The drink menu at Laboratory is so much fun. I already know what I want to try the next time I go…read more The staff was very friendly and made me feel like apart of the family. The bartender, Crista, was a vibe. She was so funny and attentive. I had the strawberry jackass and the atomic spritz. I wanted to try the spiked bubble tea but after the first 2 drinks, I had to pump my brakes. I highly recommend this experience.

Had the pleasure of bringing a newly 21-year-old here for drinks. She wanted to try some fun drinks…read moreand fun drinks did she try. She really likes the Lavender Gin Fizz but did not like the Jalapeño Lime Margarita. She thought it was too spicy. It tasted fine to me maybe it the uncultured 21 year old palette. Her absolute favorite was the Pineapple Soju drink. She drank several shots. I sampled the Soju drink and enjoyed it. I love that it comes in a beaker and you get to pour it into smaller beaker shot glasses! So cute. For my main drink, I got the strawberry mule. It was very refreshing and made well. Labaratory 2315 N Davidson St Charlotte, NC 28205 (Review 28 in 2024 and 828 overall)

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 finally got to check out Lorem Ipsum for a friends birthday a couple of weeks ago and it was a…read morewhole vibe. Being there felt like I was in my house, from the plants, to them playing Beverly Hills Cop on the projector and all of the Black artists on the walls. It was very refreshing!!! It's so rare to go to a business and see anything familiar so this was truly inspiring. We stayed for about 30 mins because we got there right before they closed. It was fun to explore the hotel rooms and just be in this dope energy. I didn't have a full cocktail, just sipped and tried a few of my friends. I can see this being a great date night spot, or some where to go to unwind and just catch the vibes. I wish it was bigger but it's a cute spot for sure!! I was super surprised about the parking lot in the back too. That has to be very helpful for them in Plaza Midwood area. Will definetly be back!!

So this place is very cool and very vibey. There are DJs and the projection is a really nice touch…read more The menu is small and drinks are interesting - I got something with sage in it and was good. The issues we faced were not having a reservation - the options online were wide open so we thought it was safe to show up - and had to wait a long time. In hindsight, I should've went ahead and made the reservation, so I'll take responsibility, but was disappointing for the experience to be so different than we expected. We were able to sit outside and waited for about 40 mins to get our table. Service was very slow. It just felt like they were really understaffed. We were there for probably 2ish hours and only got 1 drink (the one outside) as it was so hard to flag down our waitress, etc. I suspect that this place, having recently received awards / gone viral, is a victim of a huge influx of people stopping by. I wanted to love it! I'd go back during off hours and definitely make a reservation. The vibe was really cool, and the music was great. Parking is questionable, there's a gravel lot that is shared with the restaurant next door. We parked on the street, was unclear if they tow there or not.

Cozy, cool ambience and delicious cocktails. The bartenders…read morehave a wealth of knowledge in their craft and can make something for even the pickiest of drinkers. Make a reservation or enjoy the standing bar space, as walk-in seating is limited, especially on the weekends.

Honestly some of the most rude, negligent service I've experienced in a while…read more Context: Bar was at 25% capacity I pride myself on being a genial, accommodating person Attempted multiple times to thoughtfully engage staff From the moment we entered, our service staff was either dismissive, condescending, or negligent. Could not leave fast enough. The overall decor and vibe was great, just our assigned person was lackluster in every regard. EDIT (5/27/28): When we entered and sat down, to the bartenders credit, he swiftly asked us what we wanted. As we were describing the general vibe of the drinks we wanted, the attitude of the bartender manifested as very condescending and lacking in general back-and-forth discourse. Despite the dismissive attitude, but after the drinks were made, we attempted to thank the bartender, but his only response was a derisive chortle before walking off. For the remainder of our stay, he was flirting with some female patrons at the other end of the bar. Sharing pictures, conversation, and general good service while we were ignored until we asked for the check to pay and leave as quickly as possible.

My espresso martini with reposado tequila is the best espresso martini that I've ever had. There…read morewas enough froth on top of the martini which lasted until the last drop. I'll be back. There's enough space for small & large groups in the inside and outside seating areas. The service may be a little slow on Friday nights due to NODA being a popular area on Friday nights.

It honestly hurts to leave this review, but Chief's today is a shadow of what it was when it first…read moreopened. My latest visit will unfortunately be my last. When we entered, the staff didn't even acknowledge us, so we grabbed a few menus and went to find a seat. The guests sitting next to us had to let us know that there was no longer table service and that you now have to order everything at the bar. When we looked over the menu, we noticed it had been significantly pared down to very basic cocktails--a massive disappointment compared to the creative drink menus, milk punches, and rotating selections they used to feature. Hoping to still support a local neighborhood business, I went up to the bar to order, but I was completely ignored by the staff, so we left and headed to Humbug which never disappoints. It is a genuine shame to see how much this place has declined.

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..

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

Best fried chicken would highly recommend Haberdish if you are looking for a genuine southern meal…read more Service was also outstanding.

We got on the walk-in list 30 minutes before arriving, but when we got there, the host told us it…read morewould still be about an hour wait. There were several "reserved" tables that remained empty until after we had finished eating, so I think the restaurant could benefit from a better reservation system with more accurate buffer times to accommodate walk-in guests. To avoid the wait, we decided to sit at the bar, and I'm glad we did because the food was amazing. The fried chicken and waffles were perfectly seasoned, and the waffle had a unique texture and flavor that reminded me of a combination of a traditional waffle and a soft pretzel. The cheesy potato cake was absolutely delicious. The fruit bowl was also good, but I wish they had been a little more generous with the blueberry pudding. The shrimp and grits came with large tomatoes, which may not be for everyone, and my friend felt the dish was lacking grits overall. She didn't feel like she got her money's worth. Would I go back? Absolutely. My meal was delicious, and I can't wait to return and try more of their homemade, fresh dishes. I also think it's great that they partner with local farmers to help curate their menu.

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!

Stumbled upon this speakeasy type bar by myself while my husband was at a local comic convention…read more Brought my kindle and sat at the bar to read/people watch in this small but super cozy space. Bartenders were super friendly and made some tasty drinks. My husband joined later and enjoyed his drink too. Probably our favorite spot from our weekend in town!