Best of the Weekly: Food

Best Date Night: The Portrait Gallery Restaurant & Bar

The Portrait Gallery Restaurant & Bar offers several layers that make for a fresh date. The Matthews restaurant showcases artwork throughout the 100-year-old building, creating fun conversational pieces. The menu has creative small plates and crafted cocktails. Wine and whiskey pairings, as well as late-night specials, add spice to the night.

118 E. Charles St., Matthews

Best Bakery: Daphne’s Bakery

Daphne’s Bakery specializes in baking delectable and delicious treats from scratch. Whether you’re into cookies, cupcakes, macarons, muffins, pies or daffydoodles, this Mint Hill bakery will make your mouth water. Gluten- and sugar-free options are available, too. Daphne’s can accommodate custom cake orders, ranging from baby’s first birthday to retirement.

7609 Matthews-Mint Hill Road, Mint Hill

Best Barbecue: Mint Hill Rock Store BBQ

The staff at Mint Hill Rock Store BBQ has proven to be rock stars the way they put perfectly cooked pork on a plate. It’s smoked overnight with hickory and cherry wood and then hand-pulled. Customers can then squirt one of the Mint Hill restaurant’s signature sauces on it.

7032 Brighton Park Drive, Mint Hill

Best Breakfast: Stacks Kitchen

The motto at Stacks Kitchen’s is “good food & plenty of it.” The Matthews diner boasts a breakfast menu loaded with bendicts, skillets, omelets, French toast, pancakes, waffles and sandwiches. Gobble ’em up from 6 a.m to 3 p.m. Grits, livermush and corned beef hash are available, too.

11100 Monroe Road, Matthews

Best Caterer: The Southern Gourmet

The Southern Gourmet can not only dish out Salisbury Steaks with Mushroom Gravy and Smokehouse Pulled Pork BBQ, but it also offers the flexibility to also garnish Classic Lemon Chicken Piccata with Capers and White Wine. The Charlotte caterer can accommodate various themes, including luaus, Tuscan holidays and park picnics.

9101 Monroe Road, Charlotte

Best Asian Food: Ming Fu

Ming Fu Chinese & Sushi has been serving the Matthews community since 2012. Customers can build entrees around chicken, pork, beef, shrimp and scallops or choose from more than a dozen chef’s specialties. They can also order from a lengthy list of sushi entrees and specialty rolls.

115 W. John St., Matthews

Best Burger Joint: Mooyah Burgers

Fries and Shakes

With more than two dozen toppings, customers can make their burgers as messy as they want. On the other end of the spectrum, Mooyah Burgers Fries and Shakes launched a series of Lifestyle Burgers that include The Paleo and The Keto, which include iceberg lettuce instead of buns, avocado and tomato.

2233 Matthews Township Pkwy., Matthews

Best Wings: Kristopher’s Sports

Bar & Restaurant

The menu at Kristopher’s Sports Bar & Restaurant has many options, but the buffalo wings have many fans. Gnaw on flavors such as ranch, honey mustard, hot honey, garlic hot, teriyaki and Jamaican jerk while you watch TV or enjoy a beer.

250 N. Trade St., Matthews

Best Ice Cream: Dairy Queen

Dairy Queen serves your traditional cones and sundaes, as well as banana splits and novelties. But its series of Blizzard options allow you to carry ice cream blended with Reese’s, Oreo or S’mores in a cup. Flavors include brownie dough, summer berry cheesecake and turtle pecan cluster.

1819 Matthews Township Pkwy., Matthews

Best Italian: Mario’s Italian Restaurant

Italian food is more than pizza, though Mario’s Italian Restaurant has plenty of it. There’s Filet Mignon Milanese, Salmon Piccata and Veal Scallopini. The Matthews restaurant has been rolling out small plates on Friday nights with Bacon Wrapped Lamb Lollypop or Bourbon St. Mac + Cheese.

2945 Matthews-Weddington Road, Matthews

Best Lunch Spot: Big Guy’s Pizza

Don’t have the time or the appetite to eat an entire pizza? No sweat. Grab some pizza by the slice or get a salad, calzone, stromboli or some wings. These affordable, fast and filling options won’t weigh you down for the rest of the day.

6914 Matthews-Mint Hill Road, Mint Hill

Best Mexican: Azteca

Azteca Family Mexican Restaurant has four locations in the Charlotte region, with the Matthews one getting love from readers.  Here, you’ll find authentic Mexican cuisine with dishes like the Camarones Mexicanos, Arroz Con Pollo and Steak Torero. They also have lunch specials and American dishes.

9709 E. Independence Blvd., Matthews

Best Pizzeria: Big Guy’s Pizza

They don’t call Big Guy’s Pizza the “Home of the Big Slice” for nothing. Customers can order the 28-inch Big Guy pizza, which can feed eight to 10 people. Pizzas include Philly Cheese Steak, Cheeseburger, White Manhattan, Gluten-Free, and Grandma, a rectangular flatbread with tomatoes, basil, garlic and cheese.

6914 Matthews-Mint Hill Road, Mint Hill

Best Sandwich Shop: Jimmy John’s

Jimmy John’s Gourmet Sandwiches has built a large following for making sandwiches fresh and fast. Locations in Matthews, Mint Hill and Galleria Boulevard are no exception. Customers can devour classic subs or favorites like the Beach Club (with turkey, provolone and avocado) or the Ultimate Porker (with ham and bacon).

Multiple locations

Best Seafood: Captain Steve’s

Captain Steve’s Family Seafood Restaurant specializes in Southern-style food. Fried platters come with coleslaw, hushpuppies and other comforting sides. Choose from fried Alaskan whitefish, catfish, flounder, oysters, perch, scallops, shrimp, tilapia and others. Fish platters can be broiled or grilled, too.

8517 Monroe Road, Charlotte

Best Steakhouse: Texas Roadhouse

Texas Roadhouse has a hearty selection of hand-cut steaks, ranging from the Road Kill (10-ounce chop steak smothered with onions, mushrooms and jack cheese) to the 23-ounce Porterhouse T-Bone. Other cuts include sirloin, filet, rib eye, prime rib and New York Strip. Customers can also order Steak Kabob or Filet Medallions.

10450 E. Independence, Matthews

Best Sushi: New Zealand Cafe 

New Zealand Cafe’s legend continues to rise as publications throughout the greater Charlotte region recognize Chef Jackie Chen’s visually stunning and delicious creations. There’s a wide variety of fish to try, including crab, eel, octopus, sea urchin, squid and tuna. The Charlotte Roll is made of spicy tuna with avocado and smelt roe on top.

1717 Sardis Road N., Charlotte

Best Service: Kabab-Je Rotisserie & Grille

Kabab-Je Rotisserie & Grille has been serving Mediterranean and Lebanese cuisine, such as Lahem Meshwi and Kafta Kish Kash, for six years now. Customers rave about the service provided by staff as well as the attention to detail given by management.

2233 Matthews Township Pkwy., Matthews

Best Food Truck: The Herban Legend

Walking up to The Herban Legend during Matthews Food Truck Fridays is like taking a culinary trip around the world. On any given day, customers may be able to order an Asian Pork Pretzel, Fried Green Tomato Grilled Cheese, San Jose Shrimp Wrap or Shawarma.

131 E. John St., Matthews

Best Cupcake: Baked Well

Elle Peters opened her Matthews bakery, Baked Well, last year. While readers gave her kudos for cupcakes, they specialize in custom-made cakes and other pastries. Her Instagram is worth following if you love looking at creative cake creations.

10915 Monroe Road, Matthews

 

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