4 new restaurant openings in Charlotte, including a viral soda shop
Happy Friday, Charlotte! It’s Tanasia.
I’ll admit I’m a bit late to the “dirty soda” craze that seems to be bubbling up everywhere. If you’re like me, your chance to finally try one is coming as Swig, the viral soda chain, plots not one, but TWO drive-thrus in Charlotte proper.
A mash-up of southern barbecue and seafood classics is also slated to join the city’s food scene, and a popular restaurant chain is serving modern Mexican fare at its newest spot in the heart of uptown.
Here’s a quick look at the recent and forthcoming openings I reported this week:
Chop Chop Red Pot on 7th
Chop Chop Red Pot is trading its four wheels for a permanent spot inside The Market on 7th Street.
The popular food truck, launched by the chefs behind Marlee Jean’s Raw Bar in Davidson, will serve a blend of classic Southern barbecue and seafood-forward dishes. It will take over the stall once occupied by Mad Dash. That restaurant is relocating to a new spot in uptown.
Menu highlights include oysters on the half shell, pulled pork sandwiches, shrimp and grits, lobster rolls and more. A spokesperson for the restaurant told me a few favorites from the food truck, like the whiskey-braised smoked turkey collard greens, will also make an appearance.
“The idea behind Chop Chop Red Pot on 7th is that guests will be able to enjoy the flavors of both seafood and BBQ with all the local ingredients that (Chefs Erick Crawford and Amanda Overdorf) like to feature sprinkled in, as well,” the spokesperson said.
Mad Dash
Mad Dash, known for its gourmet “sandos” and street food classics, is moving — though it isn’t going very far.
The fast-casual eatery will open a new storefront 214 N. Tryon St. in uptown Charlotte after years of operating out of a stall at nearby food hall The Market at 7th Street.
“New digs dropping soon at Tryon!” chef and owner Corey Jones teased in a recent Instagram post. “Get ready for double the street eats.”
Launched in 2020, Mad Dash offers chef-driven street food, from gourmet sandwiches to smash burgers and loaded fries. Wings and tacos are on the menu, too.
I reached out to Jones for more information on what’s to come, and will hopefully have more intel soon.
Casa Azteca Mexican Grill
Casa Azteca Mexican Grill has expanded with a new restaurant now open in uptown Charlotte.
The family-run eatery, known for its elevated Mexican fare, welcomed customers Wednesday, April 8, to its new spot at 129 W Trade St. The space was most recently home to The Kings Kitchen, which closed in 2024.
Real estate firm Rebel Rebel CRE hinted that a new tenant would bring “new life” to the more than 5,000-square-foot restaurant space.
This marks Casa Azteca’s second location; the other is in Mooresville. The brand is part of the Azteca and Don Pedro family of Mexican restaurants, both longtime favorites in the Charlotte area.
Expect tacos, fajitas and quesadillas alongside charcoal-grilled chicken and steaks. Craft cocktails are also on the menu, as are homemade desserts.
Swig
Swig, the viral dirty soda chain, is looking to add another location in Charlotte.
The brand is seeking to build a “proposed drive-thru with associated infrastructure” in northwest Charlotte, near the Rozzelle Crossing shopping mall, according to a construction permit filed with the city this week.
Swig’s popularity is still bubbling up as it plans its expansion in Charlotte. In March, I reported the chain was also plotting a drive-thru in the Steele Creek area.
The proposed Charlotte locations would join existing spots in nearby Rock Hill and Indian Land, South Carolina.
