The Rat’s Nest

Coolest Thrift Store in Charlotte, ever! Am I in Portland???
You had me at Pong! Yes a real live functioning Pong (by Atari of course) hooked up to this Rad TV when you walk in. Of course I played it!
Killer selection of leather jackets, real vintage Wrangler shirts and pretty much if you can dream it, they have it. Now for some items from down memory lane: Orange Krate Schwinn bike, Sony Watchman (the one with the TV), a Crazy Eddie Shirt (cause his prices are insane!!!), Battlestar Galactica Sheets (why don’t they come in Queen size? Waanh!) and the Holy Grail: a Jesse Jackson for President ringer T (yours for a cool $ 400).
The merch doesn’t get any cooler. My closet in college was a cross section of this place. Friendly owner with a good sense of humor who has a good eye for what people are looking for!
Rat’s Nest is kind of tucked away by the railroad track, up the block and around the corner from Sabor and Cabo. Now you have no excuse but to go there!

The rats nest is a funky little shop full of vintage items, something for everybody. It set back off the street so it’s hard to see from a distance. If you see the train crossing signs you’re there. If you’re looking for a funky gift come here especially if you grew up in the 80s they have everything from Sesame Street sheets to ET glassware and eight tracks. The prices are reasonable. If you’ve always wanted to replace that snoopy lunchbox now is your chance.
They also had a large selection of cowboy boots and vinyl records.

Perfect for vintage and western wear… Love the owners…

This is a cool place– make sure you’re looking for it or you’ll miss it. Pretty small and not much parking. Good selection of boots, dresses, jeans, concert t-​shirts, and records, as well as some knick-​knacks like purses and belt buckles. The prices varied from $ 14 to $ 40 for a dress, and most of the boots were around $ 65. Sadly, there were no boots in my size but I’ll be back because of that! The lady that worked there was super friendly and made conversation very easily– a nice surprise because you never know how thats gonna go.

This is THE place for western wear. Boots, shirts, t-​shirts and toys-​everything is so cool. And such a cute selection of dresses. This is an awesome vintage store. If they ask you if you would like a drink, say yes! They will appear with a PBR! I went to shop and took my boyfriend along with me so he could enjoy the beer. And of course, the fact that this store is located in NoDa. Perfect!

I’m addicted to pearl snap shirts because of this place. I’ve been to quite a few cities across the south (including Nashville) and this place has the best western wear selection around for guys.
They have a great selection of old trendy shirts for all you hipsters.
The owner will often toss you a beer while you’re looking around too.

I stumbled upon Rat’s Nest all by chance one day. I was actually in Plaza Midwood searching eagerly for cowboy getup gear when a shop-​keep recommended I try this place over in NoDa. Unaware there even was such a place I was obviously eager to check it out and very surprised at what I found!
The Rat’s Nest is loaded with used western wear. It’s the first place I’ve seen of its kind. Used clothing and goods all in one specific genre. The owner travels the country in search of used boots, belt buckles, hats, shirts and more to bring back to the QC and stock his interesting store.
There is an endless selection of used boots from basic to intricately designed all for great prices. Belt buckles are well-​worn classics representing Americana at its finest with silver and turquoise and branding such as Ford and Winchester to name just a small few. The hats are the real-​deal. Starched to perfection and custom-​sized to fit the head of some other guy who never wore it. Custom-​sized becomes one-​size-​fits-​all at this lone-​star lore launderer.
The shop owner is a regular hipster himself. Sporting a simple western shirt and jeans he chills behind the counter with a PBR in hand, chatting up all the regulars. And the price tags, though confusing at first, are a simple yet perfect match: yellow paper triangles with holes swissed out of them at random. If my lifestyle was to dress like cowpoke all day every day this is where you’d find me. In the meantime, it’s a great place to dress down for the next big themed event.

Guess I’m a Fan because I keep coming back! I have never found anything I wanted, though you never know what you can find or can you, maybe you can here… The person who decides on what they will «Buy» to Sell seems to chose a lot of the Similar and that is important to know your Customer!!!
Great Name! This is nicer than many rats nests and nicer than many abandoned grocery stores, which I have also visited! This place is neat for a rats nest and much cleaner, fairly organized, though I would NOT refer to it as boutiquish and do not think anyone expects that here!
Lots of Clothes for Guys! Vinyl! The Guy who runs this place (probably the owner) and those who hang out there are always friendly!

If you can find the place open, it’s worth a stop. Vintage prices (ie not thrift prices) but some good finds. They have a decent mens selection, which is getting harder to find.

Not too bad of a place. The only reason I’m giving this place a 3 star rating is because I’m just not that country and my personal style does not involve flannel and cowboy boots. With that being said, I may stop back in sometime in the future if I get that itch for some cowboy boots.

You don’t have to be country folk to appreciate Rat’s Nest. Nope.
Stroll in on a Gallery Crawl night and check out the selection of vintage clothing, sit on one of the chairs from the 70’s or chat it up with Brian and have a PBR.
You’ve gotta appreciate a place like this. Where else can you find Tony Lama boots and a leather jackets that someone probably wore in the early 80’s?
For the plaid-​seeking hipsters of Uptown, this is a plaid and abalone button haven. You’ll find something to match that new pair of skinnies in no time.
Prices vary on some things. Shirts are always pretty cheap, ties are always a steal. Get into the leather and that’s where you can drop some cash. If you’re looking for boots, you’re bound to find something unique that nobody else in town will have
On occasion, the Avettt Brothers even stop in. Just goes to show you that this place is LEGIT.
Chat it up with Brian. Great guy with great stories.
Love this place!

The Rat’s Nest was my first thrift excursion in Charlotte. Unfortunately I wasn’t shopping for myself, and didn’t find anything suitable for the person I was buying for.
However, if I had been buying for myself… the place would have a hole in it. From folksy tooled-​leather purses and bags, to cute sun dresses and all of the cowboy boots of my dreams. When I finally get up the balls to purchase my first pair of cowboy boots, it’ll probably be from here. Gently worn-​in for you, but still looking great and like they have an interesting history, in all of the sizes, shapes, and colors under the sun. I’ll definitely be back.

probably one of my all time favorites.
Walking in, you hear old school country music spinning on the record player. His album collection alone will make you drool. Super friendly, offering you a drink when you walk in. Will talk to you about anything… story behind the boots, about whatever song is playing. Great vintage everything! I have about 5 pairs of sunglasses from there. And i buy belt buckles for all my guy friend’s bdays.
My only beef is that i have been trying to buy the Dolly Parton trash can from them for 4 years. Still refuses. I have begged.

The Rat’s Nest is one of the very few original «NoDa» incarnations left in the neighborhood, but Brian will tell you that it is North Charlotte and not NoDa. Its like a museum where everything is for sale.
Well, almost everything. The Jesse Jackson for President ringer tee only has a price tag on it for posterity sake. But all the signage, artwork, western wear, furniture, video games, boots, and records can be yours for the price on the little yellow piece of cheese tag.
They stand by all their products and I have had a couple of pairs of vintage cowboy boots that I have bought there taken back for a new heel or a total resole. Brian won’t sell clothes with holes or stains. He once busted out a needle and thread to bolster a loose button on a shirt for me.
Looking through the racks of clothes, you have to brush the nostalgia away from your face to find that perfect pearl snap button shirt or glittery iron-​on tee.
The staff is friendly and more than happy to offer you a tasty beverage to enhance your shopping experience. And if you are lucky, you might be there on a night when the backyard turns into a music venue.
With the likes of RenElvis, The Loose Lugnuts, The Pistoleros, Truck Norris, or even the Truckstop Preachers taking the stage, you can enjoy a couple of beers while you sit in the pews.

It’s a rare, rare day when I head out to shop and I depart with no purchases. It’s even rarer that hubs scores an awesome find and I don’t. Le sigh.
Regardless…I adore The Rat’s Nest. It’s such a kitschy spot to saunter around, take in the random assortment of sweet vintage clothing, light fixtures, accessories and boots. And drink a beer in the process — schwing!
While I didn’t find anything for me, I noticed the prices were super affordable. Most dresses fell in the $ 15-​$ 30 range and shirts $ 15-​$ 25. Hubs scored an awesome PBR workshirt, which suits him to a t. Cool threads, accessible prices and an all around laid back vibe from all makes The Rat’s Nest a cool place to drop by in NoDa!

Replay…
Walk in and see PBR lamp shade hanging from the ceiling. Ask the owner if this is heaven… laughs and offers me a PBR or water from the backroom. While I normally wouldn’t turn it down, I did… still wondering why I did? Walked around and saw a lot of cool things. Mostly men’s clothes, but there were items for the ladies too. Shoes and other fun items as well. Of course asked for PBR items and the owner said he had a Dickies delivery truck driver shirt… I asked where it was and yes, it was hanging from the ceiling… it’s like he reached into the heavens and came back with a PBR shirt…
All this experience for only $ 25! I’ll be back soon!

I’ve never actually bought anything here but have gone several times just to look around. I love it. The owners are great (of course they are, they own the Thirsty Beaver) and you can drink a beer while yo

Such as awesome place!
I love the fact they often offer patrons a PBR, a working-​class hero twist on the boutiques that serve chardonnay.
I’m a fashion photographer – formerly the fashion director at Uptown Magazine before moving to Denver – and used clothes from Rat’s Nest on a couple of editorial pieces. I also just shopped there a lot. As another reviewer said, it’s an awesome store for men, which cant be said for Hong Kong.
Best,
Ryan Sumner
Fenix Fotography

Think Hong Kong in a larger space with a much larger casual selection and a chiller vibe. A tad bit more Man Friendly.
Its a huge tin can, basically, stuffed with vintage clothes and some pop housewares and the largest selection of vintage (mostly) cowboy boots I’ve ever laid eyes on. HUGE tour t shirt collection in a wide range of sizes. Prices hover in average-​to-​above-​average vintage range. Owned by the same bros who own the Beaver — if you couldn’t tell from the rat mural.
They’ll also buy quality vintage off of you for cash or store credit — coolio, since Hong Kong does store credit only.

This NoDa shop has a great selection of vintage clothing. I especially love their dresses and T-​shirts. You should definitely go on a gallery crawl night, when the owner’s honky tonk plays in the back yard (I guess you could call it a back yard) of the store and people hang out drinking PBR. It’s a pretty low-​key place. Ie. The fridge is located in the large bathroom, which is also the fitting room. Oh, NoDa.