Charlotte's Best Dive Bars

Where to Have a Cheap Drink and a Good Time in the Queen City

If you're looking for a night on the town in the Queen City, don't overlook the variety of quality dive bars out there. You're not always in the mood to put on the nice clothes and spend $10 on a Gin and Tonic; sometimes a good beer or a cheap drink, coupled with live local music, billiards, or a good tray of pub munchies can be the perfect backdrop to a night of fun with friends. Though Charlotte is fast becoming one of the more upscale hubs of the New South, the old-fashioned smoky bar hasn't disappeared. Put on some jeans, take a Twenty, and have a good time gritty-style.

To find some good local music without having to pay a cover, check out The Room. Located on Montford Drive in the heart of South Charlotte, The Room is the city's self-proclaimed Best New Live Music Venue. Featuring a weekly open jam and a variety of live acts (it's a favorite hangout of P Dawg Seven and the Suburban Gangsters), there's something going on at The Room pretty much every night. Beers are cheap at the brick-walled venue, starting at around $2 for a PBR, and mixed drinks are available for under $5. If there's not a show, The Room, with its numerous ceiling-mounted TV screens is a great place to watch the game. Thrift store couches and chairs give the bar's main show room a laid-back feel, while pool tables are available for free play all the time. You might have to use a broken cue, and you might find yourself running into the wall, but hey, it's free! There's usually not a cover, though when a big show is around, you won't have to shell out more than a few bucks. Come here on rainy nights during basketball season to get warm and shout at the Bobcats on TV with the locals.