THE SOUTH
Dining in Charlotte: The 18 Best Restaurants in the Queen City
Fin & Fino
By Eric Barton | March 8, 2025
Charlotte’s food scene has grown up since the first time I was here way back in the Bush Senior era, before the world began appreciating Southern cooking. Now, the Queen City has James Beard-nominated chefs, tasting menus that could compete in the biggest of cities, and a culinary vibe that’s as diverse as the city itself.
I’ve eaten my way through Charlotte, from Uptown to Plaza Midwood, and these are the 18 spots that make me want to loosen my belt and stay awhile.
1. Fin & Fino
135 Levine Avenue of the Arts | Website | Instagram
There’s a decidedly low-country Carolina vibe at Fin & Fino, which has locations in Uptown and Birkdale Village, not just because of the fresh seafood on offer but also for the beachy and airy feel of the place. Sustainably caught or raised seafood is the star here, headlined by the $150 Penthouse, a tower of oysters, mussels, shrimp, scallop ceviche and butter-poached lobster tails. There are plenty of non-seafood items here too, like the duck breast and wagyu flatiron, but the truly adventurous eaters should opt for The Treatment, a $65 chef's choice.
2. Kindred
131 N Main St | Website | Instagram
This Davidson staple, run by Joe and Katy Kindred, has helped put the greater Charlotte area on the national culinary map. Their milk bread alone is worth the drive, but stick around for inventive dishes like squid ink conchiglie pasta and crispy oysters with dill yogurt. The charming small-town setting in a restored 1920s pharmacy adds to the restaurant's considerable charm.
3. The Goodyear House
3032 N Davidson St | Website | Instagram
When a restaurant opens in a gentrified mill town and immediately becomes the spot everyone in the neighborhood goes to every week, you know they’ve figured something out. That’s The Goodyear House. Their claim to fame is the “Family Meal” fried chicken, served with biscuits, honey butter, and collards, but the sleeper hit might be the charred broccoli. It arrives showered in pickled mustard seeds, fried shallots, and enough chili oil to make it unreasonably delicious.
4. Counter
2001 W Morehead St D | Website | Instagram
Counter is a tasting menu spot for people who don’t normally like tasting menus. The vibe is more dinner party than fine dining, and the courses lean experimental without veering into pretension. One night you might get a play on a cheeseburger, the next, a dish inspired by breakfast cereal. Either way, it’s never boring.
5. Supperland
1212 The Plaza | Website | Instagram
Supperland is what happens when a restaurant group gets hold of a historic church and decides to turn it into a steakhouse. The result is what they call a “Southern steakhouse meets church potluck,” which is a fancy way of saying they serve dry-aged beef with sides like mac and cheese brûlée. The place looks like a Nancy Meyers fever dream—vaulted ceilings, floral wallpaper, chandeliers—and it works, mostly because the food is as good as the design.
6. Rooster's Wood-Fired Kitchen
6601 Carnegie Blvd | Website | Instagram
Chef Jim Noble's upscale comfort food at Rooster's is the culinary equivalent of a warm hug. The SouthPark location boasts a bustling open kitchen where you can watch chefs expertly maneuver the wood-fired grill. The roasted chicken is a must-order, as are the duck fat fries—trust me, they're worth every calorie.
7. Customshop
1601 Elizabeth Ave | Website | Instagram
Customshop in Elizabeth has been quietly turning out some of the best food in Charlotte for years, somehow managing to avoid the hype machine. The menu reads like an Italian steakhouse and a Mediterranean bistro had a well-adjusted baby—think housemade pastas, grilled octopus, and dry-aged ribeye. If you’re the kind of person who judges a restaurant by its bread service (as you should), this place passes with flying colors.
8. Bird Pizzeria
510 E 15th St | Website | Instagram
It’s tempting to say Bird Pizzeria makes the best pizza in Charlotte, but that implies there’s even a competition. This tiny shop sticks to the fundamentals: a naturally leavened dough, just the right amount of char, and toppings that don’t overcomplicate things. Get the pepperoni or the mushroom, but don’t sleep on the kale salad, which somehow has a cult following.
9. Mariposa
500 S Tryon St | Website | Instagram
Mariposa is what happens when a restaurant refuses to be pigeonholed into a single cuisine and instead decides to borrow from everywhere. The menu jumps from chaat-style street snacks to Mediterranean dips to Latin-leaning small plates, yet somehow it all works. The best strategy here is to order generously—maybe the patatas bravas, the coconut curry mussels, and the lamb kefta—and just roll with it.
10. Mizu
3100 Apex Dr | Website | Instagram
Charlotte doesn’t have many rooftop restaurants, so it’s no surprise that Mizu, perched atop the Hyatt Centric in SouthPark, has become a hot ticket. The food, though, makes it more than just a good view. The menu leans Japanese, with robata-grilled skewers, sushi, and an extensive sake list, but the best thing about this place might be how it makes you feel like you’re in a much bigger city.
11. Good Food on Montford
1701 Montford Dr | Website | Instagram
Good Food on Montford is a small plates restaurant, which usually means leaving hungry and irritated. Not here. The plates are large enough to be satisfying, and the menu doesn’t feel like it’s trying to be something it’s not. There are steamed pork buns, ricotta gnocchi, and even the occasional plate of beef carpaccio, all of which make for a meal that’s fun to eat rather than one you have to suffer through for the sake of culinary experimentation.
12. Barrington’s
7822 Fairview Rd | Website | Instagram
Barrington’s isn’t the kind of place trying to dazzle you with DJs or tableside presentations—here, it’s just about serving some of the best dishes in the city. The original restaurant from chef Bruce Moffett, Barrington’s has been serving quietly excellent plates of handmade gnocchi and perfectly cooked steaks for over 20 years. It’s small, it’s always packed, and if you want a table, you should plan on making a reservation at least a week ahead.
13. Crispy Banh Mi
5100 South Blvd | Website | Instagram
With several locations around the city, Crispy Banh Mi isn’t trying to impress anyone with its decor, and it doesn’t need to. The name tells you everything you need to know: the bánh mì baguette here is crisp, crackly, and exactly what you want it to be. The grilled pork is a solid move, but if you’re feeling indecisive, the special—stuffed with pâté, Vietnamese ham, and head cheese—is the way to go. Order it spicy.
14. Sweet Lew's BBQ
923 Belmont Ave | Website | Instagram
For a taste of old-school Charlotte, head to Sweet Lew's in the Belmont neighborhood. This no-frills joint serves up some of the best barbecue in town, smoked over hickory and pecan wood. The pulled pork is a standout, but don't sleep on the smoked wings or the tangy collard greens.
15. Stagioni
715 Providence Rd | Website | Instagram
Charlotte has plenty of Italian restaurants, but not all of them make their own pasta and bake their pizzas in a wood-fired oven. Stagioni in Myers Park does. The pappardelle with braised rabbit is what you want, unless it’s one of those nights where pizza feels more appropriate, in which case, the soppressata pie is the move. Either way, you’re eating well.
16. The Dumpling Lady
1115 N Brevard St | Website | Instagram
The Dumpling Lady started as a food truck and quickly became a citywide obsession. Now in its permanent spot at Optimist Hall, it still draws lines for its spicy Sichuan dumplings, which come drenched in chili oil and topped with enough garlic to make your lunch plans regretful. The scallion pancake wrap is a sleeper hit.
17. Restaurant Constance
2200 Thrift Rd | Website | Instagram
Restaurant Constance is the kind of place that would rather let the food do the talking. No gimmicks, no fuss—just a tiny, chef-driven spot where every dish that comes out of the kitchen is treated like it matters. The menu shifts with the seasons, but expect plates that are meticulously composed without feeling overwrought. If there's a scallop dish on the menu, order it.
18. Salud Cerveceria
3306 N Davidson St | Website | Instagram
Salud Cerveceria in NoDa has figured out something a lot of breweries get wrong: good beer is even better when paired with good food. The pizzas here are worth a trip on their own—thin, wood-fired, and usually topped with something you didn’t think belonged on a pizza but absolutely does. (Case in point: the "Bee Sting," with pepperoni and hot honey.) The tap list rotates frequently, but there’s always something worth drinking.
