Diners' Choice: Best Food restaurants in Charlotte

OpenTable

Updated June 05, 2025

Looking for restaurants with the best overall cuisine in Charlotte? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Seaboy

4.9

4.9 (159)

$31 to $50

Seafood

Cornelius

About the restaurant

Seaboy is built on a love for good food, community, and sustainability. We’re a team of locals who care about where our ingredients come from and how they’re prepared. With 10 tables in the dining room, we ensure each dish receives the attention it deserves, making every visit feel like a part of the community we’re proud to be in. We believe in keeping things simple and honest, and we’re here to make sure every visit feels special.

Top review

TerriVIP

Dined 6 days ago

The food, vibe and service was excellent! Peter was attentive and fun and made some great suggestions. Everything we tried was really good and the team is super friendly and upbeat. Highly recommend!

Steak 48 - Charlotte

4.9

4.9 (8094)

$50 and over

Steakhouse

SouthPark

About the restaurant

At Steak 48 in Charlotte, we serve the finest steaks and high-quality seafood in an intimate and vibrant setting. The diverse menu at our Charlotte steakhouse location will satisfy any personal craving, as we serve the best USDA prime steaks, succulent seafood and shellfish along with inventive and classically inspired side dishes and appetizers. Our master butchers custom cut 28-day wet-aged steaks by hand for cooking in our 1800-degree broiler. Much of our beef comes from Midwestern farms in Michigan and Wisconsin as well as premium Wagyu beef brought in from the Mishima Reserve. Enhance your meal with a hand-crafted cocktail made from local ingredients. Make your reservation today. We can't wait to see you!

Top review

Alexis

Dined 3 days ago

We enjoyed it all!!! Staff was pleasant and friendly. Enjoyed our meal (we both got steaks) and drinks. Our server was great and recommended an excellent dessert!! We also got the shrimp fried deviled eggs that were delicious!!

Discover more

4.9

4.9 (2122)

$30 and under

Indian

Dilworth

About the restaurant

Our innovative presentation of Indian cuisine must be experienced in order to be appreciated. Intimate seating, contemporary Indian art and music, top shelf spirits, and a superb wine list are a few examples of the Copper experience.

Top review

Deirdre

Dined 5 days ago

Copper is our go to choice for consistently delicious Indian cuisine.

The Melting Pot - Charlotte - Lake Norman

4.9

4.9 (1360)

$31 to $50

Fondue

Huntersville

About the restaurant

The Melting Pot is Huntersville’s fine-dining destination, with mouthwatering offerings for people with all tastes. One bite is all takes to make a fondue believer out of you. Whether you’re arrived for drinks, cheese, and chocolate, or you want to experience the full 4-Course Experience, you’ll leave a fan of our gourmet fondue. When you’re in the mood for something different and special, fondue is the perfect choice. Our friendly servers blend artisan cheeses tableside before delivering freshly made salads with signature dressings. Choose your own custom entrée and cooking style, but make sure to save room for dessert. Everyone loves chocolate, and we deliver the most indulgent chocolate experience you’ll ever have! You’ll find our fondue restaurant right off Highway 77 in the Lake Norman area near Charlotte. We’re just a few miles from Charlotte Motor Speedway in the heart of NASCAR Country.

Top review

Chyrll

Dined on Jun 23, 2025

What a wonderful meal we had with our daughter and grand daughter!

Constantine’s Restaurant

4.8

4.8 (142)

$30 and under

Mediterranean

Gastonia

About the restaurant

Visit our restaurant to experience our relaxing atmosphere, to find a peace of mind and to enjoy our diverse, delicious, gourmet menu. Our extensive choice of side and main dishes and appetizers, as well as NA and alcoholic beverages are made to make your taste buds happy!

Top review

Paul

Dined 5 days ago

Second visit and ANOTHER delicious dinner experience. Definitely recommend this place. Must try the rest of the menu lol.

Saku Yakitori & Sushi Bar

4.6

4.6 (391)

$31 to $50

Sushi

Uptown

About the restaurant

Saku Yakitori & Sushi Bar is open Tues-Sun via reservations or walk-ins.

Saku is a Japanese restaurant specializing in robata grilling of yakitori & kushiyaki (skewers grilled over Japanese charcoal), high quality sushi, classic Japanese comfort food, handcrafted cocktails and sakes in the heart of Uptown Charlotte.

Top review

Ashlee

Dined 6 days ago

Food and service were phenomenal! Love the quaint outdoor seating. Such good people watching!

Discover more

Popular dish

Roasted Bone Marrow

The 220 Café

4.7

4.7 (454)

$30 and under

American

Statesville

About the restaurant

The 220 Café is a Contemporary American Cuisine restaurant, located in the historic district of downtown Statesville, NC.

The 220 Café provides a fine dining experience and atmosphere for all of our guests. With a combination of class and elegance, the 220 Café also exudes a “stop by anytime” welcome to the restaurant.

Top review

CaroleVIP

Dined 5 days ago

Our favorite restaurant! Favorite menu items : grilled salmon and the cauliflower mash are hard to beat! A welcoming atmosphere and a Spanish guitarist featured on Saturday nights make this our go to place.

New South Kitchen & Bar

4.8

4.8 (1385)

$30 and under

Southern

Arboretum

About the restaurant

We strive to create an experience that looks at the Southern dinner table through a new lens. Our menu offerings are rooted in southern comfort dishes but are elevated to a level that will excite today’s diner. They remind us of family meals around our dinner tables but over deliver complex flavors and stimulating presentations. Our guests are served by a staff of eager hospitality professionals capable of providing the backstories of dishes, suppliers and ingredients. The experience offers a balance between soothing and creative, rustic and refined, downhome & uptown, satisfied and craving more.

Top review

SaraVIP

Dined on Jun 24, 2025

Great place! Lovely server (Graham) and terrific food. Look forward to returning.

On the Nines

4.8

4.8 (1153)

$30 and under

Fusion / Eclectic

Mooresville

About the restaurant

Located at the Mooresville Golf Club, On the Nines presents Southern hospitality in the refined setting of a European inspired bistro. With the personal touch and vision of Executive Chef Steve Jordan, our upscale cuisine is offered at affordable prices with generous portions, sure to tame any appetite. By the end of your first visit, you’ll know why On the Nines has become a favorite fine-dining destination for the Lake Norman area. On the Nines welcomes guests to join us for dinner during the week, as well as for brunch on Sundays. If you’d like to make a special night, or simply want to enjoy a great drink, we offer both a great selection of cocktails as well as an extensive wine list.

Top review

FrankVIP

Dined 5 days ago

This is our favorite spot for special occasions like our Anniversary, which it was last night. Everything is also top notch - ambiance, food, service, servers. Really shows terrific management. Our waitress was Lauren who did a magnificent job.

Discover more

Barrister's at The Esquire Hotel

4.9

4.9 (189)

$30 and under

American

Gastonia

About the restaurant

Welcome to Barrister's at The Esquire Hotel! Located on the ground level of the restored Lawyer's Building, we strive to deliver a balance of Southern classics and soon to be new favorites. Custom cocktails and an adventurous wine list round out the options. Dine in doors beneath a 2 story vaulted ceiling or outdoors on our dreamy canopied patio. Join us where the past meets the present in Downtown Gastonia!

Top review

Brannon

Dined on Jun 19, 2025

Food was amazing. Santa Cruz was amazing. It was just a great place.

Explore Diners' Choice best of Charlotte

Explore more Diners' Choice lists