Food destinations within easy reach of Charlotte. worth the train, the rental car or the early start.
Worth the trip
60 min north by I-85Drive north on I-85 to Lexington. The BBQ corridor sits along US-64 and US-29-70.
Famous for: Lexington-style chopped pork shoulder with red slaw and hush puppies
Lexington, NC is the Charlotte day-trip BBQ pilgrimage to Wayne Monk's Lexington Barbecue, the 1962 Honey Monk's smokehouse and the canonical Piedmont-style.
30 min north by I-77Drive north on I-77 to exit 30 for Davidson, NC. Park on Main Street.
Famous for: Chef-driven contemporary American at Kindred
Davidson, NC is the Charlotte day-trip for Kindred, Joe and Katy Kindred's anchor contemporary American restaurant on Main Street since 2015 and a multi-year.
40 min north by I-77Drive north on I-77 to exit 28 for Cornelius. Hello Sailor sits on the Lake Norman waterfront.
Famous for: Lakefront seafood from the Kindred team
Cornelius on Lake Norman is the day-trip food destination from Charlotte for Hello, Sailor, Joe and Katy Kindred's lakefront fish-shack restaurant.
45 min north on I-85Drive north on I-85 to exit 76 for Salisbury, NC.
Famous for: Cheerwine heritage and Carolina BBQ counters
Salisbury, NC is the 45-minute day-trip from Charlotte for Cheerwine, the regional cherry soda founded in Salisbury in 1917 and still made on site.
Book food day trips in Charlotte
2 hoursfrom $75
Create handcrafted chocolate treats from scratch in a fun, beginner-friendly cooking class. Learn essential chocolate-making techniques, decorate your creations and en...
2 hoursfrom $75
Turn healthy eating into something genuinely exciting in this interactive grain bowl cooking class in Charlotte.
Guided tour2 hours4.9 from 12 reviewsfrom $79
Tour the lively city of Charlotte on a fun and pioneering Segway. The ideal way to explore North Carolina’s “Queen City,” the 2-hour guided tour will give you a compre...
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