Mert's Heart and Soul is a soul food restaurant in Uptown, Charlotte.
Mert's Heart and Soul on N College Street is uptown Charlotte's longest-running soul food room, with a fried-chicken-and-collards plate that draws a crowd.
Signature dishes: Fried chicken, Collard greens, Mac and cheese
Must order: Fried chicken, collards and the mac and cheese; the canonical Mert's plate.
Tip: Open seven days. Sunday gospel brunch fills up; arrive at opening.
Address: 214 N College St, Charlotte, NC 28202
Pinky's Westside Grill on West Morehead is the Charlotte burger institution, with a glow-in-the-dark pink pig out front and a kitchen open until 11 most.
Signature: Burgers, Fried pickles, Milkshakes
Order: A double-stack burger, fried pickles and a vanilla milkshake.
Tip: Open until 11 weekdays and 11pm on Thursday-Saturday. The pig patio is dog-friendly.
Lupie's Cafe on Monroe Road has poured comfort food into a Plaza Midwood diner room since 1987, with daily specials and a Carolina-style chili plate.
Signature: Chili, Meatloaf, Daily specials
Order: The chili and the meatloaf plate. The Friday and Saturday specials draw the regulars.
Tip: Open Monday-Friday 11 to 4, Saturday from noon. Closed Sunday. Cash and card.
The Open Kitchen on W Morehead Street is the family-run Italian-American room that has fed Charlotte since 1952, with lasagna, pizza and red-sauce classics.
Signature: Lasagna, Pizza, Spaghetti
Order: The lasagna; that recipe has been on the menu since 1952.
Tip: The neon sign out front is the giveaway. No-frills, cash-friendly, decades-deep regular base.
Lewis Donald's Sweet Lew's BBQ in Belmont is the counter-service barbecue room running wood-smoked pork shoulder, brisket and house sausages since 2018.
Signature: Pork shoulder, Brisket, House sausage
Order: A two-meat plate of pork shoulder and brisket with house sausage and a side of mac.
Tip: Counter-order only. Get there before noon to beat the meat sell-out.
Bossy Beulah's flagship on Freedom Drive is the Charlotte chicken-sandwich counter that has built four city locations since opening in 2019, with simple.
Signature: Chicken sandwich, Tenders, Wings
Order: The classic Bossy chicken sandwich and a side of fries.
Tip: The Freedom Drive flagship is the original. The Ballantyne and Brandywine spinoffs serve the same menu.
Greg and Subrina Collier's Leah and Louise is the Memphis juke-joint Southern kitchen that left Camp North End in 2024 for a new home in Charlotte's west end.
Signature: Hot tamale, Catfish, Mississippi Delta plates
Order: The hot tamale and the catfish plate; the Mississippi River Valley dishes that built the menu.
Tip: The west-end relocation opened in 2025. Check the operator's social channels for the current address before booking.
