Around Town

Search for the best nachos in the Queen City

By Joanne Spataro

Like most profound life changes, mine started with a road trip.

Two years ago, my best friend Fitz – a hilarious man who describes himself as having the personality of a fruit salad – foretold of a place in Charleston that had the best nachos: Taco Boy.

These nachos were worth the three-hour drive: the perfect combination of Monterrey Jack cheese, chili con queso, salsa cruda, cowboy beans and chicken, topped with fresh guacamole and sour cream. We drank Frozen Screwdrivers, the chain-smoking, bad girl sister of the brunch-friendly mimosa.

A shared love. #tacoboy #nachos #charleston

A photo posted by @lookitsjoanne on Sep 24, 2013 at 6:03pm PDT

With that as my standard, I’m here to tell you 3 places to get great nachos in Charlotte:

Zada Janes Corner Cafe: This Plaza Midwood institution surprised and delighted me. The Kool Kip’s Nachos don’t skimp on the guacamole and sour cream – or vegetables. Roasted squash, romaine lettuce, zucchini and corn to be exact. The only vegetables I usually allow in nachos are guacamole and tomatoes, which are technically fruits.

The hot Pepper Jack queso is melted just right. The blue corn chips are a healthier alternative to the usual white corn ones. Good for sharing, better to eat by yourself. Order a second one for your buddy. (1601 Central Ave, 704-332-3663.)

Zada Janes yesterday for lunch – best nachos & pancakes I've had n NC

A photo posted by D Moore (@momotivates) on Jul 6, 2012 at 7:01am PDT

Vida Cantina Charlotte: I usually hate the Epicentre. Its mundane, concrete landscape is packed with vapid women in bandage dresses and faceless hordes of men wearing the same light blue dress shirt. Thankfully, you can drown out these dilettantes with avant garde nachos eating.

Instead of being served in a heap, each chip is separated and generously topped with jumbo lump crab, refried black beans, avocado salsa and a blend of cheeses. There’s no fear of a dry chip at the bottom. Order with a frozen margarita, which you can get in mango, strawberry or pomegranate or a mix of two or three. (EpiCentre, 210 E Trade St. 704-971-8432.)

Cantina 1511: The S’Western Nachos are like the person you should marry: reasonable, realizes you are not made of money and appealing even after you’ve had them for several years. They are reasonably priced – $6.45 for the half order, which is more than enough for one person, and $9.95 for a full order.

It has seasoned chicken or ground beef, caramelized onions and peppers, black beans and melted queso. The guacamole is fresh and has a good lime tang. A quick, tasty nachos fix. (4271-B Park Road 704-331-9222 and 7708 Rea Road, 704-752-9797)

If none of these work for you, try my Can’t-Get-to-Taco-Boy Nachos Recipe

You’ll need:

One bag of regular waffle fries or tortilla chips

Guacamole – MAKE YOUR OWN (mix flesh of one avocado, three garlic cloves, half a lime juice from a real lime, salt to taste, diced tomatoes)

1 container liquid cheese

1 block of Havarti

Shredded pork or chicken

Greek yogurt (substitute for sour cream and just as delicious)

Black beans

What to do:

Melt cheese. Bake waffle fries according to package. Make guacamole while you wait for fries to cook. Pour cheese and beans (and pork or chicken if you’re going that direction) onto first layer of tortilla chips or waffle fries, then add more of either and coat in more cheese and beans.Top with guacamole and Greek yogurt. If you want to be just like Fitz and me when we couldn’t go to Charleston but wanted Taco Boy nachos, enjoy your nachos while watching Reefer Madness on YouTube with Greek subtitles.

This story was originally published April 6, 2015 at 3:23 PM.

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