The best of the best: Check out the 2024 CharlotteFive Readers’ Choice winners
All year long, our team works to dishing out behind-the-scenes scoops and the freshest updates on Charlotte’s food and drink lineup — sprinkled with some moments where we get to hear more about your favorite spots.
With our CharlotteFive Readers’ Choice contests, we get to spotlight fan-favorite restaurants and bars around the area, picked by readers for readers who vote for the best of the best in different culinary categories.
So if you’ve been looking for some delicious dining spots to check out, here’s a look back at who you voted for as the 2024 CharlotteFive Readers’ Choice award winners:
Best ramen in Charlotte: YUME Ramen Sushi & Bar
Location: 1508 S. Mint St., Suite A, Charlotte, NC 28203
YUME Ramen Sushi & Bar opened in Matthews in July 2016, then closed that location and moved into South End in August 2018. Before arriving in the Charlotte area, its chef-owners Tony Yum and Patrik Tong spent years perfecting their craft in San Francisco.
Yum told CharlotteFive, “We enjoy the crowd and we enjoy making good food — great food, ramen, sushi — in Charlotte for everybody.”
“We want to continue to thrive, and we want to continue to get the support and love from all our customers. And we always have the consistency on our food, so we’re just not going to disappoint anybody,” Yum said.
Best brunch in Charlotte: Deluxe Fun Dining
Location: 305 W 4th St, Charlotte, NC 28202
For Deluxe Fun Dining, the name says it all: a spot not just known for its food but the atmosphere, too. The local restaurant, which opened about five years ago, is known for its over-the-top dishes on its “ever-evolving menu.”
From its Gold Lobster served atop Red Velvet Waffles to the Deluxe Bloody Mary “dinner cocktail” with fried seafood, Deluxe Fun Dining has a wide selection of specialty brunch and dinner dishes with a twist.
“We do a lot of bunch of things that, you know, are different from a lot of people out here … just, you know, funny pairings that try to make our culture lively,” Kashief Hamilton, manager of Deluxe Fun Dining, told CharlotteFive.
“If you wanna come, have a fun time, laugh — you know, celebrate something — we’re gonna celebrate it with you. This is a whole experience that we want you guys to have.”
Best patio in the Charlotte area: The Bottle Tree
Location: 102 Davis St, Belmont, NC 28012
Just outside of Charlotte in Belmont, The Bottle Tree offers a globally-inspired brunch and dinner made with seasonal Southern ingredients. Think miso-glazed Icelandic cod, eggplant steak and Wagyu wontons.
The restaurant that started out as a midcentury ranch home where the Belmont mayor once lived also features a wine cellar and a patio space known as The Garden that has grown in stages.
“It’s been a project ever since — we’ve added little pieces here and there,” general manager Taylor Daniel said.
The outdoor dining area draped with string lights offers covered seating with cobblestone flooring that’s cooled with overhead fans in the summer and tented and heated with a fireplace in the fall and winter. The Garden extends out onto a graveled area with more seating, shaded by a large tree, and a fire pit, serviced by an outdoor bar where diners can order tapas and handhelds.
“Thank you guys so much for all the support — we really appreciate it. We’re excited to have you out to experience our patio,” Daniel said.
Best barbecue in the Charlotte area: The Smoke Pit
Location: 796 Concord Pkwy N, Concord NC 28027
Location: 421 Cox Rd, Gastonia, NC 28054
Location: 1507 W Roosevelt Blvd., Monroe NC 28110
Location: 509 Faith Rd, Salisbury NC 28146
The Smoke Pit got its start with co-owner Joey Graham, who wanted to take the leap from backyard barbecue to open a restaurant that he thought would sell out by 2 p.m. every day.
Nearly 10 years later, The Smoke Pit has grown to four locations that are open six days a week into the evenings.
At the restaurant, North Carolina-style pulled pork, Texas-style chopped brisket, chicken and other proteins are cooked in five smokers that can collectively handle 5,000 pounds of meat per day. Kitchen staff pile the plates high with big portions, often ensuring there will be leftovers to take home.
“A lot of new people that come in were brought by friends who have come in before,” general manager Daniel Tucker told CharlotteFive.
“The line might be long at the door, but tables move fast, so don’t be intimidated,” Tucker said. “Come give us a try.”
Best pie in the Charlotte area: Carolina Pie Company
Location: 136 Stutts Rd, Mooresville, NC 28117
Owner Steve Lindberg is following in his father’s and grandfather’s footsteps at Carolina Pie Company, which has been open in Mooresville about 10 years now.
“I didn’t start out with pie, or as a baker, but I grew up in bakeries,” Lindberg told CharlotteFive. “The objective when we started this was to say, OK, I know what I want the end product to look like. Let’s get there.”
With his wife — whom he calls “an excellent baker” — and daughter by his side, they are cranking out all kinds of pies. Among the lineup of sweet selections are Bourbon Pecan, Wild Maine Blueberry and their top-selling Bumbleberry Pie, made with strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and blackberries. (Gluten free, low sugar and vegan options are available.)
Check out our past Readers Choice’ polls below:
Best of Charlotte: Coffee Shop | Chicken Wings | Doughnuts | Burgers | Ice Cream | Brewery | Pizza | Sushi | Tacos | Food truck | Bar | Ramen | Brunch | Patio | Barbecue | Pie
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