Longtime Charlotte staple Fenwick’s has finally reopened. What’s it like now?

Neighborhood dwellers, ladies who lunch and longtime Charlotteans fond of the city’s classic restaurants can rejoice — Fenwick’s is once again open for service.

The restaurant was closed for a few short months this year during an ownership transition. But now, the small space filled with familiar faces and comforting cuisine is welcoming patrons back without missing a beat.

Catherine and Don Rabb first opened Fenwick’s in 1984, building the restaurant into a beloved staple of the Myers Park and Eastover neighborhoods. After she passed away from cancer in 2021, her family kept things running — but it wasn’t quite the same without her.

Earlier this year, Don Rabb announced plans to close the restaurant, saying at the time he was ready to retire at age 84. He planned to sell the building but held out hopes that someone would take over Fenwick’s and keep it going — and many others hoped for the same thing.

That’s where Tommi Harris came into the picture.

Harris, who worked nearby at Primo Prime, was ready to dive into something to call her own after years of bartending at Charlotte restaurants. She bought the restaurant, which closed in April, arranged for a few renovations and worked with Don Rabb and longtime employee Bill Parker to get up to speed on how to do things the Fenwick’s way.

“Fenwick’s can only be Fenwick’s,” she told CharlotteFive earlier this year.

What’s new at Fenwick’s?

Fenwick’s reopened in July, eliciting a welcome sigh of relief for Charlotteans who had been anxiously waiting for its return. Few restaurant reopenings have created as many email queries and as much chatter, save for perhaps Soul Gastrolounge.

Regulars aren’t likely to notice many changes. Many staff members returned and the menu remains the same, so the faces and the food — two of a neighborhood restaurant’s biggest features — are still locked in.

There’s a little more emphasis on cocktails now that a bartending pro is running the show. Espresso martinis, Pimm’s Cups and mojitos now appear on the menu.

But other changes are more subtle. There’s a little fresh paint. New chairs line the seating along the windows in the cozy restaurant space. New shades help block off views of the Providence Road traffic from the patio seating, creating a sense of privacy.

The food at Fenwick’s

If you’re a fan of the food at Fenwick’s, you’re really in luck — that’s still pretty much the same, too.

It’s the kind of place where you expect to see lunch companions chatting over tables boasting big salads, chicken salad, soups and muffins, and that’s exactly what’s coming out of the kitchen.

Back in 2022, Don Rabb told CharlotteFive: “We skipped the whole fast food thing — everything is homemade. If you order a steak sandwich, you’re getting the same cut of tenderloin as if you ordered a filet.”

It sounds almost too good to be true in these modern times. But Fenwick’s is still pulling it off, even under new ownership.

During a late lunch at Fenwick’s recently, that’s exactly what I ordered: the steak sandwich ($22) paired with a cup of the signature tomato bisque for a $4 upcharge. Although it looks intimidating, the tender cut was easy to bite through, and the zippy horseradish sauce served on the side ramped up the flavor.

My lunch buddy — who I was meeting for the very first time — was seeking something healthy and ordered the grilled salmon, cooked medium well, with steamed broccoli and rice. Normally I’d have stolen a bite, but I figured that broke some rule of first-meeting etiquette. So I’ll trust that his no-complaints assessment ensured a win here, too.

In all, Fenwick’s under new ownership is still Fenwick’s, a quintessential neighborhood restaurant that’s stood the test of time for more than 40 years now. And that’s something to celebrate.

Fenwick’s

Location: 511 Providence Rd, Charlotte, NC 28207

Cuisine: American

Instagram: @fenwicksonprovidence