These are the best meals you ate all year in the Charlotte area in 2022
Charlotteans know good food, and there’s plenty of it to go around. We shared the best meals we had in 2022 in the Charlotte area, but we wanted to hear your thoughts — and share them — as well.
CharlotteFive readers came back with dozens of answers, encompassing restaurants of all kinds from all over the city. By and large, locally owned restaurants are serving up your favorite meals, although a few chain restaurants popped up among the comments.
Newer restaurants in the Queen City got a lot of attention, as well. Steak 48 and Drift on Lake Wylie stood out among the crowd, especially for those seeking out steak. And Yunta is quickly becoming a go-to restaurant, as well.
Here are your best meals of 2022:
131 Main
Location: 9886 Rea Rd, Charlotte, NC 28277
Location: 5970 Fairview Rd #100, Charlotte, NC 28210
Location: 17830 Statesville Rd, Cornelius, NC 28031
Two readers specifically noted the SouthPark location of 131 Main for their favorite meals.
Prime rib sandwich
- Supurb trout dinner. “Fish was as good as any I have ever had. Perfectly deboned,” one reader said.
The Artisan’s Palate
Location: 1218 E 36th St A, Charlotte, NC 28205
- Bacon wrapped dates, mussels, tapenade bruschetta, warm, marinated olives and grilled octopus. “The vibe of the restaurant, the variety of all of the small plates. And the fact that every single bite was amazing!,” reader Carol Hatcher said.
Azteca
Location: 116 E Woodlawn Rd, Charlotte, NC 28217
- Pollo Poblano. “Very authentic Mexican style mole on a bed of rice,” reader Gerardo Reyes said.
Bardo
Location: 1508 S Mint St, Charlotte, NC 28203
- 12 course tasting menu
Bay Leaf Indian Grill
Location: 14027 Conlan Cir Suite A1, Charlotte, NC 28277
- Thalapakattu mutton biryani
Beef and Bottle
Location: 4538 South Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28209
- Frog legs appetizer, New York strip and baked potato
Bentleys
Location: 4620 Piedmont Row Dr #110, Charlotte, NC 28210’
- Dover sole. “Fresh and deboned at table,” reader Sue Marchetti said.
Bernadins
Location: 435 S Tryon St Ste 100, Charlotte, NC 28202
- Scallops with risotto
BrickTop’s
Location: 6401 Carnegie Blvd #1B, Charlotte, NC 28211
- Crab cakes
Cafe Monte
Location: 6700 Fairview Road, Charlotte, NC 28210
- Duck confit
Cajun Queen
Location: 1800 E 7th St, Charlotte, NC 28204
- Chicken Diane. “Flavorful and delicious,” reader Laura said.
Cajun Yard Dog
Location: 8036 Providence Rd #900, Charlotte, NC 28277
- Shrimp and grits
Calle Sol Latin Café & Cevicheria
Location: 1205 Thomas Ave., Charlotte, NC 28205
- Salchipapa and Media Noche. “Taste, quality, and atmosphere,” reader Wes R said.
Carusos
Location: 631 Brawley School Rd # 405, Mooresville, NC 28117
- Baked Branzino. “It was so flavorful, that my wife and I thought it was the best meal we had in quite some time,” one reader said.
The Cellar at Duckworth’s
Location: 330 N Tryon St, Charlotte, NC 28202
- Ribeye steak, creamed spinach and fries. “The ambiance, the service, & the food and drinks were amazing,” the reader said.
Choplins
Location: 19700 One Norman Blvd, Cornelius, NC 28031
- Halibut. “The food is always freshly sourced and prepared deliciously. The chef/owner is a wonderful cook,” reader Teresa Lauer said.
Church and Union Charlotte
Location: 127 N. Tryon St., Suite 8, Charlotte, NC 28202
- Fish. “My husband and I celebrated our last anniversary there we’ve eaten there numerous times. He died of lung cancer 3/15/22,” reader Michael Kelly said.
Cowfish
Location: 4310 Sharon Rd, Charlotte, NC 28211
- A yellowfin roll and a tuna roll with a cucumber salad. “It was delicious, made to order and had a great presentation,” the reader said.
Curry Gate
Location: 630 W 24th St, Charlotte, NC 28206
- Chicken momo
Dean’s Italian Steakhouse
Location: 128 E Brooklyn Vlg Ave, Charlotte, NC 28202
- Filet mignon. “The food was delectable, service fantastic, but most of all the company of great friends topped it off,” said reader Autumn L.
Dilworth Tasting Room
Location: 300 E Tremont Ave, Charlotte, NC 28203
Location: 4905 Ashley Park Lane, Suite J, Charlotte, NC 28210
- “All of the cheese.”
Drift on Lake Wylie
Location: 315 Lanyard Ln m, Belmont, NC 28012
Al’s Blackened Oysters. “They were just fabulous,” the reader said.
- Bone-In ribeye and a bottle of Cabernet. “Perfectly cooked, flavorful ribeye in a beautiful lakeside setting with great ambiance and service. The perfectly paired bottle of Cabernet was just the icing on the cake,” the reader said.
Ribeye steak
Steak
Pork chop with Brussels sprouts
Ever Andalo
Location: 3116 N. Davidson St., Charlotte, NC 28205
- Burrata, tagliatelle pasta and dessert
EeZ Fusion & Sushi
Location: 16925 Birkdale Commons Pkwy F, Huntersville, NC 28078
- Sushi roll
Fig Tree
Location: 1601 E 7th St, Charlotte, NC 28204
Filet mignon. “Excellent service, excellent preparation and presentation,” the reader said.
- Trout
House of Pizza
Location: 3640 Central Ave, Charlotte, NC 28205
- Veal Parmesan dinner. “Crispy and cooked to perfection breaded veal served on spaghetti with a to-die-for meat marinara sauce. SOOO good!,” reader Mike Hoffman said.
Indaco
Location: 2046 South Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28203
- Spaghetti. “Our group of 8 all had different items and loved them!,” the reader said.
La Belle Helene
Location: 300 S. Tryon Street, Charlotte, NC 28202
- Boeuf Bourguignon. “The short beef ribs were so tender and moist,” the reader said.
Leah & Louise
Location: Camp North End, 300 Camp Rd, Charlotte, NC 28206
- Leah’s Cabbage with cornmeal brioche
Limani
Location: 6902 Phillips Pl Ct, Charlotte, NC 28210
- Octopus, tuna and deconstructed baklava. “Incredible food, beautiful presentation, beautiful restaurant, service,” reader Ray Burdi said.
Link & Pin
Location: 155 New Bern St, Charlotte, NC 28203
Location: 8128 Providence Rd #1200, Charlotte, NC 28277
Location: 9723 Sam Furr Rd, Huntersville, NC 28078
- Grilled halibut. “Great taste,” the reader said.
LuLu’s Maryland Style Chicken & Seafood
Location: 2308 Central Ave., Charlotte, NC 28205
- Crab cake and shrimp and grits
Maggianos
Location: 4400 Sharon Rd, Charlotte, NC 28211
- Linguine and clams. “Taste, presentation and price,” the reader said.
Malaya Kitchen
Location: 8200-400 Providence Rd, Charlotte, NC 28277
- Roti Telur app, chicken fried rice, Char Kway Teow. “It’s perfectly done Malaysian street food. Best fried rice in town. Char kway teow w/ beef heavenly,” reader George Bohmfalk said.
Mico
Location: 201 W Trade St, Charlotte, NC 28202
- Oak Grilled Winter Vegetable Paella. “With the closing of Alchemy at C3 Labs, it was hard to find a restaurant that fits both the omnivore and vegan palates that make up our typical dining party. Though not as extensive as Alchemy, Mico does an amazing job and their seasonal menu offers something for everyone. The winter vegetable paella was perfect for me, as a vegan. It was a large portion, the vegetables were fresh, grilled well using an oak fire, which is an added bonus for flavor, and it was carried forward with a base of saffron rice that was cooked exactly right. We have now made Mico our regular go to for dinner,” reader Joseph Lewis said.
Milkbread
Location: 1431 Central Ave., Charlotte, NC 28205
- Cinnamon rolls
Miro’s Spanish Grille
Location: 12239 N Community House Rd #102, Charlotte, NC 28277
- Paella. “A tried and true favorite. Perfectly seasoned rice and lots of fresh seafood,” reader Jean Berrier-Tate said.
Noble Smoke
Location: 2216 Freedom Dr, Charlotte, NC 28208
- Brisket and onion rings and macaroni and cheese. “Best meal ever!!! It was all cooked to perfection,” reader Alice Walker said.
Brisket. “Most tender brisket I’ve ever eaten, but also had good bark. These people are real PITMASTERS!,” reader Randy said.
Oggi
Location: 16646 Hawfield Way Dr, Charlotte, NC 28277
- Chicken Parmesan
Optimist Hall
Location: 1115 N Brevard St, Charlotte, NC 28206
- Dumplings at The Dumpling Lady, tofu bao buns at Bao+Broth, vegan platter at Enat Ethiopian, and naan wrap & Gobi 65 at Botiwalla. “The amazing variety and all the flavors were on point!,” the reader said.
The Palm
Location: 6705-B, Phillips Pl Ct, Charlotte, NC 28210
- Meatball appetizer and Monday night chopped salad. “The sauce, the freshness of the salad, the service and the fact that a single diner can enjoy a perfect dinner in a small booth!,” reader Carol Pharr said.
Queen City Craft & Gourmet
Location: 5349 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy STE 100, Charlotte, NC 28277
- Beef stroganoff
Sea Level NC
Location: 129 E 5th St, Charlotte, NC 28202
- Sea Level oysters and the chowder. “Perfection! Sometimes the simple things stand out the most. A perfect oyster is a thing of beauty,” reader Tina DeSoto said.
Steak 48 Charlotte
Location: Apex SouthPark, 4425 Sharon Rd, Charlotte, NC 28211
More than a few of you — nine, in fact — put in a good word for Steak 48, which is on OpenTable’s list of 100 Most Beloved Restaurants in America.
- Steak, salad and baked potato. “Atmosphere, personal touches, excellent service and the delectable food,” reader Pam McCullough said.
- Crispy shrimp deviled eggs, beet salad, filet mignon and baked potato. “Beautiful restaurant, excellent service, perfectly yummy,” reader Alden Clark said.
- Cream corn brulee
- Beef tenderloin
- Bone-in ribeye
- Filet
- NY strip
Supperland
Location: 1212 The Plaza, Charlotte, NC 28205
- Pork Can Can. “Food quality, presentation, service,” the reader said.
Table 31
Location: 103 Landings Dr, Mooresville, NC 28117
- Fried chicken
Trio Restaurant
Location: 10709 McMullen Creek Parkway, Charlotte, NC 28226
- Chicken piccata
Via Roma
Location: 7416 Waverly Walk Ave Suite H-2, Charlotte, NC 28277
- Pasta with braised short ribs
Yunta
Location: 2201 South Blvd, Suite 130, Charlotte, NC 28203
- Ceviche, maki, Tallerin Saltado and the Lucuma Chocolate Bomba. “Amazing food, beautiful restaurant with a great vibe and excellent service!,” reader Jase Norman.
- Octopus. “Octopus can be a difficult cook to get right, let alone the flavors that Yunta was accomplishing. Best octopus North of Miami. We try to go more frequently than the 3x we’ve been there but it’s always packed,” reader Katie Milligan said.
“Have eaten here so much, I’ve tried everything!,” one reader said.
