Food and Drink

These are the top 25 restaurants to eat at in Charlotte in 2023, according to Yelp

A spread of food options from restaurants located inside Optimist Hall, which made Yelp’s Top 25 list, along with Enat Ethiopian and Harriet’s Hamburgers inside the food hall.
A spread of food options from restaurants located inside Optimist Hall, which made Yelp’s Top 25 list, along with Enat Ethiopian and Harriet’s Hamburgers inside the food hall. Kenty Chung

It’s well known that Charlotte is a big foodie city, with dozens of new restaurants opening around the city every year. If you’re looking for the top spots to grab a bite to eat, Yelp released its list of the “tastiest, most highly-rated restaurants” in the area.

To compile the list, the team ranked restaurants in and around the Charlotte area using several factors, including the total volume and ratings of reviews between summer 2022 and summer 2023.

From international cuisines to burgers and barbecue, here are the 25 best restaurants ranked as Yelp’s Top Places to Eat in Charlotte in 2023:

Poppyseed Kitchen

Location: 485 Tom Hall St #103, Fort Mill, SC 29715

Cuisine: American, breakfast, brunch

Yunta

Location: 2201 South Blvd Ste 130, Charlotte, NC 28203

Cuisine: Nikkei

Yunta’s loma saltado is stir-fried filet mignon, andean baby potatoes, Red onion, cherry tomato, cilantro, jasmine rice.
Yunta’s loma saltado is stir-fried filet mignon, andean baby potatoes, Red onion, cherry tomato, cilantro, jasmine rice. Alex Cason CharlotteFive

[RELATED: Yunta, South End’s newest restaurant, offers Peruvian Nikkei cuisine and a sleek interior.]

Ilios Crafted Greek

Location: 951 Market St Suite 101, Fort Mill, SC 29708 (specified in Yelp’s rankings)

Location: 1514 S. Church Street, Charlotte, NC 28203

Location: 7832 Rea Rd #E, Charlotte, NC 28277

Cuisine: Greek, Mediterranean

Ilios Crafted Greek’s lamb with grape leaves, vegetables and a side of tzatziki.
Ilios Crafted Greek’s lamb with grape leaves, vegetables and a side of tzatziki. Alex Cason CharlotteFive

Lil Papi’s International Deli

Location: 1096 Concord Pkwy N #7, Concord, NC 28027

Cuisine: Multiple

The Smoke Pit

Location: 796 Concord Pkwy N, Concord, NC 28027

Location: 509 Faith Rd, Salisbury, NC 28146

Location: 421 Cox Rd, Gastonia, NC 28054

Location: 1507 W Roosevelt Blvd, Monroe, NC 28110

Cuisine: Barbecue

The Smoke Pit’s barbecue offerings include hickory smoked pulled pork, Texas brisket, smoked chicken quarters, smoked sausage and ribs.
The Smoke Pit’s barbecue offerings include hickory smoked pulled pork, Texas brisket, smoked chicken quarters, smoked sausage and ribs. Three 23 Marketing

Geno D’s Pizza

Location: The Market at 7th Street, 224 E 7th St, Charlotte, NC 28202

Cuisine: Italian, pizza

Harriet’s Hamburgers

Location: Optimist Hall, 1115 N Brevard St Stall #6, Charlotte, NC 28206

Cuisine: American

Harriet’s Hamburgers at Optimist Hall is under construction with a target opening date of Labor Day.
Harriet’s Hamburgers is opening a second location in Concord and a third location in Ballantyne. LunahZon Photography CharlotteFive

[RELATED: Charlotte smash burger joint expanding again with plans to open at Ballantyne]

The Crust Pizza

Location: 1600 E Woodlawn Rd #250, Charlotte, NC 28209

Cuisine: Italian, pizza

Expect toppings to be loaded edge to edge onto your pizza at The Crust.
Expect toppings to be loaded edge to edge onto your pizza at The Crust. Courtesy of The Crust

The Crunkleton

Location: 1957 E 7th St, Charlotte, NC 28204

Cuisine: American

Dry rubbed wings topped with Alabama White Sauce and Blistered Onion Confit at The Crunkleton.
Dry rubbed wings topped with Alabama White Sauce and Blistered Onion Confit at The Crunkleton. Key Vision Photography

Webb Custom Kitchen

Location: 182 S South St, Gastonia, NC 28052

Cuisine: American

Lula Banh Mi And Bakery

Location: 10400 Centrum Pkwy A, Pineville, NC 28134

Cuisine: Vietnamese

[READ NEXT: New Charlotte-area takeout spot offers handcrafted banh mi, sweet treats.]

Enat Ethiopian Restaurant

Location: 4450 The Plaza suite d, Charlotte, NC 28215

Location: Optimist Hall, 1115 N Brevard St Stall #6, Charlotte, NC 28206

Cuisine: Ethiopian

Ten Seconds Yunnan Rice Noodle

Location: 3429 Toringdon Way, Charlotte, NC 28277

Cuisine: Chinese

The Barcelona Burger and Beer Garden

Location: Merino Mill, 500 S Main St, Mooresville, NC 28115

Cuisine: American

The Analucia burger at The Barcelona Burger & Beer Garden.
The Analucia burger at The Barcelona Burger & Beer Garden. Alex Cason CharlotteFive

[RELATED: Barcelona Burger & Beer Garden, C5 Readers’ Choice winner for best burger.]

Peppervine

Location: 4620 Piedmont Row Dr Suite 170B, Charlotte, NC 28210

Cuisine: Multiple

Peppervine is located in the SouthPark neighborhood.
Peppervine is located in the SouthPark neighborhood. Alex Cason CharlotteFive

Optimist Hall

Location: 1115 N Brevard St Stall #6, Charlotte, NC 28206

Cuisine: Multiple

Find a variety of choices including pizza, Asian street fare, burgers, tacos and more at Optimist Hall.
Find a variety of choices including pizza, Asian street fare, burgers, tacos and more at Optimist Hall. Alex Cason CharlotteFive

Midwood Smokehouse

Location: 12410 Johnston Rd, Charlotte, NC 28277

Location: 16710 Birkdale Commons Pkwy, Huntersville, NC 28078

Location: 540 Brandywine Rd, Charlotte, NC 28209

Location: 1401 Central Ave, Charlotte, NC 28205

Cuisine: Barbecue

Midwood Smokehouse’s wide variety of barbecue options makes it a popular restaurant for tourists and locals alike.
Midwood Smokehouse has several locations in North and South Carolina. Rémy Thurston

[RELATED: Charlotte airport adds local flavor with the opening of popular barbecue restaurant.]

The One Tapas & Bar

Location: 3116 Weddington Rd #600, Matthews, NC 28105

Cuisine: Multiple

Haberdish

Location: 3106 N Davidson St, Charlotte, NC 28205

Cuisine: American, Southern

Haberdish offers up their smoked deviled eggs with an optional trout topping.
Haberdish offers up their smoked deviled eggs with an optional trout topping. Haberdish

RayNathan’s

Location: 4571 S New Hope Rd, Gastonia, NC 28056

Cuisine: Barbecue

Alexander Michael’s

Location: 401 W 9th St, Charlotte, NC 28202

Cuisine: American

Doan’s Vietnamese Cuisine

Location: 5937 South Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28217

Cuisine: Vietnamese

The Flipside Cafe

Location: 3150 US-21, Fort Mill, SC 29715

Cuisine: American

Bang Bang Burgers

Location: 2001 E 7th St D, Charlotte, NC 28204

Location: 235 W Tremont Ave #101, Charlotte, NC 28203

Cuisine: American

A burger at Bang Bang Burgers with two patties, American Cheese, onion, pickles, tomato, lettuce and a toasted bun.
A burger at Bang Bang Burgers with two patties, American Cheese, onion, pickles, tomato, lettuce and a toasted bun. Alex Cason CharlotteFive

[READ NEXT: Make this Charlotte chef’s famous turkey roast and stuffing recipe for Thanksgiving.]

Kounter

Location: 135 E Main St Suite 101, Rock Hill, SC 29730

Cuisine: American

[RELATED: This creative restaurant serves bacon-wrapped meatloaf with Funyun dust, PB&J Wontons and more.]

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Chyna Blackmon
The Charlotte Observer
Chyna Blackmon was a service journalism reporter for The Charlotte Observer. A native of the Carolinas, she grew up in Columbia, SC, and graduated from Queens University of Charlotte. She’s also worked in local television news in Charlotte, NC, and Richmond, VA. Support my work with a digital subscription
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