Food & Drink Readers’ Pick 2020
Readers’ Picks were chosen exclusively by readers through a two-month nomination process followed by a two-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.
All categories
Best African Cuisine
Abugida Ethiopian Cafe
Runner Up: Enat Ethiopian Restaurant
Best Bagels
Poppy’s Bagels
Runner Up: Owen’s Bagels
Best Bakery
Suarez Bakery
Runner Up: Sunflour Baking Company
Best Ballantyne Restaurant
Midwood Smokehouse
Runner Up: Cabo Fish Taco
Best Barbeque
Midwood Smokehouse
Runner Up: Sweet Lew’s BBQ
Best Beer Selection
Common Market
Runner Up: Salud Beer Shop
Best Bloody Mary
Moo & Brew
Runner Up: Snooze AM Eatery
Best Bottle Shop
Salud Beer Shop
Runner Up: Rhino Market & Deli
Best Breakfast
Original Pancake House
Runner Up: Snooze AM Eatery
Best Brewery
Birdsong Brewing
Runner Up: Resident Culture Brewing Co.
Best Brunch
Bistro La Bon
Runner Up: Snooze AM Eatery
Best Burger
Brooks’ Sandwich House
Runner Up: Ace No. 3
Best Caribbean
Anntony’s Caribbean Cafe
Runner Up: Mama’s Caribbean Bar & Grill
Best Chef
Greg Collier
Runner Up: Chef Joya
Best Chinese Cuisine
The Dumpling Lady
Runner Up: Ho Ho Cherry House
Best Cocktails
Dot Dot Dot
Runner Up: Idlewild
Best Cocktail Kit
Dot Dot Dot
Runner Up: Haberdish
Best Cocktail Menu
Dot Dot Dot
Runner Up: Haberdish
Best Coffee Shop
Central Coffee Co., Not Just Coffee (tie)
Best Delivery
Yafo Kitchen
Runner Up: Crispy Banh Mi
Best Dessert
Suarez Bakery
Runner Up: Wentworth & Fenn
Best Distillery
Doc Porter’s
Runner Up: Great Wagon Road Distilling
Best Doughnuts
Duck Donuts
Runner Up: Your Mom’s Donuts
Best East Charlotte Restaurant
Lang Van Vietnamese
Runner Up: Dish
Best Farm-To-Table Restaurant
Haberdish
Runner Up: Heirloom Restaurant
Best Farmers Market
Charlotte Regional Farmers Market
Runner Up: Kings Drive Farmers Market
Best Food for Reheating
Thai Taste
Runner Up: Mac’s Speed Shop
Best Food Truck
The Dumpling Lady
Runner Up: What The Fries
Best French
Bistro La Bon
Runner Up: Cafe Monte
Best Fries
What the Fries
Runner Up: Five Guys
Best Frozen Treat
Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams
Runner Up: Two Scoops Creamery
Best Gourmet/Special Food Store
Pasta & Provisions
Runner Up: Reid’s Fine Foods
Best Hangover Fix
Pinky’s Westside Grill
Runner Up: Midnight Diner
Best Health Food Store
Whole Foods
Runner Up: Berrybrook Farm Natural Foods
Best Health Practices During Pandemic
Camp North End
Runner Up: The Artisan’s Palate
Best Hot Dog
JJ’s Red Hots
Runner Up: Pinky’s Westside Grill
Best Ice Cream Shop
Two Scoops Creamery
Runner Up: Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams
Best Indian Cuisine
Copper Modern Indian Cuisine
Runner Up: Maharani Indian Cuisine
Best International Food Store
Super G Mart
Runner Up: The Asian Market
Best Italian Cuisine
Mama Ricotta’s
Runner Up: Portofino’s
Best Japanese Cuisine
Futo Buta
Runner Up: Ru San’s
Best Juice Bar
Green Brothers Juice Co.
Runner Up: Viva Raw
Best Korean Cuisine
Seoul Food Meat Company
Runner Up: Let’s Meat KBBQ
Best Late-Night Eatery
Midnight Diner
Runner Up: The Diamond
Best Lunch
Common Market
Runner Up: Rhino Market & Deli
Best Margarita
RuRu’s Tacos & Tequila
Runner Up: Three Amigos
Best Mexican Cuisine
Sabor Latin Street Grill
Runner Up: Three Amigos
Best Middle Eastern Cuisine
Yafo Kitchen
Runner Up: La Shish Kabob
Best Mocktail
The Cotton Room
Runner Up: Bardo
Best New Brewery (Last Two Years)
Devil’s Logic Brewing
Runner Up: Edge City Brewery
Best NoDa Restaurant
Haberdish
Runner Up: Cabo Fish Taco
Best North Charlotte/University Restaurant
Leah & Louise
Runner Up: Banh Mi Brothers
Best Patio
NoDa Company Store
Runner Up: Olde Mecklenburg Brewery
Best Pho
Lang Van Vietnamese
Runner Up: Pho an Hoa
Best Pizza
Inizio Pizza Napoletano
Runner Up: Benny Pennello’s
Best Plaza Midwood Restaurant
Soul Gastrolounge
Runner Up: Midwood Smokehouse
Best Sandwich
Common Market
Runner Up: Rhino Market & Deli
Best Seafood
The Waterman
Runner Up: Sea Level NC
Best Soul Food
Mert’s Heart and Soul
Runner Up: Leah & Louise
Best South End Restaurant
Futo Buta
Runner Up: Hawkers Asian Street Food
Best SouthPark Restaurant
The Cowfish Sushi Burger Bar
Runner Up: Paco’s Tacos and Tequila
Best Steakhouse
Beef ‘N Bottle Steakhouse
Runner Up: Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse
Best Sushi
New Zealand Cafe
Runner Up: Ru San’s
Best Taco
Cabo Fish Taco
Runner Up: Sabor Latin Street Grill
Best Tapas
Soul Gastrolounge
Runner Up: Barcelona Wine Bar
Best Thai
Thai Taste
Runner Up: Deejai Thai
Best To-Go
Yafo Kitchen
Runner Up: Sabor Latin Street Grill
Best Uptown Restaurant
Mert’s Heart and Soul
Runner Up: Chima Steakhouse
Best Vegan Food
Luna’s Living Kitchen
Runner Up: Oh My Soul
Best Vietnamese Cuisine
Lang Van
Runner Up: Pho an Hoa
Best Wait Staff/Service
Lang Van
Runner Up: Diamond Restaurant
Best West Charlotte/Steele Creek Restaurant
Pinky’s Westside Grill
Runner Up: Noble Smoke
Best Wine Selection
Foxcroft Wine Co.
Runner Up: Dilworth Tasting Room
Best Wings
Seoul Food Meat Company
Runner Up: Moosehead Bar and Grill
All categories
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