Highest-rated Southern Restaurants in Charlotte by Diners

Mohamed-Kareem Mohamed // Shutterstock

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 hushpuppies 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 the Charlotte area using data from Yelp as of May 2, 2025. 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 20 reviews tagged as "southern" on Yelp within a 10-kilometer radius of Charlotte were included. As a result, some restaurants featured may serve other food items.

Read on to find the perfect spot to get a taste of the South near you.

You may also like: Highest-rated barbecue restaurants in the Charlotte area by diners

#28. Tupelo Honey Southern Kitchen & Bar

- Rating: 3.8/5 (897 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 101 South Tryon St. Ste 130 Charlotte, North Carolina
- Categories: Southern, New American, Breakfast & Brunch
- Read more on Yelp

#27. Mimosa Grill

- Rating: 3.8/5 (761 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 327 South Tryon St. Charlotte, North Carolina
- Categories: Southern, New American
- Read more on Yelp

#26. The Roasting Company

- Rating: 3.8/5 (395 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1521 Montford Drive Charlotte, North Carolina
- Categories: Southern, Chicken Wings
- Read more on Yelp

#25. Rooster's at Southpark

- Rating: 3.9/5 (531 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 6601 Morrison Blvd. Charlotte, North Carolina
- Categories: Southern, New American
- Read more on Yelp

#24. Leroy Fox - South End

- Rating: 3.9/5 (585 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1616 Camden Road Ste 150 Charlotte, North Carolina
- Categories: Southern, Bars
- Read more on Yelp

You may also like: Highest-rated steak restaurants in the Charlotte area by diners

#23. Freshwaters

- Rating: 3.9/5 (200 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 516 North Graham St. Charlotte, North Carolina
- Categories: Southern, Cajun/Creole, Soul Food
- Read more on Yelp

#22. Showmars - Arrowood Rd

- Rating: 3.9/5 (54 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 2216 West Arrowood Road Charlotte, North Carolina
- Categories: Greek, Southern, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

#21. Tryon House Restaurant

- Rating: 3.9/5 (144 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 215 East Exmore St. Charlotte, North Carolina
- Categories: Southern, Diners
- Read more on Yelp

#20. The Flying Biscuit Cafe

- Rating: 4.0/5 (982 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4241 Park Road Charlotte, North Carolina
- Categories: New American, Breakfast & Brunch, Southern
- Read more on Yelp

#19. Showmars - Pineville

- Rating: 4.0/5 (65 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 9925 Park Cedar Drive Charlotte, North Carolina
- Categories: Greek, Southern, Burgers
- Read more on Yelp

You may also like: Highest-rated dessert shops in the Charlotte area by diners

#18. SupperClub SouthEnd

- Rating: 4.0/5 (48 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3521 Dewitt Lane Charlotte, North Carolina
- Categories: Cocktail Bars, Southern, Tapas/Small Plates
- Read more on Yelp

#17. 3rd & Fernwood

- Rating: 4.0/5 (52 reviews)
- Address: 1100 Metropolitan Ave. Ste 170 Charlotte, North Carolina
- Categories: Southern, Burgers, Sandwiches
- Read more on Yelp

#16. McNinch House Restaurant

- Rating: 4.0/5 (114 reviews)
- Price level: $$$$
- Address: 511 North Church St. Charlotte, North Carolina
- Categories: French, New American, Southern
- Read more on Yelp

#15. The Asbury

- Rating: 4.0/5 (358 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 235 North Tryon St. Charlotte, North Carolina
- Categories: Southern, New American
- Read more on Yelp

#14. Rooster's Wood - Fired Kitchen

- Rating: 4.1/5 (779 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 150 North College St. Charlotte, North Carolina
- Categories: New American, Southern, Wine Bars
- Read more on Yelp

You may also like: Highest-rated restaurants for burgers in the Charlotte area by diners

#13. New South Kitchen & Bar

- Rating: 4.1/5 (244 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 8140 Providence Road Ste 300 Charlotte, North Carolina
- Categories: Southern, Bars
- Read more on Yelp

#12. Londa's Place

- Rating: 4.1/5 (156 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 1540 West Blvd. Ste 102 Charlotte, North Carolina
- Categories: Southern, Soul Food
- Read more on Yelp

#11. McKoy's Smokehouse and Saloon

- Rating: 4.1/5 (943 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4630 Old Pineville Road Charlotte, North Carolina
- Categories: Barbecue, Southern, Chicken Wings
- Read more on Yelp

#10. Showmars - Charlotte

- Rating: 4.2/5 (70 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 10612 Providence Road Ste A Charlotte, North Carolina
- Categories: American, Sandwiches, Southern
- Read more on Yelp

#9. Uptown Yolk

- Rating: 4.2/5 (194 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1220 South Tryon St. Ste 500 Charlotte, North Carolina
- Categories: Southern, Chicken Wings
- Read more on Yelp

You may also like: Highest-rated Italian restaurants in Charlotte by diners

#8. The Southern Pecan

- Rating: 4.3/5 (344 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 6706-C Phillips Place Court Charlotte, North Carolina
- Categories: Southern, Beer Bar, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp

#7. Haberdish

- Rating: 4.3/5 (1724 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3106 North Davidson St. Charlotte, North Carolina
- Categories: Southern, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp

#6. Supperland

- Rating: 4.4/5 (491 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 1212 The Plz Charlotte, North Carolina
- Categories: Southern, Steakhouses, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp

#5. Kosta's Kitchen

- Rating: 4.4/5 (61 reviews)
- Address: 2925 Yorkmont Road Charlotte, North Carolina
- Categories: Salad, Breakfast & Brunch, Southern
- Read more on Yelp

#4. Circle G Restaurant

- Rating: 4.4/5 (63 reviews)
- Price level: $
- Address: 4818 Rozzelles Ferry Road Charlotte, North Carolina
- Categories: Southern
- Read more on Yelp

You may also like: Cities with the fastest-growing home prices in the Charlotte metro area

#3. The Eagle Charlotte

- Rating: 4.4/5 (365 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2120 South Blvd. Ste 1 Charlotte, North Carolina
- Categories: Southern, Soul Food, American
- Read more on Yelp

#2. Biscuit Belly

- Rating: 4.5/5 (86 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1949 East 7th St. Ste 2 Charlotte, North Carolina
- Categories: Breakfast & Brunch, Southern, Coffee & Tea
- Read more on Yelp