Christmas in Charlotte, NC

I will be in Charlotte, NC for Christmas does anyone know of a really good bbq place and a soulfood place? Surrounding areas are okay also.

Take Highway 74 to Shelby. About 30 miles from Charlotte. Bridges Barbecue Lodge is the best. They have the best hushpuppies I have ever tasted. Just don't go on a Monday or maybe Tuesday night. They are closed then. If you like seafood, go to Gastonia, which is south on I85-Take the New Hope Road Exit and go South towards SC-You will arrive at Fish Camp Row. We prefer the one on the right called Twin Tops. Plan to go hungry. If you have a chance, be sure and go to the little town of McAdenville, which is famous for their Christmas light display. It is called Christmas Town USA.

I am not from Charlotte but I have eaten at Bill Spoon's and at Bubba's and would highly recommend them both. Also there is a fried chicken joint near downtown that was featured in Southern Living that has always gotten rave reviews, I would check that out as I am sure someone will know the name of the place and post it.

Coffee Cup Cafe for Soul Food
www.hollyeats.com/CoffeeCup.htm

emsmom is on target. No exceptional real barbecue can be found in Charlotte. Bridges Barbecue lodge in Shelby is terrific. Twin Tops in Gastonia is my choice for fish camps also. Both are well worth the drive.

Jim

quote:

Originally posted by BBQjoe

Also there is a fried chicken joint near downtown that was featured in Southern Living that has always gotten rave reviews, I would check that out as I am sure someone will know the name of the place and post it.

It's Price's Chicken Coop on Camden Road. Takeout only and it closes at 6:00 PM, which is really weird.

For real BBQ (cooked over wood rather than gas or electricity), head to Shelby or to Lexington. I'll second the Bridges recommendation in Shelby and suggest Lexington #1 in Lexington. At both places I always ask for "outside brown" meat in order to get the crunchy burnt ends of the BBQ.

For soul food, I am going to propose an off the beaten path recommendation - Grandma's Country Kitchen on N. Tryon Street near the University. Here's a review from Creative Loafing http://charlottehappenings.creativeloafing.com/gbase/GoodEats/Content?location=oid%3A16116&contentView=review

Aquarius,
Some years ago, I was taken to a marvelous place in East Charlotte - Gus' Sir Beef on Monroe Road. What a great meat-and-three place! "FRESH MY FARM CHESTERFIELD CO. S. C." was on the menu describing some of the vegetables. (That won't be the case in the winter, unless Gus froze quantities enough to last, which is conceivable.) The day's menu was typed out on a manual typewriter and printed up on an old spirit duplicator; the syntax was loveably fractured Greco-English.
There are several Greek-family-owned diners in Charlotte. One that immediately comes to mind is The Landmark Diner out Central a good ways. There's another storefront place in toward town at like 1325 Central that is remarkable - it's about a block in toward town from the huge Harris-Teeter and on the same side of the street. The South Park Diner on South Boulevard is also worth your taking the time to check out.
Let's see... The Andersons' on Elizabeth Avenue near Presbyterian Hospital is good, as is The Athens Restaurant on Independence Boulevard at about 4th. Street. Last time I was in Charlotte, 3+ years ago, I ate at The Athens, and it was as good as I had remembered it from ten years previous.
If you surf around here on this site, you'll find quite a few Charlotte suggestions scattered about. My synapses are less-than-perfect tonight, so I can't tell you where... but if you want to check through my postings, you'll find the thread(s).
Bon appetit!
Absently, Ort. Carlton in Athens, Georgia, 194 Miles From Queen City.
P. S. Try some Jamison's Livermush for breakfast. It's made on Lawyers Road in Charlotte and is the preferred local brand. By the time you get to Shelby, you'll see Mack's and Jenkins' on the shelves instead. Another widely-available brand is Neese's Liver Pudding from Greensboro. Frank Corriher's from Kannapolis is the favorite up in neighboring Cabarrus County. There must be 25 or 30 more brands of the stuff; I reckon I've tried at least 13 or 14 and am still hunting more. Livermush (also called Liver Mush) is a strictly upstate North-And-South Carolina phenomenon.

quote:

Originally posted by Ort. Carlton.

There's another storefront place in toward town at like 1325 Central that is remarkable - it's about a block in toward town from the huge Harris-Teeter and on the same side of the street. The South Park Diner on South Boulevard is also worth your taking the time to check out.

I think the place on Central is John's Country Kitchen. I've never been there but I have heard the breakfast is quite good.
I have never heard of the South Park Diner on South Blvd. Are you thinking of the Cupboard, which, sadly, closed down earlier this year?

quote:

Originally posted by Ort. Carlton.

P. S. Try some Jamison's Livermush for breakfast. It's made on Lawyers Road in Charlotte and is the preferred local brand. By the time you get to Shelby, you'll see Mack's and Jenkins' on the shelves instead. Another widely-available brand is Neese's Liver Pudding from Greensboro. Frank Corriher's from Kannapolis is the favorite up in neighboring Cabarrus County. There must be 25 or 30 more brands of the stuff; I reckon I've tried at least 13 or 14 and am still hunting more. Livermush (also called Liver Mush) is a strictly upstate North-And-South Carolina phenomenon.

I have often been curious about livermush. Do you just slice it and fry it for breakfast or are there other tasty serving variations?

quote:

Originally posted by Brent Kulman

quote:

Originally posted by Ort. Carlton.

I think the place on Central is John's Country Kitchen. I've never been there but I have heard the breakfast is quite good.
I have never heard of the South Park Diner on South Blvd. Are you thinking of the Cupboard, which, sadly, closed down earlier this year?

quote:

I have often been curious about livermush. Do you just slice it and fry it for breakfast or are there other tasty serving variations?

Brent,
YES, that's the name of it! - John's Country Kitchen!! A stellar little dumpy-looking place; I would trust anything their kitchen turned out... breakfast or lunch.
I have the name of the diner on South Boulevard wrong. No, it's not The Cupboard. It may be The South Boelevard Diner!
Livermush can be sliced and fried for breakfast or cut straight off the loaf and put in a sandwich. Since it's already cooked before you buy it, it's edible as is. All joking aside, it's one of my favorite comfort foods, because it doesn't require any preparation: I once ate a block of it for lunch in a city park in Davidson, North Carolina.
Replyingly, Ort. Carlton in 30601-land.