Food & Drink Guides & Events The Best in Charlotte - Best in the Nest

Food & Drink Readers’ Pick Winners: Best in the Nest 2022

Best of Charlotte's food scene chosen by Queen City Nerve readers

Q.C. Nerve Staff December 2, 2022

6 minutes read

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.

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BY NEIGHBORHOOD

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

Alexander Michael's Restaurant — Alexander Michael’s Restaurant (Photo by Grant Baldwin)

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

Looking onto a patio from the lawn, a few people sit at a table with lights strung above them leading to a large sign that reads The Waterman, with blue sky above. — The Waterman Fish Bar in Cornelius (Photo by Grant Baldwin)

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

Calle Sol ceviche — Classic ceviche at Calle Sol. (Photo by Kenty Chung)

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

hummus from Yafo Kitchen — Hummus with falafel from Yafo Kitchen. (Photo by Remy Thurston)

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

Dan Nguyen stands with three other staff members inside Lang Van Vietnamese Restaurant, their arms interlocked. — Nguyen with staff members from Lang Van Vietnamese, including Orlean. (Photo by Grant Baldwin)

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

The beer canning process — The canning process in effect. (Photo courtesy of NoDa Brewing)

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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