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