Midwood Country Club — Restaurant in Charlotte

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Darts, Drinks & Personal Development” From this week’s “Sticky Rice & Sweet Tea – After Dark Edition”

I don’t go out much. My usual nightlife consists of refrigerator light and a cozy existential crisis. But in the spirit of not regretting life on my deathbed (which feels closer every time I eat fried mushrooms), I ventured to Midtown Country Club.

And you know what? I had fun. Like, honest-to-goodness, looked-up-darts-on-Amazon-after kind of fun. Learned how to play darts with some tragically unbalanced plastic ones, and still managed to feel like an Olympic athlete in the glow of good vibes.

Shoutout to the bartender—this man is a sober cocktail sorcerer. I asked for something citrusy, low sugar, no alcohol, and he handed me a cup of mystery that tasted like a sunset on a fresh start. Give that man a bonus and a playlist deal.

The crowd? Surprisingly lovely. Diverse, relaxed, unbothered. And as someone who usually stiffens up around groups of gays I don’t know (read: trauma, shade, and past brunches), Sean’s friends were actually warm and welcoming. It reshaped some deep-seated expectations I didn’t realize I was still carrying.

All in all, 5 stars for a Tuesday night that gave me community, a tasty mocktail, and a hobby that now requires wrist coordination and a budget.

~Written with sore arms, soft epiphanies, and sticky rice dreams...

We went to this place to play pool and had never been here before. We went inside and found a table and asked those who were playing how it worked and they said it was free. I was happy to hear that. They said they would give us their table with balls and cues when they finished which was nice. While we were waiting I also asked someone who worked there how it worked so that I was sure what we needed to do and he said it's free to paying customers. I was like alright cool. He carded the person with me but never asked us what we would like to drink. Then when we were about to play the guy came around and talked to the person with me who was a young man of color and accused him of trying to get away with playing pool without getting anything to drink and then when he did buy something the guy was mad and followed him back to the table lecturing him about not tipping him. Mind you this man had already been incredibly rude and targeted a young man of color but expected a tip. He never said anything to me which made it appear to be targeted. I asked him what was going on because his tone of voice and behavior seemed mean and aggressive toward the person with me. He explained that he expected a tip. I did not like his behavior and called him out on it and then he told us to leave. This is not the way to run a business and I would advise those of color to...

Terrible customer service, entitled manager, and classless.

For context, I showed up on 12/25 at around 9pm eastern, went to the bar and requested a shot of henny. I inquired about outdoor seating and mentioned that I had a few friends that I was gonna wait for to show up while taking a shot. The classless manager asked if I would pay outright or keep a tab open, and after a little hesitation, I opted to pay for the shot at the moment and open a tab when my friends arrive. Upon paying for the shot of henny, the entitled manager returned the signed receipt and pointed to the tips spot demanding that I tip. Now, I tip everywhere I go, but not for my first shot when I'm about to open a tab along with bunch of friends later on the night. I made efforts to have him understand that I'm only getting started with the night and tipping would not be a problem when I'm done for the night, but his low intelligence, greed, and entitlement just would not allow him to place proper customer service over...