The Open Kitchen is an italian restaurant in West Charlotte, Charlotte.
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 dishes: Lasagna, Pizza, Spaghetti
Must 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.
Address: 1318 W Morehead St, Charlotte, NC 28208
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.
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.
Yunta Nikkei in South End is Bruno Macchiavello and Randy Garcia's Peruvian-Japanese kitchen, with pisco cocktails by Bob Peters on South Boulevard.
Signature: Tiradito, Lomo saltado, Causa
Order: The tiradito and a pisco sour from the Bob Peters list.
Tip: Walk-up bar takes seats; the dining room is on OpenTable.
Soul Gastrolounge on Raleigh Street is Andy Kastanas's NoDa tapas-and-cocktails room, reopened in 2025 after three years away from the original Plaza Midwood.
Signature: Pork-belly tacos, Sushi tapas
Order: The pork-belly tacos and a sushi-tapas plate.
Tip: DJ sets most nights. Walk-ins only, with a queue from 17:30.
Yafo Kitchen on Central Avenue is Charlotte's Israeli-Mediterranean counter, with house-made falafel, shawarma and laffa bread baked in Plaza Midwood.
Signature: Falafel, Lamb shawarma, Hummus
Order: A falafel pita with all the toppings and a side of hummus with warm laffa.
Tip: Counter-order, sit anywhere. Two more Yafo locations on Gov Morrison and East Boulevard.
