Food and Drink

2 restaurants are joining Charlotte’s food scene, including an upscale wine bar

Make room. Charlotte’s food and dining scene is growing again (but isn’t it always?).

This week, I reported on two restaurant openings, including an upscale wine bar with curated pours and light bites. Plus, a popular burger joint is expanding its footprint.

Here’s arriving soon in the Queen City:

CRU Wine Bar

CRU Wine Bar will open its first Charlotte location in South End this fall.

The upscale bistro will set up shop at the Linea apartments and promises a “reimagined menu and refreshed guest experience,” according to a news release. Expect elevated bites, classic brunch and Happy Hour specials.

The dinner menu offers heartier entrées like braised short ribs and seared wagyu steak.

“South End’s energy, density and strong sense of community made it a natural fit for us,” Simon Bozas, CRU’s CFO, said in the release.

A close-up, atmospheric shot shows a person’s arm reaching toward a large glass of red wine resting on a polished marble bar top. The background is dimly lit, featuring out-of-focus shelves filled with numerous wine bottles, creating a cozy and upscale mood.
Cru Wine Bar is known for its vast selection of wines by the glass and bottle. Cru Wine Bar & Bistro | Portman

Shake Shack

Burger fans, rejoice. Shake Shack is opening another restaurant, this time in Concord.

The fast casual chain’s newest spot opens Wednesday, March 11, at the Concord Mills shopping center. A dollar from every sandwich sold on opening day will benefit Second Harvest of Metrolina.

Shake Shack is known for its made-to-order burgers and fries, but it also offers crispy chicken sandwiches, hand-spun shakes, hot dogs, lemonades and more.

The NYC-born brand has multiple Charlotte locations, including spots in South End, Steele Creek and Madison Park.

An overhead view of a large delivery spread featuring multiple burgers, crinkle-cut fries with cheese sauce, and drinks arranged on a light-colored tabletop. Hands are visible reaching into the frame to grab a burger and move a branded cardboard delivery box.
Shake Shack has eleven locations across North Carolina, including its newest one opening soon in Concord. Christine Han Shake Shack
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Tanasia Kenney
Sun Herald
Tanasia is a service journalism reporter at the Charlotte Observer | CharlotteFive, working remotely from Atlanta, Georgia. She covers restaurant openings/closings in Charlotte and statewide explainers for the NC Service Journalism team. She’s been with McClatchy since 2020.
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