18bin: Arts District’s Laid-Back Brunch & Cocktail Hangout

Strolling into 18bin feels like stepping into a downtown loft party. Nestled in the Arts Factory building at Charleston and Main, this comfy yet hip bar has become a local favorite since it opened in late 2019.

It’s part wine bar (it’s Bin 702’s sister spot), part creative lounge – think mismatched couches, salvaged-wood walls, and local art everywhere.

Inside, the vibe is retro-’70s meets industrial (lots of reclaimed wood and exposed brick) with fun surprises in every corner.

Cocktails with Flair

The cocktail menu at 18bin is pure theater. Take the Juniper Dream: it’s a gin-lemon concoction made with aloe liqueur and rosemary syrup.

What makes it unforgettable is the trick the bartenders pull – they literally set a fresh rosemary sprig on fire, let it char for a moment, then snuff it out over the glass so smoky pine oil drifts into the drink- seen in our featured image by the expert bartender Nallely! The result smells like a campfire in a cocktail, cutting through the citrus for a really balanced, herb-y flavor. (Trust me, watching that little rosemary flame waver in the air is just as fun as drinking it.)

For something bright and easy, try the strawberry-mint cooler. It’s essentially fresh strawberries and mint muddled into gin, then topped with soda.

Like a grown-up spiked lemonade, it’s ultra refreshing on a hot afternoon. In fact, every sip feels like summer – a sweet berry hit with a cool mint kick. Together, drinks like the Juniper Dream and the Strawberry Smash show off the vibe here: creative, never boring, but never pretentious.

Brunch Brilliance: Champagne Towers and Bottomless Mimosas

Brunch at 18bin is extra. We’re talking real over-the-top brunch service. The crown jewel is their Mimosa Tower – a three-tier champagne fountain where juice and bubbly endlessly flow from top to bottom. It’s pure theater (and hilariously photogenic) – a tippler’s dream for a group of friends.

The menu itself even boasts that it’s “Instagram-worthy”. If you’ve got four or more in your crew, this tower is a blast: everyone cheers from a champagne flute, grabs a fresh glass as it fills, and snaps pics between sips.

Of course, if the tower is too much (or you’re flying solo), there’s still $25 bottomless mimosas on weekends. They’ll pour endless OJ and champagne right up till 5 PM, so the bubbly never stops flowing. Whether you want the full tower spectacle or a chill bottomless round at the bar, 18bin has both covered. And remember, Sunday brunch here is strictly 21+ (so it really feels like a party).

Beats & Brunch: DJs All Weekend

A big reason to hit 18bin on brunch day is the music. On weekends, they bring in DJs to keep the energy buzzing. House music brunches are basically their signature thing.

Every Sunday, dozens of local DJs come through spinning deep/tech/progressive house – it’s almost like a mini-club on a lazy Sunday. The weekly Sunday “House Music Brunch” kicks off at 10 AM and goes well into the evening, all with no cover charge and $25 bottomless mimosas helping the party along. Even if it rains, they’ll move the decks indoors so the party doesn’t stop.

The vibe is “grown-up but still a party” – think daytime house tunes instead of bowling alley jazz, and friends dancing in flip-flops while brunching.

On Saturdays (and sometimes even Friday brunches), you’ll also hear DJs on the patio, turning the place into a backyard rave-lite. In short, 18bin is as much about the beats as the eats – they’ve literally reworked their patio to host live-music brunches.

So if you’re done with the usual snooze-fest, 18bin’s brunch will perk you right up with DJ-curated energy.

Laid-Back Meets Upscale: The Arts District Feel

Walking into 18bin, you instantly know you’re in the Arts District. It’s polished enough to feel cool (craft cocktails, local art on the walls, even board games in the corner), yet unpretentious enough that your flip-flops wouldn’t feel out of place.

The local art and signage all nod to this neighborhood’s creativity. One wall has a big mural tribute to an old cult film, and live plants sit in rusted metal containers – very industrial-chic.

The crowd here is a mix of downtown workers on a long lunch, artists and designers in relaxed threads, and young locals on a weekend date. It’s stylish (leather booths, Edison bulbs) but still feels homey. Think thrown-together antiques and reclaimed wood tables – nothing matches exactly, but it all fits. It’s the kind of place where you can scoot into a bar stool in jeans and still feel a little like you’re dressing up.

More than once, we’ve overheard someone casually mention an upcoming First Friday art walk or a show at The Bunkhouse – a clue that this spot is woven into the neighborhood’s fabric.

Even the menu has neighborhood roots. Chef Jennifer Landry adds touches of her New Orleans background (jambalaya and gumbo are on the menu), so it feels both local and global. In short, 18bin gets that Arts District aesthetic: creative, laid-back, and just a touch upscale.

Downtown History & Nearby Finds

18bin didn’t spring up overnight – it replaced a string of previous clubs in that corner of Charleston and Art Way. Back in the day, this was the Arts District’s Bar + Bistro, and later a taco joint and lounge operated here. In 2019, the Bin702 crew gave the place a complete facelift, and locals have embraced it ever since. The address (107 E. Charleston, Suite 150) now reads like a landmark for weekend fun.

This block is becoming the place to be. Sister spots (like Bin 702’s original wine bar in Container Park, just a mile away) helped put the area on the map, and now 18bin has cemented it. It’s also hard to miss landmarks: right behind the Arts Factory building sits the Route 91 Memorial Rock Garden – a quiet tribute to the victims of the 2017 festival tragedy. Looking out the patio or stepping outside, you can easily walk to that small healing garden.

Just a few blocks west on Charleston are other local faves that Everyday. Vegas readers love. SoulBelly BBQ (smoky ribs and laid-back outdoor beer garden) is right down the street, and the famed Esther’s Kitchen (Main Street’s Italian comfort-food landmark) is only a short walk away.

Guests often do a crawl: start with cocktail swaggers at 18bin, swing by Esther’s or pizza next door, and even end at the Burlesque Hall of Fame lounge. It’s all within downtown reach.

So, why 18bin on a Sunday? Because it is Sunday, Vegas style: wake up late, meet your friends, and revel without the Strip crowds. You’ll get great cocktails (with flaming-rosemary flair!), a killer brunch spread (and yes, a crazy champagne tower), and nonstop good tunes from an awesome DJ lineup. The vibe is welcoming enough for families in daylight but trendy enough to feel like a mini-vacation.

All of this in the heart of the Arts District – a place that feels very “us locals,” complete with street art and vintage finds. Next time you’re plotting a chill downtown day, hit up 18bin.

The drinks are stiff, the music is pumping, and the only thing upstaging your friends will be that flaming sprig of rosemary on your glass.