Guidebook for Charlotte

Kristen
Guidebook for Charlotte

Food Scene

Family-owned, food is consistent, sangria is excellent, salsa tasty.
Fiesta Maya Mexican Restaurant
3507 David Cox Rd
Family-owned, food is consistent, sangria is excellent, salsa tasty.
Great little local watering hole, food is pub style but you can get a steak too. Fish wrap is awesome - get the sweet potato fries. Veggie options too.
Pippa's Cafe
10040 Edison Square Dr NW
Great little local watering hole, food is pub style but you can get a steak too. Fish wrap is awesome - get the sweet potato fries. Veggie options too.
Great local pizza/italian food, small chain in Charlotte but has a nice sit-down atmosphere and wait service. Located in a shopping strip with grocery store, but off the beaten track. Garlic Knots are fabulous!
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Hawthorne's New York Pizza and Bar Highland Creek
5814 Highland Shoppes Dr
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Great local pizza/italian food, small chain in Charlotte but has a nice sit-down atmosphere and wait service. Located in a shopping strip with grocery store, but off the beaten track. Garlic Knots are fabulous!
This is a restaurant that pops up in places near the beach and there is one here in Charlotte, not far from the University. They sit on a man-made lake with paddle boats and ducks nearby. Great pub type food burgers/ribs and some seafood options shrimp/oysters/crab legs.
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Boardwalk Billy's Raw Bar and Ribs
9005 J M Keynes Dr
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This is a restaurant that pops up in places near the beach and there is one here in Charlotte, not far from the University. They sit on a man-made lake with paddle boats and ducks nearby. Great pub type food burgers/ribs and some seafood options shrimp/oysters/crab legs.
Family-owned fish camp restaurant - fried or boiled/broiled options - crab legs. Very popular. About 20 minutes away - watch your speed in the last 3 miles. Check their website for hours/days open. Plan on waiting or go early/ or late to make sure you get in quicker.
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Captain Steve's Family Seafood Restaurant
5645 NC-49
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Family-owned fish camp restaurant - fried or boiled/broiled options - crab legs. Very popular. About 20 minutes away - watch your speed in the last 3 miles. Check their website for hours/days open. Plan on waiting or go early/ or late to make sure you get in quicker.
Southern Fried Goodness! This is a cash-only, counter order place. It is an icon of Charlotte, been around since 1962. Check out their hours/days open and look at the menu online ahead of time. Once you arrive you will stand in one of many lines (typically 5-6 deep), look at the menu board again, know what you want before you get to the counter - they don't have time for wishy-washy customers. They want to get your order in, paid and on the way - move slight left to wait - they move fast. There is no place to sit down and eat inside - you will be taking this box of fried goodness with you and will probably end up eating it somewhere near your car or in the car. Don't think about waiting to eat this back at our place, it is about 15-20 minutes away - that is too far for you to hold off eating that fresh, fried delight. You may have an accident in the car trying to sample a piece. Plus, don't bring that back here - I may want a piece!
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Price's Chicken Coop
1614 Camden Rd
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Southern Fried Goodness! This is a cash-only, counter order place. It is an icon of Charlotte, been around since 1962. Check out their hours/days open and look at the menu online ahead of time. Once you arrive you will stand in one of many lines (typically 5-6 deep), look at the menu board again, know what you want before you get to the counter - they don't have time for wishy-washy customers. They want to get your order in, paid and on the way - move slight left to wait - they move fast. There is no place to sit down and eat inside - you will be taking this box of fried goodness with you and will probably end up eating it somewhere near your car or in the car. Don't think about waiting to eat this back at our place, it is about 15-20 minutes away - that is too far for you to hold off eating that fresh, fried delight. You may have an accident in the car trying to sample a piece. Plus, don't bring that back here - I may want a piece!
Going Uptown for some fun? If you want a soul food experience, you can't beat this place. It is small and can have a line, but is worth the wait. They have yummy cornbread, greens, and cake under glass domes. Last visit I ordered the Salmon patties, mac and cheese, and greens, then had a slice of strawberry cake with white icing. Reasonably priced for all you get. Celebrities have dined here so don't judge!
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Mert's Heart & Soul
214 N College St
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Going Uptown for some fun? If you want a soul food experience, you can't beat this place. It is small and can have a line, but is worth the wait. They have yummy cornbread, greens, and cake under glass domes. Last visit I ordered the Salmon patties, mac and cheese, and greens, then had a slice of strawberry cake with white icing. Reasonably priced for all you get. Celebrities have dined here so don't judge!
This BBQ place is worth the drive if you want more of a sit-down waitress restaurant choice. Plus if you like those ends of the brisket that are burnt and full of flavor, they have a meal they call burnt ends - very popular. This is a meat and two sides place.
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Midwood Smokehouse
1401 Central Ave
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This BBQ place is worth the drive if you want more of a sit-down waitress restaurant choice. Plus if you like those ends of the brisket that are burnt and full of flavor, they have a meal they call burnt ends - very popular. This is a meat and two sides place.
There's Starbucks and then there is a local spot...humm! This is not far from the house and I am sure they have better coffee than the free stuff we offer. For any of you that are coffee snobs - come on, you know if you are or not so be proud! You won't be disappointed with this place.
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Barista Craft Coffee
5818 Highland Shoppes Dr
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There's Starbucks and then there is a local spot...humm! This is not far from the house and I am sure they have better coffee than the free stuff we offer. For any of you that are coffee snobs - come on, you know if you are or not so be proud! You won't be disappointed with this place.
I haven't been here but have wanted to and heard good things. Great concept - the highly regarded chef that owns this - and other restaurants - gives back to the community by hiring people who want to rise above set backs. They are trained and given a chance to work here, then after the 6 month to a year period, leave to work at other places. This gives the chef the opportunity to do it again with another person. Like Master Chef only these people didn't have employment opportunities otherwise. http://kingskitchen.org
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The King's Kitchen
129 West Trade Street
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I haven't been here but have wanted to and heard good things. Great concept - the highly regarded chef that owns this - and other restaurants - gives back to the community by hiring people who want to rise above set backs. They are trained and given a chance to work here, then after the 6 month to a year period, leave to work at other places. This gives the chef the opportunity to do it again with another person. Like Master Chef only these people didn't have employment opportunities otherwise. http://kingskitchen.org

Parks & Nature

Even if you don't want to whitewater raft, rock climb, zip, or hike, you can still go to enjoy the area. They also have summertime outdoor concerts. There is beer/wine at the bar and food from sit-down to counter orders.
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U.S. National Whitewater Center
5000 Whitewater Center Pkwy
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Even if you don't want to whitewater raft, rock climb, zip, or hike, you can still go to enjoy the area. They also have summertime outdoor concerts. There is beer/wine at the bar and food from sit-down to counter orders.

Entertainment & Activities

Greek Festival is held at Holy Trinity Cathedral not far from uptown, and the outside lawn area is filled with vendors - shopping, food and wine tasting - and 100s of people attend. This is held in September (for 2016 it is 8-11) and has been happening since 1978! You will pay a $3 fee to enter and if you don't get the Baklava Sundae - you are missing a treasure - the line moves fast. Parking can be dicey, make sure you look for approved parking spots. The nearby neighborhoods are used to this event taking over street parking. http://yiasoufestival.org
Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral Charlotte
600 East Blvd
Greek Festival is held at Holy Trinity Cathedral not far from uptown, and the outside lawn area is filled with vendors - shopping, food and wine tasting - and 100s of people attend. This is held in September (for 2016 it is 8-11) and has been happening since 1978! You will pay a $3 fee to enter and if you don't get the Baklava Sundae - you are missing a treasure - the line moves fast. Parking can be dicey, make sure you look for approved parking spots. The nearby neighborhoods are used to this event taking over street parking. http://yiasoufestival.org
Can't get that race fever out of your head, try indoor karting. This isn't your bumper car karting, this is serious indoor fun at high speeds. A little pricey but worth trying once. I was there when an up-and-coming NASCAR driver was "letting off some steam", he's now a bigger NASCAR driver - Joey Logano. So yeah - Charlotte does have some driver spotting from time to time.
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Victory Lane Indoor Karting
2330 Tipton Dr
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Can't get that race fever out of your head, try indoor karting. This isn't your bumper car karting, this is serious indoor fun at high speeds. A little pricey but worth trying once. I was there when an up-and-coming NASCAR driver was "letting off some steam", he's now a bigger NASCAR driver - Joey Logano. So yeah - Charlotte does have some driver spotting from time to time.

Sightseeing

Even when there are no races in town, you can go here, sit int he massive bleachers and watch a local racer or racing school practice, sometimes even a famous driver is out there practicing. The souvenir shop offers a cheap 15 passenger van tour that rides you around the outside of the track and then into pit row and the center garages. They give you a great history of the track and finish the tour with a ride around the track (slight banking) going 80-90mph. You will feel the thrill of the ride.
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Charlotte Motor Speedway
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Even when there are no races in town, you can go here, sit int he massive bleachers and watch a local racer or racing school practice, sometimes even a famous driver is out there practicing. The souvenir shop offers a cheap 15 passenger van tour that rides you around the outside of the track and then into pit row and the center garages. They give you a great history of the track and finish the tour with a ride around the track (slight banking) going 80-90mph. You will feel the thrill of the ride.

Drinks & Nightlife

Live Jazz, Live Blues, New Orleans Food! All only about 2 miles from our house. They also have a cigar bar too! http://www.blunotes.com/#blunotesofcharlotte
BluNotes of Charlotte
3425 David Cox Rd
Live Jazz, Live Blues, New Orleans Food! All only about 2 miles from our house. They also have a cigar bar too! http://www.blunotes.com/#blunotesofcharlotte
They make their beer the old German way. Have some eats too. Casual setting. If you can't make it there and want to try their beer, they sell to many places around Charlotte just ask for OMB.
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Old Mecklenburg Brewery
4150 Yancey Rd
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They make their beer the old German way. Have some eats too. Casual setting. If you can't make it there and want to try their beer, they sell to many places around Charlotte just ask for OMB.
This is a multi-level place with many different bars (Howl at the Moon, Whisky River, etc, glow in the dark bowling. Here's the link http://epicentrenc.com
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震央
210 E Trade St
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This is a multi-level place with many different bars (Howl at the Moon, Whisky River, etc, glow in the dark bowling. Here's the link http://epicentrenc.com

Shopping

This place is huge, crowded - especially during race weeks - but who can resist good shopping and prices. There is also an aquarium here and an outdoor karting track. Movie theaters too! The back way over takes about 8 minutes. Lots of restaurants both inside and along the entire Concord Mills Boulevard area. Can get congested but lots to offer.
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康科德廣場
8111 Concord Mills Boulevard
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This place is huge, crowded - especially during race weeks - but who can resist good shopping and prices. There is also an aquarium here and an outdoor karting track. Movie theaters too! The back way over takes about 8 minutes. Lots of restaurants both inside and along the entire Concord Mills Boulevard area. Can get congested but lots to offer.
Part store part consignment with vendors that show off unique gift items in booths throughout the store.
Blacklion At Huntersville
9751 Sam Furr Road
Part store part consignment with vendors that show off unique gift items in booths throughout the store.
It's a Southern Thing. Cute little store that packs a punch on brands. Also has shoes and household items. Like an upscale TJ Maxx
Stein Mart
20601 Torrence Chapel Rd
It's a Southern Thing. Cute little store that packs a punch on brands. Also has shoes and household items. Like an upscale TJ Maxx

Essentials

This is a small chain, German owned, same owners as Trader Joes. If you need the basic items and don't care so much about name brands (although most are the same just Aldi's labels), it is like the food section at a Costco only 1/10th scale - shrunk down, everything is on low counters so you can see over the whole store. Take a quarter to get a cart, you put in a quarter and get it back when you return the cart. We do 90% of our shopping here. They offer organic, gluten-free items too. Also have beer/wine. They now take credit cards as well as cash/debit cards.
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ALDI
5817 Prosperity Church Rd
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This is a small chain, German owned, same owners as Trader Joes. If you need the basic items and don't care so much about name brands (although most are the same just Aldi's labels), it is like the food section at a Costco only 1/10th scale - shrunk down, everything is on low counters so you can see over the whole store. Take a quarter to get a cart, you put in a quarter and get it back when you return the cart. We do 90% of our shopping here. They offer organic, gluten-free items too. Also have beer/wine. They now take credit cards as well as cash/debit cards.
Just about a mile from us - they have all you need and it is not a huge over crowded grocery store. We get about 5% of our groceries here, mostly shop at Aldi. Note: Charlotte allows beer/wine purchases in grocery stores and Walmarts.
BI-LO
1329 SC-160
Just about a mile from us - they have all you need and it is not a huge over crowded grocery store. We get about 5% of our groceries here, mostly shop at Aldi. Note: Charlotte allows beer/wine purchases in grocery stores and Walmarts.
Great grocery chain - you may recognize if you've been to Florida - just came here about 2 years ago. This location just opened November 2016 and is only about 2-3 miles away. Be careful in the parking lot, it is angled parking spaces and backing up can be risky. On my first visit at this location the lady hit me even after I sounded my horn. It all worked out in the end, her insurance paid for everything.
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Publix Super Market at Prosperity Village Square
10110 Benfield Rd
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Great grocery chain - you may recognize if you've been to Florida - just came here about 2 years ago. This location just opened November 2016 and is only about 2-3 miles away. Be careful in the parking lot, it is angled parking spaces and backing up can be risky. On my first visit at this location the lady hit me even after I sounded my horn. It all worked out in the end, her insurance paid for everything.