Top 25 Restaurants in Charlotte: 2019 Edition

We know you’ve all been waiting in major anticipation of the Pancake’s Top 25 Charlotte restaurant ranking to drop like it was the latest Star Wars, or, for you Bravo fans, Southern Charm season four million. We had to let 2019 come to an almost-close to give you our 25 best restaurants of the year.

Let's review the rules. First, we only ranked restaurants located in Charlotte proper. This means no Kindred, no places in Gastonia, etc. If you’re looking into Israel from Jordan, you are not in the promised land. Secondly, we didn’t rank any chains with locations outside of Charlotte. This means no Indaco, Hawkers, etc., but somewhere like Yafo can make the list because they only have Charlotte locations. Finally, we had to have eaten at the restaurant. We still haven’t been to Barrington’s, so unfortunately it’s still not going to make the list this year. Maybe we’ll eat there in 2020, who knows?

Without further ado, we present Scallionpancake's Best Charlotte Restaurants of the Year:

1. Bardo

Congratulations to Bardo, which is still the best restaurant in Charlotte, and nowhere else comes close. It remains the only restaurant in town to receive a coveted Michigan Pug. Everything on Mike Noll’s menu is excellent, and Amanda Britton’s cocktails are perfection. Also, how about 20% off on Mondays and Tuesdays at the bar? See you pancakes there.

2. The Stanley

The Stanley moves up to #2 on the list for 2019. Everything on the Verica’s menu is stellar, but if you haven’t tried their burger, which is hands down the best in Charlotte, then you haven’t lived. We are also very hype about Alex’s special brunch donut.

3. Haberdish

Haberdish is Jeff Tonidandel & Jamie Brown’s love note to Charlotte, and it serves up the best quintessential “Charlotte” food around. If we’re taking an out of town guest to one restaurant to give them a feel for Charlotte’s food scene, this is it. Of course, don’t you dare sleep on brunch or Colleen Hughes’ magical cocktails.

4. Peppervine

A newcomer to the Charlotte scene, Anita & Bill Greene (of Banner Elk’s Artisanal) opened up Peppervine in the spring and it has quickly become one of the best restaurants in Charlotte. Pimento cheese biscuits? Yes, please. Vadouvan Cauliflower? Meet you there in ten minutes.

5. Soul Gastrolounge

Soul has a special place in our hearts. It’s where we had our first date. It’s where we fell in love with peacocks as wall decor. It has everything, from sushi to pork belly tacos, and they pull every dish off spectacularly. The most fun hang in Charlotte, and still one of the best restaurants in town. Make sure you order something off the daily special menu!

6. Dot Dot Dot

Chef Daniel Wheeler took over the helm at this Park Road speakeasy, and the food has never been better. Chef Wheeler does a great job of gently introducing you to unique meats such rabbit and foie gras.

7. Uptown Yolk

Greg Collier moved his breakfast joint from Rock Hill to 7th Street Market, and dear lord baby Jesus is it incredible. Chef Collier’s Tennessee fries are the best potatoes in town, and where else can you eat James Beard nominated food out of a tin foil bowl?

8. futo Buta

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

9. 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. Get the lamb kebab and lots of sides (especially the Batata Harra).

10. The Porter’s House

We’re always wary of steak places, but Chef Rob Clement is putting his mark on this Ballantyne chophouse. Get a steak for sure, but don’t sleep on his delicious smoked pasta, pimento cheese beignets, and creative ice cream flavors.

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

Ashley Boyd handed over the pastry duties to Laney Jahkel-Parish at the beginning of the year to focus on improving the savory side of the menu. The desserts are as top notch as ever, and the main menu improves every day. A classic Charlotte institution which is reinventing itself as we speak.

13. Sweet Lew’s BBQ

I judge a BBQ place based on its brisket, and Sweet Lew’s has the best brisket in town. This hole-in-the-wall, get-it-until-it’s sold-out joint has the best smoked meats you’ll find in Charlotte. Also, if you see bacon on the menu as a special, get it. It’s fantastic.

14. Crepe Cellar

Another gem from Jamie Brown and Jeff Tonidandel, Crepe Cellar serves up consistently delicious scratch-made dishes including pasta, burrata, ice cream, and more. It’s not just crepes at this NoDa staple (however, you should order Crêpes Suzette for good measure).

15. Yafo Kitchen

This isn’t your typical fast casual restaurant. Israeli Chef Shai Fargian makes everything from scratch with so much love, from the laffah bread to the chicken schnitzel. His Israeli hot chicken sandwich took Charlotte by storm and put any talk of “chicken sandwich wars” to rest for once and for all.

16. Lang Van

Lang Van is Charlotte’s best Vietnamese restaurant. The service is incredible. We’ve gone six months without eating here and they still remember our orders. The menu is huge, but there’s not a misstep in the bunch. Every order is a good one.

17. OmAGGIO

Daniel Siragusa has poured his heart and soul into this Midtown eatery, and his passion is evident in every bite. Our lives were forever changed by the pepperoni pizza with honey and espresso, not to mention the chestnut soup, tiramisu, garlic rolls…need we say more?

18. Fig Tree

The Fig Tree is a traditional yet solid choice for fine dining in the QC. We are particularly fond of Molly Coen’s inventive dessert offerings. The ambiance is romantic and the service is top-notch.

19. 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 focaccia and burrata is a must order.

20. 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 and the second best burger in Charlotte after The Stanely. It’s our family’s go-to before a Panthers game.

21. Noble Smoke

Politics aside, we really dig the food at Noble Smoke. The ribs are incredible, and there’s no stopping the fried hand pies. We also think their selection of sides is standout, even though the brisket is still a second place finish to our sweet, Sweet Lew’s.

22. Angeline’s

Angeline’s has become our favorite upscale Uptown spot this year. From the pasta to whipped ricotta, we’ve never been disappointed. This is also a great pre-Panther’s game option.

23. Capishe

Capishe was the biggest surprise of 2019 for us. How could a fast casual Italian place be so delicious? Because it’s all made from scratch, and Chef Cavalier isn’t afraid of seasonings. Praise be the San Lorenzo pasta!

24. Flip-A-Lo’s

Flip-a-Lo’s is a hidden gem tucked away in an unassuming strip mall. With their homemade dough for breadsticks and buffalo pizza sticks and fresh-not-frozen wings, there’s no better caloric splurge 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.

Top Five Dishes of 2019

The happiest place on Earth is at the Carolina Renaissance Festival

Scallionpancake Top Dishes of 2019: 
In addition to our top five restaurants of 2019, we decided to spice things up and rate our top five dishes of 2019, like we did last year. Sometimes, we really love a particular dish at a certain restaurant, or something smaller at a casual place that is worthy of the title of "best dish," when "best restaurant" doesn't quite make the cut. Without further ado, here are our top five dishes of 2019! 

Jason

1. PARMIGIANO

Schwa, Chicago, IL

This dish blew our minds. Parmesan, banana, nori brittle, and honey combined for an overload of sensory experiences. I think about this dish at least once a day.

2. Salted and Dried berries from the summer

Noma, Copenhagen, Denmark

My favorite dish of the seafood season at Noma was the dessert of sheep’s milk and dried berries from the previous summer.

This dish reminded us of a dish we had at Noma Under the Bridge a few years before, except this was taken up to 100. A classic Noma dish - so simple, yet so complex.

3. Lamb Rump

Haar, St Andrews, Scotland

The surprise restaurant of the year for me was Haar in St Andrews, and would have made my top five restaurants list if we didn’t go to so many crazy places.

Everything here was amazing, but the lamb rump with cafe du Paris sauce was the clear winner for me. I ordered this twice in two days.

4. Octopus

Pujol, Mexico City, Mexico

We went to Quintonil and Pujol on the same day, Pujol being second which tarnished our experience because we were so full from Quintonil. But this Octopus was the single best thing I had in Mexico.

The octopus is smothered in a paste made of chintexle, which is a chile, and chapulines, which is grasshopper. Grasshoppers are served everywhere in Mexico, and they are delicious once you get over the whole eating bugs thing, which I admit did take me a few tries.

5. Hot Chicken Sandwich

Hattie B’s, Nashville, TN

It wouldn’t be a top five list for me without a sandwich, and this year’s best sandwich went to Hattie B’s hot chicken sandwich in Nashville.

Served with pickles, coleslaw, and comeback sauce, this sandwich lives up to all the hype. Even my dad liked it—enough said.

Yvonne

1. Salted & Dried Berries From the Summer

Noma, Copenhagen, Denmark

The baby pinecones are back, BABY. I freaking love dried fruit, and this was slightly dried, slightly macerated fruit goodness with those sweet and sour chewy pinecones and the sheep’s milk. DO NOT PASS GO DO NOT COLLECT $200. Ugh. I wish I could eat this every day of my life. Swoon.

2. Apricot

Schwa, Chicago, IL

I probably could have picked three things from Schwa (this, the banana/Parmesan, and the raviolo), but I’ll edit myself to just this one.

I loved the sweet apricot with the earthy Taleggio, and the light and floral wine sauce that pulled the whole thing together. Just fab.

3. Scallops in the Shell

The Kitchin, Edinburgh, Scotland

The Kitchin may have just one Michelin star, but I would like to go ahead and give this dish an honorary three stars.

The puff pastry was doughy, and the creamy sauce surrounding the scallops hit every single one of my tastebuds. And the presentation when it was cut open table-side?! OY VEY. A masterpiece. I think about this dish often.

4. Mole Madre

Pujol, Mexico City, Mexico

Even though Pujol didn’t make either of our top fives, it was still delicious. It just happened to be up against some real contenders this year. The mole madre alone, however, is worthy of a visit to Mexico City.

I loved the mole madre on its own, mixed with the new mole, on the fresh flour tortilla, and straight up on a spoon. To. Die. For.

5. Black Truffle Explosion

Alinea, Chicago, IL

Okay, okay – I know I snubbed Alinea on my top five. And I feel terrible about it, but overall it just didn’t wow me as much as it did Jason. It was all solid, but not over the top. The signature Black Truffle Explosion dish, however? Um, yup. Sufficiently blown away by the amount of flavor packed in this tiny bite. A++++.

I know Jason won’t be pleased at this, but I am going to do a secondary top five for my non-fancypants dishes. He would say they should all be on one list and that I should choose. Well, I won’t and I didn’t. SORRY JASON. Love you, tuna.

Yvonne’s Non-FancyPants Top Five

1. Greg Collier’s Chicken Skins

Charlotte, NC

I don’t know where I am going to get these now at Loft & Cellar is done for, maybe at Leah & Louise? I need them in my life. Chef!

They have a similar seasoning to his Tennessee fries, and they are so chewy yet crispy, savory yet sweet, and just intensely flavored. I LOVE THEM.

2. mushroom Toast

Borough Market, London, UK

A stall in London’s Borough Market sold mostly fresh fruits and vegetables, but they also had two hot food options. One was roasted asparagus with a cream sauce, and the other was a giant vat of the most beautiful mushrooms I’ve ever seen in my life.

They served the sautéed mushrooms with grated cheese, herbs, and a piece of sourdough toast. It was the coolest thing to watch, and one of the best comfort foods I’ve ever had. So simple and savory. I wish I could have this for lunch every day!

3. Buffalo Pizza Sticks

Flip-a-Lo’s, Charlotte, NC

I cant’t really overhype Flip-a-Lo’s Buffalo Pizza Sticks, because they are worthy of all of the praise anyone has to offer. Freshly made bread. Fresh (not frozen) chicken wing pieces, and gooey mozzarella. If you are in Charlotte and you haven’t tried Flip-a-Lo’s yet, you are missing out for real.

4. S’mores Cake

The Batchmaker, Charlotte, NC

There are not enough words in the English language to describe how sweet Cristina Rojas Agurcia is, or how decadently delicious her baked goods are. This is hands-down the best bakery we’ve ever had in Charlotte.

MOIST cakes (yeah, not only did I say the “m word,” I capitalized it), fun flavors, a perfect amount of sugar, interesting textures. Just good-gash-darn. She’s a bakery legend in her own time, and we’re lucky she calls Charlotte home.

5. San Lorenzo Pasta

Capishe, Charlotte, NC

It would be a shame if you slept on Capishe. Don’t let it get lost in the Charlotte restaurant waves, people. Everything is made fresh, and the amount of spice and love that Chef Cavalier puts into this San Lorenzo pasta gets me daydreaming about it on the reg. My favorite pasta in Charlotte, easy.

Top Five Restaurants of 2019

Roca Nation

It’s hard to believe, but this is our fifth year blogging. This year, of all the years, was exceptionally hard to pick our top five restaurants since we went to so many amazing places. But this is why we’re paid the big bucks - to make the hard choices. Which of them made our ultimate list for 2019? Read on to find out!

Jason

Clear Bread

1. ENIGMA

Barcelona, Spain

As I look back on the year, the most fun night of high end meals was at Enigma. The setting of the restaurant, the movement through different rooms, and the overall elevation of the food makes it my best restaurant of the year.

A play on a steak frites, with main dish being vegetable steak with a side of beef.

2. Blue Hill at Stone Barns

Tarrytown, NY

Blue Hill is the first high end restaurant we’ve been where each table got a different menu. The amount of skill and coordination it takes to pull this off is incredible. We wish we could have dined at a time other than 10:30pm, but alas you take what you can get.

Crab on crab on crab

3. Noma

Copenhagen, Denmark

We now make an annual trip to Copenhagen to visit Noma because we like Copenhagen and we like giving our money to Rene Redzepi. We thought the vegetable season in 2018 was better than the seafood season, but it was still an amazing meal and experience.

Look at this presentation!

4. AlINEA

Chicago, IL

I freaking loved everything about Alinea. It was two hours. Every course had a purpose. Everything on the table had a purpose. The balloon tasted better than expected. It was the rare top level restaurant that left you wanting more, and that’s the feeling I want when I leave a fine dining restaurant.

Duck taco

5. QUINTONIL

Mexico City, Mexico

Mexico was even better than expected for us, and Quintonil was the highlight of our trip. Each course was emaculate, and really showcased the abudence and magic of Mexican cooking. You could see Chef Jorge Vallejo’s influence from Noma and Pujol to create a menu unique his own.

I got to play St. Andrews this year, which was the ultimate highlight

Yvonne

HIT THE LINKS

TEE OFF

1. SCHWA

Chicago, IL

I know that Jason is going to be floored by my #1 pick, but I will not deny my love for Schwa. I had zero expectations going in, and Alinea was ostensibly the main event of the weekend, but this was the first restaurant other than Noma where I found every single dish over-the-top delicious.

Even the drinks were fun

2. ENIGMA

Barcelona, Spain

There isn’t a restaurant in the world like Enigma (well, that I know of). It’s hard for me to pick a standout dish from our meal, but the overall experience and interactive elements make this place so special.

This is pre-dinner, and already two hours past his bedtime

3. Blue Hill at Stone Barns

Tarrytown, NY

I hate that I always forget about Blue Hill since we were so tired from our 10:30 p.m. reservation. The whole thing feels like a fever dream, but when I reflect on the experience, it was truly exceptional in every way. That chocolate sourdough bread (and squash pie, pictured)!

Fresh to death even right after a flight overseas

4. El Celler De Can Roca

Girona, Spain

While you didn’t move around like at Enigma, El Celler de can Roca was so whimsical and creative. The desserts we had here were truly unforgettable, and I loved seeing my dad experience his first Michelin star restaurant.

Our family now includes chefs

5. Kitchen Table

London, UK

This was a hard pick for me as Alinea nearly edged it out, but I think the creativity and flavor – plus the awesome setting – make Kitchen Table the winner of my fifth spot. Some of our dining companions soured this one for me since they weren’t into the experience, but it really was incredible. And how often do you get face time with the chef like that?!

Honorable Mention: Anomaly

Charlotte, NC

Chef Sam Hart’s Anomaly pop-up was really something amazing, and it felt even more special since we attended his very first one. The energy was palpable and the food was top notch, especially considering everything was produced in a home kitchen. We can’t wait to see more at his first ticketed pop-up next week!

I hope 2020 has this many fun animals in it