bingo on Tuesdays, acoustic music (on the rooftop) on Wednesdays and Fridays, and a day party with a DJ on Saturday afternoons.
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Roxbury Nightclub
$$The Roxbury, a legendary Charlotte nightclub, specializes in ‘80s and ‘90s music that promises to get even the most timid wallflowers up and dancing. Music videos stream on TVs around the space, letting you reminisce about your wayward hairstyles, fashion choices, and one-hit wonders of years past. The dance floor downstairs—dark, loud, and crowded—will remind you of college house parties. If you're an '80s baby or just appreciate the music—and big hair—of decades past, you'll love it here.
Justin Driscoll/Courtesy NoDa Company StorebarNoDa Company Store
$NoDa Company Store has become such a focal point in its neighborhood that it's hard to believe the bar only opened three years ago. Formerly an artist’s private residence, the cheerful white building, with its mural-adorned sides and large front porch, feels like your funky neighbor’s house, one that's part old-timey general store and part airy living room. Walk around back to the sprawling patio and settle in for a drink on a porch swing, or find a nook inside, grab a stool at the bar, or cozy up on a couch.
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Courtesy The Cellar at Duckworth'srestaurantThe Cellar at Duckworth's
$$$The Cellar at Duckworth’s feels like a Prohibition-era speakeasy in the middle of modern-day uptown Charlotte. And while the cocktails are top-notch, the walk-in beer cellar, which houses roughly 400 different bottles is an experience. Get one of the bartenders to take you on a cellar tour or rent a locker to hold your favorite brew. There's no need to limit yourself to drinks here: The steaks, expertly prepared in an 1,800-degree broiler, are a carnivore's dream.
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Thirsty Beaver Saloon
$The Thirsty Beaver Saloon is a stalwart reminder of an earlier era of drinking. Completely engulfed by gleaming new apartments, the small, dimly lit dive is anything but fancy, with bras hanging from above the doorway, a few tables, a jukebox that sees a lot of use, vintage country-music posters, and neon beer signs. Head to the back and you’ll find a lounge with a pool table. If you’re looking for exposed brick, greenery, and craft cocktails, this isn’t your spot; instead, you’ll find simple, cheap drinks served in plastic cups.
Courtesy Merchant and TradebarMerchant & Trade
$$$Although it’s undeniably swanky, Merchant & Trade, the chic rooftop bar at the Kimpton, has the ability to morph into whatever you need it to be, whether it's post-work cocktails with co-workers or a romantic spot for a date. When it comes to drinks, you can order the classics, but give the unique house cocktails a try. The Velvet Slipper features Tito’s vodka, blueberry syrup, lemon juice, Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur, Luxardo Maraschino Liqueur, and hibiscus saline; the Blushing Belle is made with gin, lemon juice, lavender syrup, raspberry syrup, cherry bark vanilla bitters, and egg white foam.
Courtesy Salud Beer ShopshopSalud Beer Shop
$$Part bar, part bottle shop, part brewery and part coffee shop, Salud has a little bit of everything. Walk upstairs to Salud Cerveceria and you’ll find long, communal tables perfect for large groups, a small stage that plays host to regular events, and a highly popular shuffleboard table. The brewery also shares a space with Trade and Lore coffee shop, and right downstairs is Salud Beer Shop; grab a beer on-site or pick up some brews to go—there are hundreds to choose from, including rare finds from all over the world.
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VBGB Beer Hall & Garden
$You’ll find VBGB in the heart of the Avidxchange Music Factory, just outside Uptown Charlotte, a bustling, self-contained entertainment district filled with bars, restaurants, comedy clubs, and several concert venues. The bar is packed with games and activities like giant Jenga, Connect Four, cornhole, and volleyball courts. Every Thursday night is trivia night; it’s free to play, but consider yourself warned: it’s one of the more difficult trivia nights in town.
Dhanraj EmanuelbarThomas Street Tavern
$Thomas Street Tavern is exactly what you want from a neighborhood hangout: a perfect outdoor area, good food, live music, and ping pong. The interior looks like a typical pub, with ideal sightlines on TVs, pool tables, and a small stage that regularly hosts local bands. Outside are two additional bars, tables, and lawn games like cornhole. Those craving an experimental cocktail should venture elsewhere; here, it's all about tried-and-true cocktails and beer, all reasonably priced.
Courtesy BackStage LoungebarBackstage Lounge
$$$Backstage Lounge is an elegant, members-only (membership is $20 a year) speakeasy near the restaurant SouthBound. If you see the green light, you’re nearly there. Once inside, you’ll find a dimly lit bar with a handful of high-tops and several deep, cozy booths flanked by signs paying homage to the Charlotte music venues of yore. The cocktail list is filled with creative takes on classics like Old Fashioneds, Moscow Mules, and Gin Fizzes. Try The Old Flame, made with gin, lemon foam, vanilla powdered sugar, and egg white, and topped with a flaming pour of green chartreuse.
