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.

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!

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

Such a fun place to eat! The food and drinks were so good and unique. We loved the atmosphere…read morewith the open air front. We will definitely go back. Service was A+!

My husband and I were in Charlotte for the evening and we took a chance on walking in to The…read moreDegenerate. It was a Friday night two weeks before Christmas, but it was only 5:45pm so I feel like we got lucky. We were able to walk in and be seated right away. We ordered cocktails and embraced the tapas menu, ordering too many things to sample and share. We sadly had to leave some of it behind. Our waitress was a sweetheart and though the restaurant space was big and open, the warm wood and exposed brick inside made it feel welcoming and cozy. There was enough room between tables that we didn't feel crammed in and the table was big enough to hold all the delicious goodness. I felt like two top tables can sometimes barely hold your water glass and bread plate. We head to Charlotte pretty regularly for various things, and I would like to bring our teenage boys back sometime. I think they would really like the menu and style of the restaurant. Nice enough for a quick date night before and event, but casual enough that I feel like we could bring the teens and not have to "dress up".

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.

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.

What a delightful craft cocktail bar!…read more Came here to start out our Saturday night while in town visiting a friend. She says, "I know this cool place," so I said, " Let's go!! I love good craft cocktails, and this joint did not disappoint!. Unassuming from the outside, I was pleasantly surprised by the dark, moody interior! Lots of bar seating so you can watch the team work their magic in the shakers. The menu is inventive, and they execute these unique drinks well. There is something for everyone - from fruity, sweet, smoky, citrus, herby, or boozy. I can't wait to come back and try some more things!

Had a great date night here! Vibe is laid back but intimate. Staff is outstanding! Very friendly,…read moreand helped us make great choices. Tried the salt and vinegar martini, which legit tasted like salt and vinegar chips. Enjoyed every single one of our drinks, including the Make It Make Sense, You Mater to Me, and the Peche Punch. Their house seasoned cheez-its were addictive. We are absolutely looking forward to the next visit.

I was very excited to check this place out, but it was extremely disappointing. We made a Saturday…read morenight reservation (you basically cannot get in without a res, they completely fill up) and they require $20 (+$3.75 fee) per person "deposit". We were under the assumption that it goes towards the final bill the way the $10 weekday cover does, stated on the website. It did not. We paid the $20 in addition to our bill. This needs to be addressed on the FAQ page on their website, insane it isn't listed already. The drinks were the most meh drinks I've ever had. Their menu looks incredible, but the cocktails were so mediocre. Nothing special, I didn't even like my Pear Cosmo it just tasted like straight lime juice. Two of my friends got the Spicy Margarita and they tasted completely different. One was insanely spicy, the other wasn't spicy at all. Took 15 minutes for a server to come over and acknowledge and take drink orders. Seemed like lots of miscommunication on which servers had which table. As one would come over, the other would check in less than 30 seconds later. The vibe inside is cute but super strange that they didn't steam/iron the green curtains which are a big centerpiece for the room... you can see the crease marks on the curtains from where they were taken out of the package folded. Jazz band was awesome. However, for this being a lounge it was too loud. Couldn't hear the person sitting next to you talking because it was so loud. Overall, disappointed in this place, I had super high hopes as I love jazz bars and cocktail bars. I would not recommend to friends and probably would not come back.

THE BAND ON THE NIGHT I ATTENDED WAS A 5 STAR EXPERIENCE!! The overall vibe of the place is also…read moresuperb and something different for a weekend night. Get there a few minutes early to get a good spot, and they do community seating FYI. With that, the drinks were not good. Everyone at my table hated their drinks, which let me know something is off. They turn the espresso machine off at night, which was disappointing, as the signs lead me to believe they served coffee all day. I thought that was kind of cool. Also beware of them putting the cover charge on your tab and then charging gratuity on it. Bring it to their attention! Sitting by the door on a chilly night was a little cold, as the traffic came in and out throughout the evening.