A billiards and cocktail combo is now open in one of NoDa Charlotte’s newest developments
A new neighborhood bar and pool hall is now open on Raleigh Street in NoDa, in the newly developed area known as The Pass, developed by Third and Urban.
Greg Guillorn, one of the owners of The Degenerate, shared his vision for Borderline Bar & Billiards, which promises to be a “pretty straightforward” venue for pool enthusiasts.
“It’s just gonna be a nice little neighborhood bar, some really good pool tables, a couple dart boards and some drinks. Nothing too crazy. Just a good time,” he told CharlotteFive.
The bar, named after a song by the band King Harvest, is just a skip and a hop away from where Soul Gastrolounge will reopen, a connection that excites Guillorn personally.
“Once I found out a few of the tenants — like Soul Gastrolounge is going to be pretty much my next door neighbor over there — I started getting pretty excited about that. I actually used to be a server at Soul Gastro Lounge for a little bit like years ago.”
Mariah’s Taco Spot will also be nearby.
Quality pool tables
For Guillorn, designing a space that caters to pool players was a top priority.
“My biggest … focus was the quality of the pool tables,” he said. “Because I was starting from scratch and a blank canvas, I was able to plan around having five of the 9-foot tables, which is pretty hard to fit into anything that’s like already existing.
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“The tables themselves are big, and then walking around with the pool cue extended — it just takes a lot of real estate.”
Guillorn emphasized the importance of a comfortable environment for players, free from obstructions.
“My primary thing is just making sure that I could find a comfortable place to play pool without kind of, you know, bumping into each other, or stuff, or having anything obstructing your shot, which can be pretty frustrating when you’re playing. So in terms of that, I mean, like, I think the playing pool is going to be a really great spot, from the players’ experience.”
Where you can grab ‘good cocktails’
While the focus is on playing pool, Borderline Bar & Billiards will also offer a cocktail menu.
The bar program will feature unique drinks like the Shrub Down and the 18th Breakdown.
“So this one’s made with whiskey, little lemon, simple [syrup] and a strawberry and white balsamic shrub, which is really, really good,” Guillorn said of the Shrub Down. “Also, that shrub makes really good mocktail options, as well, if people aren’t drinking.”
The 18th Breakdown offers a mix. “That’s got vodka, some yuzu-raspberry cordial and some Angostura bitters. I think that’s like a really nice, super refreshing, well-rounded one,” Guillorn said.
With a focus on high-quality pool tables, an inviting neighborhood atmosphere and carefully crafted cocktails, Guillorn hopes the space will become a go-to hangout spot in The Pass.
“As much as I love dive bars, really, I feel you can’t start off by calling yourself a dive. You have to build over years.
“So in an ideal world, like, if you say, ‘Hey, in a couple years, what would it look like when people come in?’ I would love to have it be like a casual, dive bar atmosphere with good cocktails.”
Borderline Bar & Billiards
Location: The Pass, 4120 Raleigh St #131, Charlotte, NC 28206
Cuisine: cocktails
Instagram: @borderlineclt
This story was originally published October 24, 2024 at 6:00 AM.
