These 2 Charlotte restaurants announced openings, World Cup watch parties
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The Charlotte food scene moves fast — and if you blink, you’ll miss the next opening. Grab a coffee ☕️ — here’s your daily cheat sheet from today’s CharlotteFive newsletter, packed with new restaurants, World Cup watch parties and chef-quality dinners you don’t have to cook. 🍽️
🥟 A new West End spot serving empanadas ‘the size of my face’
Chef Jonathan Leonard is opening Big Papa’s Empanadas in Charlotte’s Historic West End this August, and the half-pound turnovers are not your standard chicken-and-beef situation.
Think bacon gouda cheeseburger, Cajun crab mac and cheese and Caribbean oxtails — plus a few dessert options. The hip-hop themed takeout spot will also serve street tacos, grilled chicken wings and hand-cut fries, with counter service and a small patio for eating al fresco.
Leonard, a Johnson & Wales alum, left corporate dining in 2020 to grow his meal prep service Freshly Cracked, and the empanadas were born out of a need to cut food waste from pop-up events. “I loved how much of a friendly city (Charlotte) was, and I just knew that I was going to plant roots here,” Leonard told CharlotteFive’s Tanasia Kenney.
📍 1812 Rozzelles Ferry Rd, Charlotte.
🍴Heidi Finley’s annual restaurant roundup is live
Charlotte’s food and drink scene is growing fast, and C5’s Heidi Finley has been tracking every opening she can find.
Her 2026 full guide covers brunch spots, steakhouses, seafood joints, coffee shops, breweries and cocktail bars — across Charlotte, Lake Norman, Rock Hill and beyond. Expect global flavors, including African, Mediterranean, Asian, Latin American and Middle Eastern cuisine, plus plenty of casual neighborhood spots.
📰 Bookmark the full list here — Heidi’s updating it all year.
❤️ ‘Elevated’ Mexican coming to RailYard this summer
Raíces is bringing the culinary traditions of Jalisco and Oaxaca to South End this summer, reports Tanasia, taking over the former Summerbird space at The RailYard. Husband-and-wife restaurateurs Alfonso Bravo and Amalia Macias, who already own Salud Mexican Kitchen, Coa Agaveria Y Cocina and Masa Mexican Street Food in South Carolina, are behind it.
Chef TJ Steele leads the menu with generational moles, pozole, handmade tortillas and seasonal dishes from locally sourced ingredients. Mixologist Edson Sanchez heads up the agave-forward bar program. “Raíces is about bringing together the places that have shaped us,” Bravo said. “Together, they create a restaurant that feels like home and deeply personal.”
⚽️ 10 best spots to catch the World Cup
The World Cup runs June 11 through July 19, and Charlotte is basically one giant watch party. A few standouts, according to Evan Moore:
- Clutch Kitchen in South End is doing giant LED screens with sound on, international beers, country-inspired food specials and U.S. Soccer giveaways at 📍 601 S. Cedar St.
- DFB Charlotte, the official German national team supporters group, is hosting a watch party at 📍 140 Brevard Court for Germany’s opener against Curacao.
- Tyber Creek Pub at 📍 1501 S Mint St is opening early for off-hours games and pouring $8 Teremana Tequila, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s brand.
- OMB is running watch parties for both U.S. and Germany matches at its LoSo and Ballantyne locations with $5 pints of Olde Meck or Hornets Nest.
Other go-tos: Dilworth Neighborhood Grille, Jackalope Jack’s, McHale’s Pub, Middle James, Salud and Valhalla Pub & Eatery.
🧑🏽🍳 Skip cooking: 11 spots for chef-quality meals at home
Don’t feel like turning on the stove? CharlotteFive’s updated guide to take-and-bake spots covers everything from Reid’s Fine Foods — a Charlotte institution since 1928 — to Pasta & Provisions, Enzo’s Italian Market, The Butler’s Pantry, Chef Alyssa’s Kitchen, DeSarno’s, New York Butcher Shoppe, Switchin’ Kitchens, SplenDishes Kitchen and Clean Eatz.
The newest addition: Dank Bowls, which opened June 2 inside Knowledge Perk Coffee at The Alley at Latta Arcade.
💬 Quote of the day
“Oh my God, livermush. We sell a lot of livermush.” — Shuffletown Grill owner Jose Maruri, talking to Heidi about the diner that’s been serving Charlotte since 1957.
🫒 One more thing: Vote for Charlotte’s best Greek restaurant
Readers nominated 18 Greek restaurants across the Charlotte area — including spots in Lake Norman, Gastonia, Matthews, Mint Hill and Fort Mill — and now it’s time to vote. Chains with more than 20 locations like Showmars (who we love!) are sitting this one out, but everything else is fair game.
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This is just a taste of what CharlotteFive sends out every weekday — food, drink, things to do and the local scoop you actually want to read. Sign up for the free newsletter here and never miss a face-sized empanada again.
This report was produced with the assistance of a proprietary tool powered by artificial intelligence and using our own originally reported, written and published content. It was reviewed and edited by our journalists. To learn more about how The Charlotte Observer is using AI in our newsroom, see our policy here.
