Top 25 Restaurants in Charlotte: 2018 Edition

Listen to our podcast on the Top 25 Restaurants in Charlotte 2018

We decided it was about time that Scallionpancake ranked the top restaurants in Charlotte, especially after some other outlets posted top ffity lists that we didn't quite agree with, which we say in the most southern way possible #blesstheirhearts. 

Let's get some caveats out of the way. We live in Uptown, so proximity may play a role (though we’ve been known to drive 40 minutes for Whit’s Custard regularly). We know we haven't been to a lot of off-the-beaten path ethnic restaurants, so we apologize in advance for that, and we welcome your suggestions if you have a favorite. Next, we are only doing restaurants located in Charlotte proper. This means no Kindred, Hello Sailor, or Flipside.

Also, any sort of chain with a location outside of Charlotte, didn’t make our list. Yes, we're talking to you, Viva Chicken (and DeSano!).  Finally, we have to have gone there, obviously. While we clearly dine out often (too often, perhaps), there are a few Charlotte staples, like Fig Tree or McNinch House which we just haven't made it to yet. If we haven't gone, we can't put you on the list. (Yume and The Waterman—we are coming for you soon!). Also, even though we ate at Noma this year (sorry, we had to say it one more time), we don’t discount casual joints. Places where you order at a counter mingle among white-tablecloth establishments, because good food is good food, and everything else is just window dressing.

Without further ado, we present Scallionpancake's Top 25 Restaurants of 2018:

1. Bardo

Bardo is the best restaurant in Charlotte, and nowhere else even comes close. It’s the first restaurant in town to receive a coveted Michigan Pug. The flavors and textures are next level. Our favorites on the menu are the Cobia, egg and grains, ribeye, and tortellini.

2. Haberdish

The quintessential Charlotte restaurant. The unpretentious food is affordable, really freaking good, and showcases the best of traditional and modern southern food. If it's your first time, you have to get the fried chicken and mac and cheese with chicken skins. Don't skip a cocktail, either! Haberdish is also tops for brunch.

3. The Stanley

Chef Paul Verica, formerly of The Heritage in Waxhaw, opened up The Stanley in May and it has quickly become one of the best in Charlotte. It’s farm to table, so the menu changes almost daily based on what’s available.

4. Soul Gastrolounge

The tapas style restaurant has such a variety of food, from sushi rolls to their signature watermelon pork belly tacos, that it's hard to believe a restaurant could do everything this well. But Soul pulls it off and then some. Plus, the vibe is the best in Charlotte. Sit at the bar for the most fun.

5. futo Buta

Years ago, Chef Michael Shortino was one of the first chefs to show that Charlotte was ready for good food. Futo Buta is serving up some of the best ramen in the Southeast. Our favorite is the Fire and Ice.

6. Stoke

Stoke has been our top Uptown restaurant for a while. The vibe is one of the coolest in Charlotte, and the food is always excellent. The star of the show is the donut with diplomat cream. Make sure you bring friends so you aren’t judged when you order one for yourself.

7. Kabab Je

Ever since Kabob Grill closed (RIP), Kabab Je holds the title of best Mediterranean food in town. The pita. THE PITA. It’s the best. Sorry, Yafo. Get the lamb kabob and lots of sides.

8. Zeppelin

Zeppelin has an old school vibe, a great cocktail bar, and fantastic food. Some of our favorites are the lobster avocado toast, the yellowtail crudo, and all of their desserts.

9. The Asbury

Putting Yvonne’s hatred of The Dunhill aside, The Asbury always has unique and fun plays on traditional southern cooking. They also have an excellent brunch. It’s our family’s go-to before a Panthers game.

10. Dot Dot Dot

The Park Road speakeasy is serving up some of Charlotte’s most inventive dishes. Cold smoked fried chicken? Yes, pease. American Wagyu with truffle glacé? You don’t have to tell us twice. Take your hot date or your hot mistress. Either will be impressed.

11. Lincoln’s Haberdashery

Chef Shortino did it again when he opened up Lincoln’s Haberdashery in early 2018. It’s one of the coolest hangouts in town, and everything on the menu is good. Our go-to is the 13th: house-made mozzarella, La Quercia prosciutto, fresh basil, and extra virgin olive oil.

12. 300 East

A Charlotte classic with Ashley Boyd at the helm of the knock-out dessert program. Wood sorrel ice cream with lavender honey cake? YES, WE’LL TAKE 300 PLEASE.

13. Beef & Bottle

Photo from wheretraveler.com

Beef & Bottle has been around for 40+ years in Charlotte, and it’s as old school of a steakhouse as you can find. It’s a great date night or special occasion location. They also might have the tastiest onion rings in Charlotte.

14. Siggy’s Good Food

Organic at its best. Siggy is cooking up some of the best food around, and it happens to be good for you, too. Everything on her menu we’ve enjoyed, but our go-to is the steak sandwich.

15. Flour Shop

The best pasta in Charlotte is at Flour Shop. Go sit at their gigantic bar and watch the chefs do their thing Their house-made burrata is a must order.

16. Lang Van

Lang Van is Charlotte’s best Vietnamese restaurant. The service here is incredible. We’ve gone six months without eating here and they still remember our orders. It’s pretty amazing. Oh, and the food is incredible, too.

17. Seoul Food Meat Co.

A BBQ Joint with a Korean twist. Everything here is good and is known to cause middle of the night cravings. The unique sides have us coming back over and over again. Our favorites are the date tea, brisket, fire chicken, tofu wings, and potato swirl.

18. La Belle Helene

Charlotte’s new French restaurant is an instant hit for its food and stunning art deco decor. You can tell if a French restaurant is good based on the chicken, and LBH’s chicken is off the chain. Also, don’t forget about their desserts, including this amazing rhum baba.

19. Inizio Pizza napoletana

Inizio’s Neapolitan style pizza takes the cake, or dare we say pie, for the best Charlotte-based pizza place. If you’ve never been, try their classic margherita and the pistachio. Also, don’t sleep on the cannoli.

20. Bang Bang Burgers

The best burgers in town are at Bang Bang. Their short-lived Bang Bang Bites were a quick favorite of ours, but we keep going back for the big guys. Make sure you order the onion rings.

21. Sea Level

In general, Charlotte lacks good seafood restaurants. Sea Level is changing that, bringing in fresh local fish from the coast. Their lobster rolls are off the chain, and don’t overlook their fried chicken sandwich.

22. Ru Sans

We’ve tried all the local sushi joints, and we keep coming back to Ru Sans over all the rest. Our staple rolls are the Green Dragon, Ultimate Tuna, Sunshine, and the Chipotle Roll. Haters, back down. We also are not ranking them based on the lunch buffet. Chill. And don’t eat at sushi buffets. That’s on you.

23. Omaggio Pizzaria

The Roman-style pizza at Omaggios is just a bit behind Inizio, but not by much. It’s a thiner crust here, but the ingredients are top notch. Try something with pepperoni, which we think is the best in town.

24. Tea Fusion cafe

We’ve been known to drive up to University late at night, pugs in tow, to have the best bubble tea, shaved ice, and Vietnamese sandwiches in Charlotte. If you’re into Thai iced tea, Tea Fusion has one of the tastiest in Charlotte.

25. Laurel market

Laurel Market has the Charlotte breakfast sandwich game wrapped up, and they are all between 4-6 dollars. We especially love the Mercado, which is bacon, egg, and pepper jack cheese with spicy chipotle spread.

Never Doubt Phil Rosenthal: Go to Langer's Delicatessan

Background:
Here at Scallionpancake headquarters, we are obsessed with Phil Rosenthal. You might know him as the creator of Everybody Loves Raymond, but we know him as the star of the best food show in the world: Somebody Feed Phil. Phil is our type of guy. He’s Jewish. He loves good food. He loves to travel and centers his travel around food. And he would talk to anyone or anything. We can’t say enough good things about Phil, and he seems like the nicest guy in Hollywood.

Phil has been many places we have been, including Copenhagen, where we basically used his episode like a travel guide and he did not disappoint us. So when we knew we were going to LA, Phil’s home, we had to go where he said to go. Phil’s Los Angeles episode came out in 2015, but a lot has changed in three years. Some places have shut down, moved, or changed chefs; however, the one place that has not changed and will probably never change is Langer’s Deli.

Langer’s is a Jewish style deli that was opened in 1947 by Albert Langer to cater to an influx of Jews that were moving into Los Angeles. He bought the space for $14,500 and started operating the deli with just his wife and a dishwasher. Today, Langer’s is an institution, receiving the American Classic award from the James Beard Foundation in 2001, and, of course, receiving the highest accolade by Phil, who named it the best Pastrami sandwich in the world.

There are very few traditional Jewish delis left in the country. Most in New York have shut down, leaving Katz on the Lower East Side as the lone survivor. Langer’s is the NY Jewish Deli of Los Angeles, and in a lot of ways it outshines the New York originals.

We went to Langer’s with my parents, knowing that my dad loves old school Jewish delis. He talks about dearly departed ones in New York a lot, and whenever we go to a city he is always looking for that slice of the past. My dad has also recently taken up eating meat, after about a 20 year hiatus. So it was go-time on pastrami. My dad, and my grandma, and probably my grandma’s grandma, also have a yearning for good Jewish rye bread, which we just don’t get in Charlotte. I guess the one good thing they could get in the shtetls in Europe was rye bread. Once you’ve had a real rye, it’s hard to go to the local bakeries and feel impressed. So, if you want to remain impressed by Charlotte’s bread scene, don’t go to Langer’s.

Eat This:
If you are going once, there is only one thing to order, and that’s the #19. This is a pastrami reuben with hot pastrami, Swiss, Russian dressing, and coleslaw served on their famous twice baked rye bread. When the waiter gives you the menu with a million items don’t even look at it. PUT THAT MENU DOWN. Don’t try and out think your Langer’s experience, do what you came here for and get the #19. If you’re going with multiple people, let them make the mistake of not getting the #19.

#19

Hot pastrami, coleslaw, Swiss, Russian dressing, rye bread

This is as good as advertised. You haven’t had pastrami until you’ve had the hot pastrami from Langer’s or Katz Deli. What sets this apart is the rye bread. It’s the best rye bread in the world. They don’t make the bread on site, but they bake it again once it gets to the deli, which makes the crust perfectly crunchy and the inside so soft.

Pastrami Fries

Here’s the sign of a great place. Their fries were outstanding. They were the perfect balance of slightly crunchy on the outside and soft and moist on the inside. Top it with their famous pastrami and cheese and YAHTZEE ––you’ve got yourself a new Langer’s classic.

Tomato sardines

You are either into sardines or you aren’t. If you are, these sardines swimming in tomato sauce are delicious and a great way to start your meal. Plus they come with a side of rye bread, which you will want to start hoarding immediately once you taste it.

Drink This:

Egg Cream

Egg creams are staples of traditional Jewish delis. They consist of milk, carbonated water, and chocolate syrup. (Confused? Yes, there is no egg or cream in the egg cream). I guess this was a tactic back in the day to get your kids to drink more milk. If you’ve never had an egg cream, Langer’s is a great place to have your first.

Atmosphere:
Langer’s has the old school Jewish vibe down pat. You walk in and you feel like you’re in 50s or 60s New York, but with a classic Los Angeles twist. This article from the Los Angeles Times in 1986 paints a great picture of some of the conversations happening at Langer’s and the atmosphere, which hasn’t changed in 60+ years. It’s a great place to bring your parents or grandparents just for this reason––they’ll feel like they are back in time.

Angelino Jewish Hospitality:
Our waiter, Peter, seemed to have worked at Langers for 30+ years, like most of the other waiters. The place is run like a well-oiled machine. There is a line to wait in outside before you are seated, but on the Saturday we went, we only had to wait about five minutes. Once you’re in, you’re taken to your seat and the magic begins where you hop on a time machine a few decades back. The extra touches are added, such as extra rye bread, pickles, or whatever else you need. You also pay upfront at the cash register, right in front of a Dodgers #19 jersey.

Frankie’s Notes:
If Frankie could be made into one bread when he dies, it would be the rye bread from Langer’s; #19 happens to be the best thing on the menu and Yvonne’s favorite number, so it worked out well for her; Pro Tip: Don’t be scared to order two #19s and take one home with you; My mom ordered the chopped liver sandwich, and that was a huge mistake; Don’t miss the halva by the cash register when you’re checking out!

Rating: 5 out of 5

Langer’s is the best Jewish-style deli on the West Coast. It might even be the best in the US, and this is coming from both Phil (a native New Yorker) and Jason (lived in New York for seven years). Bernard (my dad) also said it was the best of the best, and was glad we made a detour to go. As Phil knows, a compliment from your dad that a restaurant is good is pretty much the highest compliment a place can receive.

PS––the fact that I just wrote Phil and Jason in the same sentence made one of the top 10 moments of my life.

Bernard looking over the gigantic menu (PUT IT DOWN BERNARD!! #19 only!)

 

Majordomo is David Chang's Latest Food Mecca

Background:
It’s no secret that we love David Chang. So, this review is going to be biased. I hope you’ll forgive us. We’ve been to many of his US restaurants, including Noodle Bar, Ko, Ssäm Bar, Má Pêche, Momofuku Las Vegas. We tried to go to Momofuku CCDC, but there was a two hour wait. So, if you’re expecting a semi-negative review, you can read this one by Jonathan Gold, may he rest in peace.

Let’s first start with how you get a reservation and a little insight into how some members of the family feel about our food hobby. Majordomo opens up reservations 30 days out. You’d better be ready, or else you’re not getting a reservation. I am a master of snagging reservations, so I got one for Monday night. However, we were with my parents and visiting family in Santa Monica, and everyone refused to drive to downtown LA for a dinner reservation. We eventually convinced my parents to go and got a reservation for four. However, in a disappointing turn of events, they decided to take a train to San Diego rather than eat with us at Majordomo and drive to San Diego afterward. Let that sink in. They preferred to take a train three hours rather than eat at a Chang restaurant and get to San Diego in two hours by car, with their loving family. Ahem. I will hold this against both of them for all eternity, as any good Jew would.

Normally I wouldn’t care, but at Majordomo you want to try a lot of things, and with six people, you can try almost half the menu. With two, we could get a few dishes but it left us wanting more. Now that some parts of the family will never talk to us again, let’s get down to business.

Majordomo opened on January 23, 2018 in an LA warehouse on the edge of Chinatown. This place is off the beaten path, and when we showed up, it took us about five minutes to realize we were in the right place and not in a random alley about to get mugged. This is Chang’s 13th restaurant, and the first in LA. He moved to LA to open the restaurant and also start his media company, Majordomo Media, under which he currently does a great podcast about once a week. If you haven’t listened to the David Choe episode, go ahead and give that one a listen. It’s an instant classic.

Mojodōmo by night

Majordomo is unlike any of Chang’s other restaurants. For one, it’s massive, wIth a huge interior and exterior patio. There is no bumping elbows at crappy seats like his original Noodle Bar. There is a large focus on vegetable dishes, something that Chang has admittedly stayed away from in the past. It feels very LA, but still retains the feel of the Momofuku brand. You’ll see familiar ingredients, such as Benton’s Reserve ham and Crown Finish Caves’ cave aged butter. You’ll also be able to enjoy one of Chang’s signature large sharing plates, which at Majordomo is a whole smoked pork shoulder. We didn’t get that this time, thanks mom and dad. #notbitter.

All in all, it’s an instant Chang classic. It’s already been named one of the top new restaurants in the country by Eater, and it’s sure to remain hot in LA for the near future. On the night we went, Chang was there supervising everything, so make sure you get there soon while he’s still honing and perfecting the menu, and maybe you too will be fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of a food god in action.

Eat this:
Majordomo is only open for dinner, and we went the day after Daylight Savings Time, which means terrible lighting for our pictures. We apologize in advance.

Bing

With foie gras, ricotta, jam

For bread, Majordomo does a play on a traditional Chinese bread, called bing. They give you about ten options of dipping accouterments, including spicy lamb, ham, pork neck, and cave aged butter with white sturgeon caviar. We decided to go with the foie gras with ricotta and jam. The foie gras was chilled and shaved, an homage to one of the most famous dishes at Chang’s Ko in New York. The waitress described this as tasting like peanut butter and jelly, but that doesn’t do the dish justice. This was an A+ winner.

Grilled Prime Skirt Steak

With pickled onion rings and french onion dip

BREAKING PUG NEWS: the pickled onion rings were one of the top five things we’ve eaten all year, hands down. I love sides, and often order dishes based on the sides. The steak was incredible, but the onion rings outshined the steak and frankly blew our minds.

Smoked Cabbage

brown butter, macadamia

I gravitate towards anything smoked, and this cabbage was like eating tender brisket on the plains of Texas. It doesn’t stick out on the menu, but it’s a must try. Shout out to our great waitress for suggesting it.

Fried Skate Rice

Scallion, egg, chili sauce

They fried up a whole skate and put it in there, and some of it wouldn’t fit, so they put it on the side for us. This was a take on fried rice I’ve never had. Jonathan Gold described it as a play on bibimbap, which I totally agree with. This was good, though not one of my favorites of the night.

Desserts:

Banana/Chocolate Pudding

This thing had more layers than Pete Davidson/Ariana Grande’s relationship. Chocolate pudding, banana mouse, chocolate cake bits. If we weren’t extremely full (and hadn’t already ordered another dessert), we probably would have had two of these.

Passion Fruit Kakigori

with lemon meringue

This was big, like Big Bird, or Yvonne’s diamond ring #bling. Passion fruit is an underrated fruit if you ask me, and the passionfruit shaved ice with the meringue made for a great end to the meal.

Drink:
I ordered the iced tea, which I think I had about three before realizing there were no free refills. Yvonne ordered the Gibson, which was gin, dry vermouth, and kimchi consommé served in a chilled Lucky Peach Momofuku labeled bottle. Yvonne loved this drink and tried to bribe the waitress to keep the Momofuku bottle, but she wouldn’t let us. I believe this is Yvonne’s second biggest regret of her life after not eating the Chocolate Bomba at Astrid and Gaston in Peru.

Atmosphere:
I loved the open feel of the restaurant and the large patio. We ended up sitting out on the patio and making new best friends in Grace and Gillian, both LA power players who work in the industry, and that’s all we can say about that. We ended up giving them half of our meal, because we ordered for at least four people, even though it was just us (don’t ever let the waitress tell you how to live your life, no matter how many times she says that you’ve ordered more than enough food for two people). We had the best of times. I even committed to hook up my friend Branden with Grace’s new boyfriend’s ex-wife. LA BABY.

Yes, ladies and gentlemen, that’s David Chang you see there looking through the kitchen.

Majordomo Hospitality:
In most of Chang’s other restaurants, the service can range from aloof to hostile. You are there to eat, not to chat up the waiters at Noodle Bar. Majordomo is completely different, and the servers are friendly and attentive. They even have blankets for those outside who are chilly, like my wife. The waitress guided us through the menu and recommended items to us, some of which we completely ignored, but those we did get on her suggestion were top notch.

Frankie’s Notes:
Frankie would have gone along to Majordomo with mom and dad to eat his fair share, if only his face wasn’t smooshed and he could travel in a plane; Pickled onion rings should win David Chang a Nobel Prize for S-e-x-y; Gillian had a great idea of making the Kakori shaved ice alcoholic, something we are going to support in 2020 with CA Prop 72; Never ask if you can take an item from a restaurant, just stick in your purse and beg for forgiveness later; Never forget the pen incident of May 2018.

Rating: 5 out of 5 + 1 Michigan pug

 

Angeline's: Uptown Charlotte's Modern Italian Gem

Background:
Angeline’s opened around this time last year on the ground floor of the Kimpton Hotel. While Scallionpancake has yet to venture to the top level of the Kimpton (we’re looking at you, Merchant & Trade and your dress code), we’ve been on two lovely visits to Angeline’s for their modern take on Italian-American cuisine. Executive Chef Robert Hoffman cut his culinary teeth on the Chicago restaurant scene, so it’s no surprise that he knows his stuff. He is also the Executive Chef for Merchant & Trade, as both restaurants are owned by the Kimpton group. We guess this means we’d better suck it up and try it one day soon. We will report back once we buy a belt and heels. Not saying who’s wearing what, though.

Oh, and heads up: we recently learned we were mispronouncing Angeline’s for a long, embarrassing time. It’s Ang-uh-leen’s, not Ange-line’s. Don’t make a fools of yourselves like we did.

Below is a compilation of dishes we tried over two visits, one last December and one in September of this year.

Eat This:

Little Gem Caesar

Anchovy, focaccia crouton

We loved the whole anchovy on top. A great, simple Caesar.

Focaccia

With olive tapenade

Decent focaccia. I always wish it had more oil and salt, though.

Fritto Misto

Fried Calamari, lemon okra, Calabrian Chili aioli

Two thumbs up.

Polpette

Lamb and pork, pomodoro, Taleggio fonduta

We loved these meatballs. Instagram went wild for them, too.

Whipped Ricotta

Sourdough, lavender honey, pistachio

The best appetizer on the menu. You can’t come to Angeline’s and not order this. You won’t be disappointed.

Gnocchi

With peas & asparagus

This dish appears to no longer be on the menu, but it was a great one. Very fresh, and the gnocchi was cooked perfectly.

Margherita

Fresh mozzarella, Heirloom tomatoes, torn basil, Pecorino, tomato sauce

The pizza is good, but I think the pasta is the way to go at Angeline’s. There are better pizzas in town.

Linguine

with clams

My dad had this, and he enjoyed it.

Cacio E Pepe

Chive, shaved Parmesan, Tellicherry pepper

Simple and flavorful. All of the pasta is made in house, and they don’t muddy it up with too many ingredients.

Pappardelle

Bolognese, crispy Guanciale

I’ve gotten this pasta twice, and it’s perfect. I always crave a pasta with meat sauce, and this is my favorite place to come when my mom isn’t around to make hers.

Dessert:

Budino

Butterscotch custard, caramel, creme fraiche chantilly cream

One of the best desserts in Charlotte. Yeah, we said it.

On the whole, the food is delicious. Some dishes are better than others (again, skip the pizza), but nothing we’ve tried has been bad.

Drink:
Henry Schmulling directs Angeline’s bar program (and Merchant & Trade’s), and he seems to be killing it with cocktails, if Instagram is any indication (and we believe it is). We have only tried wine at Angeline’s, and the list is thoughtfully curated and reasonably priced. We are looking forward to trying some of his cocktails on our next visit.

Atmosphere:
We totally dig the atmosphere. It’s fairly upscale and romantic, but you don’t feel out of place in jeans. There is an abundance of cozy booth seating, and most seats in the house have a great vantage point of the bar and the kitchen.

The bar at Angeline’s. Image courtesy of the fabulous QC Exclusive

An-gul-EEN’s Hospitality:
We have had the best service here. Both of our servers were very informative and provided just the right amount of attentiveness. We always feel like we are in good hands when we dine here.

Frankie’s Notes:
Restaurant menus should come with a full pronounciation guide that includes the name of the restaurant in question; Did you know that McDonald’s is actually pronounced MacDonwald’s?; The more you know; My dad insists he doesn’t like ricotta, but he had no issues devouring that whipped ricotta with lavender honey; Doesn’t that budino look like it’s wearing a snazzy little suit?

Rating: 4 out of 5