Legion in Four Parts
Post by Scott - 12/19/2024
Something strange happened in Charlotte last week, though I guess it’s been happening for years: Sugar Creek, Birdsong, and Legion all celebrated birthdays. Is this a weird quirk of the calendar or can someone more connected to the beer industry tell me why 3 old school Charlotte breweries all opened up in mid December? “Merry Christmas! I opened a brewery!”
If I EVER utter those words to my wife, I’m really hoping some of y’all have a guest bedroom I can crash in for a few days until the dust settles.
Thanks to Legion, Birdsong, and Sugar Creek for making Charlotte’s beer scene better. I have to shout out Legion specifically, though, because it continues to grow and change. There are 4 Legion spots! Some other breweries have two or three, and that’s incredible, but only Legion has 4, each with a distinct personality and feel, all with a delicious Juicy Jay waiting for me.
The mothership. Nestled in the heart of Plaza Midwood, Legion PM defines chill. It’s just cool. No pretense, no barriers, just hang out and have a beer. Sit on the porch and soak in the neighborhood. Grab a game from the game cabinet or play shuffleboard all the way in the back by the tanks. In a beer scene that seems to be racing over the top at every turn, Legion PM cracks a Penguin Pilsner, plops down at a picnic table, and let’s them duke it out.
Legion (SouthPark)
Legion adapts to its environment. Plaza Midwood has a hipster charm, but the SouthPark spot is like the sibling who got an MBA. From morning coffee runs to happy hour beers to cocktails in the evening and brunch on Sunday, Legion SouthPark echoes the neighborhood. The two story windows allow light to bathe the taproom and the massive foeder barrel (had to look that up) that serves as the focal point of the bar. You can still grab a Supernova sour, but you feel just a little classier drinking it.
So you know the secret handshake? That’s what it feels like going into Legion FreeMoreWest. Everything is just a little bit different here. The metal tanks are on full display, set up right behind the bar. Food centers on kabobs and woodfired meats and pizzas. The patio looks both half-finished and completely perfect. Construction cranes hover over you as you sip a Slainte Irish Stout and imagine what this area will look like in 5 years. In a neighborhood trying to determine what it is and where it should go, this taproom fits in perfectly.
Does the sign say Legion? No. Is it Legion? 100%. I’ve had brunch here more times over the past few years than I care to admit. At this point, if someone in our family says, “brunch”, the assumption is Trolley Barn. Housed in a building over a hundred years old, Trolley Barn has always been a part of South End. Come on a Front Porch Sunday and watch the crowd move from tent to tent before you enter the fray. My daughter still talks about the donut breakfast sandwich like some long lost love. Please bring back the donut breakfast sandwich! You would make a kid’s dream come true!
Trolley Barn
This is now a site devoted to campaigning for that donut breakfast sandwich. Every blog will be about it and bringing it back. Sign up for updates.