2025 Best of The Best Winners: EAT

EAT: The Best in Food & Dining in Charlotte

New Restaurant: Albertine

The decor is clutch, the service top-notch, and the food absurdly good. But we’d expect nothing less from Joe and Katy Kindred, the couple behind Kindred, Milkbread, and Hello, Sailor. They opened this Mediterranean-meets-Southern restaurant in September on the ground floor of the Duke Energy Building uptown, and it might be their finest work. The atmosphere feels luxurious and regal with custom millwork, brass accents, and banquettes upholstered in plush velvet. The menu features a stellar lineup of dips, spreads, chilled seafood, and desserts. Most dishes are meant to be shared, but forks may fly. 525 S. Tryon St., Ste. 125

Secret Menu Item: Papi Queso’s Spaghetti Melt

You won’t see it posted anywhere on the menu. But order this dish, and the cashier will give you a knowing smile that says, “I’m picking up what you’re putting down.” It’s spaghetti-meets-grilled cheese-meets-garlic bread—and they’ll throw in some ricotta beef meatballs if you want to be really extra. 1115 N. Brevard St., Ste. 2

Accidental Baker: Matt Cabana

Matt Cabana was a tennis pro and corporate banker until December 2023, when he accidentally became a baker. His wife, who can’t eat gluten, struggled to find baked goods in Charlotte that didn’t taste gluten-free. So, Matt says, he started making them himself. Family and friends encouraged him to turn it into a business, and he launched The Accidental Baker from his home kitchen. Today, customers can order gluten-free breads, pastries, cookies, cakes, biscuits, and more for pickup in Oakwold. (Walk-in service not available.) 4416 Monroe Road, Ste. D

Accidental Baker, Matt Cabana

Breakfast Behemoth: The Crunkleton’s Tomahawk Brunch Board

This 42-ounce bone-in ribeye is sliced and served on a platter packed alongside biscuits and gravy, fingerling potato hash, and four sunny-side up eggs. Bring a few friends, order it for the table, and feast. 1957 E. 7th St.

Plant-Based Frozen Dessert: Really Not Ice Cream

Full offense, but most vegan ice cream tastes like keister candy. This stuff does not. You don’t even have to be vegan—or even a health-conscious individual—to vibe its flavor. Key Lime Pie, Mint Chip, Blackberry, and Belgian Chocolate are all bangers, but their greatest hit is Vanilla Oreo. Owner Adam Duke sells it at local farmers markets, and it’s also on the menu at Bang Bang Burgers South End, Free Range Brewing, and Sweet Lew’s Barbecue.

Big-Ass Dessert: Union Barbecue’s Big Deborah

The barbecue here slaps, and so does this dessert. Owner Holden Sasser and sous chef Chase Young came up with this supersized take on a Little Debbie Oatmeal Creme Pie. Nicknamed the Big Deborah, she’s about as big as your head. Track down this food truck and try it for yourself.

Pig and Fig Pizza: Flight

This 10-inch pie arrives fresh out of the wood-burning oven on a wooden pizza peel—and it gets everything right: blistered edges, bubbling cheese, and an even distribution of sweet and savory flavors. It’s topped with prosciutto, goat cheese, arugula, fig jam, pickled red onion, and balsamic drizzle, so you’ve got all your food groups covered. 1949 E. 7th St.

Caviar and Potato Chip Pairing: Bar à Vins

You’d expect full-bodied pours and a menu of vino-adjacent snacks at this neighborhood wine bar. But a bag of Lay’s on a platter with tart creme fraiche? Just go with it. One scoop of those briny, fanciful orbs paired with a swig of bubbles is a testament to the magnificent union of salt and fat. It’s science, really. 3206 N. Davidson St.

Mexican Street Corn: Maíz Agua Sal’s Elote

This Wesley Heights spot serves the charred corn off the cob and tossed in a bowl with spices, mayo, red salsa, and cotija cheese. It comes with a basket of house-made chips. But it makes a spectacular taco garnish, too, so try to save a few scoops for your entree. 1018 Jay St., Ste. 110

Tacos: Tacos de Trompo at Tacos El Regio

“Regio” is slang for someone or something from Monterrey, Mexico, where the locals refer to pork al pastor tacos as “tacos de trompo.” (A “trompo” is the vertical, spinning rotisserie the pork is roasted on.) This humble eatery, in a shopping center off Albemarle Road, uses an adobo marinade that tints the pork bright red. It’s sliced off the trompo and placed atop corn tortillas; you can add fresh lime juice, red or green salsa, chopped onion, and cilantro to taste.  8829 E. W.T. Harris Blvd.

Bar Snack: Warm Cookies at The Ugly

You wouldn’t expect a dive known for its cheap highballs, photo booth, and chilled Negronis to serve the best bar snack in town. Prepare to have your preconceptions shattered. This NoDa bar serves warm cookies that pair surprisingly well with wallet-friendly suds. 424 E. 36th St., Ste. 2

Pour-Over: Sancocho de Mariscos at MaBí Cocina Tropical

The team behind Sabor Latin Street Grill and Three Amigos opened MaBí Cocina Tropical last summer in NoDa. Its version of sancocho—one of the Dominican Republic’s national dishes—is a stew of red snapper, shrimp, veggies, avocado, coconut rice, and a broth you pour yourself. 416 E. 36th St.

Lesser-Known Food Hall: Alley 51

It opened in May 2024 as an addition to the new Super G Mart that anchors The Centrum, a sprawling shopping center in south Charlotte. Among the multicolored chairs and globe lanterns in its dining areas are (as of this writing) 14 vendors that serve a wide array of Asian street foods: sushi from Yume; Tteokbokki, or Korean spicy rice cakes, from Mukja; Lechon Kawali, or Filipino fried pork belly, from Manila Grill; and many, many other delights. 10500 Centrum Parkway, Pineville

Bagels That Went Viral Before They Even Reached Charlotte: PopUp Bagels

On Jan. 5, viral New York City bagel shop PopUp Bagels posted to Instagram: “My next trip to Charlotte won’t just be to see our cousins … Excited to announce the first chapter in our Southeast expansion plans!!! Permanent Bagel Shop Coming Spring 2025.” There was a rush of bagel-based excitement on Charlotte social media following the announcement. We all eagerly await more info. 14020 Stream Way, Suite 113, Ballantyne

Kid-Friendly Food Truck: Nacho Average Food Truck

When you’re on the go with hangry kids, a great food truck is like a desert oasis. Nacho Average Truck shines in its shareables, slinging piles of nachos in varieties like Buffalo Chicken, Beef Supreme, and Chicken Enchilada. Mobile

Sandwich: The Riverside at Schreiber’s on Rye

Most of us beeline right to the Reuben or pastrami at a Jewish deli. Further down the menu, though, the mighty Riverside awaits with its stacks of roasted turkey breast, Swiss cheese, slaw, and Russian dressing on rye. Add a cup of Opa’s Matzo Ball Soup for a complete—and wholly comforting—midday meal. 1115 N. Brevard St., Ste. 14.

Authentic Enough for the Gringos: Casa del Tequila

This Ballantyne spot serves authentic and traditional Mexican cuisine but can still cater to the most basic chips-and-salsa seeker. Get a Chicken and Cheese Quesadilla alongside a fishbowl-sized margarita adorned with umbrellas, flamingos, and a blinking neon light (seriously). Or try the Mojarra Frita Fish entree and sip on a Cazuela, a traditional Latin American cocktail served in a shallow terra cotta dish. 14815 Ballantyne Village Way, Ste. 155

Dumplings: Pho Good Time Asian Fusion

Order the Rainbow Dumpling Set, and you’ll get a bamboo steamer full of neatly folded pouches. Each one is color-coded with natural dye, so you’ll know which flavor you’re about to eat. 2410 Park Road

Flaming Cheese Saganaki from Hellenic Greek Kitchen

Flaming Cheese: Saganaki from Hellenic Greek Kitchen

Cheese tastes better after it’s been set on fire. Hellenic—a 2-year-old establishment just off the Bland Street light rail stop—starts with a rectangle of firm, salty Halloumi cheese, fries it, and serves it hot in a cast-iron skillet with lemon juice. Then your server pours a shot of whiskey over the cheese and lights it; once the whiskey burns off, you plate and eat it with pita triangles. Despite its Japanese-sounding name, saganaki is a traditional Greek dish—although the flambéed version originated in the now-closed Parthenon restaurant in Chicago. 1436 South Blvd.

BOBlight:

CHARLOTTE RESTAURANTS WE’VE LOST

Restaurant closings are an unfortunate reality in any city, but the last year has been particularly hard on Charlotte’s culinary community. Many faced staffing challenges, escalating rents, and rising food costs. Legacy restaurants like Zada Jane’s, Fenwick’s, JJ’s Red Hots, and Letty’s on Shamrock all ended their runs. Harper’s Restaurant, known for an affordable menu of burgers, ribs, and wood-fired pizzas, closed after more than three decades in SouthPark when the landlord decided to demolish the building and replace it with a bank. (How Charlotte is that?)

Noche Bruta, the pop-up that turned the Hex Coffee space into a full-service restaurant at night, struggled to find diners to embrace the dual concept. Other beloved restaurants that have appeared on this magazine’s 50 Best list—Futo Buta, Haymaker, and The Good Wurst Company—closed, too. But as any Charlottean knows, the city’s food scene moves at full tilt, so we know something new will take their places. Rocksalt, the seafood restaurant in Park Road Shopping Center, will reopen as Bossy Beulah’s later this year. Volo Ristorante in Myers Park will become Yassou Greek Cuisine. The Bottle Tree in Belmont is rebranding as Kaya Gastrolounge. By the time this issue lands, there will almost certainly be a few more.