All of the Charlotte restaurants, bars and date spots featured in ‘Love is Blind’
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In Charlotte, ‘Love is Blind’
The newest season of “Love is Blind” set in Charlotte has been released. Here’s everything you need to know about the hometown singles.
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Charlotte is once again in the national spotlight in the newest season of “Love is Blind” on Netflix, and so are its date night hot spots.
In the hit reality dating show, 30 men and women from around the Queen City took part in the dating experiment of getting engaged all before meeting in person.
Their four-week journey started out in the infamous pods, but a few couples made connections that lasted behind closed doors back to their real lives in Charlotte (starting at Blu South Townhomes where they temporarily lived together.)
[READ NEXT: TikToker goes viral after claiming ‘Love is Blind’ contestant is her boyfriend.]
So where were some of the dating spots where they navigated new relationships around the city? Here’s a list of the local places you may recognize in the new season of the show.
(We want to warn you, there are spoilers ahead if you haven’t caught up on the latest episodes.)
Margaux’s Wine, Pizza & Market
Location: 316 Main St, Pineville, NC 28134
Episode 8: Jess and Laura meet up for the first time after the experiment to catch up to talk about how Jess finally saw a photo of what Jimmy looked like, and how Sarah Ann DM’d Laura’s fiancé, Jeramey.
Margaux’s Wine, Pizza & Market, which opened in 2021, is located right in the heart of downtown Pineville. The local restaurant offers old world wines, St-Louis-style pizza, specialty foods, gifts items and more.
QC Dance Studio
Location: 8514 Park Rd, Charlotte, NC 28210
Episode 9: Amy and Johnny took private dance lessons to learn Bachata ahead of their wedding.
QC Dance Studio doesn’t just specialize in bachata lessons. The all-inclusive dance studio offers classes focused on a variety of dance styles for all ages, including ballroom, ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop and more.
The Goodyear House
Location: 3032 N Davidson St, Charlotte, NC 28205
Episode 9: Clay introduces AD to his mom and sister for the first time and talked about how they’ve been navigating their different work schedules.
The Goodyear House is a mill house-turned-restaurant nestled in NoDa. Made with locally sourced ingredients, the local restaurant’s menu is a bit casual but upscale with some “cheffy touches” the team previously told CharlotteFive. Dishes include smoked cashew mac, charred broccolini, and shrimp and grits with chorizo and salsa.
Queen Park Social
Location: 4125 Yancey Rd, Charlotte, NC 28217
Episode 9: Chelsea and Jimmy meet up with two of his close friends, and how it’s been for the couple during their first few days living together.
Queen Park Social is a popular social club in South End where you can eat, drink and play games. The local hot spot also has bowling, arcade games and life-sized board games around the bar and outdoor patio.
McKoy’s Smokehouse and Saloon
Location: 4630 Old Pineville Rd, Charlotte, NC 28217
Episode 10: Jimmy introduces Chelsea to his parents and sister, and discussed marriage, navigating relationships and how his father jokingly called his mother a “pack rat.” In fact, “What is a pack rat?” was trending on Google the day after the episode dropped!
McKoy’s Smokehouse and Saloon is a popular barbecue spot in South Charlotte. The family-owned restaurant, which opened nearly 20 years ago, has classic barbecue favorites made with locally sourced meats and veggies.
Queen City Grounds/The Landing at Fourth Ward
Location: 644 N Church St, Charlotte, NC 28202
Episode 10: AD introduces Clay to her mother, who shared advice about not letting their parents’ marriages negatively impact their relationship.
Queen City Grounds/The Landing at Fourth Ward is an uptown coffee shop and eatery. It’s located below SkyHouse Uptown and also offers cocktails.
Rosie’s Coffee & Wine Garden
Location: McGill Rose Garden, 940 N Davidson St, Charlotte, NC 28206
Episode 10: Johnny meets Amy’s dad for the first time, who gave his blessing for the two to get married.
Rosie’s Coffee & Wine Garden is connected to McGill Rose Garden, a two-acre garden nestled between NoDa and uptown Charlotte. The local date spot, which offers coffee, beer and wine, is also a place for guests to picnic onsite or stroll through the garden.
Boathouse Cove
Location: Sherrills Ford, NC
Episode 10-11: Amy, Johnny, Laura, Jeramey, AD, Clay, Chelsea, Jimmy, Trevor, Jessica, Mackenzie, Sarah Ann and Alejandra all hang out at a lake house — which brings out some drama, of course.
Boathouse Cove is a lakefront mansion in the Lake Norman area, about 35 miles outside of Charlotte. The vacation rental, that can sleep up to 14 guests, has a pool, hot tub, game room and more.
The Royal Tot
Location: 933 Louise Ave Suite 350, Charlotte, NC 28204
Episode 11: Chelsea and Jimmy create an ice sculpture for their wedding. (After visiting during the show, Chelsea told CharlotteFive how obsessed she is with the rooftop.)
The Royal Tot is a tropical-themed rooftop bar and restaurant located in the Belmont neighborhood. The local bar, which recently reopened after a temporary closure, also has games, events and parties.
Kicks & Fros
Location: Camp North End, 701 Keswick Ave #102, Charlotte, NC 28206
Episode 11: AD & Clay meet with the team behind Kicks & Fros to paint their own custom sneakers.
Kicks & Fros is more than just a cool shop nestled in an airstream to get cool kicks: It started as an initiative to celebrate sneaker culture and the Black and brown women in the space. It is now also a lifestyle brand with clothing, accessories and occasional pop-ups.
Savvy Bride Boutique
Location: 2222 Hawkins St, Charlotte, NC 28203
Episode 11: AD, Amy and Chelsea go wedding dress shopping with host Vanessa Lachey, along with some family and close friends.
Savvy Bride Boutique is a bridal shop located in South End. The bridal boutique, with locations in both Charlotte and Morganton, has hundreds of gowns and accessories for any brides-to-be.
The Tuxedo Shoppe
Location: 219 Main St, Pineville, NC 28134
Episode 11: Clay, Johnny and Jimmy meet up with host Nick Lachey and their loved ones to pick out tuxedos to wear in their weddings.
The Tuxedo Shoppe is located in Pineville, about 13 miles outside of Charlotte, with formal wear for proms, weddings and more.
Fahrenheit
Location: 222 S. Caldwell St., 21st Floor, Charlotte, NC 28202
Episode 11: Clay planned a rooftop date night for AD a few days before their wedding. (Fun fact: Both AD and Clay told CharlotteFive that this was their favorite date spot during filming!)
Fahrenheit is one of many popular rooftop restaurants nestled in the heart of uptown Charlotte. The upscale restaurant is known for its breathtaking views of the city skyline and an “inventive new American” cuisine and creative cocktails.
New Life Farm
Location: 5780 Mulberry Church Rd, Lenoir, NC 28645
Episode 11: Jimmy and Amy go glamping together with his dog and enjoy s’mores over a bonfire.
New Life Farm is nestled in the Southern Appalachian Mountains with two glamping options for those who want to experience the great outdoors from the comfort of a cozy tent. The Creekside Retreat Glamping Tent and the Hidden Hillside Glamping Tent are both dog-friendly glamping spots that are open year-round.
Carowinds
Location: 14523 Carowinds Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28273
Episode 11: Jimmy and Chelsea have a date night at Carowinds, riding roller coasters, playing games and having dinner.
Carowinds, which has been open for over 50 years, is the largest amusement park in the Carolinas. Located along the North Carolina-South Carolina border, the park has 60 rides, a waterpark, live entertainment and more.
NoDa Company Canteen
Location: Camp North End, 300 Camp Rd, Charlotte, NC 28206
Episode 12: Amy and AD have a joint bachelorette party with their friends ahead of their wedding day.
NoDa Company Canteen is a tropical-themed bar and lounge at Camp North End that the co-owner describes as “spiced with a dash of Bali, Roatán and the streets of Charlotte.” The local spot, which opened in 2022, serves wine-based sangrias, frozen drinks and slushies, drinks from local breweries and more.
Pump House Biergarten
Location: U.S. National Whitewater Center, 5000 Whitewater Center Pkwy, Charlotte, NC 28214
Episode 12: Johnny and Clay have a bachelor party with their friends before their weddings.
Pump House Biergarten is one of the many food and drink options at the Whitewater Center. Nestled on Belmont Abbey Island in the middle of the outdoor hot spot, the biergarten has dozens of craft beers on tap, small bites and more.
Cedar Creek Ranch
Location: 7115 Sims Rd, Waxhaw, NC 28173
Episode 12: This Waxhaw venue is where Clay and AD, and Amy and Johnny had their weddings.
Cedar Creek Ranch, located in Waxhaw, is about 30 miles outside of Charlotte. The rustic venue, which sits on 50 acres of land, is also used for family reunions, corporate events and more.
Behind-the-scenes spots
During the four-week experiment, the couples went to a lot of places around Charlotte not seen on screen, including:
- The Goodyear House: Though it wasn’t seen on screen, Chelsea said she and Jimmy had a date at the popular NoDa restaurant, too, along with AD and Clay, she said in an interview with CharlotteFive.
- Lost & Found: Jeramey said he and Sarah Ann hung back in the parking lot of the South End club until 5 a.m., after a night out with other contestants.
Optimist Hall: Optimist Hall was also one of many date spots Chelsea said she visited with Jimmy during the dating experiment.
- Yunta Nikkei: Amy and Johnny told CharlotteFive that they had a date night at Yunta Nikkei, which was also their favorite date spot from filming the show!
How to watch ‘Love is Blind’
You can catch the new season of “Love is Blind” on Netflix. Don’t forget about the reunion episode, which will reveal how things have been for the cast after filming the reality dating show.
“Love is Blind: The Reunion,” premieres on Wednesday, March 13 at 9 p.m.
What do you think of the Charlotte season of “Love is Blind”? Let me know your thoughts on how the local group of singles navigated Netflix’s dating experiment at charlottefive@charlottefive.com.
This story was originally published February 21, 2024 at 5:00 AM.
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