Food & Drink Readers’ Pick Winners: Best in the Nest 2021

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 BALLANTYNE RESTAURANT

Winner: Midwood Smokehouse
Runner Up: Ma Ma Wok

BEST EAST CHARLOTTE RESTAURANT

Winner: Lang Van
Runner Up: Portofino’s Italian Restaurant

BEST LOCAL RESTAURANT GROUP

Winner: High Tide Hospitality
Runner Up: FS Food Group

BEST NODA RESTAURANT

Winner: Haberdish
Runner Up: The Goodyear House

BEST NORTH CHARLOTTE RESTAURANT

Winner: Leah & Louise
Runner Up: Livy’s Neapolitan Pizzeria

BEST PLAZA MIDWOOD RESTAURANT

Winner: Soul Gastrolounge
Runner Up: Dish

BEST SOUTH END RESTAURANT

Winner: Hawker’s Asian Street Food
Runner Up: The Waterman Fish Bar

BEST SOUTHPARK RESTAURANT

Winner: Little Mama’s Italian
Runner Up: The Cowfish Sushi Burger Bar

BEST STEELE CREEK RESTAURANT

Winner: Sabor Latin Street Grill
Runner Up: Mac’s Speed Shop

BEST UNIVERSITY CITY RESTAURANT

Winner: Boardwalk Billy’s
Runner Up: Passage to India Indian Cuisine

BEST UPTOWN RESTAURANT

Winner: Alexander Michael’s
Runner Up: Fin & Fino

BEST WEST CHARLOTTE RESTAURANT

Winner: Pinky’s Westside Grill
Runner Up: LuLu’s Maryland Style Chicken & Seafood

BY CONCEPT

BEST BAKERY

Winner: Suarez Bakery
Runner Up: Sunflour Baking Company

BEST BARBECUE

Winner: Midwood Smokehouse
Runner Up: Sweet Lew’s BBQ

BEST COFFEE SHOP

Winner: Not Just Coffee
Runner Up: Smelly Cat Coffee

BEST DELI & MARKET

Winner: Common Market
Runner Up: Rhino Market & Deli

BEST FARM-TO-TABLE RESTAURANT

Winner: Leah & Louise
Runner Up: Haymaker

BEST FARMERS MARKET

Winner: Charlotte Regional Farmers Market
Runner Up: Kings Drive Farmers Market

BEST FOOD TRUCK

Winner: What The Fries
Runner Up: Tin Kitchen

BEST GOURMET/SPECIALTY FOOD STORE

Winner: Pasta & Provisions
Runner Up: Reid’s Fine Foods

BEST HEALTH FOOD STORE

Winner: Earth Fare
Runner Up: Berrybrook Farm 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 Charlotte
Runner Up: Compare Foods Supermarket

BEST JUICE BAR

Winner: Green Brothers Juice Co.
Runner Up: Clean Juice

BEST SEAFOOD RESTAURANT

Winner: Sea Level NC
Runner Up: Fin & Fino

BEST SOUL FOOD

Winner: Leah & Louise
Runner Up: Mert’s Heart & Soul

BEST STEAKHOUSE

Winner: Beef ‘N Bottle Steakhouse
Runner Up: Steak 48

BEST TAPAS & SHAREABLES

Winner: Soul Gastrolounge
Runner Up: Good Food on Montford

BEST VEGAN FOOD

Winner: Oh My Soul
Runner Up: Luna’s Living Kitchen

BY DISH

BEST BAGELS

Winner: Poppy’s Bagels
Runner Up: Einstein Bros. Bagels

BEST BREAKFAST

Winner: Zada Jane’s Corner Cafe
Runner Up: The Original Pancake House

BEST BRUNCH

Winner: 300 East
Runner Up: Bistro La Bon

BEST BURGER

Winner: Ace No. 3
Runner Up: Pinky’s Westside Grill

BEST DESSERT

Winner: Amelie’s French Bakery & Café
Runner Up: Villani’s Bakery

BEST DOUGHNUTS

Winner: Duck Donuts
Runner Up: Pepperbox Doughnuts

BEST FRENCH FRIES

Winner: What The Fries
Runner Up: Ace No. 3

BEST FROZEN TREAT

Winner: King of Pops
Runner Up: Popbar

BEST HANGOVER FIX

Winner: Midnight Diner
Runner Up: Billy Jack’s Shack

BEST HOT DOGS

Winner: JJ’s Red Hots
Runner Up: Pinky’s Westside Grill

BEST LUNCH

Winner: Rhino Market & Deli
Runner Up: Mama Ricotta’s

BEST PHO

Winner: Lang Van
Runner Up: Phở Hoà Noodle Soup

BEST PIZZA

Winner: Sal’s Pizza Factory
Runner Up: Inizio Pizza Napoletana

BEST SANDWICH

Winner: Rhino Market & Deli
Runner Up: Crispy Banh Mi

BEST TACOS

Winner: Cabo Fish Taco
Runner Up: Tacos El Nevado

BEST WINGS

Winner: Moosehead Grill
Runner Up: Seoul Food Meat Company

BY CUISINE

BEST AFRICAN CUISINE

Winner: Enat Ethiopian Restaurant
Runner Up: Red Sea Ethiopian and Eritrean Cuisine

BEST CARIBBEAN CUISINE

Winner: Calle Sol Latin Café & Cevicheria
Runner Up: Punta Cana Restaurant

BEST CHINESE CUISINE

Winner: Ma Ma Wok
Runner Up: Baoding Restaurant

BEST FRENCH CUISINE

Winner: Bistro La Bon
Runner Up: Cafe Monte French Bakery and Bistro

BEST INDIAN CUISINE

Winner: Copper Modern Indian Cuisine
Runner Up: Curry Gate

BEST ITALIAN CUISINE

Winner: Mama Ricotta’s
Runner Up: Portofino’s Italian Restaurant

BEST JAPANESE CUISINE

Winner: New Zealand Cafe
Runner Up: YUME Ramen Sushi & Bar

BEST KOREAN CUISINE

Winner: Seoul Food Meat Company
Runner Up: Let’s Meat Kbbq

BEST MEXICAN CUISINE

Winner: Three Amigos
Runner Up: Paco’s Tacos and Tequila

BEST MIDDLE EASTERN CUISINE

Winner: YAFO Kitchen
Runner Up: La Shish Kabob

BEST SUSHI

Winner: New Zealand Cafe
Runner Up: Ru San’s

BEST THAI CUISINE

Winner: Deejai Thai Restaurant
Runner Up: Thai Taste

BEST VIETNAMESE CUISINE

Winner: Lang Van
Runner Up: Phở Hoà Noodle Soup

BY THE LOOK & FEEL

BEST CHEF

Winner: Greg Collier – Leah & Louise
Runner Up: Christa Csoka – The Artisan’s Palate

BEST LATE-NIGHT EATERY

Winner: Midnight Diner
Runner Up: JackBeagle’s

BEST PATIO

Winner: NoDa Company Store
Runner Up: Edge City Brewery

BEST WAIT STAFF/SERVICE

Winner: Lang Van
Runner Up: Alexander Michael’s

FOR THE LOVE OF ALCOHOL

BEST BEER SELECTION

Winner: Salud Cerveceria
Runner Up: Common Market

BEST BLOODY MARY

Winner: Moo & Brew – Large Marge
Runner Up: Boudreaux’s Louisiana Kitchen

BEST BOTTLE SHOP

Winner: Salud Cerveceria
Runner Up: Common Market

BEST BREWERY

Winner: Wooden Robot Brewery
Runner Up: Edge City Brewery

BEST COCKTAILS

Winner: Idlewild
Runner Up: Dot Dot Dot

BEST COCKTAIL MENU

Winner: Dot Dot Dot
Runner Up: Supperland

BEST DISTILLERY

Winner: Great Wagon Road
Runner Up: Muddy River

BEST MARGARITAS

Winner: Three Amigos
Runner Up: Superica

BEST MOCKTAILS

Winner: NoDa Company Store
Runner Up: Elsewhere

BEST NEW BREWERY (LAST 2 YEARS)

Winner: Petty Thieves Brewing Co.
Runner Up: Edge City Brewery

BEST NON-ALCOHOLIC MENU

Winner: YAFO Kitchen
Runner Up: The Artisan’s Palate

BEST WINE SELECTION

Winner: Dilworth Tasting Room
Runner Up: Rosie’s Wine Garden

BY COVID-19 ADAPTATION

BEST COCKTAIL KIT

Winner: Haberdish
Runner Up: Dot Dot Dot

BEST DELIVERY

Winner: Mama Ricotta’s
Runner Up: Fuel Pizza

BEST HEALTH PRACTICES (SOCIAL DISTANCING, ETC.)

Winner: Camp North End
Runner Up: Free Range Brewing

BEST ICONIC RESTAURANT THAT CLOSED

Winner: Price’s Chicken Coop
Runner Up: Zack’s Hamburgers

BEST REHEATED FOOD

Winner: Mama Ricotta’s
Runner Up: Midwood Smokehouse

BEST TO-GO FOOD

Winner: Mama Ricotta’s
Runner Up: Chef Alyssa’s Kitchen

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