b y R E N E E W R I G H T

The Queen City is fast becoming a Mecca for micro-brews and toasting friends in taverns is a tradition we’ve always held high.Here’s a Prowler look at great grub and cold drafts in Charlotte.

P h o t o s b y S COT T W I L L I AM S

Queen City Qqueencityq.comLocated on the ground floor of the Sev-enth Street Station parking deck, sand-wiched between the light rail line andBrixx Pizza, this friendly spot has some

of the best Que in town and uses it insome interesting dishes. Wash it alldown with the city’s best selection oflocal brews on tap.

Deviled Eggs and BaconLike Grandma never made ‘em.

Carolina Classic NachosOutstanding is its class. Piled high withhand pulled pork, smoked chicken andbrisket.

Beef Brisket QuesadillaA tasty roll up of brisket, caramelizedonions, cheddar and Monterey jackcheese.

Whiskey Warehousewhiskeywarehouse.comPlaza-Midwood’s best rooftop viewmeets great grub, great drinks, andgreat atmosphere. Check out the hugelist of whiskeys, and visit during theweekday happy hour, 4-6 p.m., for halfprice apps.

Whiskey PoppersHomemade pimento cheese balls, bat-tered and fried, served with ranch.

Mini Sliders Prime Rib swabbed in a whiskey glazewith horseradish cream sauce.

Steak Wedge SaladGrilled sirloin atop a wedge of iceberglettuce, sprinkled with diced tomatoes,onions and bleu cheese crumbles. Alow-carb dream.

Jack Beagle’sjackbeagles.comFun spot in NoDa bases its fame on all-beef dogs and a selection of differentmac-n-cheese flavors. Serves food reallylate on Friday and Saturday nights, andopens at 7 a.m. the following morningsfor a breakfast that’ll get you back in ac-tion.

Garlic Cheesy Bread Italian cheese blended with freshroasted garlic and grilled tomato atopfire roasted Italian bread.

The Ultimate Pub MenuHey, Prowlers, there’s a whole world offood out there beyond nachos andwings. These selections from themenus of Charlotte’s hottest pubs willstretch your culinary comfort zone—without emptying your wallet. Theprice for these bar bites rarely tops$10, so you’ll have plenty left over forthe drink tab. One thing is certain: ateach of these spots, you’ll find lots ofbig screens tuned to The Game.

A Note: You won’t find many wings onour menu, or nachos either. There’s nodoubt that Charlotte pubs have someof the finest examples of these delica-cies in the world. And one day, we planto try them all and decide which isbest. Until then, you’ll have to experi-ment on your own.

THE HUMBLE PUB, COMPELLING AS IT WAS, HAS BECOMESO MUCH MORE: GOURMET, COUTURE AND ALAS, ADDICTIVE.

Blue-Black MacGourmet mac-n-cheese with bluecheese and smoky bacon topped with aliberal grind of cracked black pepper.

Puppy’s Patti Melt A 1/3 lb. patty of certified humane, veg-etarian fed, hormone and antibiotic freeAngus beef sandwiched withcaramelized onions, cheddar and pepperjack cheese between slices of grilledTexas toast.

Dilworth Grilledilworthgrille.comThe menu at this family friendly spot onMorehead has been tested by time andperfected for Charlotte tastebuds.

Dilworth Crab CakesA pair of the balsamic glazed crab cakesthat won the Taste of Charlotte threetimes, served with homemade aioli.

Buffalo Blue ChipsHomemade potato chips topped withmelted blue cheese crumbles servedwith a side of buffalo sauce.

Carne Asada TacosTwo tacos filled with marinated steakspicy queso, onion cilantro mix, lettuce,and salsa.

The Saloonthesalooncharlotte.comThis slick new spot in the North Carolina

Music Factory gives off a western vibe.Top music acts, and line dancing too.

“Bloody Mary” Shrimp CocktailJumbo shrimp served with cocktail saucelaced with a spicy Bloody Mary mix.

“Grown up” Grilled CheeseMelted blend of jack and cheddarcheeses on grilled sourdough with baconand sliced tomato. Served with a side ofthousand island dressing. Comes withchoice of hand cut fries, sweet potatofries, handmade potato chips, or veg ofthe day.

Buffalo Chicken SandwichA classic of its kind. Hand breaded friedchicken breast tossed in buffalo sauceand topped with blue cheese crumbs.served on a white bread bun with let-tuce, tomato, and onion. Comes with a

side or substitute a salad, mac-n-cheese,or pasta salad for a few pennies.

All American Puballamericanpubclt.comNew life along the tracks in South End,as this former game room morphs into apopular sports bar. The Oak Room insideis a favorite stop after Panther games.

Fried Pepper Jack SticksServed with homemade marinara sauce.

Watermelon StackHave a lady along? She’ll like this salad.Layers of watermelon, fresh spinach,and goat cheese drizzled with a balsamicglaze.

USO BurgerAll-American burger topped with let-tuce, tomato, onion, bacon, chili andAmerican cheese. What makes it spe-cial? A dollar of the price is donated tothe local USO providing support andcomfort for our military families.

Tilted Kilttiltedkilt.comThese bars (now with locations onCarowinds Blvd. and in Matthews) offersome tasty pub fare, although they aremore famous for the mini-skirt kiltsworn by the waitresses.

WANT TO DRINK LOCAL? HEAD TO QUEENCITY Q ON 5TH ST. AND TASTE THEM ALL.

Another Win atDilworth Neighborhood Grille

Irish NachosCrispy house-made potato chipstopped with Guinness Beer CheeseSauce, seasoned ground beef andtomatoes. A nice variation on the clas-sic.

Roasted Garlic FriesFreshly prepared and tossed in sautéedgarlic butter and parmesan cheese.Yum!

“One Shot” Johnny FlatbreadNot sure how this one got its name, butit’s a TK favorite. Sun-dried tomatopesto topped with pepperoni, sausage,smoked bacon and mozzarella.

Brazwells Pubbrazwellspub.comSpreading the cool on Montford Drivewith live music, daily drink specials, andhalf-price apps, Mon.-Fri. 4-6 p.m.

Spring RollHousemade rolls wrapped aroundgrilled shrimp, smoked andouillesausage and fresh vegetables servedwith a sweet Thai chili sauce.

Portobello BurgerGrilled marinated portobello with freshmozzarella, caramelized onions,spinach, tomato and fresh pesto on fo-caccia bread.

Sunrise BurgerIt’s never too late for breakfast. Apple-wood smoked bacon, cheddar cheese,tomato and topped with a sunny sideup egg.

Duckworth Grill andTaphouseduckworthsgrillandbar.comWith locations on Park Road and in Bal-lantyne, Huntersville and Mooresville,Duckworth is best known for the manycraft beers it offers on tap, many hardto find elsewhere in Charlotte, but thefood is great too. Don’t miss the dailyspecials, frequent tastings and classes.

Mommoo’s WingsWe couldn’t resist including thesewings which placed third at 2011 Car-olina Wing Festival. (Duckworth alsoentered the first place winning wings.)These are based on the founder’sgrandmother’s recipe with 17 secret in-gredients. Mommoo’s wings are friedthen quickly chargrilled for extra crispbefore being tossed in a vinegar basedsauce.

Fried Banana Pepper RingsHand battered and served with ranchfor dipping.

Philly Cheesesteak SupremeAward-winning combo of steak, grilled

onions, green peppers, mushrooms andyour choice of cheese. Also available insteak and egg, chicken, and vegetarianversions.

Hickory Tavernthehickorytavern.comThis growing empire of sports bars haslocations as far afield as Asheville andCarrboro, but most are right here inCharlotte where it all began. Hickory’smenu adds seafood to the usual pubfare. Daily and monthly specials keeptabs down.

Oysters on the Half-ShellFresh Gulf oysters, crackers, and cock-tail sauce.

Fish Tacos Blackened tilapia, topped with Pico deGallo, lettuce, remoulade, and sourcream. Also available in shrimp andchicken; mix and match to get your fa-vorite combo.

Seared Ahi TunaSplurge a little on this plate of rare tunaaccompanied by soy sauce, wasabi, andpickled ginger.

Buffalo Wild Wingswww.buffalowildwings.comOur personal party hangout and part-ner on tailgate days. Check out the cool

Irish Nachos atThe Tilted Kilt

Fine Fare atBrazwell’s Pub

retro PBR glasses… We have yet to tryall the different seasonings and sauces,but these folks don’t just wait aroundfor a wing order. They use their saucesin many delicious ways.

Roasted Garlic MushroomsGarlic infused mushrooms, breadedand fried, served with Southwesternranch dressing.

Molten Dip Cheddar and parmesan cheese dippacked with chicken and celery, mixed

with your favorite Buffalo Wild Wingssauce, then topped with Pico De Galloand served with tortilla chips.

Parmesan Garlic Chicken FlatbreadBuffalo Wild Wings signature ParmesanGarlic Sauce atop crispy, oven-bakedflatbread pizza with chicken and a moz-zarella-provolone cheese blend.

Boardwalk Billy’sboardwalkbillys.comParrothead vibe, peanuts on the floor,this place is for real. Seafood meets‘que here with laid-back results.

Crab con Queso Billy’s world famous spicy cheese andcrab dip served with tortilla chips.

BBQ Beer Can Chicken Half a bird, marinated, then slowsmoked, makes this a tender, juicytreat.

Low Country BoilSlurge a bit on this Charleston classic

steam pot filled with shrimp, smokedsausage, potatoes and corn on the cob.

Russell’s Pub and Grillwww.russellspubngrill.comThe old 5 Steps Down on Sardis gets afacelift and a new owner.

Country’s Jalapeño Philly RollShredded steak, peppers, onions, andjalapeno cream cheese.

Bacon BBQ SlidersTwo sliders with bacon, BBQ sauce andcheese, served with a choice of side.

Fried Chicken SaladTender chicken atop spring mix, toma-toes, onions, bacon, cheese, withchoice of dressing.

VBGB Restaurant andBeer Gardenvbgbuptown.comBig patio full of fun games, and an in-side dedicated to brews, make this spotin the North Carolina Music Factory astandout. Been wondering what hap-pened to the historic JFG Coffee signthat used to sit by Panther stadium?Check out the back patio.

Zweigle’s Pork Brat A favorite of Buffalo Bills fans, these ni-trate and MSG free brats are from theRochester, NY company that’s been

Want to try the new Playboy Energy Drink?TEXT “NRG” to 69696

FINALLY IN CHARLOTTE.

ENERGY COCKTAILSYOUR FAVORITE VODKA. YOUR FAVORITE ENERGY DRINK. WE HAVE ANEW FAVORITE: VODKA CHILLED AND PLAYBOY ENERGY DRINK.

Shroomsfrom B-Dubs

Hangover Burgerat Russell’s