These restaurants are Charlotte’s Top 10 for soul food. Which one is best?

A quest to find the Charlotte area’s best soul food is underway — and your votes will decide who comes out on top.

This journey started when we asked you for your go-to soul food spots filled with craveable fried chicken and fish, smothered pork chops, tender ribs and hearty sides.

We put your nominations to the test, and thousands of votes later, we landed on the Top 10 soul food restaurants in the Charlotte area.

Now, the second round of voting will narrow the field to the Top 5.

Here’s 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 second round determines the Top 5. It is live now and will be 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.

Top 10 soul food restaurants

1. Nana Morrison’s Soul Food
2. Home Style Kitchn
3. Cuzzo’s Cuisine
4. Ruby’s Soul Food & BBQ
5. Ken Cooks
6. Kitchen & Kocktails by Kevin Kelley
7. Taste of Soul Plant-Based and Vegan Cuisine
8. Food for Your Soul
9. Mert’s Heart and Soul
10. Sol’ Delish

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

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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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