Rosemont is now open in the old Wu’s spot in South End and Bottlecap got it right with fried food and no-frills cocktails

It takes the place of Wu’s, Bottlecap’s eccentric Cajun/Asian fusion restaurant that never found its footing and closed back in March after less than a year in operation. (If you were sad to see Wu’s go, the Greenville location is still open.)

But the Bottlecap crew knows Charlotte nightlife — look at their lineup of successful establishments like Brazwells, All American Pub, Whiskey Warehouse and Ink N Ivy — so they’re throwing it back to what they do best with a simpler party bar focused on fried food and straight forward cocktails (all under $10).

I’ll be honest, I don’t think I’m Bottlecap’s target market, but I really love their pivot to the Rosemont concept in South End. It’s right in their wheelhouse and I respect their decision to axe Wu’s and move on fast. They’re smart.

Rosemont looks a lot like Wu’s did with the same bold red ceiling and roll-up garage door patio, but the questionable gators on the side of the building are gone and they’re making more changes to create a whole new experience.

All the gold accents are out and art has been painted over with new designs. They’ve also got a vintage cigarette vending machine to hammer home the manufactured dive environment they’re aiming for, and the old feature booth is gone and will function as a stage for live music. In fact, they’ll pull all the tables out of the bar to have it function “more like a music hall” for certain events.

They’ve added TVs on the patio (aligning more closely with a casual sports bar vibe) and are wrapping up construction on a brand new back patio that will have its own Airstream trailer repurposed as a tiki bar.

The menu is just good old bar food fun with plenty of fried appetizers, burgers, wings and milkshakes.

Sorry, small plates. You’re out.

They have an appetizer called FRIES, FRIES, FRIES that’s just a giant basket of sweet potato fries, waffle fries and seasoned fries and I just can’t enthusiastically endorse this enough. I love it.

Here’s a look at a few more standout items…

The cocktails are simple in preparation and playful in presentation with things like plastic Capri Sun-style sippy pouches, shark head tiki tumblers and a spiked milkshake topped with an entire cupcake.

The Soccer Mom Special ($6), a play on the childhood favorite Capri Sun pouches, will be a signature hit, as will the Frozemont Slushie ($7), a rum-spiked frozen Cheerwine cocktail.

Although they won’t be delving into overly intricate craft cocktail ingredients and techniques, they’re steering clear of budget mixers and opting instead for fresh squeezed juices, house simple syrups and even a house wine salt.

Rosemont is currently in its soft opening phase and is located at 1714 South Boulevard.

Follow them on Instagram for official grand opening announcements.