Penguin Drive-In is an american diner restaurant in Dilworth, Charlotte.
The Penguin Drive-In on East Boulevard in Dilworth is the relocated Charlotte burger institution, with a dog-friendly covered patio and a 1950s-style diner.
Signature dishes: Burgers, Fried pickles, Onion rings
Must order: A burger and a basket of fried pickles. The onion rings round the plate.
Tip: The Commonwealth Avenue location closed. East Boulevard is the active Charlotte room.
Address: 1531 East Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28203
Selwyn Avenue Pub in Myers Park has poured pints and slung burgers across Selwyn Avenue for more than thirty years, with a beer list and a back patio.
Signature: Burgers, Bar food, Beer flight
Order: The pub burger and a cold local pint.
Tip: Patio is the seat in spring and autumn. Closed late afternoon Sunday.
LuLu's Maryland Style Chicken on Tuckaseegee Road brings Mid-Atlantic fried chicken and crab cakes to a quick-service counter in west Charlotte.
Signature: Maryland-style chicken, Crab cakes
Order: A Maryland-style chicken plate and a side of crab cake.
Tip: Counter-order and quick takeout. The Tuckaseegee flagship has the longest hours.
Manolo's Latin Bakery on Central Avenue is the long-standing east Charlotte Latin bakery and counter, with empanadas, pastries and Cuban sandwiches in 2026.
Signature: Empanadas, Latin pastries, Cuban sandwiches
Order: An empanada, a Cuban sandwich and one of the pastries from the case.
Tip: Counter-order. Cash-easy. The case turnover means morning is the strongest time.
Lang Van on Shamrock Drive is the family-run east Charlotte Vietnamese institution that landed Charlotte's only Michelin Bib Gourmand in 2025 for pho.
Signature: Pho, Banh xeo, Bun bo Hue
Order: The pho and the banh xeo crispy crepe; both earned the Michelin nod.
Tip: The room is small. Weekday lunches are the easiest window; weekend evenings run a 30-minute wait.
Haberdish on N Davidson is Jeff Tonidandel and Jamie Brown's mill-town Southern kitchen and craft-cocktail bar in NoDa, with brunch Tuesday to Sunday.
Signature: Fried chicken, Buttermilk biscuits, Pimento cheese
Order: The fried-chicken plate with biscuits and pimento cheese.
Tip: Brunch runs Tuesday-Friday 9 to 2 and weekends late-morning. Walk-up bar seats are easiest.
The Goodyear House on N Davidson is a Chris Coleman Southern dining room set inside a historic 1900s mill home, with a wood-fired hearth in NoDa.
Signature: Hush puppies, Hot honey chicken
Order: The hush puppies to start and the hot-honey chicken for a main.
Tip: The patio is the seat to land on a warm evening. Reserve through OpenTable.
