Food & Drink Readers’ Picks 2019

Huevos ROOTScheros at ROOTS Café. (Photo courtesy of ROOTS)

Best in the Nest Readers’ Picks are voted on for four months prior to publication. These are the winners in the respective categories.

Best Late-Night Eatery:
The Diamond

Best Chef:
Chef Joya

Best Farm-To-Table Restaurant:
Roots Cafe

Huevos ROOTScheros at ROOTS Café. (Photo courtesy of ROOTS)

Best Vegan Food:
Bean Vegan Cuisine

Best South End Restaurant:
Futo Buta

Best NoDa Restaurant:
Haberdish

Best Ballantyne Restaurant:
The Blue Taj/Cabo Fish Taco (Tie)

Best West Charlotte/Steele Creek Restaurant:
Pinky’s Westside Grill

White Trash burger from Pinky’s Westside Grill. (Photo courtesy of Pinky’s) 

Best Plaza Midwood Restaurant:
Soul Gastrolounge

Best South Park Restaurant:
Bulla Gastrobar

Best East Charlotte Restaurant:
Lang Van Vietnamese

Best Uptown Restaurant:
The Cellar at Duckworth’s

Best North Charlotte/University Restaurant:
Veltree

Jerk chic’n from Veltree (Photo courtesy of Veltree/Facebook)

Best Wait Staff/Service:
Eddie V’s Prime Seafood

Most Overrated Restaurant:
Fahrenheit/Vivace (Tie)

Best Patio:
Roots Cafe

Best Breakfast:
Famous Toastery

Best Lunch:
Roots Cafe

Best Hangover-Friendly Eatery:
The Diamond

Best Brunch:
300 East

Best Doughnuts:
Your Mom’s Donuts/Duck Donuts (Tie)

Best Barbeque:
Midwood Smokehouse

The Fat Matt sliced brisket sandwich from Midwood Smokehouse (Photo by Rémy Thurston)

Best Soul Food:
Mert’s Heart & Soul

Best Steakhouse:
Beef ‘n Bottle Steakhouse

Best Seafood:
Sea Level NC

Best Tapas:
Soul Gastrolounge

Best Juice Bar:
Viva Raw

Best Pizza:
Pure Pizza

Best Sandwich:
Common Market

Best Burger:
Bang Bang Burgers

Best Pho-king Pho:
Pho Hoa Noodle Soup

Best Fries:
Pinky’s Westside Grill

Best Taco:
Sabor Latin Street Grill

Best Hot Dog:
JJ’s Red Hots

JJ’s Red Hots (Photo courtesy of JJ’s)

Best Wings:
Kristophers Bar & Restaurant/Seoul Food Meat Company (Tie)

Best Chinese:
Ma Ma Wok

Best Vietnamese:
Lang Van Vietnamese

Best Japanese:
Nakato

Best Thai:
Thai Taste

Best Korean:
Let’s Meat

Best Sushi:
New Zealand Café

Best French:
La Belle Helene

Grilled pork chop, onion rings and grain mustard sauce from La Belle Helene. (Photo courtesy of La Belle Helene)

Best Italian:
Mama Ricotta’s

Best Middle Eastern:
Kabab-Je/La Shish Kebob (Tie)

Best Mexican:
Three Amigos

Best Indian:
Copper Modern Indian Restaurant

Best Caribbean:
Mango’s Caribbean Restaurant/Anntony’s Caribbean Café (Tie)

Best Frozen Treat:
Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams

Best Bakery:
Amelie’s French Bakery

Best Coffee:
Not Just Coffee/Central Coffee Company (Tie)

Best Bagels:
Poppy’s Bagels & More

Best Gourmet/Special Food Store:
Reid’s Fine Foods

TruSouth Rolls from Reid’s Fine Foods. (Photo courtesy of Reid’s)

Best Health Food Store:
Berrybrook Farm Natural Foods

Best International Food Store:
Super G Mart

Best Food Truck:
The Dumpling Lady

Best Farmer’s Market:
Charlotte Regional Farmers Market

Best Ice Cream:
Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams

Best Dessert:
Amelie’s French Bakery

Passion Play was a collab between Amelie’s and Birdsong. (Photo by Joshua Vasko)

Best Brewery:
Birdsong Brewing Company

Best New Brewery (Last Two Years):
Divine Barrel Brewing/Town Brewing Company (Tie)

Best Bottle Shop:
Salud Beer Shop

Best Wine Selection:
Reid’s Fine Foods

Best Bloody Mary:
Moo & Brew

Best Cocktail:
Haberdish

Best Margarita:
Paco’s Tacos & Tequila

Best Distillery:
Doc Porter’s

Best Mocktail:
SUM Bucha



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