Recession got you down? Head over to The Graduate for some $1 or $2 beers and other drink specials. It's pretty divey, but it's super-cheap and sometimes that's all you need. There is a lounge-like room with couches and board games. In the back there is a theater for the Charlotte Improv Comedy, which performs shows weekly.
I've never been very impressed by The Graduate and the snob in me automatically dislikes anything in a strip mall, but it's really an all right place to go for a cheap night.