Pimento cheese is the Southern spread of grated sharp cheddar, mayonnaise and chopped pimento peppers, eaten on crackers, biscuits or a country ham sandwich.

Pimento cheese spread arrived in the South in the early 20th century as canned pimento peppers became cheap and widely available through the Atlanta-based Pomona Products cannery. Charlotte's mill villages adopted it as a working-class sandwich filling, and the spread has stayed on Carolina tables for over a century, now appearing at Haberdish and on every Charlotte Southern brunch menu.

Where to eat Pimento cheese in Charlotte

2 editor picks for Pimento cheese in Charlotte, ranked by editorial score. All Charlotte signature dishes · Pimento cheese across every city.

  • Haberdish

    Order The fried chicken plate with a biscuit and pimento cheese. That combination is the Charlotte signature.

    Haberdish on N Davidson is the NoDa mill-town Southern kitchen from Jeff Tonidandel and Jamie Brown, with a craft-cocktail bar built into the room.

    DetailsReserveDirections

  • Pinky's Westside Grill

    Order A double-stack burger, fried pickles and a vanilla milkshake.

    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.

    DetailsDirections

More places near Haberdish and Pinky's Westside Grill

Not on this list, but close by, nearest first. Every one is in our guide with its address, hours and what to order.

Make it at home

Serves 61 hrEasy

Ingredients

  • 450g sharp cheddar, grated by hand on the coarse side of a box grater
  • 120g mayonnaise
  • 120g chopped jarred pimento peppers, drained
  • 1 teaspoon hot sauce
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • Half teaspoon black pepper
  • Pinch of salt

Method

  1. Grate the cheddar by hand. Pre-grated bagged cheese is coated in starch and ruins the texture.
  2. Combine the grated cheese with the mayonnaise, pimentos, hot sauce, Worcestershire, pepper and salt.
  3. Mash gently with a fork until combined but still chunky. Do not over-mix or it goes pasty.
  4. Refrigerate at least 1 hour for flavours to develop.
  5. Serve at room temperature on crackers, white bread or a hot biscuit.

Editor tip. Use a sharp cheddar that has aged at least 12 months. The salt and tang are the foundation; everything else is seasoning.

Common allergens: Dairy.