50 Best Southern Restaurants in Charlotte

“Very classy and delicious food!!“

“Beautiful place, amazing service and awesome food.“

“Excellent Food and Excellent Service. Thank you to our waiter Owen! Karen and Carol!“

“Great local restaurant. The owners support and source a lot of the ingredients from local farm. Perfectly cooked and beautifully presented salmon and my friend had the shrimp and grits which was creamy and so much flavor. The side dish of okra fries was hot and crispy.“

“This place was so nice the employees were the bomb My waiter Greg S was soooooo nice I'm coming back“

“I had this waiter cat and she was phenomenal!“

“Just had a delicious lunch at The Southern Pecan. I had the shrimp po’ boy, which was served with a side of fries. Soooo good. Luckily it was too much food so now I have dinner already prepared. Service was excellent - shout out to Lilly!“

“Sardines are no longer offered on the menu but they still have fish…. “MEALS, none finer anywhere MEALS SO MOUTH-WATERING THAT YOU WILL BE GLAD YOU CAME TO CIRCLE G” - 1954 Charlotte Observer Good Morning. Flounder fish (slabs) and grits, hot sauce, eggs, grilled biscuit. $10.50 That is all.👌🏽“

“perfect dinner... amazing drinks... and the service was awesome.. 10 stars“

“Went because I got a gift card, drove from Lake Wylie SC. Our waitress Halie was Fantastic! Very friendly, beautiful smile, had a great time laughing, she explained every question about the menu. She is the one to ask for! 5 Star rating! Food was excellent! Prices are reasonable, the murals are Colorful! Looking to Going again!“

“Get the What The Cluck…that’s all 🥹😍“

“Delicious and tasty healthy menu. Love that they have such variety sandwiches, scoops, soups, salads, lots of yummy sides, and the grapes… The grapes!“

“The front line folks are outstanding! Service is incredibly fast! I've been here several times and have always had positive experiences. This time, the place seemed dirty, straws on the floor and tables that weren't cleaned. First time I've seen this in several visits, otherwise it's 5 stars.“

“great bar service wonderful pig skins best queso on South side of Charlotte“

“Tried Tryon house out for my birthday dinner and it did not disappoint! Food was amazing, came out very quickly and our waitress Keleigh was fast and very sweet! I recommend the turkey and dressing! It was delicious!“

“It’s good. The kind of good you can talk to a friend about and rejoice that both of you know a secret of the town. It’s kind and supportive to those who are looking for some LGBT love. It’s also full of amazing food and drinks that will make you smile and feel cozy. Good people with a great vibe. The buildings got some love of time on it, and the love reflects.“

“Yesterday I organized a dinner for my family, food was very delicious and tasty. My all family told me that their staff was very professional and kind. Highly Recomended💯“

“Had a engagement in a hour. in and out and great service“

“Very good food, sports oriented bar and restaurant“

“Had a really nice lunch here with the family. The food was fresh, and the staff was super friendly. Definitely coming back next time we’re in the area!“

“Delicious food! We arrived 5 mins before closing, but the girl took our order and we ate it in the car. So so so good. Will definitely be back!“

“A night to remember at The McNinch House 🌹✨ Growing up, my Dad wasn’t just an industrial engineer—he was a hobby chef with serious skills. He spent his childhood in restaurants, and at home, he brought that magic to our table. I didn’t grow up eating “normal kid food,” and to this day, he’s the best cook I know. My love for food? 100% from him. The McNinch House has been on my list for over a decade—and let me tell you, it was worth the wait. Executive Chef Eric O’Connor, who joined just a year ago, blew us away. We had the 4-course tasting menu (I truly don’t know how people survive the 5-course!), and every dish was a standout: *Corn & Clam Chowder – the cream is everything *Bone Marrow – best I’ve ever had *Lamb Lollipops (my husbands) – best I’ve ever had; perfectly cooked *Pork Wellington (my husbands) – the basil took it over the top *Snapper Succotash – the bacon made it *Crème Brûlée – perfectly done From the surprise oyster starter (cool presentation served in a shell over ice) to the palate-cleansing sorbet between courses, every detail was thoughtful and special. Chef Eric personally served our entrée—how cool is that? The service was impeccable, with a main server and 2-3 others helping throughout. At the end, they even handed me a freshly picked rose from their garden. 💐 We dined in a historic 1800s home filled with charm, and afterward strolled through the garden—flowers everywhere, twinkle lights, fountains, and the Charlotte skyline in view. I had to ask for the chef’s autograph and a photo—he’s just that good. We told him he deserves a star, and he smiled and said, “We’re on the list.” So now I’m shouting from the rooftops: let’s help make that Michelin star happen! He absolutely deserves it. Thank you, Chef Eric and the entire McNinch House team, for one of the most enchanting, romantic, and memorable meals I’ve ever had in Charlotte. The whole evening—2.5 hours of pure joy—was not just dinner, it was an experience. ❤️“

“The food was amazing and delicious, very impressed, my family loved it!“

“Amazing food everything tasted fresh chicken and waffles is what we got with the Mac and cheese was 10/10 amazing .“

“Awesome experience at Kostas!“

“Let's start off with the greeting from the hostess. She was very welcoming with a great personality. I believe our waitress said she was her Manager. Our waitress Marissa is one of the best waitresses I have come across. From the time we sat down until we left. Her customer service was 10/10. She engaged with my six year old daughter. Even when she was being extra talkative. She still engaged with her every time. To the point where my daughter loved talking to her every time she came to the table and walked by. She laughed and joked with her. Her conversations with my mom and I were super genuine. She took our order in a timely manner. She gave us updates while waiting for our meal. She checked on us throughout our meal. Gave us our drink refills in a timely manner. We didn't have to ask her for anything or wave her down. She was on top of it. She has the perfect personality and pays attention to her customer's. I also observed that she was the same with other customer's as well. She has the charisma to Intertwine and comfortability to talk to customer's and not at them. She cares about her customer's. She's an asset to your team. Not only will customers want to come back for your AMAZING FOOD, but for great customer service. Marissa thanks so much! From your new friends from Fayetteville.“

“That sounds great.“

“Staff was friendly, food was served hot and fresh and affordable“

“Me and about 25 of my chapter brothers had our reunion luncheon here last Friday 7/22/22. The food was amazing, literally the best thing I ate in Charlotte. In addition the service was impeccable and the restrooms where spotless. They even kept the Resturant open for an additional hour to accommodate us. I couldn’t have hoped for a better experience for our event. Thank you so much. We will be back.“

“Friendly workers..great food“

“waitress was great. food was delicious. had a great experience. thank you“

“Great tasting hot dog with homemade chili and slaw, potato salad very good and spring rolls were legit. Tasty tasty!“

“We were so pleasantly surprised! Service was top notch, food was excellent and for 45.00 per person for a fabulous brunch buffet was a great value. Would definitely go back as the staff and chef were extremely friendly and attentive without hovering.“

“We had a great time! Everyone liked the food! We had a large party and the accommodations were great! The decor was great!“

“My hubby and I chose this spot for our anniversary brunch! Everything was amazing, down to the water! Def will be back!!“

“Honestly huge fans of the gallery since 2017. The steam house is amazing— everything cooked perfectly and seasoned simply. Not covered in butter (though they have 4 different compounded butters you can add if it’s your pref). Beef Wellington is individually prepared and perfectly rare/med rare. Not soggy at all which is so hard to do. Perfectly thin not gummy mashed potatoes- hint of garlic not in your face. Fresh veggie sides. Mushrooms were amazing. Old fashioned amazing (best bourbon selection). Just all around best meal I have had in a while. Dessert to go ❤️

Ask for Gerry if she’s working. She’s so kind and helpful and will remember you forever“

“Everything was great from the hostess drinks, food and especially the live DJ. Playing all the right songs. What messed me up is when I needed more silverware and the waitress started with her large group that came and pretty much forgot about me and my guess. Nevertheless I ate part of the food with a spoon and just took the rest to go. For 18% gratuity automatically added my service should've been top notch.“

“Great food, prices outstanding today!!!!“

“Customer service is EXCELLENT!!! Never a problem with my order. Prices are very reasonable. Maggie and Scott are the best!!!😁“

“We had the pleasure of eating there on May 9, 2026. We had 31 people from our Church in Turkey, NC(Sampson County) and the service was fast, food was excellent and the staff was great. Will definitely be back when in Charlotte again!!“

“I am a Charlotte area event planner and Taste of Heaven was my caterer for the most recent wedding I produced. They did excellent work! The food was phenomenal especially the soulful eggrolls #yummy I would highly recommend them for any event but especially for a wedding.“

“We had the pleasure of dining at Cuzzo’s Cuisine while in town celebrating our 18th Anniversary! The food was absolutely delicious. Lisa, our server, was very attentive and friendly. The best part is that almost the entire menu is gluten friendly which gave us many options. We had the fried fish (flounder) with fries as well as Cajun and BBQ wings. Chef Andarrio signed my husband’s copy of his cookbook, “Kick’n it in the Kitchen”. Overall, the experience was great!“

“Nana’s Porch grilled burgers, and provided sides at our backyard event last weekend. We had many compliments on both the food and the staff. The burgers were great, as were the sides. The team that came was so nice, very personable and attentive. I will definitely use them again!“

“Open early, great prices and awesome staff.Just found my new local breakfast spot while staying in downtown Charlotte.And just want to mention that not only was the staff attractive, they were incredibly friendly and moved at a steady pace. The food came out quick, hot and absolutely delicious and upon finishing the fine cuisine it made me want to yell, booomshakalaka.“

“Had breakfast room service twice and the portions were very large and the food was excellent. Also had their crab soup yesterday. Highly recommend.“

“love Showmars good food and prices what's not to love“

“Shrimp and grits is sooooo good! The brunch, chicken tenders everything is sooooo good! Best food ever! Service is perfect everyone is soooo nice. Everytime I come to Charlotte every other month I always come here“

“Amazing for couples for a date night or families with kids! There’s almost always a special of some sort going on, and the food is ALWAYS top notch. 10/10 recommend. ❤️“

“I had such a great experience at Showmars thanks to the amazing customer service from Maddie and Katy! From the moment we walked in, they were friendly, welcoming, and genuinely attentive. They made sure everything was just right with our order and went above and beyond to make us feel taken care of.

It’s not every day you come across people who clearly enjoy what they do and treat customers like they matter, but Maddie and Katy absolutely do. Their positive attitudes and attention to detail made our visit stand out.

Because of them, we’ll definitely be coming back. Showmars is lucky to have such awesome employees!“

“I came in today with two friends for lunch. We asked our server, Shauna for recommendations and she was spot on with the mahi mahi spinach salad. It was delicious! Shauna gave excellent service. She is very friendly, kept our drinks filled and was always there if we needed something. I will definitely be back and hopefully Shauna will be there when I do.“