A family-owned restaurant was just named best Italian food in the Charlotte area
Pasta lovers, meatball fans and everyone who swoons over pizza knows that the Charlotte area has great Italian restaurants at every turn. But which one is the best?
We’ve been on the hunt for a while now, first asking you to nominate your favorite spots and then putting it to a vote. That poll started out with 42 restaurants, and after five rounds of voting, we’re finally ready to crown a winner and a finalist.
Here are the two restaurants that came out on top:
Best Italian winner: Osteria LuCa
Location: 4127 Park Rd, Charlotte, NC 28209
Osteria LuCa owners Ken and Tricia Martino are New York transplants who opened their Italian restaurant in the Park Road Shopping Center in January 2020, shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic led to many eateries closing in Charlotte.
Although the timing made for a rocky start, there was a silver lining, Tricia Martino told CharlotteFive: It gave the Martinos time to slow down and get to know the customers who did pop in for a visit.
Ever since, that strategy — paired with the couple’s “work hard, be kind” motto, seen on their servers’ shirts — has paid off.
“We have a fantastic base of guests who come in here who have really become our friends,” Ken Martino said.
Now, those guests-turned-friends have helped Osteria LuCa climb to the top of Charlotte’s Italian cuisine scene, winning the CharlotteFive Readers’ Choice Best Italian poll.
A menu that changes seasonally
Osteria LuCa serves upscale Italian cuisine at lunch and dinner, with a menu of soups, salads, sandwiches and house-made pastas. Customers in the cozy dining nook at the back of the restaurant can even watch its piazzaiolos as they craft wood-fired pizzas with house-made dough.
About 60 percent of the menu changes seasonally, with popular entrees including spaghetti alla nerano and pan-seared salmon with heirloom tomato beurre blanc and white bean succotash. A full bar and craft beer is available to pair with your meal, although a carefully curated selection of Italian wines is the star of the beverage program.
The couple aims to serve the nearby areas of Myers Park, Dilworth and South Park, although if you’ve never stopped in before, there’s one thing they want you to know: “We really look forward to you coming in and having us take care of you,” Ken Martino said.
“We want to take this opportunity to thank everybody that supports us, dines with us.” he added. We really appreciate your support and your friendship.”
Best Italian finalist: Antico Italian Restaurant
Location: 9719 Sam Furr Rd C, Huntersville, NC 28078
Since opening in 2016, Antico Italian Restaurant has become more than just a place for pasta. It is a local favorite built on family, tradition and real connections.
Owned by Daniela Turano, her husband Giuseppe Acito and chef Raffaele Lubrano, both from Italy, Antico is rooted in heritage and hospitality.
“We’re both Italian ... and we always wanted to open another restaurant,” Turano told CharlotteFive, adding that they chose Huntersville because of its friendly, community feel.
That sense of belonging is baked into everything they do.
A restaurant built around family
This focus on family is everywhere. The restaurant stays closed on Sundays so the staff and owners can spend time with their loved ones. That same warmth carries over to the dining room. Regulars are treated like family, and the staff often knows their favorite wine or go-to dish before they even sit down.
Over the years, those bonds have grown deep. Customers have celebrated everything from engagements to weddings at Antico, Turano said, noting that her son even met his wife there.
“We wanted to create a restaurant that feels like home,” Turano said. “You live, you laugh and you love at the table.”
The menu reflects that same care. Popular dishes include the penne alla vodka and the spaghetti Roccasecca, which features a massive, cheese-stuffed meatball. Guests also look forward to the daily specials, often waiting to hear them before they even look at the menu, Turano said.
For Turano, Antico’s success is all thanks to the community. In a message to the fans who voted for them in our Best Italian poll, she shared her gratitude.
“Thank you for loving us and for voting us as your number one Italian restaurant,” she said.
Best of Charlotte: Coffee Shop | Chicken Wings | Doughnuts | Burgers | Ice Cream | Brewery | Pizza | Sushi | Tacos | Food truck | Bar | Ramen | Brunch | Patio | Barbecue | Pie | Fried Chicken | Fries | Cookies | Steak | Bagels | Sports Bar | Indian | Sandwiches
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