Sweet tea is the canonical Southern non-alcoholic table drink, brewed strong with black tea and sweetened hot with sugar, then chilled and served over ice.

Sweet tea entered Southern cooking in the late 19th century when refined sugar and refrigerated ice became affordable through the Southern railway expansion. By the 1920s it was the table drink across Carolina households, served at every meal except breakfast, and remains the unmarked default ordering 'tea' across Charlotte to this day. The pour comes pre-sweetened with two cups of sugar per gallon at most Carolina restaurants.

Where to eat Sweet tea in Charlotte

3 editor picks for Sweet tea in Charlotte, ranked by editorial score. All Charlotte signature dishes · Sweet tea across every city.

  • Sweet Lew's BBQ

    Order A two-meat plate of pork shoulder and brisket with house sausage and a side of mac.

    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.

    DetailsDirections

  • Mert's Heart and Soul

    Order Fried chicken, collards and the mac and cheese; the canonical Mert's plate.

    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.

    DetailsDirections

  • 300 East

    Order The crab cake sandwich at lunch and the house burger for dinner.

    300 East on East Boulevard is the family-run Dilworth institution that has poured wine and run a comfort-food menu in Charlotte since 1986 reliably.

    DetailsDirections

Make it at home

Serves 230 minEasy

Ingredients

  • 1 litre boiling water
  • 8 standard black tea bags or 4 family-size tea bags
  • 200g granulated sugar (adjust to taste, 150g to 250g range)
  • 1 litre cold water
  • Ice for serving

Method

  1. Bring 1 litre of water to a boil. Remove from heat.
  2. Add the tea bags and steep 5 minutes. Remove the bags.
  3. Pour the sugar into the hot tea while still warm. Stir until completely dissolved.
  4. Add 1 litre of cold water. Stir and refrigerate at least 20 minutes.
  5. Pour over ice and serve. Garnish with lemon if desired.

Editor tip. The sugar must dissolve in the hot tea. Adding sugar to cold tea makes a grainy sip that locals will catch immediately.