Food & Drink Readers’ Pick Winners: Best in the Nest 2022
Best of Charlotte's food scene chosen by Queen City Nerve readers
Best in the Nest Readers’ Picks were chosen exclusively by readers through a one-month nomination process followed by a one-month voting process. The nominations were not tampered with by Queen City Nerve staff at all — save for removing ourselves from a few categories to proactively dispel any notions of favoritism. In other words, if you disagree with these ones, that’s on your fellow reader, not us.
BY NEIGHBORHOOD
BEST BALLANTYNE RESTAURANT
Winner: Midwood Smokehouse
Runner Up: Sanctuary Bistro
BEST BELMONT RESTAURANT
Winner: ACE No. 3
Runner Up: Sweet Lew’s BBQ

BEST EAST CHARLOTTE RESTAURANT
Winner: Lang Van
Runner Up: Portofino’s Italian Restaurant
BEST MATTHEWS/MINT HILL RESTAURANT
Winner: Kabab-Je Rotisserie & Grille
Runner Up: Lam’s Kitchen
BEST NODA RESTAURANT
Winner: Haberdish
Runner Up: Brooks’ Sandwich House
BEST NORTH CHARLOTTE RESTAURANT
Winner: Leah & Louise
Runner Up: Plant Joy
BEST NORTH MECKLENBURG RESTAURANT
Winner: Kindred
Runner Up: 131 MAIN
BEST PINEVILLE RESTAURANT
Winner: What The Fries
Runner Up: Thai House
BEST PLAZA MIDWOOD RESTAURANT
Winner: Supperland
Runner Up: Calle Sol Latin Café & Cevicheria

BEST SOUTH END RESTAURANT
Winner: Living Kitchen
Runner Up: Yunta
BEST SOUTHPARK RESTAURANT
Winner: Little Mama’s Italian Kitchen
Runner Up: Steak 48
BEST STEELE CREEK RESTAURANT
Winner: Harry’s Grille & Tavern
Runner Up: Sweetwater Sports Bar & Grill
BEST UNIVERSITY CITY RESTAURANT
Winner: Thai House
Runner Up: Boardwalk Billy’s Raw Bar and Ribs
BEST UPTOWN RESTAURANT
Winner: Alexander Michael’s
Runner Up: The Cellar at Duckworth’s

BEST WEST CHARLOTTE RESTAURANT
Winner: Pinky’s Westside Grill
Runner Up: Rhino Market & Deli

BY CONCEPT
BEST BAKERY
Winner: Suárez Bakery
Runner Up: Amélie’s French Bakery & Café
BEST BARBECUE
Winner: Midwood Smokehouse
Runner Up: Sweet Lew’s BBQ
BEST COFFEE SHOP
Winner: Summit Coffee Co.
Runner Up: Enderly Coffee Company

BEST DELI
Winner: Common Market
Runner Up: Rhino Market & Deli
BEST FARM-TO-TABLE RESTAURANT
Winner: Leah & Louise
Runner Up: Kindred
BEST FARMERS MARKET
Winner: Charlotte Regional Farmers Market
Runner Up: Matthews Farmers Market
BEST FOOD TRUCK
Winner: Soul Miner’s Garden
Runner Up: Tin Kitchen
BEST GOURMET/SPECIALTY FOOD STORE
Winner: Pasta & Provisions
Runner Up: Reid’s Fine Foods

BEST HEALTH FOOD STORE
Winner: Sprouts Farmers Market
Runner Up: Berrybrook Natural Foods
BEST ICE CREAM SHOP
Winner: Two Scoops Creamery
Runner Up: Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams

BEST INTERNATIONAL FOOD STORE
Winner: Super G Mart
Runner Up: Cedar Land
BEST JUICE BAR
Winner: Green Brothers Juice & Smoothie Co.
Runner Up: Viva Raw
BEST SEAFOOD
Winner: The Waterman
Runner Up: Sea Level NC

BEST SOUL FOOD
Winner: Leah & Louise
Runner Up: Mert’s Heart and Soul
BEST STEAKHOUSE
Winner: Beef ‘N Bottle Steakhouse
Runner Up: Supperland
BEST TAPAS AND SHAREABLES
Winner: Good Food on Montford
Runner Up: The Artisan’s Palate
BEST VEGAN FOOD
Winner: Oh My Soul
Runner Up: Plant Joy
BY DISH
BEST BAGELS
Winner: Poppy’s Bagels & More
Runner Up: The Good Wurst Company
BEST BREAKFAST
Winner: Snooze, an A.M. Eatery
Runner Up: Eddie’s Place
BEST BRUNCH
Winner: Cafe Monte French Bakery and Bistro
Runner Up: Eddie’s Place
BEST BURGER
Winner: ACE No. 3
Runner Up: Pinky’s Westside Grill
BEST DESSERT
Winner: Villani’s Bakery
Runner Up: Move That Dough Baking Co.
BEST DOUGHNUTS
Winner: Pepperbox Doughnuts
Runner Up: Reigning Doughnuts

BEST FRIES
Winner: What The Fries
Runner Up: ACE No. 3
BEST FROZEN TREAT
Winner: Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams
Runner Up: Popbar
BEST HANGOVER FIX
Winner: Waffle House
Runner Up: Eddie’s Place
BEST HOT DOGS
Winner: JJ’s Red Hots
Runner Up: The Good Wurst Company
BEST LUNCH
Winner: YAFO Kitchen
Runner Up: Common Market
BEST PHO
Winner: Lang Van
Runner Up: Pho Hoa
BEST PIZZA
Winner: Inizio Pizza Napoletana
Runner Up: Sal’s Pizza Factory

BEST RAMEN
Winner: Futo Buta
Runner Up: JINYA Ramen Bar
BEST SANDWICH
Winner: Common Market
Runner Up: Rhino Market & Deli
BEST SPECIALTY/SIGNATURE DISH
Winner: Loaded nachos – Soul Miner’s Garden
Runner Up: Short rib – Cafe Monte French Bakery and Bistro
BEST SUSHI
Winner: New Zealand Cafe
Runner Up: O-Ku
BEST TACOS
Winner: Tacos El Nevado
Runner Up: Sabor Latin Street Grill
BEST WINGS
Winner: Moosehead Grill
Runner Up: Seoul Food Meat Company
BY CUISINE
BEST AFRICAN CUISINE
Winner: Enat Ethiopian Restaurant
Runner Up: Abugida Ethiopian Cafe
BEST CARIBBEAN CUISINE
Winner: Calle Sol Latin Café & Cevicheria
Runner Up: Mama’s Caribbean Grill

BEST CHINESE CUISINE
Winner: Ho Ho Cherry House
Runner Up: Ma Ma Wok
BEST FRENCH CUISINE
Winner: Cafe Monte French Bakery and Bistro
Runner Up: La Belle Helene
BEST INDIAN CUISINE
Winner: Copper
Runner Up: Curry Gate
BEST ITALIAN CUISINE
Winner: Mama Ricotta’s
Runner Up: Portofino’s Italian Restaurant
BEST JAPANESE RESTAURANT
Winner: O-Ku
Runner Up: Nakato Japanese Steakhouse
BEST KOREAN CUISINE
Winner: Seoul Food Meat Company
Runner Up: Let’s Meat KBBQ
BEST MEXICAN CUISINE
Winner: Three Amigos Mexican Kitchen & Cantina
Runner Up: La Autentica Mexican Restaurant
BEST MIDDLE EASTERN CUISINE
Winner: YAFO Kitchen
Runner Up: La Shish Kabob

BEST THAI CUISINE
Winner: Thai House
Runner Up: Thai Taste
BEST VIETNAMESE CUISINE
Winner: Lang Van
Runner Up: Pho Hoa
MISCELLANEOUS ACCOLADES
BEST CHEF
Winner: Gregory Collier – Leah & Louise
Runner Up: Barry Horton – Sanctuary Bistro
BEST LATE-NIGHT EATERY
Winner: Midnight Diner
Runner Up: Sir Edmund Halley’s
BEST LOCAL RESTAURANT GROUP
Winner: Moffett Restaurant Group
Runner Up: FS Food Group
BEST LOCALLY FRANCHISED RESTAURANT
Winner: Viva Chicken
Runner Up: YAFO Kitchen
BEST PASTRY CHEF
Winner: Samantha Allen – Wentworth & Fenn
Runner Up: Michaela Moehring – Church and Union, La Belle Helene
BEST PATIO SPACE
Winner: The Goodyear House
Runner Up: Oh My Soul
BEST PLACE FOR A BUSINESS LUNCH
Winner: Link & Pin
Runner Up: La Belle Helene
BEST WAIT STAFF/SERVICE
Winner: Lang Van
Runner Up: The Crunkleton

FOR THE LOVE OF ALCOHOL
BEST BEER SELECTION
Winner: Salud Beer Shop
Runner Up: Common Market
BEST BLOODY MARY
Winner: Moo & Brew
Runner Up: Zada Jane’s Corner Café
BEST BOTTLE SHOP
Winner: Common Market
Runner Up: Salud Beer Shop
BEST BREWERY
Winner: NoDa Brewing Company
Runner Up: Resident Culture Brewing Company

BEST COCKTAIL
Winner: Dot Dot Dot
Runner Up: Idlewild
BEST DISTILLERY
Winner: Great Wagon Road Distilling Company
Runner Up: Muddy River Distillery
BEST MOCKTAIL
Winner: Haberdish
Runner Up: The Crunkleton
BEST NEW BREWERY (LAST 2 YEARS)
Winner: Vaulted Oak Brewing
Runner Up: Burial Beer Co.

BEST NON-ALCOHOLIC MENU
Winner: Free Range Bar at Camp North End
Runner Up: Hattie’s Tap & Tavern
BEST WINE SELECTION
Winner: Dilworth Tasting Room
Runner Up: The Wine Loft
BY THE BREW
BEST BLONDE ALE
Winner: Triple C Brewing Company – Golden Boy
Runner Up: Birdsong Brewing Co. – All Knight Long
BEST BROWN ALE
Winner: Birdsong Brewing Co. – Lazy Bird Brown
Runner Up: D9 Brewing – Brown Sugar Brown Cow
BEST GOSE
Winner: NoDa Brewing Company – Passion Fruit Gose
Runner Up: Town Brewing Co. – Cruise to Nowhere
BEST HIGH-GRAVITY BEER
Winner: Birdsong Brewing Co. – Higher Ground
Runner Up: NoDa Brewing Company – Hop Cakes
BEST IPA
Winner: Legion Brewing Company – Juicy Jay
Runner Up: NoDa Brewing Company – Hop Drop ‘N Roll
BEST KOLSCH
Winner: Devil’s Logic Brewing – Komunity
Runner Up: Blue Blaze Brewing – Yellow Blazer
BEST LAGER
Winner: Birdsong Brewing Co. – Rewind Lager
Runner Up: NoDa Brewing Company – Lager Days
BEST MARZEN/OKTOBERFEST STYLE BEER
Winner: The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery – Mecktoberfest
Runner Up: NoDa Brewing Co. – Oktoberfest
BEST PALE ALE
Winner: NoDa Brewing Company – Jam Session
Runner Up: Wooden Robot Brewery – Overachiever
BEST PILSNER
Winner: The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery – Captain Jack
Runner Up: Protagonist Beer – Queen Charlotte
BEST PORTER
Winner: NoDa Brewing Company – Coco Loco
Runner Up: Birdsong Brewing Co. – Wake Up
BEST PUMPKIN BEER
Winner: NoDa Brewing Company – Gordgeous
Runner Up: Southern Tier Brewing Company – Pumking
BEST SAISON
Winner: Free Range Brewing – My Heart And Soul
Runner Up: Vaulted Oak Brewing – Spare Change
BEST SELTZER
Winner: Summit Seltzer – Toast to Charlotte
Runner Up: Town Brewing Co. – Loose Leaf (hard tea)
BEST SOUR
Winner: The Suffolk Punch
Runner Up: Town Brewing Co. – Broken Tarted
BEST SPECIALTY/ONE-OFF BEER
Winner: Birdsong Brewing Co.
Runner Up: Free Range Brewing
BEST STOUT
Winner: Birdsong Brewing Co. – MexiCali Stout
Runner Up: Divine Barrel Brewing – Apple brandy aged stouts
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