OneSixty Cocktails & Kitchen — Restaurant in Belmont

Ok! I've heard so much about OneSixty but I really had no expectations. Let's star from the bottom, the first start was earned because the ambience is amazing! Love the decor and the 2 separate bar areas- the place is small, so the designer definitely maximized their space in the best way. The second star is earned because we were greeted at the door and seated promptly & every single staff person that we passed on our way to our table acknowledged us and spoke- that's a big deal for me. Our server, forgive me for not remembering her name but she had blue hair, came quickly but she seemed rushy. She immediately told us we only had 2 hours to dine and time started then. We said ok, my first thought was, this is giving very atlanta/houston. Not sure why this is so common in black owned establishments in the south. As we began asking about the difference in the drink selection(note that a lot of the "Kocktails" have cinnamon in them- why? Could be a seasonal thing, but our server didn't know) I wanted a signature tequila drink but it also had cinnamon in it, no thanks. Moving on to the food selection, the menu is very tasty, with the southern cuisines but we opted for the typical run of the mill bar food instead. I ordered the beehive wings and my husband the sliders. The questions I had about the different flavors, the server didn't know what the difference was, she basically told me that beehive, buffalo and mambo all taste like Buffalo. She said beehive was her favorite so I just chose it. Lol

Ultimately we did end up ordering drinks, my husband a crown and coke and me a crown apple and pineapple. The drinks were ok. Our server kept our water glasses filled, this is something that my husband deems as a must.

By this time we're vibing because the Dj did a few biggie and tupac runs and ran them into some classic r&b songs from total and swv, perfect for our age range(40+). Our food comes about 35 mins of being there(which was cool, because it was busy and we were occupied with drinks and vibes). The food was hot! My chicken wings had steam coming off them. My husband enjoyed his sliders and fries as well. There's the third star, because hot food is super important to me. This to me means the kitchen has great time management.

We ordered another round of drinks but this time I only ordered a shot of Crown apple instead of a drink but I received regular crown instead of crown apple like before. We notified the server and she took it back to the bar and brought it right back, however this time the shot was significantly less, significantly. By this time, the server just seems very occupied, not that shes busy with other tables but that she's just not interested in being there. She wasn't unpleasant but she was very unengaged.

Kj, the guy who took our dishes(traditionally kmown as the bus boy, not sure what they call them now) but he was soooo nice, engaging and pleasant. He asked each time he came to get dishes how were things going, and if we needed anything. Remember, our server filled our water glasses multiple times but not once did she ask how we were when she did. This may some very minute but checking in creates emotions and could potentially move a guest to order something else. Just by asking them do they need anything? Nevertheless, KJ earned the fourth star of the evening.

Notes: there are two bars but it seemed like the front bar was the only one serving drinks, I'm sure there's reason but this did cause some delay in our drinks. There's also hookah, if you endulge. There is a 20% gratuity already added and that's never mentioned. They just tell you the total like you're at an actual club, no printed out ticket. I'm sure they would give one if asked. The tables are very very close together.

Overall, the vibes were good, parking good, most of the staff were pleasant, the food was ok(only ok, because I really think my wings are the Tyson wings you get fron Sam's but they were HOT!), drinks ok. So I'm going to give this experience a 4☆ rating.

Go...

Was beyond excited to try this restaurant while visiting charlotte and was highly disappointed. We arrived to the restaurant around 2:30 and went inside to be placed on a waitlist for a table for four people. We were instructed to give a telephone number and the table would be ready in 10 mins. We returned to the car and after about 20 mins and seeing people walking in we decided to go in and check the status of the table. We requested outside seating and was directed to go to a dirty table and a server would Come and clean off and bring two extra chairs for the four people eating. We literally stood at this table for 15 mins until my mother stopped a member of their staff and asked if we had been forgotten about. Someone came and wiped the table and told us our server Brian would be with us shortly. Brian was clearly overwhelmed to the point that the owner brought over water and reassured us that our server would be with us shortly. Our orders were finally taken and we sat there waiting for food enjoying their life Dj and the nice weather in charlotte. After about an hour passed we started to wonder where our food was as we all discussed it the owner who had been taking care of us came over to our table. She informed us that the kitchen was backed up and apologized for the inconvenience, she told us that she would discount our bills for the wait that we experienced. She asked if bills would be together or separate so she could apply discounts now. Food for our table started to come out around 4:30 but not all together. One person received food and then 5 mins later two more of us received our food still leaving one person without their food and another entree missing. We asked the food runner and she said that it would be coming out shortly. Fifteen minutes went by without the last persons food being brought to the table. She went to the bar and asked about the food. Again the owner came over with the food shortly after and issued another apology. Throughout this whole process we never seen our original server Brian, no one did a table check once all food had been brought to the table. This is important because I personally did not like my food but never had a chance to tell anyone. We were all over the experience and wanted to just pay and leave. However we watched the owner who had been taking care I us leave. We asked the other tables around us had they seen the server assigned to us. No one was waiting on the tables on their patio. My cousin then went inside to request our bills. This was another 30 mins before someone even came out to help us. It was so bad that other tables were asking my cousin if she worked there and could she get their checks as well. Honestly we wanted to just leave without paying because the whole experience was horrible. To wait an hour for food that doesn’t come out hot, $30 lamb chops that are majority fat and dry is ridiculous, to see a whole staff literally ignore and neglect an entire patio of people is unacceptable. We literally sat at the table waiting for someone to take payment for us. I am a bartender and tried to be understanding but this was unacceptable, I literally had to go the bar to pay my tab and was ignored while standing there. Thankfully I know how to use toast system, because I found my table and tapped to pay my own tab. I got the attention of Brian and showed him that I used the toast at the end of the bar to pay my tab and left. I try my best when out of town to support black businesses and not only pay the business but tip the staff seeing as I am a bartender myself. This experience made it really hard to want to do either or even want to refer anyone to dine there. We left the restaurant around 5:15pm. Still hungry...

HEADS UP: THERE IS A 20% SERVICE CHARGE ON EACH TICKET THAT IS NOT CLEARLY SPECIFIED ANYWHERE. Also, be aware that there is a 2 hour time limit for your visit.

It is nice to have more things to do/places to go out in Steele Creek because there are slim pickings. This venue has a stylish ambience and modern decor. I went on Saturday night around 9 pm and there was a DJ playing a lot of hood classics like Shawty Lo, Yo Gotti, Young Jeezy, and there was a lot of Drake that was played amidst the pedophilic rumors circulating around. 🤭😒

The venue is a little small, and the tables are packed too closely together, making it easy to overhear conversations from neighboring diners. My table was surprisingly wobbly, which was concerning since this is a new establishment. I had to be careful of moving around out of fear that something would fall.

Despite this, the food was quite enjoyable; the Spicy Mami cocktail was flavorful, and the Bang Bang Shrimp was served hot with a delicious sauce. I also ordered the BBQ sliders and sweet potato fries. The fries were hot and there were only 2 sliders. There was a lot of meat on each slider, but the inner big back in me wished there was at least one slider on the plate. Our food and drinks did come out relatively quickly.

However, there are some notable downsides. I know establishments are busy on Saturday Nights, but the service was disappointing, with our server, Kendra , being inattentive and largely absent during our short visit. I’m not sure if I saw another server around, so she may have had a lot of tables and she’s only one person. Additionally, there was a 20% service charge that wasn't disclosed upfront or on the menu, so it is a surprise. I had to re-examine the menu, and it only says “Gratuity and tax not included” on the page for hookah in VERY SMALL PRINT, so bring your magnifying glass.

I’m not sure if there is a DJ every night, but I honestly hope that this place will not quickly become known as another hood establishment because the venue is nice. While the experience had its flaws, I would consider returning during the weekday, hoping they address these issues as they settle into...