Escape the Heat
Post by Scott - June 27, 2024
Escape the Heat!
Charlotte has a ton of great brewery porches, but sometimes you just need a cold beer and even colder A/C. Check out these spots for great beer, fun games, and air conditioning.
This Asheville transplant is the perfect place on a hot summer day. It’s like the glorious basement of your rich cousin growing up. 3 ping pong tables, shuffleboard, soccer pool, cornhole, foosball, air hockey, pinball, arcade games, and I’m definitely missing something. There’s a stack of board games in solid shape if it’s too hot to even swing a ping pong paddle. While Hi Wire does not have food, Dumpling Lady and Bennie Ferrovia’s are next door. Order lunch, grab a Hazy Lo-Pitch IPA for strength to get the food and hang out until you are no longer a puddle. Bonus points for Hi Wire having plenty of nearby parking.
Divine Barrel is board game paradise with great food nearby and a diverse selection of beers. If there isn’t an event (if there is, go! Divine Barrel has great markets!), there’s parking in front and across the street. Order a Beer Flavored Beer (their Light Lager) or a fantastic sour. Divine Barrel has a 20 foot long cabinet of board games with tons of choices, all in good condition. There are pinball machines and video games to keep you busy. Hungry? Place a curry or sushi order at DeeJai Thai or order pizza at Great Wagon Road. You can survive any heat with beer and pad thai.
Protagonist is a fun spot in any weather. They do not have free parking, but there’s room on the street or pay lots nearby. While the porch is great, triple digits heat means taking everything inside. Grab a Hank Light American Lager or a Mercury Hazy IPA and scan the food menu. Though they have fantastic salads, the Kevin McCallister, just a plain cheese pizza, is my kids’ favorite. The large is so huge you must tilt it to get through the door. Upstairs you’ll find 7 pinball machines, ready for action. Lose yourself in the glow of the machines and forget for a moment that we moved from Earth to Mercury.
Frothy Beard Brewing (South End/Uptown)
I don’t know if Frothy Beard is Uptown or South End or some new name a realtor just coined for the neighborhood, but I know it is made for a hot day. A massive parking lot lets you park close enough to assuage the fear of heat stroke. Inside, this South Carolina based brewery welcomes you with ping pong, pinball, plenty of TV’s and some of the friendliest bartenders in Charlotte. Take time in front of the to-go coolers to check out the cans, partly to cool down, but also to admire the inside jokes covering the labels of their pop-culture influenced beers. The strawberry wheat beer hits the spot as your body cools from “volcanic” to just “hot”. Bonus points if you plan this on a Sunday as all beers are $5.
Fonta Flora Brewing (Optimist Park)
Every time I go to Optimist Hall, I get the Botiwalla crispy Masala fish roll to enjoy on the porch at Fonta Flora. Summer, though, means we head inside and enjoy the cool confines of the taproom. As the space is the basement of a century old textile mill, it feels 15 degrees cooler. The Morganton-based brewery offers some games, but the food and drinks are the stars at Optimist Hall. My fish roll might be your Suarez Cuban sandwich or goat cheese and date empanada from Felix’s. Whether it’s your usual or something new, take it down to Fonta Flora. Eat a great meal and pair it with a Lake James Lime lager or a Nebo pilsner. Parking is free for the first 90 minutes. Take a deep breath, savor your food, and grab a Honeysuckle Gelato as you head back into the inferno.
Mash Hopping - What’s Happening this Weekend
Friday
Saturday
Bring your dog to Paws and Puddles at NoDa Brewing North End
Check out Sigmon Theatrical’s Dragon Quest at the Imaginon and then grab lunch at The Market at 7th Street
Sunday