Another bar/restaurant bites the dust

[HighRiseHillbilly]

42 minutes ago, ricky_davis_fan_21 said:

Anybody ever wonder if it wasn't the food that dropped off over the years, it was actually your tastes becoming more refined? This is something I wrestle with a lot, just wondering if it was just me. The food I remember loving at Rock Bottom 12 years ago, I wouldn't think of as a first choice dinner today. 

Nah. It was the food. I'm not a picky eater and I think my unnecessary optimism has been evident here, but that stuff was just bad. Many dishes I tried tasted stale, cheap, and/or microwaved. Their "blue" tortilla (chips?) had me thinking I was dying and needed an emergency colonoscopy the next day.  I had one thing that was solidly mediocre, but the rest was just bad.

[InSouthPark]

8 hours ago, ricky_davis_fan_21 said:

Anybody ever wonder if it wasn't the food that dropped off over the years, it was actually your tastes becoming more refined? This is something I wrestle with a lot, just wondering if it was just me. The food I remember loving at Rock Bottom 12 years ago, I wouldn't think of as a first choice dinner today. 

Yeah... I think the later.  When I moved to CLT 21 years ago, Rock Bottom was a happening place for a great BBQ chicken pizza and a fresh beer.  My friends and I hit it up for years as a go-to Friday after work stop (if we didn't want to brave the Vinnies crowd).  This at a time when there were only a handful of places uptown to get a beer and decent food after work.   Now there are dozens upon dozens of places that make serve food and have better beer.  Did the food get worse? Not that I could tell.  Are there a ton of better options uptown now? For sure. 

And 21+ years for a restaurant in uptown CLT is a damn fine run.

- Side Rant - I drives me nuts to see John Merino all over social media this week celebrating Olde Meck's 10 year anniversary and he must have 10+ post about being Charlotte's first and oldest craft brewery.  Ummmm no John, Rock Bottom opened 11+ years before you. 

[CLTProductions]

3 minutes ago, InSouthPark said:

Yeah... I think the later.  When I moved to CLT 21 years ago, Rock Bottom was a happening place for a great BBQ chicken pizza and a fresh beer.  My friends and I hit it up for years as a go-to Friday after work stop (if we didn't want to brave the Vinnies crowd).  This at a time when there were only a handful of places uptown to get a beer and decent food after work.   Now there are dozens upon dozens of places that make serve food and have better beer.  Did the food get worse? Not that I could tell.  Are there a ton of better options uptown now? For sure. 

And 21+ years for a restaurant in uptown CLT is a damn fine run.

- Side Rant - I drives me nuts to see John Merino all over social media this week celebrating Olde Meck's 10 year anniversary and he must have 10+ post about being Charlotte's first and oldest craft brewery.  Ummmm no John, Rock Bottom opened 11+ years before you. 

I've never met anyone who actually likes OMBs beer...I do not understand their success, other than their space is the best 

Edited March 26, 2019 by Jayvee

[InSouthPark]

7 minutes ago, Jayvee said:

I've never met anyone who actually likes OMBs beer...I do not understand their success, other than their space is the best 

Haha well I do like their beer (mostly Copper and Mecktoberfest in fall) but it isn't my go to style.  But their beer for the most part is brewed for the average joe that has a decent income, likes traditional beer (ie Miller Lite, Stella, etc) and wants to support local.  I get that...and its a huge market.   A copper or captain jack after mowing the lawn or sitting by the pool is great. 

I don't frequent too often (even though the space is fantastic) because Merino has rubbed me the wrong way too often.  From his billboards ripping other breweries to excluding Catawba/4001 from their craft beer alliance, ripping the "IPA brewers", etc.  He has a really big head on his shoulders. 

[kermit]

28 minutes ago, Jayvee said:

I've never met anyone who actually likes OMBs beer...I do not understand their success, other than their space is the best 

I like it (although its never my first choice). Copper is a very well-done version of a real altbier and it is has always been consistent in its quality.  Its great if you are in the mood for something malty. Their other styles have never really worked for me. Like most here my first choice is something very hoppy, since OMB just doesn't do that Copper has become what I drink only when all the other taps are filled with crappy super-regionals or macros (I am looking at you Big Ben).

Semi-related, restrauants have really been jacking up prices on craft pints lately ($9 for ordinary stuff at the Manchester!). I would drink Copper more if they pushed it as the ‘value craft’ beer and always retailed it for $4 a pint. We need a local PBR and Copper seems like the best candidate.

Edited March 26, 2019 by kermit

[CTiger]

1 hour ago, Jayvee said:

I've never met anyone who actually likes OMBs beer...I do not understand their success, other than their space is the best 

I like their beer a lot.  They do pretty excellent traditional German lagers.  There is definitely a time and place for it, but I enjoy that type of beer and nobody else in Charlotte does that style.

[SgtCampsalot]

1 hour ago, Jayvee said:

I've never met anyone who actually likes OMBs beer...I do not understand their success, other than their space is the best 

Their beer is the cleanest, most elegantly simple, purest beer in the local market. Their selection is the absolute best version of any basic recipe you can have for a beer. 

While I respect anyone's opinion on, well, anything, I've come to see it as an extremely American sentiment to see their beer as bland/boring, etc. The rest of the world brews beer this way.

It's also worth noting that most craft brewers put all sorts of random ish in their beers; my partner is allergic to nuts and has random allergic reactions to craft beers all the time. But OMB is always a safe bet, even though it's the most expensive.

[CLTProductions]

Well fine.... lol

[KJHburg]

1 hour ago, InSouthPark said:

Yeah... I think the later.  When I moved to CLT 21 years ago, Rock Bottom was a happening place for a great BBQ chicken pizza and a fresh beer.  My friends and I hit it up for years as a go-to Friday after work stop (if we didn't want to brave the Vinnies crowd).  This at a time when there were only a handful of places uptown to get a beer and decent food after work.   Now there are dozens upon dozens of places that make serve food and have better beer.  Did the food get worse? Not that I could tell.  Are there a ton of better options uptown now? For sure. 

And 21+ years for a restaurant in uptown CLT is a damn fine run.

- Side Rant - I drives me nuts to see John Merino all over social media this week celebrating Olde Meck's 10 year anniversary and he must have 10+ post about being Charlotte's first and oldest craft brewery.  Ummmm no John, Rock Bottom opened 11+ years before you. 

I agree it had a good run and now maybe better and more sophisticated places have come uptown but it was an anchor for a long time.   Times  and taste change.   If you want to know one place I can't believe is still open and my friends were talking about is Jock and Jills on W Tyvola it outlasted the coliseum over there!   I went in there for the first time a 2 summers ago and it looked the same as it is did in 1999!  I used to love that place now I would probably keep on driving by.  (but I do think it serves the office park there) 

[SgtCampsalot]

19 minutes ago, Jayvee said:

Well fine.... lol

Man you are just the best.

[HopHead]

OMB has won numerous international awards for their beer, so obviously obviously they are doing something right. They stick to traditional purity laws developed hundreds of years ago. They aren't fancy and don't claim to be.  The beer is as fresh as you'll find. If I'm looking for a Marzen, it's tough to beat Mecktoberfest. It's not the first local brewery I seek out, but they do their styles as well anyone around. 

[Guest]

OMB has won numerous international awards for their beer, so obviously obviously they are doing something right. They stick to traditional purity laws developed hundreds of years ago. They aren't fancy and don't claim to be.  The beer is as fresh as you'll find. If I'm looking for a Marzen, it's tough to beat Mecktoberfest. It's not the first local brewery I seek out, but they do their styles as well anyone around. 

I wish they gave you small glasses and just came around pouring you beer until you put a coaster on top of your glass. That’s how it was in Cologne. I loved that. No clue how they actually kept track of how much I consumed, I sure didn’t.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[kermit]

^^^^ this this this! Would be the coldest beer in three states.

(they put grease pencil tally marks on your coaster)

[Guest]

1 hour ago, kermit said:

^^^^ this this this! Would be the coldest beer in three states.

(they put grease pencil tally marks on your coaster)

That beer was so fresh and so cold. Just sitting there staring at the rhine, slammin tiny Kolsch after tiny Kolsch. Damn. I want to do that again. 

[SgtCampsalot]

2 hours ago, ricky_davis_fan_21 said:

I wish they gave you small glasses and just came around pouring you beer until you put a coaster on top of your glass. That’s how it was in Cologne. I loved that. No clue how they actually kept track of how much I consumed, I sure didn’t.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The Cologne episode of "Anthony Bourdain: Parts Unknown" made that biz look amazing. Same with Dusseldorf's Altbier rivalry down the river.

Edited March 26, 2019 by SgtCampsalot

[videtur quam contuor]

On 3/24/2019 at 9:30 PM, CLT> said:

Rock Bottom Brewery at 401 N Tryon is closing on March 25th. Charlotte's first brewpub.

The food dropped off in recent years, but still sad to see them go.

There was a brewpub in Dilworth that followed Kenilworth Café at Kenilworth and East. I went there a few times and cannot recall the name. Perhaps a sign. Maybe dilworth something... Current Bakersfield location. Anyway, it may have predated Rock Bottom. 

[Temeteron]

20 minutes ago, tarhoosier said:

There was a brewpub in Dilworth that followed Kenilworth Café at Kenilworth and East. I went there a few times and cannot recall the name. Perhaps a sign. Maybe dilworth something... Current Bakersfield location. Anyway, it may have predated Rock Bottom. 

Picassos

[kermit]

On 3/26/2019 at 4:43 PM, Temeteron said:

Picassos

Before that.

I am 90% sure it was called Dilworth Brewing. Had a raucous night there when I was here for a conference at the recently-opened convention center in 1997. Stayed at the Adams Mark, ate at Lupies (paid $1 for a can of Miller Lite) and drove what felt like a million miles to see the Knights after Homer gave us free tickets at the First Union plaza Chickfla (beneath the Bugsy, Alonzo, Larry mural).

Gezzus  I am old.

(spell check wanted to change ‘raucous’ to ‘racist’)

Edit: yup, Dilworth Brewing. My buddy told me that it was a Rick Flair hangout (although I don’t think there were many bars he didn’t spend time in back then)

http://www.charlottebeer.com/tag/dilworth-brewing/

 

Edited March 28, 2019 by kermit

[videtur quam contuor]

The owners came to Dilworth Community Association before starting and the main issue addressed was...smell. Mash smell (which was nothing), but still. No concern about noise, alcohol related issues, parking, just smell.

[JRNYP2C]

8 hours ago, KJHburg said:

I agree it had a good run and now maybe better and more sophisticated places have come uptown but it was an anchor for a long time.   Times  and taste change.   If you want to know one place I can't believe is still open and my friends were talking about is Jock and Jills on W Tyvola it outlasted the coliseum over there!   I went in there for the first time a 2 summers ago and it looked the same as it is did in 1999!  I used to love that place now I would probably keep on driving by.  (but I do think it serves the office park there) 

I'm amazed that Jock & Jill's was able to stay open there this long - especially after the demo of the old Coliseum!  I guess there is enough business over that way - even on the weekends to stay busy.  If i wasn't paying attention, I would drive past it - for as often as I'm on Tyvola anymore!

[HighRiseHillbilly]

4 hours ago, JRNYP2C said:

I'm amazed that Jock & Jill's was able to stay open there this long - especially after the demo of the old Coliseum!  I guess there is enough business over that way - even on the weekends to stay busy.  If i wasn't paying attention, I would drive past it - for as often as I'm on Tyvola anymore!

Closest place for lackluster business lunches and moderately priced after work drinks & appetizers in the area.

[SgtCampsalot]

On 3/26/2019 at 5:29 PM, JRNYP2C said:

I'm amazed that Jock & Jill's was able to stay open there this long - especially after the demo of the old Coliseum!  I guess there is enough business over that way - even on the weekends to stay busy.  If i wasn't paying attention, I would drive past it - for as often as I'm on Tyvola anymore!

Ooooh my goodness, every time my family went to a Hornets game, my parents always made sure to point that restaurant out because of it's cute, punny name. It usually went something like "Look! 'Jocks & Jill's!' Eh? Eh?!"I have not thought about that place in... what... 25 years?? Wild.

[KJHburg]

1 hour ago, SgtCampsalot said:

Ooooh my goodness, every time my family went to a Hornets game, my parents always made sure to point that restaurant out because of it's cute, punny name. It usually went something like "Look! 'Jocks & Jill's!' Eh? Eh?!"I have not thought about that place in... what... 25 years?? Wild.

well we should have a UP meetup there for I tell you it like going back in time to the 1990s!   their prices have been updated to current standards though. 

https://jocksandjills.com/

Edited March 28, 2019 by KJHburg

[CLT2014]

I think Nebraska football fans meet there, which is enough people and food to keep it open the other 350 days a year. 

[videtur quam contuor]

Hey, hey. I was stranded in Grand Isle Nebraska one evening and the people there treated me great and solved my problem. No bureaucracy, no petty authority, no "We have rules". So from that moment I am a Nebraska fan.  People, state and university, in order of ardor.