Things I like about the Alley Cat: the outdoor patio, which is one of the coolest in uptown Charlotte; the live music, which they have indoors and out; every now and then they have some good drink specials; lots of space inside; crowd isn't usually as pretentious as other uptown locations.
Things I do not like about the Alley Cat: $7 cover charge; there is often a line to get in, and I don't do lines.
Paying the cover charge makes you feel like you should stay around and get your money's worth instead of bar-hopping, which is great when the music is good.
Overall, there are more positives than negatives for me, so I give Alley Cat 4 stars.