Food & Drink Readers’ Picks 2019

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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