619151 Mon May 11 21:22:02 -0700 2009 45 11 South 0 4675565 I'm moving to Charlotte in June and I wanna find some unpretentious great restaurants to eat at. I'm the type that would rather starve than eat at a chain like Applebees, Ruby Tuesday's, or Cheesecake Factory. Some of my favorites are street food, greek, burgers, deli, vietnamese, GOOD sushi, and I love a breakfast place with a little creativity. I'm gonna need a go-to chinese restaurant that I can count on for a cheap lunch as well. A good dinner place in the $25- 40 entree category would be good too. So now that I've explained my situation, I need some recommendations on where I can try to find some new staples. Charlotte is so much bigger than what I am coming from that I need to do plenty of homework before trying a million crappy restaurants. Thanks. Mon May 11 21:22:02 -0700 2009 291944 jdubyapepper 1 4675810 Have you done a search for Charlotte on here yet? If not, my first suggestion is that you do so...you'll find lots of postings. Charlotte is an exellent food town. A few suggestions to get you started...The Penguin for burgers, Greek Isles for greek (duh!), Dim Sum for chinese, LuLu, Commonhouse, Pietown, Pio Pio, Alexander Michael's are all good too. Tue May 12 03:50:07 -0700 2009 4675565 25751 carolinadawg 2 4677931 All good recs, IMHO. I'll add Saigon Palace on South Blvd. for Vietnamese (right, GFL & HGC???), Revolution Pizza in NoDa, Carpe Diem for higher end dining and Amelie's for baked goods and breakfast treats. Some folks like Zada Jane's on Central for out-of-ordinary breakfast which is served all day. Tue May 12 15:42:09 -0700 2009 4675810 71241 lynnlato 1 4678469 $20 - 40 dinners: Rooster's, Barrington's, Ratcliffe on the Green, and Lulu's. Google them, I think they all have websites. For sushi, I rec. New Zealand Cafe in Matthews - O.M.G. - the tuna tataki and the tuna carpaccio was unlike anything I have ever eaten. The fish was by far the best quality tuna i have ever had the pleasure to eat - seriously. I have heard good things about Mai, but haven't been since their South Blvd. days. Stay away from Ru San's and Nikko is OK in a pinch - just don't go on the weekends. Haven't eaten at Musashi, but have heard good things. Deli: I'm partial to Chris' on Independence, but Katz in Arboretum is as authentic as you'll get here. Creative breakfast: Soul Gastrolounge will be serving weekend brunch soon. I hear the lake area has good breakfast joints, just don't remember the names. Vietnamese: Lang Van Chinese: in the South, I'm partial to Shanghai. The owners are amazing people. Friendly and they remember EVERYONE. It's sorta scary. They have wonderful, fresh food and always have tasty specials. Tue May 12 18:50:58 -0700 2009 4675565 71867 pinogirl14 2 4679090 Have you had the brunch at Soul Gastrolounge? Just curious about this new place. Wed May 13 05:16:00 -0700 2009 4678469 71241 lynnlato 3 4683918 Nope. I thought they started serving brunch, but not yet. They're on FaceBook and they post updates, so I'll keep you updated when they do start. Thu May 14 12:07:51 -0700 2009 4679090 71867 pinogirl14 1 4678600 This might be blasphemy to other Charlotte residents, but I'm not sure I would agree on the Penguin for the best burgers. @carolinadawg - it hurts me to disagree with another Bulldog, but I gotta. Penguin is just like going to a diner. I, personally, prefer Big Daddy or Custom counter for burgers. Sushi - Nikko is my favorite. I think it's the best in Charlotte. @jdubyapepper - I've been in Charlotte for just over a year. It's got some great restaurants. You'll be fine. And for the record, I have not eaten at Applebee's yet. OK - Cheesecake factory once, but just once..... Tue May 12 19:57:07 -0700 2009 4675565 104042 mikebmassey 2 4679076 Agreed, Mike, Penguin is not the best burger - but it's a good burger in a very cool joint. The best burger in Charlotte, IMHO, is Lulu. Big Daddy's is good too. Wed May 13 05:07:14 -0700 2009 4678600 71241 lynnlato 2 4679202 No problem on the disagreement...I didn't mean to imply Penguin had the "best" burger, just that it was a fun place to get a pretty good burger. I haven't been to Big Daddy's, and I haven't tried a burger at LuLu. Common House does a pretty good burger, too, imo. I get them to add pimento cheese...good stuff! Wed May 13 06:00:33 -0700 2009 4678600 25751 carolinadawg 3 4680918 I like Penguin's burger for a change of pace. It's not the same as a Lulu gourmet burger but it hits the spot when you're craving a diner burger and a PBR. I get the Small Block + cheese, Southern style and it's damn tasty. Now the fried pickles at Penguin....what a little pickle slice of heaven. Wed May 13 13:46:12 -0700 2009 4679202 44445 HungryGrayCat 4 4686077 It might start an argument, but I really like Brook's for a burger. Their hot dog all the way is also fantastic, cheap and fast. Fri May 15 06:15:13 -0700 2009 4680918 176081 friek 5 4686521 Brooks? I've never even heard of it! Tell me more!!! (I love a good all the way dog.) Fri May 15 08:36:07 -0700 2009 4686077 44445 HungryGrayCat 5 4686746 Yea, friek, why u been holdin' out on us... what and where is Brook's??? Fri May 15 09:43:06 -0700 2009 4686077 71241 lynnlato 6 4686929 Brooks' is a Charlotte institution. It's been in NoDa for at least 20 years. There was a location downtown a few years back, but it's no longer there. It really does have some of the best burgers in town-- southern-style. True story: In the summer of 1990, I worked at the Johnston YMCA in NoDa. NoDa was a very different place then (in fact, it wasn't known as NoDa)-- it was still pretty run down and not yet a destination for people to live or open a business. Needless to say, Brooks' was about the only option for food. So everyday for lunch, I would have two cheeseburgers, fries, and a Coke from Brooks'. Ah, to be young and be able to eat like that without gaining any weight. Edited to add: Brooks' has actually been around since 1973. Here's a little story about it: http://charlotteeats.blogspot.com/2008/12/brooks-sandwich-house-hall-of-fame.html Fri May 15 10:43:10 -0700 2009 4686746 179905 ickymettle 7 4687206 Dang, well now I'll have to try it. This could be a great score for me since it's not too far from work! Heeehaw. Fri May 15 12:00:51 -0700 2009 4686929 44445 HungryGrayCat 6 4690075 If I tell too many people about it I'll have to wait in line ;-) Sat May 16 15:54:11 -0700 2009 4686746 176081 friek 5 4715975 So I was working on a project outside of the office and the guy I was working with suggested Brook's for lunch today. How about that for a great coincidence?!!? I loved it. What a cool place. I had the burger all the way -- it was delicious and just the right size. The chili was perfect on it. But I was surprised that there was no slaw. I thought all the way in the South was with slaw too? Tue May 26 12:25:33 -0700 2009 4686077 44445 HungryGrayCat 6 4725286 Glad you liked it! The typical southern all the way order is indeed with slaw. For some reason Brook's all the way order is mustard, onions and chili. Fri May 29 10:21:35 -0700 2009 4715975 176081 friek 7 4726035 The slaw with burgers and dogs "all the way" may be somewhat of a newer thing. Maybe that's why Brooks' doesn't do it. For example, it wasn't until the late 80's or 90's that Green's began including slaw on the hot dog "all the way." Fri May 29 14:00:36 -0700 2009 4725286 179905 ickymettle 1 4679853 I really like No Fo on Liz for a cool breakfast/brunch place. Also I hear Sushi 101 is a great sushi place. Wed May 13 09:20:53 -0700 2009 4675565 121346 FastFoodie 2 5165718 Sadly NoFo closed down a month or two ago. +1 on Charlotte being a Cr*ppy breakfast town (I had to eat at waffle house this morning for god's sake). If the weather is nice Common Market (South End, don't know about PM) is a nice place for a VERY low key Sunday brunch. I had heard there is a new breakfast place in Latta Arcade downtown that is actually open on weekends (haven't tried it yet). For $15-20 entre range dinners I have been impressed with Andrew Blair's on Montford. Not to start anything but Bill Spoon's is (IMO) among the best eastern style swine you will find anywhere (but it is not smoked, and this bothers many purest) Sun Nov 08 16:09:20 -0800 2009 4679853 1096333 bobr821 3 5166783 I have to disagree. Compared to other cities of similar size, Charlotte is a breakfast desert. While there are plenty of greasy spoon type places, other than Zada Jane's there are no creative menus to be found, and Zada Jane's barely qualifies as it doesn't open until 8:00 and has a rather, shall we say, eclectic atmosphere. When I lived in Charlotte, the choices for breakfast were Anderson's (now gone) and the Pancake House. What Charlotte desperately needs is an upscale creative breakfast place that serves a variety of interesting dishes and also has a top notch baked goods selection. Other cities have that....Why not Charlotte? Mon Nov 09 07:35:28 -0800 2009 5166534 10395 brentk 4 5169396 "What Charlotte desperately needs is an upscale creative breakfast place that serves a variety of interesting dishes and also has a top notch baked goods selection" Cafe Monte is as close as it comes to what you've desribed. Its in the bldg beside Phillips Place. They serve French inspired fare, including breakfast and Amelie's pastries. Tue Nov 10 03:21:04 -0800 2009 5166783 71241 lynnlato 5 5169585 Thanks for the recommendation. I look forward to giving it a try. Tue Nov 10 06:15:33 -0800 2009 5169396 10395 brentk 1 4681180 I agree with most other suggestions, but heres a few personal favorites: Second vote for Shanghai in South Charlotte for Chinese. Love it. Sushi: Mizuho, by far. Viet: Ben Thanh on Central. New place called Vietnam Grille on South is great. Breakfast: I like traditional southern breakfasts so I can't recommend anywhere creative. I can advise you to avoid Zada Jane's. Good luck, and welcome! Wed May 13 14:51:18 -0700 2009 4675565 255910 billyjack 2 4685576 i really dig an interesting breakfast place. Anyone ever eaten at Melanie's in Boone? Its normally a 45 minute wait....but worth every minute Sounds like some pretty good recommendations. I would love to see some more on the sandwich/ deli side though! Thu May 14 21:10:17 -0700 2009 4681180 291944 jdubyapepper 3 4686097 One of my favorite breakfast places is Eddie's and Danny's Too in Cotswold. Great food, awesome service, full bar and a great beer selection. Fri May 15 06:21:23 -0700 2009 4685576 176081 friek 4 4687329 Beer for breakfast? You're my hero!! Fri May 15 12:35:23 -0700 2009 4686097 25751 carolinadawg 4 4688684 Ya know I love breakfast at Eddies, and I always forget to mention it when someone asks where to go! Fri May 15 23:07:47 -0700 2009 4686097 255910 billyjack 3 4686959 On the sandwich/deli side, I'm a big fan of Reid's (downtown/uptown), Common Market (Plaza-Midwood), Laurel Market (Myers Park and SouthEnd), Hef's (off of Woodlawn Road; it's a bar that serves some great sandwiches), Crisp (Elizabeth), Owen's Bagel & Deli (SouthEnd), Arthur's (SouthPark), Adams' 7th Street Market (Elizabeth). Revolution Pizza & Ale House has some good sandwiches as well. Fri May 15 10:50:53 -0700 2009 4685576 179905 ickymettle 3 4722926 I have eaten at Melanie's - I feel like I celebrated 2 birthdays during the wait, but you're right...I had the best omelette there that I have ever eaten! Thu May 28 14:19:33 -0700 2009 4685576 271777 cateringchick 2 4686594 I disagree with billyjack - I love Zada Jane. Their breakfast sandwiches are the best in Charlotte in my opinion. Fri May 15 08:56:01 -0700 2009 4681180 104042 mikebmassey 3 4688688 I really don't want to slam a restaurant on here. I'll just say I gave up on Zada Janes after giving it more than a fair share of tries. I'd rather go across the street and give John's my business. Fri May 15 23:14:16 -0700 2009 4686594 255910 billyjack 4 4691168 Fair enough. All in all, I've lived in Charlotte for about a year and a half and so far, I've been extremely disappointed in breakfast options here. Zada Jane's is pretty consistent to me, personally. I spend a great deal of time in Atlanta and love the many, many breakfast options. Charlotte just lacks in this category. Sun May 17 07:57:42 -0700 2009 4688688 104042 mikebmassey 5 4691220 I lived in Charlotte for almost 10 years - moved away in 2006 - but I would have to agree with you. You can get a good southern breakfast (eggs, grits, etc.) , but no place with any creative and/or health-conscious options. I can't tell you how many times I went to breakfast meetings at the Pancake House, Eddie's or Anderson's (RIP) for the same old, same old. Sun May 17 08:20:58 -0700 2009 4691168 10395 brentk 5 4691275 Yep, so true mike. Although, personally I've not been impressed by ZJ's, I haven't been there in quite a while, and like you said they do offer more than eggs, bacon & toast. Zebra does an upscale weekday breakfast. I've only been once and had the foie gras and bousin cheese omelet w/ pear compote, but again I wasn't impressed. The Stratos Restaurant Group that owns Ilios Noche and Nolen Kitchen, has opened Big View Diner at 521 & Ardrey Kell Rds in South Charlotte. These guys do just about everything well, so I'm hopeful that their all-day breakfasts (and other stuff here) will be great. I used to go for breakfast at Ilios Noche when they offered it and it was wonderful. Looks like they will offer omelets, house made baked goods, challah french toast, Belgian waffles, lox & bagels, scones, etc. Check it out: http://www.bigviewdiner.com/ Sun May 17 08:44:58 -0700 2009 4691168 71241 lynnlato 6 5159085 LL - have you been to Big View? I haven't heard much about it. Worth the trip? Thu Nov 05 14:05:27 -0800 2009 4691275 116638 southernitalian 7 5162277 Yes, I've been three times for dinner and have not been impressed. Now, mind you, I'm a big fan of Ilios Noche (their other restaurant). This is a completely different concept from IN & NK and I suppose they have an average joe suburbia public they are trying to appeal to. For me,the food was bland and uninspired... and lack seasoning. I've not had the breakfast or lunch yet. The best part of Big View is the design of the bldg, decor, great throwback tile, etc. Fri Nov 06 16:21:54 -0800 2009 5159085 71241 lynnlato 5 4696324 Yeah, I hate to confirm your findings but breakfast in Charlotte is severely lacking. I have no idea why. Like I said I'm a fan of traditional breakfasts, but once in a while I'd like something different. Or maybe I have guests I'd like to take out. But its hard enough finding somewhere thats open, much less a place serving inventive food. Tue May 19 01:44:54 -0700 2009 4691168 255910 billyjack 6 4713863 I am just adding to the original request, I am moving to Charlotte from nyc. any price conscious suggestions for: BBQ Southern food quality date place THanks! Mon May 25 17:26:45 -0700 2009 4696324 264950 tubastu 7 4713896 Charlotte isn't known for the quality of its 'q, but I like Old Hickory House. Macs Speed Sop and Bill Spoons also get a lot of love on this board. For Southern Food, try Mert's and Simmons Fourth Ward. Quality date places are numerous...LuLu, Blue, Customshop, lots of others. Try doing a search on here and you'll find lots of suggestions and discussion for all your categories. Mon May 25 17:40:12 -0700 2009 4713863 25751 carolinadawg 8 4722607 I agree even though NC is well known for it's pork bbq, Charlotte is lacking when compared to some of the other small cities who have a deep history with bbq. If you can make the trip to Lexington,(about 1 hrs. drive) I highly recommend it for bbq. But for bbq in Charlotte there are still some options. The places I like are Mac's, Outlaw BBQ in Matthews (take out only). Never been a big fan of Bill Spoons, but I've only tried them after Bill Spoon passed away R.I.P. Bubba's is pretty good, but I stopped going there because the raised the prices of their sandwiches to like $5 yet are the same size as they where when they used to be $2.50. Old Hickory is good, but the sauce they use is a bit sweet and tangy which some people prefer. I like mine more vinegary. I've heard McCoys is really good but I haven't been there yet. For Southern/Soul Food try, Merts, Down to the Bone, Dish, Simmons Fourth Ward. Thu May 28 12:45:21 -0700 2009 4713896 245505 tcamclt 9 4726369 For bbque I like Courtney's in Clover, SC. It's a bit of a drive but the ribs are worth it. I also like Luwan's for soul food! Fri May 29 15:51:56 -0700 2009 4722607 146586 Hapy 1 4722920 Try Eddie's for breakfast - it's not creative as written on the menu, but they'll do anything you want. My husband gets the burger with egg, bacon, mushrooms & cheese..........It's also a great neighborhood bar........For greek I highly recommend Ilios Noche, it's terrific. Common market (in Southend & on Commonwealth) have good sandwiches. Try the grilled pimento cheese with bacon, do not attempt to eat it while driving. Welcome to Charlotte!!! Thu May 28 14:17:49 -0700 2009 4675565 271777 cateringchick 1 5168893 Custom Shop on Elizabeth for the best seafood, awesome fusion sushi, great for lunch too. 521 BBQ across the state line in SC for ribs and Q, very reasonable and smoked wu=ith "butts rubbed nightlly." Bao Ding for fresh Chinese near South Park or 88 China Bistro on 4th Street near CPCC. La Peep in Arboretum for Breakfast. Mon Nov 09 19:05:35 -0800 2009 4675565 1123192 wesl 2 5168969 We moved out of Charlotte in 2008, after living & eating there for 39 years. Firebird's (in Stonecrest) was always fun & noisy, with great steaks. We also often enjoyed the Bonefish Grill on Carmel Rd- a chain restaurant, no less. Try their house salad, mussels, and bang-bang shrimp. Also, a glass of King Estate pinot gris. Mon Nov 09 19:36:58 -0800 2009 5168893 1123200 greese