Idlewild — Restaurant in Charlotte

I love Idlewild and their unique concept. In a land full of basic, cookie cutter cocktail bars, Idlewild provides some respite from the pumpkin spiced lattes of the booze world. I’ve been twice now and I have to say, it’s the best cocktail bar I’ve ever been to - and this is compared to cocktail bars in DC, NYC, Phoenix, etc. So, it bums me out to see bad reviews from people who don’t understand the concept of what they’re trying to do. Here are some digestible pro tips so you’re not disappointed and find yourself writing a poor review for a small business:

this is a VERY small, intimate bar. There are only a handful of tables, which are meant to accommodate parties bigger than 2 but less than 6. The bar seats accommodate parties of 2, are reserved seats, and are NOT meant to be waiting areas until a table opens.

make a reservation. For the love of all that’s righteous and holy, make a reservation. They CAN take walk-ins if they’re able (I was a walk-in my first time) but on weekends, chances are slim. It’s also unlikely you can increase your party size and this is just due to the lack of space and coordination of reservations on the books.

if you’re a walk-in waiting or early to your reservation, take the VERY SHORT jaunt across the parking lot to Wooden Robot and have some of their amazing beer until your seat opens. It’s really simple. Idlewild will text you when your table is ready!

reservations have a time limit so that other reservations can be accommodated later in the evening. This isn’t atypical of restaurants/bars these days and is noted when you make the reservation on Resy

membership of $1/year is required by NC law; not by Idlewild. I don’t get it either but if you go anywhere in Charlotte, they’re likely charging membership fees and many are a lot more than $1 (looking at you, Vintage)

there is no menu. The concept is, you tell the bartenders what you like and they make it for you. The more you know what you do or don’t like, the higher the chances are that you’ll get a unique, amazing cocktail. I hate sweet cocktails, love creamy and spicy, and I got something different and amazing each time. Dont like drinks with a ton of ice? No problem - just tell them. Where else can you get a concoction using coconut milk and cucumber? If you want a martini or Old Fashioned, you may wanna try a regular bar

this is NoDa, not South End. Both times, I saw diversity in both patrons and staff which is something I really love about NoDa. Staff have always been kind to me and other patrons around me so I never detected any discrimination.

In summary, and in defense of this thesis, the goal of Idlewild (from what I’ve read and experienced) is to provide a tailored cocktail experience in a very intimate environment so that their talented bartenders can focus on crafting Karla-specific cocktails instead of slapping rum and Coke together. Does this sound appealing? Then make a resy, catch a buzz in 2 hours, and don’t cancel last minute. If you’re looking to bro down with Chad, Brad, and Kyle and reminisce about your Sig Ep days while slamming Jäegerbombs, skip this place and go to….literally any bar...

What you love about this place is the exact same thing that you will eventually begin to hate about it. I thought I might become a regular at this members only establishment nestled in the heart of NODA. During the week you might love that it is upscale and cozy. Cozy is a euphemism for limited seating and no waiting area. I hyped this place up to a bunch of my friends on a Saturday night and made my way over with a group only to be referred to another bar. Charlotte's bar scene is a bit too crowded to have unforced errors. Good drinks..... And if you go during the week you are likely to get good service. I wouldn't go to idlewild on a Friday or Saturday.... I was embarrassed that I recommended this on a weekend.....and that weekend experience will make me drastically limit future visits. By the way they recommended that I go to Wooden Robot... Maybe I will check that out one weekend Updated 1/20/2020 based on owner response I appreciate the response but your perception of what occurred is a bit off... I walked in the bar was placed on the wait list saw some buddies and sat down to chat it up. I had advised my buddies and the waiter when our other two friends arrived (for a total of 6) that I would I would need to get out of their area. Once they arrived. I stood up to talk to my friends about where we were going next so that we wouldn't inconvenience anyone. I wasn't trying to turn a party of of 6 into a party of 12. There were never at any point 12 people. Your count is a bit off but if exaggerating the number makes the service more palatable go with that. I didn't want to make the decision in the rain. We were then rushed out of the bar. Impressed with your memory of my presence disappointed with your recollection of details. I've lived in Charlotte for a number of years and have been in busy places during the weekend. A busy atmosphere is never a reason to be rude. Cheers to...

I hate writing negative reviews but unfortunately this is the worst experience I’ve ever had at an establishment. I made a reservation over a month ago for a party of 6 for my 30th birthday. I came with a 7th person and they said they could not seat us because we made a reservation for six.

We asked if we could fit into the same space because we were small people and there were couches not chairs so we would all be able to fit. They said no. Then I asked if we could have one person not order a drink if it was a drink limit and they said no.

I don’t understand why they wouldn’t want more business from a party when we were willing to fit in the same space and I was never given a reason and if wasn’t a fire code situation so I guess they didn’t want us? I asked them why more than 6 werent allowed when we were taking up the same amount of space and they did not give any reason.

Happy to spend my money elsewhere! If this bar is all about making cocktails based on mood, they need to perfect the mood “pissed off”

EDIT: Saw the response from the establishment and definitely a sassy bunch. We had an addition to the party that was very last minute, about 15 minutes before and I wasn't going to ditch a member so we figured if we fit on the couch it would be ok since it wasn't a fire restriction, but agree that the policy is listed on Resy on the website. I just think a business should handle their patrons better or at least give some justification. The alternative accommodation wasn't able to seat all 7 of us, which is why we were unable to stay, even though we would have fit in the space for the 6 person reservation...