The North Davidson area is probably one of the biggest hang-out/nightlife areas in Charlotte. It’s also one of the ones farthest away from my house. North Davidson (Noda) is a strip of bars, restaurants, and live-music venues that have a very indy feel. Each bar and restaurant has its own unique personality, while still blending together into a very casual scene where you can walk around, drink copius amounts of beer, and catch some good performances.
One of the first places I became familiar with in Noda was Growler’s Pour House. It’s one of the first bars you will see as you drive into the area on North Davidson from Charlotte (it’s on the right, corner lot). There’s free street parking, but there are numerous parking lots behind the main street that generally run $5 and are worth it for avoiding the hassle of finding a spot and walking.
Like most bars in Noda, Growlers is ground floor. I got there past the dinner hour, so unfortunately I did not sample their food. Their dining tables were always crowded and I usually take that as a good sign that the food is worth trying out. I will update this post in the future on what I find out about it.
The inside of Growlers is relatively small. The majority of the floor is taken up by dining tables. A fully stocked bar lines the right wall, and there is casual bar-seating along one of the two front windows. It’s size makes it fill up to standing-room only very quickly. The kitchen is somewhat open to the dining area, and the noise easily drifts out into the bar and eating area. This actually is a good thing, as it adds to the atmosphere of an energetic yet casual beer bar. I should clarify, Growlers does have a fully stocked bar, but I just can’t see myself drinking anything but a cold pint of craft beer (or a high-end hard cider, which I will get to later).
I’m going to have to admit to two fails right now. I drank an absolutely exquisite brown ale and a tall bottle of hard cider that were both a great way to start the night in Noda. Unfortunately because they tapped-out the keg I did not get to verify what type of beer I had tried before moving onto the cider…. and after drinking 3 not-so-small glasses of 6% organic hard cider, I forgot to take a picture of the bottle, because 4 drinks at your first hang-out location is no way to prepare for a blog posting. When I get there next I will verify this awesome cider. It is the one of the best I have ever drank, on par with my homemade hard-cider that I am very proud of.
Growlers has some great bartenders and servers who were always immediately available whether we wanted another round or needed to close out. The crowd is fantastic, casual, and pretty friendly. We struck up a few conversations with other people watching the hockey game and talked about previous games. I learned a great bit about what else to do in the area from a few other people who weren’t quite as new to the area as me (Charlotte ties with Florida for the number of immigrants to the area apparently).
Overall, I don’t think you can go wrong with Growlers. It has a very rough-edged Irish Pub feel, but in a contemporary way that welcomes the young professional crowd. They focus on craft beer and always have an intriguing selection to keep you interested in what you’re drinking. If you’re on a tight budget, the $2 PBRs don’t hurt either.
MB
Filed under: Charlotte Nightlife, beer, Charlotte, craft beer, Growlers, nightlife, North Davidson, pour house, review
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