1
Queen Charlotte's Kitchen
RestaurantBefore security6:00 AM – 10:00 PM
The airport's only sit-down restaurant outside security, on the baggage-claim level, with beer, wine and cocktails alongside flatbreads and sandwiches.
full-service tables
As of September 10, 2026, 24 bars, restaurants and brewery taprooms pour beer inside Charlotte Douglas International Airport, spread across 5 concourses and the Atrium. Queen Charlotte's Kitchen is the only option before security; Concourse A has the most choices with 6, and 5 breweries run taprooms in the terminal, 4 of them from Charlotte. All Charlotte breweries
Data last updated: September 10, 2026
Map of every bar in the terminal
Our own simplified diagram of CLT, north up: the ticketing and baggage-claim levels along the top, the Atrium below them, and the five concourses branching off it. Tap a pin to jump to that venue; tap a card to find it on the map.
Best for…
Main terminal (pre-security)
1 place pouring beer · no boarding pass needed
Atrium (post-security hub)
4 places pouring beer
2
1897 Market
Restaurant5:00 AM – 10:30 PM · Draft beer
Full bar and sit-down restaurant in the middle of the Atrium with beers on tap, wood-fired pizza and a market for grab-and-go.
bar + tables, plus grab-and-go market
3
First in Flight Bar (Hissho Sushi)
Bar8:00 AM – 11:00 PM
Atrium bar attached to the Hissho Sushi counter, pouring craft beer and cocktails until late.
bar
4
Grounded In CLT
Restaurant6:00 AM – 10:30 PM
The Atrium's newest spot (opened July 2026) on the A/B connector side: made-to-order burgers around a central bar with craft beer, wine and cocktails.
central bar + tables
5
Tequileria
Restaurant6:00 AM – 10:30 PM
Full-service Mexican restaurant on the Concourse A side of the Atrium; the draw is the tequila list, but beer is on the menu too.
full-service tables + bar
Concourse A
6 places pouring beer
6
Black n Blue Bar
BarNear gate A3 · Mon–Sat 7:00 AM – 10:00 PM; Sun 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM
Casual bar near the start of Concourse A with beer, wine and cocktails and a menu of oysters, tacos and burgers.
bar + tables
7
Rhino Market & Deli
Grab & goNear gate A3 · Packaged beer only
Airport outpost of the Charlotte deli, across from The Taproom, selling sandwiches plus packaged craft beer and wine to carry to your gate.
On tap: Packaged craft beer to go, local products; the Charlotte deli's airport outpost.
counter / to-go
8
The Taproom
BarNear gate A4 · 6:00 AM – 10:00 PM · Draft beer · ~$13 draft
The biggest tap wall in the airport: a wraparound bar with 16 mostly North Carolina taps and full food service, near gate A4.
On tap: 16 rotating taps billed as local; past check-ins list Triple C, Birdsong, Legion and Southern Range, but the lineup changes.
25-stool wraparound bar + booths and tables
9
Uptown Minibar
BarNear gate A6 · Mon–Sat 7:00 AM – 10:00 PM; Sun 10:00 AM – 8:00 PM · Draft beer
Tiny stand-up bar with a few taps and a sports video wall, handy for the A6–A8 gates.
On tap: About half a dozen taps mixing local Charlotte beers with macro lagers.
a handful of bar stools TVs
10
Sugar Creek Brewing
Brewery taproomNear gate A21 · 7:00 AM – 10:00 PM · Draft beer
Charlotte's Sugar Creek Brewing opened its first taproom here in February 2026, beside the Wright Brothers walk, with a pilsner brewed only for CLT.
On tap: Sugar Creek's own beers including the airport-exclusive First in Flight Pilsner and The Big O hazy IPA.
🍺 Sugar Creek Brewing Company → bar + tables
11
NoDa Brewing Company
Brewery taproomNear gate A26 · 6:30 AM – 9:30 PM · Draft beer
A slimmed-down NoDa taproom in the Concourse A expansion, pouring the brewery's core lineup with tacos and flatbreads.
On tap: Around 11 NoDa taps (Hop Drop 'n Roll, Jam Session, CAVU, seasonals) plus 4-pack cans to go.
🍺 NoDa Brewing Company → 46 seats around a circular bar
Concourse B
3 places pouring beer
12
Summer House
RestaurantNear gate B6 · 5:30 AM – 10:30 PM
Bright California-style sit-down restaurant with a bar, near gate B6.
full-service tables + bar
13
Midwood Smokehouse
RestaurantNear gate B10 · 5:00 AM – 10:30 PM (to-go counter 24/7)
Airport outpost of the Charlotte barbecue chain with a bar; the to-go counter runs around the clock.
full-service tables + bar
14
Red Star Lounge
BarNear gate B10 · 7:00 AM – 9:00 PM · Draft beer
Small full-service bar in the middle of Concourse B with beer on tap and quick bites.
small bar
Concourse C
3 places pouring beer
15
Bad Daddy's Burger Bar
RestaurantNear gate C4 · 5:30 AM – 10:30 PM
Charlotte-born burger chain with a full bar, near the start of Concourse C.
full-service tables + bar
16
Chalice Café
BarNear gate C8 · 7:00 AM – 10:30 PM · Draft beer
Petite Stella Artois bar between gates C8 and C11 with a short Mediterranean menu and a full bar.
On tap: Stella Artois-branded bar that also keeps some local beer on; reviewers call it cheap for an airport.
small bar, limited seats
17
The Waterman Fish Bar
RestaurantNear gate C13 · 5:30 AM – 10:30 PM
Charlotte seafood spot with a full bar and an oyster-shucking station, near gate C13.
full-service tables + raw bar
Concourse D
4 places pouring beer
18
Wicked Weed Brewing
Brewery taproomNear gate D1 · 7:00 AM – 10:30 PM · Draft beer
Island bar with 24 Wicked Weed taps in the middle of The Plaza food court at the mouth of Concourse D; no kitchen, but outside food is welcome.
On tap: 24 taps of the Asheville brewery's lineup (Pernicious, Perni-Haze, etc.); NC beer but not Charlotte.
island bar in the Plaza food court TVs
19
Triple C Brewing
Brewery taproomNear gate D3 · 7:00 AM – 10:00 PM · Draft beer
Triple C's compact airport tasting room in the Concourse D food-court area, pouring Charlotte beer with coffee and quick food.
On tap: Triple C's own beers (Golden Boy, Planet Pulp and rotating taps) poured to go in plastic cups.
🍺 Triple C Brewing → 6–7 bar stools plus shared food-court tables
20
Sammy's Beach Bar & Grill
RestaurantNear gate D4 · 5:00 AM – 11:00 PM · Draft beer
Sammy Hagar's full-service beach bar (opened June 2025) near gate D4 with eight taps, cans and the longest hours on the concourse.
On tap: Eight taps, all national brands plus Wicked Weed Pernicious; no Charlotte beer.
full-service tables + bar
21
OMB Biergarten
Brewery taproomNear gate D7 · 5:00 AM – 10:00 PM · Draft beer
Olde Mecklenburg's 125-seat airport biergarten (opened November 2024) near gate D7 with Copper on tap, pretzels, schnitzel and an OMB-style breakfast.
On tap: OMB's German-style lineup: Copper altbier, Captain Jack pilsner, Hornets Nest hefeweizen, unFOURseen IPA and seasonals like Mecktoberfest.
🍺 The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery → 125 seats, biergarten tables
Concourse E
3 places pouring beer
22
Captain Jack's Tavern
BarNear gate E4 · 7:30 AM – 10:30 PM · Draft beer
Quick-service craft beer bar near gate E4 pouring Olde Mecklenburg beers with a short sandwich menu.
On tap: Olde Mecklenburg Brewery taps, named for OMB's Captain Jack pilsner.
🍺 The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery → bar + a few tables
23
Whisky River
RestaurantNear gate E20 · 5:30 AM – 10:30 PM
Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s honky-tonk in the E rotunda: full bar, beer, Southern bar food and live music on some days.
full-service tables + bar
24
The Queen's Tavern
BarNear gate E40 · 6:30 AM – 10:30 PM
The former Sycamore Brewing space in the E extension (gates E36–E45), reopened as an HMSHost tavern in January 2026.
full-service tables + bar
Tips for a layover at CLT
Everything past security is connected. All of CLT's checkpoints open into the Atrium, and Concourses A through E branch off it, so a bar on another concourse is always reachable without re-clearing security. B and C are neighbours off the Atrium; D and E share The Plaza food court to the east. The longest hauls are out to the far ends of Concourse A (the A North piers) and Concourse E (gates E36–E45).
For Charlotte beer specifically, look for the local brewery taprooms: Sugar Creek Brewing on Concourse A near A21, NoDa Brewing Company on Concourse A near A26, Triple C Brewing on Concourse D near D3 and OMB Biergarten on Concourse D near D7. Captain Jack's Tavern also pours Charlotte beer without being a brewery outpost. Wicked Weed Brewing on Concourse D is North Carolina beer from outside Charlotte.
Early flight? The first pours are at 5:00 AM (1897 Market, Midwood Smokehouse, Sammy's Beach Bar & Grill and OMB Biergarten). Late arrival into a connection? First in Flight Bar (Hissho Sushi) and Sammy's Beach Bar & Grill stay open until 11:00 PM. Only Queen Charlotte's Kitchen serves beer outside security, so if you are meeting someone at arrivals that is the spot.
Concessions at the airport change often. This list was verified against the airport's own listings on September 10, 2026; anything that has changed since is on us, and a note via the contact page gets it fixed.
Questions people ask
Is there a brewery inside Charlotte airport?
Yes — 5 brewery taprooms pour inside CLT, all past security: Sugar Creek Brewing (on Concourse A, near gate A21), NoDa Brewing Company (on Concourse A, near gate A26), Wicked Weed Brewing (on Concourse D, near gate D1), Triple C Brewing (on Concourse D, near gate D3) and OMB Biergarten (on Concourse D, near gate D7). None of them brew on site; they pour beer made at the brewery's home location.
Can I get a beer before security at CLT?
One place: Queen Charlotte's Kitchen (6:00 AM – 10:00 PM) — the airport's only sit-down restaurant outside security, on the baggage-claim level, with beer, wine and cocktails alongside flatbreads and sandwiches. Everything else, including the Atrium, is past the checkpoints.
What time do bars open at Charlotte airport?
The earliest pours start at 5:00 AM at 1897 Market, Midwood Smokehouse, Sammy's Beach Bar & Grill and OMB Biergarten. The latest to close are First in Flight Bar (Hissho Sushi) and Sammy's Beach Bar & Grill at 11:00 PM. Hours come from the airport's own listings and change, so check the board when you land.
Which concourse has the most bars?
Concourse A, with 6 places pouring beer: Black n Blue Bar, Rhino Market & Deli, The Taproom, Uptown Minibar, Sugar Creek Brewing and NoDa Brewing Company. Concourse D is next with 4. The Atrium, the hub every concourse branches from, adds 4 more.
Does CLT airport have local Charlotte beer?
Yes. Sugar Creek Brewing (on Concourse A), NoDa Brewing Company (on Concourse A), Triple C Brewing (on Concourse D), OMB Biergarten (on Concourse D) and Captain Jack's Tavern (on Concourse E) pour beer from Charlotte breweries — Sugar Creek Brewing Company, NoDa Brewing Company, Triple C Brewing and The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery. Wicked Weed on The Plaza is North Carolina beer from Asheville rather than Charlotte, and The Taproom on Concourse A rotates mostly North Carolina taps.
Are all the concourses connected after security?
Yes. Every checkpoint at CLT feeds into the Atrium, and Concourses A, B, C, D and E all branch off it, so you can walk from any gate to any bar on this page without leaving the secure area. The longest walks are from the Atrium out to the far ends of Concourse A and Concourse E.