Social Life Critics’ Pick Winners: Best in the Nest 2024
The best in Charlotte's social life as chosen by Nerve critics
If there’s one thing we’ve done our research on, it’s where to have a good time in this town. We’re more than happy to share what we’ve found. Check out Charlotte’s best bars, mixologists, parties, date ideas and more.
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BEST NEW NIGHTLIFE SPOT: Sneak
Tucked in the back of the Pecan Point shopping center at the corner of East 7th Street and Pecan Avenue in Elizabeth, next to longtime tenant Bang Bang Burgers, now stands a new kid on the block. What started as a deli bar concept, according to co-owner Jamil Whitlow, evolved into a high-energy, speakeasy-style lounge smartly dubbed Sneak.
No, this is not an in-person version Ashley Madison made solely for sneaky links. As Whitlow described to us in May, the name was a play on the speakeasy, which has become somewhat of a misused term in Charlotte nightlife, with new establishments popping up all the time and advertising themselves as such.
“We‘re not a speakeasy, we‘re a sneakeasy,” he explained. “A speakeasy is historically a hard place to find and if you do find [it], you gotta know someone that knows somebody to get there. Our place is not hard to find, but the concept itself is in the location off the beaten path that you‘re not anticipating for it to be.”
Inside, soft touches of vibrant wall treatments, gold accents and tasteful lighting contrast the masculine hues of brown leather and moody accents, creating a cozy destination that visually appeals to everyone and feels bigger than it is — the perfect setup for the DJs or jazz musicians who set up there on weekends. We suggest the Sneaky Link, with Lyre‘s Blanco, Seedlip agave, Lyre‘s orange sec, and Guajillo árbol agave; or the Don‘t Shy Away with Teremana Reposado, Cointreau, spicy oleo and carrot sour.
BEST OWNERSHIP GROUP: Best Bars
In the early aughts, when Tommy Timmins came together with current partners Maynard Goble and Kevin Devin, the trio began referring to their group as Best Bars for marketing purposes. Google was rapidly rising to popularity as America’s favorite search engine and the guys figured they wanted their businesses to show up when folks searched for “best bars in Charlotte.”
It gave a glimpse at a certain knack for marketing that placed the Best Bars team ahead of the curve from its very beginnings 25 years ago. The team responsible for popular establishments including The Workman’s Friend, Connolly’s on Fifth, Prohibition, The Daily, Tyber Creek Pub and Dandelion Market have had a rough year.
In March, Tyber Creek Pub closed its doors at the corner of South Boulevard and Tremont Avenue for the last time after 25 years due to redevelopment of the property that had been slated since 2021. Then in July, the team shut down Dandelion Market, the longtime late-night staple on West 5th Street in Uptown, after nearly 15 years in business due to rent hikes.
The trio was far from dejected. Having closed on a new property on South Mint Street in February, they’ve been busy bringing the buildings there up to par for the return of Tyber Creek Pub. With future plans for a new Dandelion Market location also in the works, they purchased the former Soul Gastrolounge food truck to turn it into a Dandelion Market truck that will serve favorites from that menu at the new Tyber Creek site.
With all these exciting new projects in motion, the team remains optimistic about the state of Best Bars amidst Charlotte’s rapid growth. Still, they yearn for the days when they had the time to come up with new ideas rather than salvage the old ones.
“We want to be bored again; we like being bored because that’s when creativity happens,” Timmins told us in July. “We’ve been playing Whac-A-Mole for the last five years.” Whether they enjoy playing Whac-A-Mole or not, the good news is they’ve got the high score.
BEST FOR FUN & GAMES: Slingshot CLT
Tired of just eating, drinking and standing around when you go out? You’ll have to brave the parking in South End for this one, but it’s worth it, if only just to play the “World’s Largest Pac-Man.” Located next to Resident Culture on West Bland Street, Slingshot is a social game club marketed as a place that stresses social interaction over social media. Here you can put your phone away, forget about the adult stresses in your life and bring out your inner child by playing arcade games, duckpin bowling and Skee-Ball.
Some standout games include air hockey, racing games, Jurassic Park VR, and Space Invaders. They also have classic table games like Guess Who?, Sorry!, Yahtzee! and Jenga. Plus there’s food like wings, flatbreads, handhelds and bar bites; more than 40 beers, seltzers and wines on tap; and live music and DJs. Stop by during the week for karaoke and half-price game days.
BEST COCKTAIL BAR: Elsewhere
You don’t have to go far to go elsewhere after Slingshot — just make a night of it in South End. Tucked under The Design Center water tour on West Worthington Avenue, Elsewhere is a cozy and intimate bar offering a rotating selection of travel-inspired cocktails.
Their impressive drink menu is always changing. The fall 2024 drink menu featured five creations including Autumn in New York (Wild Turkey 101, St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram, super lemon juice, simple syrup, Cabernet Sauvignon float), and Oaxaca? I Barely Knew Her (Espolòn Blanco tequila, aperol, super grapefruit juice, super lime juice, red bell pepper, jalapeño, tajin, and dehydrated grapefruit wheel).
They also have classic cocktails like the negroni and old fashioned, plus wine, beer and an array of non-alcoholic options like Midwestern Vibes (spiritless Kentucky 74, muddled orange, muddled cherry, molasses, Mexican Sprite).
BEST COCKTAIL BAR WITH A CONCEPT: Lorem Ipsum
Plaza-Midwood holds many of Charlotte’s crown jewels when it comes to the city’s music scene. One of the newest, which is celebrating its first birthday in November, is the Lorem Ipsum listening bar, a place for music and conversation, built to give guests a full sensory experience.
Located inside Hotel Refuge, next to Mexican cuisine staple La Autentica, Lorem Ipsum technically sits in Belmont, just at the corner of Plaza Midwood closest to Uptown. Guests of the small room venue travel through the overarching hotel space to get to Ipsum’s sanctum, decorated by soulful art pieces strewn along the walls, curated by local visual artist Victor Rustin.
Each week, the space is curated nightly by local DJ mainstays like Simon SMTHNG, sometimes bringing in international guests like King Iven to spin. Along with the sounds, a range of different events elevate the spot, including gallery nights and screenings, and the impressive selection of cocktails and spiritless drinks curated by the owner, renowned mixologist Justin Hazelton, can’t be overlooked.
BEST MIXOLOGIST: Amanda Britton
When ARDR Hospitality Group announced the imminent opening of MAS Mexican Restaurant in Wesley Heights in February, a press release stated that ARDR bar program manager Amanda Britton would be running the MAS beverage program, having already created “the most highly curated, specialized spirits collection in Charlotte.” But that’s a press release, of course it’s going to lay it on thick, right? Longtime fans of Britton knew it probably wasn’t hype, and it took just one visit to confirm.
With a cocktail menu that centered mezcal and tequila options as well as nonalcoholic alternatives that were just as impeccable, Britton only bolstered the reputation she had built at other ARDR establishments like Bardo, VANA, Lincoln Street Kitchen and Cocktails and its pocket bar The Green Room.
“The opportunity to travel to Mexico for hands-on learning has been instrumental in the conceptualization and curation of our offerings for MAS,” Britton said upon announcing the restaurant’s opening. “We are bringing in new spirits that have never been served in Charlotte. I can’t wait to share that with Charlotte.”
In September, it was announced that Britton was no longer with ARDR and would be heading up bar operations at Sam Hart’s new venture, Restaurant Sphagett. Exciting news, as Hart can’t go wrong with Britton in the mix.
BEST HIRE: Kayleigh Williams-Brown
When news broke in September of El Thrifty Social’s abrupt closure in Optimist Hall, true cocktail connoisseurs had one thought in mind: Where will Kayleigh Williams-Brown end up?
The talented mixologist had built a name for herself at El Thrifty as well as former jobs as bar manager at the critically acclaimed Leah & Louise and before then at The Royal Tot, recognized as Best Mixologist in our 2022 Best in the Nest issue. So it was no surprise when, just days after El Thrifty shut its doors, Built On Hospitality announced the addition of Williams-Brown to lead the opening team of Chief’s Modern Cocktail Parlor, NoDa’s newest cocktail bar from Bob Peters, which opened in the fall.
“Crafting cocktails allows me to express my creative ideas and art,” Williams-Brown said. “I’m proud to join Built On Hospitality at Chief’s this fall and craft an elevated experience built around distinctive and inventive drinks.”
Any cocktail bar with Bob Peters’ name attached was going to garner attention regardless, but bringing on a pro like Williams-Brown to spearhead the operation only leveled-up an already highly anticipated opening.
BEST WINE BAR: Substrate
Charlotte needed a Substrate — a place to drink that doesn’t feel like the Charlotte drinking scene we’ve known. It’s got a lineup of vinyl, bottles of natural wine, spendy vermouth, hipster bartenders telling the girlypops what orange wine is, and then the girlypops telling their girlypops what orange wine is.
The wine is experimental relative to the landscape of Charlotte — there’s often not your typical pinot noir on the glass list — or any list. (Gasp!) This is why it deserves a proper nod. Even though some classic wine people might scoff, that doesn’t really matter because Substrate on a Friday or Saturday is packed. Local musicians groove on the front patio while guests stand, sit, wander around, flirt, drink Spaghetts, etc.
Inside, the dark walls contrast with disco ball light, small tables are studded with built-in chess boards, and several nooks and crannies become wine-stained, hot goss hangouts. Outside, it’s a patio party. People bring their bottles and spill out onto the porch and the grassy area with picnic tables like it’s the last thing they’ll do. Wednesday nights offer a rotating complimentary wine tasting, too, which is delicious, social, makes new styles of wine more accessible for those wanting to learn and, most importantly, free!
BEST PLACE TO DAY DRINK: Rosemont
Rosemont is one of those rare restaurants that are open all day, everyday — well, 11 a.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m. on weekends. Mid-day, you’ll find anyone from stay-at-home moms and real-estate dads to nearby food industry workers and the nursing staff from the hospital drinking a bottle of Chenin or Pinot. Rosemont’s food menu is crowd-pleasing, but its wine menu, specifically the bottle list, will widen the eyes of drinkers with an eager palate.
A glass at the bar is the way to go for solo sippers, and a bottle for the table at one of Rosemont’s comfy booths is best for groups. Or just take the drinking outside on the leisurely, string-lit patio overlooking the Elizabeth neighborhood, where guests make day-drinking look good and classy.
As for what they’re drinking, it’s usually espresso martinis and/or bubbles. Rosemont’s bartenders shake up one of the best espresso martinis in town and the Bubbles & Frites weekday special from 4 to 6 is for. the. people: endless herby shoestring fries with a purchase of a bottle of bubbly (or any wine over $50). In the cooler months, there are fire pits and heat lamps to keep the patio cozy as can be.
BEST PLACE TO BAR HOP: NoDa
NoDa has been a place for a proper hop and crawl for decades. It actually gained its identity as being a place to bop into different galleries along North Davidson Street in the ’90s — the storied gallery crawl nights of that era are notorious.
Today, though more of an entertainment district than an arts district, the crawl sentiment remains. People hop, walk, pop in and stumble their way from bar to bar in this still-tinkering-on-edgy area. This bar crawl is ever-so-walkable which is ever-so-rare in Charlotte. If you’re dedicating an evening to it, you can start at a natural wine bar and finish at a divey karaoke bar that may come with hangxiety the next morning.
It may look a little something like this: look cute and share a bottle of natural wine and savory, stinky (the good kind) cheese with friends at Bar a Vins, cap the wine off with a clever surprise of a cocktail from Idlewild, then get a little less classy and little more rowdy at Billy Jack’s Shack, and then get a little rowdier at JackBeagle’s and run into an old pal or a Hinge date. Finish the night at dive-ish bar The Ugly for fernet and some photobooth time, or a game of pool at Sanctuary. Throw an oyster shot from Growler’s Pourhouse in there somewhere. The possibilities are endless.
BEST SPIRIT SELECTION: Dot Dot Dot
Sometimes, what’s new is old and what’s old is new again. And by old, we mean 2017. But really, we mean the timelessness of a classic cocktail lounge. Stefan Huebner took his eclectic experience as a longtime hospital vet, a butcher, a baker, a culinary school graduate and, of course, a bartender to build out this warm, transcendental time warp of a bar.
Guests are led by a host to their seat through a long, narrow hallway — a sort of liminal, anticipatory space. The lounge is windowless to eliminate the risk of someone knowing what time it is. Everything is lavish and red-hued and leathery and shadowy.
The cocktail menu is large for a “craft” cocktail bar, but not in a mismatched, overwhelming way. It’s organized into Classics, House and Luxury (which are over $20). The three-month barrel-aged negroni is a fabulous “classic” drink. The Burning Leaves mezcal and green chartreuse cocktail from the House menu will sweep you off your feet. And The Hot Box bourbon drink with chili bitters and pecan wood smoke is one of those Luxury cocktails that drinks like a forbidden kiss. Ask the bartenders about any of the 700 different spirits. They’re eager to get to know guests’ taste and whip up a little something catered to their personal tastes.
BEST PATIO: Dilworth Tasting Room (Original location)
DTR’s OG location in Dilworth is a fan favorite. The back patio is draped in vines, tables tuck into corners and the sweet, trickling koi pond creates a soothing soundscape. Decked out in lively hues of orange and white, the curious koi fish with puckered lips gently splash in the pond creating a tranquil backdrop for boozy conversation and munchies.
String lights twinkle as the sun starts to set, and it’s clear why the original location will always hold a charm that’s simply unmatched — a timeless favorite that sets the standard, even as the other two locations carve out their own unique vibes.
The wine doesn’t hurt, either. Even the few front tables at the entrance feel very European, and make for some great people watching. Add a charcuterie board to the mix, and you might just believe you’re somewhere other than Charlotte.
BEST DRINK MENU: Ramble Drinkery
After leaving Humbug, industry vet Larry Suggs has been working on opening a new concept called Jean’s Cold Drink at The Alley at Latta Arcade, but he’s simultaneously been partnering with a few fellow Charlotte bartenders on the “roaming” pop-up Ramble Drinkery.
The cocktails line the menu from lightest to booziest and tend to involve techniques typically associated with food — sous vide, strain, pickle, infuse, clarify — featuring ingredients you’ll associate with food, too — tamarind, hot sauce, black pepper, pecorino cheese, yogurt. Drinkers are pretty much guaranteed to explore a new, possibly stinging, palate-shifting sensation with just one sip.
We don’t mean to tease, but with a menu that changes frequently, it’s unfair to get your hopes up with specific drink mentions. But, alas, here are some drinks Ramble has made in the past: a clarified pisco, juniper white pepper drink, a bruleed banana with strawberry-cacao vermouth rum cocktail, and a curried pickled mango mezcal martini. The high-level standard demonstrated with these cocktails might just usher in a new era of drinking in Charlotte. Once you’ve tried a pickled or clarified lil’ something, there’s no going back.
BEST ROOFTOP: Merchant & Trade
Merchant & Trade redesigned its 19-story-high rooftop over the summer, leaving the neon pink and floral decor of 2016 in the past. The establishment turned a page and entered a chapter of sleek, clean, neutral looks. It’s more appealing across-the-board. First, visually. Secondly, with a revamped cocktail and “social snacks” menu. One snack is the Bougie Tots dish — tater tots with truffle crème fraiche, caviar, salmon roe, and furikake. Fun, random, and really, really delicious — because why wouldn’t fried potatoes, supple crème fraiche and briny orbs of roe taste incredible?
As for drinks, they’re genuinely pushing the boundaries of a standard, boozy rooftop bar menu. You won’t find trite, bright pink sugar-dominant cocktails here. There are some high-end bourbon cocktails on the menu, an amaro-and-mezcal drink, and a playful fresh rosemary-and-aperol sipper just to name a few. The cocktail prices are steep, yes, but they do come with a similarly steep view overlooking Romare Bearden Park and Truist Field, looking west for the perfect Carolina sunset.
BEST WAY TO SPEND A SOBER NIGHT: Shameless Improv
People are quick to say that anything fun in Charlotte has to involve alcohol. But, Shameless Improv proves that so wrong. Stimulants and booze simply couldn’t make this fully improvised 90-minute show any better. The small, local troupe of improv comics calls it the Shameless Improv “experience,” because, for the audience, it is much more than consuming run-of-the-mill comedy. It is a whole immersive affair — a high-energy, deeply engaging exchange between audience and performers.
Popping up at breweries and cafes throughout the city (and often on weeknights) attendees can expect several games, short-form improv scenes and mini-performances all in one evening. It’s a bunch of adults doing weird voices, running around the stage, taking other grown adults’ arbitrary suggestions and turning them into a completely improved, on-the-spot show. The games get random, far-fetched and raunchy, but are truly good-natured and tend to make people like other people more by the end of the night.
BEST HIDDEN GEM BAR: The Ugly
The Ugly, Idlewild’s self-proclaimed ugly little sister, opened in November 2023 and has catered to a steady but pretty lowkey crowd for the past year. It’s just past the busy North Davidson Street strip, in the small shopping center with The Chamber at Wooden Robot and Summit Coffee. For the most part, this is a spot for NoDa locals and a post-shift industry watering hole open until 2 a.m.
But, it’s got all the great bar touches — loungey couches, flirty back booths, dark lighting, and (thank god) a photobooth. Hell, they’ll give you a deck of cards to play with if you ask. It’s like a dive, re-defined, a bit younger, slightly less carpeted and grunge.
The menu is small, nothing akin to its fancy older sister cocktail bar. It’s a nice contrast — you can expect Miller High Lifes, a next-level chilled negroni, a lineup of classic amari, bourbon, highballs and a selection of boilermaker specials. Most of these are $10 and under which is so much-welcomed in these parts.
BEST DIVE BAR: Midwood Country Club
It’s tough to call a dive bar the best when what makes it the best is really the worst — shadowy corners, carpets, dartboards, industry people after hours. But at the end of the day, that’s what a true dive bar prides itself on — a little bit of sketch wrapped up in the bow of familiar faces and cheap beer.
At MCC, Midwood Country Club’s more colloquial name, you can get just that. MCC is a low-ceiling hangout a bit down Central, perfect for a nightcap. Darts are serious here, as is pool. The only thing country club about it is the camaraderie — great people kicking back for a great time.
BEST LGBTQ-FRIENDLY EVENT: UltraViolet Sapphic Night at Petra’s
With the decline of brick-and-mortar sites that cater to the lesbian and sapphic scenes, specialized events have become integral to keeping Charlotte’s queer community alive. Petra’s owners Perry Fowler and Marta Suarez del Real were all too aware of that issue, which is why they approached regular Alexx Baerwald Simard with the idea for a regularly scheduled sapphic event in August 2023. Together, they provided an answer to what they thought the community desired.
UltraViolet Sapphic Night is a quarterly event held at Petra’s and includes musical entertainment, tarot card readings, sapphic dance offs and more. When we spoke in February, Simard said she is constantly looking for ways to grow and change with the community they serve.
“Culture and language are always evolving,” Simard said. “As does our collective sharing and understanding of identity and the ways in which power and privilege have included some and excluded others. We might not be getting it perfect right now, but I think it’s important to do our best and be open to evolving as we learn and grow, individually and collectively.”
BEST PARTICIPATORY EVENT: Drunk Journaling
While journaling is often thought of as one of the more solitary activities one can undertake, a quiet hobby that involves personal introspection and time alone, local print supply shop Good Postage in Camp North End threw all of that out the window with its popular monthly event: Drunk Journaling. Good Postage created a unique space for collaboration and chatter with Drunk Journaling, which marked its one-year anniversary back in July.
According to Good Postage co-owner Jane Manfredi, who opened the store with her mother Karen in 2020, the popular event struck a chord with people who have been more than ready to share space while taking part in an activity that’s usually done alone.
“We usually see a lot of our regulars coming together to kind of geek out about how they use their journals,” Manfredi told Queen City Nerve. “We always usually have a couple of new people, which is exciting because we get to talk to them and kind of show them what we do. But I really just every month hope to see the community get together and enjoy each other.”
And don’t be fooled by the name, drinking is far from mandatory. In fact, when we dropped in for the June event, only half of those in attendance were partaking in alcohol. So while the name is fun, the vibes are more wholesome chill sesh than intoxicated debauchery.
BEST COMEBACK: The Daily
The Daily opened in late 2017 in the former Stool Pigeons space under the ownership of Best Bars Charlotte and quickly became a regular stop for weekend bar hopping in Fourth Ward. But it wasn’t until we couldn’t pop in for one or two following its COVID-era closure that we realized how much the corner hangout had become a staple for the Uptown scene. Then in fall 2023, The Daily announced on socials, “We’re thrilled to reintroduce ourselves as the exclusive new space in Uptown Charlotte for all things events and celebrations.”
It wasn’t the announcement we had hoped for, but it was a start. Fast forward to August 2024, and whispers of The Daily being back for real, for real, started to seep out. We checked Instagram, and sure enough, the first post, shared weeks prior, “WE ARE OPEN” in big, bold letters.
Upon our first visit, the bar was full and the open-air sunroom lined with twinkling string lights promised a cozy backdrop for our 20-person party. This was The Daily we remembered. Throw in two pool tables and a pinball machine and we (they) are so back.
