Dogwood Southern Table & Bar

I had one of the best meals in a long time at Dogwood, located inside the Westin Uptown Charlotte. The bartender was creative and friendly. I started with a delicious cucumber martini and then tried a couple of different cocktails before deciding on the 8-ounce filet mignon. It was cooked to perfection--a high-quality cut--served with a side of grilled asparagus. I didn't care for the egg and prosciutto on top of the asparagus, but I salvaged what I could from the egg yolk and meat. For dessert, I enjoyed a strawberry shortcake and a carajillo. Again, my cocktail was crafted to perfection, and the dessert was creative, delicious, and filling in a good way. It was a delightful dinner for one, and I highly recommend that anyone in the Uptown Charlotte area try them for dinner. It can get busy, and the bar has great huge windows overlooking Uptown, creating a wonderful ambiance. The young blonde female server was smart, hospitable and enhanced the experience.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

More like “Dogfood”!!! I was staying at the Westin and I normally avoid hotel restaurant establishments, but it was late night and I’m hungry , gave it a chance - turns out huge disappointment! Tastes like hotel food, super salty, cold, unimpressive for the price. I had to get a TV dinner down the street at Wholefoods to wash down the dogfood they served me. Don’t waste your time here. Aweful food and not so great service either.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 1

Service: 2

This is inside the Westin. I walked in for lunch and it was pretty empty inside and I liked the decor a lot. My server was a delight!

I got raw oysters and shrimp po boy. They were absolutely fantastic. The bread on the shrimp po boy was toasted to perfection and so fluffy inside!! I've had po boys before but this was on another level. It also came with these amazing perfect fries that were seasoned. I was pleasantly surprised.

Highly recommend.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Not the same Dogwood that closed down. Much worse in every way!

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 1

Service: 1

We ate as a large group and ordered many items on the menu. The cocktails were really good and I could not find fault with anything we ordered. The burgers, croquettes, duck, chicken sandwich were all really well prepared.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 5

The service was ok, but our dishes took an eternity to arrive and when they arrived (after 45 min and restaurant was half empty) they were already cold, on top of that the burger meat and Ribeye were burnt… awful taste.
At least they took our ribeye off the check.
I’ll give 2 stars to food, we had great expectations, but it was very lame.
Place is great and beautiful tho.

Color me surprised—in the best way. Dogwood is tucked into the Westin, but don’t let the “hotel restaurant” label fool you. The bar service here is on point—fast, friendly, and knows their way around a cocktail shaker. Drinks are well-made, balanced, and just elevated enough to make you raise an eyebrow (in a good way).

What really hit the spot was the late-night bar food. After a long day of travel and questionable airplane snacks, it was exactly what I needed—comfort food that didn’t feel like an afterthought. It’s the kind of place where you slide into a seat expecting “decent” and end up pleasantly impressed. Would absolutely come back for a nightcap and some bites.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 4

well done modern take on southern food with exceptional cocktails

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

I was craving shrimp and grits today, but instead of going to my usual spot, I decided to roll the dice and try Dogwood, the sleek restaurant tucked inside the Westin in Uptown Charlotte. I figured if I’m going to cheat on my go-to, it better be worth it.

Let’s start with the shrimp and grits. Creamy grits as the base, southern shrimp, slices of andouille sausage, and a savory gravy full of diced peppers and onions. It’s the kind of comfort food that doesn’t try too hard, but still makes an impression. My only complaint? I wanted more of those stewed tomatoes. They were hiding in the mix but didn’t get nearly enough stage time. A few more would’ve taken the whole thing up a notch.

But let’s talk flavor: The grits were rich and smooth, not watery or clumpy. The gravy had a good peppery heat, and the sausage had a snap to it. Shrimp were cooked just right…not rubbery, not translucent, just Goldilocks shrimp. Overall, it felt like a chef was trying to flex, and it mostly worked.

The space itself feels like a hotel lobby if the design team had been given martinis and a Pinterest board titled “expensive taste.” High ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows, velvet mustard couches, and these retro lamp things that somehow work. I had a seat right by the window, looking out at College St and Brooklyn Village Ave, great people-watching spot if you’re nosy like me.

To drink, I ordered what I call The Evan Diamond: a Roy Rogers Light made with diet cola and grenadine. They use Pepsi products here, which wouldn’t be my first pick, but I made it work. Still waiting for the day restaurants just let you choose your cola allegiance when you sit down.

They just dropped their Summer Menu, and according to my server, a lot of the dishes are chef-driven to highlight individual talent. So yes, I will absolutely be back for the duck and dumplings or that smashburger. The vibe’s good, the food is solid, and they’re open seven days a week from 11:30am to 12:30am, which makes this place an option for both lunch and late-night life decisions.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

I visited this restaurant sooo many times during a conference at the Westin. Food and drinks are amazing! If visiting, ask for Sofia especially if you’ll be there for a few days. She is so attentive and really wants to make sure you have a great visit!! Remembered our group and our orders for multiple days, and made sure we were taken care of. The whole place is great but staff like Sofia make it memorable and fun!!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Extremely attentive service and an elegant atmosphere. The menu is curated with love and expertise. Truly a step above, and worth the price.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Dogwood Southern Table and Bar is located inside The Westin hotel in Charlotte - across from the Charlotte Convention Center.

With many dining options in Uptown Charlotte, my colleague and I decided to dine at Dogwood since we were staying at The Westin. We came without reservations and the staff were able to accommodate us.

Our server that evening was Thomas and he was one of the best servers I’ve had in a long time: genuinely friendly, knowledgeable, and attentive. We started off with some signature cocktails (Ivory Halo and Moonbeam) and they were delicious. Here is a list of what we ordered for dinner:
* Smoked Fish Dip - This was the best smoked fish dip I had anywhere. The crackers were perfectly baked and paired well with the dip. The lemon gave it a brighter taste. It was beautiful. On another night, we ordered this again but it was completely different - super saucy and didn’t taste the same as the first night we ordered these. The inconsistency was a disappointment.
* Southeastern Oyster on the Half Shell - My colleague loved the oysters!
* 8 oz. Filet Mignon - The beef was tender and the side of veggies were really good.
* Pork Belly with Chowchow - These were a special and were not on the menu. I trusted Thomas’ recommendation and ordered this dish. I requested not adding the peanuts due to allergies. The dish with the pickled veggies (chow chow) was excellent!
* Mac ‘N Cheese Au Gratin - This was really good. It was basically a baked mac & cheese - loved it! The pasta was cooked perfectly and this side dish came out piping hot.
* Double Chocolate Cake - The chocolate was rich and paired well with the tart raspberries and cream.

Our first dining experience was perfect: attentive service, excellent food, and wonderful ambiance.

We came back 2 nights later for late night drinks and small bites. This next experience was a complete opposite of our first dining experience. This visit was met with a large group of conference goers surrounding the bar and the noise level was incredibly loud. It was like a Vegas night club in there and I couldn’t hear a word. Our party of 5 sat in the sofa area waiting to get our orders. It took over 45 minutes to get waters to our table. The server we had must have been new because I saw an older woman at the bar talk down to her while holding a receipt in the air. It made me wonder if that older lady got mad that we placed an order because about 20 minutes after that, the younger server came back to our table to let us know they didn’t have 2 of the items we ordered. Instead, we settled for burgers, fries, and the Smoked Fish Dip. Again, it took so long to get our orders. I don’t think the staff were prepared for the large crowd - and not their fault, but it did delay the service.

The second visit was such a big contrast from the first night’s experience but, because we had impeccable service and food the first night, I’ll say it was just a “off” night.

Overall, the Dogwood had incredible food when they are fully staffed and the ambiance is calmer. If the place is packed, I’d probably stay away. Thomas (the first night) and another young lady with glasses (she wasn’t our server) were really great!

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 4

Everything was amazing! From the drinks to the appetizer to the meal! Would absolutely go back!

This is no hotel restaurant in the sense of quality. This is run by one of Charlotte's best restaurateurs Jon Dressler. It was excellent. Had a open face roast beef sandwich, half of a huge Ceasar salad, and some of the carrot cake. It was all great. Oh yeah some hushpuppies too. Excellent and will be back.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

It was ok. For the price it was pretty mid. Location is great and the service was perfect, but the food was under seasoned and cold. There is better for the money for sure.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 3

Service: 5