Best Restaurants in Charlotte
The taste of Charlotte is as diverse as its people, but Southern influences traverse everything from the decor at the city's finest French restaurant to the bubbling vats of fried shrimp at the greasy spoons
Whether washing down your meal with a smooth Pinot Noir or a freshly brewed sweet tea, your taste buds are sure to sing after a sampler of the Queen City's most notable cuisine.
Find Dining: McNinch House
Your Charlotte trip is not complete without a fine French-continental meal in a romantic Victorian home, so grab a seat at the McNinch House Restaurant. Zagat hails the food, ambience and service at this Church Street destination as top-notch (and the prices reflect that excellence). Choose from a range of dining experiences, like a 5-course premier menu or the ultimate meal at the chef's table. McNinch prides itself on grass-fed and free-range meats, and the wine pairings alone have won the eatery awards for dining excellence. If you have a taste for the finer things, plan ahead! Reservations are required.
Barbecue: Bill Spoon's Barbecue
Barbecue at its best has no maître d', nor contemporary fusion recipes, just good meat with all the proper fixings and a plastic tablecloth for when the grub gets appropriately messy. Experience it all at Bill Spoon’s, a Charlotte institution on South Boulevard. Get your fill of down-home cooking, served on paper plates straight from a backyard cookout. Spotlights from this stand are the smoked pulled pork with traditional sides such as potato salad, fried okra, collards, mac ‘n cheese, hushpuppies and baked beans. Be sure to save room for the heavenly banana pudding.
A Charlotte Classic: Price's Chicken Coop
When a hole-in-the-wall restaurant can lure people from near and far alike with just the smell of its takeout, you know you're in the presence of culinary genius. Price's Chicken Coop on Camden Road hasn't changed in decades and hasn't needed to. Treat yourself to some deep-fried chicken, livers, gizzards, fish or shrimp at this low-price, cash-only joint. Entrees come with crispy tater tots, coleslaw, hushpuppies and a soft roll. Still hungry? Add on another essential Southern side dish like a scoop of potato salad or thick slice of pie. Other mouthwatering dishes include chicken, fish and pulled pork sandwiches. Wash it all down with a glass of sweet tea.
Quirky Casual: 300 East
Get the full Southern experience as you sip cool drinks on the porch of a grand home at 300 East. Converted from an old house, this East Boulevard eatery with a full bar is both family-friendly and great for date night. The menu relies on locally sourced ingredients and varies often. Some standouts include black-eyed pea falafel, spicy pimento cheese pizza, burgers topped with onion marmalade and bread pudding slathered with rhubarb compote. 300 East is also a must for Sunday brunch. Order the breakfast pizza with fried eggs and chorizo and the Crab Cake Benedict—you won’t be disappointed. The restaurant, which was featured on Guy Fieri’s “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives,” also has an extensive menu for diners seeking gluten-free options.
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