Charlotte’s best group meals include fried chicken with a crisp crust in the middle of the table, slow-roasted pork piled on a big plate, and a stack of tacos with melted cheese. This guide covers twelve Charlotte restaurants, from a taco counter on Central Avenue to a dining room that dates to 1892, and sorts them by the kind of meal you want.
Puerta, Supperland and Mi Cariño sit in Elizabeth, Plaza Midwood and South End. If your group wants to eat in more than one neighborhood, one vehicle for the whole group lets everyone arrive at the same time and sit down to the first dish together.
Puerta serves regional Mexican food at 1961 E. 7th St., and its Para La Mesa plate suits a table of three or four. It puts cochinita pibil, pork marinated in citrus and achiote and slow-roasted until it shreds, next to a one-pound wagyu flat iron, esquites and papas bravas, all at once. Other dishes include Crunchy Lobster Tacos and Chipotle Short Rib, and the bar stocks more than 100 bottles of mezcal, tequila, and other Mexican spirits. Para La Mesa starts at 5 p.m., and reservations go through Resy.
Where Puerta serves regional Mexican food, Supperland cooks Southern food over a wood fire in a restored mid-century church at 1212 The Plaza, and its main dishes come out for sharing. The scent of smoke greets you as you approach the building. The kitchen serves shrimp and grits, buttermilk fried chicken, and a dry-aged ribeye. Beyond the dining room, a speakeasy sits in the annex, and the Michelin Guide lists the restaurant as recommended.
The Story of Mi Cariño is a mezcalería at 1440 S. Tryon St. with a menu of shared plates. Its dishes include:
Chef Héctor González-Mora won Michelin’s Young Chef Award, and the restaurant holds a Bib Gourmand, the guide’s mark for good food at a fair price.
For a casual meal, these four restaurants cook fried chicken, tacos, pho, and smash burgers, each in a different part of Charlotte.
Haberdish opened in 2016 at 3106 N. Davidson St., in what was once the mill village of North Charlotte. Fried chicken leads the Southern menu, and you can order it whole or half. The kitchen also makes hushpuppies, tomato pie, and fried green tomatoes. Parties of six or more should call ahead, and the Michelin Guide recommends the restaurant.
For tacos and tortas, Taqueria Number 1 sits at 2801 Central Ave. and welcomes dine-in guests. You can build a meal from:
Lang Van, at 3019 Shamrock Dr., is a family-run Vietnamese restaurant whose menu covers pho, spring rolls, hot pot, and vermicelli noodles, with plenty of vegetarian options for a mixed group. Dan Nguyen started working there in 1999 and has owned it outright since 2009, and her husband, chef Tuyen Tran, leads the kitchen. The restaurant holds a Bib Gourmand.
Ace No. 3 began in Belmont Village at 1001 Belmont Ave. and makes smash burgers, which means thin patties pressed on the grill until the edges turn crisp. The Ace comes with a double patty, melted American cheese, onion, pickles, and comeback sauce. The menu adds sweet potato tots and onion rings, and you order at the counter.
For birthdays, client dinners and other big occasions, these three restaurants set aside space for larger groups: a steakhouse in SouthPark, a French brasserie in Uptown and a house in the Fourth Ward.
Steak 48, at 4425 Sharon Rd., serves USDA Prime beef and Japanese A5 Wagyu, a grade with heavy marbling. The menu lists a Bone-In Filet Mignon and a Bone-In Ribeye, plus a Seafood Tower for a full table and sides to share. The restaurant has a 6,000-bottle wine vault, an in-house butcher shop, and private dining rooms for groups.
La Belle Helene brings a French brasserie to 300 S. Tryon St., with Roasted Chicken Crêpe, French Onion Soup, and Steak Frites on the menu. Tables of 8 to 12 can use its group dining option, and larger parties can book private or semi-private rooms.
McNinch House is a multi-course dinner restaurant at 511 N. Church St. in a Queen Anne house that dates to 1892, and it has operated as a restaurant since 1989. The chef’s menu changes. For groups, the Library room seats up to 16, the Green Room seats up to 18, and a Chef’s Table suits four to ten guests when you book at least seven days ahead.
Both of these Uptown spots pair the food with a bar or live entertainment.
Monarch Market is an 18,000-square-foot food hall at 101 N. Tryon St. with stalls for sushi, Mexican, Italian, and Southeast Asian food, so everyone in a mixed group can order from a different stall and bring a plate back to share. It has three bars, including the Aster Cocktail Room, a mezzanine lounge with a balcony on Tryon Street. Vendors change over time, so check the current lineup.
For a later night, SAVÚ at 445 W. Trade St. combines Asian fusion dining with nightlife, and it is open Wednesday through Sunday, until 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. The menu includes:
Live fire performances and DJ sets add to the evening.
A family dinner, a client meal and a late night out call for different restaurants. Haberdish and Puerta suit the family dinner, Steak 48 and La Belle Helene suit the client meal, and SAVÚ suits the late night. When choosing, start with how many people are coming, whether you want to share plates or order your own, and how long you want the evening to run.
