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..

My wife and I love this spot. Always have. However, we haven't been since 2023. It was nice to see…read morethe new furniture and the new setup.When we arrived at 6ish, we were immediately serviced. We were able to see our favorite server/bartender and that was nice. He made our drinks just the way we remembered... nice and strong...lol. Everything was good until 10pm when the "Club" party began. We were told that we would need to go to the bar for our hookah and drink needs. That ordeal was horrible for the rest of the night. We did not get tended to for our coal refill and repacking needs, even after going to the front several times. The guy kept saying he will come and we watched him go everywhere else each time. We waited way too long. The 1 line for drinks being made by 1 server took extremely long. Although the music was great bring played by the live dj, it did not take away the frustration. No one should have to chase for service that the establishment is known for. No one should have to wait on a extremely long line just to receive a drink at a hookah lounge. This is not a club by any means. Even if you have an event, the establishment should plan much better for the crowd by make it a more efficient and effective experience. The transition was horrible.

Stopped in to have a drink and smoke hookah. Place is a vibe and the drinks were great.read more

Love this bar and the design. Great nod to the historic building in south end, shout out to the…read morestaff who work really hard with the heavy traffic of people on the weekends.

Fun, lively place…read more My friends and I were in town and wanted to have one last drink before we jetted out the next morning, so we ended up in trendy South End. First thing we noticed was how HUGE this place is. I feel like everywhere we turned, each section had its own vibe and its own designated bar. With the loud music, it was more loungey than anything and the crowd was on the much younger side. Canopy seems to be the go-to place in the South End. We did not encounter this kind of lines or crowds anywhere else in the area. Ordered a grapefruity drink (Our Flowerchild) off the menu and it was pretty good. Price was alright - definitely cheaper than what I'd pay in NYC (which is already atrocious in itself).

It's Feb 8th around 1am and there were 2 bartenders the one with Curly blond hair was working super…read morehard because her male counter part was hardly working at all. Only focus on girls he could flirt with but when they left no one could get a drink. Worst bartender! Felt bad for the girl since she had to handle all of us trying to get a drink.

Wayyyyy to expensive and music sucked I will probably never be coming here again it was such a rip…read moreoff

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 have been a regular here for the majority of the time I lived in Charlotte. You should ask why…read morewould someone consistently show up to a venue unless it's among the best. (Hookahs are easily in the top three of in the city) Combining atmosphere, patrons and quality ... Taboo Lounge gets top marks. Don't let the negative reviews fool you as they all refer to a "cover." As a regular attendee, I want to speak on this: It's not a "cover" it's a membership fee enforced by the state. Also, no matter what you call it, it is a ONE TIME payment that will allow you access for a whole year. (If you are out of town the fee is actually half off) Being a member not only gives you access to what I consider the best spot in town but it also affords you a discount to the attached smoke shop. This shop compliments the lounge and honestly, if you purchase anything of note twice in a year the membership pays for itself. Drink pricing, compared to other spots in the city is $$ tier. This isn't your undergrad level lounge and that's a positive if you are older, however, it's worth mentioning that there are weekday specials to soften the blow. All in all if you want great value and ambiance, give this place a shot.

Very strange place. They will change a membership fee. $10 in state $20 out of state…read more It's a one time charge but very strange They didn't have many flavors It was very hot also like the AC was not working. Music was nice and everyone was polite but I watched a lot of people leave turned off on the idea of that membership fee. At the end I had 2 beers a hookah and membership fee plus a $5 tip that's a $80 experience which was not worth it in my eyes. I was not impressed

Came here recently Saturday night and it was packed! Rooftop is fairly small, but the vibe was…read morechill, and DJ played some good music. Bar area was really crowded, so it took a bit to get drinks--bartender was cool though! They have a cute flower decor sign "wish you were here" that is great for a photo op but there were too many people standing in front of it to get good pictures.

Small roof top bar area with a good view. We had a few beers and specialty drinks. The drinks are…read morepricey and the service was slow. Plus there is a mandatory 20% gratuity... seems common for the mandatory tip and slow service to go hand in hand. The view was worth the trip. We ubered there but parking did not look fun on a weekend evening.

This place is permanently closed. The service staff posted about it on social media but no where…read moreelse. Sucks because this place looked cool but I guess cocktail bars are not Charlotte's forté.

We were looking for a nighttime venue for Saturday night. You had to make the reservation in…read moreadvance of going to the venue for bottle service. The reservation information was very detailed. It informed you of the maximum number of people per table and the minimum spend. When we arrived we were taken to our table. We wanted to order the Teremana, but it was sold out. So we ordered Casamigos. Charlotte is one of the few places I visit that locks up the liquor bottle in a case at the table. Sabrina was our Bottle service waitress, and she was great. By the end of the night, our waitress switched to Mariah she wasn't as attentive and didn't provide great customer service. My sister ordered hookah, and there was a 20% gratuity added to the hookah that was separate from the bottle gratuity. The venue was nice. There were several slogans on the walls, and the graphic art was nice. The DJ was great. There was a sign to not make any music request.

This cool little speakeasy in South End is worth a visit any time of the year, but is especially…read morefun during the holidays, when it turns into a festive wonderland of cocktails and magic. Located behind the SoundBound taqueria on South Blvd., this small space comes alive between Thanksgiving and Christmas with fun decor, holiday-themed drinks and even indoor snow. On a recent visit, I enjoyed a delicious Snowball Old Fashioned while my wife sipped a rum-infused Yippee Ki Yay MotherF*****r! The menu also includes non-alcoholic cocktails and shots. In classic speakeasy fashion, you access the lounge by picking up a hallway phone and giving a 'secret' password that's available on the Backstage Instagram page. On our visit on an early weekend evening, the phone wasn't working and the freezer door leading to the lounge was already ajar. A bit disappointing, but nothing that took away from the overall experience. Service was great at the bar, and the lounge also has booths and tables for larger parties. Definitely one of the best speakeasies in Charlotte, and one of the most enjoyable pop-up holiday bars you'll find anywhere.

Stopped in to Backstage for the Christmas pop up and was not disappointed. It's Christmas overload…read morein the best way, if you're looking for something fun and kitschy. They have a Christmas drink menu, mostly sweet, but they also offered to make some minor modifications. I had the Koala LaLaLa, which was more tart with some apple and bitters. Probably not everyone's jam, but I loved it. All the bartenders were great-Star kept us laughing, and they moved quickly considering how busy the place got. I recommend going early to get a good spot to people watch. I plan to come back at least one more time during the holidays. 10/10!

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.