Sidelines Sports Bar & Billiards

Went to watch the NFC game. Arrived at the 4^th quarter. They wanted to charge my girlfriend and I a cover charge for a bar that was barely half filled. So we went next door to Soho. Much better vibe, lively faces and cheap beer. Forget Sidelines, go to Soho!

I have been to Sidelines a number of times over the years, and I have never been disappointed. There is beer on tap and the drinks are good. Kevin and the other bartenders know what they’re doing. Although it is a membership bar which has a small cover charge for nonmembers, there are a number of perks such as free pool, darts and corn hole. It is a casual middle aged crowd that Sidelines attracts. Occasionally you will see amateur sports teams there such as the Charlotte Royals rugby club. There is a small smoking area outside should smokers decide to drop in.

I’ve been to Sidelines twice in the past year or so; 3 times total. Nothing particularly fascinating makes me visit. It’s usually some place my friends want to go to and we end up there. The last time I went, I brought it up because I really wanted to watch the US Open, and I knew just about every bar in the city (I called several to confirm) would be showing football and nothing but. Sidelines assured me I could watch some tennis, and they didn’t disappoint.
Now onto the bar itself – it’s a decent place. I’ll echo the comments of some; I’m not sure why you have to pay a cover to get in, but I guess for $ 5 you really can’t complain all that much. The bartenders are great, especially the older black guy. (I don’t know your name, but if you ever see this, keep it up!) The drinks are also really good – they make a killer Long Island. I like that pool, cricket (darts), and corn hole are free, and they also have a giant Jenga set you can play with.
The only drawback is they have no menu. You have to go next door to Skyland Restaurant, which is not AT ALL good. Maybe they’ll consider investing in a kitchen so they can really kick it up a notch.
All in all, I’ll go back again. It’s usually an older crowd, which isn’t a bad thing, and there isn’t so much shade, ignorance, and childishness that the young kids like to engage in. If you want a relaxed atmosphere, check this place out.

Friendly bartenders, pool tables, and good drink specials. Not a fancy place by any means. Mostly sporty middle aged crowd. That said its laid back and friendly; none of the pretension of some bars. Would love to hear a little better music, it’s usually a little dated.

As a straight woman, I can say that I’ve been to almost every gay bar in the city. (I think the only two I’ve missed are Central Station and the Woodshed, but I don’t understand why anyone would go to those anyway, straight or not.) Somehow, when I wasn’t looking, I ended up with an arsenal of gay men as my best friends.
I can also say, without hesitation, that Sidelines is one of my favorite bars in the city. Not one of my favorite gay bars, one of my favorite bars, period. You do either have to have a membership or pay a cover (usually $ 5) to get in, but I think it’s worth it. They have great drink specials, and the bartenders are great. Pool is free, Wii is free, darts and cornhole are free. Generally, our time is spent hijacking the jukebox with weird songs (Monster Mash, anyone?) and writing made-​up personals ads on the little slips of paper intended for getting someone’s number, and then leaving them in odd places for Kevin and Ralph to find. We also hosted an impromptu Belinda Carlisle Dance Party a few weeks ago. (Yes, that was us. Sorry. I was the one on the pool table.)
We generally say we’re going to start there, but more than once we have just stayed there all night. Plus Skyland is right next door for easy access, so why would you ever want to leave?

You have to have a membership to enter. Yes, you read that right. I’ve been to many «private membership» clubs in my day and usually there’s a reason for them to be strict about who comes inside (mostly so those who are inside can have lots of fun). Sidelines doesn’t seem to follow the same logic.
I was a Tuesday night, so I should probably cut them a little slack. There were about 12 people here (including me and Jeffrey H.) and most of the attention was on the 4 pool tables. We sat at the bar and the bartender was very friendly. The tall drinks are GOOD and pretty cheap. I think we only paid $ 10 for top shelf liquor.
Times like this require you to create your own entertainment, so Jeffrey got on Grindr to see if anyone was nearby. Sure enough we found two who were at the end of the bar. They seemed to be love. Maybe they can do commercials for them like they do for eHarmony.

Every time I visit the area this is the bar I start out at and end at. Friendly people who are welcoming to new people to the bar, and are always up for a game of pool or darts.

Nice place to hang out with friends, grab a few drinks, play pool, or just hang out. The only drawback in my opinion is the smokiness. Other than that, it’s a great place to watch the game or play wii or pool.