This week I thought it time to talk restaurants and for this update on my April 2018 Restaurant Roundup I thought would be fun to visit some hidden gems, restaurants you may not know about, but should be on your radar…
Apparently all of you thought it was a great idea as well as the video from my Charlotte Today restaurant segment – which originally aired on on Tuesday April 17 has had thousands of view – so glad you enjoyed it! I know you will love all of these restaurants as much as you liked this segment!
In case you missed my April 2018 Restaurant Roundup, I’ve embedded the video here and added in a few more food shots at each of these restaurants. as I said in the earlier post and on TV, not all of these places are in the Charlotte city limits – a few cross state lines, a few are a short drive away in or just south of Charlotte; all are hidden gems in one regard or another, and all are places you simply must put on your “time-to-try-it-out” list.
So Join me for a taste of Spring, if you will, vis-à-vis this set of six hidden gems you’ll want to check out soon!
April 2018 Restaurant Roundup: Hidden Gems as seen on TV
Just click on the video for it to begin and you can adjust it to the size of your screen. Enjoy!
Now for the details on each of these hidden gems…Do plan to check them out soon, Feel free to circle back here and use this post as a reference and let me know when you’ve visited them all! #TellThemHeidiSentYou
We will start this time as we did in the video, in Chesterfield, South Carolina at
April 2018 Restaurant Roundup: Carolina Restaurant & Steakhouse
Located at 13882 SC-Hwy 9 in Chesterfield, at 843-623-2601
Originally open in 1972, this steakhouse offers steak, chicken and seafood entrees, plus a baked potato and a salad bar just as it has since the early 1970s. The nostalgia of it all is what I love – but that said, the mainstay of steak, potatoes and salad bar is solid and the place is packed with regulars at nearly every meal.
Open for lunch, On Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and on Sundays from 11am to 2 pm; and for dinner on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 6-10 pm. Still family run, it’s step back in time and that makes it kitchy and fun, red vinyl booths and all.
April 2018 Restaurant Roundup: Nana’s Soul Food Kitchen
2908 Oaklake Blvd; 704-357-3700
tucked away in a strip mall just off of Yorkmont Road in Charlotte NC.
Open 7 days a week, 11 am -9 pm, this is where to come for all your southern soul food faves. Order a small plate from the buffet with one protein and 2-3 sides; or a large plate as pictured below, with two proteins and 2-3 sides; or select three of the sides and enjoy a veggie plate to beat the band. Each day there is a different special and the desserts ( see the red velvet Cheesecake and the banana pudding in the photo above) are all homemade!
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April 2018 Restaurant Roundup: Five & Dine
In Rock Hill, South Carolina you will find this taste of history at 135 East Main Street, Rock Hill, 803-328-3463
On Main Street in the historic district of downtown Rock Hill, you will find the second location, opened in 1937, of the original and now Historic McCrory’s Five & Dime. In 1961 it was the sight of the first Civil Rights era sit in where a group of young protestors, standing up for what they knew was right – nine of them from Friendship College – sat at McCrory’s Rock Hill lunch counter and were arrested, and then quickly tried and each sentenced to a $100 fine and 30 days of hard labor. The Friendship Nine, as they are now known, were the first of Civil Rights protestors in the country to refuse bail to drive home their point; they made history and the Five & Dine is a gem as it now pays tribute to those brave members of the Rock Hill community who stood for what they believed. Today that original counter is still there and has been refurbished and each bar stool has a plaque honoring one of the original protestors.
On the menu, look for this Five & Dine specialty of Chicken and Waffles, a starter of tempura green beans, fried green tomatoes and doughnut cheeseburger sliders!
April 2018 Restaurant Roundup: Table & Market Restaurant
Located at 129 1/2 Main Street in Christmastown, USA aka McAdenville, North Carolina 704-879-9042
From December 1 to December 24 each year, nearly 650,000 visitors drive through the tiny town of McAdenville to see the Christmas lights. The gem here is that this restaurant and the other cute shops on Main Street are the reason to visit McAdenville – a town of 650 residents, 1 streetlight and home to Pharr Mills – when it is not the holiday season.
This cute little restaurant is in the historic 2-3 block of downtown McAdenville. There is a bar and a restaurant plus a butcher shop and a little grocery and wine shop all in one. You can order any of the meat and seafoods from the butchers case and they’ll cook them for you for dinner or in addition to any plate on the menu. The entire restaurant is upfitted with original McAdenville repurposed wood, railroad ties, library book shelves etc. – its a whole lot of history wrapped up in a terrific little spot. You can read more of the story in the spring issue of Charlotte Living magazine -coming out in late May/early June 2018.
Hard to talk about hidden gems in the Carolinas and not include at least one BBQ joint on the list and this family owned smoke house in Belmont had me at the name!
April 2018 Restaurant Roundup: Peace-N-Hominy
403 East Catawba Street in Belmont, North Carolina at 704-464-7647
This four year old BBQ joint is taking the town by storm and lines at lunch, brunch and dinner are always out the door. They smoke the ‘cue every night so options of beef , pork and chicken are fresh every day. 4 sauces and a choice of sides all incredibly well done.
The menu is extensive, so don’t be afraid to tell them you’re a first timer and they’ll go over the whole menu for you in details.
Go up and order from the counter, and food is delivered to the table. Fun brunch dishes on Saturday and Sunday – Spareribs on weekends only.
April 2018 Restaurant Roundup: Lincoln’s Haberdashery
1300 South Blvd, 704-910-4660
Located in the original 1920’s home office of to the Lance Corporation, Lincoln’s Haberdashery is a niche grocery of hot sauces and homemade ice cream, meets wine and beer shop, meets coffee shop meets a lunch & dinner counter soups, sandwiches and salads, all of it incredible well done by chef Michael Shortino of Futa Buta. Shortino bakes breads fresh each day, and serves the sliced loaves up for breakfast, stuffs them with a host of sandwich fillings and sells the loaves for you to take home and enjoy as well.
Enjoy a choice of coffees and lattes all made with Pure Intentions Coffee with any one of the fresh baked over the top pastries. In the afternoon and evenings meet friends for wine and beer and a host of terrific salads, sandwiches and soon there will be Shortino’s “after five” burgers, too! Lincoln’s is another the restaurants I’ll feature in the Spring issue of Charlotte Living magazine!
For more of my recent Restaurant Roundup posts check out articles here and here.
Thanks so much to my blog partners who help make it possible to bring more posts like this April 2018 Restaurant Roundup your way.My blog post sponsors are all brands I believe in and I am happy to share their story.
Today this HeidiBillottoFood.com post is brought to you by my friends at
Charlotte Living Magazine
Charlotte Living is a Charlotte-based quarterly publication, The Lifestyle Magazine of the Carolinas and I am proud to be the food editor for this beautiful publication. In each issue I share the stories of local restaurants, showcase numerous ways to eat and drink local and write about food-centric travel.
The current issue, pictured here, is the Magazine’s 1st quarter Issue for 2018 and is the Food Edition – it includes a Charlotte-area restaurant guide with info on more than 150 different restaurants worth your while. You can pick up a copy all you own at newsstands in Charlotte or check it all out online here.