Mr. Charles Chicken & Fish: A family-run Charlotte restaurant that makes you feel at home
Editor’s note: The Statesville Avenue location of Mr. Charles Chicken & Fish is temporarily closed.
When Michael Rhynes Sr. describes his first location of Mr. Charles Chicken & Fish, tucked on the corner of Statesville and Atando avenues in Charlotte, he’ll tell you it’s “very small — it is like your little greasy spoon feel.”
There’s a high volume of walk-in traffic in the restaurant, known for its fried chicken, as well as seafood and savory, down home side dishes.
“People always say, ‘Man, that place is always crowded.’ But I think five people makes it pretty crowded,” Rhynes said.
Rhynes had a family background in restaurants. He opened Mr. Charles Chicken & Fish in 2006 with his best friend, Corwin Alexander, and Corwin’s father, Charles Alexander, after the elder Alexander asked about getting “back into doing restaurants again,” Rhynes said.
At the time, Rhynes was “working and trying to figure things out.”
“You know, it was, you know – quick thinking,” he said. “I felt it would be a great opportunity for me and Mr. Charles Alexander,” the restaurant’s namesake.
That tiny first location of Mr. Charles Chicken & Fish was just the beginning of the family-friendly theme. Rhynes works for a “very personable” atmosphere, as the restaurant’s staff knows customers on a first-name basis and builds relationships.
“We try to get to know everybody. We’ve had customers for a very long time. So I watched kids grow from being six, seven years old. Now they’re in college.”
And now the restaurant is three locations strong — going on four, manager Aubrey Alexander told CharlotteFive. (Check out the details on location No. 4.)
Old school fun karaoke every Friday night
At Mr. Charles Chicken & Fish, community engagement is a part of its mission. The restaurant partners with sororities, fraternities and alumni groups. And, for a fun surprise: You’ll also find a thriving nightlife scene there.
Looking for live music on Friday and Saturday nights? At the restaurant’s Cambridge Commons location, you’ll find old-school fun karaoke nights from 8 p.m. to midnight, and at its Uptown location, you can get down to live music from about 7-10 p.m.
On Saturdays and Sundays, the social scene continues. “We have a nice brunch with a little old school DJ in there on Saturday and Sunday from 12:00 to 4:00,” Rhynes said.
“The chicken and the fish is the signature we care about.”
While Mr. Charles Chicken and Fish gives attention to its Southern sides, such as mac and cheese, collard greens and candied yams, Rhynes assures that he especially wants the “chicken to be right each and every time.”
Coming from a family where his father and grandmother both owned a restaurant back in the ‘60s, Rhynes has a legacy to live up to. “My grandmother cooked chicken, and so it’s always been like a part of the family.”
“And so I just kind of got lucky — tagged on kind of what they’ve been doing, and then just kind of continued it and then made it better,” Rhynes said.
While Rhynes recently retired and Mr. Charles Chicken & Fish’s legacy continues with his son, Michael Rhynes Jr. at the helm, Rhynes plans to keep his promise of ensuring a favorable experience for the restaurant’s patrons.
“We can’t control your taste buds, but we can control how we treat everybody. So, if somebody doesn’t like something, we want to get them something else.”
Mr. Charles Chicken & Fish
Location: 8006 Cambridge Commons Dr, Charlotte, NC 28215
Location: 413 Dalton Ave, Charlotte, NC 28206
Location: 3100 Statesville Ave, Charlotte, NC 28206 (temporarily closed)
Cuisine: Southern, soul food, seafood
Instagram: @mrcharleschicken
This story was originally published February 7, 2024 at 5:00 AM.