Highest-rated Southern restaurants in Charlotte by diners
When you travel below the Mason-Dixon Line, you'll find some of the most mouthwatering, comforting cuisine in the U.S.: Southern food.
Southern dishes are a vital part of American cuisine, from hush puppies to ham hocks and beignets to barbecue. It's impossible to define a classic Southern meal, but a solid one starts with the sharp savory flavor of pimento cheese dip, followed by the delicious crunchiness of fried chicken or a spicy Louisiana étouffée, culminating with a sugary slice of chess pie that's best washed down with a tall glass of sweet tea.
What's unique about Southern fare is that multiple ethnic and cultural groups have influenced it. Spanish staples, such as potatoes and cocoa, are in many Southern dishes; the Acadians, who traveled to Louisiana from Nova Scotia and later became Louisiana Creoles, contributed their seafood to many Southern meals; African ingredients—okra, sorghum (an ancient grain), and black-eyed peas—became a part of the cuisine through the forced labor of enslaved people; French cooking methods, like braising and sautéing, are used for many Southern recipes; and Native Americans introduced corn to Southern recipes, yielding dishes like succotash and grits.
The Southern culinary scene is an explosion of cultures. To find out where you can sample some Southern offerings, Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated Southern restaurants in Charlotte using data from Yelp. Data is as of June 11, 2024. Businesses were selected using Yelp's ranking system, which calculates an adjusted rating value that takes into account the number of ratings as well as the rating score itself. Only restaurants with at least 10 reviews were considered. In an effort to highlight independent restaurants and local chains, restaurants with more than five locations nationally, based on the Yelp data, were not included.
Read on to find the perfect spot to get a taste of the South near you.
Note: The photos in this article are stock images and do not necessarily depict the specific restaurants listed or the dishes they serve.
#29. Gallery Restaurant
- Rating: 3.8/5 (171 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 10000 Ballantyne Commons Pkwy The Ballantyne Charlotte, North Carolina
- Categories: new american, steakhouses, southern
- Read more on Yelp
#28. The Roasting Company
- Rating: 3.9/5 (381 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1521 Montford Drive Charlotte, North Carolina
- Categories: southern, chicken wings
- Read more on Yelp
#27. Showmars - Pineville
- Rating: 3.9/5 (59 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 9925 Park Cedar Drive Charlotte, North Carolina
- Categories: greek, southern, burgers
- Read more on Yelp
#26. Rooster's at Southpark
- Rating: 3.9/5 (490 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 6601 Morrison Blvd. Charlotte, North Carolina
- Categories: southern, new american
- Read more on Yelp
#25. Jim 'N Nick's Bar-B-Q
- Rating: 3.9/5 (622 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 13840 Steele Creek Road Charlotte, North Carolina
- Categories: barbeque, southern, sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#24. Showmars - Arrowood Rd
- Rating: 3.9/5 (53 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2216 West Arrowood Road Charlotte, North Carolina
- Categories: greek, southern, sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp
#23. Leroy Fox - South End
- Rating: 3.9/5 (544 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1616 Camden Road Ste 150 Charlotte, North Carolina
- Categories: southern, bars
- Read more on Yelp
#22. Freshwaters
- Rating: 3.9/5 (182 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 516 North Graham St. Charlotte, North Carolina
- Categories: southern, cajun/creole, soul food
- Read more on Yelp
#21. Cuzzo's Cuisine
- Rating: 3.9/5 (361 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3418 Tuckaseegee Road Charlotte, North Carolina
- Categories: southern, seafood, chicken wings
- Read more on Yelp
#20. Tryon House Restaurant
- Rating: 4.0/5 (140 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 215 East Exmore St. Charlotte, North Carolina
- Categories: southern, diners
- Read more on Yelp
#19. The Flying Biscuit Cafe
- Rating: 4.0/5 (937 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4241 Park Road Charlotte, North Carolina
- Categories: new american, breakfast & brunch, southern
- Read more on Yelp
#18. McNinch House Restaurant
- Rating: 4.0/5 (102 reviews)
- Price level: $$$$
- Address: 511 North Church St. Charlotte, North Carolina
- Categories: french, new american, southern
- Read more on Yelp
#17. The Asbury
- Rating: 4.0/5 (352 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 235 North Tryon St. Charlotte, North Carolina
- Categories: southern, new american
- Read more on Yelp
#16. Rooster's Wood - Fired Kitchen
- Rating: 4.1/5 (708 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 150 North College St. Charlotte, North Carolina
- Categories: new american, southern, wine bars
- Read more on Yelp
#15. New South Kitchen & Bar
- Rating: 4.1/5 (231 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 8140 Providence Road Ste 300 Charlotte, North Carolina
- Categories: southern, bars
- Read more on Yelp
#14. The King's Kitchen
- Rating: 4.1/5 (761 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 129 West Trade St. Charlotte, North Carolina
- Categories: american, southern, salad
- Read more on Yelp
#13. Sandra Lee's Country Kitchen
- Rating: 4.1/5 (10 reviews)
- Address: 3321 Freedom Drive Charlotte, North Carolina
- Categories: food trucks, southern
- Read more on Yelp
#12. Showmars - Charlotte
- Rating: 4.1/5 (67 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 10612 Providence Road Ste A Charlotte, North Carolina
- Categories: american, sandwiches, southern
- Read more on Yelp
#11. McKoy's Smokehouse and Saloon
- Rating: 4.1/5 (892 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4630 Old Pineville Road Charlotte, North Carolina
- Categories: barbeque, southern, chicken wings
- Read more on Yelp
#10. SupperClub SouthEnd
- Rating: 4.2/5 (30 reviews)
- Address: 3521 Dewitt Lane Charlotte, North Carolina
- Categories: cocktail bars, southern, tapas/small plates
- Read more on Yelp
#9. M and M Eatery
- Rating: 4.3/5 (12 reviews)
- Address: 1700 Donald Ross Road Charlotte, North Carolina
- Categories: soul food, southern, chicken wings
- Read more on Yelp
#8. The Southern Pecan
- Rating: 4.3/5 (274 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 6706-C Phillips Place Court Charlotte, North Carolina
- Categories: southern, beer bar, cocktail bars
- Read more on Yelp
#7. Uptown Yolk
- Rating: 4.3/5 (125 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1220 South Tryon St. Ste 500 Charlotte, North Carolina
- Categories: southern, chicken wings
- Read more on Yelp
#6. Haberdish
- Rating: 4.3/5 (1647 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3106 North Davidson St. Charlotte, North Carolina
- Categories: southern, cocktail bars
- Read more on Yelp
#5. Supperland
- Rating: 4.4/5 (401 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 1212 The Plz Charlotte, North Carolina
- Categories: southern, steakhouses, cocktail bars
- Read more on Yelp
#4. Kosta's Kitchen
- Rating: 4.4/5 (48 reviews)
- Address: 2925 Yorkmont Road Charlotte, North Carolina
- Categories: salad, breakfast & brunch, southern
- Read more on Yelp
#3. SkyView 22
- Rating: 4.4/5 (17 reviews)
- Address: 9820 Callabridge Court Charlotte, North Carolina
- Categories: southern, food trucks
- Read more on Yelp
#2. Circle G Restaurant
- Rating: 4.4/5 (57 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 4818 Rozzelles Ferry Road Charlotte, North Carolina
- Categories: southern
- Read more on Yelp
#1. The Eagle Charlotte
- Rating: 4.4/5 (308 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2120 South Blvd. Ste 1 Charlotte, North Carolina
- Categories: southern, soul food, american
- Read more on Yelp
This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Rasha Aly, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 143 metros.
