131 MAIN is a Blakeney dinner option for steaks, seafood and American dishes cooked over a hickory wood fire. The covered porch and fire pit give you another way to enjoy the evening. Dining-room reservations are available through Resy; the bar and patio take guests first come, first served. The restaurant is cashless, so bring a credit or debit card.
300 East has been serving East Boulevard in Dilworth for more than 35 years, in the Street Car Station Shops. The kitchen works seasonally with an emphasis on seafood and local sourcing. It runs weekend brunch from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. There is patio seating, weather permitting, and patio tables cannot be reserved. Guy Fieri filmed it for the Indulgent Dishes episode of Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.
Abugida is a family-run Ethiopian room on Central Avenue that describes itself simply as a 'Family owned authentic Ethiopian restaurant'. The food is eaten the traditional way, scooped with injera rather than cutlery, and the kitchen keeps a wide range of vegan, vegetarian and gluten free dishes on the board because Ethiopian fasting cooking is built that way. The cafe also serves a full coffee ceremony, poured at the table with frankincense burning alongside it.
Alexander Michael's has been a Fourth Ward neighborhood tavern since 1983, inside the brick Crowell-Berryhill Store that opened in 1897. The room kept pieces of Charlotte with it: the bar and back bar were made from solid oak doors taken from the old Independence Building, and the beer cooler came from a Charlotte grocery store around 1920. Come for a burger, a beer and a building that survived when much of the neighborhood did not.
BellyUp! Charlotte / Over 50
Good places to eat and drink in Charlotte, minus the nightclubs. When a spot gets loud later or draws a lot of kids, the card tells you.
7 spots
Catch a game, shoot pool or play darts at Dom's Dive Bar in LoSo. This neighborhood bar on South Boulevard pairs beer and cocktails with wings, flatbreads and a brisket grilled cheese. It stays open until 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. Check the menu before heading over, or call to ask about the game you want to watch.
Go early. It turns into a late-night spot later in the evening.
JackBeagle's calls itself NoDa's favourite bar and restaurant and describes its own room as having a dive feel, serving hand-crafted food in a high-energy but casual setting. It opens at 7am on weekdays and serves breakfast every day, which is unusual for a bar on this strip, and stays open to 2am on Friday and Saturday.
Go early. It turns into a late-night spot later in the evening.
Snug Harbor is a small pirate-themed room on Gordon Street in Plaza Midwood that has been booking national, regional and local bands since 2007. Doors are at 8pm and the show is at 9pm Monday through Saturday. Karaoke runs to 2am on Thursdays and Sundays, and DJ nights sit alongside the live bookings.
This is a music venue. It is loud when a show is on.
The Woodshed is a gay bar on Queen City Drive with a spacious patio and two outdoor bars. It is the official home of the Tradesmen, a Charlotte LGBTQ organization, and it hosts BLUF Charlotte events. It posts the latest close of any room in this file, 2:30am Monday through Saturday, with alcohol sales ending at 2am.
Go early. It turns into a late-night spot later in the evening.
The Thirsty Beaver is the small brick dive bar on Central Avenue that a 323-unit apartment complex was built around. Brothers Brian and Mark Wilson opened it in 2008 and lease the building from owner George Salem, who turned down two offers from the developer that bought the surrounding land for 8.5 million dollars in 2015. The developer built the apartments in a horseshoe around the bar instead, and the Associated Press called it Charlotte's own version of the house from Up. There is live music on Sundays and a pool table.
Go early. It turns into a late-night spot later in the evening.
Thomas Street Tavern is the kind of Plaza Midwood stop where dinner can turn into a longer evening. The brick building on Thomas Avenue opens into a bar with a roomy outdoor hangout behind it. Get something to eat, find a seat with friends and leave room for a game of ping-pong or cornhole.
Tommy’s Pub looks modest from the parking lot, but the calendar gives you a better idea of the place: live bands, karaoke and offbeat movie nights. Inside, a long bar and walls covered with signs give it the feel of a room people have made their own. Come for a particular show or settle in for a casual evening at the bar.
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