When cravings hit for fried chicken, fish or pork paired with collards and mac and cheese, there are plenty of places in Charlotte to seek out soul food that will comfort your spirit. But which one is the best?

We set out to find the answer, and now we’ve got one.

After seeking out your nominations for go-to soul food restaurants, we started with 22 restaurants spread across the Charlotte area. Through four rounds of voting — and thousands of reader votes — it’s time to crown the winner and the finalist.

Here are the two restaurants that came out on top in the CharlotteFive Readers’ Choice Best Soul Food poll:

Best soul food winner: Nana Morrison’s Soul Food

Location: 2908 Oak Lake Blvd, #106, Charlotte, NC 28208

Location: 3824 Corning Pl Unit A, Charlotte, NC 28216

Location: 9725 Red Stone Dr, Indian Land, SC 29707

Since opening in 2011, Nana Morrison’s Soul Food has become one of Charlotte’s most recognizable soul food restaurants, built on family recipes, hard work and a deep connection to the community.

Founded by Shawn and Kiana Morrison after moving to Charlotte from New York, CharlotteFive previously reported, the restaurant was born out of a simple realization: Kiana couldn’t find the kind of soul food she grew up eating. The family opened Nana Morrison’s with recipes inspired by Kiana’s family cooking and a belief that comforting, homemade meals would resonate with others, too.

A multi-generational soul food spot

Today, the business remains deeply family-oriented, with the Morrison children helping run operations from a young age. That includes 21-year-old Hank Morrison, who said the restaurant’s identity still revolves around the dishes customers have loved for years.

After speaking with CharlotteFive, Morrison quickly stepped behind the counter to help staff and greet customers, a small moment that reflected how hands-on the family remains with the business.

“So you know we have the basics: fried chicken, mac and cheese, collard greens, all a family recipe,” Morrison said. “Nana, the company is named after all her recipes.”

The menu also includes other Southern comfort staples, including crispy fried chicken, smothered pork chops, smoked turkey wings, yams, cornbread and creamy mac and cheese.

But Nana Morrison’s has become especially known for serving generous portions — the kind that “put you to sleep,” an employee told CharlotteFive — that feel closer to a family reunion than a typical restaurant meal.

That connection with customers helped Nana Morrison’s earn recognition in CharlotteFive’s Best Soul Food poll, Morrison said.

“Thank you to everyone that voted us for the best soul food restaurant in Charlotte,” he said. “We wouldn’t be able to do this without you, and want to continue to provide and continue to be number one.”

Best soul food finalist: Home Style Kitchn

Location: Inside XOXO Cocktail Lounge, 314 N College St Suite A, Charlotte, NC 28208

Home Style Kitchn, owned by Ralston McKenzie and Stacey Green, puts a Caribbean-style twist on soul food classics. The couple moved to Charlotte from Delaware and started the business in ghost kitchens before settling in three years ago at XOXO Cocktail Lounge, where it’s set up for takeout and delivery service.

The pair serve up freshly fried empanadas stuffed with your choice of oxtail, Philly chicken or Philly cheesesteak, chicken wings, fried salmon and shrimp, and fried mac and cheese balls.

McKenzie’s culinary education at the Art Institute of Philadelphia contributed to elevated entree choices such as Mumbo-glazed grilled rack of lamb and blackened salmon stuffed with jumbo lump crab imperial, plus fried whiting, crab cakes and a whole lot more.

Food that famous fans crave

Home Style Kitchn’s comforting creations have become so popular that Kendrick Lamar, DJ Mustard and Sza ordered empanadas and offered back “rave reviews” when they performed in Charlotte last May. Other famous fans include Charlotte’s professional athletes and rapper Boosie.

Fans of its food can also order the restaurant’s seafood seasoning, hot honey, Mumbo sauce and Bangkok chili sauce online to take home.

McKenzie and Green also have an eye on the future, hoping one day to open a sports bar or continue to expand another way and build jobs for members of the community at the family restaurant.

“We were voted to be a part of this, and it’s an honor because it was a few Charlotte staples that we surpassed. So I just appreciate everybody who voted for us,” McKenzie said.

“Yes, we needed this!” Green added.

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