Where to Eat in Plaza Midwood

Don’t get lost in a sea of hipsters! Let Scallionpancake be your approachable spirit guide to the fabulous eats of what’s arguably Charlotte’s favorite neighborhood, Plaza Midwood.

This article first appeared at Localeur. If you haven’t checked out Localeur yet, you totally should. It’s an awesome resource for travel recommendations.

Dish

If you’re looking for some stick-to-your-ribs southern food, then you’re looking for Dish. Every entree comes with a deviled egg and a fluffy biscuit, and they offer southern staples like country-fried steak, biscuits & gravy, fried green tomatoes, and pimento cheese.

My personal favorite is the meatloaf! The prices are very reasonable, and the vibe is casual. Dish has been a Plaza Midwood staple since 2002, and you’re sure to feel at home here on your visit to Charlotte.

Soul GastrolOunge

My favorite date-night option in Charlotte, Soul Gastrolounge has great energy and awesome food. The menu is huge, which I usually dislike, but here they manage to do it all right. Their watermelon pork belly tacos are famous in Charlotte, so don’t skip them!

I also highly recommend the sushi, all of the skewers, and literally everything on their daily special menu. Make sure you get one or two of their craft cocktails to wash it all down – the drinks are among the most creative and best executed in town!

Cilantro Noodle

Vietnamese joint Cilantro Noodle is a newcomer to the Plaza Midwood dining scene, but the quality of their ingredients quickly made this spot a stand-out for carryout or a quick dine-in option.

Their build-your-own bowl with lemongrass beef is my favorite, but the pho is not to be missed, either! For the make-your-own, you can choose from a base of white, brown, or fried rice, vermicelli noodles, a Banh-Mi sandwich, or a fresh spring roll.

The Diamond

Sometimes you just need a classic diner, and this is Charlotte’s best since 1945. Of course, you can get breakfast anytime, but no matter the hour, you need to start with an order of their famous fried pickles. From there, I love the Grecian mezze platter, but I know a lot of people swear by their hamburgers and the meatless loaf.

I love sitting outside on the patio when the weather is nice, as Plaza Midwood offers best-in-class people watching.

YAFO Kitchen

YAFO isn’t your typical fast-casual joint. Chef Shai Fargian makes everything here from scratch, from the pillowy laffah bread to the creamy mac and cheese.

I recommend an Israeli hot chicken sandwich to put an end to the chicken sandwich wars once and for all, or a chicken salad-stuffed avocado if you’re looking for something a bit lighter. YAFO offers something for everyone, so if you need to please a crowd in a hurry, this is your best bet in Midwood.

The Porter's House: Not Your Traditional Steakhouse

Background:
The Porter’s House is owned by the Rare Roots Hospitality Group, and it was brought to our attention by its current chef, Rob Clement, who reached out as a fan of the pod and graced us with his presence one fine Sunday afternoon as a guest. After his pod appearance, we could tell this guy meant business, and we knew we needed to try his food ASAP. We decided to take my dad here when he was in town, as we know he likes a good steakhouse. 

After being blown away on that first visit, we knew this would be a regular spot for us. We went back for our anniversary recently, and there’s no denying that The Porter’s House is a true contender in the Charlotte restaurant scene, and it runs laps around every other steakhouse in town.

Eat This: 

Grilled Peaches

With burrata, sorghum, pickled banana peppers, and oregano

This is a seasonal menu item, but if it’s offered on your visit, you need to order it! Rob’s pickled peppers are a revelation in themselves. Add burrata to that, and you’ve got yourself a damn fine time.

Pimento CHeese Beignets

With bacon aioli

Maybe Jason’s favorite thing on the menu. Pillowy, tangy, cheesy…do we have your attention yet?

Shrimp Cocktail

Cocktail sauce, lemon horseradish gremolata

An elevated classic.

Filet Mignon

I always order the filet, and every steak at TPH is cooked to perfection. No overdone meat here!

RIBEYE

Look at that bone marrow butter melting its way into your heart!

TPH serves its steaks with fresh vegetables and herbs, which is a lovely addition that lightens up the meat. They also make their own in-house sauces – our favorite is the horseradish!

SCALLOPS

Cauliflower, bacon, Sunchokes

Another seasonal option that blew us away. So many textures at play here!

Halibut

Spaghetti squash, peppers, and aji dolce coulis

TPH offers a seasonally-rotating fish option, if that’s more your style. We personally can’t see ordering it over a steak, but you do you, boo.

DUCK

With okra

We hope this seasonal dish makes it back on the menu, because not enough restaurants offer duck, and Rob knows how to do this cute yet delicious animal justice.

Cowboy RIBEYE Filet

A steak that will cure what ails you.

Scallops

With field peas, peppers, lardons, and tomato-corn dashi

More scallops! We liked the version above even better than this first scallop dish we tried, but both were top notch.

Lobster Mac & Cheese

Bechamel, chives

Creamy, dreamy, and a menu staple at TPH. And really, what goes better with steak than mac and cheese and mashed potatoes?

Bucatini

With clams and chorizo

One of Jason’s top dishes of the past six months. He couldn’t stop raving about this one, and I agree – it was a deliciously unusual flavor combination that hit the high notes.

Gnocchi

I can’t remember exactly what all was going on here, but I can tell you 100% that we loved it.

Dessert: 
On our first visit, the desserts were your typical steakhouse options – cheesecake, brownies, etc. However at our anniversary meal, we got to try some of Chef Clement’s new and creative ice cream flavors that he was testing out, including taro sprinkled with dehydrated carrot, pomegranate chocolate chip, and peppercorn and lime leaf. We loved them all!

Ice Cream Trio

Taro with dehydrated carrot, pomegranate chocolate chip, and peppercorn and lime leaf

Dessert Trio

Brownie, cheesecake, and carrot cake

Drink: 
The Porter’s House boasts an amazing cocktail program. We especially dig the inclusion of whiskey-based margaritas. 

Mel’s Campfire

Vida mezcal, passionfruit, amaro nonino, tajin-pineapple oleo, sea salt, lime

Atmosphere: 
The Porter’s House is located in the Waverly shopping center, which is massive. I always love coming here because they have the best Whole Foods in Charlotte, and Whole Foods is my mecca. The interior boasts high ceilings and a more modern and lightened up vibe compared to more traditional steakhouses. They offer valet parking if you’re not down to fight the Ballantyne crowds.

Carnivorous Hospitality: 
Shoutout to server extraordinaire Zack for taking great care of us on both of our visits. No complaints here. 

Frankie’s Notes:
Typical steakhouses put us to sleep; Wayne is now the finest connoisseur of fine dining after his experiences at El Celler de can Roca and Enigma; On our first visit, Rob tried to kill us with food – he served us enough for 12-14 people, and we tried to take on that challenge and barely lived to tell about it; On our second visit, I was getting over my post-Mexico trip stomach issues that continue to linger to this day. My apologies to all of the servers and chefs for my 10+ bathroom breaks; If you don’t get Zack as your server, you should ask for him. We think he would love that.

Rating: 5 out of 5