My friends are new to the Charlotte area. Here’s where we eat in Huntersville
In a stroke of good luck, my husband‘s best friend and his family — the couple who set us up together and have been by our side ever since — have moved to the Charlotte area this year and landed in Lake Norman. So, naturally, a big chunk of our time together involves finding somewhere to eat.
They’re calling Huntersville home, so that’s where our exploration for good neighborhood foodie finds has begun. We’re a big crowd — four parents, three teenagers and an elementary age kid — so lots of varying interests and needs are at play in this extended family.
We’ve got a flexitarian who doesn’t eat red meat, children who would prefer Chipotle at every meal and a couple of omnivores who will eat almost anything.
Here’s where we’ve eaten so far in Huntersville. And if you have recommendations for other nearby spots, please let us know at charlottefive@charlottefive.com.
Duckworth’s - Huntersville
Location: 16609 Statesville Rd, Huntersville, NC 28078
Family dinner calls for a family-friendly spot where kids are welcome, and Duckworth’s certainly fits the bill there. The dining room was fairly busy during our early Saturday night outing, with plenty of folks of all ages steered toward the TVs showing ESPN, yet the volume level was not a problem for conversation.
We had a few surprisingly good salads — the Insalata Caprese, the Cobb Salad and the Blackened Salmon Salad — and as what seems to be one of our habits, an order of wings. Our waitress accommodated a few kid-specific adjustment requests without much trouble, making for an overall pleasant experience.
La Victoria Cocina Mexicana & Bar
Location: 16801 Caldwell Creek Dr, Huntersville, NC 28078
Location: 16139 Lancaster Hwy., Charlotte, NC 28277
La Victoria Cocina Mexicana & Bar’s Huntersville location is hard to get into, so trust the GPS when it directs you to enter via a seemingly distant side street. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself circling back through 20-30 minutes of traffic backup on Sam Furr Road with nowhere to turn around, and that’s no exaggeration. Despite having been there before, I made that mistake a second time when we visited for a Saturday lunch before a bit of shopping.
When we finally arrived — starving — for an all-girl lunch, a giant bowl of cheese dip was in order. I’ll also note that I made the mistake of mis-ordering. I was craving the delicious Tacos Willie I’ve had there before, but somehow found myself getting a taco salad instead. Do better than I did: Get the Tacos Willie and scratch that itch.
North Italia - Birkdale Village
Location: 8711 Lindholm Dr, Huntersville, NC 28078
Normally our friends steer away from chain restaurants, but my teenagers were feeling picky one night, and pasta fit the bill to keep everyone happy as we strolled the streets of Birkdale Village. The restaurant just opened in late February, so it’s sparkling new and pretty — and by the time we left, a line to get in had formed at the door.
As we waited for our entrees, the eight of us quickly blew through a Chef’s Board prosciutto di parma, speck, whipped ricotta and eggplant caponata, pecorino stagionato, house giardiniera, castelvetrano olives, marcona almond, orange fennel mostarda and hearth bread. In fact, we also ordered a side of grilled bread to go through it — and ate every crumb of that, too.
Among the many items covering the table were a seasonal vegetable salad, a Margherita pizza the kids shared and an order of Strozzapretti for me, all of which were eaten with glee. (And I’ll add an extra personal side note here: If you’re going for brunch and want something savory, try the Breakfast Rosa pizza. It’s spicy perfection.)
Taste of Buffalo Pizzeria
Location: 9610 Sherrill Estates Rd B, Huntersville, NC 28078
Twice now, we’ve had pizza and wings from Taste of Buffalo when we’ve gathered up the kids for a casual night at home. The first time we tried it, we went a tad overboard and ordered the sheet pizza. I cannot express to you how much pizza you get — and how enormous that box is — for $30+.
That pizza spanned the entire poolside patio table we sat it upon, and four adults, three teenagers and a little kid barely made a dent in it. (Was that a problem? Of course not. Leftover pizza counts as meal prep, right?)
The second time we ordered Taste of Buffalo, a little more restraint was in play. We got a few medium-sized pizzas, plus an order of mild wings and and order of medium wings. Neither was spicy enough that the kids balked, so the adults agreed that perhaps next time we’d try them hotter. And the cheese pizza was appreciated by all — with hefty slices that quickly filled empty bellies, leaving everyone happy.
Waterbean Coffee
Location: Northcross Shopping Center, 9705 Sam Furr Rd ste a, Huntersville, NC 28078
Waterbean Coffee is a great meetup spot in Huntersville, especially when you’ve got chai-loving teenagers to keep happy who are always looking for a beverage break. There’s also hot chocolate for little ones (or adults who are a kid at heart, of course).
Another bonus are the plug-ins everywhere, perfect for keeping phones and tablets charged during a busy day on the move.
