These are your favorite Charlotte soul food restaurants. Which one is the best?

We’re on the hunt for the Charlotte area’s best soul food restaurant, and it’s time to put your nominations to a vote.

First, we asked you for your go-to soul food spots — the ones you head to when fried or chicken fish, candied yams, collards and more are calling your name.

Now, it’s time to put these 22 nominees to a vote to see which ones should move forward to the next round.

As with past CharlotteFive Readers’ Choice contests, each restaurant must have a location in the Charlotte area — which includes Lake Norman, Gastonia, Matthews, Mint Hill, Fort Mill and other nearby communities — and have fewer than 20 locations nationwide.

Please note: Previous CharlotteFive Readers’ Choice winners aren’t eligible to win again, which includes our fried chicken winner, Original Chicken & Ribs.

How to vote

Support your favorite restaurant by casting a vote, and feel free to refresh this webpage and make another choice or continue voting for the same spot.

Here’s the schedule for this contest:

• The first round will determine the Top 10. It is currently live and will be live until noon Friday, May 15.
• The second round will determine the Top 5. It begins shortly after noon on Friday, May 15 and will be live until noon Monday, May 18.
• The third round will determine the Top 2. It begins shortly after noon on Monday, May 18 and will be live until noon Wednesday, May 20.
• The fourth round will determine the winner. It begins shortly after noon Wednesday, May 20 and will be live until noon Friday, May 22.

The full list of Best Soul Food nominees

1. Chicken Box Cafe
2. Cuzzo’s Cuisine
3. EJ’s Soul Food & Vegan
4. Everybody Eatz
5. Food for Your Soul
6. Freshwaters
7. Home Style Kitchn
8. Ken Cooks
9. Kitchen + Kocktails by Kevin Kelley
10. LuLu’s Express
11. Mert’s Heart and Soul
12. Mr. Charles Chicken and Fish
13. Nana Morrison’s Soul Food
14. Queen’s Soul Food Restaurant
15. Ruby’s Soul Food & BBQ
16. Sandra Lee’s Country Kitchen
17. Soul Central
18. Sol’ Delish
19. Soul Kitchen
20. Sunset Soul Food
21. Taste of Soul Plant-Based and Vegan Cuisine
22. United House of Prayer Cafeteria

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Heidi Finley

The Charlotte Observer

Heidi Finley is a writer and editor for CharlotteFive and the Charlotte Observer. Outside of work, you will most likely find her in the suburbs driving kids around, volunteering and indulging in foodie pursuits. Support my work with a digital subscription