The Most Flavorful Cafes in Charlotte

Oh My Soul

★★★★☆ 4.3 (456) • $$

"Another must have when visiting Charlotte, NC. DELICIOUS plant based foods and desserts hands down! Staff is always welcoming and polite, it's always clean ,and the food is great. When purchasing your meal be sure to question tipping as you may be tipping on top of automatic gratuity added. I love vivisiting here and look forward to returning."

Royal Cafe & Creperie

★★★★★ 4.5 (388) • $$

"Why go to Paris when the best crepe is in Matthews? After traveling France & Germany, I learned that the best crepes are in Matthews, NC. The ambiance takes me back to Paris, but without the cost of a flight. And the service that Elena and her team provide is next level! Elena is like family."

Mr Friendly's New Southern Cafe

★★★★☆ 4.4 (395) • $$

"My Friendly's was so yummy! It was our first evening in town and I'd made a booking for the 4 of us for dinner. I knew we'd be seeing my son for graduation in the coming days and admittingly hoped I hadn't just made the best dinner plans without him in attendance, it was so tasty I began to feel bad being there without him. Luckily, we did share some other great places with him.I started with a chocolate orange old fashioned, creature of habit ;) It was great! My son teases me about how much I love dark liquor and it's true. This drink reminded me of something I'd had at Jameson, in Dublin so I had to try it.We shared the fried green tomatoes to start with, and they were fantastic. I love that they sandwiched pimento cheese in-between the stack of them. Two of my favorite items, in one dish.My bestie and I went halfsies on two entrees because we wanted to try the meatloaf but I also wanted catfish. Our two entrees were delish!!! We love meatloaf and make it often, but we always try to make it a little "healthier" and use turkey meat so having Mr. Friendly's was a REAL treat. My bff mentioned it really didn't need the sauce, which is true it's solid on it's own but I did like sauce. Their collards, grits and mashed potatoes are all very yummy too.I think my Mom had the oysters and my sons girlfriend had the grit cakes, but in all honesty I can't recall. We had just had wine and light bites before we came here, but my appetite is non stop unlike most normal peoples. My drink and two entrees were so delish, they were my sole focus but I think my Mom and my sons girlfriend enjoyed their choices as well.Service was great and very friendly too :) I would definitely recommend dining here. I'm so grateful we did."

Intermezzo Pizzeria and Cafe

★★★★☆ 4 (451) • $$

"My experience was just okay. Intermezzo was on my list and driven by a lot, but I never stopped in. On a rainy Friday night, I decided to stop in. The hostess wasn't the friendliest but did give me an honest wait time. She sat me out on the patio, and it was a bit chilly even with the heaters, but I made do. The cocktail was my favorite part of the meal. I don't remember which one it was, but it was good. The server was nice enough but a bit slow coming and going, and could have been more attentive on a cold night. I ordered the piroska, which is essentially a stromboli with sour cream. While the sour cream gives it a nice twist, it's still nothing to write home about. While eating, I decided that I wouldn't order again and was underwhelmed by the experience.It was also overpriced given the mediocrity of the service and the food."

Tea Fusion Cafe

★★★★☆ 4.4 (307) • $

"First time- ambiance was nice- so many flavors choices - price is nice-popcorn chicken delicious- a must try."

Bagel Boat

★★★★☆ 4.2 (247) • $

"Bagel Boat just does. not. miss. The bagels and bread is always fresh and tasty. I have recently been hooked on the Hoeny Bacon Sunrise, but my all time favorite menu item is the Turkey Cranberry. Do not sleep on the lattes and classic Black & White cookies."

Roots Cafe

★★★★☆ 4 (230) • $$

"Their chicken caesar wrap is really really good! I'd come back again for it- that was the only thing I tried."

Community Matters Cafe

★★★★★ 4.6 (173) • $$

"I've been a handful of times with colleagues for lunch because the food and service is always amazing. Love their creative salads each season!"

2 Gals Kitchen

★★★★★ 4.5 (160) • $

"My wife and I just had Valentines dinner at 2 Gals this evening. The special menu was wonderful. We had a choice of 3 entrees: Crab Stuffed Salmon, Cornish Game Hen or a Beef Wellington. We shared the Beef Wellington and Cornish Game Hen. We started off with roasted Brussel Sprouts, and they were delicious. Our dinner was nothing short of awesome!!!Everyone was amazing, and it was obvious they really wanted folks to have a memorable evening. I typically do lunch here, and a favorite is the ABC Burger. Or the Rocky Point Wrap. I've never left disappointed."

Just Us Cafe

★★★★☆ 4.3 (166) • $

"My friend and I came here to nurse our hangovers the day after the 2022 Midterm Elections. The night didn't go our way, and it was a long night with lots of booze. We needed an epic breakfast to make us feel better, and Just Us Café delivered.Just Us Cafe is a family-owned diner and local hangout that seems to have a crowd of regulars, but we felt welcome. The servers use Ipads to enter your order at the booth or table, which is very efficient and gets your drinks and food out quickly. We both had veggie omelets, and I customized mine to add cheese as well as an order of hash browns with onions on the side. The omelet was full of cheese and vegetables, and the hash browns were hot and crispy like home fries. My dining partner also had a side of catfish. As a pescatarian, I love that they have options that don't include sausage or bacon.Prices here are VERY reasonable, and our server kept us taken care of with drink refills and condiments. You also get a small discount if you pay with cash. I would return and recommend Just Us Café for breakfast."

The Collective Cafe

★★★★★ 4.5 (115)

"I've been here three times for a quick coffee. Even when I've been in line for over 10 minutes and still waiting to place my order, there's only one person ahead of me. I leave without a coffee every time because it takes forever just to place my order. Very disappointing. I'd love to support local businesses but I don't feel like my time is valued when I've been here."

milkbread

★★★★☆ 3.9 (137) • $$

"The staff was friendly and the chicken sandwich, buffalo chicken wraps and fries were delicious! It was our first time at milkbread after hearing so many wonderful things. It lived up to the hype!"

Shelby Cafe

★★★★☆ 3.9 (123) • $

"I heard about Shelby Cafe and decided today was the day to stop in for breakfast. Boy, am I glad I did. Hardwood floors moveable tables and chairs. I looked over all the menu breakfast selections, and they are all great selections, which made it difficult to choose. I ordered the vegetarian omelet, grits, and homefries, plus coffee . The plate was amazingly full of deliciousness. Tasty food and coffee. I'm so happy I stopped in. The waitress was very pleasant and efficient, very professional. Thank you."

Rocky River Coffee

★★★★☆ 4.2 (104) • $

"Food is always good. Coffee even better and stellar service. Would definitely recommend for a quick breakfast or afternoon pick me up."

Rainer's

★★★★☆ 4 (107) • $$

"Rainer's was such a good experience! Service was nice and helpful. The restaurant was clean and provided a good amount of seating. The food was delish! The cheesy pizza was the best and the salad was fresh and tasty. We look forward to returning!"

Dilworth Coffee - Plantation Market

★★★★☆ 4.4 (56) • $

"AWESOME! The coffee is good & the breve is better . OMG! I was not expecting the breve to be soooo delicious. Hats off the older lady who made my Breve is Sunday morning. Also grab a Strawberry Lemonade Probiotic water! Good good! I will return when I visit again."

The Village Cafe

★★★★☆ 4.2 (61)

"A nice small place to have breakfast. Service was very quick and friendly. I ordered the fried steak breakfast with grits. It was crispy smothered in what I assumed to be pork gravy. It was delicious. I'm from NY and we don't have that near us. Everything was good including the coffee. My only regret was I didn't see scrapple on the menu. Maybe I was not far enough south."

Phat Daddy's Cafe

★★★★☆ 3.5 (69) • $

"Was in the area for a concert the night before and wanted a nice place to go to brunch. My girlfriend found the place and we thought we would give it a shot. When you walk in you can tell that the food will be good and that they have a regular crowd, a little older crowd but a good crowd. The food was amazing! I loved my biscuits and gravy and my chocolate chip pancakes. And everyone else loved their food as well. The server was great and made sure the food came as ordered. They are very nice about making sure you can substitute things if needed, I always ask because I don't eat pork and that is sometimes hard at a breakfast restaurant. I am taking one start away because even though they warn you with a little sign, it took forever for the food to come out! When it did finally come out it was hot and what I ordered, which is a good thing. I highly recommend this place but you need to have a little bit of time on your hands..."

French Market Cafe & Gourmet Shop

★★★★☆ 3.9 (54)

"Overly priced Costco food more than likely warmed in a confection oven. The bread for tea sandwiches was dry. The owner /manager camped out in one of the booths and conducted business the entire time. Good tea selection. Decor was quaint but a bit crowded. Service was good, and that's why I gave 3 stars. However, they automatically add a 20% gratuity -I'm only accustomed to this for large parties not for 2 people. Let me be the judge of what you deserve for a tip."

Gaston Pour House

★★★★☆ 4 (51)

"The staff was absolutely amazing! The cheese board was decent- I think some of the meats where not too fresh and a cheese may have been opened and exposed to other scents and things in the fridge. It can happen, but should he monitored and checked for sure- I do recommend asking guests for allergies to certain things as well. As we both had allergies and the board was covered is a nut assortment. Which I can't recall was mentioned on the menu. But good to think to ask going forward! Exceptional cocktails though!"

Love In Action Cafe

★★★★★ 4.5 (35)

"This was my first time visiting Love In Action Cafe. Upon entering, I was greeted warmly by the young man at the register. He asked if this was my first visit, and I let him know that it was. He went through the daily specials, with it being Tuesday, they had the taco Tuesday menu. After a few moments, I chose the cheesesteak and fries. I walked around the restaurant while I waited for my meal. I saw handmade jewelry, nutritional supplements, and even a free library in the corner. After I received my food, I took a quick picture. Wow! It looked delicious. And let me tell you it tasted awesome. If I didn't know it wasn't meat, I would have been totally fooled. The fries were cooked too perfection. Crispy outside, soft inside. Just like I like them. They made a fan out of me today. I'll definitely be back to try other items on theirs menu."

Corner Cafe & Catering

★★★★☆ 3.8 (42) • $

"This is definitely a spot that I would visit again. I did not want to go to the "normal" breakfast spots so this place was a pleasant surprise. We order a short stack, two egg breakfast with corned beef hash, and cheese omelette. I'm big on the consistency of grits and theirs was perfect. It was not smooth how some people do and that's is okay. It was good and it did not need any extra salt or anything. That's was a big shocker for me because almost no one does that! The corned beef hash was perfect. It was thick and big. Delicious! The pancakes were a nice size. We were given an decent amount out food for the price. Love this spot and will definitely visit again. And the biscuit is really good!"

Coffee & Cream

★★★★★ 4.6 (25)

"Wonderful spot! The people working there seem like very generous spirits, the latte I had was great, and they bake all their own stuff in house!I'll have to update after I try this cinnamon roll tomorrow morning, but it looks great..."

CC's Cafe and Catering

★★★★★ 4.9 (22)

"Rarely do I give 5 stars to a restaurant on the first visit but this one deserves it. Service is great and very friendly, and the food is excellent.First became aware of this restaurant a couple of months ago elsewhere on another social media platform in the Denver, NC section. All of the comments were very good but were so few, they could have been easily manipulated.Made a mental note to give them a try and last Saturday, we passed it by on the way to another restaurant for lunch and I made a comment to my wife, that I wanted to give it a try. She suggested I go ahead and stop but I already had my mind made up what I wanted for lunch so I said, "maybe next week" That would also give me the opportunity to check out the menu online.Checked out the menu online this morning and it looks great. Since this is the Saturday of Memorial Day Weekend, I called just to make sure they were open and fortunately they were.It's only about 15 minutes from our house in Trilogy so very convenient and easy to get to. From the Hwy 16 bypass, take the St. James Church Rd exit and the restaurant is in a small strip mall at the junction of NC Hwy 16 Business and Saint James Church Road.The glass in the front is frosted with black lettering which gives it an elegant look. There are a couple of tables on the outside and about six booths on the inside. Not large but sufficient because it looks like a good part of their business is take out although they also do catering.You order at the counter and then you pick out a table and they bring it to you. There was one gentleman ahead of us but the wait was only a couple of minutes and gave both my wife and I an opportunity to review the menu again. Good thing because what my wife ordered was not on the online menu.When I lived in NE Ohio and Western PA, one of my favorite sandwich's was something called a Beef on Weck. Basically Roast Beef on a Caraway Seed Bun with Kosher Salt called a Kummelweck Roll served with Horseradish and Au Jus.They call theirs "The Mimi" and they use thinly sliced roasted Top Sirloin as the roast beef. I've had Beef on Weck at several Charlotte restaurants and while some were close to the original, they always fell a little bit short.Not the case here. If you're from Western NY and like Beef on Weck, you need to give it a try but I will warn you, the horseradish tis the real thing. Very quickly cleared up my sinuses. For a side, I had and excellent Pasta Salad as will.While not on the online menu, my wife had a Sub called the Scotty. It looked delicious with Sausage, Salami and Provolone Cheese with red onions and I think, lettuce and tomato on a Hoagie Bun.Her order came with a choice of side salad or pasta salad but she asked if she could substitute a side of fruit instead. They readily agreed and she got her side of fruit. Here we disagree. She said it was Strawberries and Grapes while for some reason, I though it was Strawberries and Blueberries. In any case she enjoyed it. This place is very comfortable and an oasis from everything going on around us. A good place of peace.They are Pembroke Welsh Corgi fans as well and we had a good chat about the breed. I had a bit of the Au Jus left over and I took it home to put on our Corgi's dinner. We got home around 1:30 pm and Watson the Corgi smelled it and pestered my wife to death till dinner time trying to get it earlier.This place is a keeper. A little bit hidden away in the small strip mall but definitely a place to try and to try again and again."

Fresh Choice Cafe

★★★★☆ 4.4 (27)

"So wait I haven't reviewed this place yet. This is like a best kept secret in Sanford. If it wasn't for Yelp suggesting this place I would have missed out. Best lunch place in town. They keep the menu simple- salads, soup, sandwiches, desserts. My jam totally. I can't wait for it to get colder. I prefer ahead and it was ready when I walked in. The food was amazing."

Raw Crunch and Coffee

★★★★☆ 4.4 (26)

"This is exactly the type of place that the Indian Trail area has been needing.If I was still in school, I would definitely come here to get some work done.The owners are so kind & sweet, the ingredients they use are all organic, (& you can taste it) & the decorations/atmosphere are very light & pleasantly happy.The gluten free crepes are AMAZING. We tried the savory one & the one with strawberries & nutella. SO yummy. can't wait to eat those again.I got a oat milk matcha & it was SO delicious. They blended it with a matcha brush, which was great to see since some coffee shops do not. I can't wait to be back. I love this place. Wish I could work here just to be part of the atmosphere."

Another Broken Egg Cafe

★★★★☆ 3.7 (34)

"Food is amazing. I go every weekend and every other chance I get. Staff is great, haven't had one bad server. Nice and open atmosphere. Clean and well maintained."

Flav's Coffee & Italian Market

★★★★★ 4.9 (19)

"Holy Crap! Is that Italian? No, but it's how I felt when I tasted my Mob Boss Panini today. This place is awesome. The owners are so darn nice. This is a hidden gem. Food, perfect. Service, on point. Ambiance, casual and laid back. Coffee, paninis and a small market. Drive out of your way if you have to...but get to Flavs soon."

BR Cafe

★★★★★ 4.6 (21)

"Delicious food. Service is not English-dominant so be prepared to consult Google translate. There are plenty of outdoor tables in the back should you want to be outside. Recommend the coxinhas but truthfully, everything we tried was delicious, including the imported Brazilian sweets inside."

Kathy's Java Express

★★★★☆ 3.9 (27)

"We decided to have an impromptu breakfast date this morning. The new bagel place was full and I am so glad. This place reminds me of an old school diner. They had a few regulars and it was cute to hear the interaction between them. The food was so good. We had the quiche of the day. If they have it, try the Bacon Cheeseburger quiche. So good. The grits were well seasoned, like actual seasoning. I did not need to add any salt or pepper. They have a beautiful selection of desserts and pastries. Definitely going back. So excited."

The Hickory Cafe & Arcade

★★★★☆ 4.3 (18) • $

"Excellent BLT sandwich. Very good counter service. This place is a throwback to the 60s. I enjoyed going here."

Surefire Neighborhood Market

★★★★★ 4.7 (14) • $

"Found this spot a little while back and it is incredible spot with great food and is also a mart. I got there right before they stopped serving the chicken sandwich, which is now only served at the food truck at slow play. The chicken sandwich is the main hit here. So tender, flavorful and juicy. Mac n cheese is a huge hit, super creamy and seasoned. Came back and had the wings with loaded tater tots and both are good hits as well. These guys just know flavor and seasoning. Food is very on point and people that work there are very pleasant and nice. They also have rap snacks and 99c Arizona tea! Must try!"

Sharpe’s Cafe On Crawford

★★★★★ 4.6 (5)

"This is the classic meat and three Southern lunch restaurant. It is only open for breakfast and lunch and is off the best path, but if one wants classic Southern meals, look no further. I had the daily special of meatloaf, with two vegetables, bread and drink for $11.00. Everything was tasty with good sized portions. Our server was polite and efficient. We sat down, she came quickly and got drinks then followed with taking our order. The food came out quickly. The only negative is that the restaurant is in one large room. So it is LOUD. If you want quiet this is not your place, but the food, service and price overcomes the noise."