My top 6 brunch places in Charlotte
Since my time in Charlotte is limited, I mainly get out for Sunday brunch. Here are the top 6 places you will find me:
- Heist Brewery (NoDa)- Their beer is only so-so and I can’t stand mimosas ($10 for bottomless, but legally $9.95 + $0.01/refill) so I mainly stick to water here, but I come here for the food. The buffet is $15.00 and well worth it with brie and bread, flatbreads, some kind of benedict, eggs, bacon (really chewy), sausage, some donuts, waffles, omelets, and oysters…yes! oysters. The wait here from around 11:30 am to 1:00 pm is usually over 30 minutes, but if you come after 1:30 pm it has usually cleared out. You will find me here at least once a month.
- Terrace Cafe (SouthPark/Ballantyne)- This place is great for good old southern cooking with a modern flair. They have 2 locations: Piedmont Row by SouthPark Mall and down in Ballantyne Village. I mainly go for the healthy turkey omelet, but I hear the red velvet waffles are the best. I’d highly recommend Open Table to make a reservation and if you miss Brunch they are closed for dinner on Sundays 🙁
- Toast (Dilworth/Davidson/Ballantyne)- I’ve only been to the Dilworth location, but they have a few and are looking to franchise more. It’s usually not to hard to get seated here with at most a 15 minute wait. There is something about their turkey I don’t like so although I got their turkey omelet the first time I went, I got other options the other times I’ve been. Their cornbread is pretty good and they use the “anyone is your server” concept like in many other countries. They also usually have a toast guy hanging outside on Park Rd. They appear to have full bar, but I can’t think of a time when my friends actually ordered any alcohol.
- Dragon Court (N. Tryon not far from NoDa)- No, you are reading correctly…some times I want something besides eggs and waffles for brunch so I come here for dim sum. Some times it seems that the carts with the crappy stuff just keep circulating, but if you ask for something specific eventually that cart will make it over to you. I love their mocchi balls with bean paste.
- Flying Biscuit Cafe (SouthPark/Ballantyne)- boy, there seems to be a theme with me…have a location in SouthPark and Ballantyne! I’ve been to both of these locations many times and although the service and quality fluctuate more than I’d like, I still keep going back for their Southern Scramble and of course the Flying Biscuits!
- Whole Foods Market (SouthPark)- If I can’t convince any of my friends to do brunch I just head over here and get some of the hot bar by the pound ($8.49 although sometimes cheaper). There are always scrambled eggs, empanadas, tofu scramble, biscuits and gravy, bacon, usually some non-pork breakfast meat such as turkey bacon or chicken sausage, grits, oatmeal, and a full salad bar. It’s often quite busy. If the lines for the hot bar checkout are long, look at the 10-items or fewer lines and they might be shorter.
So just remember, even if the place opens before noon, alcohol can’t be served until then so many brunch places that cater to that crowd tend to be busiest anticipating that noon hour. Go before if you’d prefer to miss that, but then you’ll miss the alcohol specials as well.
You also have to try Zada Janes. It’s in Plaza Midwood and is my favorite brunch spot of Saturdays and Sundays.
I’ve been there once and enjoyed it. It’s probably time to check it out again.
Pike’s Place in SouthEnd is great, though a little pricey.
@Aaron, My friends who’ve gone to Pike’s Place didn’t like it so they won’t go back. I know someone who works at Upstream and it sounds like they have a pretty good brunch there as well, but it is pricey so I might have to make a list for myself of the pricier brunches to check out. I try to spend my weekends with my friends so if I can’t convince them to go somewhere I just go where they go.
Have you tried Bistro La Bon? I have always enjoyed my visits their (1/2 buffet options 1/2 requested orders for french toast -excellent, by the way- waffles or scrambled eggs with bacon. I haven’t been since the winter and I was highly annoyed to see that brunch is now $20/person. it was $14 1-2 years ago and then went up to $16. Same food offerings but 40% more expensive, really?! I speculate most of that increase is due to their rise in popularity not because rent and food costs have gravely increased. (I think I would rather skip brunch and punish myself for under $15 at Cowfish!)
@Ken, I’m trying to think if I have or not. I eat out in that part of town frequently including Soul, but for some reason I don’t think I’ve ever brunched at Bistro La Bon.
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I’d also like to add that Terrace Cafe participates in many of the dining rewards programs.
Upstream is amazing and worth the money on Sunday. And yes, the best part of Terrace Cafe is it’s part of dividend miles dining program.
Worst list ever. I went to heist and got the all you can eat buffet. Took a look visit to the bathroom before I even left, them had to get brunch somewhere else because I was still hungry. Eggs were bland eggs mix from a carton. Potatoes were roasted earlier in the morning and rubber. Chicken wings were ok, but let’s be honest, that’s not what people are dying for at brunch. I will say the waffles were pretty awesome though, just not worth the $15 for all you can eat garbage. And flying biscuit? That had to have been a joke right? Terrace cafe isn’t bad, just too pretentious, but hey, it’s Charlotte right? I should be used to that. Toast is not bad, good old bacon and egg favorites, creative French toast, great corned beef hash. How have you not tried amalie’s or lulu’s or bistro la bon or even zada janes?