Social Life Readers’ Pick Winners: Best in the Nest 2025

***Best in the Nest Readers’ Picks are chosen exclusively by readers through a one-month nomination process followed by a one-month voting process. The nominations were not tampered with by Queen City Nerve staff at all. In other words, if you disagree with these ones, that’s on your fellow reader, not us. 2025 saw more than 42,000 ballots cast between the nomination and final rounds of voting in August and September.***

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TO DANCE

BEST CLUB DJ

Winner: Scott Weaver
Runner Up: Angelo The Kid

BEST DANCE CLUB

Winner: Trio Charlotte
Runner Up: Scorpio RSVP Complex

BEST KARAOKE

Winner: Bone Snugs n Harmony at Snug Harbor
Runner Up: Jeff’s Bucket Shop

TO KICK IT

BEST ARCADE BAR

Winner: Super Abari Game Bar
Runner Up: Pins Mechanical

BEST BOWLING ALLEY

Winner: Bowlero 10 Park
Runner Up: Pins Mechanical

BEST CIGAR BAR

Winner: The Vintage Whiskey & Cigar Bar
Runner Up: Havana Smoke and Reserve

BEST COCKTAIL BAR

Winner: Idlewild
Runner Up: Dot Dot Dot

BEST DIVE BAR

Winner: Thirsty Beaver Saloon
Runner Up: Hattie’s Tap & Tavern

BEST DOG BAR

Winner: Lucky Dog Bark & Brew
Runner Up: Skiptown

BEST HOOKAH BAR

Winner: Crave Dessert Bar
Runner Up: The Peace Pipe

BEST INSTAGRAMMABLE SPOT

Winner: Aura Rooftop
Runner Up: Super Abari Game Bar

BEST MUSIC BINGO NIGHT

Winner: Tuesdays with Mindless Minutia at Clutch
Runner Up: Thursdays with Johnie Jones at Vaulted Oak Brewing

BEST NEIGHBORHOOD BAR

Winner: Tommy’s Pub
Runner Up: Ed’s Tavern

BEST POOL HALL

Winner: Two Buck Saloon
Runner Up: Midwood Country Club

BEST SPORTS BAR

Winner: Ed’s Tavern
Runner Up: Dilworth Neighborhood Grille

BEST STRIP CLUB

Winner: Leather & Lace
Runner Up: Club Onyx

BEST TRIVIA NIGHT

Winner: Thursdays at Clutch with Mindless Minutia
Runner Up: Thursdays at Wooden Robot Brewery with David Ledbetter

BEST WINE BAR

Winner: Barcelona Wine Bar
Runner Up: Foxcroft Wine Co.

TO PARTY

BEST ANNUAL PARTY

Winner: Mindless Minutia’s Amazing Colossal Big A$$ Trivia Championship
Runner Up: The Super Abari Game Bar Anniversary Block Party

BEST PLACE TO GRAB A QUICK DRINK

Winner: Super Abari Game Bar
Runner Up: Aura Rooftop

BEST SINGLES BAR

Winner: Super Abari Game Bar
Runner Up: VINYL

BEST WEEKLY NIGHTLIFE EVENT

Winner: Wednesday Trivia at Resident Culture Plaza Midwood
Runner Up: DJ Nights at Bar Moxy

BEST NEW NIGHTCLUB

Winner: Trio Charlotte

FOR THE PEOPLE

BEST BAR TO MAKE A NEW FRIEND

Winner: Super Abari Game Bar
Runner Up: Petra’s Bar

BEST BAR TO PEOPLE-WATCH

Winner: Sycamore Brewing
Runner Up: Super Abari Game Bar

BEST BARTENDER

Winner: Kaitlynn Maney at Super Abari Game Bar
Runner Up: Chris Burns at Snug Harbor

BEST KARAOKE HOST

Winner: Bryan Pierce at Snug Harbor
Runner Up: Jonathan Moore at Tommy’s Pub

BEST LGBTQ-FRIENDLY BAR

Winner: Petra’s Bar
Runner Up: Hattie’s Tap & Tavern

BEST MIXOLOGIST

Winner: Jeremy Smith at Tommy’s Pub
Runner Up: Jenna “Duckie” Reynolds at Bar Hermanita

BEST PLACE FOR A FIRST DATE

Winner: The Artisan’s Palate
Runner Up: The Independent Picture House

BEST TRIVIA HOST

Winner: Dave Chase
Runner Up: Jacob Gresham

BY NEIGHBORHOOD BARS

BEST BALLANTYNE BAR

Winner: The Olde Mecklenburg Restaurant & Biergarten at Ballantyne
Runner Up: Tap & Vine

BEST BELMONT BAR

Winner: Sammy’s Neighborhood Pub
Runner Up: Pita Wheel

BEST EAST CHARLOTTE BAR

Winner: Tommy’s Pub
Runner Up: Smokey Joe’s Cafe

BEST MATTHEWS/MINT HILL BAR

Winner: Seaboard Brewing, Taproom, & Wine Bar
Runner Up: Matthews Social House

BEST NODA BAR

Winner: JackBeagle’s
Runner Up: Copperhead Social Club

BEST NORTH CHARLOTTE BAR

Winner: Tipsy Pickle
Runner Up: Neoteric Brewing

BEST NORTH MECKLENBURG BAR (HUNTERSVILLE, CORNELIUS, DAVIDSON)

Winner: Ed’s Tavern LKN
Runner Up: Neoteric Brewing

BEST PINEVILLE BAR

Winner: Middle James Brewing Company
Runner Up: Two Buck Saloon

BEST PLAZA MIDWOOD BAR

Winner: Snug Harbor
Runner Up: The Workman’s Friend

BEST SOUTH END BAR

Winner: Wooden Robot Brewery
Runner Up: Small Bar Southend

BEST SOUTHPARK BAR

Winner: The Loft at Duckworth’s
Runner Up: BAR ONE Lounge

BEST STEELE CREEK BAR

Winner: Hickory Tavern
Runner Up: The Casual Pint of Rivergate

BEST UNIVERSITY CITY BAR

Winner: Armored Cow Brewing Co.
Runner Up: Flying Saucer Draught Emporium

BEST UPTOWN BAR

Winner: Aura Rooftop
Runner Up: The Local

BEST WEST CHARLOTTE BAR

Winner: Pinky’s Westside Grill
Runner Up: The Milestone Club