Cedar Street Tavern

I love Cedar Street but I am a little biased because I host trivia here every Wednesday night from 7:30-9:30.

It's a combination of trivia questions, image rounds and physical challenges. 1st place gets $25, 2nd gets $15 and 3rd gets $10 AND you can use your winnings on alcohol... I have yet to find another bar that lets you use your winnings on booze.

Drink specials are $3 import and micro-brew bottles, $4 Jagger and Firefly shots and $6 Jagger-bombs.

Shaun the bartender is great and we have lots of fun. OK, I am done with the shameless plug.

Just polished off a whole thing of crab dip....delish! Atmosphere seems chill. Live music Mondays and Tuesday could stop by more frequently.

There is no greater joy in city-living than finding a new place and initiating it as a regular spot.  Cedar Street Tavern is truly a hidden gem amongst the sports bars, clubs, snazzy restaurants, and other stereotypical joints you tend to find Uptown...so much so I'm a little nervous to share it with the world.  But I digress...

We've been to Cedar Street several times for a variety of different occasions.  For nights that you just don't feel like cooking, the menu has a huge variety of offerings that can appeal to the health fanatic (grilled salmon) or to satisfy your run-of-the-mill bar food craving (fried things galore).  

Oftentimes when restaurants offer a huge selection of menu items, the quality of the food suffers from the quantity.  Shockingly, this was not the case with Cedar Street Tavern's offerings.  From the salads, to the fried pickles, to the aforementioned salmon, and beyond...their food is actually really really good.  (Ahem, and they have a late night menu).

For nights you need a stiff drink...you can also find what you are looking for....  

I was pretty impressed with their drink menu.  With a solid (but nothing fancy) selection of wine, local craft beers, and a great variety of spirits, everyone is sure to find something to hydrate their bad selves.  Another pretty outstanding quality was the weekly drink specials, which can be either disappointing or nonexistent in Uptown Charlotte.  The consistency and special choice each night has something that will appeal (again) to everyone and usually features 1 domestic beer, 1 craft beer, a liquor special, or some type of shot.  

The prices are pretty decent too; reasonablle with a cost level for college students and bank executives.

Perhaps the one characteristic of Cedar Street Tavern that will continue to set them apart from other local bars and pubs in the area are the people slinging the items mentioned above.  

The waitress we've had several times is absolutely delightful and definitely humors me when I ask her recommendations 34,843 times (trust her, she's spot on).  The bartender/bar manager, Shaun, is also extremely friendly and easy to talk on a busy Friday night or slow Sunday afternoon.  He strikes the right balance of enough conversation to make you feel welcome but reserved enough to let you talk amongst yourselves.  

Engaging people, impressive food, and a great drink menu.  If you need both a casual and fun spot in Uptown, this is your place!