Idlewild in NoDa is moving and a new dive bar called The Ugly will open in its place

Owner Vince Chirico says there are a few reasons the shuffling is happening. One is that Fairweather and Idlewild started to resemble each other.

• Instead of having two similar bars side-by-side, “we’re going to have two drastically different concepts right next door to each other,” Chirico tells me. 

Why it matters: Idlewild is one of Charlotte’s most popular cocktail bars, known for its lack of a menu and its bartender’s choice approach.

• Chirico assures me that, except for its physical location, Idlewild will mostly remain the same, including its skilled bartenders. 

The Ugly is a casual dive bar, according to Chirico. “No waitlist and reservation, no assigned seating,” he says.

• It’s open 6pm-2am daily at 424 E 36th St., except on opening day, when it will open at 7pm. 

Zoom in: Chirico describes the new bar as Idlewild’s “ugly little sister” and a “casual neighborhood spot.”

• The menu has six pre-batched cocktails for about $10-$12, plus beer starting at $2.
• The Ugly is not the place to go get a fancy cocktail. If you want one of those you can go next door — it even says so on their menu. 
• Replacing Fairweather’s popular dollar-oyster Mondays will be an assortment of chips, bar nuts and Hot Pockets, as first reported by Eater. 

Flashback: Fairweather opened in August 2022 and unlike its sister bar, it has an extensive cocktail menu plus wine, beer and a small-bites menu with a raw bar. Fairweather is slightly bigger and the spaces are connected, so you can travel between them easily. 

Between the lines: Mecklenburg County health officials say someone got sick from eating oysters at Fairweather this past summer, WSOC reported. 

• “This is not due to mishandling of any oysters on our end, but rather an issue stemming back to the purveyor/farmer that these oysters originated from,” a statement from Fairweather to WSOC reads.
• Chirico says the choice to rebrand has nothing to do with the oyster incident. 

What’s next: Idlewild will re-open in its new location on Thursday, Nov. 16.

Editor’s note: This story has been updated with new drink pricing. Originally, cocktail prices were $12-$14, per the bar. They are now $10-$12.