The Pub at Uptown — Restaurant in Charlotte

First thoughts, the Pub at Uptown has an identity crisis. It operates and prices itself like a high-end Uptown restaurant and cocktail bar, but the experience tells a different story with underwhelming food served with cheap Chinet plates and plastic forks.

Bar and wait staff were amazing and super attentive. However, I question many of the decisions up the chain behind running the kitchen and menu.

For an average $19 cocktail and $16 entree. You are hitting with some of the best spots in the city for pub food and cocktails, and I don't see it working here.

At first glance, it seems like they want the high-quality aesthetic but are cutting some corners with less concern for quality.

As a Charlotte pub or dive bar with a late-night kitchen, they’re doing great. I loved the daily specials and the options for a cheaper drink. But the prices for most the food and cocktails feel straight insulting.

That said, I highly recommend the nachos—the chili was great. Unfortunately, the $16 Texas burger was a major letdown. It was oversold on the menu, and I expected a great burger. Instead, I got a plain patty on barely toasted sourdough, a slice of cheese, and a single jalapeño. It felt like something my neighbor threw together for $3 at a backyard BBQ. For that price, I’d also expect a real side—not just a wholesale bag of chips, potato salad, or celery.

They’ll succeed due to their location, but I’m not sure I’ll convince myself to come back—at least not right away. I’ll probably give it another shot in a few months once they’ve made a profit and (hopefully) invest in real silverware and/or plates... Or at least...

The Pub at Uptown strives to charge you for an upscale gourmet experience while providing a sub-par meal that is not even worth half of what you pay. My partner and I got 2 beers (1 each), an appetizer (nachos), and 2 entrees (a burger and a wrap). With a 20% tip (because the friendly waitstaff did nothing wrong) it came out to $80. The burger was supposed to be on “Texas toast” but appeared to be simply toasted sourdough bread slices that resembled nothing similar to what I expect for “Texas toast.” The only sides you can get without a minimum $1 and maximum $3 up charge is kettle chips (Brickman’s brand still in the bag), potato salad, or 6 sticks of celery with ranch. The decor is the epitome of champagne taste on a dollar store budget. The bathrooms have sinks that look like a bird bath on top of the counter with a faucet that is not conducive to having a sink that is a bowl on top of the counter. There is so little space between the faucet and the bottom of the sink that my hands (which are relatively small) touched both the bottom of the faucet and the bottom of the sink. The dart boards are unusable because there are tables in the way. The plates and cutlery that came out for our nachos were single use plastic ones. If you want to spend $80 on a dinner for 2, there are plenty of better options just a few blocks away. And no, you cannot excuse the price point on “being in an uptown location” because there are so many other options that have infinitely better burgers for $12 rather than the $16...

Wow. What an absolute delight this place was, if you’re into overpriced food, fake Tabasco, and being charged for breathing.

First time here (and trust, never again), I figured I’d support the local pub right under my apartment. Silly me for thinking convenience meant quality. I ordered a burger because I live on Earth, not Mars—but apparently, in The Pub Uptown Universe, burgers come on toast now. Toast. In 2025. How innovative. I asked for a bun, and they obliged… with a heart attack worth of salt packed in every bite.

Needed a little kick, so I asked for Tabasco. What do I get? Some off-brand “Texan hot sauce” and a waitress (sarah) who passionately insisted they’re the same thing. Ma’am, I wasn’t born yesterday. And the best part? They charge you $0.78—not for extra sauce—just for wanting it on the side. Revolutionary.

The “fresh kettle chips”? Oh, so fresh—if by fresh you mean limp, oily, and tasting like the fryer’s been on strike since 2018.

Truly a culinary masterpiece of disappointment. Honestly, just rename the place to “The Scam at Uptown” and lean...