Where did ‘Top Chef’ judges eat in Charlotte? Here’s a taste of what they tried
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Top Chef judges began filming Season 23 in Charlotte and shared local visits.
- Host Kristen Kish posted Bojangles meal as the group's first Charlotte bite.
- Judges dined at Church & Union with chef Jamie Lynch, a former Top Chef contestant.
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‘Top Chef Carolinas’ was filmed in Charlotte
Bravo’s hit reality TV show “Top Chef” filmed most of Season 23 in Charlotte and a few episodes in Greenville, SC, to create “Top Chef Carolinas.” The show’s announcement said: “This season will showcase the finest in southern hospitality, embracing the rich history, agriculture, and outdoors, as a new batch of accomplished and renowned chefs vie for the ultimate Top Chef title.”
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The “Top Chef” team landed in Charlotte in August to begin filming Season 23 of the award-winning culinary competition, and ever since, all eyes have been on the food.
As the fine dining competition took place behind the scenes, plenty of Charlotteans were on the lookout for the show’s most famous faces. During filming, CharlotteFive caught up with each of the judges twice for one-on-one chats about what they enjoyed in Charlotte’s food scene.
Host Kristen Kish and judges Tom Colicchio and Gail Simmons originally confirmed they arrived in Charlotte with a few social media posts — focused on where they were eating, of course. And Eater Carolinas checked in on them, too.
Colicchio, in particular, is not a stranger to the Carolinas. He’s a Tar Heels fan who consulted on Kiawah Island in South Caorlina for 15 years and briefly considered a Charlotte restaurant deal.
“There’s good food everywhere,” Colicchio told CharlotteFive. “If there’s good farms, that means there’s good food culture. And restaurants who tap into those farms are generally doing interesting things,” he added.
Along with what they’re eating, we’ll note that Alicia Jones, a member of Charlotte Foodies, spotted what looked to be set equipment outside La Belle Helene — “Top Chef” alumnus Jamie Lynch’s French restaurant — on Monday, Aug. 18. Earlier in the day, group leader Evan Diamond noted that the restaurant posted on the door that it was closed for lunch, suspecting that filming was the reason. And they were indeed correct: La Belle Helene appears in the first episode as the setting for the first elimination challenge.
Now, back to the food:
Albertine
Location: 525 S Tryon St #125, Charlotte, NC 28202
Simmons visited Albertine, the newest restaurant from five-time James Beard Award semifinalist chef Joe Kindred and his wife, Katy. (She also visited Kindred and Milkbread, as you’ll see below.)
The Mediterranean restaurant with stunning decor has quickly become a popular uptown dining spot in the Queen City. It recently caught the eye of writers at Garden & Gun, who said: “The bone marrow Bordelaise is rich enough to worry about capital gains taxes.”
Bojangles
Location: Multiple
“Confirming my attendance in Charlotte, NC. Fittings. Tailoring. Bojangles,” Kish posted via Instagram on Saturday, Aug. 16.
In fact, she’s been there twice, Kish told CharlotteFive. Since then, she might have gone a third time since Simmons posted “KK made me do it” on an Instagram update of her foodie stops on Sept. 9, showing off a Bojangles meal.
We can’t blame her. If you’re going to start out an adventure in Charlotte with an iconic meal, Bojangles fits the bill. Several of the restaurant’s signature yellow boxes were shown, and her order included chicken tenders, fries, biscuits, honey mustard and creamy Buffalo sauce.
Church & Union
Location: 127 N Tryon St #8, Charlotte, NC 28202
“Thanks for joining us for Dinner,” Church and Union posted via Instagram, with a picture of chef-partner Jamie Lynch — a former “Top Chef” and “Top Chef All Stars” cheftestant — with judges Tom Colicchio and Gail Simmons.
Church & Union seems like another obvious stop for Colicchio and Simmons, who are familiar with Lynch from his previous appearances on the Bravo show.
“It’s much more fun to cook for these legends when it’s NOT for competition!,” Lynch commented on the post, without giving a hint as to what they ate.
Clark’s Snack Bar
Location: 3001 Central Ave, Charlotte, NC 28205
Clark’s Snack Bar was a favorite spot for Simmons and Kish — so much so, in fact, that when they returned to Charlotte for the March premiere, they stopped back in for a chicken salad sandwich with tater tots.
Coquette
Location: 400 S Tryon St #101, Charlotte, NC 28285
French restaurant Coquette was a stop for Kish and Simmons the weekend of Sept. 27-28. The restaurant shared a picture on Instagram of their kitchen team with the celebrities, saying, “It was an honor to serve Top Chef host Kristen Kish and judge Gail Simmons this weekend at Coquette. Exciting times with the show filming here in Charlotte!”
Customshop
Location: 1601 Elizabeth Ave, Charlotte, NC 28204
Customshop, a favorite haunt for foodies in Charlotte, is among the restaurants Simmons visited — on a date night with her husband.
There, chef-partner Andres Kaifer puts out modern American food influenced by his Spanish heritage, including crudo and other small plates, pasta and grilled proteins. He and co-owner Alex Bridges are also behind Marina’s Tapas at Optimist Hall and the soon-to-open Emmy Lou’s wine bar.
Euro Grill & Cafe
Location: 2719 Central Ave, Charlotte, NC 28205
Euro Grill & Cafe, which sits in an area of Charlotte rich with international flavors, was a stop at some point for Kish, she revealed in an Oct. 10 Instagram post. Exactly what she ate was unclear, but it appeared to be something — perhaps chicken— on lepinja, the restaurant’s trademark Bosnian flatbread.
The Goodyear House
Location: 3032 N Davidson St, Charlotte, NC 28205
“I had a really fun meal the other night with my family at Goodyear House,” Simmons told CharlotteFive. “Yeah, it was great — just a good vibe.”
The restaurant is in what was originally a 1920s-era mill home, with multiple bars and patios. The menu changes seasonally, but diners can expect top-notch cocktails from beverage director Bob Peters, along with small plates and its famous Goopy Burger.
Harriet’s Hamburgers
Location: Optimist Hall, 1115 N Brevard St, Charlotte, NC 28206
Harriet’s Hamburgers’ Optimist Hall location was a stop for Kish, she showed off in an Oct. 10 Instagram post. What did she eat? Of course, it was a burger and fries, paired with plenty of sauces — Simple Sauce, Good Good Sauce, Dilly Ranch and Garlic Aioli.
Kindred
Location: 131 N Main St, Davidson, NC 28036
Kish and Simmons have both visited fine dining hotspot Kindred, where Joe Kindred has been a multiple-time James Beard Award semifinalist.
“I loved our meal at Kindred. I do think it was exceptionally beautiful, and I just love being in their backyard. And Davidson’s so pretty. It was just like a lovely experience. That was a real standout,” Simmons told CharlotteFive.
The venerable restaurant in Davidson is where it all began for the Kindreds in 2015, setting off a chain reaction of national attention, awards and restaurant growth. Since then, the couple has opened Hello, Sailor; several locations of Milkbread; and Albertine.
Lang Van
Location: 3019 Shamrock Dr, Charlotte, NC 28215
Lang Van — a staple in the Charlotte community — has been a repeat stop for the Top Chef judges, and the praise has been flowing. (Again, we’re not surprised.)
“Fantastic,” Colicchio said of the restaurant.
“They remember who you are. They welcome you back. They know your order. They remember where you sat,” Kish told CharlotteFive.
But what did she eat? “Well, I had the pancake. I had this coconut curry thing — It had sweet potatoes in it; I think it’s one of their house specialties — several rice noodle dishes. I couldn’t even begin to tell you. That menu is extensive, and my goal is to make my way through that entire menu,” Kish said.
The Vietnamese restaurant is a favorite with locals and foodie travelers, alike. In a heated discussion about Charlotte’s food scene, podcaster Todd Schuster called Lang Van a “kind of divey Vietnamese place” that was better than anywhere he’s had in Atlanta or San Francisco.
Leluia Hall
Location: 1829 Cleveland Ave, Charlotte, NC 28203
Leluia Hall, the newest restaurant from the busy Tonidandel-Brown Restaurant Group — highlighted in the “Fork & Hammer” TV docuseries — got a visit from Kish, too. She ordered the Potato & Roe dish, featuring potato pancake, salmon roe and crema, her Oct. 10 Instagram post showed.
Matthews Community Farmers Market
Location: 188 N Trade St, Matthews, NC 28105
Kish and Simmons visited the Matthews Community Farmers Market the last weekend in September and shared pics and video in posts. The market responded to Kish’s post, saying: “Our volunteers and vendors were psyched to meet y’all. Thanks so much for stopping by!!”
Midwood Smokehouse
Location: Multiple
Midwood Smokehouse has been among the barbecue stops for Simmons, a Canadian who lives in New York and is learning more about the cuisine.
“Generally the Eastern style seemed more up my alley — a little less sweet, like more vinegar,” she told CharlotteFive.
Milkbread
Location: 525 S. Tryon St. #100, Charlotte, NC 28202
Location: 1431 Central Ave., Charlotte, NC 28027
Location: 624 Jetton St. #110, Davidson, NC 28036
Kish, Simmons and Colicchio have all dined at Milkbread — and we’re not too surprised.
The all-day cafe concept from the Kindreds puts out delectable doughnuts, cinnamon rolls and breakfast sandwiches in the morning, along with salads, sandwiches and grain bowls later on in the day. (Pro tip: You really can’t go wrong with any choice here, but the chicken sandwiches and wraps are stellar.)
Optimist Hall
Location: 1115 N Brevard St, Charlotte, NC 28206
After a stop at Substrate, Simmons headed to “cross the street to Optimist Hall and got Botiwalla, and that was great,” she told CharlotteFive.
The Indian street food spot is a spinoff from Asheville’s Chai Pani, a James Beard Award winning restaurant from Meherwan Irani.
Substrate
Location: 512 E 15th St, Charlotte, NC 28206
Simmons told CharlotteFive she made a stop at Substrate before heading over to Optimist Hall.
The wine bar often collabs with Charlotte restaurants and touts “thoughtful wine, vermouth, & amaro,” calling itself Optimist Park’s blue-collar enoteca.”
Supperland
Location: 1212 The Plaza, Charlotte, NC 28205
“A Southern Steakhouse meets a Church Potluck. Thanks for the hospitality @supperland,” Simmons and Kish posted on Instagram stories on Saturday, Aug. 23.
It’s not surprising at all that the group would end up at Supperland, one of the city’s most attention-grabbing restaurants — especially since James Beard Award semifinalist Colleen Hughes is at the bar crafting cocktails.
The post shows off a table full of a variety of the restaurant’s dishes, including its sausage gravy croquettes, warm onion dip and house-made chips, and baked brie bites, steaks, miso mac and cheese, and a variety of desserts.
Yunta
Location: 2201 South Blvd Ste 130, Charlotte, NC 28203
Peruvian Nikkei restaurant Yunta was another stop for Simmons in Charlotte, according to Eater Carolinas.
The restaurant opened in South End to much fanfare in 2022, and rave reviews for its ceviche, sushi and more have flowed in ever since. It’s co-owned by Bruno Macchiavello of Viva Chicken fame, along with Randy Garcia, Cinthya Garcia and Alvaro Carrillo.
Elsewhere in the Carolinas
Simmons took a brief family vacation in the Blue Ridge Mountains at High Hampton Resort in Cashiers, NC, and explored the Western North Carolina food scene, as well. Kish also made a day trip to Charleston, SC.
Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit
Location: 476 1/2 King St., Charleston, SC 29403
Location: 188 Meeting St., Charleston, SC 29401
The inside of the front door to one of Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit shops in Charleston made it into a multi-stop Instagram post by Kish on Sept. 20. It also showed footage from a boat and a shot of the logo for Tarvin Seafood, which offers freshly caught shrimp.
Chubby Fish/Seahorse Charleston
Location: 252 and 254 Coming St., Charleston, SC 29403
Chubby Fish and Seahorse Charleston, adjacent concepts that offer dock-to-table seafood dishes and cocktails, were spotted in Kish’s Sept. 20 Instagram post. Among the dishes were Chubby Fish’s recognizable Caviar Sammich’ selection from the raw bar.
Curate
Location: 13 Biltmore Ave, Asheville, NC 28801
“Bucket list,” Simmons posted via Instagram stories with a checkmark.
Spanish tapas bar Curate — owned by chef Katie Button, Felix Meana, Liz Button and Ted Button — is James Beard Award-winning restaurant situated in a renovated 1920s bus depot.
Good Hot Fish
Location: 10 Buxton Ave, Asheville, NC 28801
Simmons traveled to Good Hot Fish in Asheville to visit Season 19 contestant Ashleigh Shanti, saying it was the “best damn fish sandwich of my life.”
“Vibes, market fish plate, trout bologna, twister fries, boiled peanuts. Southern fish camp dreams realized,” the post continued.
The restaurant started out as a pop up and has gone brick-and-mortar, gaining quite a bit of national attention. Shanti also won a James Beard Award this year for her cookbook, “Our South: Black Food Through My Lens.”
Pink Mama’s Ice Cream
Location: 3223 Augusta St, Greenville, SC 29605
“Post elimination challenge sweet treat” is what Kish posted via Instagram on Oct. 2, showing a picture of a cup of ice cream and two spoons with the Pink Mama’s logo in the window.
Red Bridges Barbecue Lodge
Location: 2000 E Dixon Blvd, Shelby, NC 28150
Red Bridges Barbecue Lodge — the CharlotteFive Readers’ Choice poll finalist for best barbecue — landed a road trip visit from Simmons.
“Carolina Bbq chasers,” the Labor Day post said, adding: “Western Style: Chopped shoulder, sweet ketchup bbq sauce, red slaw, hush puppies.”
The restaurant that got its start in 1946 has seen four generations of family members running the kitchen. It temporarily closed after a fire last October but bounced back and fully reopened in July.
Scouts Doughnuts
Location: 1700 E North St, Greenville, SC 29607
Location: 2 N. Main St. Greenville, SC, 29601
Kish posted a video on her Instagram account Sept. 24 of eating an apple pie doughnut, saying; I chose the apple pie donut and so should you.”
Scouts Doughnuts posted in the comments: “BURSTING WITH JOY!!! Such a gift [to] have you - thank you for choosing small businesses to love & support - we are sooooo thankful for you!! Xoxo also. The apple pie is 10/10 in our book as well.”
Scoundrel
Location: 18 N Main St, Greenville, SC 29601
French restaurant Scoundrel was the site of a group dinner, Kish’s Oct. 10 Instagram post shows. Among the dishes enjoyed were steak frites served with duck fat frites and sauce au poivre and the Dirty Rotten Scoundrel, with two black angus patties, cheddar, lettuce, onion and Scoundrel sauce.
Swamp Rabbit Cafe
Location: 205 Cedar Lane Rd, Greenville, SC 29611
Kish posted an Oct. 2 “post-bike ride fuel up” picture on Instagram with a spread from Swamp Rabbit Cafe that included a sandwich, salad, cheeseburger and breakfast sandwich.
Tutti Pizza
Location: 700 King St suite a, Charleston, SC 29403
Tutti Pizza in Charleston was another stop for Kish, who included a shot of a slice of pepperoni with torn basil with the restaurant’s logo in the background among her Sept. 20 Instagram photo post.
This story was originally published August 18, 2025 at 10:51 AM.
