New to Charlotte? Eat at these 15 restaurants, then you can call yourself a local
Have you just moved to Charlotte? The Queen City’s proud culinary scene can also be a muddled one, with new chains and concepts opening and closing left and right.
It’s hard deciding what to eat in your new city when also nursing gastronomic whiplash. Rest assured, though, there are options here that are both uniquely 704 or that have stood the test of time.
An added bonus: Once you’ve eaten at these 15 places, you can safely (and proudly!) call yourself a Charlottean.
Alexander Michael’s
Location: 401 W 9th St, Charlotte, NC 28202
Alexander Micahel’s, Charlotte’s Fourth Ward stalwart, has sustained its neighborhood watering hole energy since 1983. Somehow, everyone feels at home: on any given day, the place is filled with families and friends, young and old, from every demographic.
They have all descended onto West 9th Street for European pub-style comfort food, sure, but also for nostalgia and reminiscing. The blackened chicken with Cajun cream sauce pasta and the stroganoff have become Queen City classics.
The Ballantyne
Location: 10000 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy, Charlotte, NC 28277
As far as luxurious retreats go, The Ballantyne hotel is Charlotte’s version of Kubla Kahn, a stately pleasure dome that oozes both elegance and Southern charm on the very southern edge of the Queen City.
And as far as luxurious treats go, well, the afternoon high tea there is not to be missed, and the theme changing monthly offers the strongest argument yet to treat oneself ad infinitum without giving a tinker’s damn about the current economy. Add a glass of bubbles to pair with the seasonal food selections that include scones, pastries and adorably twee savory sandwiches.
Beef ‘N Bottle
Location: 4538 South Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28209
Much has been written about Beef ‘N Bottle, Lower South End’s Martin Scorsese film brought to life as a steakhouse — which opened in Charlotte back when the parents of the generation that now dare to hashtag this neighborhood as LoSo weren’t yet even born.
That in no small part is due to medium-rare NY strip steaks and potent classic cocktails, both meant to be savored, so thank goodness that time moves so slowly in this wood-paneled restaurant that the years have embraced. And that, Queen City cats, is a ring-a-ding thing indeed.
Bojangles
Location: Multiple
Yes, you read that correctly. Bojangles has been every Charlottean’s birthright since its first location opened on West Boulevard in 1977. Now, as then, the fried chicken is effusively flavored with Cajun spices, and the buttermilk biscuits are made from scratch. And then there’s that special Bo sauce!
In fast food terms, Bojangles is in a Queen City class all of its own, better than Chick Fil A, better than Popeye’s, and, well, have you ever heard of Kentucky Fried Colosseum? Neither have we. #micdrop
Community Matters Cafe
Location: 821 W 1st St, Charlotte, NC 28202
Chef Chayil Johnson, a recent James Beard Foundation semi-finalist for Best Chef: Southeast, is a man with a mission, and customers who dine at Community Matters Cafe can join him by contributing to a community-focused initiative that fosters hope and transformation for those in recovery. Standouts on the alcohol-free menu include the New Orleans Chicken Sandwich and Honey Bee Latte, but throughout the menu, expect touches of Creole and nods to Johnson’s love of Middle Eastern and North African cuisine.
Fig Tree
Location: 1601 E 7th St, Charlotte, NC 28204
Fine dining of a certain era still exists at Fig Tree in Elizabeth, and that is part of the charm that all Charlotteans should experience at least once. The food, elegant and plated with conviction, has shades of both French and Italian influences, and the wine list is among the best in the Queen City.
Housed in a beautifully restored 1913 Craftsman-style bungalow, the venue itself is worth a visit, and if you do, then you might as well stay for a meal, though do plan ahead, as reservations are essential.
Landmark Diner and Restaurant
Location: 4429 Central Ave., Charlotte, NC 28205
Like any good diner, the smell of fresh coffee gently roasting on a hot plate greets customers as they walk in the door. However, to dismiss Landmark as mere “diner” would be a mistake. There’s a certain something special about this place.
It could be the hellos and how are yous from the staff tinged with the twangiest bit of Southern charm, or it could be the breakfast specials (just look at those eggs!) priced gently, even in this economy. Something has kept this place up and running for 35 years, and only a real Charlottean would be in on the secret as to how a simple plate of eggs, grits and bacon have transcended their station to become something more, elevated, perhaps, by the noise and chaos of the modern breakfast scene.
Lang Van
Location: 3019 Shamrock Dr, Charlotte, NC 28215
Much about what makes Lang Van so appealing among Queen City locals can be distilled down to two words: Dan Nguyen.
Call yourself a Charlottean once you’ve experienced the restaurant owner’s special take on southern hospitality (call it: southeast Asian hospitality), where she greets all customers with a “Hello, love,” sends everyone home with a joyful, “See you tomorrow,” and remembers the order numbers of her regulars. For us, it’s No. 19, the signature bánh xèo, a crispy pancake chock full of shrimp, pork and sprouts, which is best eaten wrapped in lettuce and stuffed with mint leaves.
Mama Gee’s
Location: 509 Beatties Ford Rd, Charlotte, NC 28216
Mama Gee’s is one of Queen City’s few destinations for bona fide Ghanaian cuisine. Jollof rice with chicken is a must: an exhilarating take on a simple chicken-rice staple shared by cultures all around the world. Hearty, weekly specials at this family restaurant in West Charlotte include fufu (a white, starchy dough pounded into submission from cassava) and goat soup, as well as “dirty chicken,” which here translates as some of the best grilled and most incredibly spicy chicken in town. Be warned … that you’ll be back for more.
Open Kitchen
Location: 1318 W Morehead St, Charlotte, NC 28208
Legend has it that Open Kitchen, in 1952, introduced Charlotte to its first pizza pie. If that pizza was Open Kitchen’s pizza a la Greque, then the Queen City was all the better for it. It’s a crisp, saucy, generously topped hug of a pizza, covered in feta, olives, tomatoes, banana peppers and onions — making it just the kind of Italian/Greek/American comfort food that the same location near Wesley Heights has been serving for more than 70 years.
Highly recommended, too, is a heaping plate of crunchy calamari, best enjoyed at a table while taking in the assorted bric-á-brac hanging throughout the restaurant like kitschy little reminders into Charlotte’s culinary past.
Original Chicken & Ribs
Location: 1100 Beatties Ford Rd, Charlotte, NC 28216
Original Chicken & Ribs is much more than the excellent fried chicken it serves — often regarded as some of the very best in the Queen City. The restaurant has deep roots in the community, dating back to the 1950s, and it is one of the few remaining Charlotte restaurants listed in the Green Book, serving as a safe haven for Black travelers during segregation.
The food in this family-owned restaurant, based on the generations’ old recipes used at its opening — is as close to “authentic” Southern food as you are likely to find anywhere.
Romeo’s Vegan Burgers
Location: 5518 South Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28217
Romeo’s Vegan Burgers in Lower South End offers a 100% plant-based menu, but even proud meat-eaters will find plenty to enjoy. That might be the “Where Art Thou Romeo” double-burger, with house sauces, lettuce, tomatoes, grilled onions, pickles and cheese, or the “Mexican Romeo” burger, topped with pico de gallo, chipotle mayo and jalapeños. “Vegan” doesn’t always mean healthy, but it does mean guilt-free, so wash those burgers down with a plant-based, organic milkshake.
Sabor
Location: Multiple
For more than a decade, Sabor has given Charlotte front row seats to a specific type of pan-Latin cuisine rooted firmly in its inception in the made-from-scratch street food culture of the owner’s native Dominican Republic. The budget-friendly, fast casual restaurant, across multiple locations in Charlotte, serves everything from arepas and empanadas to tacos and even carne asada fries. The salsa bar is another thing entirely.
And we would be remiss not to mention the build-your-own burritos, but only to say that other cities can keep their Chipotle; the Queen City has Sabor.
Two Scoops Creamery
Location: 913 Central Ave, Charlotte, NC, 28204
For nearly 10 years, Two Scoops Creamery has been a prime destination for Charlotteans craving a scoop (or two) of ice cream. The three friends who originally opened Two Scoops in 2016 have since gone on to open five locations, but the OG location in Plaza Midwood remains a fan favorite.
The selections are as boisterously flavored as they are named — from Chocolate Krazier Kake and Teacher’s Pet to Foul Ball and Tom Foolery — while a few will even turn tongues into cartoon colors, which, as can be imagined, is especially fun for the kids.
Villani’s Bakery
Location: 901 Pecan Ave, Charlotte, NC 28205
“Chantizlewood,” that area tucked in near the train tracks between Chantilly and Plaza Midwood, is home to popular crowd-pleaser Villani’s — Charlotte’s closest thing to a NYC-style Italian bakery. The cheesecakes are both lethal and mouthwatering in their dense and creamy opulence, and the cannoli are as light as a feather.
Popular here are the tiramisu and the macarons, which come in every color of the rainbow and then some. For less sweet options, try the olive oil cake or bacon cheddar biscuits.
Uniquely Charlotte: Uniquely Charlotte is an Observer subscriber collection of moments, landmarks and personalities that define the uniqueness (and pride) of why we live in the Charlotte region.
This story was originally published May 1, 2025 at 6:00 AM.
